Kshatriya

Kshatriya (क्षत्रिय) is the title of the princely military order in the Vedic society. They are the warrior and ruling caste in the varna system.

Jat Gotras

Kshatriya (क्षत्रिय) is listed in Jat Gotras.

Etymology

Kṣatriya (क्षत्रिय) is derived from Sanskrit word kṣatra (क्षत्र). The word means the protector of land. They are supposed to uphold the code of honour, bravery and loyalty. Everyone in the military and governing hierarchy from king to village chief and from general to foot-soldier is a kshatriya. In ancient Hindu society, a person's aptitude ('guna'), conduct ('karma') and nature ('swabhava') were considered to assign his occupation. In the early Vedic civilization, the warrior caste was called Rājanya & Kshatriya. The former was an adjectival form of Rājan "ruler, king" from a root Rāj "to rule", cognate to the Latin Rex "king" and the German Reich "empire".

Meena kshatriya

Zamidar Meena are also kshatriya caste. Zamidar Meena mainly found in Rajasthan. In past time Meena Caste was ruled on many parts of Rajasthan and Madhya pradesh. According to Rs mann that Meena Caste is Kshatriya like Rajput. In many area Meena and Rajput are live like brothers and Mainly Meenas are Farmer Community and they also Do Animal husbandry.

Panini on Kshatriya

V. S. Agrawala writes that Panini mentions Kshatriya caste in connection with Gotras, Janapadas and Sanghas. For example the Kuru Gotra appeared both in Brahmanas (IV.1.151) and Kshatriyas (IV.1.172). If the father was a Brahmana, he and his young (yuvan) son were both called Kauravya but if Kshatriya they would be Kauravya and Kauravyāyaṇi (II.4.58, Kashika).

Andhaka and Vrishni were Kshatriya Gotras. As to Kshatriyas associated with the janapadas, they as original founders gave their name to the region where they settled down (IV.1.168), the ruling families being designated as janapadins (IV.3.100); e.g. Panchala country named after Panchala Kshatriyas; similarly Dardistan from Darads, Johiyawar (Bahawalpur) from Yaudheyas; Malwa (in Ferozpur-Ludhiana) from ancient Malavas (now called Malavais). Panini especially mentions the Vahika Sangha (V.3.114), some dominated by Brahmans as ruling caste (Gopalavas), others by Rājanyas and called Rājanyaka (IV.2.53), most likely referring to Ranas of Hill states. The majority were Kshatriya sanghas, as Kshudrakas, Malavas (V.3.114, Kashika), Vṛikas (V.3.115), Yaudheyas (V.3.117). Distinguished Kshatriya heroes had become objects of religious bhakti (IV.3.99) before Panini time, referring to the popular cult of hero worship.

Rājanya - In the Samhitas Rājanya is a synonymous term with Kshatriya. Panini had retained the old sense of the word in sutra (IV.2.39), where as he has used it in a new constitutional significance in sutra VI.2.34 (Rajanya-bahuvachana-dvandve Andhaka- Vrishnishu), where as Kashika defines Rājanya as a member of such families in Kshatriya tribe as were consecrated to rulership (abhishikta-vaṁśya kshatriya)

Buddha Prakash on Hsuan Chwang’s keen observations

Buddha Prakash mentions ....[p.125]: Hsuan Chwang’s keen observations on Indian society in the first half of the seventh century enable us to form some idea of how the people lived and thought in the Panjab at that time. He wrote that the Kshatriyas and Brahmanas were clean-handed and unostentatious, pure and simple in life and very frugal (T. Watters, Op. cit ., p. 151). The Kshatriyas had held sovereignty for many generations and their aims were benevolence and mercy (Ibid., p. 168). The army consisted of elephants, chariots, horses and foot-soldiers. The war-elephant was covered with coat-of-mail and his tusks were provided with sharp barbs The commander-in-chief rode on such an elephant with a soldier on each side to manage the animal. The chariot, in which an officer sat, was drawn by four horses, while the infantry guarded it on both sides. The infantry were choice men of valour; they bore large shields and long spears; some were armed with swords and sabres and dashed to the front of the advancing line of battle. The soldiers were perfect experts with all the implements of war such as spear, shield, bow and arrow, sword, sabre etc. having been drilled in them for generations. Of the army a special section was the National Guard consisting of heroes of choice valour. In peace they guarded the sovereign’s residence and in war they became the intrepid vanguard. As the military profession was hereditary, they became adepts in military tactics (ibid, p. 171). At the back of this well-trained and organized army was a sound and honest administration and the high moral calibre of the people. The pilgrim noted that the people would not take anything wrongfully and yielded more than fairness required. They did not practise deceit and kept their sworn obligations. Among them the criminal class was small and they feared the retribution for sins in other lives (Ibid., p. 171).

Hsuan Chwang has given us interesting sidelights on the peoples of the Panjab. He says that the country between the Indus and the Beas was called Cheh-ka (Takka). Its soil was fertile, climate was hot and the people were rude, mostly devoted to theistic religions and speaking a low vernacular. However, there were dharmashalas, where the needy and the distressed received relief and food, and medicines were distributed free of cost and the travellers could stay comfortably. The capital town of this

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[p.126]: region was Shakala which had witnessed the ferocity and vandalism of the dreadful Huna ruler Mihirakula. Near to it a new city, probably Asarur, was founded. In a forest near it a band of fifty robbers entrapped him and his party, stripped , them of their possessions and drove them into the bed of a dried-up pond and began to truss them up with ropes. But the pilgrim escaped through a gap in the thick growth of creepers and ran a mile towards a village. A Brahmana, who was tilling his field, heard the episode, rushed to the village and blew his conch on which eighty villagers took up arms and rushed towards the robbers. On their approach the robbers made off and the villagers un trussed the companions of the pilgrim and provided them food and clothing, and other necessaries. Next day the pilgrim and his party reached the Ashrama of a Brahmana who had a good knowledge of Vedic and Madhyamika texts and was reputed to be seven hundred years old. On the coming of the visitors he approached a neighbouring town from where three hundred prominent people came with provisions to entertain them. This incident shows that, though in the neighbouthood of Sialkot in the Takka country bands of brigands infested the highways, the villagers were ready to encounter and overpower them on getting slightest hints of their whereabouts and that they as well as the neighbouring townsmen were very courteous and hospitable to outside visitors and ministered to their comforts with offerings of provisions and clothing.

Another point which this incident bears out is that the Brahmanas tilled and sowed land just as they excelled in study and learning, in other words, professional mobility was not hedged by birth by and large.

Types of Kshatriyas

In modern India, caste is inherited. Most of the Kshatriya communities claim descent from Surya, Chandra, or Agni. The Surya descendants claim descent from Rama and the Chandra descendants claim Krishna as an ancestor. This is based on the writings of the Rig Veda and other Puranas. The vanshas develope according to the system of worship. Accordingly following categories of Kshatriyas exist in India.

Suryavansh

These Kshatriya communities claim descent from Surya. One of sons of Brahma was Mārīcha, whose grandson was vivasvān, from whom started Suryavansha.

Chandravansh

These Kshatriya communities claim descent from Chandra. One of Brahma's son was Ādī, whose son was Chandra (Soma), from whom started Chandravansh.

Agnivansh

These Kshatriya communities claim descent from Agni.

Nagavansh

Chandravanshi King Ayu had a king named Elakha in nineth generation, whose son was Nagas, from whom started Nagavansh. Prajapati Daksha's daughter was Sarma, who was wife of Suryavanshi king Kashyapa, who gave birth to son of Naga clan from whom started the Nagavansh.

Jats are Kshatriyas

As per standards of Vedic Kshatriyas, Jats are the true Aryans belonging to Kshatriya varna. The Indo-Aryan origin of Jats has been advocated on the basis of ethnological, physical and linguistic standards by many historians like Ernest Binfield Havell, Kalika Ranjan Qanungo, Chintaman Vinayak Vaidya, Sir Herbert Risley, Thakur Deshraj, Mangal Sen Jindal etc.

The original home of Jats is connected with the original home of Aryans, the Aryavarta, since the Jats are definitely a tribe of Aryan race.

Jats have more than 5000 gotras. They are found in all four Kshatriya types (Vanshas), i.e. Suryavansh, Chandravansh, Nagavansh and Agnivansh.