Indian Antiquary Vol 40

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 36

30
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY,
(JANUARY, 1911.
grantees or authors originally of Ahichchhatra are mentioned. Thus the Ujjain plates of 974 A.D. speak of the grantees Vasantacharya as having emigrated (vinirgata) from Abichchhatra, i. e., belonging to the Ahichchhatra Brahmaņa community 20. Mahdhara, the author of the Mantramahodadhi, speaks of himself as having emigrated from the territory of Ahichchhatra, which he calls dvija-chchhatra, i.e., shelter of the twice-borno1
Linguistic considerations also lead us to the same conclnsion. There is a group of languages called Pahadi, which, as Dr. Grierson tells us, are offshoots of Rajasthani29. They are spoken in the Himalayas from Chambâ in the Panjab to Nepal. Dr. Grierson, however, accounts for this close resemblance by saying that bands of Rajputs at various times invaded these hills, settled there, and intermarried with the original inhabitants, on whom they imposed their language. I am not aware of any evidence that can be adduced to show that the Rajputs, who conquered the hills, were from Rajasthan (Rajputâna), as he, I think, clearly implies. Oa the contrary, what little I know runs counter to this view. For the Rajpût tribes known in Rajasthân are Chahamânas, Padihârs, and so on, but those which exist in the hilly districts of the Panjab are Katoch, Pathânia, Jaswal23, &c., - quite unheard of in Rajasthan. On the other hand, the principal Rajpût tribes of Rajasthan have themselves come, as I have just shown, from this billy country, which was in olden times known as Sapadalaksha. The Chabamânas and the early Chalukyas came from this region and the Bhâțts also appear to have come from here, for they have a sub-division amongst them called Sawâlakbia, which is found even among the Bhâţi Malis. There may be many other Rajput clans, such as Paramîras and Padibârs, who also came from Sapadalaksba, although we know nothing about them just now in this respect. The close resemblance between Rajasthani and Pahadi has, therefore, to be explained by the fact that the predominant tribes of Rajputînî, who alone could influence Rajasthani, themselves came from the billy tracts where Pahadi is spoken. In this connection it deserves to be further noticed that another offshoot of Rajasthani, as Dr. Grierson informs us, is Gajari," the language of the Gujars wandering with their herds over the mountains of Kashmir and the Swat valley." This doubtless connects the principal Rajput tribes of Rajputânî, who have influenced Rajasthani, with the nomadic Gujar race, a conclusion by no means startling. These tribes are what are called the agnikulas, i. e., Châbamanas (Chavâns), Paramaras (Pamvârs), Chaulukyag (Solankis), and Pratihâras (Padihars). Solankis and Padibårs we know for certain to be of Gajar origin. And though no proof can as yet be actually brought forward, there is every likelihood of the Chavâns and Pam vârs also being Gújars. With regard to the Chahaminas (Chavâns) in particular, we have seen above that we have strong evidence in support of their foreign origin. I believe that as legend has brought these four Rajpût tribes together and classed them under agnikula, they all came from Sapädalaksha and were of Gujar race.
That the GOjars were foreigners has now been admitted on all hands. They have been dentified by the late Sir James Campbel126 with the Khazars who occupied a very prominent position on the border land of Europe and Asia especially in the sixth century A. D. It is worth noticing here tbat Khazar is called Gazar to the north of the sea of Asof, that Gbyser is the name for Kbazars who have become Jews, and that Ghusar is the form of Khazar in use among the Lesghians of the CaucaBug. All these forms, i.e., Gazar, Ghyssr and Ghusar approach so closely the Indian namo Guzar, that it would be well-nigh impossible to dissent from Sir James Campbell's view. Reminiscences
1. Ante Vol. VI, pp. 50 and 52.
1 Oxford Catalogue, by Aufrecht, p. 100. * Imperial Gazetteer, Vol. I., PP. 364 and 368. 13 Consue of the Parvab, by Ibettson, for 1881, PP. 248-51.
Connus Report of the Jodhpur State (Hindi), for 1891, Vol. III, p. 89; Sawalakhil is also Whathop among the Baid-Kayasthag (IUI. P. 404). Bombay Gazetteer, Yol. IX., Pt. I, p. 471 ff.
* Ibid, p. 479.