The Rajput period of Indian History is conventionally said to begin in the 7th century with powerful warrior clans like the Pratihara, Chahaman, Guhilputra, Solanki, and Parmar rising to power in Rajasthan and expanding beyond. These names are all found in the Chattis Rajkula, a muster roll of 36 royal clans, of whom the Pratiharas are counted as the first among Rajputs for building an empire and defeating the Arab invaders. After the Pratiharas, the Rajput identity spread across all of India, and ruling lineages in distant parts clamored to be counted as "Rajput" or as descended from Rajputs.
But there are some Rajput clans in the Chattis Rajkula whose period of greatness predates that of the Pratiharas; stretching farther back into the proto-Rajput period. The most interesting of these clans are the Bhati Rajputs. In medieval and modern times they were known as the ruling clan of Jaisalmer state in northwestern Rajasthan, but in more ancient times the extent of their power can be gauged from three facts:
Working backwards through the lineage of the Rawals of Jaisalmer, whose history is well documented, the most important Bhati Rajput ruler appears to be Vijayaraja whose dates range from Bhatika Samvat 541 to 552 (1165-76 CE). Vijayaraja, nicknamed Lanja, married the daughter of Sidhraja Jaisimha, the Solanki Rajput ruler of Gujarat, and had some military achievement against the Turk invaders because he was given the title uttara disa bhada kiwad: guardian of the gate to the north. Since in that very period the Solanki Rajputs also won a great victory against the Turk invader Mohammad Ghori, it seems reasonable that the Bhati Rajputs under Vijayaraja helped in pushing the invader out, or raided and sacked their posts in Multan and Punjab.
More than a century earlier, Rawal Dusaj (1043 CE) carried out a trans-Indus raid, capturing horses and treasures from a Pathan chief. His father, Rawal Bachharaj is presumed to have died fighting Mahmud Ghaznavi, therefore this counter-attack by Dusaj shows the revival of the Bhati power. He was married to a Guhilot princess of Mewar.
Earlier in the 9th century, Rawal Devaraja Bhati, founded Derawar, captured Pugal, and defeated Muslim invaders from Multan. Devaraja is also credited with establishing Lodurva as the capital of his kingdom. This is the same Bhattika Devaraja mentioned as "ruler of Valla-mandala" in the inscription of Bauka Pratihara of Mandore. Early in his reign Devaraja came to conflict with Siluka Pratihara of Mandore but their war ended in an alliance cemented by marriage. The Jodhpur inscription of Pratihara Bauka dated 837 CE speaks of his mother, Padmini of the Bhatti family, as a Maharajani, which shows the importance of the family.
The father of Devaraja, named Vijayaraja I, is known as the founder of Bijnot fort, which was lost by the Bhatis and is now in the Bahawalpur region. Another important town Tanot, was made a capital by Devaraja's great-grandfather; Bhati Rao Kehar in the 8th century, and still contains the temple of Tanot Mata, revered by the people of Jaisalmer and famous for it place in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Kehar even named his son Rao Tano, who is remembered for defeating an invasion of Hussain Shah from Multan.
The great-grandfather of Kehar, Rao Bhati, has no inscription or known dates in his name but obviously had some great achievement because the clan is named after him; as is their royal era: the Bhatika Samvat. The town of Bhatinda in southern Punjab was founded by him, while his son established Bhatner (modern Hanumangarh) in northern Rajasthan. A third city, Bhatiya is stated to have been located near Multan. A calamity at the hands of foreign invaders, mlechchas who could have been Hunas, broke the kingdom into fiefdoms stretching across Rajasthan and Punjab.
The Arab invaders were rendered powerless by the Rajput confederacy under the Imperial Pratiharas, of which the Bhatis were a part, but not so the later Ghaznavid and Ghorid invasions. The outlying minor Bhati fiefs in Punjab, Sindh, or Multan, are presumed to have fallen, based on the fate of Bhatiya, Bijnot, Uch, Bhatinda. The warriors among the defenders died fighting; those who could not fight, particularly in the distant villages, became lower castes and eventually converted to Islam. Some of the latter day Jat Sikh clans like Sidhu and Brar also trace their descent from the Bhati Rajputs.
Some other clans from the proto-Rajput period in this region, like the Johiyas, Langhas, Mohil, Samma, Chayal, are mentioned in the Bhati bardic history as either colluding with Arab and Turk invaders or failing to resist them. Consequently they did not get Rajput status and became lower castes and/or converted to Islam.
As the Rajput identity was formed in the course of the long resistance to the invaders, there were three conditions for getting this status:
In the Hindu reconquista of Rajasthan, the Bhatis recovered Jaisalmer, but found a new enemy in the fellow Rajput Rathores who had become the dominant power of Western Rajasthan after driving out the Muslims. Besides Jaisalmer, the different Bhati fiefs like Pugal, Bikampur, Varasalapura etc, became part of the Rathore kingdoms.
Bhatis in Punjab, Multan, Haryana had long back lost their strongholds and warriors and were mostly agrarian. They did not fulfill all the above conditions, and hence they did not get Rajput status. Besides the Pratiharas and Rathores, there were other neighbours and rivals of the Bhatis. Some of these like the Parmars of Pugal, Sodhas of Sindh, Tomars of Pokhran, Sankhlas of Jungla, Khichi of Jalore, etc rose to proper Rajput status. Some others like Chanas or Varahas/Barahas disappeared into obscurity. Rawal Karan Singh (1288 CE) of Jaisalmer is said to have protected a Varaha chieftain by slaying in battle the Muslim governor of Nagaur.
But there are some Rajput clans in the Chattis Rajkula whose period of greatness predates that of the Pratiharas; stretching farther back into the proto-Rajput period. The most interesting of these clans are the Bhati Rajputs. In medieval and modern times they were known as the ruling clan of Jaisalmer state in northwestern Rajasthan, but in more ancient times the extent of their power can be gauged from three facts:
- The Bhatis are mentioned in the inscriptions of the Pratiharas as ruling a vast territory
- Places named after Bhatis are found widely across Rajasthan and Punjab
- People with the surname Bhati, and variants like Bhatti or Bhatia, are found in the above regions among numerous communities and religions.
Geographical spread of the Bhati Rajputs and proto-Rajputs
Working backwards through the lineage of the Rawals of Jaisalmer, whose history is well documented, the most important Bhati Rajput ruler appears to be Vijayaraja whose dates range from Bhatika Samvat 541 to 552 (1165-76 CE). Vijayaraja, nicknamed Lanja, married the daughter of Sidhraja Jaisimha, the Solanki Rajput ruler of Gujarat, and had some military achievement against the Turk invaders because he was given the title uttara disa bhada kiwad: guardian of the gate to the north. Since in that very period the Solanki Rajputs also won a great victory against the Turk invader Mohammad Ghori, it seems reasonable that the Bhati Rajputs under Vijayaraja helped in pushing the invader out, or raided and sacked their posts in Multan and Punjab.
More than a century earlier, Rawal Dusaj (1043 CE) carried out a trans-Indus raid, capturing horses and treasures from a Pathan chief. His father, Rawal Bachharaj is presumed to have died fighting Mahmud Ghaznavi, therefore this counter-attack by Dusaj shows the revival of the Bhati power. He was married to a Guhilot princess of Mewar.
Earlier in the 9th century, Rawal Devaraja Bhati, founded Derawar, captured Pugal, and defeated Muslim invaders from Multan. Devaraja is also credited with establishing Lodurva as the capital of his kingdom. This is the same Bhattika Devaraja mentioned as "ruler of Valla-mandala" in the inscription of Bauka Pratihara of Mandore. Early in his reign Devaraja came to conflict with Siluka Pratihara of Mandore but their war ended in an alliance cemented by marriage. The Jodhpur inscription of Pratihara Bauka dated 837 CE speaks of his mother, Padmini of the Bhatti family, as a Maharajani, which shows the importance of the family.
The father of Devaraja, named Vijayaraja I, is known as the founder of Bijnot fort, which was lost by the Bhatis and is now in the Bahawalpur region. Another important town Tanot, was made a capital by Devaraja's great-grandfather; Bhati Rao Kehar in the 8th century, and still contains the temple of Tanot Mata, revered by the people of Jaisalmer and famous for it place in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Kehar even named his son Rao Tano, who is remembered for defeating an invasion of Hussain Shah from Multan.
The great-grandfather of Kehar, Rao Bhati, has no inscription or known dates in his name but obviously had some great achievement because the clan is named after him; as is their royal era: the Bhatika Samvat. The town of Bhatinda in southern Punjab was founded by him, while his son established Bhatner (modern Hanumangarh) in northern Rajasthan. A third city, Bhatiya is stated to have been located near Multan. A calamity at the hands of foreign invaders, mlechchas who could have been Hunas, broke the kingdom into fiefdoms stretching across Rajasthan and Punjab.
Impact of Islamic invasions on the Bhatis
The Arab invaders were rendered powerless by the Rajput confederacy under the Imperial Pratiharas, of which the Bhatis were a part, but not so the later Ghaznavid and Ghorid invasions. The outlying minor Bhati fiefs in Punjab, Sindh, or Multan, are presumed to have fallen, based on the fate of Bhatiya, Bijnot, Uch, Bhatinda. The warriors among the defenders died fighting; those who could not fight, particularly in the distant villages, became lower castes and eventually converted to Islam. Some of the latter day Jat Sikh clans like Sidhu and Brar also trace their descent from the Bhati Rajputs.
Some other clans from the proto-Rajput period in this region, like the Johiyas, Langhas, Mohil, Samma, Chayal, are mentioned in the Bhati bardic history as either colluding with Arab and Turk invaders or failing to resist them. Consequently they did not get Rajput status and became lower castes and/or converted to Islam.
Rajput identity of the Bhatis only in Rajasthan
As the Rajput identity was formed in the course of the long resistance to the invaders, there were three conditions for getting this status:
- Resistance to invaders and maintaining independence
- Upholding of dharmic traditions
- Protection to Brahmins, cows, and temples
In the Hindu reconquista of Rajasthan, the Bhatis recovered Jaisalmer, but found a new enemy in the fellow Rajput Rathores who had become the dominant power of Western Rajasthan after driving out the Muslims. Besides Jaisalmer, the different Bhati fiefs like Pugal, Bikampur, Varasalapura etc, became part of the Rathore kingdoms.
Bhatis in Punjab, Multan, Haryana had long back lost their strongholds and warriors and were mostly agrarian. They did not fulfill all the above conditions, and hence they did not get Rajput status. Besides the Pratiharas and Rathores, there were other neighbours and rivals of the Bhatis. Some of these like the Parmars of Pugal, Sodhas of Sindh, Tomars of Pokhran, Sankhlas of Jungla, Khichi of Jalore, etc rose to proper Rajput status. Some others like Chanas or Varahas/Barahas disappeared into obscurity. Rawal Karan Singh (1288 CE) of Jaisalmer is said to have protected a Varaha chieftain by slaying in battle the Muslim governor of Nagaur.
