Kshatriya
literally means "protector of gentle people". Second in the social hierarchy of
the caste system (see Varna), the Kshatriyas were kings and
warriors. They were said to have evolved from the arms of Brahma, signifying that their
role in society was the protection of people and livestock. The Hindus maintain that only
a Kshatriya had the right to rule, though Brahmin rulers are not unknown. They were
supposed to be brave and fearless, and to live and die by a code of honour and loyalty.
They could eat meat and drink liquor and their most exalted death was to die in battle.
The Puranas say that Parashurama in his time destroyed all the men of the Kshatriya race. Since there was no one left to rule, anarchy prevailed. The Brahmins realised that a class of rulers was required. They held a sacrifice near Mt. Abu (Rajasthan), and from the fire pit emerged four clans: the Parmars, Chauhans, Parihars and Solankis. These fire-born clans Agnikula) were called Rajputs. Therefore, according to the Puranas, other than these Rajputs, those presently known as Kshatriyas are progeny of Brahmins who had married Kshatriya women.
There are also leading Rajputs clans that claim descent from the sun and the moon and accordingly labeled themselves as Suryavanshi and Chandravanshi. One theory holds that in the 6th century AD, after the death of arshavardhana, the powerful ruler of Thaneshvara, there was a power vacuum in north India. To maintain the social order, the Brahmins legitimized clans of invading adventurers from Central Asia as Agnikula, Suryavanshi and Chandravanshi Kshatriyas.
Kshatriyas dominated Indian political life down the centuries. Even under the British, there were approximately 600 Indian states. These states had not been annexed by the British and were responsible for their internal administration. Some accepted suzerainty of the Crown and allowed the British to administer their defense and external relations. When the India Independence Act, 1947 was passed, it decreed the lapse of suzerainty of the British Crown. The Indian states regained the position they had held prior to the assumption of suzerainty by the Crown. However, in their own interest, most states merged with either the Dominion of India or Pakistan. All 552 states located within the geographical boundary of the Dominion of India acceded to it by August 15, 1947, except Hyderabad, Kashmir, and seven other states. Subsequently, these states also joined the Indian Union. Almost all the rulers voluntarily ceded all powers of governance to the Dominion government, retaining only certain personal rights and privileges.
Special provisions were made only for Kashmir. All rulers, including those of Jammu & Kashmir and Hyderabad, adopted the Constitution of India by special proclamations.
With the Constitution 7th Amendment Act, 1956, the special provisions relating to these former princely states were also omitted. The Indian states lost their separate identity and became a uniform part of India. In 1971, the Privy Purses guaranteed by the Government of India were abolished by Parliament and modern India bid a formal farewell to the princely order.
Many scions of former ruling houses are still well regarded by the people of the area. Many have joined the modern political system and contest elections to the state assemblies and Parliament.
