9. Gotras of the Rohilla Rajputs:
In his book “ The Wonder That Was India”, Dr.A.L.Basham writes on pages 153-155.: “the Hindu social order was complicated by other features which had no original relationship to class or casts but were roughly harmonized with them. These are the institutions of Gotra and Pravara, which were in existence in the late Vedic times and probably earlier and are important to the orthodox Brahman to this day.”
“The original meaning of gotra is “cow shed or a herd of cows” ; in the Atharveda the word first appears with the meaning of a “clan”, which it has retained with a special connotation. Some ancient IndoEuropean peoples such as Roman, and exogamous clans as well as generally endogamous tribes. It may be well that the gotra system is a survival of IndoEuropean origin which had developed special Indian features.”
“Gotra as it existed in historical times was primarily a Brahmanic institution adopted half heartedly by other twiceborn classes and hardly affecting the lower orders. All Brahmans were believed to have descended from one or other Rishi or legendery seer, after whom the Gotras were named. The religious literature generally speaks of seven or eight primieval gotras, those of Kashyapa, vasistha, Bhigru, Gautama, Bhardwaja, Atri and Vishwa Mitra. The eighth gotra, that of Agastya, is named after the sage who is said to have taken the vedic religion beyond the the Vindhyas, and who is a patron saint of Dravidians. His name may have been added to those of the original seven as the South became progressively Aryanized. These primieval gotras were multipled in later times by the inclusion of the names of many other ancient sages.”
“Though the gotras perhaps evolved from local units within the Aryan tribe, they had quite lost their tribal character by historical times, and Brahmans from farthest parts of
“As imposed on nonBrahmanic families, the system was quite artificial. NonBrahman families were expected to take the parvara of their domestic priests, but the rule counted for the little. The real gotra of the Kshatriyas and the Vaishyas were secular (Laukika) ones. Founded by lengendary eponymous ancestors. Legal literature takes little note of those Secular gotras, but numerous references in inscriptions show that the term was used in the sense of Sept or clan, and that many non-Brahman gotras existed which donot occur in the lists of any of the law books.”
The above quotation shows that the Brahmans alone had gotras and those too were not limited to eight only, but multipled as time passed on. The real gotras of the Kshatriyas and the Vaishyas had secular or Laukika ones founded by legendary or historical ancestors, although the gotras of the family priests were not discarded altogether. Moreover, in course of time, even a famous person became the founder of gatras and vanshes. Mr. C.V.Vaidya, the famous historian, remarks that in course of time the clans of the Rajputs came to be known by their gotras, such as Gohil Gotra or Pratikar Gotra, etc.
There are about 84 gotras as shown in the aphendisc found among the Rohillas, a close examination of which reveals the fact that most of them are not the same as are found among Brahmans. This shows that these people had their own gotras, traceable to their ancestors. Some of them have been mentioned in the previous pages. We shall give here a brief account of a few more.
Jhojha Branch of the Chohans:
Among the Rohillas is found a gotra known as Jhola and is a branch of the Chohans.
Cont and Contwal Rohillas:
A branch of the Panwar clan is Omvat or Oont, and this is also found among the Rohillas.
Regarding this Omvat branch of the Panwar Rajputs, Chaudhri Mohammad Afzal Khan writes in this book “Rajputs Gotras” on page 114 : “There is a branch of the Panwar clan. It is said that at one period they started trading in camels and came to be Oont and afterwards were known Umvat. In
Lakhmara Gotra:
There are Rohillas who bear Lakhmara Gotra about which Rai Bhim Raj Writes in his Book “Rohilla Kshatriya Jati Niranaya”. “There once flourished a Raja Lakhast of the Panwar clan, whose descendant was Hari Chand who erected in the district of Hissar a fort. In his family were born two persons Virkal and Jagat Mal, who were defeated by Raghu Ji after which their ancestral fort was lost. The wife of Virkal peformed the rite of Sati after him. Traditions prevailing among the Lakhmaras relate that thousands of Rohillas lost their life in defence of their State against Raghuji. After this terrible event, the Rohillas began to call themselves Lakhmara and even today after the lapse of centuries, the Lakhmaras look upon a trip to Hansi and Hissar as highly ominous. Such was the grave disaster which befell these people at Hansi.
Pandla Gotra:
According to Bhim Raj, Pandla Gotra of the Rohillas is connected with Pundir found among other Rajputs. The author of “Kshatriya Vartman” calls the Pundhirs a branch of Dahima Clan. Owing to the changes of fortune, the Dahima clanhas lost its grow importance. There was a time when it was famous for its deeds of valour.
In the forgeoing pages we have tried to throw light on the origin and history of a people who were quite ignorant of it hitherto, nor could they ever explain as to why they were called “Rohillas”. This appears to have been due to the fact that after their ruin at the hands of Muslims they got sunk in obscurity and in order to escape persecution at the hands of their conquerors they concealed their true origin. Thus, Rohillas as a people fell into ignorance and forgot their glorious past.
However, this humble attempt on the part of the writer of this short history will enable the Rohillas to prove worthy of their cast and stimulate further research into it.