The Downfall of the Rohillas

8.  The Downfall of the Rohillas:

            In the previous pages we have described how the Rohilla Rajputs had to leave their home in Roh Desh and settled down in various parts of Indian. Their settlements and kingdoms were set up in Rohilkhand and Bundelkhand divisions of Uttar Pradesh lunig, entered Gujrat as Head of the Army. The heroic achievement Sanskrit of 1445 Vikram Era, in which a reference to Rohilla Maldeva establishes beyond any shadow of doubt the existence of the Ro illa Rajputs. They played a very important part in the wars fought against the Muslims.

            We have also referred to the gallant deeds of the descendants of Bappa Rawal, the Gehlots of Ghazni led by their General Kupat Rawal. Moreover, all over Northern India, especially in the districts of Uttar Pradesh and the Punjab, may be heard the songs relating to the deeds of valour performed by the Rohail Banafar heroes, Alla and Udal. History cannot also forget Roilla Govind Rai and Tak Chetu for the magnificent heroism displayed by them on the field of Tarawari while fighting against the Muslims.

            However, as luck would have it, the Rohilla Rajputs had to reap the consequences of their bold stand against the onslaughts of the Muslim invaders for the preservation of their country’s honour and religion, especially after the fall of Prithvi Raj Chohan and the apostasy of Raja Saharan. No wonder, therefore, that they had to occupy their positions of importance in the social and political field of the country as has always been the fate of the conquered people.

            After the loss of their power and independence, however, these brave Rohilla Rajputs preferred a life of obscurity and poverty to that of luxury and affiuence purchased at the cost of their faith and religions. Thus, they were cut off, as time passed on, from those Rajputs who held Jagirs or ruled over small states, mostly under the sovereignty of the Muslims. Pandit Gauri Shanker Ojha wites on page 46 of his “History of Rajputana      (Volume 1):” “It is fact that some Rajput families, when they were deprived of Jagirs, became engaged in agriculture or service and lost all contact with aristocratic Rajput houses, with the result that they went down lower in the social scale. The mother of Rana Hamir Singh belonged to the Chandrana tibe, which was looked upon as noble and dignified and was a branch of the Sonigara clan of the Chohans. When they held jagirs and were rich, they were regarded as good Rajputs. At present owing to their engaged in agriculture, they have no relationship with good and noble Rajputs.”

             The Rohilla Rajputs, after their downfall had no other alternative but to take to agriculture or handycrafts, and this led to their being formed into a separate community. The proud Rajputs owning  land and occupying a higher social position have always looked upon agriculture as an ognoble calling. In support of this view we quote from the book “Rajput Gotras” by Chudhri Mohammad Afzal Khan, Editor, Muslim Rajput, Lahore. He writes : “The poorest Sisodia Rajputs become disgraced for generation to come if he once touches a plough. The Rajput think that it is a great sin to pierce earth with the end of Plough, as also to take work from a sacred animal like the bullock”.

               However, they have been known to have taken to handicrafts to earn their living in adversity and so it ws that most of the Rohilla Rajputs went in for handicrafts, and were thus separated from their main stock.