36 royal races

Tod's 1829 listing of the royal races

The 36 royal races (Chathis Rajkula) is a listing of Indian social groups purported to be the ruling clans of Rajasthan. Among the historical attempts at creating a comprehensive listing of the 36 are the works of Jinamandanopadhyaya (writing during the time of Chalukya Kumarapala),^[1] and Colonel James Tod, writing in 1829.

Tod's list

A listing of the 36 was attempted by Tod in his 1829 work Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan (volume 1). The "races" are further subdivided into 157 sakhas (branches), and genealogical, cultural, and geographic information given for each, though some of the sakhas are extinct.^[2]

Tod's list is to be found on page xiii (1899 printing) of his 1829 work: James Tod (1899). The annals and antiquities of Rajastʾhan: or the central and western Rajpoot states of India. Indian Publication Society. http://books.google.com/books?id=WjtLAAAAYAAJ. Retrieved 26 May 2011. 

Criticism

As early as 1872, Tod's list was criticised in the Calcutta Review:

It seems a pity that Tod's classification of 36 royal races should be accepted as anything but a purely ornamental arrangement, founded as it was on lists differing considerably both in the numbers and names of the tribes included in it, and containing at least two tribes, the Jats and Gujars, with whom the Rajputs do not even generally intermarry...^[3]

Disputed inclusions

The Jats have been known to claim membership in the 36 royal races,^[4] but this is contested.^[5] Likewise, some scholars have stated that Tod included the Ahir on his list, though they do not appear on the list at right.^[6]

References

1. ^ Jai Narayan Asopa (1990). A socio-political and economic study, northern India. Prateeksha Publications. p. 89. http://books.google.com/books?id=VBwhAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 26 May 2011. 
2. ^ Sir Chirravoori Yajneswara Chintamani (1901). Indian social reform: being a collection of essays, addresses, speeches, &c., with an appendix. Thompson. pp. 154–. http://books.google.com/books?id=AkcoAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA154. Retrieved 26 May 2011. 
3. ^ University of Calcutta (1872). Calcutta review. University of Calcutta. pp. 386–. http://books.google.com/books?id=sqqgAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA386. Retrieved 26 May 2011. 
4. ^ Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies (1901). Journal of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies. The Institute. pp. 1488–. http://books.google.com/books?id=0gAOAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1488. Retrieved 26 May 2011. 
5. ^ M. S. Naravane; V. P. Malik (1999). The Rajputs of Rajputana: a glimpse of medieval Rajasthan. APH Publishing. pp. 119–. ISBN 9788176481182. http://books.google.com/books?id=lF0FvjG3GWEC&pg=PA119. Retrieved 26 May 2011. 
6. ^ Association of Population Geographers of India (1 January 1988). Population geography: a journal of the Association of Population Geographers of India. The Association. p. xi. http://books.google.com/books?id=SQIzAAAAIAAJ. Retrieved 3 June 2011.