Agnivansha

The Agnivanshi are people belonging to the "Agnivansha". According to legend, they are descended from Agni, the Hindu God of Fire.

The Agnivanshi lineage is one of the three lineages into which the Kshatriya caste of Hindus is divided, the other two races being the Suryavanshi (descended from Surya, the Hindu Sun God) and the Chandravanshi, descended from Chandra, the Hindu Moon God.

The "Agnikunda" legend

The "Agnikunda" legend gives an account of the origin of the Agnivanshi Kshatriyas. In fact, it attempts to explain the origin of some of the Rajputs. There are several versions of the legend.

The Bhavishya Purana version of the legend begins with the puranic legend wherein Parashurama, an avatara of Vishnu, exterminated the traditional "kshatriyas" of the land. Later, the legend says, sage Vasishta performed a great "Yajna" or fire-sacrifice, to seek from the gods a provision for the defense of righteousness on earth. In answer to his prayer, a youth arose from the "Agnikunda" or fire-altar -- the first "Agnivanshi" Rajput. According to different versions of the legend, one or three or four of the Rajput clans originated from the "Agnikunda", including the Naru Rajputs (Naru means Fire),Fact|date=March 2007 Pratiharas (Pariharas), Chauhans (Chahamanas), Solankis, and Paramaras (Parmars)(Rahevar)(Rever).

This legend is explained up to some extent if one tries to look into Bhavishya Purana [Bhavishya Purana, Prashasti Sarga Parva Khand 1, chapter 6, Shloka 44 to 47] . The Purana is written in future tense and relevant part is like this in Sanskrit, English translation is given also:

{| class="wikitable"
-! Sanskrit ! English
-
Bindusar-stato-abhavat
There will be Bindusara.
-
Pitustulyam krit rajyam-Ashok-stanmo-abhavat
Like his father, who ruled, there will be Ashoka from him.
-
Etasminet kaletu Kanyakubjo-Dwijottamah
At that time there will be an elite Brahmin in Kanyakubja clan.
-
Arbudam shikharam prapya-Bramh-homam-tho karot
He will get Mount Abu and perform Bramh-hom.(A ceremony to please lord Bramha.)

"Bindusar-stato-abhavat"
(There will be Bindusara)
"Pitustulyam krit Rajyam-ashok-stanmo-abhavat"
(Like the father, there will be Ashoka and his sons who will rule)
"Etsminet kaletu kanyakubjo-dwijottamah"
(At that time there will be a Brahmin in Kanykubj clan)
"Arbudam Shikharam prapya-bramh-homam-tho karot"
(To achieve he will do "Bramh Hom" at Mount Abu)
"Vedmantra prabhavacch-jatash-chatwari Kshtriya"
(With the influence of Ved mantra four Kshatriyas will be born)
"Pramar-ssamvedi cha Chaphani-yajurvidah"
(From Samved "Pramara" and from Yajurved "Chaphani" will be)
"Trivedi Chu tatha shuklo-athrva sa Pariharkah"
(From three Vedas there will be "Chu" and from Atharva Veda there will be "Pariharak")
"Erawat kule jatan-gajana-ruhyate prathak"
(And there will be an elephant also from the family of Erawat)

This version clearly mentions 1.That an Yagna was held at Mount Abu 2. The time of Yagna was during rule of Ashoka's sons.Fact|date=March 2007 3.Four kshatriyas were born of this Yagna. They were Parihar (Pratihara). Parmar(Paramara)Rahevar(Rever), Chauhani(Chauhan), Chu (Chalukya)

At that time India was under attack from Indo-Greek kings. Ashoka during his later rule was under influence of Buddhism. Brahmins wanted to revive Hinduism, so it's no wonder they did everything they could. Pusyamitra Sunga murdered the last Mauryan emperor. Although he did everything to revive Hinduism, persecution of Buddhists is disputed.Fact|date=March 2007

It is universally accepted that Buddhism a religion originated from India remained and prospered in other countries, but lost grounds in India. This was due to revival of Hinduism in India.

The Pratiharas established the first Rajput kingdom in Marwar in southwestern Rajasthan in the 6th centurythe greatest kingdom after Ashoka and Harshvardhan, the Chauhans at Ajmer in central Rajasthan, the Solankis in Gujarat, and the Paramaras in Malwa.

It should be noted that Bhavishya Purana text, as avaialble today, is regarded to have later additions, some as late as 1850 CE. [Bhavishya Purana, B.K. Chaturvedi, Diamond Books (P) Ltd.] .

This legend shows how the true history of India is hidden under the thick veil of Brahmanic and Bardic fiction. [ [http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V02_344.gifImperial Gazetteer of India, v. 2, p. 309.] ]

Fortunately, large number of inscriptions and texts have come to light in the past one and half centuries that allow us to trace the history of Rajputs and the evolution of the legend in detail.

The Agni-kunda story was first given in Nava-sahasanka-charita of Padmagupta, a fictional romance where the hero is identifiable as Sindhuraj, the patron of Padmagupta. In Nava-sahasanka-charita the progenitor Paramara is created from fire by Vashishtha.

During the decline of the Dhar Paramaras, the story was included in royal inscriptions.

Later, the story was expanded to include two or three other Rajput clans.

Eventually some of the scholars, proposed that all of the Rajputs were created from the Agnikunda.

Agnikunda myth chronology:

* 1005 CE: Padmagupta writes Navasahasanka-charita during the rule of Parmar Sindhuraj (about 995-1055) of Dhara. He mentions creation of Paramar from Agnikinda by Vashista, for the first time [H.V. Trivedi, "Inscriptions of the Paramaras(Rahevars), Chandellas, Kachchhapaghatas and two minor Dynasties", part 2 of the 3-part Vol III of Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, 1974 (published in 1991).] .

* 1000-1055: Bhoja: no mention of Agnikunda in his copperplates or inscriptions.

* 1042: Vasantgarh inscription mentiones Paramara origin from Agnikunda.

* 1070-1093: Udayaditya, Udayapur prashasti mentions Paramara origin from Agnikunda.

* uncertain date: Prathviraj Raso composed [ A. K. Warder "An Introduction to Indian Historiography", Popular Prakashan 1972] . Oldest copies of do not mention the Agnikunda legend.

* Uncertain date: Unknown text that was later consulted for Aine-Akbari.

* Aine-Akbari by Abul Fazl(1551-1602) mentions creation of a Dhanji from an Agnikunda, somewhere in Deccan, to fight Buddhism. He comes to Malava and established his rule. When Puraraj, fifth in line from him, died childless, a Paramara is selected to succeed him.

* uncertain date: Agnikunda legend inserted in Pratviraj Raso, where three clans, Parihar, Chalukya and Parwar are mentions as having been created from the Agnikunda.

* Uncertain date: Agnikunda legend in Bhavishya Purana. It mentions four clans Paramar, Chauhan, Chalukya and Parihar were created to annihilate the Buddhists during the time of Ashoka [Thakur Udaynarayan Singh , "Kshatriya Vamshavali" (in Hindi), Khemaraj Shrikrishnadas, 1989.] .

* 1832: Tod presents his theory that the Agnikunda sympolizes elevation of Huns etc. to kshatriyahood, and thus all the Rajaputs are descendants of central Asians like Huns.

* 1954: Todd's view is repeated by Basham in his "The wonder that was India". By now the view becomes accepted.

=Early Parmara Chronology= 949: First known Paramara copperplate found at Harsola. Mentions Paramara Siyaka as a feudatory of Rashtrakuta Akalavarsha. It mentions Paramaras being of the same Kula as the Rashtrakutas.

975, 986: Vakpati Munja assumes Rashtrakuta name Amoghavarsha and titles Srivallabha and Prathvivallabha, indicating he regarded himself to be a succesor of the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta.

Thus there is no mention of Agnikunda in the early records, and Paramaras appear to be a branch of Rashtrakutas, as proposed by D.C. Ganguli.

ee also

*Origin of Rajputs
*Rajput clans
*Suryavanshi
*Chandravanshi

References

External links

* [http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V02_344.gifImperial Gazetteer of India, v. 2, p. 309.]