Caste, tribes and culture of Rajputs

The word 'Rajput' is a corruption of 'Rajputra', (rājā king; putra-son) meaning son of a king. The word occurs in the Rigveda, Yajurvedic, Käthak Samhita and the Aitareya Brahmaṇa of the Rigveda. It is used as a synonym for Raja naya, which implies a man of the warrior race, or a Kshatriya. There is, however, a distinction between Rajaputras or Raj. puts and Kshattriyas. The former were deemed to be superior. The Kshattriyas were entrusted with the administration and military duties of a kingdom, while Rajputs were sons of the royal household or members of the nobility.
The Räjputs have an ancient origin and tradition. There is no unanimity however about their origin for different theories are propounded by various writers. Some of them believe them to be of Gurjara origin. Jackson was the first to suggest this. He says: 'It seems obvious that the Pavãrs and Chavāns as also the Pratihärs and Solankis (all Rajputs) are, if not of Gurjara origin, at all events members of the great horde of northern invaders whom the Gurjars led'. Cunnigham also believed in the Gurjara origin of some of the Rajputs as for example the Pratihāras, and thought the Gurjaras to be Yueh-chis. Others too contribute to this belief. Bhagwan Lal Indraji thinks that the Rajputs were Gurjaras who came to India in the reign of the Emperor Kanishka. William Crooke, too touches upon their Gurjara ancestry. He says 'It is now certain that the origin of many clans dates from the Shaka or Küshän invasions or more certainly from that of the white Huns who destroyed the Gupta empire about 480 A.D. The Gurjara tribe connected with the later people adopted Hinduism and their leaders formed the main stock from which the higher Rajput families sprang'. D.R. Bhandarkar also believes the Pratihāras to be Gurjara and so too the other Agnikula clans.