Gautam (clan)

Gautam
गौतम
Ethnicity
  • Rajput (क्षत्रिय)
Location
Language
ReligionHindu

The Gautam is a Rajput clan found primarily in the northern region of Indian subcontinent.[1] The members of this clan claim to be descended from a Brahmin rishi (saint) [2][3] named Siringhirikh and his wife of the Gaharwar clan, who was the daughter of a king.[4] The erstwhile head of Gautam Rajputs had also claimed himself to be descendant of the Shakyas[5] thus possibly giving an alternate origin for this clan.

They are primarily found in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, along with Rajasthan and Gujarat.[6][7]

The clan name Gautam means "descendant of Gautam or one who has most light", "Gautama" meaning "one who has the most light,"[8] and may indicate the possibility of Kshatriya clans adopting the Brahminical gotra of their purohit.[9][need quotation to verify]

Territory

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The territory of key Gautam Rajput settlements included the following areas.

History

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The Gautam Rajput clan was formerly very powerful near lower Doab. The Gautam Rajput family of Argal, fought several battles for Sher Shah against Humayun.[11]

Notable Gautam Rajputs

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References

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  1. ^ Growse, F. (16 November 2023). Mathura: A District Memoir. BoD – Books on Demand. ISBN 978-3-368-84209-3.
  2. ^ Bingley, A. H. (1996). Handbook on Rajputs. Asian Educational Services. p. 78. ISBN 9788120602045.
  3. ^ Bingley, A. H. (1978). Bahadur, Krishna Prakash (ed.). Caste Tribes and Culture of Rajputs. Ess Ess Publications. p. 81.
  4. ^ a b Ansari, Saiyad Hasan (1986). Evolution and Spatial Organization of Clan Settlements: A Case Study of Middle Ganga Valley. Concept Publishing Company. p. 110.
  5. ^ Anagarika H., Dharmapala (1931). "Message from Raja Saheb of Aragal". The Maha-Bodhi. 39: 508.
  6. ^ Singh, Ram Bali (1975). Rajput Clan-settlements in Varanasi District. National Geographical Society of India. p. 61.
  7. ^ Singh, Ram Bali (1977). Clan Settlements in the Saran Plain (Middle Ganga Valley): A Study in Cultural Geography. National Geographical Society of India, Banaras Hindu University. p. 145.
  8. ^ Bopearachchi, Osmund (1 January 2021). "GREEK HELIOS OR INDIAN SŪRYA? THE SPREAD OF THE SUN GOD IMAGERY FROM INDIA TO GANDHĀRA". Connecting the Ancient West and East. Studies Presented to Prof. Gocha R. Tsetskhladze, Edited by J. Boardman, J. Hargrave, A. Avram and A. Podossinov, Monographs in Antiquity: 946. Archived from the original on 13 September 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  9. ^ Witzel, Michael (2012). "Ṛṣis". Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online. Brill.
  10. ^ "History". Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  11. ^ Kolff, Dirk H. A. (2002). Naukar, Rajput, and Sepoy The Ethnohistory of the Military Labour Market of Hindustan, 1450-1850. Cambridge University Press. p. 65. ISBN 9780521523059.
  12. ^ Singh, Kedarnath (June 2003). Mere Saakshaatkar. Kitabghar Prakashan. p. 163. ISBN 978-81-7016-536-1.


Notes

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Note1.^ The House of Aragal is in the Fatehpur district.
Note2.^ Kedarnath Singh calls himself a Gautam Rajput in his autobiography.

Further reading

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  • Ansari, S. Hasan; Saleem, Mohd. (1980). "Spatial Diffusion of Gautam Rajput Clan Settlements in Ghazipur District". Man in India. 60 (3): 278–281.