The ruling clans
Rajput
રાજપૂતThe fourteen land-holding clans who ruled the sovereign states and estates of Gujarat, Saurashtra, and Kutch, claiming descent from the Kshatriya varna through the solar, lunar, and fire lines.
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Communities of Gujarat
Three words that sound alike stand for three very different peoples — Rajput, R’jput and Kathi — with the ancient Kshatriya order behind them all. Here is how tradition keeps them apart.
What the words mean
Kshatriyaક્ષત્રિય
The ancient warrior-and-ruler order of Hindu society — one of the four varnas. In medieval times the Kshatriya varna came to be called by the name Rajput, and the clans trace their claimed descent to it through the solar (Suryavanshi), lunar (Chandravanshi) and fire (Agnivanshi) lines.
Rajputરાજપૂત
Across Gujarat, Saurashtra, and Kutch, the land-holding martial clans who established sovereign princely states, talukas, and darbari estates — spanning the 14 royal dynasties (Jhala, Jadeja, Gohil, Jethwa, Chudasama, Parmar, Chauhan, Solanki, Vaghela, Chavda, Rathod, Sisodia, Sarvaiya, Vala) and their cadet lineages. United by custom: the seclusion of women (laj/parda), succession by primogeniture, hypergamous marriage, and strict prohibition of widow remarriage.
R’jputર’જપૂત
A distinct caste separate from the Rajputs — written here with an apostrophe to keep the two apart. Formed largely of Rajputs who lost their land and took up widow remarriage, manual labour and the non-seclusion of women. Rajputs would dine and share the hookah with them, but did not traditionally exchange daughters in marriage.
Kathiકાઠી
Not a Rajput clan at all, but the distinct martial community after whom the peninsula — Kathiawar — is named. Sun-worshippers and famed horse-breeders, with an aristocratic Sakhayat branch carrying Rajput blood and a larger Auratya branch.
The communities
A distinct caste
R’jput
ર’જપૂતA distinct caste separate from the Rajputs — sharing the near-identical name, but set apart by widow remarriage, manual labour and the non-seclusion of women.
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Kathi
કાઠીNot Rajputs at all, but the martial community that gave Kathiawar its name — sun-worshippers and famed horse-breeders, with a Rajput-blooded aristocratic branch.
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Allied communities
The bards, priests, retainers and artists woven into Rajput life — and the Rajput-origin Muslims who kept the old customs.
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