History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c8.s1.18

v1.c8.s1.18

But the bias has so far predominantly acted on Sir Vincent Smith's views in spite of the above can did statement, as to make him observe elsewhere that the Parihar Rajas of Kanauj were the descendants of 'barbarian' foreign immigrants into Rajputana in the fifth or sixth century and first cousins of the Gujars, a theory of Mr. D. R. Bhandarkar elucidated in his article on the "Foreign elements in the Hindu population" in Indian Antiquary Vol. XL. in which he puts forth the suggestion that the Gujars are the descendants of Khazars who must have come into India along with the Huns. It is, therefore, necessary to examine the arguments of Mr. D. R. Bhandarkar in detail and to see how far they are correct. Let us first see from the Encyclopædia Britannica who the Khazars are. "The Khazars are historic figures on the border-land of Europe and Asia for at least nine hundred years (A. D. 190-1100.) Their home was on the spurs of the Caucasus. They were the Venetians of the Caspian Sea and the Euxine, the universal carriers between the East and the West. The origin of the Khazars is much disputed but they are regarded as akin to Georgians, Finns Ugrians and Turks. The Khazars were fair-skinned, black-haired and of a remarkable beauty. The Kara (black) Khazars were however ugly, short and almost as black as Indians". Now from this description of the Khazars, it is absurd to identify the Gujars with the Khazars. There were black Khazars indeed but they were ugly and short, The Indian Gujars are all tall and with fine features, though dark in complexion. The tall beautiful Khazars are on the other hand very fair and not dark like the Gujars. They again are allied to the Finns and the Urgas, and must be Mongolian in face as indeed the Huns were. But the Gujars can never be said to be Mongolian in face, their features especially the nose being distinctly Aryan.