History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c41.s2.6

v3.c41.s2.6

The Rajputs from Western Himalayas formed a third group which became a distinct sub-section, not only on account of its isolation but also of certain marriage customs peculiar to them. In the Himalayas then survived and still survive marriage customs of ancient India by which the higher castes could take wives from lower castes, the caste of the progeny being unaffected viz. that of the father. We find thus, even now, three grades of Kshatriyas in the Himalayan region adjacent to the Panjab viz. Rajputs, Rāṇas or Thakurs and Rāthis. The Rajputs take girls from the Thakurs and these from the Rāthis but do not give them their girls. The Rajputs of the Himalayan region, however, though they have old mixed marriage customs still prevalent among them, are pure in race as the Rāthis are not Mongolians but Aryans, are in fact Kshatriyas lower in grade only because they follow agriculture. They further allow Karewa or widow remarriage which is prohibited to the Rajputs as to Brahmins and Vaiśyas. Full information is given in "Castes and Tribes of the Panjab" relating to minor sub-divisions of the Rajputs of the Himalayan region amongst whom the Katoch are the leading family with the Maharaja of Lambagram at their head. But the names of the several Sūryavaṅśi and Chandravaṅśi families of the highest,* middling and lowest grades with names based chiefly on place of residence such as Jammuwāl, Guleria, etc. it is not necessary to give here in detail.