KSHETRIYA. Amongst the Aryan Hindus, a warrior branch of their race, taking social 'rank after the Brahmans. The word is an adjective from the ancient noun Kshatra, which, as meaning rule, dominion, occurs in all the three languages of the Veda, the Avesta, and the Persian inscrip tions. Originally it simply denoted possessed of authority, and is so sometimes applied in the Veda even to the gods. A not unusual spelling of the word is Kshatriya, but Chetriya, Ch'hatrya, and Chettrya are not uncommon, and it is also written and pronounced Khatri, K'hetri, and Khutri. The third Upa Veda was composed by Viswamitra, and treats on the fabrication and use of arms and implements handled in war by the Kshatriya tribe. The insignia of a student of this caste, according to 11fenu, are thus alluded to in the Uttra Rama Cheritra (Hind. Th. i. p. 347) on the approach of Lava, twin son of Rama : `,Tanaka. Who is this youth that thus delights our sight ? Arundhati. Some Kshatriya lad who here awhile pur sues his sacred studies.
Jan. You have rightly judged His birth ; for see, on either shoulder hangs The martial quiver, and the feathery shafts Blend with his curling locks ; below the breast, Slight tinctured with the sacrificial ashes, The deer-skin wraps his body ; with the zone Of ? Murva bound, the madder-tinted garb, ' Descending, vests his limbs : the sacred rosary Begirts his wrists, and in one hand he bears The pipal staff, the other grasps the bow.
Arun. Whence comes he?' These insignia of the military student are ac cording to Menu, with the addition of the ashes of the fuel used in sacrifice, and the bracelet or rosary of the seeds of the elceocarpus, which are not indispensable accompaniments, and indicate a bias to the Saiva faith. The pipal staff is a staff made of the wood of the Ficus religiose. The zone of Murva is a girdle fastened over one hip and hanging loosely over the other, made of the fibres of the Sanseviera Zeylanica..
Barbarous Gond chieftains, in modern times, have learned not only to style themselves rajas, but even to assume the sacred thread of the twice born Kshatriyas ; but the kings of the Kerala dynasty the Malabar coast, from whom the rajas of Cochin claim to bo descended, are believed to have been the only Dravidian rulers who were really of the Kshatriya caste.
Brahmachari means a Hindu student in theology. All twice-born Hinting, i.e. the Brahman, the Kshatriya, and the Vaisya, are enjoined to spend the first quarter of their life in this state.
Hindu writers give this branch of the Aryan immigrants the second place, the Brahmans being first, and the Vaisya and Swim the third and fourth. In the rules of conduct for this branch of the Aryan race, tho natural duties of the Kshatriya are declared to be bravery, glory, forti tude, rectitude, not to flee from the field, gene rosity, and princely conduct. Menu says, ' To defend the people, to give alms, to sacrifice, to read the Vedas, to shun the allurements of sexual gratification ; such are, in a few words, the duties of a Kshatriya.' How this soldier branch broke up is extremely obscure, but though most of the Rajput families are usually believed to belong to them, it is now generally thought that none of the present races in India can trace their descent from the ancient race, whose constant wars amongst themselves and for others exhausted them. If there be a doubt on this point, the present Rajput races undoubtedly take the Kshatriya place as soldiers, princes, and rajas. There seem to have been two branches of that part of the Aryan family that entered India: the Solar, who traced up to lkshwaku, and the Lunar, who traced up to Budha, and Budha married Ella, daughter of Iksbwaku. These soldier Aryans do
not appear to have adopted Brahmanism readily ; and the Brahmans, to overawe them, consecrated by fire on Mount Abu, a warrior body who still remain, and are known as the four Agnicula Rajput tribes, whose descendants still dwell in Rajputana. The third Upa Veda, which was com posed by Viswamitra. treats on the fabrication and use of arms and of the implements handled in war by the Kshatriya tribe. The four Agnicula Rajput tribes are the Chauhan, Solunki, Puar (or l'rumar), and the Purillar. The unnamed pro genitors of these races seem to have been invaders who sided with the Brahmans in their warfare, partly with the old Kshatriya, partly with increas ing schismatics, and partly with invading Grwco Bactrians, and whose warlike merit as well as timely aid and subsequent conformity, got them enrolled as the Agnicula, or fireborn, in contra distinction to the Solar and Lunar families. The Aguicula are now mainly found in the tract of country extending from Ujjain to Rewah near Benares, and Mount Abu is asserted to bo the place of their miraculous birth or appearance. Vikramaditya, the champion of Brahmanism, according to common accounts was a Puar. A Iiindu race calling themselves Khatri, is numerous in the Upper Panjab and about Dehli and Hard war, and they are found along the Ganges as far as Benares and Patna. These Khatri divide themselves into three principal classes-1. the Char-jati or four clans,viz. Setli,Marhota, Khunna, and Kuppur ; 2. Bara-jati, viz. Chopra, Talwar, Tunnuhu, Seigul, Kukker, Meihta, etc. ; 3. Bawan jat or fifty-two clans, amongst whom are Bundari, Meiudrno, Sehti, Suri, Sani, Unnud, Buhseen, Sohdi, Bedhi, Teehun, Bhulleh, etc. Inferior Rainut tribes are settled in Bundelkhand and in Gurha Mandalln. Others, according to Thevcnot, were settled in Multan, as the original country of the Khatri, from whom ho says the Itajputs are believed to spring.—flind. Th. p. 347.
KU is the guttural form of the Assyrian hu in Euphrates and Eulicus, and of the Turki au and of the Tibetan chu, all of which mean river or water. It is the Scythie ku, as in the Kophes or Kabul river.
KU or Cu in Sanskrit is a prefix, meaning evil, bad ; Ku-mar, the evil-striker. Hence, probably, the Mars of Rome. The birth of Ku-mar, the general of the army of the gods, with the Hindus, is exactly that of the Grecians, born of the god dess Jabnavi (Juno), without sexual intercourse. Kumara is always accompanied by the peacock, the bird of Juno.—Tod's Rajasthan.
KU, a race who occupy the mountainous country near the sources of the Semru river, and its principal feeder the Peng Kheong, in lat. 22° N., westward of the Yomadoung range, and estimated at about 14,485 souls. Those living on the Peng Kheong have intercourse with the neighbouring Ku-mi of the Koladyn circle, front whom they differ but little in their habits. On occasions of rejoicing, they tie a bull or gayal (Gavccus frontalis) to a stake, and, as they dance round it, the animal is slowly despatched by numberless spear wounds aimed at every part of its body. The blood is caught in bamboo cups, and men, women, and children drink it. The Ku have the reputation of torturing human victims in a similar manner. They appear to be the most savage of these eastern tribes. No carriers or interpreters could bo found 'amongst the adjacent tribes who would proceed to their villages. Their chief food is Indian corn, and they are unacquainted with the use of salt.—J. H. O'Donel, Esq., in xxxii. of 1864 of B. A. S. Jour. ; Dalton, Ethnol. of Bengal, p. 115.