SOLAR RACE. In the northern part of British India, there were, in times long prior to the Chris tian era, two dynasties who strove for mastery, viz. the Solar dynasty, descended from Rama, which entered India B.C. 2300 ; and the Lunar dynasty, descended from Yadu, which entere I India about B.C. 1300. The Solar dynasties at present remaining in India are three, viz. :— Grahilote or Gehlote or Geholote, with 24 saca, or branches, of which the Sisodia is the most dis tinguished. The rana of Udaipur or Mewar is a Grahilote, descended from Loh, Rama's eldest son.
Rahtor, said to be descended from Rama by Kusa, his second son. It has 21 branches, and the maharaja of Jodhpur or Marwar belongs to this tribe.
Kachwaha also sprang from Kusa. The raja of Jeypore is of this tribe. It has 12 kotri or houses.
The Lunar dynasty is sprung from the moon, through Yadu or Jadu, and is °tiled Yadu or Jadu. It has eight branches, of which the Jhareja and Bhatti in Cutch and Jeysulmir are the most po werful.
The Agnicula, a third race, have four tribes and eighty-seven branches, viz. :— Pramara with 35 branches. I Chalukyawith16 branches. Parihara „ 12 „ I Chauhan „ 24 „ The following list names the thirty-six royal races of Rajasthan :— IZatila had tWO BOOR, La Alla C115/I ; from the former the family of the rana of Mowar claim descent. He is stated to have built Lahore, the ancient Loh-kote ; and the branch from which the princes of Mewar aro dese.ended, resided there until Keneksen emigrated to Dwarica. The culty of tracing these races through a long pet iod of years is greatly increased by the custom of changing the appellation of the tribe, from quest, lomlity, or personal celebrity. Sen, an army, seeins to have been the martial termination for many generations; this was followed by Dit, Aditya, a term for the sun. The first change in the name of the tribe was on their expulsion front Saurashtra, when, for tho generic term of Snryavansi, was substituted the particular appel lation of Gehlote. This title was maintained till another event dispersed the family ; and when they settled in Aliar, Aharya became the appellat ive of the branch. This continued till loss of territory and new acquisitions once more trans ferred the dynasty to Sisodia, temporary capital in the western mountains. The title of lianawut,
borne by all descendants of the blood-royal since the eventful change which removed tile scat of government from Chitore to tirdaipur, might in time have superseded that of Sisodia, if continued warfare had not checked the increase of population ; but the Gehlote branch of the Suryavansa still re tain the name of Sisodia.
Most of the cula or races are divided into numer ous branches or saca, and these Baca are sub divided into immediate clans or gotra. A few of the cula never rarnied ; these are termed eka or single, and nearly one-third are eka. Ikshwaku was the first king in the Solar line, and, according to Hindu mythology, reigned at the commence ment of the Tretu-yug. He was the son of the ith Menu or patriarch, the offspring of the sun. His posterity was called, in consequence, the dynasty of the Solar princes, in the same manner as Budlia was reputed the bead of the Lunar line. Modern commentators bring the time of his accession down to the year n.c. 1320. A passage in the Agni Purana indicates that the lino of Surya, of which lkshwaku was the head, WaS the first colony which entered India from Central Asia. But the patriarch Iludha was his contem porary, be being stated to have come from a distant region, and to have married Ella, the sister (or daughter) of lkshwaku. Amongst the Aryan Hindus, the Kshatriya was a warrior branch taking social rank after the Hindu Brahmans. Menu, writing of their dttties, says, to defend the people, to give alms, to sacrifice, to read the Vedas, to shun the allurements of sexual gratifica tion, are in a few words the duties of a Kshatriya. How this soldier branch broke up is extremely obscure, but it is generally supposed that none of the races now in India can trace their lineage to that tribe of Aryans. though most of the Rajput families doubtless belong to them. Their quarrels amongst themselves seem to have led to their own destruction. These martial Kshatriya do not appear to have adopted l3ralimanism readily, and the Brahmans to overcome thorn, consecrated by fire, on Mount Abu, a warrior body who still remain, and are known as the four Agnicula Itajput tribes.