Rajput

Rājpūt (IPA: [ɾaːd͡ʒpuːt̪], from Sanskrit rājaputra meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (IPA: [ʈʰaːkʊɾ]), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. However, the derivation from rājaputra is misleading because although many Rajputs belonged to some ruling clans, the majority of the Rajput community were common agricultural laborers whose main source of income was farming. The term Rajput covers various patrilineal clans historically associated with warriorhood: several clans claim Rajput status, although not all claims are universally accepted. According to modern scholars, almost all Rajput clans originated from peasant or pastoral communities.

Over time, the Rajputs emerged as a social class comprising people from a variety of ethnic and geographical backgrounds. From the 12th to 16th centuries, the membership of this class became largely hereditary, although new claims to Rajput status continued to be made in later centuries. Several Rajput-ruled kingdoms played a significant role in many regions of central and northern India from the seventh century onwards.

The Rajput population and the former Rajput states are found in northern, western, central and eastern India, as well as southern and eastern Pakistan. These areas include Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, Eastern Punjab, Western Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Sindh and Azad Kashmir.

In terms of religious affiliation, in 1988 it was estimated that out of a total Rajput population of roughly 38 million in the Indian subcontinent, the majority, 30 million (79%) were Hindus, nearly 8 million (19.9%) were followers of Islam (mostly concentrated in Pakistan) while slightly less than 200,000 (0.5%) were Sikhs.