36 royal races
# 36 royal races

The 36 royal races (Chathis Rajkula) is a listing of Indian social groups purported to be the royal (ruling) clans of several states and Janapads spread over northern Indian subcontinent. Among the historical attempts at creating a comprehensive listing of the 36 are the Kumarapala Prabandha of Acharya Jinamandan Gani of 1435 AD, Prithviraj Raso of uncertain date, and Colonel James Tod, writing in 1829.

## Kumarapala Prabandha list

The Kumarpal Prabandha (about the reign of Kumarapala Solanki of Chaulukya dynasty r. 1143-1172 CE) list gives 36 clans. It starts with dynasties mentioned in the classics, Surya and its Ikshvaku sub-branch, Chandra and its Yadu ( Yadava ) branch. It also mentions some of the later famous clans: Parmar, Chauhan, Chaulukya (Solanki), Pratihara Ratt, Chandela and Pala. It also mentions other Deccani dynasties like Shilahara, Chapotkata, Nikumbh etc. Many of the names are less known. Notably, it includes the Maurya. Kumarpal Prabandha was consulted by Tod, he refers to it as Kumarpal Charit.

## Tod's list

A listing of the 36 was attempted by Tod in his 1829 work Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan (volume 1). The "races" are further subdivided into 157 branches ( i.e. sakhas), and genealogical, cultural, and geographic information given for each, though some of the sakhas are extinct.

The principal ones like the Ghilote having 24 sub-branches, the Tuar or Tanwar or Toor 17, the Rathor 13, the Parmara 35, the Chamhan or Chauhan 26, the Challook or Solanki 16, and the Pratihara 12. Each sakha has its Gotracharya of genealogical creed describing the characteristics, religious practices, and the locale of the clan.

As early as 1872, Tod's list was criticised in the Calcutta Review:

   It seems a pity that Tod's classification of 36 royal races should be accepted as anything but a purely ornamental arrangement, founded as it was on lists differing considerably both in the numbers and names of the tribes included in it...

Tod listed the Jats as one of the 36 royal races. The Persian form of the ancient term Jit is Jatt (जट्ट) with short vowel and double short ‘t’. Tod included "Raj Pali" on the list and described them as Aheer or Ahir.

