Parmar (clan)

Paramara (also known as Parmara and Parmar) is the name of a prominent Agnivanshi Rajput clan of medieval India, which ruled the Dhar and Ujjaini kingdoms from the 9th century to the 14th century. Modern-day Paramara descendants are located throughout northern, western and central India. Paramaras are also spread throughout the nations of the former British Empire, particularly Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as in the USA and in Sindh, Pakistan, where they constitute 40% of the population of the Dadu district; here they are called Panhwars.

The Ponwar clan of the Marathas, who ruled the states of Dewas, Dhar, Rajgarh in Malwa and Chhatarpur in Bundelkhand from the 18th century to the mid-20th century, claim the same descent as the Paramaras. They are also known by the names Punwar, Panwar, Puar, Panhwar Pawar,Pradhan.

History

Parmar Name Meaning and Origin

Indian (Rajasthan and neighbouring states): Sanskrit name meaning one that strikes the enemy, from Sanskrit para ‘alien’, ‘enemy’ + mara ‘strike’, ‘kill’. The Parmars ruled in Malwa, which is now part of Madhya Pradesh. They consider themselves one of the Agnikulas or ‘Fire Tribes' .

Ancient and Medieval History

The ancient inscriptions in the Pali Buddhist character have been discovered in various parts of Rajasthan of the race of Taxak or Tak, relating to the tribe Mori and Parmara are their descendants. Taxak Mori was the lord of Chittor from very early period.

The Huna Kingdom of Sialkot (of Mihir Kula 515-540 AD), destroyed by Yashodharman, was subsequently seized by a new dynasty of kshatriyas called Tak or Taxaka. The Taxak Mori as being lords of Chittor from very early period and few generations after the Guhilots supplanted the Moris. (725-35) we find amongst the numerous defenders who appear to have considered the cause of Chittor their own the Tak from Asirgarh. This race appears to have retained possession of Asirgarh for at least two centuries after this event as its chieftain was one of the most conspicuous leaders in the array of Prithvi Raj. In the poems of Chandar he is called the "Standard, bearer, Tak of Asir."

There are three schools of thought about the origin of the Paramara clan. The most widely accepted school of thought is that the Paramaras – along with the Chauhans, the Pratiharas (Parihars) and the Solankis (Chalukyas) – were one of the four Agni kula ("fire-born") clans of the Rajputs.

In a second school of thought, the Parmar clan is said to have been a tribe of central India that rose to political prominence as the feudatory of the Rashtrakutas.

In a third school of thought, the Parmar clan is said to have originally been an inseparable part of the Rashtrakutas, which later branched out from the Rashtrakutas (Rathore)and declared themselves to be a distinct Rajput clan.

Whatever the origin, the Parmars established themselves as the rulers of Malwa in central India in the 9th CE century, ruling from their capital at Dhar. In this situation, the Paramars enjoyed great political power and clout in ancient India. The Paramaras ruled until 1305, when Malwa was conquered by Ala ud din Khilji, the Khilji Sultan of Delhi. It was during these medieval times that their political power began to decline.

Modern history

Political power was greatly reduced further still during the consolidation of the British Empire in pre-independence India, with the Royals of this clan cooperating with the British conquerors. After India gained independence from Britain in 1947, the Parmar royalty acceded their political powers to the central Indian government in New Delhi. In lieu of these surrendered powers, the Parmar royals received generous financial grants, called the "Privy Purse", from the central government, which helped them to maintain a lavish style of living, as well as maintaining the general upkeep of royal palaces, forts and other architectural marvels. This Privy Purse was later abolished by the central government, under the direction of Indira Gandhi. The Paramara royalty became increasingly complacent and did not adjust to the new political mechanisms of the emerging democracy, although the traditional support of ordinary Rajputs was maintained.

Both royal and ordinary Paramaras eventually fell behind other castes in economic development. By the mid-1980s, an economic, developmental and political gulf had emerged between them and other castes, and so Paramaras began focusing on careers in government. However, the liberalization of the Indian economy in the 1990s saw less government involvement in economic affairs. Merchant, intellectual and scheduled castes continued to thrive by moving into entrepreneurship, but not so the martial caste of the Rajputs. While some few have managed to gain in-roads into the contemporary political system, most Paramaras in general hold very little political power or clout.

Culture and society

As with any culture spread over a wide geographical area, there are variations in what can be considered traditional Paramara custom. However, members of the Paramara clan typically follow Rajput social traditions and customs.

Social status

Most people with the surname Parmar or its post-Ujjain Pawar variations have a high social standing in terms of being Rajputs. There is though, an unsubtantiated taboo of 'low caste' for some Paramaras, especially in Gujarat. This may be traced to the defeat and destruction of the Paramara empire in Dhar by Ala ud din Khilji, Sultan of Delhi, in the 14th century, resulting in the subjugation of the defeated Rajput Paramaras into menial labour. Many Paramaras in these regions do not know that they are actually Rajputs, who are quite powerful socially.

This is also the case for Pawars who during the Maratha wars had no choice but to marry women from lower castes to raise armies and after the war these Pawars went to their maternal families and were raised in that social order. Upon the restoration of the Paramara clan during the Pawar Maratha empire, the Paramara clan ruled most of northern India and also Sindh and Punjab in Pakistan but with their new name Pawar. This historical geographical diversity may have led to the many variations of the Pawar name.

Economically, Parmars in the business sector are quite well off financially, while those in agricultural sector are able to make ends meet. But the Paramaras inhabiting the vast tribal belt stretching across Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat find themselves amongst the economically most marginalized sections of contemporary Indian society.

Titles and family structure

Over the centuries, the Rajputs and their branch clans have developed and refined a system of honorifics specifically built for quick identification of familial position. One of three titles is appended to a male's name in order to show which male ancestors are alive. The title of "Bhanwar" indicates that the speaker's grandfather is still alive. "Kanwar" indicates that the man's father is still alive. Finally, "Thakur" indicates that the speaker's father and grandfather are dead. This allows listeners to assess the level of familial responsibility held by the speaker without having to ask intrusive questions. Rajput families are modeled on a patriarchal system wherein power and responsibility flow from the top to the bottom. The eldest surviving male of the eldest surviving generation holds the most power.

Professions

Women in Rajasthan and Haryana as a rule are not allowed to step outside the house to work. In Punjab and Maharashtra, Paramara women work shoulder to shoulder in various walks of life, including agriculture. In such a system, women traditionally remain at home to take charge of household duties, while men are typically employed outside the home. Women typically remain within the walls of the home and remain veiled in the presence of elders and strangers.

Men in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh,Uttarakhand, Bihar and Orissa generally enter careers in uniformed services, such as the military, police and paramilitary forces. Those in Gujarat often enter business professions, while those in Rajasthan and Sindh take government and police jobs, though most are agrarian. The Paramara in Haryana are fundamentally an agrarian community. Maharashtrian and Sindhi Paramaras often choose professions in agriculture or government services, with a particular tendency not to venture out of their home state. This may be because Marathi and Sindhi Paramaras (and, to a certain extent, the Punjabi Paramaras) have adopted the language and culture of their adopted regions, unlike the Hindi- or Urdu-speaking Paramaras. The Paramaras of the business professions dominate the contemporary business scene in the western Maharashtra, especially in the Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and Sholapur districts.

Religion

Parmaras are generally Hindus,Sikh. Traditionally, Paramaras pay visit once a year to Dhar, to invoke the blessings of their "Kul Devi", the goddess KALIKA,and some visit Ujjain to envoke the blessings of the god "MAHAKALA",one of the rups of Lord shiva . Depending on the region they live in, Parmars may also be Muslim, Sikh, and Christian.This happens only when they or their ancestors are converted into other religions.

Clothing

Paramara men traditionally, especially in rural areas, wear large turbans called "safa", which come in various colours, shades and hues. Women typically wear a full-sized sari. The sari covers the body below the waist, and is then wrapped around the breasts and back with a small portion covering the head. Their faces are covered with a ghunghat, which is made by dropping a portion of the folded sari from their foreheads. They wear a bindi placed firmly between both the eyebrows, and bangles around their wrists. Often, Paramara women pierce their noses as well as both ears, wearing jewellery called "moti" in the nose. Large amounts of other gold jewellery are common, including necklaces and anklets.

Dynasty

Paramara kings of Malwa

• Upendra (c. 800 – c. 818)
• Vairisimha I (c. 818 – c. 843)
• Siyaka I (c. 843 – c. 893)
• Vakpati (c. 893 – c. 918)
• Vairisimha II (c. 918 – c. 948)
• Siyaka II (c. 948 – c. 974)
• Vakpatiraja (c. 974 – c. 995)
• Sindhuraja (c. 995 – c. 1010)
• Bhoj or Bhoja I (c. 1010 – c. 1055), author of Samarangana-sutradhara
• Jayasimha I (c. 1055 – c. 1060)
• Udayaditya (c. 1060 – c. 1087)
• Lakshmanadeva (c. 1087 – c. 1097)
• Naravarman (c. 1097 – c. 1134)
• Yasovarman (c. 1134 – c. 1142)
• Jayavarman I (c. 1142 – c. 1160)
• Vindhyavarman (c. 1160 – c. 1193)
• Subhatavarman (c. 1193 – c. 1210)
• Arjunavarman I (c. 1210 – c. 1218)
• Devapala (c. 1218 – c. 1239)
• Jaitugideva (c. 1239 – c. 1256)
• Jayavarman II (c. 1256 – c. 1269)
• Jayasimha II (c. 1269 – c. 1274)
• Arjunavarman II (c. 1274 – c. 1283)
• Bhoj or Bhoja II (c. 1283 – ?)
• Mahlakadeva (c. ? – c. 1305)
• Sanjeev Singh Parmar (c.1305 - 1327)

Other kings:

• Also,Maharaj Kunwar Singh,the zamindar of Jagdishpur,is also thought to be of the Parmara Rajput clan.
• Upendra: Also known as Krishnaraja,was one of the founders of the Paramara family.The kingdom of the Paramara was situated to the west of that of of the Kalachuris.Dhara, modern Dhar, in Madhya Pradesh,was the capital of the Paramaras

King Bhoj

King Bhoj, who ruled from about 1010 to 1060, was a great polymath and philosopher king of medieval India. His extensive writings cover philosophy, poetry, medicine, veterinary science, phonetics, yoga and archery. Under his rule, Malwa became an intellectual centre of India. Bhoj also founded the city of Bhopal to secure the eastern part of his kingdom. The Bhoja Airport at Bhopal is named after King Bhoja.

Dalvi-Deshmukh of Nasik, Maharashtra

One branch from the Jaisalmer (Rajstan), by descent Rajputs of the Paramara-Puar clan, adopted many generations back, in 12th century, the family name of Dalvi. Before the Bhati rulers of Jaisalmer, the land was habitated by various rajput clans namely - Butas and Chunnas ( both extinct), the Barahas( now muslims), Langahas and the Royal Parmar clans of Dalvis as Lodras and Sodhas. The capital of Lodra rajputs - Lodorva, an immencse city with twelve gates about 10 miles North-West to Jaisalmer town, was passed to the ruler of Deogarh, Bhatti Deoraja. In 1025 the town was sacked and destroyed by Mehmud of Ghazni. In following decades the loot continued. So the capital was shifted to new location and in 1156 the Jaisalmer was founded by Bhati ruler- Jaisal. Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 14, p. 2.

After the invasion and distruction of Jaisalmer in 1025 th century by Muslims, the fighting forces of Lodras are made to migrate out of Jaisalmer. To hide their identity as the Lodra -Rajput they took the name as Dalvi. The brave Dalvis then served as military chiefs on the Deogiri (Daulatabad) fort, and in Gujrath areas. Some of them moved southwards, at present they are Hindu Rajput-Marathas, native to Lakhmapur (or old Lakshmipur) and nearby area,( Ahiwantwadi Fort) near Wani-Dindori, Nasik and have the social honor of being “Deshmukh”. The name Dalvi means the brave king / chief who rules the people and fights wars.

The Dalvis of Lakhmapur as they were mighty warriors, held many important positions as regional war-lords and own private armies. The origin reference about Dalvi- Deshmukh of Nasik and Naik-Nimbalkar of Phaltan state is available in many British records and Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 20, p. 101.

A rebellious member of the Povar or Dalvi (M. H. E. Goldsmith's Report on the Peint State (1839) Bom. Gov. Sel. XXVI (New Series), 108.) family of Peint then Part of Baglana, was sent to Delhi by order of Aurangzeb and sentenced to death, for revolt, but spared life after he embraced Islam. During the Maratha supremacy the Dalvis and the Peint estates were for a long period placed under attachment by the Peshwas. In reward for services rendered in 1818, the family were reinstated in their former position by the British government.

The original Brave-Heart Rajput-Maratha warrior clan of Dalvi are now a days busy making a headway in the present new economy. Although they are the most brilliant people who rose against the invasions and maintained the fighting spirit of the Hindustan, after independence they are mostly forgotten as if they are ordinary people who hide in homes with family at the time of wars. Its very strange and surprising that they are never given a chance to lead in the democratic India.

Panwar rulers of Malwa, Western Madhya Pradesh

The royal family of Bakhatgarh (a prominent parmar clan of Malwa, and perhaps the oldest) is presently headed by Thakur Saheb Bhagwat Singhji Panwar. The Panwars of Bakhatgarh are from the Mahipawat clan of Paramara Rajputs. They are the descendants of King Bhoja. The Bakhatgarh was founded in 1799 till 1948 when it was merged with the Indian Union. A number of developmental projects were undertaken during the reign of the last ruler Shriman Thakur Saheb Rai Singhji Panwar such as building of hospitals, boys and girls school, Libraries in Bakhatgarh. The palace and other administrative buildings of Bakhatgarh were built during his tenure.

Pawar rulers of Paramara lineage

The royal family of Phaltan, located in present-day Maharashtra, also trace their descent from the Paramara dynasty. The family, which settled in Maharashtra in 12th century, is probably the oldest dynasty in Maharashtra. The current surname of the members of this family is Naik Nimbalkar. It is not generally known except to some historians that this family was originally part of the Paramara dynasty. The Naik Nimbalkar family was very intimately related to Chatrapati Shivaji Bhosale, as both the maternal and paternal grandmothers of the latter were from this family; Saibai,Chatrapati's first wife & mother of Sambhaji Raje Bhosale came from same family.Chatrapati's daughter,Sakhubai was also married to a Mahadji Naik Nimbalkar,son of Bajaji Naik Nimbalkar.

Dalvi rulers of Paramara lineage

Shrimant Jaswantrao Dalvi was the Raja of Palvan Sansthan at time of the Shivaji Maharaj era (1662).He was the best friend of Shirke Raja of Shrungarpure. Pesent day this location come under the Mandangad tahasil in Ratnagiri District. This dalvi family are the migrated from royal Parmara family of Dhar.Most of the family of this lineage have social honor as Khot. Present day Dalvi's of Soveli, Palvani, Nighavani, Dudhere, Dahagao, Kumbale; and Pawar's of Bhamghar, Savri; Ghosalkar's of Ghosale are comes under the Dharpawar kuli, hence being of the same ancestral lineage these families don't marry among themselves.

One Branch at MULI, Surendranagar

One Branch of Parmar Rajputs is in Muli taluka in Surendranagar in Gujarat. Basically this branch is devided from Tharparkar taluka in Sindh in Pakistan.Whole branch is called as MULI CHOVISHI and RANPUR CHOVISHI.

Contributions to Indian culture and society

The Paramaras have made invaluable contributions to numerous fields, including art, architecture, literature and science, as outlined below:

• The famous Jain temples at Dilware on Mount Abu in Rajasthan were built by two Paramara brothers who happened to be ministers.
• Veer Vikramaditya, Raja Bhoja, Veer Babu Kunwar, Dr Yashwant Pawar, Shri Sharadchandra Rao Pawar, etc., have all made invaluable contributions to the Indian politics.
• Late Shreemant.Maloji Raje Naik Nimbalkar was the first water resource minister in Maharashtra Government.Now his grandson Shreemant.Ramraje Pratapsinha Naik Nimbalkar is the Water Resource Minister in Maharashtra Government. He is MLA from Phaltan since 1994.
• Lalita Pawar was one of the most significant Indian film actresses of her time.
• Thakur Sher Singh Parmar – aka Swami Apratimanandji, was a famous Hindi literary figure.
• Juhi Parmar is a famous T.V. serial celebrity.She has acted in the famous T.V serial Kumkum which is telecasted on Star Plus.

See also

• ROR
• Maratha clan system
• Ponwar
• List of Gujjar Clans
• List of Rajputs

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