Kshatriya
Categories: Caste | Warriors | Four sections of varnas
According to the code of Manu, a Kshatriya is a member of the military or reigning order, one of four varna within the Vedic system of four groups or castes. Generally, the kshatriyas are thought to be ranked second in hierarchy, the first being the Brahmin or priestly varna, the third the Vaishya or artisans and craftsmen and the fourth Shudras (farmers and agricultural workers).
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Other names for Kshatriya
In Nepal the Kshatriyas are known as Chhetris(in Nepal) / Chhatry/Khatri(in Punjab). Like other varna, the kshatriyas may also be further subdivided into various jaati or sub-castes depending on the location in the Indian sub-continent.
Etymology of Kshatriya
Sanskrit kṣatriya is derived from kṣatra "dominion, power, government" and ultimately from a root kṣi "to rule, govern, possess".
In early Vedic civilization, the Kshatriya caste was called rājanya rather than kṣatriya, an adjective to rājan "ruler, king" from a root rāj "to rule", cognate to Latin rex "king" and German Reich "empire". The word Kshatriya finds its root in Bhagwad Gita .Lord Krishna was the propounder or Prophet of this religion .Earlier version was Rajnya .We found many races vying for this title nowadays.It is rather ridiculous for Krishna prounded this religion based on karma or work philosophy.All those who claims to be ORIGINAL kshatriya should look deep inside and try to find out what they are trying to claim.Their claim itself reveals that they had been conferred such a title at some point of time and that too in KALIYUGA for the Philosophy of Gita was prounded at the battlefield at the end of Dwapar.Soon after Lord Krishna declared the start of kaliyuga.So All these Rajputs,Khatris etc. etc. etc. should boldly bear in mind their claim of being kshatriya means descendant of our great Rajnya lord Rama is fake one.Being Kshatriya -very well indeed if you are -does not mean you people are descandant of that great race.All these existing Kshatriya(should I say recognised ones) were made based on the philosophy of Gita and never try to befool others that you people are carrying their genes.All of you are mere creation of Brahmanas otherwise why should yoy accept their authority.Original Rajnya was supreme and was considered incarnation of God and were worshipped too like lord Rama or Krishna .The same is not true with these Rajput Kings.
In India, the period after the Epic Age or the Later Vedic Age (roughly 1000 BC to 600 BC) was marked by the rise of numerous small kingdoms. The Brahmins (priests, religious teachers, philosophers) generally were advisors of Kshatriya Kings, who were rulers of each kingdom. The nexus involving the Kshatriyas and the Brahmins manifested in all the Indo-Aryan regions from Iran to northern and southern India. In some parts of southern india, some of the Brahmins traditionally married Ksahtriya girls, but whose offsprings live with their mother and were considered to be of Kshatriya caste and not as Brahmins (matrilenial descend).
Khatris
Khatris calim to be descended from the original Kshatriya families of ancient times. The modern Khatri is less in the role of a Raja, and more often a government worker, landlord, military officer or soldier.They are more close to kayastha caste in northern india and socially looked upon by others as vaishya/baniya. The only known king of this caste was porus with a sabhrwal sub-caste.
Foreign elements
Not all rulers in the past are necessarily descended from the Vedic Kshatriyas. Many rulers in the recent past came from other castes, or were descended from non-Hindu foreign conquerors, and were either granted de facto "Kshatriya status" by virtue of the power they held. The varna system spread, through acculturation, throughout India and into southeast Asia; for instance, the Sakas, Yavanas, Kambojas, Pahlavas, Paradas etc were the foreign invaders from north-west but were finally assimilated into the Indian community having Kshatriya status (Ref: History and Culture of Indian People, The Vedic Age, pp 286-87, 313-14). See also: [1]. Manu Smriti attests that these tribes were originally noble Kshatriyas, but were later relegated to Shudra status (degraded Kshatriya status) on account of the reason that they did not follow the sacred Brahmanical rites and codes and had neglected the Brahmanas in their countries. The modern representatives of the ancient Kambojas still live as Kamboj/Kamboh in greater Punjab, and the Kamoz/Camoje/Kam in Nurestan province of Afghanistan. The Kamboj are noted for their contribution to agriculture and military fields.
Rajputs
The Rajputs of Rajasthan and northern India also claim to be the bona fide descendants of the Vedic Kshatriyas. The Earliest known Modern recording of Rajput history goes back to Bappa Rawal (Kalbhoj) (b. Prince Kalbhoj, ca 713-d. 753, eighth ruler of the Guhilot Dynasty and founder of the Mewar Dynasty which has the distinction of being the oldest surviving royal dynasty in the world.( Reference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurkha )
Historians have speculated on Rajput origins; some understand them to be relatively direct descendants of the Kshatriyas, while others favor a hybrid origin, wherein Kshatriyas mixed with the descendants of invading warrior tribes from the northwest. This is supported by the Agni Purana which contends that the Rajputs were born from the fire which resides in Mt. Abu in Northwestern India after the supposed "destruction of pure Kshatriyas".
The Rajputs themselves usually do not take kindly to the hybrid theory: traditionally, they view themselves as one of the surviving pure Kshatriya sub-caste, claiming also that originally this was the noblest caste in the Hindu caste system going back to an Indo-Aryan patriarchal system. In those ancient times, the King or Kshatriya ruler was at the apex of the social order in which Brahmins were spritual advisors of Kings. The Kings gave them separate autonomous villages for settlements as dana or "gifts" which had its own independent administration.