Ror

Caste name	ROR
Classification	Suryavanshi Kshatriya
Subdivisions	Chaurāsi, Bānggar, Khāddar, Nardak
Populated states	Haryana, Sindh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal, Uttarakhand
Languages	Haryanvi, Khariboli, Hindi, Pahari
Religions	Hinduism}}

The Ror (Suryavanshi Kshatriyas) () community hails primarily from an area, close to Palanpur, stretching across the Gujarat - Rajasthan border. Historically, the community was also found concentrated around Ror (Sukkur) in Sindh, Pakistan. It would be rather optimistic to put the total population of the Ror at one million and it would be fairer to assign a total head count of 750,000 to the community. The community is fairly small and well-knit; as of today, they hold nearly 270 villages in Haryana and 52 more in Western Uttar Pradesh and the Haridwar district of Uttaranchal.

In his famed work, "A Glossary of the Tribes and castes of Punjab and North-West Frontier Provinces", H.A. Rose says that the Ror are fine, stalwart men. Quoting from the third volume, Rose says: :The real seat of the Ror is the great Dhak jungles of Thanesar. They hold 84 villages and Amin is the "Tika" or head village. They also hold 12 villages south of Kaithal and the gotra there is Turan. Again, there are 12 more villages of the Ror beyond the Ganges. The immediate place of origin of the Rors seems to be Badli in Jhajjar tehsil of Rohtak district and all of them unanimously claim to have come from there.

In the Archaeological Survey of India Report for the year 1871-72, A.C.L. Carlleyle says about the image of a Ror warrior found at the site of Kaga Ror or Kagarol: :The features of the face are fine and manly, of the handsomest Hindu type. The warrior has his right knee raised; on his right arm he presents a shield in defense and in the left hand he brandishes a straight sword of huge dimensions over his head. In a belt round his waist he wears a dagger with a cross-shaped hilt at his left side. The hair of the head is full but drawn back in straight lines on the head. Evidently, its a figure of a warrior of great strength.

History

According to the Indian Puranic tradition, the Ror are a people from the solar race of the Ikshvaku Kul. Sri Rama of Ayodhya had a descendant called Devaneek in the eighth generation after him and this Devaneek had three sons according to the Puranas. The three sons of Devaneek were called Ahinag (Aneeh), Roop and Ruru. Ruru is remembered by all Rors as their eponymous ancestor and the lineage from there on is well-preserved by their bards right up to King Dadror, whose descendants later started the fight with Aibak in 1207 by refusing to gift him any women. Evidence is also available to suggest that the Greeks used to call the Sauviras by names derived from the name of the Sauvira capital of Roruka.

Ror Capitals

Ror clans historically ruled from Rori, the capital of Sind for a long time. Rori has been known by names such as Roruka and Rorik since antiquity. Buddhist Jataka stories talk about exchanges of gifts between King Rudrayan of Roruka and King Bimbisara of Magadh . Divyavadana, the Buddhist chronicle has said that Rori historically competed with Patliputra in terms of political influence. The importance of this town can not be underestimated as evident in the following JSTOR article. The scholar T.W. Rhys Davids has mentioned Roruka as one of the most important cities of India in the seventh century B.C.

Roruka was founded and established for the first time by King Ruruk, who was the fifth Ikshvaku dynasty ruler in the lineage after Raja Harishchandra of Kashi . An idea about the age of the city can be had by exploring the time line of the Ikshvaku dynasty. King Ruruk happened 29 generations before Sri Ram and should be dated to around 2500 BC using the most conservative estimates. If we believe the traditional Puranic time-line for the Indian Civilization, King Ruruk may have lived around 5500 BC. Thus, it can be seen that Roruka in the historical Sindhu-Sauvira area is quite an ancient seat of civilization dating back to the third millennium BC certainly.

Shortly after the reign of Rudrayan, in the times of his son Shikhandi, Roruka got wiped out in a major sand storm. This event is recorded in both Buddhist (Bhallatiya Jataka) and Jain (Story of Udayan and the town of Vitabhaya) annals. It was then that the legendary Dhaj, Ror Kumar built Rori Shankar (the current Rohri and Sukkur) in the year 450 BC.

The ancient city of Rori was also a major pilgrimage center where famous personalities like "Sant" Bhrithari, elder brother of the great King Vikramaditya, came to pay their respects to Shankar Bhagwan. After the Arab conquest of Sind, the invaders pulled down the ancient temple of Shiva but Rori still remains very important as a religious destination for the Sindhis.

Bardic Version

According to bards' chronicles and accounts, Rors had two more capitals in India. King Mukan Dev of the Rors, who originally ruled from Palanpur in Gujarat, later extended his rule in the north of the country and established a second capital close to present-day Delhi in Badli, Jhajjar. In terms of evidence we have from inscriptions, the bards are definitely referring to Rudradaman I and his 150 A.D. campaign against the Yaudheya Kshatriyas when they say that the Ror king came from Gujarat and established his rule in Haryana. : (L. 9.) ………..he who, because from the womb he was distinguished by the possession of undisturbed consummate Royal Fortune, was resorted to by all castes and chosen their lord to protect them; who made, and is true to, the vow to the latest breath of his life to abstain from slaying men, except in battles; who [showed] compassion …………… not failing to deal blows to equal antagonists meeting him face to face; who grants protection of life to people repairing to him of their own accord and those prostrating themselves before him; who is the lord of the whole of eastern and western Akaravanti, the Anups country, Anarta, Surashtra, Svabhra Maru, Kachchha, Sindhu-Sauvira, Kukura, Aparanta, Nishada and other territories gained by his own valour, the towns, marts and rural parts of which are never troubled by robbers, snakes, wild beasts, diseases and the like, where all subjects are attached to him, (and) where through his might the objects of [religion], wealth and pleasure [are duly attained]; who by force destroyed the Yaudheyas who were loath to submit, rendered proud as they were by having manifested their' title of' heroes among all Kshatriyas; who obtained good report because he, in spite of having twice in fair fight completely defeated Satakarni, the lord of Dakshinapatha, on account of the nearness of their connection did not destroy him; who [obtained] victory . . . . . . . .; who reinstates deposed kings; who by the right raising of his hand has earned the strong attachment of Dharma; who has attained wide fame by studying and remembering, by the knowledge and practice of, grammar, music, logic and other great sciences; who …… the management of horses, elephants and chariots, (the use of) sword and shield, pugilistic combat and other . … .. . . …. the acts of quickness and efficiency of opposing forces; who day by day is in the habit of bestowing presents and honours and eschewing disrespectful treatment; who is bounteous; whose treasury by the tribute, tolls and shares rightfully obtained overflows with an accumulation of gold, silver, diamonds, beryl stones and (other) precious things; who...........… prose and verse, which are clear, agreeable, sweet, charming, beautiful, excelling by the proper use of words and adorned; whose beautiful frame owns the most excellent marks and signs, such as (auspicious) length, dimension and height, voice, gait, colour, vigour and strength; who himself has acquired the name of Mahakshatrapa; who has been wreathed with many garlands at the svayamvaras of kings' daughters; -he, the Mahakshatrapa Rudradaman, in order to . . . . . . . . . . . cows and Brahmans for a thousand of years, and to increase his religious merit and fame, -without oppressing the inhabitants of the towns and country by taxes, forced labour and acts of affection -by (the expenditure of) a vast amount of money from his own treasury and in not too long a time made the dam three times as strong in breadth and length . . . . . . . . [on] all [banks] . . . . . . (and so) had (this lake) made (even) more beautiful to look at.

Golden Age

The first few centuries of the Christian Era and a couple of centuries prior to that constitute the golden age of Ror history. Not only did Rors have ruling seats of power in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Sindh; during the times of Rai Dewaji in the 5th century AD, they consolidated their influence in the entire region from Afghanistan to Kanauj in India.

The fort at BhainsRor in Southern Rajasthan is supposed to have come up in the 2nd century B.C. and the Kagarol (Kaga Ror) ruins near present-day Agra have also pointed to a similar time-line for another branch of Rors who ruled from there. The coins found in the Agra circle by Sir Alexander Cunningham seem to indicate a close relationship between the Ror rulers of the area and the rulers of Hastinapur and Indraprastha. A few coins found close to the site have been dated to the 3rd century CE by Cunningham as a result of the general style of the coins and the type of Sanskrit used.

Ror rulers of Sindh

Following the foundation of Rori Shankar by Dhaj, Ror Kumar (Rai Diyach in Sindh), 41 kings followed him one after the other till Dadror. Listing them starting from 450 BC till 489 AD, the dynasty grew as follows:

Dhaj, Ror Kumar

Kunak

Rurak

Harak

Devanik

Ahinak

Paripat

Bal Shah

Vijay Bhan

Khangar

Brihadrath

Har Ansh

Brihad-datt

Ishman

Sridhar

Mohri

Prasann Ket

Amirvan

Mahasen

Brihad-dhaul

Harikeert

Som

Mitravan

Pushyapata

Sudaav

Bideerakh

Nahakman

Mangalmitra

Surat

Pushkar Ket

Antar Ket

Sutjaya

Brihad-dhwaj

Bahuk

Kampjayi

Kagnish

Kapish

Sumantra

Ling-laav

Manasjit

Sunder Ket

Dadror

The bards report that Dadror was poisoned by his head priest, Dewaji in 620 AD and he was followed by five Brahmin kings before the capture of Rori or Al Ror by the Arabs. On the other hand, written records like the Chachnama report that the Brahmin usurper was Chach and not Dewaji. Considering that the bards may have made a mistake in their orally transmitted reports from generation to generation, we can place a greater faith on the date of 620 AD and that corresponds well with Chach, the usurper's lifetime. That would mean that the dynasty reported as the Rai dynasty was a continuation of Ror rule in Sindh and Rai Sahasi II was not killed by Chach jumping onto his horse's back in an open field (as in Chachnama) but in cold blood by mixing poison in his food.

Wink reports on the possibility of the corruption of the Sanskrit names and renders them as related in parenthesis in the following chronology of the Ror Rai rulers (489 - 632 AD) of Rori or Alor in Sindh:

Rai Dewaji (Devaditya)

:He was a powerful chief who forged alliances and extended his rule east of Makran and west of Kashmir and Kannauj, south to the port of Surat and north to Kandahar

Rai Sahiras (Shri Harsha)

Rai Sahasi (Sinhasena)

Rai Sahiras II

:Died battling the King of Nimroz Rai Sahasi II (Brother of Rana Maharath of Chittor)

Loss of Sindh

Rors continued to hold several big forts in Sindh till the Arab invasion of AD 711 and some of the longest battles between the Arabs and Indians were fought at the three forts of Rori (Raor), BahRor and AghRor. Chachnama mentions the occurrence of a "Jauhar" during the siege of the BahRor fort. All men of the military class, Ror Thakurs and their relatives were put to death after the Arab victories. Elsewhere in Sindh, a noble by the name of Dahir Ror is said to have engaged Bin Qasim and his forces in an intense battle before the final engagement between the Arab forces and Raja Dahar's army. After the occupation of Sind by the Arabs, the surviving Ror warriors came away and some of them settled in Ahar, from where the Aharya Ranas of Mewar derived their name.

8th century - 12th century

Excavations at a small village about 18 miles from Agra led to the discovery of a Ror seat of power there. The place is now called Kagarol but Alexander Cunningham and his assistant A.C.L. Carlleyle are of the view that it was originally Kaga Ror or Khangar Ror (after the name of Ror King Khangar) and later got corrupted to the present Kagarol. This princely state based at Kaga Ror had 52 forts in the Agra area and was lost to the Turks in the times of Qutbuddin Aibak. Prithvi Raj Chauhan became the ruler of Delhi with the support of the Rors and he gave big chunks of Haryana and North Rajasthan to Balda gotra Rors as well as Mehla gotra Rors. In the Battle of Tarain, there were as many as seven Ror generals in Chauhan's army and it does not come as a surprise that they claim Rai Pithora to be one of their own blood. Rai Hari Ram Kadian, Bhup Singh Mehla, Pulhan Rai from Jhansi were all Ror generals in Chauhan's army and another notable person from this community was a lady called Kirpi, who led a battalion of women in the very same fashion as the Rani of Jhansi much later. A huge portion of the Indian Army, which was caught unawares by deceit in the wee hours of the morning by invaders who did not respect the Hindu code of war that does not allow for attack before sunrise, was made of Ror warriors.

The Ror connection with Chittor is very old and an eternal monument to the Ror-Mewar relationship is the "thikana" of BhainsRor, which is named after Rors. This is a lasting proof of the ascendancy of Rors around Mewar as scholars believe BhainsRor has been inhabited and fortified since the second century B.C. at least. Raja Gandharv Sen, the father of "Samrat" Vikramaditya I and the King of Malwa, was the person who built the fort back then. Gandharv Sen is also called Gardabharupa as well as Gardabhilla as also Raja Gaj in the local tongue at different places. In the golden era of their history, the Rors had built many forts and a few of them still maintain their names like Behror near Alwar, Dadror, Kahror near Multan and Kaga Ror, a name that has got corrupted to Kagarol and is located near present-day Fatehpur Sikri.

Battle of Badli

In 1207 A.D. Chanda Rawal (name in a similar tradition as that of Bappa Rawal) was the King in Badli, Jhajjar. Rors had been ruling from this seat for more than a thousand years since Rudradaman I and his 150 A.D. campaign against the Yaudheya Kshatriyas. But times had suddenly turned hostile with the Turks having got the better of Prithviraj Chauhan and the Hindu army by deceitfully attacking in the early hours of dawn when the Indian army was still sleeping on the banks of the Ghaggar. The Turks under the slave Qutbuddin Aibak were particularly nasty and demanded 'dola' from all the kings around Delhi in order to rub salt into the festering wounds left by an undeserving defeat. They demanded the Rawal's daughter and the Rors refused stoutly.

The Turks immediately laid a siege to Badli and the battle started in Samvat 1265 (A.D. 1207). It was a long siege and the Rors did not give ground to the forces of Aibak. All the Ror clans poured into Badli from their nearby seats of Dadror, Behror and Kaga Ror to fight against the Turks and Kachhwaha king Malaya Si, son of Pajjuna, sent 31 sons of his own to help defeat the invaders. After a year of unending warfare, the Turks scored a break as the "Raj-Purohit" defected and told them to attack on Govardhan Puja just before the festival of Diwali. The Turks attacked on Govardhan Puja when all the warriors were worshipping their weapons after collecting them in the center of the fort. The invaders massacred the unarmed Kshatriyas by staying true to their deceitful nature yet again.

Bardic as well as vernacular records indicate that 84 men had been smuggled out by Ror elders to ensure that some people survived to call themselves Ror even after this holocaust. These 84 Rors, who were thus made to leave the scene of the carnage at Badli, settled down in the dense Dhak Jungles of present-day Karnal and Kurukshetra districts in the 84 villages, which still comprise the nucleus of the entire Ror population. The rest of them embraced martyrdom following their traditional customs of Jauhar and Saka. Such a sanguine move to save a small nucleus has many parallels in our history. Maharana Hammir's father with other relatives was smuggled out during the first siege of Chittor when the Jauhar of Rani Padmini took place. Eighty four Ror clan names are derived from the names of these survivors of the "Battle of Badli" directly.

Revolt of 1857

In the Rebellion of 1857, the Rors fought heroically along with the Sainis in the districts of Karnal and Kurukshetra. This was the ancient warrior blood speaking yet again even though the population of Rors was recorded as no more than 50,000 in the Census of 1881, nearly 24 years later.

Social status

Haryana

The state of Haryana was a part of the United Punjab province during the period of British rule in India. Sir Denzil Ibbetson classified Rors of United Punjab as one of the "Other dominant tribes", a classification for which his definition was "All those castes which, while hardly less important in their particular territories, are less numerous and less widely distributed than the four great races already specified. Such are the Gakhars and Awans of the Salt Range, the Kharrals and Daudpotras of the Western Plains, the Rors and Dogars of the Eastern Plains, the Meos of Gurgaon and the Gujars of the hills". The quoted text basically shows that Ibbetson observed the Ror and the other castes mentioned above to be equal in dominance to the mighty Pathans, the Baloch and the Rajputs in their own territory, the only difference being in numbers and the fact that they were found in a limited area rather than all over the Punjab region. Even Blunt, while compiling his famous work on the caste system in North India, classified Rors with Rajputs and Brahmins in a hierarchy prepared according to the severity of rules regarding the eating of cooked and uncooked food with other castes.

Western Uttar Pradesh

Writing about the Rajputs or the warrior clans of Western Uttar Pradesh in his book A sociological study of folklore: projected research in Kuru region, the author Satya Prakash Arya speaks thus about them,

They designate themselves mostly as Chauhans, Tomars, Gahlots, Ranas, Bargujars, Rawas and the Rods. The Chauhans of district Bijnor are believed to be offsprings of Chamars and Rajputs, hence inferior in status. The other fighting castes include the Jats, Kambojs, Gujjars and Ahirs (Yadavs).

Baiswara

Rors are found in parts of Baiswara in the state of Uttar Pradesh. In Baiswara, they are known as Ror Thakurs and are found to be on excellent terms with the Bais Thakurs.

Bundelkhand

A few villages in Jhansi district have some Ror populations residing there. Some of these villages are Shimla, Bakshiya, Nagarka etc. The Rors living in Bundelkhand are known as Ror Rajputs and share good relations with other Rajput clans of the area.

Bihar

The Rors are one of the numerous Rajput clans in Bihar and are known as Maha Ror; which seems very much to be the same etymological relationship as that between Rishi and Maharishi. Quoting from the works of Robert Montgomery Martin,

The Rajputs in this district are of many different tribes, Chauhan, Chandel, Sirmaur, Gajkesari, Gahlot, Bakawar, Kinawar, Chhilakia, Sorki, Rathore, Bisen, Bhojpuriya, Kachhwaha, Gautam, Bais, Maharor, Baghel, Bundela, Grihastha and Desi. I can not specify the number or proportion of each of these tribes, because it was in some divisions only that the Pandit attended to the distinctions, and by far the greatest number he put down merely as Rajputs.

Himachal Pradesh

Few villages in Kangra and Hamirpur districts of Himachal have Ror Rajputs residing there. Some of these villages are Bhoda, Draman, Langa, Bhoura etc. The Suryavanshi Ror Rajput clan living in Himachal are known as Patial Rajputs and share good relationship with other Rajput clans of the area.

Today, Rors find themselves at the crossroads of history and they are fast making a transition from a tranquil and contended life to one that is highly affected by the rigors and competition of the modern industrial age. The feudal sense of pride and haughtiness remains but the youth of the community is excelling in education and sports. Quite a few Rors can now be found in various towns across Australia as well where they have gone to study and make a name for themselves and their community.

Character

Rors are the only Kshatriya group in India who did not give daughters to either Turks or Mughals. Furthermore, there is no record of any Ror ever converting to Islam or serving a Mughal/Turk or an Afghan invader in the history of India.

It has been recorded that Rajputs(67% Hindu, 33% Muslim),Kambojs (48% Hindu, 20% Muslim), Jats (47% Hindu, 33% Muslim) and Gujjars (77% Hindu, 20% Muslim) are big communities among Muslims. Some in these Kshatriya groups such as Rajputs, Jats, etc. also gave daughters to Turks and Mughals, under pressure from the invaders. In similar situations, the Rors decided to fight to the last instead of giving in to the invaders' demands. For this reason, they consider themselves the foremost Vedic Kshatriyas and do not intermarry with Rajputs. Rors uphold and cherish the ideals of Maharana Pratap, who in his time had banned intermarriages with those Rajputs who had given their daughters to Mughals.

In Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, the author James Tod has mentioned Pratap's stopping marriages between Rajputs who gave their daughters to Mughals and those Rajputs who were supporting Pratap:

:With such examples as Marwar and Amber (of giving their daughters to Mughals), and with less power to resist the temptation, the minor chiefs of Rajasthan, with a brave and numerous vassalage, were transformed into satraps of Delhi.

:But these were fearful odds against Pratap. The arms of his country turned upon him, derived additional force from their self-degradation, which kindled into jealousy and hatred against the magnanimous resolution they lacked the virtue to imitate. When Hindu prejudice was thus violated by every prince in Rajasthan, the Rana renounced all matrimonial alliance with those who were thus degraded. To the eternal honour of Pratap and his issue be it told that, to the very close of the monarchy of the Moguls, they refused such alliances not only with the throne, but even with their brother princes of Marwar and Amber. It is a proud triumph of virtue to be able to record from the autograph letters of the most powerful of the Rajput princes, Bukhet Singh and Sawai Jai Singh, that whilst they had risen to greatness by the surrender of principle, as Mewar had decayed from her adherence to it, they should solicit, and that humbly, to be readmitted to the honour of matrimonial intercourse and "to be purified," " to be regenerated," " to be made Rajputs" and that this favour was granted only on condition of their abjuring the contaminating practice (of giving daughters to Mughals) which, for more than a century, had disunited them.

In his book "Ror Itihaas ki Jhalak" (Hindi) (English translation - "Ror history: A glimpse"), the author Dr. Raj Pal Singh clearly says:

:The Ror came from Badli in Jhajjar tehsil of Rohtak district after having fought with the Turks, who were led by their slave general Qutbuddin Aibak, upon refusing their demand for 'dola' (women).

Ror elders were considered excellent judges by not just their own brethren but even by the people of other castes. Usually, the problems related to any particular caste were arbitrated upon by its own senior people (the "Panch"), but if they failed to do so, the elderly Ror in that village played the role of arbitrators and these decisions were accepted as binding. Umri, a village on the GT Road right before Kurukshetra as you approach from the direction of Delhi, is the perfect place to check this out. The Ror are in a minority in this village and a different land-owning caste resides in bigger numbers but the Sarpanch (Headman) is mostly a Ror.

Social Customs

Religious Beliefs

Rors are staunch Hindus. Many Rors did join the Sikh Panth to fight the Mughals on the request of Guru Gobind Singh. Most of the Sikh Rors are to be found in Kurukshetra and Karnal districts of Haryana. But it is hard to separate the two groups and there is no practical distinction as they intermarry freely. A few Rors are also followers of Swami Dayanand's Arya Samaj and believe in Yajna and Gayatri.

Child Birth

Dashautan ceremony is held after child birth.

Marriage

A mare was given in dowry in marriage. Married Ror women still follow Purdah, which amongst Hindus is only followed by royal families.

Ror women wear Gold jewellery on their feet as a tradition. Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur explains: :Because they respected Gold, ordinary (Rajput) women did not wear gold on their feet. Only if you were of royal blood did you wear gold on your feet and if you were that class you never put on silver. Ordinarily, Rajput women and women of all other Kshatriya groups use silver jewellery on their feet.

In considering proposals for marriage, four gotras are excluded by Ror families:

Own Gotra

Mother's Gotra

Grandmother's Gotra

Maternal Grandmother's Gotra

Sati

Ror women were known to perform Sati till late 19th century. Only two Kshatriya groups had this custom, Ror and Rajput. In the 19th century a girl from Amin village, who was married to a man of village Bastara performed Sati. A shrine has been erected at that spot and it can still be seen (being worshipped every year on the eve of Deepawali) right on the G T Road passing by the village.Katlaheri, a village on the Karnal-Jind road between Jundla and Pyont, has a shrine dedicated to Sati as well and it is venerated by all Ror families of the village.

Dress and Appearance

Ror men wore "Angrakha" and parted their beards in the middle.

Descent

The descent of the Ror from Ikshvaku, the Suryavanshi is as follows:-

Ikshvaku - The Suryavanshi

* Kuksi * Vikuksi * Paranjaya * Anena

Prthu * Vishvagasya * Ardr * Yuvanashva

Shravasta * Brhadashva * Kuvalayashva * Drdhashva

Varyashva * Nikumbha * Samhatashva * Krshashva

Prasenjit * Yauvanasva * Mandhatr * Durgaha

Giriksit * Purukutsa * Trasadasyu * Sambhut

Vishnuvrddha * Anaranya * Trasadashva * Haryashva II

Hasta * Rohidashva * Vasumanas * Trivrshan

Tryaruna * Trishanku * Harishchandra * Rohit

Harita * Chanchu * Vijay

Ruruk * Virk * Bahu * Sagar

Asamanjasa * Anshuman * Dilip * Bhagiratha

Suhotra * Shruta * Nabhaga * Ambarisha

Sindhudvipa * Ayutashva * Rituparna * Sarvakama

Sudasa * Mitrasaha * Ashmaka * Mulaka

Dasharatha I * Ilivila * Krtasharma * Vishvasaha

Dilipa * Dirghavahu * Raghu * Aja

Dasrath II * Sri Ramchandra * Luv/Kush * Atithi (from Kush)

Nishadha * Nala * Nabha * Pundreek

Kshemadhanva * Devaneek * Ruru

Recent Personalities

Rajarishi

Guru Brahmanand (1915–1969), an ascetic born in the Samdhyan Gotra, who had followers all over Haryana

Armed Forces

Satyawan Singh Khanchi, Commanding Officer, BSF New Delhi, Village-Ahar, Panipat

Suresh Taya DSP , BSF Village sakra , Kaithal

Amar Shaheed Wing Commander Chander Singh, Village-Dadupur, district Karnal

Colonel Sunhara Singh, Vir Chakra, 1971 Indo-Pak War

Major Amit Prakash Kadian, Shaurya Chakra 2001, Anti-insurgency operations in the North-East

Shaheed Sultan Singh Kadiyan, Shaurya Chakra, Village-Kalheri, district Karnal

Colonel Devender Singh (Currently in NSG), Sector 9 Karnal

Nb Sub (Retd.) Dalip Singh Mehla (Village-Sanch, district Kaithal) received Commendation Letter issued by Army Chief for his contribution in Kargil War on Army Day(15 Jan) 2000.

Politics

Babu Anant Ram, a member of the Legislative Assembly of United Punjab before 1947, Village Kaul. Played a big role in making Kaul an education hub of his times.

Chambel Singh Chauhan, MLA, Village Amin

Ishwar Singh, Ex-Speaker of Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Village Staundi

Chanda Singh , Ex-Minister and MLA, Haryana, Village Butana

Shiv Ram Verma, Ex-Minister and MLA, Haryana, Village Jhinjari

Sultan Singh, MLA, Chief Parliamentary Secretary (2009–2014), Haryana, Village Jadola, Kaithal

Bhagh Singh Taya, Ex-MLA in Punjab Legislative Assembly, Rasina village, district Kaithal

Kali Ram Madhotra, current MLA in Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Morkhi village, district Jind.

Sports

Basketball

Ajmer Singh, Arjuna Award 1982 winner, Captain, Indian Basketball Team. Currently Head Coach of Indian Railways

Volleyball

Balwant Singh Sagwal "Ballu", Arjuna Award 1972 winner, Captain, Indian Volleyball team, Village Kaul

Balkar Chauhan, Indian Volleyball team, Village Amin

Dr. Dalel Singh Chauhan, Arjuna Award 1990 winner, Captain, Indian Volleyball team, Village Amin

Ishwar Singh, Ex-Captain, Indian Volleyball team, Village Bhaini Kalan, Karnal

Mehar Singh, Ex-Captain, Indian Volleyball team

Parveen Rulhan, Indian Volleyball Team (BHEL), Village Dod Karsa, district Karnal

Boxing

Sandeep Gollen, Olympian (Barcelona 1992), Pundri

Manoj Kumar, Indian national team (64kg category), Gold Medal at the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010, Village Rajound, Kaithal district

Kabaddi

Ram Singh alias Pauda, coach of circle Kabaddi since 1980s, Village Bandrana, Kaithal district

Sher Singh Ror, International Kabaddi player in the 1990s, Village Khedi Ramnagar

Hockey

Vikas Chaudhary, Village Basthali, Karnal, represented Indian Hockey Team in 2005

Throwball

Sanjeev Sagwal, Indian Throwball Team, Village Kaul

Baseball

Sumit Khranger, Village Kutail, Karnal Represented Indian base ball team in 2006

Administrative Services

Zaildar Parshu Ram Singh Deora, Village Aaun, Collector of over 200 villages in British times

Balkar Singh, IAS, Village Munnarehri

Krishan Kumar, DANICS, Karnal district

Balwaan Singh, DANICS, Village Kurana, District Panipat

Gulab Singh, IAS, Gujarat state

Maha Singh IAS, commissioner in government of Haryana, from Kalkha district Panipat

Satpal, HCS, General Manager, Haryana Tourism, Village Dhathrath (Serdha), Distt. Jind

Judiciary

Virendra Singh, Sessions Judge, Village Kunjpura, District Karnal

Amarjit Singh, Sub Judge (Dabwali), Village Kunjpura, District Karnal

Amar Singh, Retired Joint Director Prosecution (HRY), Assistant Advocate General (HRY),(Son of Sh. Ram Swarup Singh, Grandson of Zaildar Parshu Ram Singh Deora), Village Aaun

Vijay Singh, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Haryana Civil Services, Village Umri

Karan Singh, Deputy Advocate General, Punjab & Haryana High Court, Chandigarh, Village Staundi

Kuldeep Singh, Civil Judge cum Judicial Magistrate, Village Dehardu, District Kaithal

Ilam Singh, District Development Commissioner, Bareilly, Village Khanpur (UP)

Sumer Singh Arya, District Attorney, Village Panghala, District Karnal

Ram Chander, Advocate Punjab & Haryana High Court, Ex. Deputy Advocate General Haryana, Senior Panel Counsel, Govt. of India in Punjab & Haryana High Court, Senior Panel Counsel Govt. Of India, Armed Forces Tribunal, Regional Bench, Chandigarh, Village Peont, District Karnal

Meenakshi Choudhary, Advocate Punjab & Haryana High Court, Ex. Central Govt. Counsel in Punjab & Haryana High Court, Village Kunjpura, District Karnal

Indian Revenue Service

Devendra Singh Kalyan, Additional Commissioner Income Tax, Indian Revenue Service (IRS), Village Kutel

Police, Customs & Central Excise

Late Ram Swarup Singh (Son of Zaildar Parshu Ram Singh Deora), Retd. Superintendent of Police, Village Aaun

Badan Singh, IPS, Village Kunjpura, district Karnal

Ramnish Geer, Superintendent of Police, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), New Delhi

Ishwar Singh, Superintendent of Customs & Central Excise (New Delhi), Village Bhaini Kalan, Karnal

Raj Singh, Superintendent of Customs & Central Excise, New Delhi

Rajender Singh, CTO Rajasthan, Village Kurana, Panipat

Ashok Kumar IPS, IG Nainital, Village Kurana, Panipat. Also a co-author of "Human in Khaki"

Ramesh Mehla (Mohana), Ex-Nb/Subedar - NSG Commando Force, participated in Kargil War and Akshardham Operation.

Research and Academia

Dr.Pankaj Kumar Singh, Ph.D.(Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), Assistant Professor, Eppley Institute for Cancer Research, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha

Dr. Rajinder S Khanchi, Ph.D. (Physics), Principal Dyal Singh College, Karnal

Dr. Dharam Pal Kadian, Professor (Agronomy), Director, Regional Research Station, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Uchani, Karnal

Dr. Mohinder Singh Sagwal, Director, Defence Research and Development Organization, Delhi

Dr. (Mrs.) Shanti Balda, (Ph.D. Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia), Professor and Head, Department of Human Development and Family Studies (Child Development), I. C. College of Home Science, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar

Dr. Mewa Singh Turan, Ex-Additional Director, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Delhi. Currently, Professor (MBA) and Director, Distance Education, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar,

Dr. Randhir Singh, (Retired Prof. Biochemistry & Ex Dean, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar), Principal, Seth Jai Parkash Mukand Lal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Radaur, Yamunanagar

Dr. Devi Singh, Dean, College of Biotechnology, SVBP University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh

Dr. Jai Pal Singh, (Ph.D. University of Saskatchewan, Canada), Professor and Head, Department of Soil Science, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar

Dr. Pala Ram Balda, (Ph.D. Moscow State University, Moscow), Professor (Entomology), Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar

Dr. Dharam Singh Dodan, Senior Scientist (Plant Breeding), recipient of "Best Scientist Award" and "Pesticide India Award" , Rice Research Station, Kaul, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar

Dr. Rattan Singh, Professor (Plant Breeding) and Head, Rice Research Station, Kaul, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar

Dr. Bhim Singh, Chairman & Professor, Sanskrit Department, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra

Lieutenant (Dr) Balkar Singh, Head, Department of Botany and Biotechnology, Arya College, Panipat

Dr. Shashi Kumar, (Ph.D., Genetics), Research Geneticist, US Department of Agriculture, California, USA

Dr. Sumit Chaudhary, (Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of California, Riverside). Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, Iowa, USA

Ram Saroop Chauhan, retired Professor from NIT Kurukshetra, presently Vice Principal at the Doon Valley College of Engineering and Technology, Karnal

Dr. Dharam Singh Chopra, Former Professor & Head, Department of Biochemistry, College of Basic Sciences, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. Presently, education consultant working out of New Delhi & Jhajjar

Dr. Nafe Singh Dahiya, Professor Physics, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra

Dr Ram Singh, Professor Entomology, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hissar

Dr Paul Singh Mehla , Professor Physics, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hissar

Dr Pooran Chandra , Head of Department Sanskrit, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Saharanpur

Dr Kali Ram Dabur, Senior Nematologist, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar

Dr Rishi Pal Mathana, Lecturer in Economics, Ph.D, LLB, PGDEMM, CC in German. Ex-State President, Haryana School Lecturers' Association, National President, All India Federation of Lecturers Association

Dr Lakhi Ram, Scientist Entomology, Rice Research Station, Kaul, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hissar

Corporate

Roshan Lal Tamak, presently Business Head - Sugar, Olam Agro India Ltd., Gurgaon, Vice President of Sugar Technologist Association of India (STAI), Ex-Chief Operating Officer, Balarampur Chini Mills Ltd. & Ex-Joint V.P. of DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd. - Sugar Division

Jagdish Bodla, Divisional Sales Manager (North India) - Dow Agrosciences India Pvt Ltd (A subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, USA)

Rubal Chaudhry, General Manager, The Claridges Hotel, New Delhi

Entrepreneur

Pala Ram Lathar (Parwala), MD/Founder, Universal Network of Infotech Limited, IT education and services worldwide (www.uni-world.org)

Ror Gotra/Clan Names

Ror villages are predominantly occupied by just one gotra. Nearly all Ror gotra or clans are listed here:-

Atri

Badgujar (Kings of the Gujjar race)

Badsar (Also pronounced as "Badsra" in South Haryana, which means Kings of the Sra race)

Bakoru

Balda (Chauhan clan)

Ballan (Guhil, Bappa Rawal's ancestor, was from this race)

Bataan (बतान)

Bhakla (Branch of Parmar and Raja Bhoj of Malwa belonged to this race)

Bhawaniwal (A Chauhan sept)

Bhimainiya

Bhookna

Bhuran

Boda (A Chauhan clan)

Bodla

Chauhan (Prithviraj Chauhan (Rai Pithora Chahaman) was from this race)

Chhachhra (A branch of Chauhan)

Chhakdan

Chopra

Chuchayan

Chuhlan/Chulyan (Branch of Parihar)

Dabra/Dabur/Devra/Deora (Sept of Chauhan)

Dahiya (Listed as one of the thirty six ruling clans of India by James Tod)

Dahlan

Dhandul/Deendal (Listed as a branch of Rathore by James Tod)

Dhadhan

Dhakla (Branch of Parmar)

Dhankar/Dhankhad (A Tomar clan)

Dhanyan

Dheemar

Domiyan/Domyan

Doodan

Dudhiyan (Listed as a ruling clan of India in the Kumarpal Charitra)

Ghartan/Ghadtan (Branch of Parihar)

Ghiar/Geed/Geer/Gheer

Ghoochan

Gogayan (A Kachhwaha sept)

Golia/Gulia/Gholiya (Corrupted from original Gohila or Guhila, meaning descendant of Sri Guhil)

Gollen

Gora (The kings of this clan ruled from 'Chhoti Sadari' near Chittor)

Graak

Guchhla

Hurda/Hooda (A Chauhan sept)

Jaglan

Jogran (A Chauhan sept)

Jandslaar

Jhakla/Jhankla (Branch of Parmar)

Jharotiya (Sept of Kacchwaha)

Jhojhan

Jhojhroo

Jood

Kadian (Descended from Kshatriya Brahmarshi Vishvamitra)

Kahanwal/Kainwal

Kaindal

Kainsha

Khera/Kaira (Listed as a ruling clan of India in the Kumarpal Charitra)

Kaltagediya/Kaltagra (Branch of Parmar and the clan of the great Vikramaditya of Ujjain)

Kalyan (Sept of Kacchwaha)

Kandhol (Sept of Rathore)

Kangar/Khangar (A Kachhwaha sept)

Kanyan

Kaanyara

Kapsa

Kaundal (Patial clan)

Keshwar/Khasbar

Khanchi/Khichi (A branch of Chauhan)

Kharangar/Khangarot (A Kachhwaha sept)

Khokra (Ruling clan of Khokra Kot, Rohtak before the Turkic invasion)

Kunkan

Ladkyan/Ladkane (A Kacchwaha sept)

Laharwal

Lamba

Lather

Loham

Lorkan

Machhran

Madhotra

Malgas

Maniyal

Masaaniya (Listed as a ruling clan of India in the Kumarpal Charitra)

Mehla/Mahla (A Tomar clan)

Memain

Mepla

Mokkal (Listed in the Kumarpal Charitra as a ruling clan of India)

Mola (Listed in Bhagavata Purana as a clan that will provide 11 kings to India post-Mahabharat)

Moman

Nadan

Nausraan

Nimainiya

Raitan

Rai/Raya (This clan was ruling Sind till some years before the Arab invasion under Bin Qasim)

Rozera

Rana

Ruhlan/Ruhlyan (Branch of Parihar)

Sagwal

Samdhyan

Sandyan

Shera/Sehra (Descendants of Rai Sahiras or Siharas or Shri Harsh of Rori)

Singhariya/Singhra (A branch of Kachhwaha from Singha Ji)

Surha

Tamak

Taya

Thardak

Tholla

Tuarka/Turka (A Tomar clan)

Turan (Listed as a ruling clan of India in the Kumarpal Charitra)

Note

Ror Tomar Kul is Suryavanshi; the Nishan is same as that of Arjun but that is a pure coincidence. The specifics of the Ror House of Tomar are as follows,

Lineage: Suryavansha

Colour of throne, sign and canopy: Green * Colour of horse: Yellow

Heraldic sign (Nishan): Hanuman on flagpole

Clan Goddess (Kuladaivat): Shakumbari

Devak (Clan object): Umbar (Ficus racemosa tree)

Guru: Parashar * Gotra: Nikam

Veda: Yajurveda * Mantra: Gayatri

See also

Kaul

Amin

Katlaheri

Kadian

Gora

Bhrithari

Bhainsrorgarh

Ikshwaku

Ror Dynasty

Rasina

References

Bibliography

Tod, James & William (Editor) Crooke (1994), Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan (2 vols.)., Trans-Atl, ISBN 81-7069-128-1.

Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province By H.A. Rose, Published 1990 by Asian Educational Services, 2076 pages, ISBN 81-206-0505-5

The Sindh Story, by K. R. Malkani Karachi, Publisher: Sindhi Academy (1997), ISBN 81-87096-01-2

Lord Mahavira and His Times, by Kailash Chand Jain, Motilal Banarsidass Publications, ISBN 81-208-0805-3

Charles Allen & Sharada Dwivedi, Lives of the Indian Princes, ISBN 81-86982-05-1, Pub: Business Publications Inc.

Panjab Castes, Author: Denzil Ibbetson, ISBN 81-7536-290-1, ISBN 978-81-7536-290-1, 978-8175362901, Published (2008): Low Price Publications

People of India: Haryana, Volume XXIII, General Editor Kumar Suresh Singh (Part of Anthropological survey of India Series), ISBN 81-7304-091-5

Category:Ethnic groups in India Category:Social groups of India Category:Social groups of Haryana Category:Social groups of Uttar Pradesh Category:Ancient peoples Category:History of medieval India Category:Ruling Hindu clans Category:Indian castes Category:Ror Category:Kshatriya