Rajput
/ˈrɑːdʒ.pʊt/noun
A member of a traditionally warrior and landholding community in northern India.
Did you know?The word comes from Sanskrit rāja-putra, and in later historical usage it became tied to elite martial identity, showing how a title can evolve into a whole social order.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Indo-Aryan
Sanskrit
rāja-putra
“king's son; prince”
Early Medieval
Prakrit
rāyaputta / rājaputta
“local vernacular forms meaning prince or king's son”
Medieval India
Hindi/Regional
rajput
“a warrior noble; member of a martial lineage”
16th-19th Century
English
Rajput
“a member of the Rajput warrior caste or clan group”
Modern English
English
Rajput
“a member of a traditionally warrior and landholding community in northern India”