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Ror is a agrarian caste of Haryana.

{{Other uses|ROR (disambiguation)}}
{{Multiple issues|rewrite = September 2011|inappropriate tone = May 2011|refimprove = May 2011}}

{{Infobox caste
|caste_name=Ror
|classification=[[Suryavanshi]] [[Kshatriya]]
|subdivisions=Chaurāsi, Bānggar, Khāddar, [[Nardak]]
|populated_states=[[Haryana]], [[Gujarat]], [[Rajasthan]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Himachal]], [[Uttarakhand]]
|languages=[[Haryanvi]], [[Khariboli]], [[Hindi language|Hindi]]
|religions=[[Hinduism]]}}


The '''Ror''' ({{lang-hi|'''रोड़'''}}) is a Kshatriya community and numbers between 750,000 and 1,000,000.<ref>http://indocanadianror.com/index.asp?mid=5</ref> They hold nearly 270 villages in [[Haryana]] and 52 more in Western [[Uttar Pradesh]] and the [[Haridwar]] district of [[Uttarakhand]].


In his 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:<ref>Pages 834-835, A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Provinces, By H A Rose, Sir Denzil Ibbetson, Sir Edward Douglas Maclagan, Published 1990, Asian Educational Services, ISBN 81-206-0505-5</ref>


{{quote|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]]:<ref>Pages 210-212, Archaeological Survey of India, Report for the year 1871-72, Volume IV, Agra circle covered by A.C.L. Carlleyle, Under the supervision of Alexander Cunningham</ref>


{{quote|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.}}




== History ==
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]].<ref>"Lord Rama had two sons- Lava and Kusha. Lineage of Rama grew as follows- Atithi, Nishadh, Anal, Nabh, Pundareek, Kshemdhanwa, Devaneek, Ahinaka, Ruru, Pariyatrak, Deval, Vanchal, Ulka, Vajranabha, Shankhan, Yushhitashva, Vishvasaha, Hiranyanam, Pushya, Dhruvasandhi, Sudarshan, Agnivarn, Shighrag, Maru, Prasushrut, Susandhi, Amarsh, Sahaswan and Vishvabhav. Vishvabhav had a son Brihdal who was killed by Abhimanyu in the battle of Mahabharata." From Chapter four "Description of Suryavansh", Index of 16 Hindu Puranas [http://www.gita-society.com/section3/HinduPuranas16.htm]</ref> 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.



===Ror Capitals===
Ror clans historically ruled from [[Rohri|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]] [http://www.borobudur.tv/avadana_07.htm]. [[Divyavadana]], the Buddhist chronicle has said that Rori historically competed with [[Patliputra]] in terms of political influence.<ref>"The Divyavadana (Tibetan version) reports: 'The Buddha is in Rajgriha. At this time there were two great cities in [[Jambudvipa]]: [[Pataliputra]] and Roruka. When Roruka rises, Pataliputra declines; when Pataliputra rises, Roruka declines.' Here was Roruka of Sindh competing with the capital of the Magadha empire." Chapter 'Sindhu is divine', The Sindh Story, by K. R. Malkani from Karachi, Publisher: Sindhi Academy (1997), ISBN 81-87096-01-2</ref> The importance of this town can not be underestimated as evident in the following [[JSTOR]] article. [http://www.jstor.org/view/0041977x/ap020086/02a00390/0] The scholar [[Thomas William Rhys Davids|T.W. Rhys Davids]] has mentioned Roruka as one of the most important cities of India in the 7th century BC.<ref>Page 317, Lord Mahavira and His Times, by Kailash Chand Jain, Published 1992 by Motilal Banarsidass Publications, ISBN 81-208-0805-3</ref>

Roruka was founded and established for the first time by King Ruruk, who was the fifth [[Ikshvaku]] dynasty ruler in the lineage after [[Harishchandra|Raja Harishchandra]] of [[Varanasi|Kashi]].<ref>http://www.gita-society.com/section3/HinduPuranas16.htm</ref> 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 [[Rama|Sri Ram]] and should be dated to around 2500 BC using the most conservative estimates.<ref>In a paper published in the journal of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research. 2000, pp. 1-24, "On the Chronological Framework for Indian Culture", Subhash Kak of Louisiana State University fixes a date of 1924 BC for the Mahabharat war. Using this date and taking thirty generations (20 years per generation) between the Mahabharat war and Sri Ram as suggested by Pargiter's list, we get a time of 2524 BC for Dasrathi Ram. Going 29 generations before Sri Ram, we reach the time of 3104 BC for Raja Ruruk and thus, we can safely conclude that Roruka (Ruruka) was established around 3100-3000 BC</ref> 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.<ref>Page 174, Alexander's campaigns in Sind and Baluchistan and the siege of the Brahmin town of Harmatelia, Volume 3 of Orientalia Lovaniensia analecta, by Pierre Herman Leonard Eggermont, Peeters Publishers, 1975, ISBN 90-6186-037-7, 9789061860372</ref> 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<ref>Page 14, "Ror Itihaas ki Jhalak" (Hindi) by Dr. Raj Pal Singh, Pal Publications, Yamunanagar (1987)</ref> (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 [[Shiva|Shankar]] [[Bhagwan]]. After the Arab conquest of Sind, the invaders pulled down the ancient temple of [[Shiva]] but Rori still remains a major religious destination for the [[Sindhi]] people.



===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 AD campaign against the [[Yaudheya]] [[Kshatriyas]] when they say that the Ror king came from [[Gujarat]] and established his rule in [[Haryana]].<ref>[http://projectsouthasia.sdstate.edu/Docs/HISTORY/PRIMARYDOCS/EPIGRAPHY/JunagadhRockInscription.htm Junagadh Rock Inscription of Rudradaman]</ref>
(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 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]].<ref>Elliot, Henry Miers, The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period. Volume 1, Adamant Media Corporation, ISBN 0-543-94726-2, Page 405</ref>

The fort at [[BhainsRor]] in Southern [[Rajasthan]] is supposed to have come up in the 2nd century BC and the [[Kagarol]] (Kaga Ror)<ref>"The ancient fort buried under this place (village Khangar Ror or Kaga Ror) was founded by a [[Raja Ror I|Ror Raja]], son of Raja Khangar", Pages 210-212, Archaeological Survey of India, Report for the year 1871-72, Volume IV, Agra circle covered by A.C.L. Carlleyle, Under the supervision of Alexander Cunningham</ref> 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]] [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9028217/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.<ref>Page 96, Archaeological Survey of India, Report for the year 1871-72, Volume IV, Agra circle covered by A.C.L. Carlleyle, Under the supervision of Alexander Cunningham</ref>



===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 [[Ror Dynasty|dynasty]] grew as follows:<ref>Pages 89-92, Ror Itihaas Ki Jhalak, by Dr. Raj Pal Singh, Pal Publications, Yamunanagar (1987)</ref>
* [[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<ref>Page 102, Aryavart evam Ror Vansh ka itihaas, by Shri Ramdas, All-round Printers, Karnal (2000)</ref> and he was followed by five [[Brahmin]] kings before the capture of Rori or [[Aror|Al Ror]] by the [[Arab]]s. On the other hand, written records like the Chachnama report that the Brahmin usurper was Chach and not Dewaji.<ref>[http://persian.packhum.org/persian/pf?file=12701030&ct=0 Chach Nama]</ref> 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 (Sukkur)|Alor]] in Sindh:<ref>Wink, Andre, Al Hind the Making of the Indo Islamic World, Brill Academic Publishers, Jan 1, 1996, ISBN 90-04-09249-8, pg.152</ref>
*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]]<ref>Elliot, Henry Miers, The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period. Volume 1, Adamant Media Corporation, ISBN 0-543-94726-2, pg. 405</ref>
*Rai S[[ahir]]as (Shri Harsha)
*Rai Sahasi (Sinhasena)
*Rai Sahiras II
:Died battling the King of [[Nimroz]]<ref>Khusru Naushirwan and Khusru Parvis have both been postulated (Elliot, pg. 405)</ref>
*Rai Sahasi II (Brother of Rana Maharath of [[Chittor]]<ref>Pages 20 - 22, The Chachnamah, Volume I, Translated from Persian by Mirza Kalichbeg Fredunbeg, Printed in 1900 at the Commissioner's Press, Karachi</ref>)



===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 [[Arab]]s and Indians were fought at the three forts of Rori (Raor), BahRor<ref>Page 156, Volume I, The Chachnamah, Translated from Persian by Mirza Kalichbeg Fredunbeg, Printed in 1900 at the Commissioner's Press, Karachi</ref> and AghRor. Chachnama mentions the occurrence of a "[[Jauhar]]" during the siege of the BahRor fort. All men of the military class, Ror [[Thakur (Indian title)|Thakur]]s 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.<ref>Page 133, Volume I, The Chachnamah, Translated from Persian by [[Mirza]] Kalichbeg Fredunbeg, Printed in 1900 at the Commissioner's Press, Karachi</ref> 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 [[Rana dynasty|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 [[India]]n 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 2nd century BC 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.<ref>Pages 209-210, Volume IV, Archaeological Survey of India, Report for the year 1871-72, Agra circle covered by A.C.L. Carlleyle, Under the supervision of Alexander Cunningham</ref> 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 AD 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 AD campaign against the [[Yaudheya]] [[Kshatriya]]s. 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 [[Turkic peoples|Turks]] under the [[Mamluk Sultanate (Delhi)|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 [[Turkic peoples|Turks]] immediately laid a siege to Badli and the battle started in Samvat 1265 (AD 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 [[Pajawan|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 [[Diwali|Govardhan Puja]] just before the festival of [[Diwali]]. The Turks attacked on [[Diwali|Govardhan Puja]] when all the warriors were worshipping their weapons after collecting them in the center of the fort. The invaders massacred the unarmed [[Kshatriya]]s by staying true to their deceitful nature yet again.<ref>"Ror Itihaas ki Jhalak" (Hindi) by Dr. Raj Pal Singh, Pages 36-37, Pal Publications, Yamunanagar</ref>

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 [[Butea monosperma|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 [[Rajput#Saka|Saka]]. Such a sanguine move to save a small nucleus has many parallels in our history. [[Hamir, Maharana of Mewar|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]], Rors fought against the [[British Empire|British]] forces in the districts of [[Karnal]] and [[Kurukshetra]]. This resistance was put up notwithstanding the fact that 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 region|Punjab]] province during the period of British rule in India. Sir [[Denzil Ibbetson]] classified Rors of United [[Punjab region|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 [[Awan (Pakistan)|Awans]] of the Salt Range, the [[Kharal|Kharrals]] and [[Daudpota|Daudpotras]] of the Western Plains, the Rors and [[Dogar]]s of the Eastern Plains, the [[Meo]]s of [[Gurgaon]] and the [[Gujjar|Gujars]] of the hills".<ref>Page 26, Panjab Castes, Author: Ibbetson, Denzil, Sir, 1847-1908, Lahore : Printed by the Superintendent, Government Printing, Punjab in 1916</ref> The quoted text basically shows that Ibbetson observed the Ror and the other castes mentioned above to be equal in dominance to the mighty [[Pashtun people|Pathan]]s, the [[Baloch people|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 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.<ref>Page 93, The Caste System of Northern India, By E.A.H. Blunt, 1931, Re-published 1964, S.Chand, Delhi</ref>


===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,<ref>P 13, A sociological study of folklore: projected research in Kuru region ([[Saharanpur]], [[Muzaffarnagar]], [[Meerut]], [[Bulandshahar]], and [[Bijnor]] Districts of [[Western Uttar Pradesh]]), Issue 25 of Indian publications folklore series, by Satya Prakash [[Arya]], published by Indian Publications, 1975</ref>
<blockquote>
They designate themselves mostly as Chauhans, Tomars, Gahlots, Ranas, Bargujars, Rawas and the Rods. The other fighting castes include the Jats, Ahirs and Gujjars.
</blockquote>


===Baiswara===
Rors are found in parts of Baiswara in the state of Uttar Pradesh. In Baiswara, they are known as Ror [[Thakur (Indian title)|Thakur]]s and are found to be on excellent terms with the [[Bais Rajput|Bais]] Thakurs.<ref>Page 109, The Journal of intercultural studies, Issue 11, by Kansai Gaikokugo Daigaku and Kokusai Bunka Kenkyūjo, published by Intercultural Research Institute, Kansai University of Foreign Studies, 1984</ref>


===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 [[Rajput]]s and share good relations with other [[Rajput]] clans of the area.<ref>Page 95, Ror Itihaas Ki Jhalak, by Dr. Raj Pal Singh, Pal Publications, Yamunanagar (1987)</ref>


===Himachal Pradesh===

Few villages in [[Kangra district|Kangra]] and [[Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh|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.


==Character==
{{POV|date=September 2011}}



===Relations with Islamic states===
Rors are the only [[Kshatriya]] group in India who did not give daughters to either Turks or [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]].<ref>People of India HARYANA Volume XXIII ISBN 81-7304-091-5, Pub: Anthropological Survey of India, Manohar 1994, Page 425.</ref> Furthermore, there is no record of any Ror ever converting to [[Islam]] or serving a [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]]/[[Ottoman Empire|Turk]] or an [[Afghanistan|Afghan]] invader in the history of [[India]].<ref>People of India HARYANA Volume XXIII ISBN 81-7304-091-5, Pub: Anthropological Survey of India, Manohar 1994, Page 428.</ref>

It has been recorded that [[Rajput]]s(67% Hindu, 33% Muslim),<ref>http://www.joshuaproject.net/peopctry.php?rop3=113412&rog3=IN</ref><ref>http://www.joshuaproject.net/peoples.php?rop3=113109</ref> [[Jats]] (47% [[Hindu]], 33% Muslim)<ref>Kalika Ranjan Qanungo: History of the Jats, [[Delhi]] 2003. Edited and annotated by [[Vir Singh (author)|Vir Singh]]</ref> and [[Gujjars]] (77% Hindu, 20% Muslim)<ref>http://www.joshuaproject.net/peoples.php?rop3=112160</ref><ref>http://www.joshuaproject.net/peoples.php?rop3=112971</ref> are big communities among Muslims. Some in these [[Kshatriya]] groups such as [[Rajput]]s,<ref name="Tod">Pages 282-283, Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan: Or, The Central and Western Rajpoot Provinces, By James Tod, Published 2001, Asian Educational Services, ISBN 81-206-1289-2</ref> [[Gujjar]],<ref>Pages 377, A glossary of the tribes and castes of the [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]] and North-West frontier province, Volume 3, By H.A. Rose, IBBETSON, Maclagan, Published 1996, Asian Educational Services</ref> Jats<ref> The heads of the first two clans are called Chaudhri, and all three and called Dhaighar Akbari, i.e., the 2-1/2 Akbari families, Mahalpur 1, Garhdiwala 1, and Budhipind 1/2. The story goes that when Emperor Akbar took in marriage the daughter of Mahr Mitha, a Jat of Majha, 35 principal families of Jats and 36 of Rajputs countenanced the marriage and sent representatives to Delhi..... Below the '''Akbari Jats''' are the '''Darbari Jats''', the descendants of those who gave their daughters to Emperor Jahangir, just as the Akbaris gave daughters to Akbar.[http://punjabrevenue.nic.in/gaz_hsp4.htm]</ref> (Jats who gave daughters were called Akbari and Darbari Jats in Mughal records)<ref>Origins and History of Jats and Other Allied Nomadic Tribes of India, B.S. Nijjar, ISBN 9788126909087, Pub: Atlantic Publishers and Distributors, 2008, Page 145.</ref> also gave daughters to the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]]s. 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]]{{OR|date=October 2011}} 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 that [[Maharana Pratap|Pratap]] stopped marriages between Rajputs who gave their daughters to Mughals and those Rajputs who were supporting him:<ref name="Tod"/>

{{quote|With such examples as [[Marwar]] and [[Amber]] (of giving their daughters to [[Mughal Empire|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 Hindi-language book ''Ror Itihaas ki Jhalak'' ("Ror history: A glimpse"), the author Dr. Raj Pal Singh states:

{{quote|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).}}



===Role as arbitrators===
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.<ref>People of India: Haryana, Volume XXIII, General Editor K.S.Singh (Part of Anthropological survey of India Series), ISBN 81-7304-091-5, Page: 427</ref>



==Social Customs==

===Religion===
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2011}}
'''The '''majority of Rors are Hindus, though 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]]. Other than religion, there is little distinction between the two communities, and they intermarry freely. A minority of Rors are 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. [[Gayatri Devi|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.<ref>Lives of the [[India]]n [[Prince]]s, by [[Charles]] Allen and Sharada Dwivedi. ISBN 81-86982-05-1, Pub: Business Publications Inc, Page 168.</ref>
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 (practice)|Sati]] till late 19th century. Only two Kshatriya groups had this custom, Ror and Rajput. In the 19th century a girl from [[Amin Village|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 [[Diwali]]) right on the [[Grand Trunk Road]] passing by the village.<ref>People of India: Haryana, Volume XXIII, General Editor [[Kumar Suresh Singh|K.S.Singh]] (Part of Anthropological survey of India Series), ISBN 81-7304-091-5, Pages 425-426</ref>[[Katlaheri]], a village on the [[Karnal]]-[[Jind]] road between Jundla and Pyont, has a shrine dedicated to [[Sati (practice)|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.



==Notables==
{{main|List of Ror}}

== Ror Gotra/Clan Names ==
Ror villages are predominantly occupied by just one [[gotra]]. Nearly all Ror [[gotra]] or clans are listed here:-
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
<div class="references-small">
* [[Atri]]
* Badgujar
* 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 [[Bhoja]] of [[Malwa]] belonged to this race)
* Bhawaniwal/Beniwal (A [[Chauhan]] clan)
* Bhimainiya
* Bhookna
* Bhuran
* Boda (A [[Chauhan]] clan)
* Bodla
* [[Chauhan]]<ref>"Chauhan - Found in villages Amin, Raipur Roran, Beed Amin", Page 103, Ror Itihaas Ki Jhalak, by Dr. Raj Pal Singh, Pal Publications, Yamunanagar</ref> ([[Prithviraj Chauhan]] (Rai Pithora Chahaman) was from this race)
* Chhachhra (A branch of [[Chauhan]])
* Chhakdan
* Chopra<ref>"Chopra - Found in villages Rukanpur and Khanra", Page 180, Aryavart evam Ror Vansh ka itihaas, by Shri Ramdas, All-round Printers, Karnal (2000)</ref>
* Chuchan
* Chuhlan/Chulyan (Branch of [[Parihar]])
* [[Deora|Dabra/Dabur/Devra/Deora]] (Sept of [[Chauhan]])
* Dahiya<ref>"Dahiya - Found in village Gudha", Page 185, Aryavart evam Ror Vansh ka itihaas, by Shri Ramdas, All-round Printers, Karnal (2000)</ref> (Listed as one of the thirty six ruling clans of India by [[James Tod]])
* Deendyal
* Dahlan
* Dhandul/Deendal (Listed as a branch of [[Rathore]] by [[James Tod]])
* Dhadhan
* Dhakla (Branch of [[Parmar]])
* Dhankar/Dhankhad (A [[Tanwar|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
* [[Goraa|Gora]] (The kings of this clan ruled from 'Chhoti Sadari' near [[Chittor]])
* Graak
* Gunchla
* Hurda/Hooda (A [[Chauhan]] sept)
* Jaglan
* Jogran (A [[Chauhan]] sept)
* Jandslaar
* Jhakla/Jhankla (Branch of [[Parmar]])
* [[Jasrotia|Jharotiya]] (Sept of [[Kacchwaha]])
* Jhojhan
* Jhojhroo
* Jood
* [[Kadiyan|Kadian]] (Descended from [[Kshatriya]] [[Brahmarshi]] [[Vishvamitra]])
* Kenwal/Kahanwal/Kainwal
* Kaindal
</div>
{{col-2}}
<div class="references-small">
* 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]])
* [[Kalyanot|Kalyan]] (Sept of [[Kacchwaha]])
* Kandhol (Sept of [[Rathore]])
* [[Khangarot|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
* Kunkan
* [[Shekhawat|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 [[Tanwar|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
* [[Ranawat|Rana]] (Ranawat is a Sisodiya sept which started from [[Udai Singh]] and Rana is short form of that. Maharana Pratap is also written Rana Pratap)
* 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 [[Tanwar|Tomar]] clan)
* Turan (Listed as a ruling clan of India in the [[Kumarpal]] Charitra)
* Kanger
</div>
{{col-end}}


===Note===
The Nishan of Tomar Rors is same as that of [[Arjuna|Arjun]]. 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 Village|Kaul]]
* [[Sangroli]]
* [[Amin Village|Amin]]
* [[khanchi]]
* [[Katlaheri]]
* [[Kadiyan|Kadian]]
* [[Goraa|Gora]]
* [[Bhrithari]]
* [[Bhainsrorgarh]]
* [[Ikshwaku]]
* [[Ror Dynasty]]


== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}



== 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

{{Rajput Groups of India}}

[[Category:Ror]]
[[Category:Social groups of Haryana]]
[[Category:Social groups of Uttar Pradesh]]

Revision as of 05:57, 6 January 2012

Ror is a agrarian caste of Haryana.

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