Rajputs constitute one of the major Hindu Kshatriya groups from India. They claim descent from ancient royal warrior dynasties of Kshatriyas. They are identified with the word "Rajanya" found in ancient Indian literature and trace their roots to Rajputana or Rajputstan (India). In ancient times the son of a king was referred as to Rajput- Raja-putra. (Lit - king's son - Prince)
The Rajputs consist of 36 different clans. These are divided into three different lines of descent (called vanshas). They are:
- Suryavanshi - descendants of the sun god, Surya.
- Chandravanshi - descendants of the moon god, Chandra.
- Agnivanshi - descendants of the fire god, Agni.
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