Gautam (clan) explained

The Gautam is a Rajput clan found primarily in north region of Indian subcontinent.^[1] The members of this clan claim to be descended from one Siringhirikh and his Gaharwar wife.^[2] The erstwhile head of Gautam Rajputs had also claimed himself to be descendant of the Shakyas^[3] thus possibly giving an alternate origin for this clan.

They are primarily found in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, along with Rajasthan and Gujarat.^{[4] [5]}

The clan name Gautam means "descendant of Gautam or one who has most light", "Gautama" meaning "one who has the most light,"^[6] and may indicate the possibility of Kshatriya clans adopting the Brahminical gotra of their purohit.^[7]

Territory

The territory of key Gautam Rajput settlements included the following areas.

• Basti (near modern Siddharthnagar district)^[8]
• Azamgarh
• Fatehpur

History

The Gautam Rajput clan was formerly very powerful near lower Doab. The Gautam Rajput family of Argal, fought several battles for Sher Shah against Humayun.^[9]

Notable Gautam Rajputs

• Jodha Singh Ataiya
• Kedarnath Singh^[10]
• Suryadeo Singh
• Balmukund Singh Gautam
• Janardan Singh Gautum

Notes

Note1. The House of Aragal is in the Fatehpur district.

Note2. Kedarnath Singh calls himself a Gautam Rajput in his autobiography.

Further reading

• S. Hasan . Ansari . Mohd. . Saleem . Spatial Diffusion of Gautam Rajput Clan Settlements in Ghazipur District . Man in India . 60 . 3 . 1980 . 278–281.

Notes and References

1. Book: Growse, F. . Mathura: A District Memoir . 2023-11-16 . BoD – Books on Demand . 978-3-368-84209-3 . en.
2. Book: Ansari, Saiyad Hasan . Evolution and Spatial Organization of Clan Settlements: A Case Study of Middle Ganga Valley . 1986 . Concept Publishing Company . 110 . en.
3. Anagarika H. . Dharmapala . Message from Raja Saheb of Aragal . The Maha-Bodhi . 1931 . 39 . 508.
4. Book: Singh . Ram Bali . Rajput Clan-settlements in Varanasi District . 1975 . National Geographical Society of India . 61.
5. Book: Singh. Ram Bali. Clan Settlements in the Saran Plain (Middle Ganga Valley): A Study in Cultural Geography. 1977. National Geographical Society of India, Banaras Hindu University. 145.
6. Bopearachchi . Osmund . GREEK HELIOS OR INDIAN SŪRYA? THE SPREAD OF THE SUN GOD IMAGERY FROM INDIA TO GANDHĀRA . Connecting the Ancient West and East. Studies Presented to Prof. Gocha R. Tsetskhladze, Edited by J. Boardman, J. Hargrave, A. Avram and A. Podossinov, Monographs in Antiquity . 1 January 2021 . 946 . 18 August 2022 . 13 September 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220913004936/https://www.academia.edu/50839613 . live .
7. Encyclopedia: 2012. Ṛṣis. Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online. Brill. Witzel. Michael.
8. Web site: History . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210225191752/https://basti.nic.in/history/ . 2021-02-25 . 2024-10-31.
9. Book: Kolff, Dirk H. A. . Naukar, Rajput, and Sepoy The Ethnohistory of the Military Labour Market of Hindustan, 1450-1850 . Cambridge University Press . 2002 . 9780521523059 . 65.
10. Book: Singh, Kedarnath . Mere Saakshaatkar . June 2003 . 163. Kitabghar Prakashan . 978-81-7016-536-1 .