18. Guhilots. 
By D. R. BHanparkKar, M.A., Poona. 
Those who have read Tod’s ‘‘ Annals and Antiquities of 
Rajasthan’’ need not be told in what high estimation the royal 
dynasty of Mewar is held throughout Rajputina. ‘‘ 
universal consent as well as by the gotra of this race,’’ says he, 
*‘ its princes are admitted to be the direct descendants of Rama, 
of the solar line.’’! ‘‘ These are styled Ranas, and are the 
the focal point of each scion of the solar race. To him, the 
the genealogists endeavour to trace the 
solar lines. The titles of many of these claimants are disputed ; 
but the Hindu tribes yield unanimous suffrage to the prince of 
Mewar as the legitimate heir to the throne of Rama, and style 
him Hindua Sooraj, or ‘ Sun of the Hindus.’ ’’? This explains 
the pride of the Rana of Mewar calling himself ‘‘ a descendant 
of a hundred kings,’’ to which Tod constantly refers in his book. 
The Rana again ‘‘is universally allowed to be the first of the 
* thirty-six royal tribes,’ nor has a doubt ever been raised res- 
pecting his purity of descent.’’ 
Praise of this dynasty cannot further go, but Tod has only 
stated the belief still current in Rajputana. The history of 
Mewar, ancient and modern, has been elaborately set forth by 
him, and, considering the materials then accessible to him, no 
historian has discharged his duties more faithfully. But quite 
a number of inscriptions have been found since the time of Tod, 
which necessitate some alterations in his views. And I propose 
in two papers to deal with certain points connected with this 
dynasty, on which the inscriptions have shed a new light. In 
this paper I shall confine myself to the subject of the origin of 
this family, and in the second shall attempt to give in brief the 
ancient history of the dynasty to be deduced mainly from in- 
Scriptions. 
1 Vol. i, p. 78; all references to this work in this paper are made 
from the edition published by 8. K, Lahiri & Co., Calcutta, 1894, 
2 Thid., p. 197. 
