Rajputs, sanskrit word meaning son of a king (rajputra), dominant people of Rajputana, an historic region now almost coextensive with the state of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh,  India. The Rajputs are mainly Hindus of the warrior caste but their are also Muslim Rajputs spread over North-West India.

Traditionally they have put great value on etiquette and the military virtues and take great pride in their ancestry. Of these exogamous clans, the major ones were Pundir, Chauhan, Rathore, Shekhawat, Bhati, Kachchwaha,  and Sisodiya. Their power in Rajputana grew in the 7th century. The Rajputs expanded through most of the plains of central India. Under the British, many of the Rajput princes maintained independent states within Rajputana, but they were gradually deprived of power after India attained independence in 1947.