Ujjainiya

Ujjainiya (उज्जैनिया) is a clan of Rajputs found in Bihar and Purvanchal. They are originally an off-shoot of Paramara dynasty of Malwa. The Ujjainiya dynasty historically ruled over the parts of Bhojpuri region during the medieval era. They were mainly rulers and aristocrats holding major power of the region.

The members of the clan held numbers of principalities during medieval and British Raj era and are considered to have played a prominent role in the political history of the Bhojpur region. Some of the most notable principalities are Dumraon and Jagdishpur.

Origins
According to Tawarikh-i-Ujjainiya, an official document of Dumraon Royal family, the Ujjainiyas traced their ancestory to the royal house of Malwa. This document contains a family genealogical tree which links the Ujjainiyas to the Parmar rulers. In fact, the term Ujjainiya highlights the fact that their place of origin was Ujjain which was then ruled by Paramara dynasty. The locals started calling them as Ujjainiya when they settled in the Bhojpur region after defeating the Chero rulers and established themselves as the rulers of the newly formed Kingdom of Bhojpur.

The Ujjainiyas finds mention and given importance in several Rajasthani bardic khyat.

Arrival in Bihar and war with the Cheros
During the 14th century, the Ujjainiyas who were under the leadership of Hunkar Singh, came into conflict with the Chero dynasty who were the traditional rulers of much of Bihar and Jharkhand. In the ensuing battles, both sides suffered many casualties with the Cheros losing more than 20,000 men however eventually the Chero rulers were expelled from Western Bihar and retreated to Palamau in modern-day Jharkhand. The conflict between the Ujjainiyas and the Cheros lasted for centuries as many Cheros who remained resented the Ujjainiyas and continued to rebel against them by undertaking a protracted guerilla campaign against them.

Conflict with the Jaunpur Sultanate
Once the Ujjainiyas established sway over Western Bihar, they came into conflict with the Jaunpur Sultanate which lasted for more than 100 years. The Ujjainiyas responded to the Jaunpur Sultan, Malik Sarwar disturbing Brahmins in their prayers. The Ujjainiya ruler, Raja Harraj was initially successful in protecting these Brahmins and defeating the forces of Malik Sarwar however the Ujjainiyas were defeated in subsequent battles and retreated in the forests and resort to guerrilla warfare.

Battle of Surajgarha
The Ujjainiyas under the leadership of Raja Gajpati helped Sher Shah Suri in the battle of Surajgarha against the Muslim rulers of Bengal who at the time were a major regional power. Raja Gajpati handpicked 2000 of his best men and was able to help Sher Shah Suri in achieving victory. General Ibrahim Khan was killed by Raja Gajpati and all the camp equipments, elephants and artillery pieces of the Bengal army fell into the hands of Ujjainiyas. In return for their help the Ujjainiyas were entitled to any spoils of war they have found.

Role in military labour
The Ujjainiya rulers played a prominent role in the recruitment of Purbiya mercenary soldiers from Bhojpur for Hindu rulers of the Western India particularly the Marathas and also the British. For a period, their name was synonymous with the military labour market of Northern India.

Kingdoms and principalities founded by Ujjainiyas
The Ujjainiyas were mainly rulers and aristocrats. There are many principalities ruled by different cadet branches of the Ujjainiya clan. In fact, the Persian chronicles recorded that at least one member of almost every Ujjainiya family were aristocrats. Following are some of the most important states and estates founded by Ujjainiyas.


 * Kingdom of Bhojpur
 * Dumraon
 * Jagdishpur
 * Chugain
 * Bihiya
 * Shakarpura

Notable personalities

 * Veer Kunwar Singh
 * Raja Horil Singh
 * Babu Amar Singh
 * Kunwar Dhir
 * Gajpati Ujjainia