Légitimation politique et filiation : le varna kshatriya en Inde du Nord

Legitimation by Descent : the "kshatriya varna" in Northern India. The article examines the process legitimation by descent adopted by certain kshatriya ruling families in India during the first millennium A.D. It discusses the construction of a genealogical pattern of kshatriya descent groups as given in the Vishnu Purana : a pattern which differentiates between what is seen as mythical time, the descent of kshatriya clans and the record of the early dynasties. It also shows how some families having acquired political power and access to economic resources resorted to using this tradition in order to legitimise their status.Thapar Romila, Schnapp Annie. Légitimation politique et filiation : le varna kshatriya en Inde du Nord. In: Annales. Économies, Sociétés, Civilisations. 39ᵉ année, N. 4, 1984. pp. 783-797