<P> The Rajputs were designated as a Martial Race in the period of the British Raj . This was a designation created by administrators that classified each ethnic group as either "martial" or "non-martial": a "martial race" was typically considered brave and well built for fighting, whilst the remainder were those whom the British believed to be unfit for battle because of their sedentary lifestyles . </P> <P> The double - edged scimitar known as the khanda was a popular weapon among the Rajputs of that era . On special occasions, a primary chief would break up a meeting of his vassal chiefs with khanda nariyal, the distribution of daggers and coconuts . Another affirmation of the Rajput's reverence for his sword was the Karga Shapna ("adoration of the sword") ritual, performed during the annual Navaratri festival, after which a Rajput is considered "free to indulge his passion for rapine and revenge". The Rajput of Rajasthan also offer a sacrifice of water buffalo or goat to their family Goddess (Kuldevta) during Navaratri . The ritual requires slaying of the animal with a single stroke . In the past this ritual was considered a rite of passage for young Rajput men . </P> <P> Rajputs generally have adopted the custom of purdah (seclusion of women). </P> <P> By the late 19th century, there was a shift of focus among Rajputs from politics to a concern with kinship . Many Rajputs of Rajasthan are nostalgic about their past and keenly conscious of their genealogy, emphasising a Rajput ethos that is martial in spirit, with a fierce pride in lineage and tradition . </P>

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