Prithviraj Chauhan

Prithviraj Chauhan

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Great Chauhan's

Chauhan Name Meaning
Indian (northern states): Hindu (Rajput) and Sikh name of great and ancient prestige but unknown meaning. There is a legend that the ancestor of this Rajput clan emerged from a sacrificial fire with four arms, and so it was associated with the Sanskrit word chatur- meaning ‘four’, but this is no more than folk etymology. Chauhan kings ruled in Rajasthan and in neighboring states, and conquered Delhi and its neighborhood in the 12th century. The Chauhans, along with the Solankis, the Paramaras, and the Pariharas, call themselves Agnikulas ‘Fire Tribes’. According to the Agnikula legend, after the original Kshatriyas had been exterminated by Parashurama (see Arora), the Brahmans found themselves in need of protection from the demons that were harassing them, and so they prayed and made a special sacrifice to the god Shiva for assistance. Then, through divine intercession, there emerged from the sacrificial fire the ancestors of the four Rajput clans known as the Fire Tribes, and they vanquished the demons. Historians believe that these tribes were in reality foreign tribes that entered India and defeated the original Kshatriyas. As they became the staunch defenders of the Hindu ideals, they were admitted into the prestigious Kshatriya rank by the Brahmans. A clan of the Porwal Banias have also adopted this name and, because of the prestige associated with it, it has been adopted in many other communities as well. 

History of Chauhans - Rulers of Ajmer 

Chauhans
 

According to the Rajput bards the Chauhan is one of the four Agnikula or 'fire sprung' tribes who were created by the gods in the anali kund or 'fountain of fire' on Mount Abu to fight against the Asuras or demons. Chauhan is also one of the 36 (royal) ruling races of the Rajputs.

Chauhan dynasty flourished from the 8th to 12th centuries AD. It was one of the four main Rajput dynasties of that era, the others being Pratiharas, Paramaras and Chalukyas. The Chauhans dominated Delhi, Ajmer, Ranthambhor. They were also prominent at Sirohi in the southwest of Rajputana, and at Bundi and Kota in the east. Inscriptions also associate them with Sambhar, the salt lake area in the Amber (later Jaipur) district. Chauhan politics were largely campaigns against the Chalukyas and the invading Muslim hordes. In the 11th century they founded the city of Ajayameru (Ajmer) in the southern part of their kingdom, and in the 12th century captured Dhilika (the ancient name of Delhi) from the Tomaras and annexed some of their territory along the Yamuna River. Prithviraj III has become famous in folk tales and historical literature as the Chauhan king of Delhi who resisted the Muslim attack in the first Battle of TARAIN (1191). Armies from other Rajput kingdoms, including Mewar assisted him. However, Prithviraj was defeated in a second battle at Tarain the following year. This failure ushered in Muslim rule in North India in the form of the SLAVE DYNASTY, the first of the Delhi Sultanates. 
Genelogy of Early Chauhans
MANIK RAI, King of Ajmer, ancestor of the 24 clans of the Chauhan Dynasty.
         |
     ANURAJ
       fl.685
   BISULDEO [VISALADEVA]
        | 1010/1074?
 SARANGDEO-------------------------------------------------------------------ANURAJ
        |                                                                       |
    ANAH   -   KHICHI CHAUHAN                                                    ISHTPAL   -    HARA CHAUHAN
        |                                                                         |
    JEIPAL                                                                    CHANDKARAN
        |                                                                         |
  AJAI DEO                                                                      LOKPAL
        |                                                                         |
 SOMASWAR]----KRISHNA                                                          Rao HAMIR of Aser
        | married Ruka Bai, dau of ANANGPAL,Tuar King of Delhi                      | +1193 
 PRITHVIRAJ-------CHAHIRDEO                                                        KALKARNA
        |  +1193                |                                                      |
  RAINASI               VIJAYARAJ                                                  MAHA MAGD
            +1193               | adopted as successor by his uncle.                   |
                               LAKUNSI                                              Rao BACHA
                            father of 21 sons                                          |
                            21 generations                                          Rao CHAND 
                      NONUD SINGH of Nimrana                                            | +1295
                                        fl.1820                                        RAINSI
                                                                                         |  
                                                                                      KALAN ----------- KANKAL
                                                                                          |                |                    
                                                                                      Rao BANGA       Kroria Bhati
                                                                                          |
                                                                                        Rao DEVA of Bundi [1342]
Notable Chauhans
  • MANIK RAE S. 741, or A.D. 685,founder of chauhans
  • Prithvi Raj Chauhan, Ruler of Ajmer
  • Vagbhatta, Ruler of Ranathambore
  • Jaitrasinha, Ruler of Ranathambore
  • Hammir Dev Chauhan, Ruler of Ranathambore
  • Akheraj Singh Songara, Ruler of pali Marwar
  • Hada Hameer Chauhan, Ruler of Ranthambore
  • Devi singh Dhanetiya,Thikanadar of Shahabad Kota (Rajasthan)
  • Bhagwan Singh Chauhan, Ashapurna Sansthan, Rajasthan[Social Worker].
  • Kanhad Dev Sonigara, Ruler of Jalor
  • Maharaja Vikram Dev Chauhan, Ruler of Jalor
  • Gogaji Dev Chauhan, Jahar Veer Goga, Ruler, Now worshiped as a saint
  • Rani Padmavati Chauhan, Queen of CHITTOR
  • Rani Karmavati Chauhan, Princess of Mewar,wife of Rana Sanga
  • Maharani Javanta Bai Songara (Chauhan),Mother of Maharana Pratap
  • Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, poetess of "Jhansi ki Rani
  • Jagjit Singh Chauhan,original founder of the Khalistan movement
Sportspeople
Samantas of Chauhans
There were two types of samantas of Chauhans:'Mukut Bandh' and 'Mandaleshwar'. 'Mukut Bandh' were those samantas who were owners of their areas but accepted Chauhans suzerainty. 'Mandaleshwar' were those samantas who got jagirsChauhan rulers.[18] Some of Samantas are listed below:
1. Kaka Kanha - A big Jagir, Kanha was uncle of Prithviraj Chauhan.[19]
2. Hari Raj - Brother of Prithviraj Chauhan.[20]
3. Parmara Samantas - There were many Parmaras as samantas of Prithviraj Chauhan. The main out of them was Parmar ruler Vikram Singh's son Jaitra Paramara of Mt Abu. He became Mahamantri of Prithviraj Chauhan after Kaimas. He was killed in second war with Md. Ghauri.[21]
4. Parmaras of Pugal - Parmaras of Pugal were samantas of Prithviraj Chauhan. The famous Princess of Pugal - Padmini was from the family of Parmaras. Later Bhatis occupied Pugal.[21]
5. Parmaras of Falaudi - They were samanta under Prithviraj Chauhan. They built a temple of Kalyanji in v.s.1145 (1088 AD). There is one inscription of them of the year v.s.1236 (1179 AD).[21]
6. Parmaras of Pokaran - They built a temple of Laxmi Narayan.[22]
7. Kachwaha - Amer Kachwaha Janhad's son Panjjuvan Rai or Pajawan was samant of Prithviraj Chauhan.[22]
8. Pundir - Pundir are considered Suryavanshi Rajputs. Three generations of Pundirs viz, Chandrasen Pundir, his son Dhir Pundir, his son Pawas Pundir were very brave and samants of Chauhans of Nagaur and Punjab. One of Rani of Prithviraj Chauhan was from Pundir family of Nagaur Jagir.[22]
9. Yaudheya or Johya's - Many branches of Yaudheyas ruled in western Rajasthan. Samprati Maurya, son of Ashoka, was ruler of this area. He defeated Yaudheyas in Shekhawati region who moved to northern parts of Bikaner such as Sindharani, Maroth etc, where they lived for a long period. Vigraharaja's maternal uncle Simbal was Yaudheya ruler of Maroth and was Senapati as well as samanta of Chauhans. One of queens of Prithviraj Chauhan was Yaudheya. They were later on called Johiyas.[23]
10. Tomaras of Delhi - They were Chandravanshi Kshatriyas and consider them selves as Pandavavanshi. In v.s. 1209 (1152 AD) Vigraharaja Chauhan attacked Tanwars and defeated Anangapala II. Vigraharaja (Bisaldeva) married his daughter Deshal Devi to Anangpal. Govindaraja Tomar fought for Prithviraj Chauhan in first was with Gauri and was injured, but killed in second war.[24]
11. Dahiya (Dahima) of Parbatsar - In an inscription year v.s. 1056 (999 AD) found in Kevay Mata temple in village Kinsariya in Marwar region Dahima Jats and Dahima Yaduvanshi Ahirs have been recorded as descendents of rishi Dadhichi. Chachcha Rana had got constructed this temple here. Chachcha Rana's son Udharan was a great warrior and Parbatsar and Maroth were in his Jagir. His son was Vilhan - jagirdar of Maroth. One of the queens of Prithviraj Chauhan was Dahiyani.[24]
It is to be noted that during the time of Dadhichi, varna system in Aryas was not rigid. So Dadhichi's descendants are found both in Brahmanas as Dahimas and Kshatriyas as Dahiyas. Dahiya clan is also common in Jats and Rajputs.[24]
12. Dahiyas of Janglu - Dahiya Jats of Janglu were also samanta of Chauhans.[24]
13. Dahiyas of Maroth - We get three names of Dahiya Jats of Maroth: Kadavarao (कड़वाराव), PadmaSingh and Jayant Singh. During the reign of Prithviraj Chauhan, one of the samanta rebelled and the jagir was given to Gauds. The Jats of Karwasraand Karwa have originated from Kadavarao.[24]
14. Mohil - Chauhan's of Chhapar Dronapur - Chauhan Dhandhu's son was Indra whose descendant Mohil started this branch. 'Ladnu was founded by Dahaliyas. Bagadiyas won this area from Sajjan's son Mohil in v.s. 1130 (1073 AD). Mohil had acquired the title of Rana and made Chhapar as his capital. There were 1400 villages under him. We have found an Inscription of Mohil's son Hardatt (Hathad) of v.s. 1162 (1105 AD) from Jeenmata in Sikar district. This inscriptions tells that Hathad (Hardatt) constructed Jeenmata temple during reign of Prithviraj-I. We have got many inscriptions of Mohils of the period v.s. 1186 (1129) - v.s. 1388 (1131 AD). The Rana successors of Hardatt were Bar Singh, Bālhar, Āsal, Āhaḍ, Raṇasī, and Sohaṇ Pal. Raṇasī, and Sohaṇ Pal were contemporary of Prithviraj. One of the samanta of Prithviras was Varasirai Mohil.[25]
15. Mohils of Janglu - Janglu area was ruled by Mohil Chauhans, who were samants of Chauhan Samrat. Rana Lakha was contemporary of Prithviraj. There were many jagirs of Mohils in Bagad area. These chieftains had to face wars in Nagaur in which many were killed. As per an inscription of 25 April 1183 (Baisakh sudi 2 v.s. 1239) in village Ganedi district Churu Rajasthan, Mohil Jhala and his son lakhan were killed in this war.[25]
16. Mohils of Ladnu - Mohils of Ladnu were samantas of Chauhans. Chhapar and Ladnu were initially in the same state.[26]
17. Chauhans of Dadrewa - Dhandhu Chauhan from Sambhar branch went to village Dhandhu in Churu district and established his rule. He had five sons and one daughter. He appointed his second queen's son Kanho as his successor and not the eldest son Harsh. Harsh and his sister Jeen went to hills and did the penance. Jeen got the status of goddess. Her temple is known as Jeenmata temple.
After three generations of Kanho, Jivraj (Jewar) became Rana. He left Dhandhu and went to Dadrewa and made it his capital. His son Goga was very brave and illustrious. He had many sons. When Md. Ghazni attacked Somnath temple, Goga provided him a tough resistance in western Rajasthan. Goga became martyr along with his all sons and relatives. Since no son of Goga was alive his brother Bairasi or his son Udayraj became Rana of Dadrewa. There have been many Gogas in this vansha. Goga is very revered and considered as a deity of snakes in Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat.[27]
18. Khichi Chauhan - Āsarao's son was Manakrao, whose descendants are known as Khichi. Asrao gavi his son jagir of 84 villages. He constructed two forts Bhadanon and Jayal. After this ajairaj, Chandrarao, Lakhanrao, sangamrao and Gundalrao were samantas of Chauhans.[28]
19. Dod or Dodiya (डोडिया) - Earlier they had rule over some states in Gujarat. Present Hadauti was earlier occupied by Hun's and known as Huna Pradesh. Dods (डोड) defeated them and established their capital at Dodgarh (Gagrum). This area was under Nagavanshi rulers. This is mentioned in an Inscription of v.s. 847 (770 AD). Dodiyas defeated them and continued to rule here till v. s. 1300 (1243 AD). Jahajpur area in Mewar was also ruled by Dods. An inscription of their rule is found of the year v.s. 1334 (1177 AD). Telanjarai Dod was a samanta of Prithviraj.[28]
20. Dods of Bulandshahr - This town was earlier known as Vana (वाणा). This was ruled by Dod Kshatriyas, who were samantas of Chauhans. During reign of Prithvirah the ruler of this area was Anang. Anang had left a grant of v.s. 1233 (1176 AD). According to this grant 16 generations of Dods ruled here. They probably established here around 900 AD. When Mahmud Gazanvi attacked Mathura, Bulandshahr was ruled by Hardatt Dod.[28]
21. Sankhala Parmar's of Roon - son of Paramara ruler of Barmer was Dharani Barah, whose son was Sankhala. Descendants of Sankhala were known as Sankhalas. Sankhala rulers of Roon and Karkotaka in south of Jaipur were samantas of Chauhans.[29]
22. Mauryas - Samprati Maurya, son of Ashoka, was ruler of Rajasthan. Samprati constructed many forts in Rajasthan. Famous fort is that of Kumbhalgarh. On ruins of this fort Maharana Kumbha constructed present historical fort. Samprati constructed a fort in jahajpur also. Many branches of Mauryas ruled in Rajasthan. Mauryas defeated Yaudheyas in Shekhawati region who moved to northern parts of Bikaner such as Sindharani, Maroth etc, where they lived for a long period. The Maurya samantas of Prithviraj were Bhima Maurya, Saran Maurya, Madalrai Maurya and Mukundrai Maurya.[29]
23. Jod Chauhans of Narhar & Jhunjhunu - Chauhan Dhandhu had founded Dhandhu. Indra could not become Rana on death of his father. Indra had descendants Arjan and Sarjan. Arjan and Sarjan fought with Goga for Dadrewa when Rana Jhawer died. Goga defeated them. This war took place before 1024 AD since Goga died in 1024 AD fighting with Mohammad Ghazni. Arjan and Sarjan moved to a place named Jodi in Churu district. Their descendants were called Jod Chauhans. after death of Arjan and Sarjan their descendants moved in south and established in Narhar and Jhunjhunu.[30]
24. Nikumbhs of Abhaneri - Nikumbhas of Abhaneri were under Chauhans. They were rulers of Khan Desh. We have two inscriptions about them from village Paran of Shaka Samvat 1075 (1153 AD) and Shaka Samvat 1128 (1207 AD). The Alwar fort was built by them.[31]
25. Badgujars of Rajor & Devanti - Badgujars of Rajor & Devanti were also samantas of Chauhans. Some names reported from Prithviraj's Badgujar samantas are: Randhir Badgujar, Ramray Badgujar and Sangransi Badgujar. During Mughal period Kachhawahas vanished their states.[31]
26. Gohils of Khed - Gohils or Gahlot are Suryavanshis. They were rulers of Mewar (see Gehlot ). One of their branch established a state in Khed in Marwar. Gohils of Khed were samantas of Chauhans. Prithviraj's samanta was Govind Ram Gahlot. Later Rathors occupied their state and Gohils moved to Kathiawar.[32]
27. Gohils of Pipad - Gohils of Pipad were samantas of Chauhans. Hansi's samanta was Kelan Gahlot who was maternal uncle of Someshwar.[32]
28. Hools of Sojat - Hool or Hul is branch of Gahlots. They were under Chauhans. Sojat in ancient times was known asshuddhadanti (शुद्धदंती). Haria Hool was a popular name in Rajasthan.[32]
29. Bhils. Bhils had also some states in Rajasthan under Chauhans,such as Bundi and Bhinay (Ajmer).[32]
30. Tank - Nagvanshi - There were states of Tanks also in Rajasthan. One Thathari Ram Tank was a samanta of Prithviraj. Some states were after Tankni queens also. Tank is a branch of Nagavansha.[32]
31. Rathors - The Rathor samanta of Prithviraj was Sanyam Rai Rathor. Hathundi was a state of Rathors. An inscription of their period of year v.s. 1053 (997) mentions names,viz Harivarma, Vidagdharaj, Bhammat and Dhawal. We get one inscription of year v.s. 1063 (1006 AD) at Dhanop (Shahpura), which mentions Bhalli Danti Varma and his two sons Buddhraj and Govindraj. We have found one more inscription at Bagad, which is of Bagadiya Rathores. It mentions names of Raka and his son Biram. The samantas of Prithviraj must be from these Rathors who were having states prior to the present Rathors.[33]
32. Gor Vansha - We get name of Nagar Rai Gor as a samanta of Prithviraj. Chhoti Sadri inscription of year v.s. 547 (491 AD) gives some information about Gor rulers. This inscription indicates that Maharaja Dhanya soma (धान्य सोम) was a popular king of Gor Kshatriya clan. Rajyavardhan (राज्यवर्द्धण), Rashtra (राष्ट्र) and Yasha Gupta (यश गुप्त) rulers followed in succession. The inscription also reveals that the Gor kings had constructed goddess temple in memory of their ancestors on magha shukla 10 in samvat 547 (491 AD). The inscription proves the rule of Gor kings near 'Chhoti Sadadi' place in Rajasthan in 6th century. They were considered to be powerful till the rule of Maharana Raimal of Mewar.
33. Chandel's - Chandels were Chandravanshi Kshatriyas. They had a big state in Jetubhukti (Jejakbhakti) and had a war with Prithviraj Chauhan and were defeated. Rewasa, Kasli and Raghunathgarh in Sikar were under Chandels. It is not known when and how they came to this area. An inscription of Chandels was found at (Raghunathgarh of v.s. 1150 (1093 AD). Three inscriptions of year v.s. 1243 (1186 AD) were found at Rewasa. These reveal that Rewasa pargana was under Prithviraj Chauhan. These are about some warriors. Jaisi , Moharai and Veerabhadra were samantas of Prithviraj Chauhan.[34]
34. Padihar of Kharad - This area was won by Roopde Padihar. They ruled it for many years. Later it was occupied by Bhatis. In addition to Padihars of Mandor, there were some more states under Chauhans. Samantas of Prithviraj were Nahadrao (Nagabhatt) of Mandor, Chandrasi Padihar, Mahansi Padihar, Pipirai Padihar and Viramrai Padihar. Nahadrao's daughter[34]
35. Gauds - They were rulers in Gond bangale,where they founded Lakhnoti city. Bachharaj was awarded jagir near Ajmerand Waman was given Maroth. this area is still known as Godati.[34]
36. Bhati - Bhatis were rulers of Jaisalmer, which was not under Chauhans. We have names of three Bhatis who were Samantas of Prithviraj Chauan:Sarangrai, Achalesh and Bhanrai. We do not know which were their Jagirs.[35]
37.Dahima - Dahimas were very important in darbar of Prithviraj Chauhan. Kaimas Dahiya was chief minister of Prithviraj Chauhan during his childhood. he was a big jagirdar and Bayana Fort was in his Jagir. Another Dahima samant was Chamundarai, whose sister was married to Prithviraj Chauhan. He was a great warrior and chief senapati of Prithviraj Chauhan. He was killed in last war with Gauri. Chamunda's son was also a samanta. Jatu near Agra was in his Jagir. Other Dahima samantas were Rooprai and Jangalirai.[20]
The Chauhan dynasty flourished from the 8th to 12th centuries AD. It was one of the four main Rajput dynasties of that era, the others being Gurjara-Pratiharas, Paramaras and Chalukyas. Chauhan dynasties established themselves in several places in North India and in the state of Gujarat& Maharashtra in Western India. They were also prominent at Sirohi in the southwest of Rajputana, and at Bundi and Kota in the east. Inscriptions also associate them with Sambhar, the salt lake area in the Amber (later Jaipur) district (the Sakhambari branch remained near lake Sambhar and married into the ruling Pratihara, who then ruled an empire in Northern India). Chauhans adopted a political policy that saw them indulge largely in campaigns against the Chalukyas and the invading Muslim hordes. In the 11th century they founded the city of Ajayameru (Ajmer) in the southern part of their kingdom, and in the 12th century captured Dhilika (the ancient name of Delhi) from the Tanwar and annexed some of their territory along the Yamuna River. Alwar The people at that time were known more by clans.
Rajput Chauhan

According to the Hindu Mythology, the Rajputs of Rajasthan were the descendants of the Kshatriyas or warriors of Vedic India. The emergence of the Rajput warrior clans was in the 6th and 7th centuries. Rajputs ancestry can be divided into two: the "solar" or suryavanshi-those descended from Rama, the hero of the epic Ramayana, and the "lunar" or chandravanshi, who claimed descent from Krishna, the hero of the epic Mahabharata. Later a third clan was added, the agnikula or fire-born, said to have emerged from the flames of a sacrificial fire on Mt Abu.
It has been accepted that the Rajputs were divided into thirty-six races and twenty-one kingdoms. The Rajput clans gave rise to dynasties like Sisodias of Mewar (Udaipur), the Kachwahas of Amber (Jaipur), the Rathors of Marwar (Jodhpur & Bikaner), the Hadas of Jhalwawar, Kota & Bundi, the Bhattis of Jaisalmer, the Shekhawats of Shekhawati and the Chauhans of Ajmer.
The fall of the Gupta Empire, which held dominance in northern India for nearly 300 years until the early 5th Century, was followed by a period of instability as various local chieftains sought to gain supremacy. Power rose and fell in northern India. Stability was only restored with the emergence of the Gurjara Partiharas, the earliest of the Rajput (from 'Rajputra', or Sons of Princes) dynasties which were later to hold the balance of power throughout Rajasthan.
The Rajput clans gave rise to dynasties such as the Chauhans, Sisodias, Kachhwahas and Rathores. Chauhans of the Agnikula Race emerged in the 12th century and were renowned for their valour. Their territories included the Sapadalksha kingdom, which encompassed a vast area including present- day Jaipur, Ranthambore, part of Mewar, the western portion of Bundi district, Ajmer Kishangarh and even, at one time, Delhi. Branches of the Chauhans also ruled territories know as Ananta (in present-day Shekhawati) and Saptasatabhumi.
The Sisodias of the Suryavansa Race, Originally from Gujarat, migrated to Rajasthan in the mid-7th Century and reigned over Mewar, which encompassed Udaipur and Chittorgarh. The Kachhwahas, originally from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, traveled west in the 12th century. They built the massive fort at Amber, and later shifted the capital to Jaipur. Like the Sisodias, they belonged to the Suryavansa Race. Also belonging to the Suryavansa Race, the Rathore (earlier known as Rastrakutas) traveled from Kanauj, in Uttar Pradesh. Initially they settled in Pali, south of present-day Jodhpur, but later moved to Mandore in 1381 and ruled over Marwar (Jodhpur). Later they started building the stunning Meherangarh (fort) at Jodhpur. The Bhattis, who belong to the Induvansa Race, driven from their homeland in the Punjab by the Turks, installed themselves at Jaisalmer in 1156. They remained more of less entrenched in their desert Kingdom until they were integrated into the state of Rajasthan following Independence.
In spite of the Muslim rule up to Punjab, the Rajputs gained control of the heart of North India. The Rajputs who held the stage of feudal rulers before the coming of the Muslims were a brave and chivalrous race. The Rajput legend traces their ancestry to Bappa Rawal - the legendary founder of the race who is said to have lived in the 8th century. In actual fact although they were Kshatriyas in the Hindu caste hierarchy, they seem to have genetically descended from the Shakas and Hunas who had invaded north India during the Gupta period and had subsequently settled down in North India and due to their war-like attitudes and been absorbed as Kshatriyas into Hindu society. It is they who held the banner when the first Muslim invaders reached the Indian Heart land in the 12th century i.e. around 1191 C.E.
The Rajputs who till the 10th century were mostly local feudal lords holding the status of revenue collectors for their Gurjara-Pratihara overlords, asserted themselves as independent rulers, after the Ghaznavid storm had blown over, and took over the earlier kingdoms of the Gurjara-Pratiharas. The main Rajput kingdoms in the 11th and 12th centuries were that of the Cahamanas (Chouhans) in East Punjab, Northern Rajasthan and Delhi. The Gahadwalas (Rathods) ruled the Ganges valley today's UP. The Paramaras ruled Malwa in Central India and the Tomaras ruled from Gwaliar. The most powerful kingdoms were hose of the Chouhans and the Rathods - both of which unfortunately were incessantly at war with each other when the Muslim raiders appeared again in the 1191 C.E. The Rajputs, who were a brave and chivalrous race, held the stage of feudal rulers before the coming of the Muslims. 

See also:

History of Rajputs, History of Rajputs - Rajput Origins, History of Rajputs - Suryavanshi, History of Rajputs - Chandravanshi, History of Rajputs - Agnivanshi, History of Rajputs - Social Structure, History of Rajputs - Emergence of Royal Clans, History of Rajputs - Emergence of Rajputs as a Community, History of Rajputs - Major Rajputs, History of Rajputs - Rajput Resistance to Muslim invasions,



The Gahadwalas (Rathods)
In the 11th century i.e. in the post-Mahmud Ghazni era, the most powerful Hindu Kingdom in North India was that of the Gahadwalas or Rathods who were a Rajput clan. The founder of the Gahadwala line was Chandradeva, whose son Govindchandra Gahadwala was the most illustrious ruler of this line. Govindchandra was an astute ruler and ruled from Kannauj. Most of North India, including the university town of Nalanda was a part of his kingdom. He stoutly defended his kingdom from further Muslims incursion. He instituted a tax for this purpose which was called Turushka Danda (i.e. tax to fight the Turushkas or Turks). His grandson was Jaichandra Gahadwala (Rathod) who played a tragic role in Indian History. 
Diaspora in India
The Chauhan Rajputs come from the region around the lakes of Sambhar and Pushkar in Rajasthan, near Amber and present-day Marwar, Mewar Jaipur. Other seats of Chauhans are Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Neemrana in Alwar District of Rajasthan. There is a great village of the Chauhan clan by the name of Gura Sonigara near Pali in Rajasthan. These Chauhans belong to Man Singot Sonigara Chouhan. Another village of Chauhans is Amin near Thanesar in Haryana. These Chauhans belong to the Ror community. The average height of the Ror Chauhans of Amin is well over six feet. Amin is also supposed to be the village where the Pandavas arrayed their forces before the last battle in the war of Mahabharat.
In Gujarat Chauhans ruled a few states like Chota Udepur, Mundetti and Vav. Sanchora Chauhans of Mundetti are well known for their valor both during the Marwar Raj and British Raj. Surajmal Chauhan is a very popular figure and well sung hero of the local folk songs of Idar State. He had challenged the British and Idar state's proprietorship of Mundetti.
One of very few Chauhan Rajput villages in Doaba Bist, Punjab is Sarhal Mundi.
Sarhal Mundi is a small village situated 5 miles south of Behram in Tehsil Phillaur, District Jallandhar, Punjab. According to Census Report for Punjab 1883 (Denzil Ibbetson) and Census Report for Punjab 1892 (E.D.Maclagan) and the book A Glossary of the tribes and casts of Punjab and N.W.F written by H. A. Rose this village is populated by Chauhan Rajputs. The common belief is that the foundation of this village was laid by Gopal Chauhan - 6th generation of Lav Dev. Some argue that Lav Dev was not Prithvi Raj's but Krishna Chauhan's son who was a General in Prithvi Raj Chauhan's army and fell martyr in the second battle against Muhammad of Ghor commonly known in the history as Muhammad Gauri.
A historic ‘Shiv Dawala’ and many old houses of small brick can roughly put the origin of this village back to as early as 16th century. It is quite probable that the ancestors of this village could be Ghorewaha Rajputs. Elders of this village also talk of Bundi links which make them Hara (Hada) Chauhan’s. Kota Shahabad is linked with Dhanetiya Chauhan's. Whatever may be the case Sarhal Mundi is one of the very few Rajput villages of Doaba besides Karnana and Sahlon which H. A. Rose’s book lists as Rajput.
This village is a nice mix of Sikh and Hindu Rajput families and many of its old inhabitants migrated to UK & USA. Just like most villages of this area Sarhal Mundi may be much older in historic terms than most of us think it is as the words ‘Mundi’ and ‘Lundi’ are found in ancient Takka language. Old excavations of ‘Harrappa’ found around these villages of Phillaur also suggest that these areas have always been the hub of civilizations just the old has been replaced by the new. Some historians believe that from time to time Rajputs of these villages found new lands rather than submitting to invaders who ruled Northern India from time to time. Genealogical and physical attributes such as tall stature, good martial skills, fair colour as compared to others, stubborn nature, sense of adventure and travel and a belly full of fire makes Doaba Bist inhabitants of these villages more akin to Rajput ancestry. Sardar Gurdial Singh as quoted by H. A. Rose believes them to be of “good Rajput blood”.
Although some historians tend to follow the thinking that Rajputs are descendants of Huns but the controversial view that Rajputs are linked to Indus Aryans holds equally powerful logic, general sharp Grecian/Mediterranean/Caucasian features hint at an Aryan/Scythic decent. No matter what the argument it has to be admitted that North India was the melting pot out of which Rajputs kept their traditions alive.
Present day Sarhal Mundi is only a shadow of its old self with many houses under lock and key and disrepair as inhabitants live abroad. The total adult population of voting age is just 1152 (M 569 F583). There is a Government Elementary School but no medical hospital. The Shrine of Baba Uttam Das and the pond are still there reviving the old nostalgia. This village is easily accessible by going to Phagwara and traveling approximately 8 miles by the side of a canal, the route used by many buses and cars.
85 villages of Chauhan's lie in Western Uttar Pradesh, in the districts of Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Agra etc. Village Davkoura in Bulandshahr has 75% Chauhan population.
 

Prithviraj Chauhan
Prithviraj Chauhan, the last ruler of Chauhan dynasty to sit on the throne of Delhi, was born in 1168 as the son of Someshwar Chauhan, the king of Ajmer. He was a brilliant child and very sharp at learning the military skills. He had the skill of hitting the target only on the basis of its sound. He succeeded to the throne of Ajmer at the age of thirteen, in 1179,when his father died in a battle.

His grandfather Angam, ruler of Delhi, declared him heir to the throne of Delhi after hearing about his courage and bravery. He once killed a lion on his own without any weapon. He was known as the warrior king.

When he ascended to the throne of Delhi, he built Qila Rai Pithora here. His whole life was a continuous chain of bravery, courage, chivalrous deeds and glorious exploits. He defeated the mighty Bheemdev, ruler of Gujarat, at the mere age of thirteen.

His love story with his enemy, Jaichand's daughter, Samyukta is very famous. He rode off with her on the day of her 'Swayamwara'.

He expanded his empire, during this time Mahmud Ghori attacked India in 1191 and he was defeated at the first battle of Tarain. After defeating the army of Mahmud Ghori he was asked to attack the retreating army but in true Rajput tradition he refused to do so as it did not conform to the fair war rules. As a result Mahmud ghori again attacked India and in the second battle of Tarain Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated and captured. He was treated very badly, his eyes were burnt with red-hot irons and he was made blind. But Prithviraj did not lose courage. Helped by his court poet and friend Chand Bardai, he is believed to kill Mahmud ghori with his "shabdabhedi baan". His skill of hitting the target just on the basis of sound made by it come handy. and during the archery competition organized by Mahmud ghori, he displayed his skill. When Mahmud ghori praised him he heard his voice and attacked him. Mahmud ghori was killed. In order to escape death at the hands of enemies he and his friend Chand Bardai stabbed each other.

Chand Bardai compiled the story of the life of Prithviraj Chauhan in his epic poem Prithviraj Raso. Prithviraj Chauhan died in 1192, with his death a period of bravery, courage, patriotism and principles came to an end. Prithviraj Raso of Chand Bardai and Prithviraj Vijay of Jayanak have immortalized deeds of Prithviraj Chauhan.  


In Jaichand's days, a rival Rajput clan had established itself in Delhi (Pithoragarh). The ruler there was Prithviraj Chouhan. Pritiviraj was a romantic, chivalrous and an extremely fearless person. After ceaseless military campaigns, Pritiviraj extended his original kingdom of Sambhar (Shakambara) to Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Eastern Punjab. He ruled from his twin capitals at Delhi and Ajmer. His fast rise caught the envy of the then powerful ruler Jaichandra Gahadwala and there was a lot of ill-feeling between the two.
Sanyogita, the daughter of Jaichandra Gahadwala fell secretly in love with Prithiviraj and she started a secret poetic correspondence with him. Her father the haughty Jaichandra got wind of this and he decided to teach his daughter and her upstart lover a lesson. So he arranged a Swayamwara (a ceremony where a bride can select her husband from the assembled princes. She had the right to garland any prince and she became his queen. This is an ancient Hindu custom among Royalty). Jaichandra invited all the big and small princes of the country to Kannauj for the royal Swayamwara. But he deliberately ignored Prithiviraj. To add insult to injury, he even made a statue of Prithiviraj and kept him as a dwarpala (doorman).
Prithviraj got to know of this and he confided his plans to his lover. On the said day, Sanyogita walked down the aisle where the royale had assembled and bypassed all of them only to reach the door and garland the statue of Pritiviraj as a doorman. The assemblage was stunned at this brash act of hers. But what stunned them and her father Jaichandra was the next thing that happened. Prithiviraj who was hiding behind the statue, also in the garb of a doorman, whisked Sanyogita away and put her up on his steed to make a fast getaway to his capital at Delhi.
Jaichandra and his army gave earnest chase and in the resultant string of battles between the two kingdoms fought between 1189 and 1190, both of them suffered heavily. While this drama was being enacted, another ruler also named Mahmud who was from Ghori in Afghanistan had grown powerful and had captured Ghazni and subsequently attacked the Ghaznavid Governor of Punjab and defeated him. The kingdom of Mahmud Ghori now stretched up to the domains of Prithiviraj Chouhan. A clash was inevitable.
Mahmud Ghori threw the gauntlet by laying siege to the fortress of Bhatinda in East Punjab which was on the frontier of Prithiviraj's domains. Prithviraj's appeal for help from his father-in-law was scornfully rejected by the haughty Jaichandra. But undaunted Prithviraj marched on to Bhatinda and met his enemy at a place called Tarain (also called Taraori) near the ancient town of Thanesar. In face of the persistent Rajput attacks, the battle was won as the Muslim army broke ranks and fled leaving their general Mahmud Ghori as a prisoner in Pritiviraj's hands. Mahmud Ghori was brought in chains to Pithoragarh - Prithviraj's capital and he begged his victor for mercy and release. Prithviraj's ministers advised against pardoning the aggressor. But the chivalrous and valiant Prithviraj thought otherwise and respectfully released the vanquished Ghori.
The 1st Battle of Tarain 1191 C.E. - Victory of Prithiviraj Chouhan
Mahmud Ghori threw the gauntlet by laying siege to the fortress of Bhatinda in East Punjab which was on the frontier of Prithiviraj's domains. Prithviraj's appeal for help from his father-in-law was scornfully rejected by the haughty Jaichandra. But undaunted Prithviraj marched on to Bhatinda and met his enemy at a place called Tarain (also called Taraori) near the ancient town of Thanesar. In face of the persistent Rajput attacks, the battle was won as the Muslim army broke ranks and fled leaving their general Mahmud Ghori as a prisoner in Pritiviraj's hands. Mahmud Ghori was brought in chains to Pithoragarh - Prithviraj's capital and he begged his victor for mercy and release. Prithviraj's ministers advised against pardoning the aggressor. But the chivalrous and valiant Prithviraj thought otherwise and respectfully released the vanquished Ghori.
The 2nd Battle of Tarain 1192 C.E. - Defeat of Prithiviraj Chauhan
The very next year Prithiviraj's gesture was repaid by Ghori who re-attacked Prithiviraj with a stronger army and guilefully defeated him by attacking the Rajput army before daybreak. (The Hindus incidentally followed a hoary practice of battling only from sunrise up to sunset. Before Sunrise and after Sunset there was to be no fighting- as per a time honoured battle code).The defeated Prithiviraj was pursued up to his capital and in chains he was taken as a captive to Ghor in Afghanistan.
The Blinding of Prithviraj Chauhan
The story of Prithiviraj does not end here. As a prisoner in Ghor he was presented before Mahmud, where he looked Ghori straight into the eye. Ghori ordered him to lower his eyes, whereupon a defiant Prithiviraj scornfully told him how he had treated Ghori as a prisoner and said that the eyelids of a Rajputs eyes are lowered only in death. On hearing this, Ghori flew into a rage and ordered that Prithviraj's eyes be burnt with red hot iron rods. This heinous deed being done, Prithiviraj was regularly brought to the court to be taunted by Ghori and his courtiers. In those days Prithiviraj was joined by his former biographer Chand Bardai, who had composed a ballad-biography on Pritiviraj in the name of Prithviraj Raso (Songs of Prithviraj). Chand Bardai told Prithiviraj, that he should avenge Ghori's betrayal and daily insults.
The Blind Prithviraj Avenges the Injustice done to him. The two got an opportunity when Ghori announced a game of Archery. On the advice of Chand Bardai, Prithviraj, who was then at court said he would also like to participate. On hearing his suggestion, the courtiers guffawed at him and he was taunted by Ghori as to how he could participate when he could not see. Whereupon, Prithiviraj told Mahmud Ghori to order him to shoot, and he would reach his target. Ghori became suspicious and asked Prithviraj why he wanted Ghori himself to order and not anyone else. On behalf of Prithiviraj, Chand Bardai told Ghori that he as a king would not accept orders from anyone other than a king. His ego satisfied, Mahmud Ghori agreed.
On the said day, Ghori sitting in his royal enclosure had Prithiviraj brought to the ground and had him unchained for the event. On Ghori's ordering Prithviraj to shoot, we are told Prithiviraj turned in the direction from where he heard Ghori speak and struck Ghori dead with his arrow. This event is described by Chand Bardai in the couplet, "Char bans, chaubis gaj, angul ashta praman, Ete pai Sultan hai (Taa Upar hai Sultan). Ab mat chuko Chauhan."(Ten measures ahead of you and twenty four feet away, is seated the Sultan, do not miss him now, Chouhan).
Thus ended the story of the brave but unrealistic Prithviraj Chouhan - the last Hindu ruler of Delhi. Delhi was to remain under Muslim rule for the next 700 years till 1857 and under British rule till 1947. Those few Hindus who came close to liberating Delhi during the seven centuries of Muslim rule were Rana Sanga in 1527, Raja (Hemu) Vikramaditya in around 1565 (2nd battle of Panipat), and Shrimant Vishwas Rao who was the Peshwa's son and was co-commander of the Maratha forces in the 3rd battle of Panipat in 1761. Metaphorically speaking, the next Hindu ruler to actually preside over Delhi was to be Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of Independent India (and Jawarharlal Nehru - who was the President's first Minister).

The Rajput Resistance to Muslim Rule - Man Singh Tomar
In spite of the establishment of Muslim rule in Delhi and UP (Uttar Pradesh) in the former kingdoms of Prithiviraj Chauhan and Jaichand Rathod, the Muslim invaders could never overrun the entire country. The Rajput dynasties like the Tomaras of Gwaliar and the Ranas of Mewad still continued to rule central India. One such Rajput ruler was Man Singh Tomar the king of Gwaliar. Man Singh put up a stout resistance to the Lodis and he succeeded in halting the Muslim ruler Sikandar Lodi's southward march at Gwaliar. While the Tomaras of Gwaliar held back the Muslims from advancing into Malwa, the Ranas of Mewad held up the banner of Indian independence from Mewad in those trying times of Muslim aggression in India. In South Rajasthan especially, the Rajputs had defiantly preserved their writ by resisting the Delhi Sultans. The center of this Rajput resistance was the kingdom at Chittor.
Maharana Pratap
Udai Singh's son was Maharana Pratap who leads the Rajputs against Akbar's armies and preserved Rajput rule in Mewad. Rana Pratap was faced with the formidable challenge of renegade Rajput princes like Raja Todar Mal and Raja Man Singh who had joined forces with the Muslim rulers.
The Battle of Haldighati
In the Battle of Haldighati fought between Maharana Pratap and the Mughals; the Rajputs were not able to overcome the combined strength of the Mughals and the renegade Rajput princes who had played the role of traitors. But Maharana Pratap, who was badly hurt in the battle, was saved by his wise horse Chetak, who took him in an unconscious state away from the battle scene. Although Maharana Pratap was not able to thwart the Muslims successfully, the saga of Rajput resistance to Muslim rule continued till the 17th century when the baton of the struggle for Indian Independence from Muslim tyranny was taken up by the upcoming power of the Marathas, who brought about an end to Muslim domination of India.
According to the Rajput bards the Chauhan is one of the four Agnikula or 'fire sprung' tribes who were created by the gods in the anali kund or 'fountain of fire' on Mount Abu to fight against the Asuras or demons. Chauhan is also one of the 36 (royal) ruling races of the Rajputs.
Chauhan dynasty flourished from the 8th to 12th centuries AD. It was one of the four main Rajput dynasties of that era, the others being Pratiharas, Paramaras and Chalukyas. The Chauhans dominated Delhi, Ajmer, and Ranthambhor. They were also prominent at Sirohi in the southwest of Rajputana, and at Bundi and Kota in the east. Inscriptions also associate them with Sambhar, the salt lake area in the Amber (later Jaipur) district. Chauhan politics were largely campaigns against the Chalukyas and the invading Muslim hordes. In the 11th century they founded the city of Ajayameru (Ajmer) in the southern part of their kingdom, and in the 12th century captured Dhilika (the ancient name of Delhi) from the Tomaras and annexed some of their territory along the Yamuna River. Prithviraj III has become famous in folk tales and historical literature as the Chauhan king of Delhi who resisted the Muslim attack in the first Battle of TARAIN (1191). Armies from other Rajput kingdoms, including Mewar assisted him. However, Prithviraj was defeated in a second battle at Tarain the following year. This failure ushered in Muslim rule in North India in the form of the SLAVE DYNASTY, the first of the Delhi Sultanates.
Sunidhi Chauhan
  

Bollywood singer Sunidhi Chauhan, known for her versatility, has gone global and recorded a track with Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias. She termed the experience 'great' but felt there is not much difference in song recording in India and abroad.
'The experience was great. I have already recorded the song. Unfortunately I can't talk much about it. But it's in the process and will be out very soon,' said Sunidhi.

She and Enrique sang I Can Feel You, which has both Hindi and English lyrics. Sunidhi has also shot for a video with the Spanish singer for the song that is slated to be out this month.

The 27-year-old Indian singer has belted out chartbuster songs like Ruki ruki (Mast), Dhoom machale (Dhoom), Deedar de (Dus), Beedi (Omkara), Sajnaji vari vari (Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.), Chor bazari (Love Aaj Kal) and most recently Sheila Ki Jawani (Tees Maar Khan).

Asked if she found any difference while recording a song internationally and when in India, Sunidhi, who wants to collaborate with singer Mariah Carey someday, said: 'There is not much difference.'

'The difference is in the song and the atmosphere. It's a nice experience. But when it comes to singing, it's all the same,' she added.

Sunidhi has been in Bollywood for more than a decade now, but the entry of new singers in the industry doesn't scare her. She believes that being good at work is the survival tactic.

'It's not tough to survive in the industry. You just have to sing better than everyone else and you survive. It's a simple equation. You give your 100 percent time and discipline, and work so hard that people see and appreciate,' she said.

'As long as you know that working hard is the mantra, you will not find it hard to survive in the industry,' she added.

The singer made her debut as a reality show judge in Indian Idol last year.

So any plans of taking up acting like Sonu Nigam and Himesh Reshammiya?

'I did TV, I've done a couple of videos and I'm quite happy with that. When it comes to acting, I believe that unless I'm sure of what I want to do, I don't get into it,' Sunidhi said.

'For acting, I still haven't got that inner voice. So I wouldn't like to go ahead with it now. But as soon as I feel I'm ready, I wont mind doing it,' she added.

'I believe in instincts, whatever my instinct says, I do that,' Sunidhi said.

And how does she feel when she looks back at her journey till now?

'To be really frank, I don't look back to analyse how the journey has been because I feel that the journey has begun now. It's not that I have done a lot in life. I need to do lot more. So I don't relate to that feeling of looking back.'




Chetan Chauhan

Chetan Chauhan, born on July 21, 1947, in Bareilly, of Uttar Pradesh, was a opening collaborator with the unparalleled Sunil Gavaskar, in the late 1970s and the early 80s . Chauhan`s competence was proved by the pattern of the grave role that he used to play, together with an world-class player, like Gavaskar .

Chetan Chauhan , had participated in 40 Test matches for India. Chauhan, though, born in Uttar Pradesh, shifted to Poona in the state of Maharashtra, in 1960, due to the transfer of his father, an army officer. He graduated from Wadia College in Poona. Admission in college was instrumental for directing Chetan towards cricket. At college, he came across the ex-Maharashtra player, Kamal Bhandarkar. This man trained him in the game, and inculcated within him a passion for cricket.

Chauhan appeared for the Poona University in the Rohinton Baria trophy in 1966-67 . His prowess got him chosen for the West Zone squad, taking part in the inter-zonal Vizzy Trophy in the same season in 1967. He was elected as a member of the Maharashtra Ranji team, owing to his accomplishment in the Vizzy Trophy .

Chauhan rested on the laurels of a hundred for the first time, in the following year. He was then the first wicket and remained on the field , playing till at the end he was out. This was simply outstanding on his part, since, it was a rain-worsened wicket on which he had to play, while the first six wickets had crumbled down only for a meagre 52.

He hit a valiant 103 , opposing five Test bowlers against South Zone in the crucial final of the Duleep Trophy .

His own rare gifts , paved his way of inclusion into the Team. He was selected for Team India, in 1969-70.

The partnership of Gavaskar and Chauhan, turned out to be one of the most celebrated joint-ventures with ten centuries.

Chauhan was accurate in getting exactly behind the line of the ball .It was , hence extremely challenging for the baffled bowlers, to send this steady and persevering batsman, out of the crease.

At the age of 22, he performed his debut against New Zealand at Mumbai in September 1969. He also featured in the team against Australia, the same season. Post the Australian tour, he was dropped, as he failed to leave an indelible impression.

Meanwhile, Chauhan, demonstrated his qualities in the dazzling Ranji matches of 1972-73. Alone in 1972-73, Chauhan procured 873 runs for Maharashtra which was the second highest total score for the contemporary season. He escalated the towering heights of 200s in successive matches, against Gujarat and Vidarbha. Chauhan and Madhu Gupte created an opening stand of 405 in the following match. Amidst the radiance of these double centuries, he strove but failed in two Tests , rivalling England. For the next five years, he did not appear in any Test. Chauhan even played for Delhi and the North Zone in 1975.

He continued in the same vein . In 1976-77 , he fetched a profound 158 against Haryana, overcoming the obstructions of a fractured jaw. He landed up with a 200 against Punjab, a147 quelching Karnataka and 150 against the Central Zone. Finally his handsome hundred in the Duleep trophy , in the next season compelled the enchanted selectors to recall this man merit into the travelling team to Australia. He was called back to glorify the status of Team India. Chauhan was awesome in this Australian tour of 1977-78 .

Chauhan marched forward with a brilliant 157 within 516 minutes against the Australian state of Victoria in his first match of the tour. His hundred composed of only two boundaries. Chauhan had succeeded Paul Hibbert of Victoria , who had previously secured a hundred without a single four .

Again in the second Test at Perth, he reached a worthmentioning 88 in his very first innings. Chauhan henceforth, had always taken part in almost all the Tests, till the end of his career, ecxept one . Most of the times, he had inaugurated every match with Gavaskar.

Standing in Lahore against Pakistan, this astounding pair, furnished the team with 192, and 117 & 153 against West Indies in Bombay .

In 1979, in England the zealous partners added a fabulous 213 in the second innings at the Oval, although India lagged behind the target of 438 , only by nine runs. In 1980-81, he squashed Australia to fetch 249 runs in three Tests, siding with Gavaskar`s 118. He fell short of hundred only by three runs in Adelaide. In the latter Test at Melbourne, he attained 85 and put on 165 with Gavaskar.

In the subsequent trip to New Zealand, Chauhan gathered 78 in the second Test and 36 & 7 in the third one.

This last Test turned out to be the final Test for Chauhan, as he did not get any further invitation in future. He pocketed 3022 runs with Gavaskar in the course of their 59 opening assignments. His Test total had culminated to 2084 runs , involving 16 fifties but no centuries. Chauhan had also represented India in 7 One -Day Internationals, scoring 153 runs.

This indomitable man was insurmountable even in his penultimate first class match , which was the Ranji final against Bombay in 1985. He retained vigour to subdue the opponent with a blazing 98 and 54 with a broken finger.

After retirement, Chauhan rose as a selector from the North Zone. He entered politics, and got elected as a member of the Lok Sabha of the Indian Parliament from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh in 1991 and 1998.

At present he is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Chauhan was bestowed upon the Arjuna award in 1981.

It is always said that a concerted effort bears quickly the fruit. Gavaskar has been a born genius no doubt, but he owes a lot to the appropriate and deserving partner, Chetan Chauhan, who had the caliber to give their partnership, the desired consolidation. 
Chauhan Kings
1.   Sarangdeo 
2.   Ana - Ana Sagar in Ajmer built by him.
3.   Jaipal
4.   Ajaideo
5.   Someshwar



    Chauhans in Western Uttar Pradesh The Rajput Chauhans are also found around Thakurdwara in Moradabad,district Shahjahanpur, district Bijnor, districts Aligarh,district Bulandshahr, and Baghpat, Baraut, Muzaffarnagar & Meerut. Chauhans Rajputs of Shahajahanpur(Jamelapur) called themselves as Mainpuri chauhan of gotra vats.Chauhans Rajputs of Chaurasi are found near Khair-Chandaus area of Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh. They call themselves Chauhans of Sattasi(87 villages) (gotra- Batchhas(Vats)) and claim origin in Neemrana, Rajasthan and Gaddi (seat) Delhi. Some villages of these Chauhans in district Bulandshahr are Davkaura, Agauta, Surkhuru, Bhainsroli,Rampur(shikarpur) Kakaria Khera. Chauhans in Haridwar The Chauhan Rajputs have a dominant role in Haridwar district of Uttarakhand. Haridwar is also known as Chauhan Puri in the local area. All Chauhans are mostly found in the 52 villages near Rajaji National Park. Kuldevi of Chauhan Rajputs is Maa Shakumbari Devi in district Saharanpur. In the month of Bhadrapad, Chauhans go to worship Gogaji, Jahar Veer Goga Pir, an ancient great ruler of the Chauhans in Rajasthan. Chauhans of Haridwar have a big role in landholding and farming in the region. Chauhans of Haridwar belong to gotras Vats, Gahadwal and Budhwal. There are also Chauhans in Jaunsar Bawar area of Dehradun. Chauhans in Bangladesh The Chauhan in Bangladesh is mostly spelled as Chowhan. Most of the Chowhans live in those districts of Bangladesh which are closer to India. This certainly explain their migration from India. During British period they migrated from UP, Bihar and the main reason being economic hardship. At that time Bangladesh was a very good place to live because of it`s fertile land, abundant fish, good weather and amiable people. Culture Religion In India, Chauhans are predominantly Hindu. By contrast, most Pakistani Chohans are Muslim.The tribe and descendants of Prithvi Raj Chohan were captured by Shahab ud din Ghori, while travelling through salt range on way to Afghanistan on night Gakhars of region attacked and killed the Ghori warrior and Chohans escaped to the hills and converted to Islam. The descendants of Chohan are found in Chakwal region and salt range. Chauhan decedents also use the surname spelling of "Chohan" and are also of the Sikh religion. Chauhan rulers of Ajmer 1. Ajay Pal - founded the city Ajaymeru which came to be called as Ajmer in the modern times. 2. Prithviraja I 3. Jagdeva 4. Vigraharaja IV 5. Apara Gangeya 6. Prithviraja II 7. Someshwara 8. Prithviraj III 9. Tej Singh Chauhan Notable Chauhans India Prithvi Raj Chauhan, Ruler of Ajmer Jay Prakash Chauhan, Sr. Engineer Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, poetess "Jhansi ki Rani" Shailendra Singh Chauhan, MCA Software Engineer, Lambaparda Chetan Chauhan, Cricketar India Sunidhi Chauhan, Background Singer, Bollywood Pravin Singh Chauhan, Umrain, Chhibramau/Delhi. Vipin Kumar Chauhan, Software Consultant, Haridwar Mukesh Singh Chauhan,Software Engineer,Shahjahanpur Muhammed yasir Chauhan,Thoroughbred horse breeding farm. Cast Teenager cast Rajat To
  • kas... Prithviraj Chauhan
  • Mugdha Chaphekar ... Sanyogita
  • Jas Arora ... Someshwar
  • Kush Kumar Sharma ... Jaichand
  • Sunila Karambekar ... Kamalavati
  • Mehul Vyas ... Sanjam
  • Harrsh Rajput ... Pundir
  • Raja Gulati ... Chand
  • Gaurav Kumar ... Arjun
  • Jay Soni ... Samar Singh
Grown up cast
Guest appearances


What Is Rajput ?

A Rajput is a member of one of the major Hindu Kshatriya (warrior) groups of India. They enjoy a reputation as soldiers; many of them serve in the Indian Armed Forces, Current-day Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh  is home to most of the Rajputs, although demographically the Rajput population and the former Rajput states are found spread through much the subcontinent, particularly in North India and central India.

Rajputs rose to prominence during the 9th to 11th centuries and are divided into three major lineages. The four Agnivanshi clans, namely the Pratiharas (Pariharas), Solankis (Chaulukyas), Paramaras (Parmars), and Chauhans (Chahamanas) rose to prominence first. Rajputs ruled more than 400 of the estimated 600 princely states at the time of India's independence in 1947. Rajputs ruled 81 of out the 121 Salute states extant at the time of independence

Chauhan Community, Rajput Community
Chauhan is the Rajput Community of India. Chauhan community, having a rich origin, is a predominantly Hindu community. Chauhan Rajput community, in the middle ages, also dominated some parts of northern region of the country.





Chauhan is a Rajput community that ruled the northern part of the country during the middle ages. Chauhan is also considered as a small caste of village watchmen and labourers mainly in the Central Province of India. Chauhans are also called Chandel by some people. Chauhan caste claims to have a Rajput origin. According to them, their ancestors belong to the region of Mainpuri that is the home of Rajput Chauhan community. Interestingly, Chauhan gotra is also found among Jat and Gujjar Community. The community claims that one of the four Agnikula, meaning fire sprung clans, is Chauhan. According to Rajput bards, the Chauhan community derives their origin from a sacrificial fire-pit at Mount Abu for fighting against the Asuras or the demons. They are also said to be one of the 36 ruling races of Rajputs. However, some scholars claim that the agnikula clans were originally Gujjars and Chauhan was the prominent clan of the Gujjar community.

Some names of their sections have been taken from those of the Rajput clans. However, majority of their sections are of totemistic nature, being named after animals and plants. Few examples are Nag, the cobra; Kolhia, the jackal; Neora, the mongoose; Khanda, a sword; Kamal, the lotus; Chanwar, rice; Pat, silk; and others. Members of each of the sections worship the object after which it has been named. If the plant or the animal is not readily obtainable then they make a representation of that particular object in flour and worship it. Like for instance, the members of the Bedna, sugarcane sept make a stick of flour and then worship it. Further, the members refrain from killing or eating their sept totem, although it becomes impossible for them to follow in certain cases as in that of the Chanwar or rice sept. Members belonging to those sects, which are named after heroic ancestors prepare an image of flour of their ancestral saint and worship it. The Chauhan caste employs the services of a Brahmin priest for performing wedding and other auspicious ceremonies. Chauhan community allow the re-remarriage of widows, and there are no restrictions regarding her choice of second husband.

Chauhans are religious and they worship Goddess Durga or Devi. They observe fasts in her honour in the months September and Chaitra (March). They generally burn the dead, but children are buried. They also observe a certain period of mourning. Chauhan community is most famous for King Prithviraj Chauhan. 
Caste calculations

With Uma Bharati giving enough hints that she will play the caste card, politics in Madhya Pradesh is in for a churn and the worst sufferer may be the BJP.



A.M. FARUQUI

Shivraj Singh Chauhan, the new Chief Minister.
IT was only two years ago that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) routed the Congress to end the 10-year-old rule of Chief Minister Digvijay Singh in Madhya Pradesh. The party won a two-thirds majority and an overwhelming 42.5 per cent of the votes polled by riding the "bijli, sadak and paani" wave, thus making bread and butter issues and not Hindutva its main campaign plank for the first time. The task of proving that the BJP cared for much more than Ram and Hindutva was assigned to Uma Bharati, the saffron-clad sanyasin with mass appeal and oratorical flourish. She led the BJP to a victory that took even her party colleagues by surprise.
Uma Bharati's persona added to the magnetic pull of "bijli, sadak and paani", along with issues such as unemployment, poverty and hunger. There was a rare sincerity in her message and appeal, which people believed. She reduced the Congress to just 38 members in the 230-member House, its vote share a mere 31 per cent; it seemed as though the party would be gone from the State's political horizon for a long time. That, however, may not be the case now. Not because of the Congress has redeemed itself, but because the BJP has frittered away its mandate.
Three Chief Ministers in two years, and dissent, rebellion and even brawls within the party have dominated the BJP's rule so far. On November 28, when Shivraj Singh Chauhan was to be named the third Chief Minister, party workers clashed and threw chairs and tables at each other in public, and chaos reigned. To top it all, Uma Bharati was thrown out of the party twice, first in November last year and again now, for "indiscipline".
The sanyasin who led the BJP's return to power in Madhya Pradesh in November 2003 is now on a padayatra from Bhopal to Ayodhya to protest against the "hijacking of the party by a handful of individuals". She has declared war on the BJP for giving up its core ideologies of suraj, swaraj and shuchita (good governance, self-rule and probity and purity in public life). "Mine is not a fight for power but for principles," she declares.
Where does all this leave the BJP? How much more damage can Uma do to the party when she charts her own course? Unlike last November, when the party took her back, this time the mood is decisively against her and Uma Bharati too is bent on proving that she represents the "real BJP" in Madhya Pradesh. Her strength is her mass appeal; whether she is in the BJP or out of it, she commands a considerable following.
Her yatra, though without any organisational backing or publicity, has drawn a reasonably good response and at least a few hundred people walk with her at any given time. On the Bhopal-Raisen road, for instance, this correspondent saw people who had nothing whatsoever to do with the BJP falling at her feet, vowing to follow her until Ayodhya, garlanding her and requesting her to stay the night at their houses. A visually impaired beggar, Balmiki, though not a supporter of the BJP, was walking with "Uma didi" until Ayodhya, supported by his seven-year-old son Lal Vikramaditya, because he believes that "Uma didi is right".
"My whole fight is for principles: whether a group of four or five people can dictate terms to elected MLAs who represent lakhs of people or whether MLAs should have the right to elect their own leader? I have nothing against Shivraj Singh Chauhan but he was imposed on the MLAs against their wishes by the group of four who have hijacked the party. The MLAs were threatened with anti-defection law to secure their consent. This cannot be allowed in a democracy," Uma Bharati told Frontline.
She said she had no lust for power and had not demanded that she be made the Chief Minister. But, she added, the democratic process should have been followed in electing the new Chief Minister. Asked whether her expulsion from the BJP would lead to her forming a new party, she shot back: "Which BJP? The BJP is not these four-five people. The real BJP is the lakhs of people who have associated themselves with it and who are with me."
Senior BJP leaders, however, dismiss the response to her yatra as nothing more than curiosity, which can do no harm to the party. "People flock to see her out of curiosity, as they would to see a monkey or a bear," said former Chief Minister Babulal Gaur. Gaur became the Chief Minister after Uma Bharati resigned because of the Hubli flag-hoisting case and subsequently he stepped down after the party leadership yielded to pressure from Uma Bharati.
Gaur does not think Uma's ouster will damage the party. His reasoning is bizarre, though. He said: "Madhya Pradesh has seen 28 Chief Ministers since its creation. This has been the style of politics here. If it has not damaged the Congress, why should it damage the BJP?" In his opinion, the BJP is better off without Uma Bharati. He sees no future for her outside the party. "She will dry off like a drop out of the ocean," he said.
At the BJP office in Bhopal, other State leaders, too, agree with this assessment, in what seems like a celebration of her departure. "Personality politics has no future here, the organisation is supreme and now we will run the government in a remarkable way," said BJP general secretary Anil Dave, He said that though the events in the last two years had eroded the BJP's credibility somewhat, ultimately "results will speak, as they did in the case of Narendra Modi in Gujarat". He added that since the party had the "right media fora and a positive public perception now", the Uma episode had been neutralised.




Uma Bharati's supporters on the rampage at the BJP office in Bhopal in protest against the party leadership's choice of Shivraj Singh Chauhan as the next Chief Minister.
However, if the party considered Uma's logic strong enough to remove Babulal Gaur, why did it not reinstate her as promised? BJP spokesman Nitish Bhardwaj (of Krishna fame in the television serial Mahabharat) said: "She committed the blunder of trying to destabilise our own government, as is evident now, under the pretext of Dusshera milan." He said many MLAs who had signed a letter to the party president demanding that Gaur be replaced later said they were forced to do so." According to Nitish Bhardwaj, the way Uma Bharati conducted herself in recent times, the things she said, the way she promoted hooliganism, all combined to this outcome. "Besides, she was not acceptable to the MLAs. They were jittery of her return," he said, adding that they wanted Gaur's removal but did not want her back. "People want somebody who is mature and stable as Chief Minister," he said. "She is a loose cannon who can only damage herself now."
Uma Bharati's supporters, however, are optimistic that she will establish her independent political identity. Though Madhya Pradesh politics has been generally devoid of the caste angle so far, Uma Bharati seems to be taking it in that direction. She alleges a "caste bias in the BJP". "Look at the Parliamentary Board. It represents only 10 per cent of India (upper caste). Where is the other 90 per cent?" she asks. She has given enough hints that she could be launching her own brand of politics with caste as its pivot.
"There is enough scope for caste-based political parties, otherwise parties such as the Bahujan Samaj Party [BSP] or the Gondwana Gantantra Party [GGP] would not have carved their own space," said Prahlad Patel, former Minister, who has now been expelled from the BJP for supporting Uma Bharati. What Patel says carries weight because in a two-party situation even the GGP managed to win three seats in 2003, getting over 8 per cent of the votes polled in the seats it contested. The Samajwadi Party (S.P.), which entered Madhya Pradesh in a big way for the first time in 2003, won seven seats out of 161 it contested, getting over 5 per cent of the votes. The BSP, too, has its own space, commanding a 10 per cent vote share, though it won only two seats in 2003. By this logic the BJP could find the going tough if Uma is on her own. The OBCs (Other Backward Classes) form a substantial 40 per cent of the population in Madhya Pradesh, of which a large section used to support the BJP because of "mass leaders" such as Uma Bharati or Prahlad Patel.
According to political observers, this class of voters could react now. Said Patel: "Our self-respect has been hurt and now the backward-caste people could vote for anyone defeating the BJP because it has proved that it does not respect people who have struggled their way up from the grassroots level."
Whether the BJP will suffer a loss or not, the Congress is already celebrating. State Congress leaders are jubilant that Uma has paved the way for their return to power. "The BJP will never return to power now. The party is finished. Its vote will get divided and we will come back with a bigger majority," said Jamuna Devi, leader of the Congress Legislature Party in the State. She said if elections were held today, the Congress would form the government.
But how much the Congress can capitalise on the BJP's woes is questionable because of its own internal dissensions. There is a strong section in the Congress that does not want to see Digvijay Singh back. "The Congress lost because of Digvijay Singh. People are still with us and want us back but minus him," said a senior Congress leader. Political observers in Madhya Pradesh, however, are unanimous that the direction Madhya Pradesh politics takes now will substantially depend on what Uma Bharati does.






 
How can we save energy?   
Saving energy means decreasing the amount of energy used while achieving a similar outcome of end use. Using less energy has lots of benefits – you can save money and help the environment. Generating energy requires precious natural resources, for instance coal, oil or gas. Therefore, using less energy helps us to preserve these resources and make them last longer in the future.
Why is it important to save energy? 
If people use less energy, there is less pressure to increase the available supply of energy, for example by constructing new power plants, or by importing energy from a different country.
(SOURCE: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_conservation)
What does “life-cycle” mean? What does it have to do with energy use?Nearly all everyday products have an impact in terms of energy, especially when you consider their energy requirements across the whole life-cycle: production, use and end-of-life. In many cases the use phase is dominating. Plastics, for example, are one of the most resource-efficient materials available. In their use phase, plastics products help to save more energy than is needed to produce them: For example, when you choose a bottle of water packaged in a light weight material such as plastic, remember that lighter packaging requires less energy for transport. Thus, less fuel was used to power the truck that delivered those plastic bottles.
What can I do to save energy? 
There are many sources on the web that give you ideas of what you can do to save energy. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
  • Change your travel behaviour, think more in terms of public transportation, if possible, walk or ride your bicycle instead of taking the car
  • Reduce your house heat by 1C, keep the windows closed while heating, dress warmly
  • Choose products that come with lightweight packaging
  • Turn off lights and appliances when you are not using them, use energy-saving light bulbs
  • Reuse plastic bags for shopping and storage
  • Use a microwave instead of a stove to reheat food
  • Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable batteries
What effect do materials have on the environment? 
In our daily life, we rely on many materials. Wood, metal, glass and plastics all have environmental consequences. Think about the impact of every product you use. For example, the lighter an object, the less fuel is required to transport it. A heavy suitcase in the boot of a car will require the car to consume more fuel during its journey. The same goes for all product packaging. Therefore, buying food wrapped in lightweight materials thus helps the environment.

Save electricity
When I started to write this letter, I was all sweating, sitting in my room. Not that I am residing in a remote village without access to electricity but I live in Chennai— the metro city. The scheduled power cuts introduced by TNEB in Chennai has begun this day.
The power cut proves the awesomeness of my ceiling fan. It seems that even after procuring electricity for many crores per day, our electricity board is not able to supply uninterrupted power to everyone.
Now I realise the hardships faced by people in rural areas where there is a routine 3 to 4 hours power cut. So from this day I have taken a vow that I will never waste electricity in my life. Even though I am not sure how much I would really contribute, by doing this I want to do my part hoping that if we can all join in to save electricity, we could make it count.
I hope all the readers will join me and together we can save man’s most utilitarian creation – electricity and brighten our future. My one hour of punishment for today is over as the power is restored.
Save the Girl Child



How sad, many girls missing from our country are found buried in some graveyard....
India is growing dynamically in every fields. Today, the boom in economy, innovative technologies and improved infrastructure has become nation’s pride. The country has witnessed advancements in all fields but bias against a girl child is still prevailing in the country.

This social evil is deep rooted in Indian ethos and the most shocking fact is that the innovative and hard high end technologies are brutally killing the Indian girl child. Innovative techniques, like biopsy, ultrasound, scan tests and amniocentesis, devised to detect genetic abnormalities, are highly misused by number of families to detect gender of the unborn child. These clinical tests are highly contributing to the rise in genocide of the unborn girl child.
In today’s day and age most couples prefer the process known as a planned pregnancy, because of various factors; prime amongst them being the financial well being to support the birth and nurturing of a child. In such cases, the first prenatal visit actually happens prior to actual pregnancy, to see whether one is ready to go off the contraception pills and conceive a baby. 
However, in maximum conceptions, one is unaware of the pregnancy until actual realization dawns after one skips the first menstrual cycle. Normally doctors except ladies to pay their first visit anywhere between the sixth and twelfth week after conception. 
Amniocentesis started in India in 1974 to detect fetal abnormalities. These tests were used to detect gender for the first time in 1979 in Amritsar, Punjab. Later the test was stopped by the Indian Council of Medical Research but it was too late. The benefits of these tests were leaked out and people started using it as an instrument for killing an innocent and unborn girl child.  Many of the traditional women organizations also took up cudgels to stop this illegal practice but all failed and with the passage of time these tests became a major contributor to bias against a girl child.

Female feticide and infanticide is not the only issues with a girl child in India. At every stage of life she is discriminated and neglected for basic nutrition, education and living standard. When she was in the womb, she was forced to miss the moment when she was supposed to enter the world. At the time of birth her relatives pulled her back and wrung her neck. After killing her she was thrown into a trash can.

During childhood, her brother was loaded with new shoes, dresses and books to learn while she was gifted a broom, a wiper and lots of tears. In her teenage, she missed tasty delicious food to eat and got only the crumbs. During her college days, she was forced to get married, a stage where illiteracy, lack of education resulted in high fertility rate, aggravating the condition of females in the country. Again if this female gives birth to a girl child, the journey begins once again. She missed all roses of life and was finally fitted to a graveyard. That’s where she got peace of mind.

The nation of mothers still follows a culture where people idolizes son and mourns daughters. UN figures out that about 750,000 girls are aborted every year in India. Abortion rates are increasing in almost 80% of the India states, mainly Punjab and Haryana. These two states have the highest number of abortions every year. If the practice continues, then no longer a day will come when Mother India will have no mothers, potentially, no life.

We all are proud citizens of India. The need of hour is to realize our responsibilities and give a halt to this evil crime. What can we do to curb the brutal and undesirable practice of mass killing girls? A determined drive can initiate a spark to light the lamp and show the world that we all are part of the great Mother India..


The 2001 Census conducted by Government of India, showed a sharp decline in the child sex ratio in 80% districts of India.

India, in all its glory of being an IT superpower and one of the fastest developing countries, tragically represents the lowest child sex ratio in the world.

Systematic gender discrimination in India is reported to have claimed up to a whopping 50 million female lives. The Census Report of 2001 reveals a highly skewed child sex ratio (0-6 year-olds), that fell from 945 females per 1,000 males in 1991 to an all-time low of 927 in 2001. The ratio even dropped further to 800:1,000 in some specific parts of the country.

Additional data from the India’s birth and death registration service indicates that the figures have further fallen to fewer than 900 females per 1,000 men over the last few years.

Save girls..!! Only 824 left per 1000 men..Only saving tigers won't help..u cant take Tigress for a date...:) 

We Live in Nation





  • Where Pizza reaches home faster than Ambulance & Police. 
  • Where you can get Car loan @ 8% and education loan @ 12%. 
  • Where 76 police man killed mercilessly but media is busy in showing the news of marriage of Failed sports person (Sania & Shoeb) 
  • Where Rice @40 Rs Kg, Wheat @ 35 Rs Kg and SIM cards are Free. 
  • Where Millionaire can Buy a Cricket team instead 2 donate money in charity. 
  • Where everybody wants 2b famous but nobody wants 2 follow the path 2b famous. 
  • Where people sitting at Tea stall reading an article about child labour and says yaar bachcho se kaam karwane walo ko to fassi par latka dena chahiye and than THEY SHOUT ... Chotu do chai la .... 
INCREDIBLE INDIA ... !!! 

STILL PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN ,,,,,,, ???? 

ASK URSELF ......?????



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