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{{Short description|Clan that ruled parts of northern India in the medieval period}}

{{EngvarB|date=April 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
[[File:Vigraha Raja IV of the Chauhans of Ajmer Circa 1150-1164.jpg|thumb|300px|Coin of the [[Chahamanas of Shakambhari|Chahamana of Ajmer]] ruler [[Vigraharaja IV]], circa 1150–1164 CE.]]
'''Chauhan''' or '''Chouhan''' is a clan name found amongst the [[Rajput]]s of northern India.<ref>{{cite book|title=Social Sciences Research Journal - Volume 19 - Page 73|publisher=Panjab University|date=2011|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q1LtWAOAiBoC&q=Chauhan+is+a+rajput+clan|quote="Among the thirty six of Rajput clans, there flourished a clan of Chauhan in early medieval times in northern India."}}</ref>

== Origin ==

The word ''Chauhan'' is the vernacular form of the [[Sanskrit]] term ''Chahamana'' (IAST: Cāhamāna).{{meaning|date=October 2021}} Several Chauhan inscriptions name a legendary hero called Chahamana as their ancestor, but none of them state the period in which he lived.{{sfn|Singh|1964|p=10}}

The earliest extant inscription that describes the origin of the Chauhans is the 1119 CE [[Sewari|Sevadi]] inscription of [[Ratnapala (Chahamana dynasty)|Ratnapala]], a ruler of the [[Chahamanas of Naddula|Naddula Chahamana dynasty]]. According to this inscription, the ancestor of the Chahamanas was born from the eye of [[Indra]].{{sfn|Singh|1964|pp=10-11}}

The 1170 CE [[Bijolia]] rock inscription of the [[Chahamanas of Shakambhari|Shakambhari Chahamana]] king [[Someshvara (Chahamana dynasty)|Someshvara]] states that his ancestor [[Samantaraja]] was born at Ahichchhatrapura (possibly modern [[Nagaur]]{{sfn|Singh|1964|p=89}}) in the [[gotra]] of [[rishi|sage]] Vatsa. The 1262 CE Sundha hill inscription of the [[Chahamanas of Jalor|Jalor Chahamana]] king Chachiga-deva states that the dynasty's ancestor Chahamana was "a source of joy" to the Vatsa. The 1320 [[Mount Abu]] ([[Achaleshwar Mahadev Temple|Achaleshwar temple]]) inscription of the Deora Chauhan ruler Lumbha states that Vatsa created the Chahamanas as a new lineage of warriors, after the [[solar dynasty]] and the [[lunar dynasty]] had ceased to exist.{{sfn|Singh|1964|p=11}}

The Ajmer inscription of the Shakambhari Chahamana ruler [[Vigraharaja IV]] (c. 1150–64 CE) claims that Chahamana belonged to the solar dynasty, descending from [[Ikshavaku]] and [[Rama]]. The 12th-century ''[[Prithviraja Vijaya]]'' [[mahakavya]], composed by [[Prithviraja III]]'s court poet Jayanaka, also claims a solar dynasty origin for the ruling dynasty. According to this text, Chahamana came to earth from ''Arkamandal'' (the orbit of the sun).{{sfn|Singh|1964|p=12}}

[[File:Drachms of the Chauhans of Ranthambhor.jpg|thumb|300px|Drachms of the [[Chahamanas of Ranastambhapura]].]]
[[File:Stamp of India - 2018 - Colnect 787075 - Prithviraj Chauhan Medieval Hindu Ruler of NW India.jpeg|thumb|Stamp depicting [[Prithviraj Chauhan]], a medieval Hindu ruler of North India]]
The 15th-century ''[[Hammira Mahakavya]]'' of Nayachandra Suri, which describes the life of the [[Chahamanas of Ranastambhapura|Ranthambore branch]] ruler [[Hammir Dev Chauhan|Hammira]], gives the following account: Once [[Brahma]] was wandering in search of an auspicious place to conduct a [[yajna|ritual sacrifice]]. He ultimately chose the place where a lotus from his hand fell; this place came to be known as [[Pushkar]]a. Brahma wanted to protect his sacrificial ceremony against interference from [[danava (Hinduism)|danavas]] (miscreant beings). Therefore, he remembered [[Surya|the Sun]], and a hero came into being from the sun's [[orb (astrology)|orb]]. This hero was Chohan, the ancestor of the Hammira's dynasty.{{sfn|Singh|1964|p=13}} The earliest extant recension of ''[[Prithviraj Raso]]'' of [[Chand Bardai]], dated to 15th or 16th century, states that the first Chauhan king – [[Manik Rai|Manikya Rai]] – was born from Brahma's sacrifice.{{sfn|Singh|1964|p=13}} The 16th-century ''Surjana-Charita'', composed by the [[Bengali people|Bengali]] poet Chandra Shekhara under patronage of the Ranthambore ruler Rao Surjana, contains a similar account. It states that Brahma created the first Chahamana from the Sun's disc during a sacrificial ceremony at Pushkara.{{sfn|Singh|1964|pp=13-14}}

Despite these earlier myths, it was the [[Agnivanshi]] (or Agnikula) myth that became most popular among the Chauhans and other Rajput clans. According to this myth, some of the Rajput clans originated from [[Agni]], in a sacrificial fire pit. This legend was probably invented by the 10th-century [[Paramara]] court poet Padmagupta, whose ''[[Nava-sahasanka-charita]]'' mentions only the Paramaras as fire-born.{{sfn|Seth|1978|p=10-13}} The inclusion of Chauhans in the Agnivanshi myth can be traced back to the later recensions of ''Prithviraj Raso''. In this version of the legend, once [[Vashistha]] and other great sages begin a major sacrificial ceremony on Mount Abu. The ritual was interrupted by miscreant [[daitya]]s (demons). To get rid of these demons, Vashistha created progenitors of three Rajput dynasties from the sacrificial fire pit. These were Parihar ([[Pratihara dynasty|Pratiharas]]), Chaluk ([[Chaulukya]] or Solanki), and Parmar (Paramara). These heroes were unable to defeat the demons. So, the sages prayed again, and this time a fourth warrior appeared: Chahuvana (Chauhan). This fourth hero slayed the demons.{{sfn|Seth|1978|p=5}}{{sfn|Singh|1964|pp=14-15}}

The earliest available copies of ''Prithviraj Raso'' do not mention the Agnivanshi legend.{{sfn|Majumdar|1956|p=9}} It is possible that the 16th-century bards came up with the legend to foster Rajput unity against the [[Mughal Emperor|Mughal emperor]] [[Akbar]].{{sfn|Singh|1964|pp=17-18}} Adaptions of the ''Prithviraj Raso'' occur in several later works. The ''Hammira Raso'' (1728 CE) by Jodharaja, a court poet of prince Chandrabhana of [[Neemrana]], states that once the [[Kshatriya]]s (warriors) became extinct. So, the great sages assembled at Mount Abu and created three heroes. When these three heroes could not defeat the demons, they created Chahuvanaji.{{sfn|Singh|1964|p=15}} A slight variation occurs in the writings of Surya Malla Mishrana, the court poet of [[Bundi State|Bundi]]. In this version, the various gods create the four heroes on Vashistha's request.{{sfn|Singh|1964|p=16}} According to the bardic tale of the [[Khilchipur State|Khichi]] clan of Chauhans, the Parwar (Paramara) was born from [[Shiva]]'s essence; the Solankhi (Solanki) or Chaluk Rao (Chalukya) was born from Brahma's essence; the Pariyar (Parihar) was born from Devi's essence; and the Chahuvan (Chauhan) was born from Agni, the fire.{{sfn|Seth|1978|p=6}}

== History ==

The Chauhans were historically a powerful group in the region now known as [[Rajasthan]]. For around 400 years from the 7th century CE their strength in [[Sambhar, Rajasthan|Sambhar]] was a threat to the power-base of the [[Guhilot]]s in the south-west of the area, as also was the strength of their fellow Agnivanshi clans.{{sfn|Gupta|Bakshi|2008|p=95}} They suffered a set-back in 1192 when their leader, Prithviraj Chauhan, was defeated at the [[Second Battle of Tarain]] but this did not signify their demise.{{sfn|Gupta|Bakshi|2008|p=100}} The kingdom broke into the Satyapura and Devda branches after the invasion of [[Qutbu l-Din Aibak]] in 1197.<ref name="sen28">{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sailendra |title=A Textbook of Medieval Indian History |publisher=Primus Books |year=2013 |isbn=978-9-38060-734-4 |page=28}}</ref> The 13th and 14th centuries saw the struggle between the Chauhan Rajputs and the [[Delhi Sultanate]] to control the strategic areas of Delhi, Punjab and Gujarat.<ref name=JP>{{Cite book|first=Tanuja|last=Kothiyal|title=Nomadic Narratives: A History of Mobility and Identity in the Great Indian Desert|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2016|pages=44–45|isbn=9781107080317|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=be-7CwAAQBAJ|quote=Delhi, Punjab and Gujarat were seen as strategic centres by the Sultans of Delhi. Throughout the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, intense struggle to control these towns waged between the various sultans of Delhi and Rajput lineages like Chauhans.}}</ref>

The earliest Chauhan inscription is a copper-plate inscription found at [[Hansot]].<ref>[[Sharma, Dasharatha]] : "[https://books.google.com/books/about/Early_Chauh%C4%81n_Dynasties.html?id=A86fAAAACAAJ Early Chauhan Dynasties]" (1959) by S.Chand & Co. Page 14.</ref>

=== Dynasties ===

The ruling dynasties belonging to the Chauhan clan included:

* [[Chahamanas of Shakambhari]] (Chauhans of Ajmer)
* [[Chahamanas of Naddula]] (Chauhans of Nadol)
* Chahamanas of [[Lata (region)|Lata]]{{sfn|Singh|1964|p=105}}
* Chahamanas of [[Dholpur]]{{sfn|Singh|1964|p=114}}
* Chahamanas of Partabgarh{{sfn|Singh|1964|p=115}}
* [[Chahamanas of Jalor]] (Chauhans of [[Jalore Fort|Jalore]]); branched off from the Chahamanas of Naddula
* Chahamanas of [[Sirohi State]]; branched off from the Chahamanas of Naddula<ref>branched off from the Chahamanas of Naddula</ref>
* [[Chahamanas of Ranastambhapura]] (Chauhans of [[Ranthambore Fort|Ranthambore]]); branched off from the Chahamanas of Shakambhari

== References ==

=== Citations ===
{{reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{ref begin}}
* {{cite book |title=Studies In Indian History: Rajasthan Through The Ages: The Heritage of Rajputs |editor1-first=R. K. |editor1-last=Gupta |editor2-first=S. R. |editor2-last=Bakshi |publisher=Sarup & Sons |year=2008 |volume=1 |isbn=978-8-17625-841-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gHNoU2zcDnIC }}
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ffAdAAAAMAAJ |title=Chaulukyas of Gujarat: A Survey of the History and Culture of Gujarat from the Middle of the Tenth to the End of the Thirteenth Century |first=Asoke Kumar |last=Majumdar |publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan |year=1956 }}
* {{cite book |first=Krishna Narain |last=Seth |title=The Growth of the Paramara Power in Malwa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-Q4dAAAAMAAJ |publisher=Progress |year=1978 }}
* {{cite book |title=History of the Chāhamānas |first=R. B. |last=Singh |publisher=N. Kishore |year=1964 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TKs9AAAAIAAJ }}
{{ref end}}

{{Rajput Groups of India}}{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Indian surnames]]
[[Category:Rajput clans]]
[[Category:Gurjar clans]]
[[Category:Agnivansha]]

Chauhan - Revision history

Bot at 19:48, 1 July 2023