Chouhan Nirban Rajput

  The Chauhan (also known as Nirban) are of Agnivanshi lineage. Their state was initially centered around

Khetri, Khandela, Alsisar Malsisar, Srimadhopur, Alwar, Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Churu. According to legend and clan history, the Nirwan or Nirban are with Maharana Pratap against Akbar in Haldighati Battle. Nirban's have many gotras, most of these gotras are Baloji, Pithoraji, Kaluji. Another clam using the same name originated as feudatories of the Pratiharas and rose to power in the wake of the decline of that power. Their state was initially centered around Sambhar in present-day Rajasthan. In the 11th century, they founded the city of Ajmer which became their capital. In the 12th century, their the then King Prithviraj Chauhan acquired Delhi from his maternal grand father, the then King Anangpal. Their most famous ruler was Prithviraj Chauhan, who won the First Battle of Tarain against an invading Muslim army but lost the Second Battle of Tarain the following year. This loss heralded a prolonged period of Muslim rule over northern India.

The nephew of Bisal Deo was Prithvi Raj Chauhan, the last Hindu Ruler of Delhi. He ruled at Sambhar, Ajmer and Delhi. His first exploit was the abduction of the daughter of Jaichand, the Gaharwar (or Rathore) Raja of Kannauj in 1175. The king of Kanauj had claimed the title of universal sovereign and determined to celebrate the Ashwa-Medha or horse sacrifice, at which all the offices should be performed by vassal kings. This was the last Asvamedha performed by a Hindu king. Pritvi Raj of Delhi and Samarsi of Mewar alone declined to attend as subordinate, and Jaichand therefore made a wooden image of him and set it up at the gate in the part of the doorkeeper. But when his daughter after the tournament took the garland of flowers to bestow it on the chief whom she chose for her husband, she passed by all the assembled nobles and threw the garland on the neck of the wooden image. At this moment Prithvi Raj dashed in with a few companions, and catching her up, escaped with her from her father’s court. Mer. E. Balfour: ” In this successfull rape he lost the flower of his followers and his subsequent defeat by the Muhamaddans has been partly attributed to this. Jaichand , though bereaved of his daughter sent her jahez or trousseau after her. Jaichand closed his career by lapsing into the Ganga at Ferozabad, the ancient Chandwar.”

Afterwards, in 1182, Prithviraj defeated the Chandel king Raja Parmal and captured Mahoba. In 1191 he was the head of a confederacy of Hindu kings in combatting the invasion of Huhammad Ghori. He repelled
the Muhamaddans at Tarain about 2 miles north of Delhi, but in the following year was completely defeated and killed at Thaneswar, and soon afterwards Delhi and Ajmer fell to the Mohammedan. The Chauhan kingdom was broken up, but scattered parts of it remained, and about 1307 Asirgarh in Nimar, which continued to be held by the Chauhans, was taken by Ala-ud-din Khilji and the whole garrison put to the sword except one boy. This boy, Raisi Chauhan, escaped to Rajputana, and according to the bardic chronicle his descendants formed the Hara branch of the Chauhans and conquered from the Minas the tract known as Haravati, from which they perhaps took their name. This is now comprised in the Kotah and Bundi states which is now ruled by Hara chiefs. Another well-known offshoot from the Chauhans are the Khichi clan, who belong to the Sind-Sagar Doab; and the Nikumbh and Bhadauria clans are also derived from them. The Chauhans are numerous in Punjab and UP and rank as one of the highest Rajput clans. In the Central Povinces they are found mainly in the Narsinghpur and Hoshangabad Districts, and also in Mandla.  The Chauhans of the Karnal district being closer to Delhi from the 14th to the 17th Century. Chauhans in Rajastan are few in number and live in Alwar district of Rajastan.