At a glance
- Delhi: Vigraharaj IV (Visaldev) took it from the Tomars, the first Chauhan to hold it; Prithviraj III inherited it.
- Tarain: Prithviraj III beat Muhammad of Ghor in the first battle (1191).
- Iltutmish and Ranthambore: from 1226 Iltutmish besieged the fort and made its ruler accept Delhi's overlordship; Viranarayan of Ranthambore died in the struggle with him.
- Siwana: Alauddin Khalji took this fort of the Jalore kingdom in 1308, before besieging Jalore. Chittor 1303 is on the Mewar page.
Three Chauhan lines
- Shakambhari and AjmerTarain and DelhiSeat and founderSambhar, later Ajmer; VasudevBest-known rulerPrithviraj IIIEndSecond battle of Tarain, 1192Full notes →
- RanthamboreShelter to Mongol rebelsSeat and founderRanthambore; Govindraj, son of Prithviraj III (1194)Best-known rulerHammir DevEndAlauddin Khalji took the fort, 1301Full notes →
- JaloreSiwana and JaloreSeat and founderJalore (Sonagiri); Kirtipal of the Nadol branch (1181)Best-known rulerKanhaddevEndAlauddin Khalji took the fort, 1311Full notes →
Origin of the Chauhans
- Agnikula: according to the Prithviraj Raso, sage Vashishtha's fire-pit on Mount Abu gave rise to the Parmars, Chalukyas, Pratiharas and, fourth, the Chauhans.
- Suryavanshi: the view of G.H. Ojha; the Prithviraj Vijay and Hammir Mahakavya also call them so.
- Chandravanshi: so called in the Achaleshwar temple (Abu) inscription.
- Brahmin origin: the Bijolia inscription calls Samant, a descendant of Vasudev, a Brahmin of the Vatsa gotra; Dasharatha Sharma holds this view.
Early land: Sapadalaksha, around Sambhar (Shakambhari). The Bijolia inscription makes Vasudev the first Chauhan and the maker of Sambhar lake; tradition dates him to about 551 CE.
The Ajmer line
| Ruler | Link | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Ajayraj (1105–1133) | Son of Prithviraj I | Founded Ajayameru (Ajmer) about 1113; issued silver and copper coins, some with the name of his queen Somaldevi (Somalvati) |
| Arnoraj (Anaji) (1133–1155) | Son of Ajayraj | Built Anasagar lake at Ajmer and the Varah temple at Pushkar; lost to Kumarpal Chalukya of Gujarat; killed by his son Jagdev |
| Vigraharaj IV (Visaldev) (1158–1163) | Son of Arnoraj; came to the throne after his brother Jagdev | Called Kavi-bandhav (friend of poets); built a Sanskrit school at Ajmer and Bisalpur lake |
| Prithviraj II | Son of Jagdev, so nephew of Vigraharaj IV | Came to the throne after Vigraharaj IV's son Amargangeya; probably died without an heir |
| Someshwar | Son of Arnoraj; uncle of Prithviraj II | Brought up in Gujarat; married a Kalachuri princess; father of Prithviraj III and Hariraj |
| Prithviraj III (1177–1192) | Son of Someshwar | The best-known Shakambhari Chauhan |
Regnal years differ by a few years from book to book; the years above are those of the RBSE book.
Other Chauhan branches
- Nadol: begun by Lakshman, son of Vakpatiraj; Kirtipal of this branch founded the Jalore line.
- Hadas (Bundi, Kota: Hadoti) and Deoras (Sirohi) are later Chauhan branches; the Hadas are on the other-dynasties page.
Books and inscriptions
| Work | Author | About |
|---|---|---|
| Bijolia inscription (V.S. 1226, 1170 CE) | Composed by Gunabhadra; put up by the Jain Lolak | Genealogy of the Shakambhari Chauhans |
| Prithviraj Vijay | Jayanak, a Kashmiri poet | Sanskrit poem on Prithviraj III and his ancestors, written in his own time |
| Prithviraj Raso | Chand Bardai, by tradition Prithviraj's court poet | Long poem on Prithviraj III; many historians date the text much later |
| Lalit Vigraharaj | Somdev, court poet of Vigraharaj IV | Sanskrit play in honour of the king |
| Harkeli | Vigraharaj IV himself | Sanskrit play; its lines were cut on slabs in his Sanskrit school at Ajmer |
| Bisaldev Raso | Narpati Nalh | Poem on Bisaldev (Visaldev) |
| Hammir Mahakavya | Nayachandra (Nayanchandra) Suri, a Jain scholar | Sanskrit epic on Hammir, written about a century after his death |
| Hammir Raso · Hammir Hath | Jodhraj · Chandrashekhar | Later poems on Hammir |
| Kanhadade Prabandh | Padmanabh, court poet of the Chauhan ruler Akhairaj | Poem on Kanhaddev and the fall of Jalore, written in 1455; its Firoza–Viramdev love story is not history |
Remember: often mixed up
- Prithviraj Vijay · Prithviraj RasoJayanak's Sanskrit poem is of Prithviraj's own time · the Raso is Chand Bardai's by tradition (asked in CET 2022).
- Vigraharaj IV's two playsHarkeli is his own · Lalit Vigraharaj is by Somdev.
- Two HammirsHammir Dev Chauhan of Ranthambore (1301) · Hammir Sisodia of Mewar, on the Mewar page.
- Two Bijoliasthe Bijolia inscription of 1170 (Chauhan genealogy) · the Bijolia peasant movement of the 20th century, on the peasant movements page.
- FortsRanthambore, Jalore, Siwana and Ajmer's Taragarh are described on the forts page.
Test yourself: asked in exams
RAS Prelims 2023 · Q121
The brave Chauhan ruler of Ajmer who conquered Delhi and annexed it in his kingdom was –
- (1)Vigraharaj IV
- (2)Arnoraj
- (3)Ajayaraj
- (4)Prithviraj III
Show answer
✓ (1) Vigraharaj IV
See the full paperRAS Prelims 2023 · Q137
The author of 'Lalit Vigraharaj' drama was –
- (1)Hemchandra
- (2)Kalhan
- (3)Somdeva
- (4)Mahesh
Show answer
✓ (3) Somdeva
See the full paperCET Graduation Level 2022 · Q30
Which one of the following is not correctly matched?
- (1)Hammir Mahakavya - Nayanchandra Suri
- (2)Vansh Bhaskar - Suryamall Mishan
- (3)Kuvalaymala - Uddhyotana Suri
- (4)Prithviraj Vijay - Chand Bardai
Show answer
✓ (4) Prithviraj Vijay - Chand Bardai
See the full paperRAS Prelims 2024 · Q129
Which of the following options is not rightly matched ?
- (1)Prithvi Raj Raso – Chandarbardai
- (2)Bisaldev Raso – Narpati
- (3)Khuman Raso – Karnidan
- (4)Shatrusal Raso – Dungarsingh
Show answer
✓ (3) Khuman Raso – Karnidan
See the full paperProtection Officer 2022 · Q123
Which of the following inscriptions is a good source of the early history of Shakambhari Chauhan ?
- (1)Chirwa Inscription
- (2)Bijolia Inscription
- (3)Ghatiyala Inscription
- (4)Manmori Inscription
Show answer
✓ (2) Bijolia Inscription
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