s in combating the invasion of Muhammad
Ghori. He repelled the Muhammadans at Tarain about two 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 Muhammadans. The Chauhan kingdom was broken up, but scattered
parts of it remained, and about A.D. 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. [521] This is now comprised in the Kotah and
Bundi states, 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 the Punjab and United Provinces and rank as
one of the highest Rajput clans. In the Central Provinces they are
found principally in the Narsinghpur and Hoshangabad Districts, and
also in Mandla. The Chauhan Rajputs of Mandla marry among themselves,
with other Chauhans of Mandla, Seoni and Balaghat They have exogamous
sections with names apparently derived from villages like an ordinary
caste. The remarriage of widows is forbidden, but those widows who
desire to do so go and live with a man and are put out of caste. This,
however, is said not to happen frequently. A widow's hair is not
shaved, but her glass bangles are broken, she is dressed in white,
made to sleep on the ground, and can wear no ornaments. Owing to the
renown of the clan their name has been adopted by numerous classes of
inferior Rajputs and low Hindu castes who have no right to it. Thus
in the Punjab a large subcaste of Chamars call themselves Chauhan,
and in the Bilaspur District a low caste of village watchmen go
by this name. These latter may be descendants of the illegitimate
offspring of Chauhan Rajputs by low-caste women.

Rajput, Dhakar

_Rajput, Dhakar_.--In the Central Provinces this term has the meaning
of one of illegitimate descent, and it is often used by the Kirars,
who are probably of mixed descent from Rajputs. In northern India,
however, the Dhakars are a clan of Rajputs, who claim Surajvansi
origin; but this is not generally admitted. Mr. C