rea of nearly 16,000 square miles, and
a population of 2 1/2 million persons. The Alwar State was founded
about 1776 by Pratap Singh, a descendant of a prince of the Jaipur
house, who had separated from it three centuries before. It has an
area of 3000 square miles and a population of nearly a million. [544]
In Colonel Tod's time the Kachhwaha chiefs in memory of their descent
from Rama, the incarnation of the sun, celebrated with great solemnity
the annual feast of the sun. On this occasion a stately car called the
chariot of the sun was brought from Rama's temple, and the Maharaja
ascending into it perambulated his capital. The images of Rama and
Siva were carried with the army both in Alwar and Jaipur. The banner
of Amber was always called the _Panchranga_ or five-coloured flag,
and is frequently mentioned in the traditions of the Rajput bards. But
it does not seem to be stated what the five colours were. Some of
the finest soldiers in the old Sepoy army were Kachhwaha Rajputs. The
Kachhwahas are fairly numerous in the United Provinces and rank with
the highest Rajput clans. [545] In the Central Provinces they are
found principally in the Saugor, Hoshangabad and Nimar Districts.

Rajput, Nagvansi

_Rajput, Nagvansi_.--This clan are considered to be the descendants of
the Tak or Takshac, which is one of the thirty-six royal races, and was
considered by Colonel Tod to be of Scythian origin. The Takshac were
also snake-worshippers. "Naga and Takshac are synonymous appellations
in Sanskrit for the snake, and the Takshac is the celebrated Nagvansa
of the early heroic history of India. The Mahabharat describes in its
usual allegorical style the war between the Pandus of Indraprestha and
the Takshacs of the north. Parikhita, a prince on the Pandu side, was
assassinated by the Takshac, and his son and successor, Janamejaya,
avenged his death and made a bonfire of 20,000 snakes." [546] This
allegory is supposed to have represented the warfare of the Aryan
races against the Sakas or Scythians. The Tak or Takshac would be
one of the clans held to be derived from the earlier invading tribes
from Central Asia, and of the lunar race. The Tak are scarcely known
in authentic history, but the poet Chand mentions the Tak from Aser
or Asirgarh as one of the princes who assembled at the summons of
Prithwi Raj of Delhi to fight against the Muhammadans. In another
place he is called Chatto the Tak. Nothing more is known of the
Tak