Note 41 — C

2. Of the Oudh Chauhâns, Sir C. Elliot writes41:—“In all probability they followed closely on the Dikhits in the date of their immigration. They colonised a tract of land which lies south of Dikhtiyâna, with the Panwârs, Bâchhals, and Parihârs between it and the River Ganges. Chauhâna is the name popularly given to this tract, which is properly said to consist of ninety villages. The traditional cause which led to the migration is as follows:—A certain Râja of Mainpuri married a second wife in his old age, though his first wife had borne him two sons. The bride expostulated with her family at being given in marriage to so old a man, and stipulated that if she had a son he should succeed to the estate and the title. The Râja agreed, and signed a written acknowledgment to that effect. After some time he died; but his wife had already borne him a son, and on his death she produced the bond which the Râja had signed. All the brotherhood agreed that they ought to abide by it. The two elder brothers left the country in disgust and settled in Oudh. The traditions of different villages in Chauhâna differ as to the names of these two brothers, and it is stated that only one of them remained here and the other went on to the borders of the Gomati and settled in Isauli, where there is now a large Chauhân colony. But as the whole of the great colonies of Bachgotis, Râjkumârs, Rajwârs, and Khânzâdas, who rule in the Faizâbâd and Sultânpur Districts, are Chauhâns disguised under various names, and originally emigrated from Mainpuri about the same time, it is safe to trust an isolated local tradition as to any close connection existing between any of these two colonies. It is sufficient to remark that they are all of the same gotra, and therefore belong to the same stock.”