==============+=======
Districts. |Number.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~
Sahâranpur | 360
Muzaffarnagar | 5
Meerut | 3,421
Bulandshahr | 1,201
Aligarh | 1,292
Mathura | 7
Agra | 79
Etah | 386
Bareilly | 1,354
Budâun | 4,381
Morâdâbâd | 237
Shâhjahânpur | 1,079
Pilibhît | 446
Cawnpur | 3
Fatehpur | 20
Bânda | 8
Allahâbâd | 48
Benares | 1
Ghâzipur | 178
Gorakhpur | 2,394
Basti | 3,424
Azamgarh | 479
Tarâi | 363
Lucknow | 3,581
Unâo | 1,198
Râê Bareli | 353
Sîtapur | 4,164
Hardoi |10,598
Kheri | 7,347
Gonda | 65
Bahrâich | 2,098
Sultânpur | 59
Bârabanki | 1,340
+~~~~~~
Total |51,970
==============+======
Gaharwâr.—An important sept of Râjputs. Their name is spelt Gahadawâla
in the grants, and an eminent authority, Dr. Hoernle, connects it with
the Sanskrit root gah, in the sense of “dwellers in caves or deep
jungle.” [383]
[Tribal tradition.] 2. The tribal tradition, as told by the family
bards of the head of the sept, the Râja of Kantit, in the Mirzapur
District, is as follows:—From Chandrama the moon came Buddh, and from
Buddh came Pururavas. Some generations later was born Yayâti, who, when
he reached an old age, longed to recover his youthful vigour. With this
view he called his sons, born of his two wives, Devayâni and
Sarmishtha, and asked them to make over their youth to him. They all
refused except the youngest, the son of Sarmishtha. So Yayâti cursed
them all, and prayed that they might never enjoy royal power. One of
them, Yadu, was the ancestor of the Yaduvansis, none of whom have ever
gained sovereignty. Yayâti reigned many years, and finally abdicated
the throne and crowned his youngest son in his room and became an
ascetic. After many generations in his line Deva Dâsa reigned at Kâshi
or Benares. He was famous for his good works, and hence incurred the
envy of the malignant deity Sani or Saturn. He endeavoured to divert
Deva Dâsa from his life of piety, but he failed, and the good king
gained the title of graha-vâra or “overcomer of the planet,” of which
Gaharwâr is a corruption. He worshipped Mahâdeva so fervently that the
deity abandoned Kâshi and retired to the summit of Kailâsa. But he
became tired of his life of seclusion, and incited the other gods to
mislead Deva Dâsa. All failed, but the Dhundhê Râja Ganesa, who
overcame the piety of Deva Dâsa, who was obliged to retire to Kanauj,
which was then called Râshtradesa, and becoming lord of that land, his
descendants were known as Râthaur. His descendant was the famous Râja
Jaya Chandra, whose dominions are recorded in the Hindi verse:—
Kara, Kâlpi, Kamaru, Kashmîr lawa desa:
Khud, Kâshi, Kanauj dhani Sri Jaya Chandra naresa.
“Jaya Chandra, lord of men and powerful sovereign, was ruler of Kara,
Kâlpi, Kamaru, Kashmîr, Kanauj, and Benares.” After his defeat by
Shahâb-ud-dîn Ghori, Jaya Chandra’s nephew is said to have fled to
Rohtâsgarh; another to Krishnagarh, in Mârwâr; a third to Jodhpur, and
a fourth to Juâlamukhi. The son of the King of Rohtâsgarh was granted
by Shîr Shâh the Pargana of Kera Mangraur, now in the Mirzapur
District, and became a Musalmân. The younger fled to Kantit, in the
same district, and, with the aid of a Sukla Brâhman of Dhaurahra, near
Bijaypur, overcame the Bhar Râja of that place and founded the family
of the Gaharwâr Râjas of Kantit-Bijaypur. All the other Gaharwârs trace
their lineage to Benares or Bijaypur. Those in Hardoi say that the
country was held by Thatheras, whom they defeated and expelled. [384]
3. Sir H. M. Elliot thinks it doubtful whether they preceded the
Râthaurs at Kanauj, or, after being incorporated with them, were
dispersed with them at the final conquest of Kanauj by Muhammad Ghori.
Even now the Cawnpur branch derive their name from Gharbâhar, because
they were turned out of house and home after the fall of Kanauj. [385]
4. The Gaharwârs hold a high rank among Râjput septs. They give
daughters to the Baghel, Chandel, and Bisen, and take brides of the
Bais, Râjkumâr, Maunas, Gautam, Palwâr, Chauhân, Parihâr, Sombansi,
Sirnet, and Dikshit.
In Farrukhâbâd they give brides to the Chauhân, Râthaur, Bhadauriya,
and Kachhwâha, and take girls from the Nikumbh, Chandel, Raikwâr,
Solankhi, Gaur, Chamar-Gaur, Parihâr, and Ujjaini. They claim to belong
to the Bharadwâja gotra. In Unâo they receive brides from the Dhâkrê,
Janwâr, and Parihâr; and give their girls to the Gaur, Bais, Chandel,
and Sombansi.