1000 to 1200: A period which saw rapid changes in West, Central Asia, and North India. The developments during this period led to the incursion of the Turks into Northern India. The continuous incursion of Turkish tribesmen from Central Asia, mercenary characters of the Turkish, and strife between Muslim sects and different regions made the period restless.
Only a bold warrior and the leader of men who were adept at warfare could withstand this situation and one such valiant Hindu King was Prithviraja III, also known as Prithviraj Chauhan.
Who Was Prithviraj Chauhan
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Prithviraj Chauhan was born to the Chahmana king, Someshvara, and Kalachuri Princess, Karpuradevi. Prithviraj Chauhan and his younger brother Hariraja were born in Gujarat.
According to Prithviraj Vijaya, a eulogistic Sanskrit epic poem, Prithviraj Chauhan was born on the 12th month of Jyeshtha month. Prithviraj Chauhan’s year of birth is not mentioned in the text of this epic.
Prithviraj Chauhan was the most famous Chauhan ruler. He ascended the throne at the young age of eleven in 1177. He took the reins of administration in his hands when he was 16. Prithviraj Chauhan, after his reign, immediately started his expansionist policy. He brought many of the smaller Rajput states under his control. Prithviraj ruled from both Ajmer and Delhi.
According to Prithviraj Vijaya, Prithviraj was well-educated and knew 6 languages. On the other hand, as per Prithviraj Raso, Prithviraj had learned 14 languages.
Prithviraj Vijaya claims that Prithviraj Chauhan was a skilled archer and possessed the ability to hit any target solely based on the target’s sound. Prithviraj Raso mentioned that he was well-versed in various subjects like mathematics, medicine, history, painting, military, etc. There were various Scientists in Ancient India who made contributions to the mathematics and medical fields.
Prithviraj Chauhans’s Conflict with Other Rajput Rulers
1. Conflict with Nagarjuna
Just like another great Rajput ruler Maharana Pratap, Prithviraj Chauhan’s accession to the throne also faced tough challenges. The first rebellion he faced was from his cousin Nagarjuna. According to Prithviraj Vijaya, Nagarjuna rebelled against Prithviraj’s reign and occupied Gudpura Fort.
Prithviraj surrounded Gudpura Fort with a large army. Nagarjuna fled the fort and ultimately, after Devabhata’s (Nagarjuna’s general) unsuccessful resistance against Prithviraj, made Prithviraj victorious.
2. Conflict with the Bhadanaka Kingdom
As per Cynthia Talbot, the Bhadanaka dynasty controlled the areas around the Rewari, Bhiwani, and Mahendragarh regions of Haryana and Alwar in Rajasthan during the 11th and 12th centuries.
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Two verses of Kharatara-Gachchha-Pattavali claim Prithviraj Chauhan’s victory on Bhadanaka. According to Bijolia Inscription, there was a fierce battle between the Chauhans and Bhadanakas, and the Chauhans were victorious.
3. Prithviraj Chauhan’s War Against the Chandelas
Prithviraj led an expedition in the Bundelkhand region against the Chandelas. In this struggle, the famous warriors of Prithviraj Chauhan, Alha, and Udal, lost their lives. The Chandel ruler is said to have got support from Jai Chandra, the Gahadavala ruler of Kanauj.
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The combined Chandelas-Gahadavala army attacked Prithviraj’s camp but was defeated by Prithviraj’s forces. Prithviraj, then captured Mahoba, the capital of Kanauj, and returned to Delhi after appointing Pajjun Rai as governor of Mahoba.
4. Wars in Gujarat
Different historical sources provide different information and evidence regarding Prithviraj’s war against the Chalukyas.
- Prithviraj Raso mentions that both Prithviraj and Chaulukya king of Gujrat, Bhima wanted to marry Lchchhini, the Paramara princess of Abu. Prithviraj’s marriage to the Paramara princess, Lchchhini led to his war against Bhima. Historian G.H. Ojha disagrees with this and states it as fiction because Prithviraj Raso mentions that Lchchhini was a daughter of Salakha but at that time Dharavarsha was the Paramara ruler of Abu.
- On the other hand, historian R.B. Singh claims that Salakha was the head of another Paramara branch.
- Raso also provides that Prithviraj’s uncle Kanhadeva had killed seven sons of Bhima’s uncle Sarangadev which led to the avenge of these murders by Bhima. Bhima killed Prithviraj’s father Someshvara and captured Nagor. Prithviraj recaptured Nagor and defeated and killed Bhima. This is also known as historically false.
- According to historians like Satish Chandra and R.C. Majumdar, Prithviraj was unsuccessful against the Chalukya ruler Bhima.
5. Gahadavala Conflict
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Prithviraj Chauhan also came into conflict with Gahadavala, ruler of Kannauj, Jayachandra. Jayachandra had a quest for territorial expansion and eagerly wanted to curb Prithviraj.
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The feud between Prithviraj and Jayachandra intensified when Prithviraj fell in love with Samyogita, the daughter of Jayachandra. Prithviraj eloped with Samyogita and grew the rivalry between him and Jayachandra. The love between Prithviraj and Samyogita made Chauhan king popular as a “Romantic and Dashing General”.
The Battle of Tarain
The Battle of Tarain was between two ambitious rulers, Prithviraj Chauhan, and Muizzuddin Muhammad or Muhammed Ghori. The conflict between the two rulers started with rival claims for Tabarhinda.
The battle which was fought at Tarain in 1191 made the Ghurid forces completely routed and the First Battle of Tarain was won by Prithviraj Chauhan. Though little attempts were taken by Prithviraj to oust the Ghurids from Punjab.
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This gave Muhammed Ghori some time to regroup his forces to make another bid for India. Muhammad Ghori also rejected Prithviraj Chauhan’s proposal to leave Punjab.
The Second Battle of Tarain in 1192 is regarded as one of the turning points in Indian history. Muhammad Ghori had 1,20,000 men in his troop which included a force of heavy cavalry with steel coats and armor and 10,000 mounted archers.
As soon as Prithviraj started realizing the Ghurid threat, he appealed to all the Rajput rulers of Northern India for help. Many Rajput kings sent contingents to help Prithviraj but Jayachandra, the ruler of Kannauj stayed away. Prithviraj is said to have a greater force than Muhammed Ghori’s force, but the Turkish army was better organized and led.
The superior organizational skills and speed of movement made Muhammed Ghori victorious. Prithviraj was defeated by Muhammed Ghori and somehow managed to escape. Later Prithviraj was captured near Saraswati.
The Turkish army captured Saraswati, Hansi, Samana, and Ajmer. Prithviraj was allowed to rule Ajmer for some time. Soon after, Prithviraj was executed on a charge of conspiracy which led his son to succeed him. Later, Prithviraj Chauhan’s son moved to Ranthambore, India, and the Chauhan dynasty was then retired to Ranthambore.