"हल हलत दनुज बहु त्रास मानि।
भुज च्यारी दीधै आयुध सजानि।। यज्ञ पुरुष प्रकटे अजोनि।
कर खड्ग धनुष कटि लसे तोनि।।"गौरवशाली ऐतिहासिक पृष्ठभूमि, बलिदान के अद्वितीय उदाहरण,
युद्ध कौशल का उत्कृष्ट मानदंड स्थापित करने वाले भारतवर्ष के महान सम्राट।
Climb of the unforgotten brave !
Whose land from plain to mountain cave
Was freedom's home or glory's grave
Shrine of the mighty! Can it be,
That this is all remains of thee ?
He is who cultivated the land of Hind with his own blood, a blood so pristine, so divine, that it, not the 7 great rivers, were the primary barrier against every invader.
▪️Prabandha Cintāmaṇi - mentions that Prithviraj successfully defended himself from Muslim invaders 22 times but he was not so fortunate on the last occasion.
▪️In Hammīra Mahākāvya and Pṛthvīrāja Prabandha - Prithviraj defeats Shihab-al-Din, 7 times in succession.
▪️Tāj al-Ma’āsir ONLY mentions Prithviraj defeat.
▪️Tabaqāt-i Nāṣirī mentions 2 battles: 1st Prithviraja won & 2nd Prithviraja lost.
The strength and valour of Prithviraj Chauhan will inspire the generation to come. He will always live in our hearts and we will never forget our hero, our brother, our inspiration, Tributes to the Great Rajput Warrior "Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan"
But some ask why spend so much time discussing this one clan?
Because they straddled the gap between the ancient and medieval India and were witness to a momentous turning point in Indian History…also because they were part of an important battle, which changed Indian society and military tactics for the next few centuries. Comparison is also needed with the story in Punjab, Sindh, and Afghanistan, all of which fell earlier and more completely to the assault of Islam and how Persian sources omitted reverses which they faced early on. Ghurids Raids were frequent in those times. They must have suffered defeats. While keeping in mind that there was an ambassador of Ghurids in Pṛthvīrāja court (Pṛthvīrājavijaya), we can conclude that there were Ghurid Raids in Chauhan Kingdom which were resisted successfully (IMAGE ⬇️).
This comparison will come later, but Students of Indian History have often expressed their angst over Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan’s mistake after the First Battle of Tarain—he did not try to liberate Punjab when he had the best opportunity. Well, Prithviraj at the age of 24 defeated the lord of central Asia, dominated North and fell in a glorious struggle only to be called "stupid" by a dude sitting behind a screen whose idea of warfare probably comes from TV shows and movies. Not to mention those "17 battles." Yet he certainly had the opportunity, but it is equally certain that he lacked the means to grab that opportunity.
The different formations of the Hindu army (elephants, infantry, cavalry) prevented them from chasing down and destroying Ghori’s army. It can be speculated that they should have avoided besieging Sarhind, to first cross the Sutlej and liberate Punjab from Muslim occupation, while Shihab-ud-din was running home to Ghazni. But then the 1200 Turk cavalry in Sarhind fort would not have sat idle—they would’ve swooped down to raid the Chauhan Kingdom and cut-off Prithviraj’s communication links until their master returned from Ghazni with a fresh army. Alternatively, they could have followed the Chauhan army into Punjab and harassed them with cavalry maneuvers for several months until the return of Muhammad Ghori.
In either case, the Chauhans would have been trapped and destroyed in that alien land. Punjab had been under Muslim occupation then, for under 200 years…many of its towns and forts had small garrisons of Turks and many converted Hindus. Such a land could not be liberated in one campaign. Secondly, the Chauhans needed to protect their own borders in the south and east from their ambitious neighbors…focusing exclusively on the north would have meant the eventual loss of their kingdom to their other neighbors. With these circumstances, it appears that Prithviraj did the right thing in going step-by-step by first liberating Sarhind and acquiring a base for future operations in the north.
The second mistake of Prithviraj is also shared by other Hindu kings of that period (and also of an earlier age). It is often asked why he couldn’t organize counter-raids into the enemy lands just as the Turks raided deep into Indian Territory for loot and slaughter? Again this was possible in theory…the Chauhan infantry and elephants could have blockaded the Turk garrison in Sarhind while their cavalry carried out these raids. They had adequate cavalry (between 5000-10,000 horse) for not only looting Punjab but also going further to attack the unprotected population living around the forts in Ghazni and Ghor.
But the Turks attacked civilians to either sell them as slaves or convert them to Islam…there was no slave-trade in India and what would the Hindus convert the enemy civilians too? But more importantly, what was there to loot in the lands under Turk occupation ? Punjab, Sindh, and Afghanistan had been turned into economic wastelands by the Islamist onslaught as described by the eyewitness Al-Beruni centuries ago. The Chauhan cavalry would have gained nothing for all their exertions. On the other hand, the Turk-Islamic state survived primarily on raiding and robbing their wealthy neighbors…their economy was geared permanently towards war and they did little for the civilian population living under their protection.
These are the so-called mistakes of Prithviraj Chauhan, which should be seen in light of the prevailing circumstances…but there were some crucial mistakes committed by Muhammad Ghori. Yes, the victorious Muhammad Ghori!
Consider this. After Tarain II, according to the graphic accounts of the Muslim chroniclers, the Chauhan army was not only defeated but also destroyed. So it is surprising that Muhammad Ghori was unable to capture either Ajmer or Delhi. The Chauhan military strength had evaporated, morale was devastatingly low, and only small garrisons sat fearfully in these places while the huge Turk army ranged through the land—and yet Ghori failed to carry this fight to the finish.
If the accounts of Prithviraj’s captivity are true, they would indicate Shihab-ud-din’s desire to get money for his war expenses. Or perhaps he did not have the time to besiege these cities—just as Prithviraj had conflicts with his Indian neighbors, the Turks of Ghor had enemies like the Ghuzz Turks and the Khwarazim Turks. After each Indian campaign, Ghori had to return to his post in Ghazni to watch over them and support his elder brother.
Whatever the reason, it proved to be a blunder of monumental proportions . As is shown in the earlier post the Chauhan Rajaputras quickly recovered their spirit and took the initiative in counter-attacks on the Turks—all the efforts of Ghori’s lieutenants to crush them ultimately went in vain and the spirit of resistance spread throughout the Kingdom of Ajmer. But this monumental blunder also affected the Muslim expansion into other regions.
The Rajaputras of Kannauj
From Delhi, Aibak attacked the neighboring principalities, which paid tribute to the rulers of Kannauj, and thus acquired a base to invade that kingdom. In 1193 Muhammad Ghori came from Ghazni with 50,000 cavalries and joined his lieutenant to follow the course of the Yamuna River for invading Kannauj. Jaychand too advanced to fight the invader at Chandwar—throughout the head-on clash, the Gahadval army prevailed until Jaychand was killed. The leaderless forces lost their momentum and unity of command—they were defeated and chased by the Turks who captured many towns and forts at a gallop.
Once again Ghori returned to his home to watch over the Turks of Khwarazim while Aibak was diverted by the attacks of the Chauhan Rajaputras on Delhi—these should have been mopped up immediately after Tarain II when they were at their weakest. But the invaders made matters worse by repeating this mistake in the east. The force left behind in Kannauj was in no position to mop up the local resistance in that newly-conquered land—the Rajaputra Harishchand defeated these Muslims and recovered his father’s domain. Ghori’s initial mistake had created the situation for committing that same mistake in the east, and the later Sultans would live to regret these repeated mistakes.
The tributaries of the Gahadvals, the Rathors of Badaun and the Bhor chieftains , also recovered their lands and resisted future attacks. The same story was repeated in the lesser principalities like Bayana, Gwalior, and Narwar. In each case at the very moment of their triumph against a particular fort, the Turks would be called away to fight Rajaputra chieftains in another place and the same cycle would be repeated endlessly. All this was the result of Muhammad Ghori’s inability, or a lack of will caused by overconfidence, to crush the power of the Chauhan Rajaputras when it was extremely weak—a blunder of monumental proportions.
In 1202 Muhammad Ghori’s became the Amir of Ghor on the death of his elder brother—Qutb-ud-din Aibak became his deputy with the title of Sultan. The new Amir did not long enjoy his exalted position. In 1205 the Ghori Turks were crushed at Andkhui by the Turks of Khwarazim—when this news reached India several rebellions broke out. In crushing these rebellions Amir Muhammad Ghori met his end in circumstances that will be related in the section on Punjab.
Sources:
The most popular accounts about Prithviraj were written centuries later by a Muslim (the book Gulshan-i-Ibrahimi by Ferishta ) and by a Hindu (the book Prithviraj Raso by Chand Bardai ). Both of these are full of exaggerations and myths.
According to Ferishta Prithviraj had an army of 300,000 cavalry (!), 3000 elephants (!), and innumerable infantry (what could be more innumerable after 300,000 horsemen? The entire population of the Kingdom of Ajmer?). Later Rajput Kingdoms (when cavalry had become the most important formation in the army) of similar large size had at the most 20,000 cavalry. By this comparison, Prithviraj could not have had more than 10,000 horsemen.
Chand Bardai states that after the First Battle of Tarain Prithviraj fell in love with, carried away, and married Sanyogita, daughter of Jaychand Rathor of Kannuaj. His love for her caused the defeat in the second battle, which is not borne out by the facts related above. According to contemporary literature, inscriptions, and coins, the rulers of Kannauj were Gahadvals…the Rathors of Badaun were their tributaries. There is no record of a conflict between Ajmer and Kannauj for the simple reason that they did not have a common border.
Sources:
The most popular accounts about Prithviraj were written centuries later by a Muslim (the book Gulshan-i-Ibrahimi by Ferishta ) and by a Hindu (the book Prithviraj Raso by Chand Bardai ). Both of these are full of exaggerations and myths.
According to Ferishta Prithviraj had an army of 300,000 cavalry (!), 3000 elephants (!), and innumerable infantry (what could be more innumerable after 300,000 horsemen? The entire population of the Kingdom of Ajmer?). Later Rajput Kingdoms (when cavalry had become the most important formation in the army) of similar large size had at the most 20,000 cavalry. By this comparison, Prithviraj could not have had more than 10,000 horsemen.
Chand Bardai states that after the First Battle of Tarain Prithviraj fell in love with, carried away, and married Sanyogita, daughter of Jaychand Rathor of Kannuaj. His love for her caused the defeat in the second battle, which is not borne out by the facts related above. According to contemporary literature, inscriptions, and coins, the rulers of Kannauj were Gahadvals…the Rathors of Badaun were their tributaries. There is no record of a conflict between Ajmer and Kannauj for the simple reason that they did not have a common border.
Tarain I was fought in early 1191, for thirteen months after this Prithviraj was busy in the siege of Sarhind (early 1192); Tarain II was fought only a few months later. When did Prithviraj have the time to correspond with a princess, admit his love to her, and make arrangements to carry her away from a place hundreds of miles in the east.
The more contemporary, and accurate, account is the Prithviraj-vijay written by Jayanaka . This man was a Kashmiri who had settled down in Ajmer and was a poet in Prithviraj’s court. The names of the Chauhan Kingdom’s ministers and generals are given here—interestingly one of these generals, named Udayraj, was from Bengal. The [ Prithviraj-vijay ] also describes the early communications between Ghori and the Chauhans, and the advice given to Prithviraj by the minister Kadambvas.
There are two other books that mention these events in passing. The Prabandha-chintamani by Merutunga Acharya claims that Prithviraj was taken prisoner but was restored to the throne of Ajmer by Ghori. On a visit to Ajmer the Turk chief happened to see a wall painting, one in the palace that showed the Muslim soldiers being crushed by a charging horde of wild boar. The humiliated Ghori had Prithviraj killed.
The Viruddhavidhi-vidhvamsa by Laksmidhar describes the absence of the main Chauhan general Skanda in another battle (the enemy is not described). But it goes on to say that Prithviraj was killed by the Turushkas and his brother, the Rajaputra Hariraj became King.
The Hammir-Mahakavya of Nayachandra Suri is a later work but it was written on commission from the Chauhans of Ranthambhor (who will be described in later posts). It has many internal details of the Chauhan clan but exaggerates Prithviraj’s victory (it claims several victories) over Ghori by describing the repeated capture and release of the Turk chief. The Hammir-Mahakavya also claims that Prithviraj was taken prisoner but to Delhi —the Bengali general Udayraj attacked Delhi to rescue his master but Prithviraj died in captivity and Udayraj was killed in battle. This work confirms that the Rajaputra Hariraj became the next King of Ajmer.
The more contemporary, and accurate, account is the Prithviraj-vijay written by Jayanaka . This man was a Kashmiri who had settled down in Ajmer and was a poet in Prithviraj’s court. The names of the Chauhan Kingdom’s ministers and generals are given here—interestingly one of these generals, named Udayraj, was from Bengal. The [ Prithviraj-vijay ] also describes the early communications between Ghori and the Chauhans, and the advice given to Prithviraj by the minister Kadambvas.
There are two other books that mention these events in passing. The Prabandha-chintamani by Merutunga Acharya claims that Prithviraj was taken prisoner but was restored to the throne of Ajmer by Ghori. On a visit to Ajmer the Turk chief happened to see a wall painting, one in the palace that showed the Muslim soldiers being crushed by a charging horde of wild boar. The humiliated Ghori had Prithviraj killed.
The Viruddhavidhi-vidhvamsa by Laksmidhar describes the absence of the main Chauhan general Skanda in another battle (the enemy is not described). But it goes on to say that Prithviraj was killed by the Turushkas and his brother, the Rajaputra Hariraj became King.
The Hammir-Mahakavya of Nayachandra Suri is a later work but it was written on commission from the Chauhans of Ranthambhor (who will be described in later posts). It has many internal details of the Chauhan clan but exaggerates Prithviraj’s victory (it claims several victories) over Ghori by describing the repeated capture and release of the Turk chief. The Hammir-Mahakavya also claims that Prithviraj was taken prisoner but to Delhi —the Bengali general Udayraj attacked Delhi to rescue his master but Prithviraj died in captivity and Udayraj was killed in battle. This work confirms that the Rajaputra Hariraj became the next King of Ajmer.
Udayaraj: This general was from Gauda (Bengal) according to the Prithviraj Vijay. Another text, the Hammir-Mahakavya which was written more than a century later, confirms his existence and asserts that he attacked the city of Delhi in an attempt to rescue the captive Prithviraj. He was absent at the second Battle of Tarain because he could not muster his troops in time to join Prithviraj.
Hariraja the brother of Prithviraj: he liberated Ajmer and launched an attack on Delhi. He had friendly relations with the Solankis of Gujarat, but was finally defeated by the Turks in 1194, and killed himself to avoid captivity. Hariraja’s rule is confirmed by archaeological evidence in the shape of his inscription dated 1194, and those texts which record his name have a greater value than others.
So we have these twin pieces of evidence to show that Prithviraj had a much smaller army in the Second Battle of Tarain:
The absence of his generals Skanda, Udayaraja, and Bhuvanik Malla. Each general had the power to lead separate campaigns and must have commanded substantial forces.
The ability of the Chauhans of Ranthambhor to defy the Delhi Sultanate for a full century, the ability of the surviving Chauhan generals to counter-attack the Turks in Delhi, and the ability of Hariraja to liberate Ajmer, all suggest that a large part of the Chauhan force was not present at Tarain.
The conventional method in calculating the cavalry forces in the medieval era, when cavalry was the dominant element of most armies, is to assign 10,000 horsemen to any prince or general named prominently in the records. However in India cavalry-dominant armies only emerged in the 14th century with Mewar, Marwar, and Vijayanagar, and for the forces of Prithviraj the contemporary texts describe a mixed formation of horse cavalry and infantry, sprinkled with some elephants and camels. Infantry was in greater numbers to cavalry, which in turn outnumbered camels, which were more than elephants imported from more fertile regions (In eastern and southern India the proportions were: infantry>>elephants>>cavalry the last of which was imported). For the Turks, who controlled the horse breeding region of Central Asia and West Asia the proportions were cavalry>>>camels>>>>infantry>>>elephants (imported from India).
Estimate of forces in the Second Battle of Tarain - 1192
The Muslim sources only state cavalry forces and barely mention the others, and in the Second Battle of Tarain they state that Ghori divided his army into four units of 10,000 horse keeping the fifth of 12,000 under his own command, giving a total of 52,000 cavalry with the camels, infantry, and elephant numbers unknown for Muhammad Ghori’s army. For the Chauhan army, the only general named is Govindraj of Delhi and Prithviraj himself, and both Hindu and Muslim accounts state that Prithviraj tried to buy time by negotiating so that at least Udayaraj would come up in time to bolster his army. But assuming that there were other minor chieftains commanding units of a few thousand, with at least 10,000 under Govindraj, and assuming 12,000 under Prithviraj, we can conclude that the Chauhan army numbered 30,000 at the most, with the all-important cavalry at only 10,000. This explains the total rout of this army by the five times larger Turk cavalry.
Estimate of forces in the First Battle of Tarain - 1191
In the First Battle of Tarain, both Udayaraj and Skanda were present, boosting the total Rajput army to 50,000 with the cavalry at 20,000. Muhammad Ghori who had spent some of his army to garrison the fort of Sarhind, is stated by the Muslim sources to have kept his army in the conventional three wings, commanding the center himself. The Muslim army can be estimated at 35,000 cavalry (+ camels, infantry, elephants numbers unknown) with 10,000 in either wing and a few thousand rearguards. The Rajput army placed the cavalry in the wings and kept the infantry and elephants in the center. Although the wings were evenly matched, the Turks hesitated and the Rajputs struck the first blow, the momentum of their charge breaking up Ghori’s wings which eventually gave way in the ensuing swordfight at close quarters. Meanwhile, Ghori was holding on in the center as the elephants and infantry of the Rajput center slowly came up to join the battle, and as described above Govindraj mounted on his elephant, seriously wounded Ghori, sending him flying with the rest of the center. After the victory the Hindu army gave chase but was easily outpaced by the Turk cavalry; hence they besieged Sarhind and forced its surrender after nearly 12 months.
The Wikipedia entry on the Battles of Tarain makes some startling claims:
*Many Turk soldiers in Ghauri’s army had not even seen elephants before
Elephants were being used in warfare in the wider world since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. A previous Turk invader, Mahmud Ghaznavi, captured elephants in India and they formed part of Muslim armies since then.*Ghauri’s horse cavalry was unable to hold its own against Prithviraj’s elephant cavalry.
There was no elephant cavalry! Prithviraj’s kingdom covered the dry regions of Rajasthan, Haryana, and southern Punjab, and elephants had to be imported from eastern or central India which were more densely forested. Only the leading generals sat on elephants in the center, with other elephants and infantry, while cavalry made up the wings. It was the Rajput horse cavalry from the two wings that routed the Muslim cavalry opposite them.*As the battle continued, the Ghauri army, exhausted, shorn of water, and unfamiliar with the scale of its opponent, retreated
Patently false, as even the Muslim accounts admit that the two wings were routed by the Rajputs, broke down, and fled. While the center also fled after the sultan was wounded and fainted on his horse.
*Ghauri was himself wounded in the battle and was rescued by his Turkic slave, Qutb-ud-din Aibak.
He was actually rescued by a Khalji trooper and not Aibak, who was a prominent general and would have commanded in one of the wings.*the ruler of Kannauj Raja Jaichand who met Ghori and divulged the secrets of Chauhan’s planning of the war.
The kingdoms of Ajmer and Kannauj did not have a common border, fought no battles. As per inscriptions, Jayachandra was fighting against the Sena rulers in the region of Bihar, far in the east.
Prithviraja III (1178–1192 CE ), popularly known as Prithviraj Chauhan or Rai Pithora was a king from the Chahamana (Chauhan) dynasty. He ruled Sapadalaksha, the traditional Chahamana territory, in present-day north-western India. He controlled much of the present-day Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi; and some parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. His capital was located at Ajayameru (modern day Ajmer).
Prithviraj was born to the Chahamana king Someshvara and queen Karpuradevi. Both Prithviraj and his younger brother Hariraja were born in Gujarat, where their father Someshvara was brought up at the Chalukya court by his maternal relatives. According to Prithviraja Vijaya, he was born on the 12th day of the Jyeshta month. This book does not mention the year of his birth, but provides some of the astrological planetary positions at the time of his birth, calling them auspicious. Based on these positions and assuming certain other planetary positions, the year of Prithviraj’s birth was calculated as 1166 CE (1223 Vikram Samvat) Jyestha Krishna Dwadishi.
The same book states that he mastered 6 languages; while Prithviraj Raso, written by his friend poet Chand Bardai claims that he learned 14 languages.
He was master of history, mathematics, medicine, military, painting, philosophy (mimamsa), and theology. Both the texts state that he was particularly proficient in archery and learned the art of Sabda-Bhedi (hitting a target by concentrating on sound, while being blind-folded) during his childhood.
His father died when Prithviraj was around 11 years old and he ascended throne with his mother as the regent.
"Ancestors of Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan"
Fourteen hundred year's ago Kshatriyas belonging to the Chauhan Rajput clan established a small kingdom around the town of Sambhar.
"Vasudeva (627-84 )"
बांको है गढ़ बीठ्ली, बांको भड बीस्ल्ल
खाण खेचतो खेत मझ, दलमलतो अरिदल्ल
(Beesaldev Chauhan's painting is shown in the picture)
* The actual founder of the Chauhan dynasty of Sapadalaksha
*The lake of sambhar is also built by him.
In the 9th Century, as tributaries of the Imperial Pratihars of Kannauj, the Chauhans fought the Palas of Bengal (in the east) and the Arabs of Sindh (in the west). As their power grew, younger sons of each Chauhan Raja, known as Rajaputras, established their own strongholds and principalities around the parent kingdom.
The Chauhans did not suffer any loss during the 11th Century invasions of Mahmud Ghaznavi but they had several fights with his successors who established their rule in the neighboring region of Punjab.
The Chauhans did not suffer any loss during the 11th Century invasions of Mahmud Ghaznavi but they had several fights with his successors who established their rule in the neighboring region of Punjab.
"Prithviraj Chauhan I (1090-1110 )"
Prithviraj was the first descendant of Vasudev Chauhan
"Ajayadeva / Ajayraj II (1110-35 )"
In the early 12th Century Ajayraj Chauhan built a fort near the Holy Town of Pushkar. The site commanded a strategic gap in the Aravalli hills—to the west was Sambhar and the trade routes leading to the southern ports, while to the east was the fertile basin of the River Ganga and its tributaries. This hill-fort was named Ajay-meru (Ajay’s hill), which with the passage of time was pronounced Ajmer, and which became the site for a new capital city for the Chauhans.
The descendants of Ajayraj captured the then small town of Delhi from the Tomars and southern Punjab from the Ghaznavi Turks.
"Arnoraj / Aanaji"
* During the time of Ajayadev's son Arnoraj (Aanaji), the Muslims marched on Rajputana and, via destroying Pushkar, their army advanced towards Ajmer and reached Anasagar place, where Arnoraj defeated them after a fierce battle.
In this battle, so much blood was shed that Arnoraj built a pond named Anasagar to get it cleaned.
* In 1150 , the Chalukya ruler Kumarpaal attacked Ajmer and looted it and conferred subjugation to Arnoraj.
* Jagdev kills his father Arnoraj
"Vigrahraaj Chaturth (Besaldev) (1150-64 )"
* Arnoraj's son Bisaldev killed his brother Jagdev
(Jagdev's son Prithvi Bhatt)
* Muslim army reached Babberra at the time of Bisaldev.
(Babberra: - Ancient name of a region of Shekhawati)
Bisaldev defeated the Muslim army and marched north to drive them from Aryavarta.
* Bisaldev established a Sanskrit school, built a lake named Bisalasar and built a town called Bisalpur.
* Bisaldev had 2 sons: - Apargangaeya and Nagarjuna
"Apargangeya (1164-65 )"
Pitrihanta Jagdev's son Prithivabhata captured Hansi, the stronghold of the Tomars, and then after some time,killed Besaldev Chauhan's son Apargangeya.
"Prithviraj Chauhan II (1165-69 )"
Prithviraja was a son of the Chahamana king Jagaddeva. The rule of Jagaddeva was followed by that of his brother Vigraharaja IV, and then Vigraharaja's son Aparagangeya. According to an inscription found at the Ruthi Rani temple at Dhod, Prithviraja defeated the king of Shakambhari. This indicates that Prithviraja de-throned Aparagangeya, and became the Chahamana king.
Prithviraja appears to have faced Muslim invasions from the west. According to the 1168 CE Hansi stone inscription, he assigned his maternal uncle Kilhana as the in-charge of the Ashika Fort (modern Hansi), anxious to save it from Hammira (Emir). The "Hammira" can be identified with Ghaznavid king Khusrau Malik, who controlled Lahore at the time.
The Hansi inscription also states that Kilhana burnt a town called Panchapura. Dasharatha Sharma identifies Panchapura with modern Panjaur. The ruler of Panchapura accepted Prithviraja's suzerainty, and surrendered to him an expensive pearl necklace.
The Bijolia rock inscription states that Prithviraja secured an elephant named Manahsiddhikari from a ruler named Vasantapala. Dasharatha Sharma identifies this Vasantapala with a king mentioned in the play Lalita-Vigraharaja-Nataka. According to this play, Vasantapala was the father of Vigraharaja's lover Desaladevi. Sharma theorizes that Aparagangeya was Desaladevi's son. Thus, Vasantapala was probably an enemy of Prithviraja, and was subdued by him.
Prithviraja probably died heirless, because of which he was succeeded by his uncle Someshvara.[Prithviraja appears to have faced Muslim invasions from the west. According to the 1168 CE Hansi stone inscription, he assigned his maternal uncle Kilhana as the in-charge of the Ashika Fort (modern Hansi), anxious to save it from Hammira (Emir). The "Hammira" can be identified with Ghaznavid king Khusrau Malik, who controlled Lahore at the time.
The Hansi inscription also states that Kilhana burnt a town called Panchapura. Dasharatha Sharma identifies Panchapura with modern Panjaur. The ruler of Panchapura accepted Prithviraja's suzerainty, and surrendered to him an expensive pearl necklace.
The Bijolia rock inscription states that Prithviraja secured an elephant named Manahsiddhikari from a ruler named Vasantapala. Dasharatha Sharma identifies this Vasantapala with a king mentioned in the play Lalita-Vigraharaja-Nataka. According to this play, Vasantapala was the father of Vigraharaja's lover Desaladevi. Sharma theorizes that Aparagangeya was Desaladevi's son. Thus, Vasantapala was probably an enemy of Prithviraja, and was subdued by him.
Prithviraja probably died heirless, because of which he was succeeded by his uncle Someshvara.
"Someshvara 1169 - 1178"
According to Prithviraja Vijaya, the Chahamana ministers recalled Someshvara from the Chaulukya court after the death of his nephew Prithviraja II. Someshvara came to the Chahamana capital Ajmer with his family, and became the new king
According to the Bijolia inscription, he assumed the title Pratapalankeshvara. Two of his ministers, a father-son duo named Skanda and Sodha, were Gujarati Nagar Brahmins. They probably accompanied him from Gujarat to Ajmer at the time of his ascension.
Someshvara appears to have died in 1177 CE (1234 VS), and was succeeded by his elder son Prithviraja III (better known as Prithviraj Chauhan in the vernacular folk legends). The last inscription from Someshvara's reign and the first inscription from Prithviraja's reign are both dated to this year. Prithviraja, who was a minor at the time, ascended the throne with his mother as the regent.
Prithviraj III got hold of the city of Panchpur, near the Satlej River.
Introduction of Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan"
* Birth: - In 1166 (Samvat 1223) on the 12th day of the first month in Anhilpatan - Gujarat
(Many historians state 1149 as the year of the emperor's birth, which is certainly wrong, as Jayanaka described Samraat as a child at the time of the emperor's coronation).
* Father: - Someshwar Dev: - He was the son of Arnoraj and Rani Kanchan Devi.
* Mother: - Karpoori Devi Ji: - She was the daughter of King Achalraaj of Haihay (Kalchuri) dynasty of Tripuri, the capital of Chedidesh.
* Emperor's surnames: - Rai Pithaura, Sapadalaksheswar, Bharateshwar
* The emperor had knowledge of 6 languages: - Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhransa, Paishachi, Magadhi, Shurseni.
* Court poet: - Jayanak, Chandbardai, Bagishwar, Janardan, Jinpaal Suri, Padmaprabha Suri, Aashadhar, Vidyapati
[Some historians consider Chandbardai not of that era and considers her as a 16th century minstrel
(minstrel was a travelling musician and singer common between the 11th and 15th centuries)]
"A few years after birth"
* Dashavataar printed Kanthabharan (ornament of gorge) and an ornament which was made from Vyagranakh was given to child Prithviraj for protection from evil forces, At the close of the 12th Century, Prithviraj III ruled from Ajmer with ambitions in the south (other kingdoms mostly of his own clansmen in southern Rajasthan and Gujarat), in the north (Punjab and the hill-chiefs of Himachal Pradesh and the south-east (northern Madhya Pradesh).
Further in the west the Turkish Sultan of Ghor captured Ghazni and deputed his brother, Shihab-ud-din Muhammad, to rule there.
1173
"Shahabuddin Gauri"
There was a small kingdom of Gor between Ghazni and Hiraat, whose capital was Firozkoh.
At this time, Firozkoh had the secret of Gaiyasuddin, the elder son of Bahauddin Muhammad Shah.
Gaiyasuddin appointed his younger brother Shahabuddin Gauri as the commander.
Gaiyasuddin Gauri won Ghazni by defeating Gajan
He entrusted the rule of Ghazni to Shahabuddin Gauri and himself came to Firozkoh.
Another name of Shahabuddin Gauri was Muizuddin Muhammad Bin Saam
Shahabuddin Gauri was born in 1149, The elder brother then turned his energies against other Turk tribes of Iran and Central Asia while the younger led expeditions into India. Passing through Baluchistan Muhammad captured Multan and Uch and then sent a proposal to Prithviraj asking for a joint campaign against the ruler of Gujarat. This proposal was rejected since the Chauhans had enough resources to tackle the Chaulukyas of Gujarat on their own.
1174
* Shahabuddin Gauri conquered Kurdez
1175
* Shahabuddin Gauri conquered Multan by defeating Karamitah
* These days Ajaypal of Gujarat attacked Chauhans and forced Someshwar Dev to pay tax.
(The above event management is written in Chintamani Granth)
1176
* Shahabuddin Gauri defeats Sunkaraan people.
1177
* Someshwar Dev, the Chauhan ruler of Ajmer died.
* Someshwar Dev built a huge temple of Vaidyanath and built 5 other huge temples during his reign.
1177-78
"Coronation"
Kunwar Prithviraj Chauhan was crowned after the death of his father Someshwar Dev.
"Emperor's daily routine according to Prithviraj Vijay"
In the first hour of the day, Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan used to take bath and pray in the morning.
In the second quarter, the emperor used to organize a court. In the court, discussions on state administration, policy making, decisions on crimes, visits from foreign ambassadors and gifts were received from them.
In the third quarter, the emperors used to go to art exhibition for relaxation and recreation. After midday, he would do official work again.
Then enjoying wrestling etc. and listening to music from musicians.
At night, the palace was illuminated with thousands of lamps. Shaastraarth(fighting with weapons), music, dance etc. were performed, after which the emperor would leave for the bedroom.
Muhammad Ghori went ahead with his invasion in 1178 but the Chaulukyas, in alliance with the Chauhans of southern Rajasthan, defeated him. Prithviraj, who at that time was a teenager, had resolved to fight the Turk invader first, but his minister Kadambvas suggested that the Ghori - Chaulukya conflict would exhaust both these enemies and leave the field clear for the Kingdom of Ajmer. A few years later Prithviraj embarked on digvijay (conquest in all four directions) and won victories—but no major territory.
According to Prithviraj Vijay, the empire used to earn a lot from salt during the reign of the emperor. Horses were also heavily traded.
"Emperor and Ministers of Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan"
* Amatya: - Vamana
(Amatya means ministers of finance)
* Amatya, Senapati and Mahadandanayak
: - Naagar Brahman Skanda of Gujarat (brother of Vamana)
(Senapati means commander and Mahadandanayak means chief justice)
* Bhuvanack Maall: - Kaka of Karpoori Devi ji
* Kaimas (Kadambavas): - He was the chief commander and protector of Emperor Prithviraj. He was of Dahima clan.
* King Sur Parmar: - Son of Madhudev Parmar, ruler of Dahl country.
* Pratap Singh Badgujar: - The third son of Rajaurgarh Maharaj Prithvi Paaldev Badgujar
* Raja Sangram Singh Badgujar: - He belonged to Devati Branch
* Mahasamant Katia Sankhala: - Henwas the ruler of Phalodi, an area under Vikrampur. Phalodi is currently located in Jodhpur district.
* Hariraj: - He was the brother of Emperor Prithviraj. The emperor appointed him in Hansi fort.
* Chand Pundir, the ruler of Mayapur: - The emperor appointed him on the Punjab border. His son was Dhir Pundir.
* Merta's warlord Udag (Uday)
* Gopal Singh Chauhan of Dadreva
* Ramdev
* Someshwar
* Dhandhurai
* Pratap Singh
* Padmanam
* Vijayrai
* Udairaj
* Ramarai Badgujar
* Kanakarai Badgujar *
"BEFORE THE FIRST WAR OF TARAIN"
LETS READ ABOUT FORGOTTEN
1177
"Battle with Nagarjuna"
Nagarjuna, rebellious son of Vigraharaj IV (Besaldev) and cousin of Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan, rebelled and took possession of the Gurgpur fort.
Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan, including the commanders Camas and Bhuvanack Maall, marched with the army.
Nagarjuna's mother Desaladevi was also with him in this fight
(Desaladevi was the daughter of King Madanpal Tomar of Delhi)
Nagarjuna escaped, but his commanders Devbhatta and Gunbhatta were killed.
(Devbhatt was sent by King Prithvi Pal Tomar of Delhi along with the army, which proves that at this time there was disharmony between Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan and King Prithvi Pal Tomar)
Prithviraj Chauhan returned to Ajmer with Nagarjuna's wife and mother
In this battle, Gunbhatta and other soldiers heads were cut and a Mund Maala was made and hung in the ground in front of Ajayemaru fort. The rebels were severely punished, so that in future no one dares to rebel again.
{Mund Maala is a garland of severed human heads and skulls}
(The above harsh punishment is mentioned in Prithviraj Vijay)
"Action on Hansi"
* In the same year the emperor dismissed the feudal lord of Hansi and appointed his brother Hariraj there.
1178
"Turn down offer"
Shahabuddin Gauri wanted to subdue the Chauhans before defeating the Chalukyas of Anhilpatan For this purpose, he sent one of his messengers to Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan and asked him to accept subjection. The name of the messenger was Kavamulmulk Ruknuddin Hamza, whose forehead was quite large The messenger read the order of his sultan, saying, "Wear the jewels of slavery in your ears and appear before the sultan and accept Islam When Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan heard this proposal , he got angry and told the messenger that "I have started my victory campaign only to kill a cannibal like him (Gauri). Whom people call 'Ajayameru Ka Singh' ,knowing this, he sent an envoy to that person's court with a proposal of subjugation." When this answer reached Gauri, he destroyed the Someshwar Mahadev temple located near Kiradu and then wreaked havoc in Nadoul.
1178
"Battle of Gadarraghat"
Shahabuddin Gauri reached Neharwala, where Naikidevi, the mother of Solanki king Moolraj II faced him
(Raja Moolraj was a child, so the army was led by Naikidevi
According to some historians this time was ruled by King Bhimdev).
When Prithviraj Chauhan got the news of this attack, he became eager to help the Solanki king.
Then the commander Camas preached Prithviraj Chauhan 'Sundopasundnayya' and convinced him not to go for the help of Solanki king.
However, in this war, in the battle field of Gadarraghat near Mount Arbud, Naikidevi defeated Shahabuddin Gauri by stopping his victory chariot.
Gauri had to run away after being defeated in this battle.
"Status of India"
The Chauhans ruled the largest part of India, whose capital was Ajmer.
The second major state in Rajputana was the Guhilas of Mewar.
The Tomars in Delhi, the Paramaras in Malwa, the Solankis in Gujarat, the Kannauj, the Kashi, etc., were formerly ruled by the Gahadwalas and the east side of this was ruled by the Bengal dynasties.
1179
* Shahabuddin Gauri attacked and conquered Peshawar
1180
* Shahabuddin Gauri arrested Khusro Malik and won Lahore.
Gauri appointed Ali Kirmakh as the governor of Lahore
"Sheopur Vijay"
Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan sent the commander Bhuvanackamall along with the army.
Bhuvanackamall invaded the western part of Chambal and conquered a part of it (Sheopur Tehsil of present-day Madhya Pradesh). Chauhans received many elephants from this victory.
"Attack on Maharaj Prithvipal Dev"
The part of Alwar Bhadanak kingdom was under the authority of Badgujar Maharaj Prithvipal Dev, who was attacked by the Samraat.
The Emperor was victorious in this battle, after which Maharaj Prithvipal made Nandakanwar Badgujar, daughter of his son Ramarai married with the Emperor.
1180
"War with the Bhadanakas"
The time of this battle has been told in different texts at different times, so its time should be between 1177 and 1181.
The rule of Bhadanakas was on the areas of Gurgaon, Bhiwani, Bayana etc.
The capital of the Yaduvanshis was Timangarh, whose feudal lord ruled over Sohanpal Bhadanak (present Bayana Nagar).
Vigrahaja IV (Bisaldev) was also not successful in the fight with Bhadanakas.
Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan took the initiative to attack with the accurate estimate of the military strength of the Bhadanakas.
The emperor collected his army in a place called Narayan.
(Presently Naraina near Ajmer)
The Emperor travelled from Narayan with the commander Camas
The emperor defeated the Bhadanakas and took over Bayana.
Jinpati Suri in his treatise named Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan as 'Bhadankorvipati'
1182
"Battle with Chandels"
Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan ascended Mahoba
Chandel's Naresh Jajamukti's King Paramardeva send his chief Malkhan along with the army.
Malkhan and his brother Salkhan were killed by the Emperor's commander Camas in the battle between the emperor and Malkhan in Sirsagarh.
King Paramardev called Aalhaa and Udal from Kannauj by sending a message.
Aalhaa and Udal were great warriors
The Gahadwal king Jayachanda gave Aalhaa and Udal an army
In this way, the mixed army was defeated by Emperor Prithviraj.
In this battle, Vijayarai and Chandrai got matryed from emperor's side.
"BATTLE OF SATLUJ VALLEY"
Some historians have mentioned a battle between Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan and Shahabuddin Gauri in 1182-83, which took place on the banks of Sutlej.
(We do not find a description of this fight from contemporary texts or any authentic book. There is an inscription of this incident in Phalodi-Jodhpur, but this inscription is also of 1555, which does not seem credible, so this fight We have not written the description)
1184
* Shahabuddin Gauri climbed towards Deval and conquered the sea shore
* This year, Gauri built the fort of Sialkot.
1184
"Battle of Nagaur"
Bhimdev Solanki of Gujarat sent an army with Jagdev and Dharavarsha towards Nagaur
Treaty was done after battles with the Chauhans in Nagaur
1186
Muhammad Ghori rebuilt his armed strength and captured Peshawar from the Ghaznavi Turks—continuing his operations against his fellow Muslims Ghori finally ended the Ghaznavi dynasty in 1186 and came into direct contact with the Kingdom of Ajmer. For a few years, he probed the defences of the northern region through cavalry raids.
1187
Some traders from Ajmer went to Gujarat
Dandanayak named Abhayad advised Jagdev to rob them but Jagdev did not violate the rules of the treaty.
1189-90
* King Prithviraj Tomar of Delhi died and King Chahadpal Tomar sat on the throne of Delhi.
King Chahadpal has been named in the texts as Govindarai, Chandraraj etc.
"Improving relations with kings"
Seeing the increasing supremacy of Shahabuddin Gauri, Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan befriended the Chaulukyas of Anhilpaatan and the Tomars of Delhi, forgetting old enmity.
—finally in 1190 Muhammad Ghori attacked and captured the frontier fort of Sarhind. Shahabuddin Gauri conquered the fort of Tabarhind (Bhatinda) and handed it over to Qazi Ziauddin Tolak.
It is written in Hammirmahakaavya
"When Prithviraj was ruling his subjects judiciously and intimidating his enemies, Shahabuddin was engaged in the efforts of world conquest. By being tortured at the hands of Shahabuddin, the Bhupati's of the west made Chandraraj (King Chahadpal Tomar of Delhi) their chief and they all reached Prithviraj. Prithviraj seeing theirs faces asked the reason for the tribulation, then Chandraraj said that a person named Shahabuddin is destroying kings. He is looting our cities and demolishing temples. All the Kingdoms are waiting for your help to save our land from Shahabuddin "
Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan thought that the power of the Sultan was increasing day by day, if he did not stop it at this time, he could come back from Ghazni and will dominate.
Shahabuddin Gauri was in favor of going towards Ghazni, While he was busy garrisoning the fort and arranging for his return to Ghazni. but he received the news that Prithviraj Chauhan, the Emperor of Ajmer, have joined forces of several kings together and is travelling towards the fort of Tabarhind (Bhatinda).
Ghori resolved to strike the first blow and marched south to intercept the Chauhan army. At Tarain, near modern Thanesar, the two armies met in 1191.
The Emperor was accompanied by Camas, Udayaraja, Skanda, Bhuvanakamal.
According to Firishta, the army of Emperor Prithviraj: - 3 lakh infantry and 3000 elephants.
According to Prithviraj Prabandh, the army of the emperor: - There were 2 lakh soldiers and 5000 elephants.
(Modern historians do not consider such heavy army figures to be correct)
On hearing the news, Gauri made a halt to the Tarain plain to stop the Rajputs en route. Qutubuddin Aibak was also among the chief generals in Gauri's army.
In the First Battle of NARAIN or TARAIN or TARAORI ???
• Karnal Gazetteer (1883-84) states that in 1191 CE, Muhammad Ghori was wounded and his army utterly routed by Prithviraj Chauhan at NARAINA, 7 miles from Karnal and 3 miles from Taraori. This village is situated in Nardak on Nai Nadi.
The emperor placed Gajasena(army of elephants) in the middle and placed cavalry on the right and left of Gajasena.He placed infantry behind Gajasena. In the midst of Gajasena, the emperor himself was leading this war by sitting on one elephant with arrows and spears in hands. King Chahadpal Tomar of Delhi also sat on the elephant.
Shahabuddin Gauri also collected his troops in the same way, but he did not have half the number of elephants in comparison to the Emperor's elephants. He himself was leading a war by sitting on a horse.
This battle probably took place in January of 1191, In the head-on fight, the Hindu cavalry charged and enveloped the two wings of the Turk army—the favorite maneuvers and mobile archery of the Turks were impossible in that cramped position. The superior swordsmanship of the Chauhans gave them a rapid victory and the two routed wings of Shahabuddin Ghori fled for their lives.
While fighting on behalf of the emperor, Pratapsingh Badgujar got martyred. Gauri was riding a horse with a spear in his hand in this fight
In the center the Hindu elephants and infantry came up to the contest—Raja Chahadpal Tomar of Delhi who was on elephant came face to face in the battlefield with Gauri who was riding on an horse. Gauri lashed at the king, causing the spear to reach the king's throat and king's to 2 teeth fell.
Then King Chahadpal Tomar also fired back in this injured condition, which caused a great wound on the Sultan's arm and was about to fall from the horse when a Khilji soldier immediately sat on the Sultan's horse and saved Sultan from falling and drove the horse out of the battlefield.
When their commander fled the rest of the Muslim center too broke down and fled after him.
The combined arms (elephants, cavalry, infantry) force of Prithviraj chased after the enemy but the Turkish cavalry easily outpaced them.
"Assumption of life-giving"
This belief is prevalent that Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan gave life to Gauri. By exaggerating the same, many writers called the emperor a mindless warrior, while the fact is that Gauri was safely saved from there, otherwise Gauri would have been killed in this battlefield.
One argument in this regard is that the Emperor had initiated this war only to prevent possible attacks on kingdoms by killing Gauri. The Emperor had severely punished his relative rebels and hung them in the ground outside the Ajayameru fort while fighting Nagarjuna, so it was impossible to give life to the brutal invader Gauri by the Emperor.
The association of several kings requested the emperor to slaughter Gauri before the Battle of Tarain. If the emperor had left Gauri alive, then the other kings and rulers who gave him support in the battle of Tarain despite not being under the emperor, would not have joined the emperor again in the second battle of Tarain in any condition.
Due to lack of knowledge, many Rajputs also write life-giving things and in the course of showing the high ideals of the emperor, they inadvertently declare the emperor as unintelligent, which gives leftist historians a chance.
However, in this battle of Tarain, Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan defeated Sultan Shahabuddin Gauri.
Gauri got his wounds treated in Lahore and then returned to Ghazni
"The main reason for Gauri's defeat"
The Emperor's elephants forced Gauri's elephants to retreat, which caused Gauri's horses to panic and the horses to flee with their horsemen.
• Cunningham thinks that the exact site of battle i.e. NARAINA, was on the banks of the Rakshi river, 10 miles from Karnal and 4 miles from Taraori. Elliot and Cunningham gave Naraina as on the Rakshi (identified by Cunningham as Old Drishadwati).
• Historian CV Vaidya suggests that the place of the battle is given as Narain which, in the original, must be Tarain.
• Other suggests that the name Taraori derives from the word Tarain.
NOTE: Naraina village is presently in Nilokheri Tehsil, Karnal (very close to Taraori).
The Chauhans surrounded the important fort of Sirhind—after 13 months when the food supply ran out the Turk garrison surrendered. Prithviraj returned to his capital, while his generals returned to their forts and towns to rest their army and replenish their equipment, elephants, and horses. They also needed to keep a watch on their neighbors who had taken advantage of the recent battle to encroach on Chauhan lands.
In all this time Muhammad Ghori collected a fresh army and returned to Punjab. Once again he captured the bone of contention Sarhind and sent a message to Prithviraj to submit and convert to Islam. The Chauhans were then involved in some other battles but Prithviraj boldly collected an army and marched to Sirhind—Muhammad Ghori again intercepted him at Tarain.
Prithviraj had by then learnt of the loss of Sarhind and of the large cavalry with Ghori—he used diplomacy to buy time so that his other generals could join him with their forces. He told Muhammad to be content with Sarhind and withdraw his army to Ghazni.
Shihab-ud-din went along since the earlier defeat at this same place was heavy on his mind. He pointed out that his brother was the real ruler and without consulting him Muhammad could not take any major political decision—he too was playing for time and for information on the enemy. The two armies camped in sight of each other—one night Muhammad Ghori left the campfires burning and took his army by a roundabout route to attack the Chauhans. But once again the cavalry of Prithviraj met them in a headlong clash and repulsed the Turks.
Shahabuddin Ghori’s plan had failed and he retired to his own camp but he now had a correct estimate of Prithviraj’s army and had realized how weak it was. Forming his cavalry into four divisions of 10,000 he sent them to harass the Chauhans from all sides. The Turks were now in their element with hit-and-run cavalry maneuvers and horse archery—the combined arms of the Hindus could not chase after one and repel another division simultaneously. The order of the Chauhan army broke down, along with the communications between its various elements, and Ghori charged with his main division and finally defeated Prithviraj. The Chauhan King was either killed or captured according to the different accounts.
Salute with reverence that embodiment of fame, Prithviraj... an archer able to hit (the source of) a sound unerringly, who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the motherland !
After the battle of 1192 CE, Indian history took a definite turn. Haryana and Delhi along with the forts of Hansi, Sirsa and Thanesar passed on to the Muslim rule for centuries to come.
The fort of Prithviraj Chauhan is also located at Taraori, but it is in dilapidated condition.
Demand for restoration of this historical monument has been raised by people time and again, but to no avail.
No progress has been made in setting up of a monument and a research centre on Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan at Taraori in the district even after three years of the announcement.
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