The Story of Prithviraj Chauhan&Mahmud Ghori

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The Story of Prithviraj Chauhan and Mahmud Ghori

 

In Jaichand's days, a rival Rajput clan had established itself in

Delhi (Pithoragarh). The ruler there was Prithviraj Chauhan.

Prithviraj was a romantic, chivalrous and an extremely fearless

person. After ceaseless military campaigns, Prithviraj extended his

original kingdom of Sambhar (Shakambara) to Rajasthan, Gujarat, and

Eastern Punjab. He ruled from his twin capitals at Delhi and Ajmer.

His fast rise caught the envy of the then powerful ruler Jaichandra

Gahadwala and there was a lot of ill-feeling between the two.

 

 

Prithviraj's Love for Sanyogita - Jaichandra's Daughter

 

The story of Prithviraj's bold exploits spread far and wide in the

country and he was the center of much discussion in the circle of the

nobility. Sanyogita, the daughter of Jaichandra Gahadwala fell

secretly in love with Prithviraj and she started a secret poetic

correspondence with him. Her father the haughty Jaichandra got wind

of this and he decided to teach his daughter and her upstart lover a

lesson. So he arranged a Swayamwara (a ceremony where a bride can

select her husband from the assembled princes. She had the right to

garland any prince and she became his queen. This is an ancient Hindu

custom among Royalty). Jaichandra invited all the big and small

princes of the country to Kannauj for the royal Swayamwara. But he

deliberately ignored Prithviraj.

 

To add insult to injury, he even made a statue of Prithviraj and kept

him as a doorman.

 

 

The Elopement of Sanyogita with Prithviraj

 

Prithviraj got to know of this and he confided his plans to his

lover.

 

On the said day, Sanyogita walked down the aisle where the royals had

assembled and bypassed all of them only to reach the door and garland

the statue of Prithviraj as a doorman. The assemblage was stunned at

this brash act of hers. But what stunned them and her father

Jaichandra was the next thing that happened.

 

Prithviraj who was hiding behind the statue, also in the garb of a

doorman, whisked Sanyogita away and put her up on his steed to make a

fast getaway to his capital at Delhi.

 

 

Chouhan-Rathod Warfare Leads to Weakening of both Rajput Kingdoms

 

Jaichandra and his army gave earnest chase and in the resultant

string of battles between the two kingdoms fought between 1189 and

1190, both of them suffered heavily. While this drama was being

enacted, another ruler also named Mahmud who was from Ghori in

Afghanistan had grown powerful and had captured Ghazni and

subsequently attacked the Ghaznavid Governor of Punjab and defeated

him. The kingdom of Mahmud Ghori now stretched up to the domains of

Prithviraj Chouhan. A clash was inevitable.

 

 

The 1st Battle of Tarain 1191 C.E. - Victory of Prithviraj Chouhan

 

Mahmud Ghori threw the gauntlet by laying siege to the fortress of

Bhatinda in East Punjab which was on the frontier of Prithviraj's

domains. Prithviraj's appeal for help from his father-in-law was

scornfully rejected by the haughty Jaichandra. But undaunted

Prithviraj marched on to Bhatinda and met his enemy at a place called

Tarain (also called Taraori) near the ancient town of Thanesar. In

face of the persistent Rajput attacks, the battle was won as the

Muslim army broke ranks and fled leaving their general Mahmud Ghori

as a prisoner in Prithviraj's hands.

 

Mahmud Ghori was brought in chains to Pithoragarh - Prithviraj's

capital and he begged his victor for mercy and release. Prithviraj's

ministers advised against pardoning the aggressor. But the chivalrous

and valiant Prithviraj thought otherwise and respectfully released

the vanquished Ghori.

 

 

 

The 2nd Battle of Tarain 1192 C.E. - Defeat of Prithviraj Chouhan

 

The very next year Prithviraj's gesture was repaid by Ghori who re-

attacked Prithviraj with a stronger army and guilefully defeated him

by attacking the Rajput army before daybreak. (The Hindus

incidentally followed a hoary practice of battling only from sunrise

up to sunset. Before Sunrise and after Sunset there was to be no

fighting- as per a time honored battle code). The defeated Prithviraj

was pursued up to his capital and in chains he was taken as a captive

to Ghori in Afghanistan.

 

 

The Blinding of Prithviraj

 

The story of Prithviraj does not end here. As a prisoner in Ghor he

was presented before Mahmud, where he looked Ghori straight into the

eye. Ghori ordered him to lower his eyes, whereupon a defiant

Prithviraj scornfully told him how he had treated Ghori as a prisoner

and said that the eyelids of a Rajputs eyes are lowered only in

death.

 

On hearing this, Ghori flew into a rage and ordered that Prithviraj's

eyes be burnt with red hot iron rods.

 

This heinous deed being done, Prithviraj was regularly brought to the

court to be taunted by Ghori and his courtiers. In those days

Prithviraj was joined by his former biographer Chand Bardai, who had

composed a ballad-biography on Prithviraj in the name of Prithviraj

Raso (Songs of Prithviraj). Chand Bardai told Prithviraj, that he

should avenge Ghori's betrayal and daily insults.

 

 

The Blind Prithviraj Avenges the Injustice done to him

 

The two got an opportunity when Ghori announced a game of Archery. On

the advice of Chand Bardai, Prithviraj, who was then at court said he

would also like to participate. On hearing his suggestion, the

courtiers guffawed at him and he was taunted by Ghori as to how he

could participate when he could not see. Whereupon, Prithviraj told

Mahmud Ghori to order him to shoot, and he would reach his target.

 

Ghori became suspicious and asked Prithviraj why he wanted Ghori

himself to order and not anyone else. On behalf of Prithviraj, Chand

Bardai told Ghori that he as a king would not accept orders from

anyone other than a king. His ego satisfied, Mahmud Ghori agreed.

 

On the said day, Ghori sitting in his royal enclosure had Prithviraj

brought to the ground and had him unchained for the event. On Ghori's

ordering Prithviraj to shoot, Prithviraj turned in the direction from

where he heard Ghori speak and struck Ghori dead with his arrow. This

event is described by Chand Bardai in the couplet, "Dus kadam aggey,

bees kadam daey, baitha hai Sultan. Ab mat chuko Chauhan, chala do

apna baan." (Ten feet ahead of you and twenty feet to your right, is

seated the Sultan, do not now miss him Chouhan, release your baan -

arrow).

 

Thus ended the story of the brave but unrealistic Prithviraj Chouhan -

the last Hindu ruler of Delhi. Delhi was to remain under Muslim rule

for the next 700 years till 1857 and under British rule till 1947.

Those few Hindus who came close to liberating Delhi during the seven

centuries of Muslim rule were Rana Sanga in 1527, Raja Vikramaditya

in around 1565 (2nd battle of Panipat), and Shrimant Vishwas Rao who

was the Peshwa's son and was co-commander of the Maratha forces in

the 3rd battle of Panipat in 1761.

 

Metaphorically speaking, the next Hindu ruler to actually preside

over Delhi was to be Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of

Independent India (and Jawarharlal Nehru - who was the President's

first Minister).

http://www.balagokulam.org/teach/biographies/prithvi.html