The History of India would have been different had it not been Prithviraj Chauhan, the King of Ajmer and Delhi, who pardoned Muhammad Ghori. Ghori, the aggressor from Gazani was defeated in the first battle of Tarain in 1191 A.D. and brought in chains to Pithoragarh, Prithviraj’s Durbar. Ghori begged his victor for mercy and release. The Ministers advised against pardoning but the chivalrous and valiant Prithviraj thought otherwise and respectfully released the vanquished Ghori.
This proved to be the biggest blunder on the part of Prithviraj.The very next year, Ghori re-attacked even with the blessings of Jaichand, the King of Kanauj and other enemy Hindu kingdoms of Chauhan. Prithviraj was defeated, blinded and killed. This led Ghori to attack even Jaichanda or Jayachandra, defeat him and even eliminate him with a permanent blot on his image as a “treacherous” King. Disunity and rivalry among the Hindu Kings led to slavery of India by Muslim aggressors and even by the British for centuries.The life-span of Prithviraj was just 29 to 36 years, according to Historian Dr. Bindhya Raj Chauhan, who has written a well-researched book “ Delhipati Prithviraj Chauhan evam Unaka Yug”. Prithviraj III or Raj Pithora ruled Sapadalaksh, the traditional Chahamana territory, in present-day north-western India. He controlled much of the present-day Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and some parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. He ruled from both his capitals i.e. Ajmer(Ajaymeru) and Delhi and his history has been free mixture of facts with fiction.
Not many people may be aware that Prithviraj and his younger brother Hariraja were born to the Chahamana king Someshvara and queen Karpuradevi in present-day 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. Based on some of the astrological planetary positions, the year of Prithviraj’s birth was calculated as 1166 A.D. (1223 Vikram Samvat).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 year old and he ascended throne with his mother as the regent. He soon found himself engaged in a number of wars.
One of the celebrated Historians Dr. Dasharath Sharma states in “Early Chauhan Dynasties” : “Tradition speaks also of a war between Jayachandra of Kanuaj and Prithviraj. That there should have been some rivalry between the two is but natural. Both were ambitious rulers aspiring to the first place in the Indian polity.” “The immediate cause, however, of the outbreak of hostilities between the two is believed to have be the ‘daring abduction of the not unwilling daughter’(Samyogita) of Jayachandra by the gallant Prithviraj. The story does not find a place in the PrithvirajPrabandh, the Prabandhchintamani, the Prabandhkosh and the ammiramahakavya, all of which have something to say about the Chauhan hero.” The king Jayachandra, who came to know of his daughter, Samyogita, having an affair with Prithviraj, organized Swayamvar to choose her bridegroom.
Prithviraj was not invited but he chose to abduct Samyogita. Whether it is part of history or not, their love affair has been discussed quite aggressively. Some even blame his mad love for his defeat when Ghori attacked for the second time.Even the Historians could not come to a unanimous opinion about the family of Prithviraj III. Damodar Lal Garg in “Bharat ka Antim Hindu Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan” confidently states that during short span of his life Prithviraj married five times, but Raso-poet Chandar Bardai mentions only three marriages. Dr. Bindhya Raj while talking this writer jocularly states that some people made Prithviraj marry once every year, but according to the reliable records he married three or four times. His marriage with Samyogita was the last one. We do find some records of his nine marriages. Some even mentioned him as inviting wars for his lust to marry.
Prithviraj declared war against the Kingdom of Devgiri, in present-day Maharashtra, to marry Princess Shashilata who was engaged to Jaychandra and he was successful. Prithviraj used to declare war against the Kingdom if one refused to get the Princess married to him. The Pratihar king Nahar Rai’s daughter was engaged to Prithviraj but her father was not willing to get her married to him. On receiving a threat of war, he had no other go but to get her married. His second marriage to the Princess Ichchhani of the Parmars of Abu, third to the daughter of Chandpundir, forth to the daughter of Dayamaraj Dayama, fifth to Princess Padmavati, daughter of King Padamsen Yadav, sixth to Princess Shashivruta of Devgiri, seventh to Princess Indravati, daughter of King Bhim Parmar, eighth to Princess of King of Jullundur and ninth and last to Princess Samyogita of Kanauj is listed. Even about his children none can be sure.
Gates Cambridge scholar Sagnik Dutta makes rather an exaggerated claim in her “Sunday Guardian” article on 8 April 2012 : “According to one version, Khwaja Sahib had come to Ajmer at a time when Prithviraj Chauhan ruled the kingdom. Prithviraj and his wife Meena had 21 sons of whom only five survived. They were Laikha, Taikha, Shaikha, Jodha and Bhirda. Laikha, Taikha and Shaikha came under Gharib Nawaj’s influence and converted to Islam.” Dr. Bindhya Raj says Prithviraj had only one son, Govindraj who was allowed to retain the possession of Ajmer on the payment of heavy tribute to Ghori’s nominee.Ghori got Prithviraj killed at Ajmer though his Tomb is at Kandhar in Afghanistan. Samsher Rana, an accuse in the murder of bandit-queen Phoolandevi, claimed to have visited the tomb. Dr. Sharma says Prithviraj’s brother Hariraja drove out Govinda from Ajmer. Govinda established the kingdom of Ranthambhor.
It is yet to ascertain whether Prithviraj was allowed to have Ajmer for some years or was killed immediately as the coins found having Prithviraj on one side and Ghori on the other side. Even today the communities called Cheeta and Mehrat in Rajsthan are considered to have their Hindu ancestors, who were descendents of Prithviraj converted to Islam and continued to follow both the religions. Sangh Parivar runs campaign for their Ghar-Vapasi (reconversion to Hinduism). The history of Prithviraj needs to be re-written or properly written for the benefit of the future generations.
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( The writer is a Socio-political Historian. E-mail : [email protected] )
