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Top 10 Facts about King Prithviraj Chauhan

Popularly known as 鈥淩ai Pithora鈥�, King Prithviraj Chauhan was one of the greatest Indian rulers who ruled the territory of Sapadalaksha, with his capital at Ajmer in present-day Rajasthan.

Prithviraj was born to the Chahamana king Someshvara and queen Karpuradevi, and he ascended to the throne following the death of his father around 1177 CE. He is largely portrayed as the greatest Hindu king as he was successful in keeping the Mulsim invaders at the bay for many years.

Most of his life story is described in the 鈥淧rithviraj Raso text鈥�, which was composed by Chand Bardai, a poet who lived in the King’s court and accompanied him in all of his battles.

Let鈥檚 look at the top 10 Facts about him.

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1. He ascended to the throne as a Minor

King Prithviraj Chauhan ascended to the throne in 1177 CE, immediately after the death of his father. Having been born in 1166, Prithviraj was only 11 years old when he was handed over the throne of his father鈥檚 kingdom.

He inherited a kingdom that stretched from Thanesar in the north to Jahazpur in the south. In the first years of his rule,  he was assisted to rule by his mother, a regency council, and a couple of royal ministers because he was still a minor.

According to historian Dasharatha Sharma, Prithviraj assumed actual control of the administration in 1180 CE, and his first military achievement was his suppression of a revolt by his cousin who also claimed his throne.

2. He was well educated

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Prithviraj Chauhan and his younger brother were both brought up in Gujarat, where his father was brought up by his maternal relatives. His medieval biographies suggest that he got well educated and also mastered six languages while he was growing up in Gujarat.

According to ‘Prithviraj Raso’, he had mastered many subjects such as mathematics, Medicine, History, painting, theology, and philosophy too. The text also claims that Prithviraj Chauhan was also good at archery and that from a young age he had an interest in warfare and hence was able to learn difficult military skills quickly. 

3.  The Circumstances  surrounding his death are Controversial

Although King Prithviraj Chauhan鈥檚 life is sufficiently documented, events leading to his death are still debated among historians. They are not well known and sometimes they even bring controversy among modern scholars.

Most medieval sources state that Prithviraj was taken to the Chahamana capital Ajmer, where Muhammad planned to reinstate him as a Ghurid vassal. Sometime later, he rebelled against Muhammad and was killed for treason.

Other various sources differ on the exact circumstances, with one source stating that Prithviraj refused to eat food after being captured and died due to starvation. Another account suggests that was executed immediately after his defeat while the Hindu writer Lakshmidhara claims that Prithviraj was killed on the battlefield.

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4. King Prithviraj Chauhan was Betrayed by some of  his Ministers

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According to some accounts, Prithviraj Chauhan was betrayed by his trusted advisers in his final battle against Mohammad Ghori. His defeat is attributed to division among Indian rulers, their lust for power, and outright betrayal by some of his men who wanted to settle personal scores.

Another theory states that Prithviraj cut off the ears of one of his ministers, who guided the Ghurid invaders to his camp as revenge. Prithviraj was in deep sleep after a day of religious fasting, and therefore, was easily captured.

Prithviraj is also said to have been asleep just before the invasion, and when he woke up and tried to flee on a horse, one of his men helped the Ghurids capture him by telling them about a certain sound that caused his horse to prance.

5. He is referred to as the last Hindu Emperor

In modern times, Prithviraj has been referred to as ‘the last Hindu emperor鈥�. This is because Muslim rule prevailed for centuries following his defeat and subsequent execution by Muhammad of Ghor in 1192 CE.

However, this description has been disputed by historians who argue that several stronger Hindu rulers flourished in South India after him. They also contend that even at the time of his rule, some contemporary Hindu rulers in northern India were as powerful as he was.

Nevertheless, 19th-century British officer James Tod repeatedly used this term to describe him. He was mostly influenced by the medieval Persian language Muslim accounts which present Prithviraj as a major ruler to portray his defeat as a major milestone in the Islamic conquest of India.

6.  He married his Enemy’s Daughter

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At the peak of his reign, Prithviraj had annexed vast regions of India to his kingdom, and his fame had spread all across the subcontinent and to Afghanistan. He became so popular that Samyukta, daughter of Jaichand, the King of Kannauj, fell in love with him and declared that she would only marry him.

On finding out about her daughter鈥檚 intention, Raja Jaichand was outraged and arranged swayamvara (husband-selection) ceremony for his daughter, but did not invite Prithviraj.

However, on the day of the ceremony, Prithviraj marched to Kannauj with a hundred warriors and took Samyukta to Delhi, where he made her his third wife. The action enraged Jaichand and it deepened their enmity which lasted throughout their lifetime.

In Delhi, Prithviraj became infatuated with his new wife and started spending most of his time with her, ignoring even state affairs. Today, the love between Prithviraj and Samyukta is one of India’s most popular medieval romances.

7. ‘Prithviraj Raso’ is a Poem that describes his Life

According to tradition, the Prithviraj Raso was composed by Chand Bardai, Prithviraj’s court poet who accompanied the king in all his battles. The last canto, which narrates the death of Chand Bardai and Prithviraj, is said to have been composed by Chand Bardai’s son Jalha.

Due to the fact that Prithviraj Raso was written by Prithviraj’s court poet, the text was historically regarded as a reliable source. However, it is known to contain a mixture of imaginary stories and historical facts, which makes it of little historical value.

8. His Rule was Seriously Challenged by one of  his Cousins

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Shortly after becoming the king, Prithviraj faced a rebellion from his cousin Nagarjuna, who also claimed the throne. Nagarjuna was the son of Prithviraj’s uncle Vigraharaja IV, and the struggle for the Chahamana throne led to a rivalry between the two branches of the family.

According to Prithviraja Vijaya, Prithviraj’s first military campaign was to suppress his cousin鈥檚 rebellion. Nagarjuna had rebelled against Prithviraj’s authority and had occupied the fort of Gudapura.

Prithviraj besieged Gudapura with a large army but he fled the fort after sensing an imminent defeat. However, his general continued to resist but was eventually subdued and Nagarjuna鈥檚 family and his followers were arrested or killed.

9. He was succeeded by his Son

After the death of King Prithviraj Chauhan in 1192 CE, Muhammad of Ghor appointed Prithviraj鈥檚 son Govindaraja, to succeed his father as the new Indian king belonging to the Chahamana dynasty.

Since Prithviraja was around 30 years old at the time of his death, Govindaraja appears to have been a minor at the time of his ascension. However, Govindaraja鈥檚 reign was short as he was dethroned by his uncle for his continuous collaboration with Muslim invaders.

10. He is portrayed in various Indian films and Television Series

A number of Indian films and television series have been made about the life of King Prithviraj Chauhan. These include Prithviraj Chouhan (1924), Prithviraj Sanyogita (1929), Prithviraj (1931), and the Hindi television series, “Main Dilli Hoon” which was aired between 1998 and 1999.

Prithviraj was also one of the first historical figures to be covered in a famous Indian publication “Amar Chitra Katha”. Most of these modern artistic works depict him as a flawless hero and emphasize a message of Hindu national unity.

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