Chauhan Rajput

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 Chaulukya court by his maternal relatives. According to Prithviraja Vijaya, Prithviraj was born on the 12th day of the Jyeshtha month. The text 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, Dasharatha Sharma calculated the year of Prithviraj's birth as 1166 CE (1223 VS).

Prithviraja III (reign. c. 1178–1192 CE ), popularly known as Prithviraj Chauhan or Rai Pithora in the folk legends, was an Indian 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 Ajmer), although the medieval folk legends describe him as the king of India's political center Delhi to portray him as a representative of the pre-Islamic Indian power.

Early in his career, Prithviraj achieved military successes against several neighboring Hindu kingdoms, most notably against the Chandela king Paramardi. He also repulsed the early invasions by Muhammad of Ghor, a ruler of the Muslim Ghurid dynasty. However, in 1192 CE, the Ghurids decisively defeated Prithviraj at the Second battle of Tarain. His defeat at Terain is seen as a landmark event in the Islamic conquest of India and has been described in several semi-legendary accounts, most notably the Prithviraj Raso.

Sanyukta, also known as Sanyogita, Sanjukta, or Samyukta, is a character in the medieval heroic romance Prithviraj Raso. According to the text, she was the daughter of Jaichand, the King of Kannauj, and one of three wives of Prithviraj Chauhan. Prithviraj Chauhan is a popular figure of romance and chivalry from the folklore of medieval India, and also a figure of tragedy, who is said to have ruled from his twin capitals of Pithoragarh and Ajmer. The love between Prithviraj and Samyukta is one of India's most popular medieval romances, immortalized in Chand Bardai’s epic Prithviraj Raso (or, Chand Raisa), but the historicity of the Samyukta episode remains a matter of debate.

In 1191, Mu'izz al-Din captured the fortress of Bhatinda in East Punjab, which was on the frontier of Prithviraj Chauhan's domains. Prithviraj marched on to Bhatinda and met his enemy at a place called Tarain (also called Taraori) near the ancient town of Thanesar. The Ghurid army initiates battle by attacking with cavalry who launch arrows at the Rajput center. The forces of Prithviraj counter-attack from three sides and dominate the battle, pressuring the Ghurid army into a withdrawal. Meanwhile, Mu'izz al-Din is wounded in personal combat with Prithviraj's brother, Govind Tai. Prithviraj succeeded in stopping the Ghurid advance towards Hindustan in the first battle of Tarain. He did not pursue Ghori's army either not wanting to invade hostile territory or misjudging Ghori's ambition, instead electing to retake the fortress of Bhatinda.

Mu'izz ad-Din Muhammad Ghori, born Shihab ad-Din (1149-March 15, 1206), also known as Muhammad of Ghor, was Sultan of the Ghurid Empire along with his brother Ghiyath ad-Din Muhammad from 1173 to 1202, and as the supreme ruler of the Ghurid Empire from 1202 to 1206.

Mu'izz ad-Din was one of the greatest rulers of the Ghurid dynasty and is credited with laying the foundation of Muslim rule in South Asia, that lasted for several centuries. He reigned over a territory spanning over parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

The Battle of Chandwar (1193 or 1194) was fought between Muhammad Ghori and Jaichand of Kannauj of the Gahadavala dynasty. It took place at Chandwar (Now Firozabad), on the Jamuna River close to Agra. Jaichand was defeated, giving Muhammad control of much of northern India.

The Prithviraj Raso is a Brajbhasha epic poem about the life of the 12th-century Indian king Prithviraj Chauhan (c. 1166-1192 CE). It is attributed to Chand Bardai, who according to the text, was a court poet of the king.

The earliest extant copy of the text dates back to the 16th century, although some scholars date its oldest version to the 13th century. By the 19th century, several interpolations and additions had been made to the original text under the patronage from Rajput rulers. The text now exists in four recensions. It contains a mixture of historical facts and imaginary legends, and is not considered historically reliable.

The battle occurred in the same field as the first one. Knowing the Rajputs were well-disciplined, the Ghurids did not want to engage in melee combat with them. Instead, the Ghurids army was formed into five units, and four units were sent to attack the Rajput flanks and rear. The flanking attacks failed and the fighting continued. In hopes of causing a break in the Rajput lines, Mu'izz al-Din ordered his fifth unit to feign retreat. The Rajput's charged the fleeing Ghurid unit, as the Ghurids expected. The Ghurids then sent a fresh cavalry unit of 12,000 and they managed to throw back the Rajput advance. The remaining Ghurid forces then attack and the Rajputs flee in panic. Prithviraj Chauhan abandons his elephant for a horse and tries to escape. But he is caught a few miles from the battlefield and promptly executed.

The word "Chauhan" is a clan name associated with various ruling Rajput families in Rajasthan during the medieval Indian eras.

The word "Chauhan" is the vernacular form of the Sanskrit term "Chahamana".

Several Chauhan inscriptions name a legendary hero called Chahamana as their ancestor.

The earliest extant inscription that describes the origin of the Chauhans is the 1119 CE Sevadi inscription of Ratnapala, a ruler of the Naddula Chahamana dynasty.

According to the 1119 CE Sevadi inscription of Ratnapala, the ancestor of the Chahamanas was born from the eye of Indra.

The 1170 CE Bijolia rock inscription of the Shakambhari Chahamana king Someshvara states that his ancestor Samantaraja was born at Ahichchhatrapura (possibly modern Nagaur) in the gotra of sage Vatsa.

The 1262 CE Sundha hill inscription of the Jalor Chahamana king Chachiga-deva states that the dynasty's ancestor Chahamana was "a source of joy" to the Vatsa.

The 12th-century Prithviraja Vijaya mahakavya was composed by Prithviraja III's court poet Jayanaka.

The 15th-century Hammira Mahakavya of Nayachandra Suri describes the life of the Ranthambore branch ruler Hammira.

According to the Hammira Mahakavya, Brahma was wandering in search of an auspicious place to conduct a ritual sacrifice, and he ultimately chose the place where a lotus from his hand fell, which came to be known as Pushkara.

According to the Hammira Mahakavya, Brahma remembered the Sun to protect his sacrificial ceremony against interference from danavas, and a hero came into being from the sun's orb, who was Chohan, the ancestor of the Hammira's dynasty.

Answer: The Sevadi inscription of Ratnapala, a ruler of the Naddula Chahamana dynasty, describes the origin of the Chauhans.

According to the 1320 Mount Abu (Achaleshwar temple) inscription of the Deora Chauhan ruler Lumbha, Vatsa created the Chahamanas as a new lineage of warriors, after the solar dynasty and the lunar dynasty had ceased to exist.

The Ajmer inscription of the Shakambhari Chahamana ruler Vigraharaja IV (c. 1150–64 CE) claims that Chahamana belonged to the solar dynasty, descending from Ikshavaku and Rama.

According to the Agnivanshi myth, some of the Rajput clans originated from Agni, in a sacrificial fire pit. This legend was probably invented by the 10th-century Paramara court poet Padmagupta.

Answer: The inclusion of Chauhans in the Agnivanshi myth can be traced back to the later recensions of Prithviraj Raso. In this version of the legend, once Vashistha and other great sages begin a major sacrificial ceremony on Mount Abu. The ritual was interrupted by miscreant daityas (demons). To get rid of these demons, Vashistha created progenitors of three Rajput dynasties from the sacrificial fire pit. These were Parihar (Pratiharas), Chaluk (Chaulukya or Solanki), and Parmar (Paramara).

These heroes were unable to defeat the demons. So, the sages prayed again, and this time a fourth warrior appeared: Chahuvana (Chauhan). This fourth hero slayed the demons. So, the sages prayed again, and this time a fourth warrior appeared: Chahuvana (Chauhan). This fourth hero slayed the demons.

The earliest extant recension of Prithviraj Raso of Chand Bardai, dated to the 15th or 16th century, states that the first Chauhan king – Manikya Rai – was born from Brahma's sacrifice.

The 16th-century Surjana-Charita, composed by the Bengali poet Chandra Shekhara under patronage of the Ranthambore ruler Rao Surjana, contains a similar account to the Prithviraj Raso.

The Agnivanshi myth mentions Chauhan, Chaluk (Chaulukya or Solanki), and Parmar (Paramara) as fire-born Rajput clans, but not Parihar (Pratiharas).

According to the 16th-century Surjana-Charita, Brahma created the first Chahamana king from the Sun's disc during a sacrificial ceremony at Pushkara.

The Agnivanshi myth mentions Chauhan, Chaluk (Chaulukya or Solanki), and Parmar (Paramara) as fire-born Rajput clans, but not Parihar (Pratiharas).

The 16th-century Surjana-Charita was composed by Chandra Shekhara under the patronage of the Ranthambore ruler Rao Surjana.

The bardic tale of the Khichi clan of Chauhans mentions that the Parwar (Paramara) was born from Shiva's essence.

Surya Malla Mishrana was the court poet of Bundi who wrote a version of the legend where the various gods create the four heroes on Vashistha's request.

The 16th-century Surjana-Charita was composed by Chandra Shekhara under the patronage of the Ranthambore ruler Rao Surjana.

Padmagupta was the 10th-century Paramara court poet who mentioned only the Paramaras as fire-born in his work Nava-sahasanka-charita.

Padmagupta's Nava-sahasanka-charita mentions Parihar (Pratiharas), Chaluk (Chaulukya or Solanki), and Parmar (Paramara) as fire-born Rajput clans

The 16th-century Surjana-Charita was composed by the Bengali poet Chandra Shekhara under the patronage of the Ranthambore ruler Rao Surjana.

The Agnivanshi myth is mentioned in the Nava-sahasanka-charita, a work by the 10th-century Paramara court poet Padmagupta. However, in this myth, only the Paramaras are mentioned as fire-born, while the Chauhans, Parihars, and Chalukyas are not mentioned.

According to the Agnivanshi myth, some of the Rajput clans originated from Agni, in a sacrificial fire pit. This legend was probably invented by the 10th-century Paramara court poet Padmagupta.

In the Agnivanshi legend as mentioned in the later recensions of Prithviraj Raso, Vashistha created progenitors of three Rajput dynasties from the sacrificial fire pit - Parihar (Pratiharas), Chaluk (Chaulukya or Solanki), and Parmar (Paramara). These heroes were unable to defeat the demons. So, the sages prayed again, and this time a fourth warrior appeared: Chahuvana (Chauhan). This fourth hero slayed the demons.

According to the given information, the Chauhans, who were part of the Agnivanshi clans, were a powerful group in the region now known as Rajasthan for around 400 years from the 7th century CE and posed a threat to the power-base of the Guhilots in the south-west of the area.

According to the given information, the leader of the Chauhans, Prithviraj Chauhan, was defeated at the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192, which was a setback for the Chauhans but did not signify their demise.

According to the given information, the 13th and 14th centuries saw the struggle between the Chauhan Rajputs and the Delhi Sultanate to control the strategic areas of Delhi, Punjab, and Gujarat.

According to the given information, the earliest Chauhan inscription is a copper-plate inscription found at Hansot

According to the given information, the Chauhan Rajputs struggled to control the strategic areas of Delhi, Punjab, and Gujarat in the 13th and 14th centuries.

According to the given information, the Chauhans were part of the Agnivanshi clans in the region now known as Rajasthan.

According to the given information, the leader of the Chauhans, Prithviraj Chauhan, was defeated at the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192, which was a setback for the Chauhans but did not signify their demise.

According to the given information, the Chauhan kingdom broke into the Satyapura and Devda branches after the invasion of Qutbu l-Din Aibak in 1197.

According to the given information, the Chauhan Rajputs struggled to control the strategic areas of Delhi, Punjab, and Gujarat, which were important for the defense of the Chauhan kingdom.

Answer: According to the given information, the earliest Chauhan inscription was found at Hansot.

According to the given information, the Agnivanshi clans, including the Chauhans, posed a threat to the power-base of the Guhilots in the region now known as Rajasthan.

According to the given information, the Chauhans were historically a powerful group in the region now known as Rajasthan for around 400 years from the 7th century CE.

According to the given information, the leader of the Chauhans, Prithviraj Chauhan, was defeated at the Second Battle of Tarain by Qutbu l-Din Aibak in 1192.

According to the given information, the Chauhan Rajputs struggled with the Delhi Sultanate to control the strategic areas of Delhi, Punjab, and Gujarat in the 13th and 14th centuries.

According to the given information, Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated at the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192.

According to the given information, the Chauhan Rajputs struggled with the Delhi Sultanate to control the strategic areas of Delhi, Punjab, and Gujarat, which were located in the regions of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.

According to the given information, the Chauhan kingdom broke into the Satyapura and Devda branches after the invasion of Qutbu l-Din Aibak in 1197, which suggests that the kingdom was divided into several smaller kingdoms.