Prithviraj Chauhan Why In News – Burning Issues – Free PDF Download

• There is controversy around a new Akshay Kumar film called ‘Prithviraj’, with both the Gujjar and Rajput communities of Rajasthan laying claim over the 12th century king.

DOUBLE SWORD

• On May 20^th , the Akhil Bhartiya Veer Gurjar Mahasabha claimed that Prithviraj Chauhan belonged to the Gujjar community, and demanded that the film depict him as such.

• Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena, countered that Prithviraj was a Rajput and also opposed the film for not adding the word ‘Samrat’ as prefixed to his name in the title.

ABOUT PRITHVIRAJ CHAUHAN

• Prithvirja III, also known as Prithviraj Chauhan or Rai Pithora, was a Chahamana (Chauhan) dynasty king from India
• He was born in 1166, the son of Ajmer’s king, Someshwar Chauhan & was the last of the Chauhan dynasty’s rulers to sit on Delhi’s throne.
• He ascended the throne of Ajmer at the age of 13 in 1179.
• From a young age, Prithvi Raj demonstrated his sharpness and brilliance by mastering all military skills.
• He was known for mastering the “Shabdbhedi” technique, which involved aiming a target based on its sound.

MARRIAGE

• Romance between Prithviraja and Jayachandra’s daughter, Sanyogita, was the immediate cause of their intense and bitter rivalry between Ajmer and Kannauj
• Chand Bardai’s epic PrithvirajRaso immortalises Prithviraja and Sanyogita’s love and the princess’s eventual abduction (with her consent) (or Chand Raisa).

• Sanyogita chose to marry a statue of Prithviraj over other kings during her swayamvar, according to Chand Raisa

EMPIRE

• At its height, Prithviraj Chauhan’s empire stretched from the Himalayan foothills in the north to the foothills of Mount Abu in the south.

• The empire stretched from the Betwa to the Sutlej rivers. His empire included what is now Rajasthan, western Uttar Pradesh, northern Madhya Pradesh, and southern Punjab in modern times.

• Prithviraj had a dedicated ministry for pandits (scholars) and poets, which was under the charge of

• He had a number of poets and scholars in his court, including:
• Jayanaka, a poet-historian who wrote PrithvirajaVijaya
• VidyapatiGauda
• VagisvaraJanardana
• Vishvarupa, a poet
• Prithvibhata, (identified as Chand Bardai by some scholars)- Author of famous “Prithviraj Raso”

BATTLES

• In 1182 A.D., Prithviraj’s historical wars and victories over Chandela kings were instrumental in bringing in vast sums of money for his treasury.

• However, the Chandella king quickly reclaimed his kingdom from Prithvi Raj.

He fought more battles with :-

• NAGARJUNA , BHADANAKAS, CHANDELAS , GAHADAVALAS , GHURIDS OF AFGHANISTAN etc
• BATTLES WITH GHURIDS OF AFGHANISTAN
• Prithviraj Chauhan vs Mohammad Ghori
• 2 BATTLES
  • FIRST BATTLE OF TARAIN (1191)
  • SECOND BATTLE OF TARAIN (1192)

FIRST BATTLE OF TARAIN (1191)

• Muhammad Ghori invaded the Chahamana territory and captured Tabarhindah between 1190 and 1191 CE (today’s Bathinda).
• The Ghurids were decisively defeated by Prithviraj’s army. Muhammad Ghori was wounded and had to flee.
• Prithviraj did not pursue the retreating Ghurid army because he did not want to invade hostile territory or misjudge Ghori’s ambition.

SECOND BATTLE OF TARAIN (1192)

• Muhammad Ghori arrived with a larger force, and Prithviraj was defeated and captured by Ghori.

• Muhammad Ghori reinstated Prithviraj Chauhan as a Ghurid vassal after capturing him. This theory is supported by the fact that after the Battle of Tarain, Prithviraj issued coins with his own name on one side and Muhammad’s name on the other.
• Prithviraj Chauhan’s death is quietly debated and controversial :-
• One theory claiming :- he killed Ghori before dying
• Another claiming :- he was killed for rebelling against Ghori.

• The description of Prithviraj as “the last Hindu emperor” can be traced to the British colonial official James Tod’s ‘Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan’ (1829) as the Mughal rule after him rose to heights

Q) Which of the following literary texts include Prithviraj Chauhan?

1. Kharatara-Gachchha-Pattavali
2. Prabandha-Chintamani
3. Alha-Khanda
4. All of the above

Ans. D

• Explanation: The chronicles that mention Prithviraj Chauhan were:  Prabandha-Chintamani, Prabandha Kosha, Prithviraja Prabandha, Kharatara-Gachchha-Pattavali and Alha-Khanda.

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