Who was he?
Prithviraj III was born around 1168 to King Someshwara Chauhan and his wife Karpuravalli. They belonged to the Rajput Chauhan dynasty, and were rulers of a kingdom in north India. The Chauhans traced their origins to the rulers of Sapadlaksh province and, according to legend, Ajmer was founded by their ancestor Ajaipal Chauhan in the early sixth century.
He succeeded to the throne in 1179, while still a minor, with his mother acting as regent. He ruled for 13 years from the twin capitals of Ajmer and Delhi [ Images ], and there are a whole lot of glorious feats attributed to him -- such as his defeat of the king of Gujarat. Most legendary, however, is the tale of his elopement with Sanyogita.
According to the famous Prithviraj Raso, an epic poem composed by Prithviraj's court poet Chand Bardai, Sanyogita preferred to garland a statue of Prithviraj in the latter's absence. He promptly turned up and whisked her away. See why he's still popular?
He is also revered because of his famous battle with the Afghan invader Mohammad Ghori towards the end of the twelfth century. Apparently, after his army defeated Ghori's, Prithviraj let the Afghan go despite being warned not to.
That story can't have a good ending.
It doesn't. Ghori returned a year later. Prithviraj sent him a letter reminding him of how he had spared his life, and asked him to leave. Ghori said he was waiting for his brother's orders to do so, and moved his camp back a few kilometres. Knowing that Rajputs didn't fight by night, he suddenly attacked in the early hours, taking Prithviraj's army by surprise.Prithviraj was defeated in what is known as the Second Battle of Tarain, and died a heroic death
So, is this a true tale of romance?
There are some historians who dispute the Prithvraj-Sanyogita tale. For one, they say its only source is a poem written long after the events were said to have occurred. Secondly, considering Sanyogita has been blamed for Prithviraj neglecting his duties - leading to his ultimate defeat - they point out that kings often had their favourite wives. For one to hold sway over his affections for so long would be unusual. Be that as it may, it's still a good love story.
