Bigg Boss 19 - Daily Discussion Topic - 31st Aug 2025 - WKV
Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai - 30 Aug 2025 EDT
MAIRA KNOWS 30.8
Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai - 31 Aug 2025 EDT
CASE IN COURT 31.8
Why Sidharth Malhotra films flop! Guess with the hint written in this
Vicky says Katrina hates ‘honest feedbacks’ about her acting but…..
Anupamaa 31 Aug 2025 Written Update & Daily Discussions Thread
Queen 2 Tanu Weds Manu 3 Get Rolling
CID episode 73 - 30th August
BALH Naya Season EDT Week #12: Sept 1 - Sept 5
24 years of Lajja
Anupamaa completes FIVE Years !! Fifth Anniversary Celebrations
The Curry-ous Readers 🍛 Book Talk Reading Challenge September 2025
The Naan -Stop Readers 🫓📚| BT Reading Challenge || September 2025
Formerly known as Kanyakubja (called Kanogiza by Ptolemy), the town is known to have been an important center during the Gupta empire. It reached the pinnacle of its glory in the 7th century under Harsha as the capital and cultural center of the empire he built. Harsha however was greatly weakened after being defeated by the Chalukya emperor Pulakesin II; his empire fell apart soon after his death.
By the end of the 8th century, Kannauj became the focus of a three-way contest by the three dominant dynasties of the time, the Pratiharas of Malwa, the Rashtrakutas of the Deccan, and the Palas of Bengal. The Pala king Dharmapala installed a proxy king at the end of the 8th century; however, the Pratihara king Nagabhatta II conquered Kannauj in the 9th century. Kannauj became the Pratihara capital for nearly 200 years. During this period, it became known as a center for poetry. The Pratiharas ruled much of northern India in the latter half of the 8th century, but they had weakened by the early 10th century. The Rashtrakuta king Indra III captured Kannauj in 916, and by the end of that century, the Pratihara domains had been reduced to a small kingdom around the town of Kannauj.
In 1019, the town was sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni, who ushered in a chaotic period for the city. After this sacking of Kannauj, the area came to be dominated by the Chandela Rajput clan of Bundelkhand. The Gahadvala dynasty, descended from former vassals of the Pratiharas, established themselves as rulers of Kannauj at the end of the 11th century. Kannauj recovered some of its former prosperity under the Gahadvalas, but the respite was brief, for the city was sacked again in 1194 by Mohammed of Ghori, and by the early years of the 13th century it was incorporated into the Delhi Sultanate. Kannauj has never since recovered its importance.
On the face of it, the story of Sanyogta and Prithviraj may seem to have nothing to with the latter's wars and campaigns. But if it is true that Sanyogta's father Jaichand, already a rival of Prithviraj, was angry that she eloped with the Chauhan king, then the bad blood between Chauhan and Rathore is a definite backdrop to the geopolitics of the time. Also, if – as it is said – Prithviraj was so besotted with Sanyogta that he neglected his kingdom to the extent he was oblivious to the danger Mahmud of Gaur presented, then again we can legitimately discuss Sanyogta.
After all, this is no ordinary king we are discussing, but the man who was the last Hindu emperor of Delhi, a man of immense contradictions, and who appears to have lost his empire to the Muslims despite his magnificent warrior qualities because of a lack of diligence and a preference for the good and soft life. So from this angle, too, Sanyogta is important.
The problem is, according to R.C. Majumdar, there is no evidence to back the story. It originates from the Prithviraso, which was written much after the events it narrates.
It's also worth noting that Prithviraj and Sanyogta are supposed to have eloped in 1175. Even given that she was his youngest queen, if 17 years later the man is still so infatuated with her that he cannot think straight, we can legitimately ask if the story is as told. Kings had their favorite wives, but they had many wives. It would be a bit unusual for a wife to have such a hold for so many years that she is the cause of the king's neglecting his duties.
Our difficulty originates with the part concerning Prithviraj's antecedents. The popular story has it that two daughters of Anangpal, King of Delhi, married rival kings: Someshwar Chauhan of Ajmer, and Vijaypal Rathore of Kannauj. Prithviraj was born to Someshwar and his wife Kamladevi, Jaichand was born to Vijaypal and his wife Roopsundari. This would make Prithviraj and Jaichand first cousins, though Jaichand was much older to Prithviraj.
Furthur, Anangpal of Delhi, having no son, decided to leave his kingdom to Prithviraj, because young as Prithviraj was, he was clearly a better soldier than Jaichand. This discrimination by the grandfather in favor of the junior grandson further exacerbated the hostility Jaichand bore Prithviraj.
The problem with this story is several-fold.
First, Prithviraj's mother was not the daughter of the King of Delhi, but of Achalaraja, the Kalachuri king of Tripuri, which is today's Jabbalpore in Madhya Pradesh. Her name was Karpuradevi and not Kamladevi.
Second, Prithviraj inherited the kingdom of Delhi from his father, Someshwar of Ajmer, not from any king of Delhi. Delhi was a vassal of Ajmer, so when Someshwar died, Prithviraj got Delhi as well as Ajmer.
Third, there was no Anangpal ruling Delhi during Prithviraj's time. The closest Anangpal we have been able to locate is the jagirdar of Bhatnar [modern Bhatinda?]. He was a decendent of Bhimpal, last Shahi king of the Punjab – who was disposed of his kingdom by Mahmud Ghaznavi in the 11th century.
Anangpal, according to the story, was an Aruyvaid herbalist doctor who became close friends with Prithviraj. The later liked him so much he added to Anangpal's jagir at Bhatnar, and this inspired Anangpal to attack and recover his lost inheritance of Lahore 1179. However, he could not hold on to Lahore, was pushed out by the Muslims and died. His son Gorakrai was brought back to Bahtnar, and later became a luminary at Prithviraj's court.
Be that as it may, insofar national psyches are shaped by legends, the story of Prithviraj and Sanyogta is one of the most powerful of Indian legends. For Indians, the romance is on par with the most famous of all Western civilization romances, Paris and Helen of Troy. So while as historians we must remain skeptical, as Indians we should remain free to enjoy the story.
this page covers 2 colums
1. prithviraj raso
2. the war with mohaamad gaur
The Prithviraj Raso was composed by Chand Bardai, Prithviraj's court poet, who accompanied the king in all his battles. Chand Bardai belonged to the community known as Charans, whose traditional occupation is to compose poems and ballads in praise of their patrons, based loosely on historical incident; they were poets and scribes who accompanied the armies of their patrons and encouraged and exhorted the warriors to bravery in battle by reciting the great deeds of their illustrious clan forebears.
Over time, the Prithviraj Raso has been embellished with the interpolations and additions of many other authors. Only a small portion of the existing texts is likely to have been part of the original text. Several versions of the Prithivraj Raso are available, but scholars agree that a small 1300 stanza manuscript in Bikaner is closest to the original text. The longest available version is the Udaipur manuscript, which is an epic comprising of 16,306 stanzas. The language of the texts available today largely appears to be post-15th century.
The Prithviraj Raso is a source of information on the social and clan structure of the Kshattriya communities of northern India.
According to the ballad, Prithviraj was a romantic, chivalrous and an extremely fearless king who, after ceaseless military campaigns, extended his original kingdom of Sambhar (Shakambara) in present-day Rajasthan, to cover Rajasthan, Gujarat and eastern Punjab. He ruled from his twin capitals of Delhi and Ajmer. His fast rise aroused the envy of the then powerful ruler of Kannauj, Jaichand Gahadwala, and caused ill-feeling between the two.
The story of Prithviraj's exploits spread far and wide and became the subject of much discussion among the nobility. Samyogita, daughter of Jaichand, fell secretly in love with Prithviraj and began a secret correspondence with him. Her father got wind of this and resolved to have her safely wed at an early date. He arranged a Swayamwara, a ceremony where a maiden selects her husband from a number of suitors who assemble at the invitation of her guardian. Jaichand invited many princes of acceptable rank and heritage, but deliberately failed to invite Prithiviraj. To add insult to injury, Jaichand had a statue of Prithviraj made and placed at the door of the venue, thus parodying Prithviraj as a doorman. Prithviraj came to hear of this. He made his plans and confided the same to his lover, Samyogita.
On the day of the ceremony, Samyogita emerged from an inner chamber, entered the venue of the swayamwara, walked straight down the hall past the assembled suitors, bypassing them all. She reached the door and garlanded the statue of Pritiviraj. The assemblage were stunned at this brash act, but more was to follow: Prithviraj, who had been hiding behind the statue in the garb of a doorman, emerged, put Samyogita upon his steed, and made a fast getaway. Jaichandra and his army gave earnest chase, to no avail. This incident resulted in a string of battles between the two kingdoms and both of them suffered heavily. The Chauhan-Gahadvala feud led to the weakening of both Rajput kingdoms.
While this drama was being enacted, an obscure warlord named Mahmud, hailing from Ghor in present-day Afghanistan, grew increasingly powerful. He captured Ghazni and subsequently defeated the Ghaznavid governor of Punjab. Mahmud Ghori's domain now touched upon that of Prithviraj Chouhan. A clash was inevitable.
First battle of Tarain (1191 CE): Mahmud Ghori invaded Prithviraj's domains and laid siege to the fortress of Bhatinda in Punjab, which was at the frontier between the two kingdoms. Prithviraj's appeal for help from his father-in-law was scornfully rejected by the haughty Jaichandra. Undaunted, Prithviraj marched on Bhatinda and gave battle to the invaders at a place called Tarain (also called Taraori) near the town of Thanesar.
In face of the Rajput onslaught, the invading Muslim army broke ranks and fled, leaving their leader, Mahmud Ghori, a prisoner in Prithviraj's hands. Mahmud Ghori was brought in chains to Pithoragarh, Prithviraj's capital. He begged his captor for mercy and release. Prithviraj's ministers advised against pardoning the aggressor. However, the chivalrous and valiant Prithviraj thought otherwise and respectfully released the vanquished Ghori.
Second battle of Tarain (1192 CE): The very next year, Ghori repaid Prithviraj's gesture by again invading Prithviraj's kingdom with a stronger army. Again, the two armies met at Tarain. The Hindus incidentally followed a hoary practice of battling only between sunrise and sunset. Ghori attacked the Rajput army before daybreak and thus emerged victorious. The defeated Prithviraj was pursued upto his capital. At the point when annihilation became certain, Samyukta committed suicide by self-immolation rather than face the prospect of personal dishonour at the hands of a barbaric invader. Prithviraj was taken in chains to Ghor in present-day Afghanistan.
As a prisoner in Ghor, Prithviraj was brought in chains before Mahmud. He haughtily looked Ghori straight into the eye. Ghori ordered him to lower his eyes, whereupon a defiant Prithviraj scornfully reminded him of how he had treated Ghori when the latter was a prisoner. He declared that the eyelids of a Rajput are lowered only in death. On hearing this, Ghori flew into a rage and ordered that Prithviraj's eyes be burnt with red hot iron rods. This heinous deed was committed. The blind Prithviraj was then regularly brought to the presence of the barbaric warlord to be taunted by Ghori and his courtiers.
Prithviraj's former courtier Chand Bardai, who was later to compose the Prithviraj Raso, a ballad-biography of Pritiviraj, came to Ghor to be near Prithviraj in his misery. Chand Bardai came in disguise and secured himself a place in Mahmud's court by purveying his skills as a composer of paens. On the one hand, he earned Mahmud's regard; on the other, he took every opportunity to meet with Prithviraj and urge him to avenge Ghori's betrayal and daily insults.
Killing of Mahmud: The two got an opportunity when Ghori announced an archery competition. Chand Bardai told Ghori that Prithviraj was so skilled an archer, that he could take aim based only on sound, and did not even need to look at his target. Ghori disdained to believe this; the courtiers guffawed and taunted Chand Bardai, asking how a blind man could possibly shoot arrows. In the spirit of their usual barbaric mockery, they brought the blind and hapless Prithviraj out to the field. Pressing a bow and arrows into his hand, they taunted him to take aim.
Chand Bardai told Ghori that this taunting would avail nothing, for Prithviraj would never do as some sundry courtiers bade him do. He said that Prithviraj, as an anointed king, would not accept orders from anyone other than another king. His ego thus massaged, and in the spirit of the occasion, Mahmud Ghori agreed to personally give Prithviraj the order to shoot.
Thus, Chand Bardai provided Prithviraj with an aural indication of where Ghori was seated. He gave Prithviraj one further indication of the same, by composing a couplet on the spot and reciting the same in Prithviraj's hearing. The couplet, composed in a language understood only by Prithviraj went thus:
"Char bans, chaubis gaj, angul ashta praman,
Ete pai hai Sultan, (Taa Upar hai Sultan),
ab mat chuko hey Chauhan."
(Ten measures ahead of you and twenty four feet away, is seated the Sultan. Do not miss him now, Chauhan).
Ghori then ordered Prithviraj to shoot. Prithviraj turned in the direction from where he heard Ghori speak, and, taking aim based only on the voice and on Chand Bardai's couplet, he sent an arrow racing to Ghori's throat. Ghori was thus stuck dead by Prithviraj.
Naturally, after this deed, Prithviraj was killed by Mahmud's courtiers. But the brave Rajput had avenged the betrayals and humiliations suffered by him. Thus ended the story of the brave and chivalrous Prithviraj Chauhan, the last Hindu ruler of Delhi.
Muhammad of Ghor (Persian: ? ?) also Muhammad Ghori,Mohammad Ghauri, etc., originally named Mu'izz-ad-din, b.1162 - d.1206, was a Ghurid emperor and the governor of Ghazni from 1173 to 1206.
Muhammad was the brother of the Sultan Ghiyas-ud-din Muhammad of Ghor, a region of what is now a province in Afghanistan. Ghor lay on the western boundary of the Ghaznevid empire. Before 1160, the Ghaznevid empire covered an area running from central Afghanistan to the Punjab, with capitals at Ghazni and Lahore.
In 1160, the Ghorids conquered Ghazni from the Ghaznevids, and in 1173 Muhammad was made governor of Ghazni. In 1186-7 he conquered Lahore, ending the Ghaznevid empire and bringing the last of Ghaznevid territory under his control.
Muhammad attacked the north-western regions of the Indian subcontinent many times. The first time he was routed in present-day Gujarat by Rajputs.A battle was fought at Kayadara near Mount Abu, where Ghauri'sadvance was defeated. Gujarat later fell to Muhammad Ghori's armies in 1197.
In the First Battle of Taraori in 1191Prithvi Raj Chauhan defeated Muhammad Ghouri. Prithviraj met Ghori in a personal combat and injured him. Later both armies attacked each other and Ghori's army was defetaed. Ghori took his army back to North India and started preparing for another battle. Prithviraj, following the rules of engagement of Rajput warfare, allowed his foe to escape as he was forbidden by Kshatriya rules to attack an enemy wishing to retreat. It is said that he vowed not to sleep on a bed or take a bath until he had defetaed Prithviraj. Next year, he again reached Taroro and challenged Prithviraj, defeated him and seized control of his kingdom.
One account recounts that after taking him prisoner, Ghori ordered the eyes of Prithviraj to be gouged out and made the blind Prithviraj a subject of ridicule in his court.
After some time, an archery competition was held in Ghori's kingdom. Prithviraj, being a skilled archer of repute was also brought for this competition and asked to compete to ridicule him further. Prithviraj refused to shoot his arrow on the orders of Ghori's generals, being a king himself. As such, Ghori himself asked Prithviraj to shoot at the target. Prithviraj, instead, turned around and locating the source of the voice, shot his arrow straight into Ghori's throat, killing him instantly. The valorous Prithviraj was thus able to avenge his defeat at the hands of Ghori. It was as a result of this that Qutb-ud-din-Aybak, one of Ghori's generals, was able to succeed him and control his empire.
A different version, propogated by Muslim historians, says that after defeating Prithviraj Ghori killed him and gained control of his kingdom and went on to control northern Rajasthan and the northern part of the Ganges-Yamuna Doab. Allegedly, Muhammad Ghori returned east to Ghazni to deal with the threat to his western frontiers from the Turks and Mongols, but his armies, mostly under Turkish generals, continued to advance through northern India, raiding as far east as Bengal.
Muhammad returned to Lahore after 1200 to deal with a revolt of the Gakhar tribe in the Punjab. He suppressed the revolt, but was killed during a Gakhar raid on his camp on the Jhelum River in 1206.
Contents
|
Upon his death, Qutb-ud-din Aybak, Muhammad Ghori's most capable general, took control of Muhammad's Indian conquests and declared himself the first Sultan of Delhi. Muhammad's former territory in Afghanistan was conquered by the Mongols.
Muhammad, like his predecessors, routinely killed non-Muslim priests and destroyed non-Muslim temples and towns while his armies pillaged and raped their way across the Indus. In Bihari folklore, it is said that his invading armies often destroyed entire towns only to find valuable scrolls and manuscripts in town libraries useless as all inhabitants who could read and write in the language were slaughtered. [1]
The tomb of Pir Sultan Muhammad Ghori is located at Punjab, Pakistan. Pakistan considers Sultan Muhammad Ghori as a hero, and has named its intermediate-range ballistic missile the Ghauri missile in his honor.
AjmerLocated on the green oasis surrounded by desolate hills, Ajmer has a remarkable past. Founded by Raja Ajay Pal Chauhan in the 7th Century A.D, Ajmer remained under the influence of Chauhan command till 1193 A.D. After Mohammed Ghauri took over Ajmer from Prithviraj Chauhan, it turned out to be a citadel for many dynasties.. Today Ajmer remains a land of composite cultures. You can see a blend of Hinduism and Islam here. AJMER TRAVEL Jaipur, which is at 132 km is the nearest airport. There are regular train services from Ajmer to many important destinations. Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur are well connected to Ajmer by express trains. Key destinations around are very well connected by road. Regular bus services operating from Ajmer to these places. There are city buses operated within the city and to Pushkar. There are also auto-rickshaws and taxis, tongas and cycle rickshaws as well. Ajmer, which has become a popular pilgrimage center for both Hindus and Muslims, is famous for the Dargah Sharif- the tomb of a Sufi saint Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti. Both Hindus and Muslims revere this Dargha equally. Pushkar, a pilgrimage center for the Hindus lies about 11 km from here. Pushkar, which has a beautiful lake, is the abode of Lord Brahma and it has a temple for the deity. Devotees from all over India throng this place in the month of Karthik (Oct-Nov) to take a dip in the holy lake of Pushkar. Sight seeing in Ajmer The Nizam of Hyderabad built this mausoleum which has a huge gate. Akbari Masjid built in white marble is on the right side of the courtyard, which is of interest to the visitor with its two enormous cauldrons. Another mosque built by Shahijan is located inside the courtyard. Surrounded by a silver platform, the center of the second courtyard houses the saint's tomb with a marvelous marble dome. Thousands of pilgrims visit the shrine during the Urs, which is observed in commemoration of the death anniversary of the Saint. The Urs is held every year from 1st to 6th day of the Islamic month of Rajab. A major attraction is a colorful fair that is held during this season. Shahjhan's Mosque: The most fabulous of all the sanctums inside the sanctuary of the Dargah is this superb building in white marble. It has a 30.5-m long and narrow court that has a low arcade and fragile carvings with trelliswork. Adhai-din-ka-jhonpra On the outskirts of the city of Ajmer about a few yards from the Khawaja Saheb Dargah, we see this amazing structure which is a blend of Indo-Islamic architecture. The construction of this was completed in two and a half days and hence the name. Mohammed Ghauri converted a building, which was originally a Sanskrit college into a mosque. He added a seven-arched wall facing the pillared wall in a short time. This architectural masterpiece of the arched screen with its ruined minarets and distinct pillars look marvelous. Fort of Taragarh: The ruins of the Taragarh Fort can be reached by climbing steep steps which takes nearly one and a half hours. Perched on a hill this fort is just beyond the Adai-din-ka-jhonpra. From here you can have a wonderful view of the city. The Mughals used this fort as the site for their military activities, but the British used the place as a sanatorium. The Museum: The royal residence of Emperor Akbar has been converted into a museum which houses beautiful sculptures and is a rich storage of Rajput and Mughal armor. Pushkar Lake: Nag Pahar or the snake mountain separates the Pushkar Lake from Ajmer. Located on the edge of the desert, the lake is surrounded by hills on three sides. The Panchkund and Saint Agastya's cave are situated here on this mountain. Scholars believe that Kalidas, the 4th Century Sanskrit poet and playwright wrote his masterpiece Abhigyanam Shakuntalam with this setting of forest heritage as its backdrop. Legend has it that, the origin of Pushkar dates back to several years. Lord Brahma was in search of a peaceful land to perform a Yagna when a lotus fell down from his hand into this place. Soon a lake appeared on this spot and people dedicated it to the Lord. People revere this place as Brahma's abode and there is a temple dedicated to the deity. Pushkar Fair: The annual cattle fair during Pushkar fair is very popular. Thousands of pilgrims throng this lake to take a holy dip on the full moon day of Kartik (Oct-Nov. There are cultural events and exciting camel-cart races in addition to trading of horses, camels, cows and bulls. Pilgrims get an opportunity to buy clothes, household items and leather goods during this colorful fair. Man Mahal: Man Mahal, situated along the banks of the Pushkar Lake is the former palace of Raja Mansingh of Ajmer. It has been converted as Rajasthan Tourist Development Corporation's (RTDC) Sarovar Tourist Bungalow. This is a convenient place for travelers. Adjacent to it is Pushkar Palace or the Krishna Garh house, which is a heritage hotel. Foy Sagar: An artificial lake created by an engineer under a famine relief project is named after him. Shopping in Ajmer |
|
|
| Bundi - The Undiscovered Splendour | |
| Bundi and Kota were once a single principality ruled by the Hada Chauhans, an offshoot of thefamous clan of Chauhans who ruled Delhi and Ajmer. After the defeat of Prithvi Raj Chauhan bySultan Mohammed Gori in 1193, the Chauhan nobles sought sanctuary in Mewar. They werewelcomed and proved allies to the Rana. |  |
| Chand Bardai's Prithviraj Raso is Authentic History |  |
| Written by Dr. Murlidhar H. Pahoja |
| Kaviraj Chand Bardai was a court poet of Maharana Prithviraj and his composition "Prithviraj Raso" is an historical epic and an authentic source of India's medieval history. But the British termed it as spurious and fake. Dr. Buhler was instrumental in having the British regime put a ban on Raso's publication. Regrettably some Indian scholars were also taken in by the British slander against the Raso. Kaviraj Syamaldas of Udaipur wrote an article supporting the British thesis 1, 2. But Raso is an authentic history and this can be established from data available in inscriptions. Chand BardaiChand Bardai's Prithviraj Raso is Authentic History Murlidhar H. Pahoja, Ph.D.Kaviraj Chand Bardai was a court poet of Maharana Prithviraj and his composition "Prithviraj Raso" is an historical epic and an authentic source of India's medieval history. But the British termed it as spurious and fake. Dr. Buhler was instrumental in having the British regime put a ban on Raso's publication. Regrettably some Indian scholars were also taken in by the British slander against the Raso. Kaviraj Syamaldas of Udaipur wrote an article supporting the British thesis 1, 2. But Raso is an authentic history and this can be established from data available in inscriptions.Dr. Buhler's thesis as also the criticism by Kaviraj Syamaldas, are mainly in relation to the interpretation of certain facts mentioned in the Raso. Their main arguments are as follows:•1. The Raso states that Prithviraj Chauhan's sister Prithabai was married to Raval Samar Singh of Chittaurgarh. Chronologically this is an impossibility as Prithviraj Chauhan (c.1200 AD) and Raval Samar Singh (c.1300 AD) are placed a century apart.•2. The Raso states that Prithviraj Chauhan defeated and killed Solanki Bhola Bhim of Gujarat in a battle. Solanki Bhim was living even after the death of Prithviraj as is proved by Solanki Bhim's copper plate grant of Samvat 1256 (1199 AD).•3. The dates given in the Raso do not correspond with the known dates and uniformly precede the known dates by 90 years. The dates given in Raso are therefore, in error and are not reliable.The above arguments are examined below: Raval Samar Singh: Guhil Raval Samar Singh, father of Raval Ratna Singh of Padmini fame, is placed in c.1300 AD, is true. But the Raso does not associate Samar Singh with the Guhil clan of Rajputs. It is true that Chittaurgarh was ruled by the Guhil Rajputs for centuries and the first Guhil Raval was the famed Bappa Raval. But the question here is who was the contemporary of Prithviraj, ruling at Chittaurgarh. Was there another Raval Samar Singh? Sure enough, an examination of the list of inscriptions brings forth another Samar Singh placed in the required time period. Songira Chauhan Maharaj Samar Singh Dev issued two inscriptions dated in Samvat 1239 and 1242 corresponding to AD 1182 and 1185 (Bhandarkar, List Nos. 396 and 406) 3. Kirtipal (also known as Kitu), father of Samar Singh Dev was the founder of the Songira branch of the Chahamanas at Jalor. Kirtipal took possession of Chittaurgarh by defeating Guhil Samant Singh4. Kirtipal was succeeded by his son Samar Singh. It was this Samar Singh who was ruling at Chittaurgarh during the times of Prithviraj and whose wife was Prithabai the sister of Prithviraj. In addition to the above inscriptions, there are available documents of the time of Samar Singh which corroborate the marriage of Prithabai and Samar Singh. These are as follows5: •1. Letter from Prithviraj dated Anand Samvat 1143 (1175 AD) to Acharaj Rishikesh telling him that he has been assigned to Prithabai as part of her dowry. •2. Letters of Raval Samar Singh to Acharaj Rishikesh •(i) Dated Anand Samvat 1139 (1171 AD) welcoming him as a part of Prithabai's entourage and assigning him his rights. (ii) Dated Anand Samvat 1145 (1177 AD) stating that the village of Moi is being granted to Acharaj Rishikesh. •3. Letter of Prithabai to her son informing him that Samar Singh has been killed in battle and I am performing Sati, please take care of Rishikesh and his children. It is clear from the above that Raval Samar Singh of the Raso is a Songira Chauhan ruler and not a Guhil King and that this Raval Samar Singh was ruling at Chittaur and was married to Prithabai. Solanki Bhola Bhim: Detractors of Raso cite Chaulukya Bhimdev's copper plate grant of Samvat 1256 (No. 438 of Bhandarkar's list) 3 to point out that Solanki (Chaulukyas of Gujrat are also called Solanki) Bhim was living even after the last battle of Prithviraj (Samvat 1249) and hence conclude that Raso was wrong in stating that Bhola Bhim was killed by Prithviraj. As a matter of fact Inscriptions of Solanki Bhim Dev are available from Samvat 1235 (1178 AD) to Samvat 1296 (1239 AD) (Nos. 381, 386, 435, 438, 451, 452, 486, 487, 526 and 527 of the Bhandarkar list) 3 However, all of these do not belong to the same Bhim Dev. The inscription of Samvat 1236 (No. 386 of Bhandarkar list) calls Bhim as Bala Bhim son of Ajay. The geneology given in the copper plate of Samvat 1256 on the other hand, shows Bhim as grandson of Ajay and son of Mulraj. Clearly, Bala Bhim and Mulraj were brothers and Bhim Dev son of Muldev was a nephew of Bala Bhim. It is significant that Bhola Bhim is also called Balakka Bhim in the Raso. This Bala Bhim of inscriptions is the Bhola Bhim or Balakka Bhim of Raso who was killed in battle by Prithviraj sometime after Samvat 1236 (1179 AD). Anand Samvat: The Samvats of Raso uniformly precede the known Vikram Samvats by 90 years. It only means that the Samvat used in the Raso has a starting point in 90 Vikram Samvat. In fact the Raso itself states that the Samvat of Prithviraj is Anand Samvat and is different from Vikram Samvat. ,dkn'k ls iapng fodze 'kkd vuanA frfg fjiq iqj tS gju dks gq; i'fFkjkt ufjUnAA In the year 1115 by Vikram Anand reckoning, Prithviraj took birth to win in battle the cities of the enemies. The Raso equates the Anand Vikram era with Gupta Era. ,dkn'k le;s lqd'r fodze ftfe /kzelqkA r'rh; lkd i'Fohjkt dks fy[;ks foizxqu xqIrAA The year 1100 refers to the reckoning of Prithviraj which like Vikram and Dharmaraj era's is a third era described by the learned as 'Gupta'. This is an important statement regarding Gupta Era the starting point of which the Raso fixes at 90 Vikram. This is at variance with the view held by historians that the Gupta Era starts at 376 Vikram which view needs to be reconsidered in the light of the above assertion in the Raso. In conclusion it can be said that based on inscriptional data, the objections raised with regard to the authenticity of the Raso are without foundation and result from ignorance of facts and incomplete homework on the part of the detractors of Raso. The decision by the British Regime to ban the publication of Raso was a highhanded and ill-motivated action. Dr. Buhler who initiated the action, did not base his recommendations on objective analysis and his claim to scholarship is questionable. References •1. Kaviraj Syamaldas "The Antiquity, Authenticity and Genuineness of the epic called the Prithviraj Rasa and commonly ascribed to Chand Bardai" J Asiatic Soc. of Bengal, V 55, Pt.1, 1886. •2. dfojkt ';keynkl % ^i'Fohjkt jklk dh uohurk*] i'Fohjkt jklks dh foospuk] lEiknd eksguyky O;kl 'kkL=h ,oa ukFkwyky O;kl] i'- 1&61] mn;iqj] la- 2015 bZ- 1959 •3. D.R. Bhandarkar : List of Inscriptions of Northern India in Brahmi and its derivative scripts from about 200 A.C., Appendix to Epigraphia Indica Vol XIX to XXIII, 1983. •4. D.C. Ganguly, "Northern India during the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries", History and Culture of the Indian People, Ed. R.C. Majumdar, Vol 5, Ch II, pp 87-88, Bombay 1979. •5. jk; cgknqj ia- xkSjh'kadj ghjkpUn vks>k % ^jklks dk fuekZ.k dky*] i'Fohjkt jklks dh foospuk] lEiknd eksguyky O;kl 'kkL=h ,oa ukFkwyky O;kl] i'- 214&48] mn;iqj] la- 2015 bZ- 1959 Note: The author has completed his Ph.D in Theoretical & Applied Mechanics, University of Illinois, USA with specialization in Computer Applications in Engg. Analysis. He was also associated with IIT Kharagpur for nine years after completing his Ph.D as Faculty & Research in Tractor and Farm Machinery. He retired in 1998 from Escorts Research Centre, Faridabad. |
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Jaane Anjaane Hum Mile
Tum Se Tum Tak
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Vasudha
