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Prithviraj Chauhan (c. 1168-1192 Hindi: ???????? 32; ?????) Prithviraj Chauhan was a king of the Kshatriya Chauhan (Chahamana) Rajput dynasty, who ruled a kingdom in northern India during the latter half of the 12th century. He was born c. 1168 to king Someshwara Chauhan and his wife Karpuravalli. He succeeded to the throne c. 1179, while still a minor, and ruled from the twin capitals of Ajmer and Delhi. His elopement with Sanyogita, the daughter of Jai Chandra, the Gahadvala king of Kannauj, is a popular romantic tale in India, and is one of the subjects of the Prithviraj Raso, an epic poem composed by Prithviraj's court poet, Chand Bardai. The Chauhan succession had been rather confused since the death of Vigraha-raja in 1165; Prithviraj reconsolidated control of the Chauhan kingdom and conquered several neighboring kingdoms, which made his state the leading Hindu kingdom in northern India. Delhi was captured from the Tomara Rajputs during the early years of his reign, and was renamed Qila Rai Pithora. He campaigned against the Chandela Rajputs of Bundelkhand. His kingdom included much of the present-day Indian states of Rajasthan and Haryana, and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. To this day, Prithviraj is considered to be a legendary hero and martyr by Hindus, and his lineage appears quite spread out covering vast tracts of Uttar Pradesh, Harayana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
This happened way back, nearly 1000 years ago and during the era of Prithviraj Chauhan, the brave Rajput King who ruled Delhi. During his reign, Delhi was attacked 7 times by Mohammed Ghori, a persian king. Each time Prithviraj won, took Ghori as a prisonor, but let him go. There was another king, named Jayachand, who was eager to destroy Prithviraj kingdom, and whose daughter, Prithvirj was in love with. The king arranged a dramatic stage for the marriage of her daughter Samyuktha, inviting his rival Prithviraj also, for the marriage. Prithviraj came, with his intimate friend, Chandbardai, and married samyuktha and took her to his palace, while the battle already started between Jaychand and Prithviraj's army. jaychand made an alliance with Ghori, and the combined army attacked Delhi. this time the loser was Prithviraj and was taken as a prisoner, along with his poet friend, Chandbardai. Later both of them killed themselves in the prison. This heart-touching story is beautifully narrated in Chandbardai's composition, 'Prithviraj raso'. Remember the Doordarshan serial, 'Mein Dilli Hoon', some three or four years before?
Then came Ghori into picture. It was his slave, Qutab-uddin-aibak who built Qutab-Minar as a monument in memory of the victory they had over Prithviraj.
Nice, isn't it? A sensational story behind each and every historic architectures in and round Delhi. That is the cultural heritage of this beautiful city, which not many cities in the world can boast of.
We started from there, and on the way we had a visit to a handicrafts emporium, nothing much to mention about. On the way we saw the remains of the destroyed capital of Prithviraj. It was unattractive, with some half destroyed walls here and there.
i hope you all get it
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