One of the greatest warrior kings of India, Prithviraj Chouhan was what every woman wants in her man- brave, chivalrous, romantic and a King in every sense.
His boldness in running away with Sanyogita, his lover and daughter of Jaichandra, a king jealous of Prithviraj was one of the highlights of the stories of Prithviraj. And to add thrill to the tale, Prithviraj did this during Sanyogita's swayamvar (groom selection ceremony), in front of her father and many other accomplished kings. This really incited Jaichandra so much and eventually led to the downfall of Prithviraj when Jaichandra supported Mahmud Ghori against Prithviraj. Though this was darn romantic, but I would call this, his first mistake.
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Statue of Prithviraj Chauhan at Ajmer
(Courtesy: Wikipedia)
Prithviraj defeated Mahmud Ghori, an ambitious Afgani ruler who made way towards the Northern India, in the First Battle of Tarain (1191). But interestingly, when Mahmud Ghori was brought in front of Prithviraj in chains, Mahmud Ghori started begging for mercy. Prithviraj being the noble kind, forgave him and set him free. He believed that one should never harm an unarmed person. His decision was against the advise of his courtiers who asked him to finish off Ghori. But Prithviraj stayed strong on his ideals. What Prithviraj did here surely earns our respect but I would call this, his second mistake.
Because just the next year,i.e. in 1192, Mahmud Ghori came back. This time with a bigger and stronger army than before and he used all the guile he could muster to defeat Prithviraj. Prithviraj was chained and brought to Ghori when Ghori asked him to lower his eyes. Prithviraj defiantly refused saying his eyes would lower only at his death. (Such an attractively rebellious person, Prithviraj but this was your third mistake.) Ghori on hearing this became so angry that he ordered Prithviraj's eyes to be burnt with red hot iron rods.
After this, the blind Prithviraj was brought regularly to the court of Ghori to be taunted and teased. His biographer, Chand Bardai devised a plan with him to avenge Prithviraj. There was a game of archery being held and on the advice of Chand Bardai, Prithviraj participated in it. Ghori and his courtiers made fun fo him saying when he couldn't even see then how could he shoot but Prithviraj told Ghori to just order him to shoot and he would reach his target.
On the said day, Ghori sat on his royal enclosure while Prithiviraj was brought to the archery grounds in the chains. On Ghori's ordering Prithviraj to shoot, Prthiviraj turned in the direction from where he heard Ghori speak and struck Ghori dead with his arrow.
This event is described by Chand Bardai in the couplet, "Dus kadam aggey, bees kadam daey, baitha hai Sultan. Ab mat chuko Chouhan, chala do apna baan." (Ten feet ahead of you and twenty feet to your right, is seated the Sultan, do not now miss him Chouhan, release your baan - arrow).
The stories of Prithviraj are told with a lot of interest even today. He made mistakes which brought his downfall and made him miserable in his time but today, he's loved and remembered for those same "mistakes". Mistakes aren't so bad after all- they make us human. They make us real. And in case of Prithviraj, his mistakes gave him a persona that is larger than life itself.
His boldness in running away with Sanyogita, his lover and daughter of Jaichandra, a king jealous of Prithviraj was one of the highlights of the stories of Prithviraj. And to add thrill to the tale, Prithviraj did this during Sanyogita's swayamvar (groom selection ceremony), in front of her father and many other accomplished kings. This really incited Jaichandra so much and eventually led to the downfall of Prithviraj when Jaichandra supported Mahmud Ghori against Prithviraj. Though this was darn romantic, but I would call this, his first mistake.
Statue of Prithviraj Chauhan at Ajmer
(Courtesy: Wikipedia)
Prithviraj defeated Mahmud Ghori, an ambitious Afgani ruler who made way towards the Northern India, in the First Battle of Tarain (1191). But interestingly, when Mahmud Ghori was brought in front of Prithviraj in chains, Mahmud Ghori started begging for mercy. Prithviraj being the noble kind, forgave him and set him free. He believed that one should never harm an unarmed person. His decision was against the advise of his courtiers who asked him to finish off Ghori. But Prithviraj stayed strong on his ideals. What Prithviraj did here surely earns our respect but I would call this, his second mistake.
Because just the next year,i.e. in 1192, Mahmud Ghori came back. This time with a bigger and stronger army than before and he used all the guile he could muster to defeat Prithviraj. Prithviraj was chained and brought to Ghori when Ghori asked him to lower his eyes. Prithviraj defiantly refused saying his eyes would lower only at his death. (Such an attractively rebellious person, Prithviraj but this was your third mistake.) Ghori on hearing this became so angry that he ordered Prithviraj's eyes to be burnt with red hot iron rods.
After this, the blind Prithviraj was brought regularly to the court of Ghori to be taunted and teased. His biographer, Chand Bardai devised a plan with him to avenge Prithviraj. There was a game of archery being held and on the advice of Chand Bardai, Prithviraj participated in it. Ghori and his courtiers made fun fo him saying when he couldn't even see then how could he shoot but Prithviraj told Ghori to just order him to shoot and he would reach his target.
On the said day, Ghori sat on his royal enclosure while Prithiviraj was brought to the archery grounds in the chains. On Ghori's ordering Prithviraj to shoot, Prthiviraj turned in the direction from where he heard Ghori speak and struck Ghori dead with his arrow.
This event is described by Chand Bardai in the couplet, "Dus kadam aggey, bees kadam daey, baitha hai Sultan. Ab mat chuko Chouhan, chala do apna baan." (Ten feet ahead of you and twenty feet to your right, is seated the Sultan, do not now miss him Chouhan, release your baan - arrow).
The stories of Prithviraj are told with a lot of interest even today. He made mistakes which brought his downfall and made him miserable in his time but today, he's loved and remembered for those same "mistakes". Mistakes aren't so bad after all- they make us human. They make us real. And in case of Prithviraj, his mistakes gave him a persona that is larger than life itself.
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