109-545: Rao Maldeo Rathore (5 December 1511 – 7 November 1562) was a king of the Rathore dynasty , who ruled the kingdom of Marwar in present day state of Rajasthan . Maldeo ascended the throne in 1531 CE, inheriting a small ancestral principality of Rathore's but after a long period of military actions against his neighbours, Maldeo swept significant territories which included parts of present day Rajasthan , Haryana , Uttar Pradesh , Gujarat and Sindh . He refused to ally with either
218-540: A Rashtrakuta origin. Branches of Rashtrakutas had migrated to Western Rajasthan as early as late tenth century; multiple inscriptions of "Rathauras" have been located in and around Marwar dating from tenth to thirteenth century; the Rathores may have emerged from one of the Rashtrakuta branches. Muhnot Nainsi , employed by the Rathores of Marwar, chronicled Nainsi ri Khyat , a bardic genealogical history of
327-732: A 23-year-old Ratan Singh Rathore, who was from a younger branch of the Jodhpur ruling family, was able to rise in rank by fighting against a mad elephant in Delhi. Shah Jahan was so impressed by his valour that he enlisted Ratan Singh in his army. Ratan Singh was able to rise to a rank of 3,000, received the Mahi-Maratib and Jagirs in Malwa, where he founded his own kingdom in Ratlam. The dynasty started by Ratan Singh would further breakaway and form
436-619: A Sanskrit text containing biographies of the Kharatara Jain monks. While the work was completed in 1336 CE, the part that mentions Prithviraj was written around 1250 CE. The Alha-Khanda (or Alha Raso ) of the Chandela poet Jaganika also provides an exaggerated account of Prithviraj's war against the Chandelas. Some other Indian texts also mention Prithviraj but do not provide much information of historical value. For example,
545-528: A claim to power irrespective of temporal situations. Also, by this time, the nomadic memories were better suppressed and the Rathores had themselves rebranded as the elite "protectors" of local cattle-rearers; in a couple of centuries, figures from early Rathore polity would be deified. Many scions of the Rathore clan were able to establish their own kingdoms during the Mughal reign. Barbara Ramusack notes how
654-610: A dancing girl by Udai Singh in return for his help against Maldeo. Udai Singh threatened Haji for war upon which he fled to the refuge of Maldeo and together their armies defeated Udai Singh on January 1557 in the Battle of Harmoda. Maldeo captured the fortified city of Merta after the battle. Maldeo further invaded Amber and forced the Kachwaha Raja to become a feudatory of Marwar. Akbar succeeded Humayun in 1556, Many Rajput chiefs mustered around him with their grievances against
763-534: A large infantry. This is most likely a gross exaggeration, aimed at emphasizing the scale of the Ghurid victory. Prithviraj wrote a letter to Muhammad of Ghor, promising him no harm if he decided to return to his own country. Muhammad insisted that he needed time to confer his brother Ghiyath al-Din who was ruling from his capital at Firozkoh . According to Firishta, he agreed to a truce until he received an answer from his brother. However, he planned an attack against
872-713: A new capital at Jodhpur. Rao Jodha was successful in annexing several territories from the Delhi Sultanate, due to which the Rathores of Marwar became the most powerful kingdom in Rajputana during his reign. Among his sons, Rao Bika found a new state in Bikaner in 1465; he and his successors would go on to expand territories therefrom, adopting similar tactics. This Bikawat branch became the new bearer of Rathore legacy, even bringing Gahdavala-time emblems and heirlooms from Marwar. Another of Jodha's sons Rao Varsingh found
981-518: A new state at Merto in 1462, establishing the Mertiyo branch. Rao Maldeo 's regime (1532-1562) harbored another significant shift from clannish rule to monarchy; Malde forced his distant relatives, who conquered new territories, to submit to him or else be deprived of gains. Bikaner was raided, too. Large palaces were constructed and fortifications were committed to, in what signaled the effective end of pastoral lifestyle. By mid-sixteenth century,
1090-472: A peace treaty with Prithviraj. According to Kharatara-Gachchha-Pattavali , a chief named Abhayada once sought Jagaddeva's permission to attack and rob the wealthy visitors from Sapadalaksha country (the Chahamana territory). In response, Jagaddeva told Abhayada that he had concluded a treaty with Prithviraj with much difficulty. Jaggadeva then threatened to have Abhayada sewn in a donkey's belly if he harassed
1199-471: A result of his wars against the neighbouring Hindu kings . Nevertheless, he managed to gather a large army to counter the Ghurids. Prithviraj successfully marshaled a sizeable army composed of over 100 Rajput rulers, mainly War elephants, cavalrymen and foot soldiers. The 16th century Muslim historian Firishta estimated the strength of Prithviraj's army as 300,000 horses and 3,000 elephants, in addition to
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#17327721520651308-690: A treaty by 1187 CE. The area around Mount Abu was ruled by the Chandravati Paramara ruler Dharavarsha, who was a Chaulukya feudatory. Partha-Parakrama-Vyayoga , a text written by his younger brother Prahaladana, describes Prithviraj's night attack on Abu. This attack, according to the text, was a failure for the Chahamanas. It probably happened during the Gujarat campaign of Prithviraj. The Gahadavala kingdom, centered around Kannauj and headed by another powerful king Jayachandra ,
1417-412: Is also known as Kaimasa, Kaimash or Kaimbasa in the folk legends, which describe him as an able administrator and soldier devoted to the young king. Prithviraja Vijaya states that he was responsible for all the military victories during the early years of Prithviraj's reign. According to two different legends, Kadambavasa was later killed by Prithviraj. The Prithviraja-Raso claims that Prithviraj killed
1526-486: Is confirmed by Muhnot Nainsi in his chronicles. Later writers asserts that Ganga's fall was an accidental one due to opium effect without giving any conclusive evidence to save Maldeo from charge of Patricide. The rulers of Marwar once held sway over nine Rathore chieftains, however by the time Maldeo acceded to the throne, he ruled only two districts. Maldeo thus attacked these nine chieftains and changed Marwars stance of overlordship to absolute control. Maldeo also defeated
1635-627: Is debatable. The Madanpur inscriptions establish that Prithviraj sacked Mahoba, but historical evidence suggests that his occupation of Chandela territory is either a fabrication by the bards, or did not last long. It is known that Paramardi did not die or retire immediately after the Chauhan victory; in fact, he continued ruling as a sovereign nearly a decade after Prithviraj's death. Cynthia Talbot asserts that Prithviraj only raided Jejakabhukti, and Paramardi regained control of his kingdom soon after his departure from Mahoba. Talbot continues that Prithviraj
1744-548: Is questionable and may not be relied upon except for a generic reconstruction. Chunda , who was ninth in descent from Asthan, married a Pratihara princess and was gifted the territory of Mandore as a dowry by the Pratihara clan. In return Chunda promised to defend Mandore against the Tughlaq Empire . Mandore thus became the new capital of the Rathore clan, c. 1400. This prompted a significant sociopolitical shift:
1853-665: Is some evidence of a battle between the Chahamanas and the Chaulukyas at Nagor. Two inscriptions found at Charlu village near Bikaner commemorate the death of Mohil soldiers at the battle of Nagor in 1184 CE (1241 VS ). The Mohils are a branch of the Chauhans (the Chahamanas), and it is possible the inscriptions refer to the battle described in Prithviraj Raso . Sometime before 1187 CE, Jagaddeva Pratihara signed
1962-682: Is the only surviving literary text from the reign of Prithviraj. Prithviraj Raso , which popularized Prithviraj as a great king, is purported to be written by his court poet Chand Bardai . However, it contains many exaggerated accounts, much of which is not useful for the purposes of history. Other chronicles and texts that mention Prithviraj include Prabandha-Chintamani , Prabandha Kosha and Prithviraja Prabandha . These were composed centuries after his death, and contain exaggerations and anachronistic anecdotes. Prithviraj has also been mentioned in Kharatara-Gachchha - Pattavali ,
2071-825: The Battle of Kasahrada in 1178 CE, forcing the Ghurids to retreat. Over the next few years, Muhammad of Ghor consolidated his power in the territory to the west of the Chahamanas, conquering Peshawar , Sindh , and Punjab . He shifted his base from Ghazna to Punjab, and made attempts to expand his empire eastwards, which brought him into conflict with Prithviraj. Prithviraja Vijaya mentions that Muhammad of Ghor sent an ambassador to Prithviraj, but does not provide any details. Hasan Nizami 's Taj-ul-Maasir (13th century CE) states that Muhammad sent his chief judge Qiwam-ul Mulk Ruknud Din Hamza to Prithviraj's court. The envoy tried to convince Prithviraj to "abandon belligerence and pursue
2180-467: The Battle of Sammel , Khawas Khan Marwat and Isa Khan Niyazi took possession of Jodhpur and occupied the territory of Marwar from Ajmer to Mount Abu in 1544. However, Maldeo reoccupied his lost territories in 1545 after the death of Sher Shah Suri . Rao Maldeo defeated Bharmal and captured four districts of the Amer kingdom. Bharmal in order to save himself sought help from Haji Khan Sur. Haji Khan
2289-581: The Gahadavala dynasty . Roma Niyogi considers this claim to be of a later origin. These bardic claims of descent have been since deemed to be largely ahistorical by Ziegler. Ziegler notes the theme of migrations to be common across Rajput genealogies; a construct, borrowed from literary canon of other regions. Later genealogies of Rathores went as far as to derive origin from Gods of the Hindu pantheon — Indra, Narayana et al. The first Rathore chieftain
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#17327721520652398-637: The Indian subcontinent by the 12th century. By the late 12th century, the Ghazna -based Ghurid dynasty controlled the territory to the west of the Chahamana kingdom. While Prithviraj was still a child, in 1175 CE, the Ghurid ruler Muhammad of Ghor crossed the Indus River and captured Multan . In 1178 CE, he invaded Gujarat , which was ruled by the Chaulukyas (Solankis). During its march to Gujarat,
2507-636: The Rathore Chief of Jodhpur . Akbar used this as a casus belli against Maldeo and sent several expeditions against Marwar . The Mughals conquered Ajmer and Nagaur in 1557 and soon after Akbar captured Jaitaran and Parbatsar. However the Mughals failed to capture the core territories of Marwar. Maldeo before his death held the districts of Jodhpur, Sojat, Jaitaran, Phalodi, Siwana, Pokhran, Jalore, Sanchore, Merta, Barmer, Kotra and some parts of Jaisalmer. These territories were later captured by Akbar due to
2616-674: The Sur Empire or the Mughal Empire . Maldeo's credential as a ruler were praised by several Persian chronicles of the time like Tabaaq-i-Akbari and Tarik-i-Ferishta composed by Nizammuddin and Ferishta who both acknowledged him as the most powerful monarch in Hindustan. On 5 December 1511, Maldeo's birth occurred. His parents were Rao Ganga and Rani Padma Kumari. During 1531, he started his reign. Maldeo had supported his father in several campaigns. At an early age he defeated
2725-568: The Teli community in 1931, who started calling themselves Vaishyas Rathore for caste upliftment. During the same period of British Raj , the Banjaras began styling themselves as Chauhan and Rathor Rajputs. The various cadet branches of the Rathore clan gradually spread to encompass all of Marwar and later founded states in Central India and Gujarat. The Marwar Royal family is considered
2834-551: The Bhadanakas were an obscure dynasty who controlled the area around Bayana . According to Dasharatha Sharma, the Bhadanaka territory comprised the area around present-day Bhiwani , Rewari and Alwar . The 1182–83 CE (1239 VS ) Madanpur inscriptions from Prithviraj's reign claim that he "laid to waste" Jejakabhukti (present-day Bundelkhand ), which was ruled by the Chandela king Paramardi . Prithviraj's invasion of
2943-520: The British. However in 1805-1806 he approached the British for military advice and paid the British to protect his state against the predatory actions of the Marathas and Pindaris . By 1816 the British changed this treaty and expelled all foreign influence in Jodhpur, they also started arbitrating in state matters. By 1818 the alliance was cemented and in 1832 the Rajputana agency was formed. Man Singh
3052-538: The Chahamana capital Ajmer , where Muhammad planned to reinstate him as a Ghurid vassal . Sometime later, Prithviraj rebelled against Muhammad, and was killed for treason. This is corroborated by numismatic evidence: some 'horse-and-bullman'-style coins bearing names of both Prithviraj and "Muhammad bin Sam" were issued from the Delhi mint, although another possibility is that the Ghurids initially used Chahamana-style coinage to ensure greater acceptance of their own coinage in
3161-456: The Chahamana kingdom and killed Prithviraj's father Someshvara, capturing Nagor in the process. Prithviraj re-captured Nagor, and defeated and killed Bhima. This is known to be historically false, as the reign of Bhima II lasted nearly half a century after Prithviraj's death. Similarly, historical evidence suggests Bhima II was a child at the time of Someshvara's death, and therefore, could not have killed him. Despite these discrepancies, there
3270-504: The Chahamana territory, and captured Tabarhindah or Tabar-e-Hind (identified with Bathinda ). He placed it under the charge of Zia-ud-din, the Qazi of Tulak , supported by 1200 horsemen. When Prithviraj learned about this, marched towards Tabarhindah with his feudatories, including Govindaraja of Delhi . According to the 16th-century Muslim historian Firishta , his force comprised 200,000 horses and 3,000 elephants. Muhammad's original plan
3379-401: The Chahamanas. According to Jawami ul-Hikayat , Muhammad assigned a few men to keep the fires in his camp burning at night, while he marched off in another direction with the rest of his army. This gave the Chahamanas an impression that the Ghurid army was still encamped, observing the truce. After reaching several miles away, Muhammad formed four divisions, with 10,000 archers each. He kept
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3488-471: The Chandela capital Mahoba . They killed the Chandela royal gardener for objecting to their presence, which led to a skirmish between the two sides. The Chandela king Paramardi asked his general Udal to attack Prithviraj's camp, but Udal advised against this move. Paramardi's brother-in-law Mahil Parihar ruled modern-day Orai ; he harboured ill-will against Paramardi and instigated the king to go ahead with
3597-408: The Chandela territory is also described in the later folk legends, such as Prithviraj Raso , Paramal Raso , and Alha-Raso . Other texts such as Sarangadhara Paddhati and Prabandha Chintamani also mention Prithviraj's attack on Paramardi. The Kharatara-Gachchha-Pattavali mentions that Prithviraj had embarked upon a digvijaya (conquest of all the regions). This appears to be a reference to
3706-506: The Gahadavala army, allowing him to escape to Delhi with Samyogita. In Delhi , Prithviraj became infatuated with his new wife, and started spending most of his time with her. He started ignoring the state affairs, which ultimately led to his defeat against Muhammad of Ghor . This legend is also mentioned in Abu'l-Fazl 's Ain-i-Akbari and Chandrashekhara's Surjana-Charita (which names
3815-547: The Gahadavala princess as "Kantimati"). Prithviraja Vijaya mentions that Prithviraj fell in love with the incarnation of an apsara Tilottama , although he had never seen this woman and was already married to other women. According to historian Dasharatha Sharma , this is probably a reference to Samyogita. However, this legend is not mentioned in other historical sources such as Prithviraja-Prabandha , Prabandha-Chintamani , Prabandha-Kosha and Hammira-Mahakavya . The Gahadavala records are also silent about this event, including
3924-536: The Ghurid army appears to have passed through the western frontier of the Chahamana kingdom, as evident by the destruction of several temples and sacking of the Bhati -ruled Lodhruva . The Prithviraja Vijaya mentions that the activities of the Ghurid army were like Rahu to the Chahamana kingdom (in Hindu mythology, Rahu swallows the Sun, causing a solar eclipse ). However, it does not mention any military engagement between
4033-402: The Ghurid garrison at Tabarhindah, which surrendered after 13 months of siege. Prithviraj seems to have treated the first battle of Tarain as merely a frontier fight. This view is strengthened by the fact that he made little preparations for any future clash with Muhammad of Ghor. According to Prithviraj Raso , during the period preceding his final confrontation with the Ghurids, he neglected
4142-418: The Ghurid king raised a fresh army with the support of a neighboring king, and marched to Delhi. Before the battle, he bribed Prithviraj's master of horses and musicians with gold coins. The master of horses had trained Prithviraj's horse to prance to drumbeats. The Ghurids attacked the Chahamana camp just before dawn, when Prithviraj was sleeping. Prithviraj tried to escape on his horse, but his musicians sounded
4251-472: The Hindu and Jain writers state that Prithviraj defeated Muhammad multiple times before being killed: While these accounts seem to exaggerate the number, it is possible that more than two engagements took place between the Ghurids and the Chahamanas during Prithviraj's reign. The early victories mentioned by the Hindu and Jain writers probably refer to Prithviraj's successful repulsion of raids by Ghurid generals. During 1190–1191 CE, Muhammad of Ghor invaded
4360-497: The Jodhawat Rathores to become all-weather allies of the Mughals though punctuated with discords. This span of cohabitation led to the introduction of strict endogamy into Rathore folds and hypergamy with Mughals. It was also under the Mughals, that bardic genealogies were crafted to present themselves as worthy appointees of the Mughals and distinguish themselves from other "once-fraternal" communities, thereby staking
4469-602: The Mughal Empire. The Jodhawat Rathores lost much of their territory rapidly and were effectively subsumed. The Bikawat Rathores entered into friendly relations with the Mughals , led their armies, and were extensively patronaged to the extent of being allowed to control the Jodhpur Fort. In 1583, Uday Singh finally accepted Mughal suzerainty and in return, was granted part of a Pargana in Jodhpur; this would enable
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4578-613: The Mughal and Sur empires. In 1534, Daulat Khan led an army and besieged Merta, which was then under Biram Dev Rathore. Maldeo took advantage of this situation to conquer Nagaur and force Daulat to flee to Ajmer. Biram Dev of Merta had recently won Ajmer from the Gujarat Sultanate. Maldev demanded Ajmer by saying that Biram was too weak to hold Ajmer against Gujarat. Biram refused this request, resulting in Maldeo sending an army and conquering Ajmer from Biram dev. Maldeo Rathore
4687-476: The Mughal chief Mudgala Rai, but these stories appear to be pure fiction. No historical records suggest existence of these persons. The construction of the now-ruined Qila Rai Pithora fort in Delhi is attributed to Prithviraj. According to Prithviraj Raso , Delhi's ruler Anangpal Tomar gave the city to his son-in-law Prithviraj, and was defeated when he wanted it back. This is historically inaccurate, as Delhi
4796-595: The Paramara princess of Abu. Prithviraj's marriage to her led to a rivalry between the two kings. Historian G. H. Ojha dismisses this legend as fiction, because it states that Ichchhini was a daughter of Salakha, while Dharavarsha was the Paramara ruler of Abu at the time. Historian R. B. Singh, on the other hand, believes that Salakha was the head of another Paramara branch at Abu. The Raso also mentions that Prithviraj's uncle Kanhadeva had killed seven sons of Bhima's uncle Sarangadeva. To avenge these murders, Bhima invaded
4905-680: The Rajput army on the same battlefield . Prithviraj was captured and summarliy executed, although his minor son Govindaraja was reinstated by Muhammad as his puppet ruler in Ajmer . His defeat at Tarain is seen as a landmark event in the Islamic conquest of India , and has been described in several semi-legendary accounts, most notably the Prithviraj Raso . The extant inscriptions from Prithviraj's reign are few in number and were not issued by
5014-533: The Rajput charge and the small Rathore army was decimated by the Afghan reinforcements under Jalal Khan. The Afghans also suffered heavy losses in the battle. According to Satish Chandra - Sher Shahs oft quoted remark " I had given away the country of Delhi for a handful of millets" is a tribute to the gallantry of Jaita and Kumpa and the willingness of the Rajputs to face death even in the face of impossible odds. After
5123-492: The Rajputs in western Rajasthan c. 1660 ; one of the oldest extant historical records of the region, the Khyata collated information from existing oral literature, genealogies and administrative sources in a chronological fashion. Nainsi had noted of the Rathores to have originated from Kannauj before migrating to Marwar . British indologist V. A. Smith theorized that the Rathores and Bundelas are offshoot of
5232-521: The Rathore clan in Jodhpur State. Prominent amongst them was Kushal Singh of Auwa . After several failed attempts by the British, the rebellion was quelled by the British army under the command of Brigadier Holmes. During the 20th century the lower castes in India tried to uplift their social standing by adopting surnames of other castes. The Rajput clan name " Rathore " was adopted as a surname by
5341-402: The Rathore rebel Shekha and Khanzada Daulat Khan of Nagaur attacked Jodhpur, however Rao Ganga and Maldeo defeated this army and killed Shekha. After Maldeo's participations in campaigns with his father and Rana Sanga and establishing his credential as a future monarch, he got overambitious and probably killed his father Ganga while he was drinking opium, by pushing him from the balcony. This
5450-465: The Rathore territories significantly expanded courtesy confrontations and diplomatic negotiations with other pastoral groups; the primary base shifted multiple times. Marital alliances with any warrior-group operating out of Thar were especially favored and they were welcome to be inducted in the Rathore fold. Multiple new Rathore branches seem to have split out in these spans. The precise accuracy of events which allegedly occurred across these spans
5559-623: The Rathors had a firm hold over entire Rajasthan. All these while, multiple matrimonial and military alliances with local Islamic kingdoms; the Delhi Sultanate have been noted; Hindu-Muslim relations were largely fraternal. The situations deteriorated once Akbar was ordained as the Mughal Emperor, and rao Maldeo died. His son rao Chandrasen Rathore defended his kingdom for nearly two decades against relentless attacks from
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#17327721520655668-727: The Sanskrit poem anthology Sharngadhara-paddhati (1363) contains a verse praising him, and the Kanhadade Prabandha (1455) mentions him as an earlier incarnation of the Jalore Chahamana king Viramade . Prithviraj was born to the Chahamana king Someshvara and queen Karpuradevi (a Kalachuri princess). Both Prithviraj and his younger brother Hariraja were born in Gujarat , where their father Someshvara
5777-635: The Sindhals of Raipur and Bhadrajun and fortified the two cities. In 1534 Maldeo attacked Nagaur and forced Daulat Khan to flee to Ajmer . Maldeo soon attacked Merta, Rian and Ajmer and captured them. The petty lords of Didwana and Pachpadra also acknowledged Maldeo's suzerainty. His attack on Jaisalmer was also successful and it brought the Bhatti rulers under his sway. In 1538 He defeated Mahecha Rathores and annexed Siwana and sent Bida Rathore to attack Jalore and captured Sultan Sikandar Khan. The Sultan
5886-506: The Sisodia nobles asked Maldeo to aid them against Banvir . The combined Rathor-Sisodia army defeated Banvir and secured the throne for Udai Singh II . Maldeo continued to take advantage of the war and used the situation to form military posts in Mewar, Bundi and Ranthambore. This led to a bitter rivalry between Udai Singh II and Maldeo Rathore. Bikaner was a Rathore kingdom situated towards
5995-461: The affairs of the state and spent time in merry-making. Meanwhile, Muhammad of Ghor returned to Ghazna , and made preparations to avenge his defeat. According to Tabaqat-i Nasiri , he gathered a well-equipped army of 120,000 select Afghan , Tajik and Turkic horsemen over the next few months. He then marched towards the Chahamana kingdom via Multan and Lahore , aided by Vijayaraja of Jammu . Prithviraj had been left without any allies as
6104-427: The afternoon, the Chahamana army was exhausted as a result of this pursuit. At this point, Muhammad led his reserve force of 10,000 mounted archers and attacked the Chahamanas, decisively defeating them. Chronicler Juzjani attributed the success of the Ghurid army to the 10,000 mounted archers which eventually overthrow the "infidel host". However, scholars like Dashratha Sharma and R.B. Singh argue that Ghoris' triumph
6213-428: The attack. Prithviraj defeated Udal's contingent and then left for Delhi. Subsequently, unhappy with Mahil's scheming, Udal and his brother Alha left the Chandela court. They started serving Jaichand , the Gahadavala ruler of Kannauj . Mahil then secretly informed Prithviraj that Chandela kingdom had become weak in absence of its strongest generals. Prithviraj invaded the Chandela kingdom and besieged Sirsagarh, which
6322-413: The branches or subclans of Rathore Rajputs . This article discusses the "Kanaujiya" Rathores of Marwar and lineages, thereof; Norman Ziegler had noted of 12 other similar branches ("shakhas") of Rathores — Sur, Shir, Kapaliya, Kherada, Abhepura, Jevamt, Vagula, Karaha, Parakra, Ahrao, Jalkheda, and Camdel. Scholarship about those branches are scarce to non-existent. A section of historians argue for
6431-479: The city's temples. Prabandha Chintamani by the 14th-century Jain scholar Merutunga states that Prithviraj cut off the ears of one of his ministers, who guided the Ghurid invaders to his camp as revenge. Prithviraj was in deep sleep after a day of religious fasting, and therefore, was easily captured. Hammira Mahakavya by the 15th-century Jain scholar Nayachandra Suri states that after his initial defeat,
6540-502: The drums. The horse started prancing, and the invaders easily captured Prithviraj. According to another Jain text, Prithviraja Prabandha , Prithviraj's minister Kaimbasa and his spear-bearer Pratapasimha were not on good terms. Kaimbasa once complained to king against Pratapasimha, who convinced the king that Kaimbasa was aiding the Ghurids. An angry Prithviraj attempted to kill Kaimbasa with an arrow one night, but ended up killing another man. When his bard Chand Baliddika admonished him,
6649-499: The former Chahamana territory. After Prithviraj's death, Muhammad installed the Chahamana prince Govindaraja on the throne of Ajmer, which further supports this theory. The various sources differ on the exact circumstances: The 13th-century Persian historian Minhaj-i-Siraj states that Prithviraj was "sent to hell" after being captured. The 16th-century historian Firishta also supports this account. According to historian Satish Chandra , Minhaj's account suggests that Prithviraj
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#17327721520656758-545: The head house of Rathores. At the time of India's independence in 1947, the princely states ruled by various branches of the Rathore clan included: Prithviraj Chauhan Prithviraja III ( IAST : Pṛthvī-rāja; 22 May 1166 – December 1192), popularly known as Prithviraj Chauhan or Rai Pithora , was a king from the Chauhan (Chahamana) dynasty who ruled the territory of Sapadalaksha , with his capital at Ajmer in present-day Rajasthan in north-western India. Ascending
6867-478: The hitherto nomadic lifestyle frequented with cattle raids etc. would gradually give way to landed aristocracy. His son Ranmal was assassinated in 1438; Marwar was annexed by Sisodias whilst other parts were captured by Delhi Sultanate. In 1453, Rao Jodha regained Marwar, and expanded his territories by entering into multiple alliances with fellow Rajputs; the Jodha line was established with his consecration of
6976-400: The king dismissed both the bard and the minister. At the time of Ghurid invasion of Delhi, Prithviraj had been sleeping for ten days. When the Ghurids came close, his sister woke him up: Prithviraj tried to flee on a horse, but Kaimbasa helped the Ghurids capture him by telling them about a certain sound that caused his horse to prance. Most medieval sources state that Prithviraj was taken to
7085-488: The king himself. Much of the information about him comes from the medieval legendary chronicles. Besides the Muslim accounts of Battles of Tarain, he has been mentioned in several medieval kavyas (epic poems) by Hindu and Jain authors. These include Prithviraja Vijaya , Hammira Mahakavya and Prithviraj Raso . These texts contain eulogistic descriptions, and are, therefore, not entirely reliable. Prithviraja Vijaya
7194-420: The kingdoms of Sailana and Sitamau. During Aurangzeb 's reign major rebellions would break out resulting in a 30 year war between the Mughals and the Rathores. The rebellion would continue until Bahadur Shah I 's reign. Durgadas Rathore played an instrumental role in protecting the Rathore dynasty of Jodhpur during this war. The Rathore ruler of Jodhpur Man Singh , initially refused to form treaties with
7303-564: The local Brahmins by defeating an oppressive king named Kanha Mer. Other contemporary sources claim the same descent and construct slightly variable narratives about migration from Kanauj: Setramot fled the Ghurid Sultanate to Marwar and established the first Rathore polity. The Bithoor inscription provides the date of Siho 's death in 1273 CE and calls him the son of Set Kunwar; however, it does not claim any Gaharwal origin. Under Asthan's regime, and that of his successor-rulers,
7412-450: The minister after finding him in the apartment of the king's favourite concubine Karnati. Prithviraja-Prabandha claims that a man named Pratapa-Simha conspired against the minister, and convinced Prithviraj that the minister was responsible for the repeated Muslim invasions. Both these claims appear to be historically inaccurate, as the much more historically reliable Prithviraja Vijaya does not mention any such incident. Bhuvanaikamalla,
7521-502: The name of a tribe, and theorized that Bhuvanaikamalla defeated this tribe. According to historian Dasharatha Sharma , Prithviraj assumed actual control of the administration in 1180 CE (1237 VS ). The first military achievement of Prithviraj was his suppression of a revolt by his cousin Nagarjuna, and recapture of Gudapura (IAST: Guḍapura; possibly modern Gurgaon ). Nagarjuna was a son of Prithviraj's uncle Vigraharaja IV , and
7630-454: The north of Marwar. Relations between Marwar and Bikaner had been bitter since the time of Bikaners foundation by Rao Bika . Rao Maldeo used a minor border dispute as a pretext for war and fought a battle with Rao Jaitsi in 1542 at the battle of Sohaba, Rao Jaitsi was killed in battle and Rao Maldeo took advantage of this situation to annex the entire kingdom of Bikaner. A Marital alliance with Jaisalmer secured Marwars western borders but Maldeo
7739-535: The outskirts of Agra. Chandra also says that, Maldeo had the mirage of reviving the 8th century Rashtrakuta empire. But unlike Prithviraj Chauhan and Rana Sanga Maldeo did not have the support of the Rajput tribes and politically no empire based in Rajasthan alone could challenge or defeat an empire that stretched from Punjab to the Upper Ganga valley." This was pointing towards Maldeo's hope of competing with
7848-414: The paternal uncle of Prithviraj's mother, was another important minister during this time. According to Prithviraja Vijaya , he was a valiant general who served Prithviraj as Garuda serves Vishnu . The text also states that he was "proficient in the art of subduing nāga s". According to the 15th-century historian Jonaraja , "naga" here refers to elephants. However, Har Bilas Sarda interpreted Naga as
7957-404: The path of rectitude", but was unsuccessful. As a result, Muhammad decided to wage a war against Prithviraj. The medieval Muslim writers mention only one or two battles between the two rulers. The Tabaqat-i Nasiri and Tarikh-i-Firishta mention the two Battles of Tarain. Jami-ul-Hikaya and Taj-ul-Maasir mention only the second battle of Tarain, in which Prithviraj was defeated. However,
8066-479: The people of Sapadalaksha. Historian Dasharatha Sharma theorizes that the Chahamana-Chaulukya conflict ended with some advantage for Prithviraj, as Jagaddeva appears to have been very anxious to preserve the treaty. According to historian R.C. Majumdar and Satish Chandra his long drawn out struggle against Gujarat was unsuccessful and he suffered a reverse against Bhima. Thus, Prithviraj concluded
8175-401: The rebels of Sojat and humbled Rao Veeram Dev of Merta by defeating him in battle. Maldeo later led a 4,000 strong army and helped Rana Sanga in the siege of Bayana on February 1527 and a month later at Khanwa . He personally led the charge on the left wing of the Mughal army and after the Rajput confederacy's defeat, he carried the wounded and unconscious Rana out of the battlefield. In 1529
8284-402: The rest of his army in reserve. He ordered the four divisions to launch an attack on the Chahamana camp, and then pretend a retreat. At dawn, the four divisions of the Ghurid army attacked the Chahamana camp, while Prithviraj was still asleep. After a brief fight, the Ghurid divisions pretended to retreat in accordance with Muhammad's strategy. Prithviraj was thus lured into chasing them, and by
8393-517: The small size of his following, set his face against him" Chandra also says that Maldeo could have arrested Humayun but he refrained as he was an invited guest. Rao Maldeo took advantage of the Mewari civil war and invaded Mewar. He established a garrison at Jaunpur (in Mewar) and annexed the lands of Sambhar, Kalsi, Fatehpur, Rewasa, Chota-Udaipur, Chatsu, Lawan and Malwarana. It was during this time that
8502-443: The start of Prithviraj's march to Jejakabhukti. The legendary account of Prithviraj's campaign against the Chandelas goes like this: Prithviraj was returning to Delhi after marrying the daughter of Padamsen, when his contingent was attacked by the "Turkic" forces ( Ghurids ). His army repulsed the attacks but suffered serious casualties in the process. Amid this chaos, the Chahamana soldiers lost their way and unknowingly encamped in
8611-484: The struggle for the Chahamana throne had led to a rivalry between the two branches of the family. According to Prithviraja Vijaya , Nagarjuna rebelled against Prithviraj's authority and occupied the fort of Gudapura. Prithviraj besieged Gudapura with a large army comprising infantry , camels , elephants and horses . Nagarjuna fled the fort, but Devabhata (possibly his general) continued to offer resistance. Ultimately, Prithviraj's army emerged victorious, and captured
8720-547: The succession war between Maldeo's sons. Maldeo Rathore had named his younger son, Chandrasen Rathore as his successor but after Maldeo's death on 7 November 1562, a fratricidal contest began for the throne of Marwar. Rathore dynasty The Rathore dynasty or Rathor dynasty was an Indian dynasty belonging to the Rathore clan of Rajputs that has historically ruled over parts of Rajasthan , Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh . Jodha, Vadhel , Jaitawat , Kumpawat, Champawat, Mertiya, Bikawat, Udawat, Karamsot, etc. are
8829-407: The supposed Rajasuya performance by Jayachandra. According to Dasharatha Sharma and R. B. Singh, there might be some historical truth in this legend, as it is mentioned in three different sources. All three sources place the event sometime before Prithviraj's final confrontation with Muhammad of Ghor in 1192 CE. The Prithviraj Raso mentions that Prithviraj defeated Nahar Rai of Mandovara and
8938-433: The supreme king. Jaichand's daughter Samyogita fell in love with Prithviraj after hearing about his heroic exploits, and declared that she would marry only him. Jaichand arranged a swayamvara (husband-selection) ceremony for his daughter, but did not invite Prithviraj. Nevertheless, Prithviraj marched to Kannauj with a hundred warriors and eloped with Samyogita. Two-thirds of his warriors sacrificed their life in fight against
9047-425: The texts state that he was particularly proficient in archery . Prithviraj moved from Gujarat to Ajmer, when his father Someshvara was crowned the Chahamana king after the death of Prithviraja II . Someshvara died in 1177 CE (1234 VS ), when Prithviraj was around 11 years old. The last inscription from Someshvara's reign and the first inscription from Prithviraj's reign are both dated to this year. Prithviraj, who
9156-543: The throne as a minor in 1177 CE, Prithviraj inherited a kingdom which stretched from Thanesar in the north to Jahazpur (Mewar) in the south, which he aimed to expand by military actions against neighbouring kingdoms, most notably defeating the Chandelas . Prithviraj led a coalition of several Rajput kings and defeated the Ghurid army led by Muhammad of Ghor near Taraori in 1191 However, in 1192, Muhammad returned with an army of Turkish mounted archers and defeated
9265-522: The two kingdoms. On its way to Gujarat, the Ghurid army besieged the Naddula (Nadol) fort, which was controlled by the Chahamanas of Naddula . Prithviraj's chief minister Kadambavasa advised him not to offer any assistance to the rivals of the Ghurids, and to stay away from this conflict. The Chahamanas did not immediately face a Ghurid invasion, because the Chaulukyas of Gujarat defeated Muhammad at
9374-510: The war between the Mughals and the Sur Empire to conquer Bayana , Tonk and Toda. By regaining territories from Afghan occupation, Maldeo Rathore restored Hindu rule in the area and abolished the Jizya tax there. His northern boundary at Jhajjar was only about fifty kilometers from Delhi. According to Norman Ziegler, Marwar under Maldeo dominated the battles of his time period. This
9483-551: The wife, mother, and followers of Nagarjuna. According to Prithviraja Vijaya , a garland made of the defeated soldiers' heads was hung across the Ajmer fort gate. Two verses of Kharatara-Gachchha- Pattavali mention the victory of Prithviraj over the Bhadanakas , while describing a debate between two Jain monks . This victory can be dated to sometime before 1182 CE, when the said debate took place. According to Cynthia Talbot,
9592-475: The year of Prithviraj's birth as 1166 CE (1223 VS ). The medieval biographies of Prithviraj suggest that he was educated well. The Prithviraja Vijaya states that he mastered 6 languages; the Prithviraj Raso claims that he learned 14 languages, which appears to be an exaggeration. The Raso goes on to claim that he became well-versed in a number of subjects, including history, mathematics, medicine, military, painting, philosophy ( mimamsa ), and theology. Both
9701-497: Was Siho Setramot, grandson of the last Gahadavala king Jayachandra . Setramot abdicated the throne of Kanauj to become an ascetic but got embroiled in a royal rivalry and eventually married the daughter of a Gujarati ruler, who birthed him three sons. Asthan, the eldest, was raised at Paltan after Siho's death (at Kanauj) and he went on to establish the first Rathore polity in Pali (and few adjoining villages), after winning over
9810-493: Was "the moon to the lotus-like queens of Prithviraja" (a reference to the belief that the moon-rise causes a day-blooming lotus to close its petals). Since Bhima was a minor at the time, it appears that Jagaddeva led the campaign on the Chaulukya side. The historically unreliable Prithviraj Raso provides some details about the Chahamana-Chaulukya struggle. According to it, both Prithviraj and Bhima wanted to marry Ichchhini,
9919-430: Was a minor at the time, ascended the throne with his mother as the regent . The Hammira Mahakavya claims that Someshvara himself installed Prithviraj on the throne, and then retired to the forest . However, this is doubtful. During his early years as the king, Prithviraj's mother managed the administration, assisted by a regency council. Kadambavasa served as the chief minister of the kingdom during this period. He
10028-452: Was a slave of Sher Shah Suri and became the lord of Ajmer and Nagaur after the Battle of Sammel . Maldeo who was on a resurgence to win back his lost territories attacked Haji, however the States of Mewar and Bikaner came to Haji's aid and forced Maldeo to retreat. The relations between Haji and Udai Singh II deteriorated quickly, according to one account it was due to the demand of
10137-459: Was annexed to the Chahamana territory by Prithviraj's uncle Vigraharaja IV . In addition, historical evidence suggests that Anangpal Tomar died before the birth of Prithviraj. The claim about his daughter's marriage to Prithviraj appears to have been concocted at a later date. Prithviraj's predecessors had faced multiple raids from the Muslim dynasties that had captured the north-western areas of
10246-538: Was brought up at the Chaulukya court by his maternal relatives. According to Prithviraja Vijaya , Prithviraj was born on the 12th day of the Jyeshtha month . The text does not mention the year of his birth, but provides some of the astrological planetary positions at the time of his birth, calling them auspicious. Based on these positions and assuming certain other planetary positions, Dasharatha Sharma calculated
10355-572: Was called to Marwar for refuge by the Rao. According to Rajput sources, Mughals killed several cows on the way to Marwar, this made the local Rajputs hostile towards Humayun as cows were sacred to the Hindus. Humayun was thus forced to flee from Marwar. The Mughal sources however blame Maldeo for betrayal and say that Maldeo breached the alliance because he was given more favourable terms by Sher Shah. according to Satish Chandra - "Maldeo invited him, but seeing
10464-414: Was defeated. After his victory, Prithviraj sacked Mahoba. He then dispatched his general Chavand Rai to Kalinjar Fort to capture Paramardi. According to the various legends, Paramardi either died or retired shortly after the attack. Prithviraj returned to Delhi after appointing Pajjun Rai as the governor of Mahoba. Later, Paramardi's son recaptured Mahoba. The exact historicity of this legendary narrative
10573-561: Was due to the large number of horses that Maldeo supplied to his soldiers. Maldeo's father Rao Ganga had also created a regular cavalry force called "Chindhars", who were given a regular salary and were stationed in Sojat. Maldeo continued this tradition and greatly increased the number of Chindhars in his outposts. According to Satish Chandra, "Maldeo's kingdom comprised of almost the whole of western and eastern Rajasthan including Sambhal and Narnaul (In Haryana). His armies could be seen as far as
10682-494: Was executed immediately after his defeat, but R. B. Singh believes that no such conclusion can be drawn from Minhaj's writings. Viruddha-Vidhi Vidhvansa by the Hindu writer Lakshmidhara is the only source that claims that Prithviraj was killed on the battlefield. The Prithviraj Raso claims that Prithviraj was taken to Ghazna as a prisoner, and blinded. On hearing this, the poet Chand Bardai traveled to Ghazna and tricked Muhammad of Ghor into watching an archery performance by
10791-524: Was expanding his territories westward and besieged Jaisalmer in 1537. Rawal Lunkaran was forced to sue for peace by giving Maldeo his daughter Umade Bhattiyani in marriage to him..Through this alliance Maldeo was able to secure his western borders and employ a large number of Bhati rajputs from Jaisalmer . After his campaign against Jaisalmer, Maldeo recruited a large number of Bhati soldiers and used them against his enemies. He soon after conquered Ajmer with their help and then turned towards Jalore, which
10900-469: Was fiercely opposed by the dispossessed chiefs of Bikaner and Merta who made an alliance with the Sur emperor, Sher Shah Suri , of Delhi against Marwar. Shershah forged letters and deceived Maldeo into abandoning his commanders to their fate. Jaita and Kumpa, the two commanders of Maldeo refused to retreat and gave battle to the 80,000 strong Afghan army with a small force of 4,000-12,000 men. Afghan gunfire halted
11009-487: Was held by Udal's cousin Malkhan. After failing to win over Malkhan through peaceful methods and losing eight generals, Prithviraj captured the fort. The Chandelas then appealed for a truce, and used this time to recall Alha and Udal from Kannauj. In support of the Chandelas, Jaichand dispatched an army led by his best generals, including two of his own sons. The combined Chandela-Gahadavala army attacked Prithviraj's camp, but
11118-400: Was imprisoned and died after a short period in captivity. Maldeo, after capturing Jalore attacked and annexed Sanchore, Bhinmal, Radhanpur and Nabhara (In Gujarat). Maldeo's western territory at this time extended up to Sindh-Cholistan in the west and parts of Gujarat in the south-west. He had direct control over 40 districts in and around present day Rajasthan . In 1539 Maldeo took advantage of
11227-440: Was located to the east of the Chahamana kingdom. According to a legend mentioned in Prithviraj Raso , Prithviraj eloped with Jayachandra's daughter Samyogita , leading to a rivalry between the two kings. The legend goes like this: King Jaichand (Jayachandra) of Kannauj decided to conduct a Rajasuya ceremony to proclaim his supremacy. Prithviraj refused to participate in this ceremony, and thus, refused to acknowledge Jaichand as
11336-528: Was more a result of deceitful and treacherous strategies rather than the inherent strength of his forces. According to Taj-ul-Maasir , Prithviraj's camp lost 100,000 men (including Govindaraja of Delhi) in this debacle. Prithviraj himself tried to escape on a horse, but was pursued and caught near the Sarasvati fort (possibly modern Sirsa ). Subsequently, Muhammad of Ghor captured Ajmer after killing several thousand defenders, enslaved many more, and destroyed
11445-543: Was not able to annex the Chandela territory to his kingdom. Conversely, according to R.B. Singh, it is probable that some part of Chandela territory was annexed by Chahmanas albeit for a short time. The Kharatara-Gachchha-Pattavali mentions a peace treaty between Prithviraj, and Bhima II , the Chaulukya (Solanki) king of Gujarat . This implies that the two kings were previously at war. This war can be dated to sometime before 1187 CE (1244 VS ). The Veraval inscription states that Bhima's prime minister Jagaddeva Pratihara
11554-433: Was not always cordial with the British during this time, in 1829 Man Singh gave shelter to Mudhoji II Bhonsle and antagonized the British. Mudhoji was zealously protected by Man Singh and lived his remaining life in Jodhpur till his death in 1840. Man Singh was finally caught with evidence, when his spy Dhumdas was arrested by the British. Man Singh was using ascetics as spies and messengers. The letters proved that Man Singh
11663-486: Was part of an "anti-British cabal" which included Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab, Dost Muhammad, King of Afghanistan and the Russians. In September 1839 the British sent an army and captured Jodhpur. Man Singh chose to relinquish his throne and became an ascetic to avoid war. The exiled maharaja of Jodhpur died on 5 September 1843 due to poor health. The 1857 rebellion sparked uprisings amongst several Rajput chieftains of
11772-442: Was ruled by Sultan Sikandar Khan. Maldeo successfully conquered Jalore and took Sikandar as a prisoner to Jodhpur. Where the sultan died after a short time in prison. Maldeo Rathore had made an alliance with the Mughal emperor Humayun against Sher Shah Suri . But shortly after Humayun was defeated in the battles of Chausa and Kannauj by the Afghan emperor. Humayun upon losing most of his territories turned to Maldeo for help and
11881-475: Was to return to his base after conquering Tabarhindah, but when he heard about Prithviraj's march, he decided to put up a fight. He set out with an army, and encountered Prithviraj's forces at Tarain . In the ensuing battle, Prithviraj's army decisively defeated the Ghurids. Muhammad of Ghor was injured and forced to retreat. Prithviraj did not pursue the retreating Ghurid army, not wanting to invade hostile territory or misjudge Ghori's ambition. He only besieged
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