Epic Love Tale Prithaviraj Chohan & Samyukta: Chivalry, Betrayal, Revange. Changed History &Geography of India

 In the 12th century, Prithviraj Chauhan (1166– 1192) was the Valiant king, who had ruled the kingdoms of Ajmer and Delhi. Prithviraj had defeated many kings in his lifetime. However, it was his rivalry with Muhammad Ghori that was the major highlight of his life.

 

Jaichand and Prithviraj were political rivals, as indicated by their non-cooperation against the Ghurid invaders. But the Prithviraj Raso claim that Jaichand not only refused to help Prithviraj against the Ghurids, but also formed an alliance with the invading Ghurid king Muhammad of Ghor.

Who was Prithviraj Chauhan's wife, Sanyogita?

Sanyogita was the daughter of Kannauj's King, Jaichand and was often referred to as one of the most beautiful princesses of her time.

The loving wife was her husband and king, Prithviraj Chauhan's backbone and had got married to him by going against her father, Jaichand's wish. Hence, Prithviraj and Sanyogita's love story is often referred to as a tale of true love and sacrifice.

 

How Sanyogita fell in love with Prithviraj Chauhan

If the legends are to be believed, Muhammad Ghori, the sultan of the Ghurid army had attacked Delhi 17 times. However, he was defeated by the then-ruler, Prithviraj Chauhan, on 16 occasions.

 

When the stories of his courage had entered Sanyogita's palace in Kannauj, she had fallen in love with Prithviraj's courage and bravery.

 

However, before getting mesmerised by his power and aura, Sanyogita had calmed herself, as she was aware of the sour bond between her father, king Jaichand and Prithviraj Chauhan. 

The reason behind Jaichand and Prithviraj Chauhan's feud

The king of Kannauj, Jaichand wasn't pleased with the supremacy of Rajput kings across the different regions of India. Hence, in order to assert his dominance over them, King Jaichand had announced that he was going to do a Rajsuya Yagya in Kannauj.

 

The decision had irked Prithviraj Chauhan as he was against Jaichand's decision to assert himself as the 'supreme king' and had refused to attend the yagya.

This had started a feud between Jaichand and Prithviraj. After Prithviraj had declined to participate in Jaichand's Rajsuya Yagya, the latter had decided to take revenge on him.

 

The king of Kinnauj, Jaichand had decided to arrange a swayamvar for his daughter, Sanyogita and had invited all the brave and big kings of that time. However, to insult Prithviraj Chauhan, he had not invited him to the swayamvar.

 

When painter, Panna Ray had turned Cupid for his king, Prithviraj Chauhan and Sanyogita

While on one side, king Jaichand was all set for his daughter, Sanyogita's swayamvar. On the other side, Prithviraj Chauhan had also fallen in love with Sanyogita after his painter, Panna Ray had turned Cupid for the then-future husband-wife.

 

Panna Ray had once visited Kannauj, and during his visit, he had shown a painting of his king, Prithviraj Chauhan, to Sanyogita and the latter, who was already mesmerised by stories of his courage, had fallen instantly in love with him.

 

After which, Panna Ray had also decided to make a painting of Sanyogita and had presented it to Prithviraj Chauhan. And the king had also fallen in love at first sight with the princess.

 

Needless to say, he too was smitten by her beauty.

 

Hence, he had decided to marry her. If the legends are to be believed, when Sanyogita had come to know that her lover, Prithviraj Chauhan wasn't invited to her swayamvar, she had penned a letter to the king and had urged him that she wanted to marry him only.

 

In response to this letter, Prithviraj had promised Sanyogita that he would come to her swayamvar and they would get married for sure.

When Sanyogita fled away with Prithviraj Chauhan from her swayamvar

On the day of Sanyogita's swayamvar, Kannauj's king, Jaichand had installed a statue of Prithviraj Chauhan and dressed it in a guard's clothes to set an example for all the kings, who were going to attend the ceremony.

 

Soon the ceremony had started, and all the kings were lined up in front of Sanyogita. The princess was told to put the garland around the neck of a king with whom she would like to marry. However, Sanyogita had skipped passed everyone and had put the garland on Prithviraj's statue.

 

While everyone was still processing what had exactly happened and why Sanyogita had put the garland around the neck of Prithviraj Chauhan's statue, the king had sprung right in front of her.

The sudden appearance of Prithviraj had left everyone in shock, and in split seconds he had taken Sanyogita in his arms and had left away from the palace.

 

This war was fought on the banks of river Yamuna between the region of Etawah and Kanauj. The battle was tough and bloody and both sides fought gallantly.

 

Of course, it wasn't quite easy for Prithviraj, and in the process, he had lost his thousand soldiers. However, in the end, Sanyogita and Prithviraj were happily together.

 

Entry of Shabuddin Ghori in this love story: A ruler from the Ghurid dynasty based in the Ghor region of what is today central Afghanistan

 

Sanyogita's father, Jaichand joined hands with Afghan ruler, Muhammad Ghori (1144 –1206) to kill Prithviraj Chauhan

 

After Prithviraj Chauhan had fled away with Sanyogita from Kannauj, her father, King Jaichand was furious and had vowed to take his revenge on Prithviraj Chauhan. In order to defeat him, Jaichand had joined hands with Afghan ruler, Muhammad Ghori, who had already tasted defeat from Prithviraj in the past 16 encounters with him.

 

However, with the help of Jaichand and some other Rajput kings, they had attacked Prithviraj from multiple fronts. The attack was a surprising one for Prithviraj, as he had never thought that an Indian ruler would take help from an Afghan invader, but Jaichand was so much thirsty for revenge that he had reportedly opened gates for the Ghurid army.

 

Muhammad Ghori had blinded Prithviraj Chauhan after defeating him

The combined attack of Muhammad Ghori, King Jaichand, and a couple of Rajput kings was too much for Prithviraj Chauhan, and after a long battle, he was defeated by the hands of the Ghurid army.

Sanyogita had committed Jauhar after Prithviraj Chauhan's demise

Over the years, there has been a lot of debate over the authenticity of Prithviraj and Sanyogita's love story, but even to this very day, whenever someone talks about the epic love stories, this is the story that comes up right in front of everyone's mind. The story is about doing everything for love and sacrificing everything for love.

 

The Epic Love Story of Prithviraj Chauhan & Sanyogita That Proves All Is Fair In Love & War

 

After Prithviraj's death, there was no strong and brave ruler who could fight and hold back Turkish invasions with such great valour as that of Prithviraj's.

 

Shahabuddin Ghori did not have any offspring who could inherit his empire. But he treated his Turkic slaves as his children, he provided them with education and trained both as soldiers as well as administrators. Many of his loyal slaves got positions in government as well as in army.

 

Muhammad's only offspring was his daughter who died during his own lifetime. His sudden assassination in Damyak led to a period of struggle among his slaves and other senior Ghurid elites for the succession.

In India Qutb-ud-din Aibak became his successor and ruled over Delhi. Another slave, Nasir-ud-din Qabacha became the ruler of Sindh and Multan.

 

In fact, Qutb-ud-din Aibak laid down the foundation of slave dynasty in India. Nasir-ud-din Qabacha was finally defeated by Shams-ud-din Iltutmish and Sindh and Multan became part of the Delhi kingdom.

 

Shahabuddin Ghori was assassinated on March 15, 1206

In 1206, a rebellion rose in Punjab so Ghori returned and crushed the rebels and on his way back to Ghazni he was assassinated by someone which is still arguable as some say it was a Hindu Ghakars while others say it was a Hindu Khokers — both different tribes.

 

Mahmud of Ghazni opened the gate for the Turkish conquests in India but the task of consolidation was done by Shahab-ud-din Ghori and his successors led to the establishment of Muslim settlements in the subcontinent for many hundred years.

 

The story of his assassination by the Khokhars is probably an invention of later times based on indirect evidences.

 

Muhammad's coffin was carried from Dhamiak to Ghazni by his Vizier Moidul Mulk along with other elites, where he was buried (Ghazni) in the mausoleum of his daughte

 

The End

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