PRITHVIRAJ CHAUHAN

May 25, 2022

There is controversy around a new Akshay Kumar film called ‘Prithviraj’, with both the Gujjar and Rajput communities of Rajasthan laying claim over the 12th century king.

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Prithviraj belonged to the Chauhan or Chahamana dynasty of Ajmer which emerged after the decline of the Pratihara empire in the 11th century AD.
He ascended the throne in 1177 or 1178, and very quickly expanded his kingdom, defeating many of the smaller Rajput states.
However, he struggled against the Chalukyas of Gujarat, and was forced to look towards the Ganga valley instead.
While Prithviraj’s army was able to decisively defeat the invading Ghurids in the First Battle of Tarain (present-day Haryana) in 1191, he was defeated in the Second Battle of Tarain in the following year.
The battle marked a watershed moment in the history of medieval India, paving the way for the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate and the beginning of Muslim rule.
Prithviraj was depicted in ‘Prithviraj Raso’, a poem in Brajbhasha attributed to Chand Bardai, which is thought to have been composed in the 16th century.

Source : Indian Express