PRITHVIRAJ CHOUHAN.

Just now and Akshay Kumar film on Prithviraj got released but turned out to be a flop. Movies are always dramatizations and need not necessarily depict reality. I do not know what is shown in this movie..... 

Prithviraj Chouhan had a very short life. He lived for just 26 years from 1166 to 1192. ... 

Prithviraj ascended the throne in 1177 when he was just 11 years old ..... 

On ascending his throne he had to face a rebellion from his cousin Nagarjuna but the rebellion was brutally crushed. The kingdom of Bhadanakas has been a persistent threat to his kingdom and he defeated them comprehensively sometime before 1182 AD when he was just 16 years old.....then in 1182 he defeated the Chandelas....again at the age of just 16.......he also fought some battles with the kingdom of Gujarat in which he was successful and then took on Jaichandra of Kannauj who in turn successfully resisted his expansion...... 

Chand Bardai has written in his " Prithviraj Raso" that Prithviraj has fallen in love with Jayachandra's daughter Sanyogita (Samyukta) and Prithviraj finally abducted her from Jaichandra but with her consent ..... however the  historical authenticity of this story is questionable......but Sanyogita (Samyukta) is certainly Jaichandra’s daughter and was the wife of Prithviraj. 

Now Jaichandra is a Gahadavala prince and he ruled from Kannauj whose territories are adjoining those of Prithviraj. He is a very ambitious prince like Prithviraj and therefore always opposed him. He remained a staunch rival of Prithviraj right till the end which actually means the story of the abduction of Sanyogita may well be true. Otherwise who would persecute his own daughter’s husband?

 Mohammed Ghori is from Ghur in Afghanistan and he first took Sindh, Multan and the Punjab . Prithviraj's borders touched the Ghur empire and there were raids by Mohd Ghori's troops on Prithviraj's territories which made Prithviraj attack Mohd Ghori in 1191 at the first battle of Tarain in which Mohd Ghori was seriously injured and his forces withdrew in disarray. Prithviraj made a blunder by not pursuing Mohd Ghori and finishing him off.

 Next year in 1192 AD, Ghori gathered a big army comprising of Persians, Afghans and Turks ....in this he used 10,000 mounted archers to harass Prithviraj's front lines....when elements of Prithviraj's army broke up from the main body on account of the mounted archers to pursue them, then Ghori's heavy cavalry finished them off.....these change in tactics compared to the first battle confused Prithviraj's forces and they were routed......Prithviraj left the battleground but was pursued, captured and executed.

 The name of Jaichandra is generally mentioned for treachery, but Jaichandra did no treachery and he merely opposed Prithviraj probably because Prithviraj married his daughter without his consent.