As Prithviraj Chauhan’s birth anniversary is being celebrated across the country, here is a look at some interesting facts about the life of the legendary Rajput King. Although there is limited written material available about him and none of it is sanctioned by the King himself, the facts about him come from oral folklore, accounts of battle by Muslim chronicles, and poems like ‘Prithviraja Vijaya’ and ‘Prithviraj Raso’ that carry eulogical descriptions of the much-celebrated King.

The birth year of Prithviraj has not been clearly mentioned. According to ‘Prithviraja Vijaya’, he was born on the 12th day of the Jyeshtha month. According to the astrological planetary positions described in the text, his birth year is considered to be 1166 CE.
The medieval biographies suggest that Prithviraj had studied subjects like history, mathematics, painting, philosophy, medicines, and the military. He was especially skilled in archery.

The ‘Prithviraja Vijaya’ mentions that he mastered 6 languages; the ‘Prithviraj Raso’ goes on to claim that he learned 14 languages.

The King’s first achievement in the military came in when he successfully suppressed the revolt of his cousin Nagarjuna and recaptured Gudapura (present-day Gurugram).
The much-celebrated Prithviraj Chauhan during his reign had a stronghold over present-day north-western India and is popularly considered to be one of the last Hindu kings of ancient India.

He had his reign over the present-day Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, and some parts of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

One of his earlier successes as a king includes the way he defeated the Chandela king Paramardi. Inscriptions from his reign and several ancient texts depict his victory and how in a long military operation he successfully captured Jejakabhukti (present-day Bundelkhand).

Prithviraj’s predecessors had to withstand several attempts of invasion by Muslim dynasties who eventually claimed the north-western areas by the 12th century. The Rajput King during his period fought the Muhammad of Ghor, a ruler of the Muslim Ghurid dynasty.

Prithviraj achieved a great victory in the First Battle Of Tarain when he defeated Mu’izz al-Din also known as the Muhammad of Ghor, who had to retreat back to his territory.
However, Mohammed managed to avenge his loss in the Second Battle of Tarain, which also proved to be the last battle of Prithviraj Chauhan. This defeat is considered to have played a crucial role in initiating a greater conquest of India by invaders.