Second Battle of Tarain
The Battles of Tarain, also known as the Battles of Taraori, were fought in 1191 and 1192 near the town of Tarain (Taraori), near Thanesar in present-day Haryana, approximately 150 kilometres north of Delhi, India, between a Turkic Ghurid raiding force led by Invader Shahabuddin Muhammad Ghauri and a Rajput army led by Prithviraj Chauhan.[1]
Sources
The Sanskrit manuscript Prithviraja Vijaya gives a contemporary account of the 12th century Kingdom of Ajmer ruled by the Chauhan clan. The poem Prithviraj Raso provides a more romantic version of the events. Later works like Viruddhavidhi-vidhvamsa and Hammir-Mahakavya add some details. Also, there are various Muslim sources narrating the events.
Background
Ghauri decided to extend the boundary of his kingdom. To realize his ambition, he made his first incursion into India in 1175 CE. After subduing the Isma'īlī Muslims of Multan, he made an unsuccessful advance into Gujarat in 1178 CE. Nevertheless, he was successful in seizing Peshawar and building a fort at Sialkot in 1181 CE. With the help of the ruler of Jammu, Jāydēv, he put an end to the rule of the Ghaznavids in Panjab and captured Lahore in 1186 CE. With this the way was opened for him to push his conquests further into India.
Ghaurī’s conquests had brought his kingdom right to Prithvīrāj's border, and in 1191 Ghaurī captured a fortress, either Sirhind or Bathinda in the present-day Indian State of Panjab, on Prithvīrāj's northwestern frontier. Prithvirāj's army, led by his vassal Govinda-Rāj of Delhi, rushed to the defense of the frontier, and the two armies met at Tarain.
Ghori brother was also in protection of Prithviraj, and Ghori wanted him back.
The First Battle
Size of the armies and generals
The total Rajput army is estimated at 50,000 with cavalry at 20,000 by the modern historians. The Muslim army was estimated at 35,000 cavalry (including camels, of which the numbers unknown), 20,000 infantry with 10,000 in either wing and a few thousand rearguard. The Ghori army, consisted mainly of Central Asian Turkic slaves(Mamluks), coming from horse breeding regions, and was dominated by cavalry.
According to Firishta, who was a Persian historian, the Rajput army consisted of 3,000 elephants, 3,000,000 cavalry and infantry.[2].
Battle
In 1191, Muhammad Ghauri threw the gauntlet by laying siege to the fortress of Bhatinda in East Punjab which was on the frontier of Prithiviraj's domains. Prithviraj's appeal for help from his father-in-law was scornfully rejected by the haughty Jaichandra. But undaunted Prithviraj marched on to Bhatinda and met his enemy at a place called Tarain (also called Taraori) near the ancient town of Thanesar. Ghauri attempted the same tactics employed by Mahmud of Ghazni but wasn't successful and he was routed and chased for nearly 40 miles by Prithviraj. In face of the persistent Rajput attacks, the Ghori army broke ranks and fled, ghauri was injured and escaped with the help of his loyal servants from the battlefield.
Aftermath
Ghauri's defeated army retreated to Lahore and, thereafter, returned to Ghazni. Prithvi Raj ignored the advice of his advisers and did not pursue the retreating army, which was a decision he later regretted.
The Second Battle
On his return to Ghazni, Ghori made hectic preparations to avenge the defeat. When he reached Lahore, he sent his envoy to Prithviraj to demand his submission, but the Chauhan ruler refused to comply. Prithviraj saw through Ghori's stratagem. So he issued a fervent appeal to his fellow Rajput chiefs to come to his aid against the Muslim invader. About 150 Rajput chiefs responded favourably but Ghori, upon hearing this news sent a letter asking for a truce in order to deceive Prithviraj.
Whatever army could be mustered, Prithviraj, knowing true intentions of ghori, proceeded to defend Tarain, where a year before, he had inflicted a crushing defeats on his adversary.
Role of Jaichand
It is alleged that the Rajput ruler Jaichand of Kannauj, who was also Prithviraj's father-in-law, met Ghori and divulged the secrets of Chauhan's planning of war. This was because Raja Jaichand had a grudge against Prithviraj Chauhan.[3]
Size of the forces and generals
It has been said Ghori then proceeded towards India with a large force numbering 12,000 mounted men. It is estimated that the Chauhan army had less numbers because other rajputs under prthviraj's banners had not arrived yet. The only generals named in Prithviraja Vijaya is Govindraj of Delhi and Prithviraj himself. Prithviraj tried to buy time by negotiating so that at least Udayaraj would come up in time to bolster his army numbers. Ghori sent a letter to prithviraj asking for truce. Prithviraj knowing the enemy's intentions gathered a small army to defend and hoped for reinforcements from his rajput bannermen.
Battle
Prithviraj's gesture was repaid by Ghori who re-attacked Prithiviraj with a stronger army. Prithviraj had called his banners but hoped to buy time as his banners (other Rajputs under him or his allies) had not arrived. Ghori got news of this and deceitfully sent a letter to Prithviraj for truce, and as we expect had requested Ghauri's brother to be turned to Ghauri. Before the next day, Ghori attacked the Rajput army before dawn. Rajputs had a tradition of fighting from sunrise to sunset. Although they were able to quickly form formations, they suffered losses due to surprise attack before sunrise. Rajput army was eventually defeated and Prithviraj was taken prisoner. He was taken to Ghazni, where Ghori did not show the same respect to Prithviraj, that he was shown when he was taken a prisoner during the first battle of Tarain. Prithviraj was blinded and later executed.
Death of Prithviraj
As prisoner in Ghor Prithiviraj was presented before Mahmud, where he looked Ghori straight into the eye. Ghori ordered him to lower his eyes, whereupon Prithviraj scornfully told him how he had treated Ghori as a prisoner.It is claimed that Ghori flew into a rage and ordered that Prithviraj's eyes be burnt with red hot iron rods, and he was later executed.
Delhi remained under Muslim rule for over six centuries till 1857. The throne of Delhi came back to the Hindus under King Hemu for a short period in 1556 & later on under the Marathas when Peshwa Baji Rao I defeated the Mughals in the First Battle of Delhi in 1737 .[4][5]
The aftermath
The victory of Mohammad of Ghur was decisive, and laid the foundation of the Sultanate of Delhi.
In spite of the establishment of Muslim rule in Delhi and UP (Uttar Pradesh) in the former kingdoms of Prithiviraj Chauhan and Jaichand Rathod, the Muslim invaders could never overrun the entire country. The Rajput dynasties like the Tomaras of Gwaliar and the Ranas of Mewad still continued to rule central India. One such Rajput ruler was Man Singh Tomar the king of Gwaliar. Man Singh put up a stout resistance to the Lodis and he succeeded in halting the Muslim ruler Sikandar Lodi's southward march at Gwaliar. While the Tomaras of Gwaliar held back the Muslims from advancing into Malwa, the Ranas of Mewad held up the banner of Indian independence from Mewad in those trying times of Muslim expansion in India. In South Rajasthan especially, the Rajputs had defiantly preserved their writ by resisting the Delhi Sultans. The center of this Rajput resistance was the kingdom at Chittor. The great Prithiviraj Chauhan.
See also
References
- ^ http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a790406179~db=all
- ^ Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals (1206-1526) by Satish Chandra
- ^ [1] Jaichand of Kanauj
- ^ File:India1760 1905.jpg India's Map: Maratha Empire (in yellow)
- ^ Peter L Kessler and Abhijit Rajadhyaksha. "Kingdoms of South Asia - Indian Maratha Empire". Historyfiles.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
Bibliography
- Mahajan, V. D. (2007). History of Medieval India. New Delhi: S. Chand
- Rottermund, H. K. (1998). A History of India. London: Routledge.
There was also a Third battle of Tarrain which was fought between Iltutmish and Yalduz in which Yalduz was defeated.Though this battle is less popular and less relevant but Tarrain had witnessed not 2 but three battles.This battle took place in 1215-16 A.D. Details submitted by Mr.Ankit Abhishek.