Prithviraj Chauhan

Prithviraja III, famous as Prithviraj Chauhan, was one of the greatest Rajput rulers. He controlled many parts of the present-day Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. Known for his valor, Prithviraj Chauhan
is often praised as a brave Indian king, who stood up against the invasion of Muslim rulers. He is widely known as a warrior king and is credited for resisting the Muslim invaders with all his might. His defeat at the ‘Second battle
of Tarain’ (1192) is considered as a key moment in the history of India as it opened the gates for Muslim invaders to rule the northern parts of India.

According to ‘Prithviraja Vijaya,’ Prithviraj Chauhan had mastered as many as six languages. Another eulogistic poem, Prithviraj Raso, claims that Prithviraj was well-versed in many subjects, including mathematics, medicine, history,
military, philosophy, painting, and theology. Both Prithviraj Raso and Prithviraja Vijaya state that Prithviraj was well-versed in archery as well. Other medieval biographies also suggest that Prithviraj Chauhan was educated well
and was an intelligent boy right from his childhood. They also state that as a kid, Prithviraj displayed keen interest in warfare and was hence able to quickly learn some of the most difficult military skills quite early.

Prithviraj ascended the throne when he was just 11 years old after the death of his father, Someshvara, in 1177 CE. At the time of his coronation, the young ruler had inherited a kingdom that extended from Sthanvishvara in the north
to Mewar in the south.

At its peak, the empire of Prithviraj Chauhan extended from the foothills of the Himalayan in the north to the foothills of Mount Abu in the south. From east to west, his empire extended from Betwa River to Sutlej River. This implies
that his empire included present-day Rajasthan, western Uttar Pradesh, northern Madhya Pradesh, and southern Punjab. After his demise, Prithviraj Chauhan was largely portrayed as a powerful Hindu king, who was successful in keeping
the Muslim invaders at bay for many years. He is also often portrayed as a symbol of Indian power before the beginning of the Islamic rule in medieval India.