Some historians are of the view that Muhammad Ghori planned to reinstate him as a Ghurid vassal. This folklore however is not supported by historical evidence as Ghori went on to rule for 10 years after Prithviraj’s death.
Shortly after, Prithviraj and Chand Bardai killed each other and it is believed that the rest of the account was written by Bardai’s son, Jalhan, who was also a witness to the war. Bardai persuaded Ghori to organise an archery competition.ĭuring the event, Prithviraj shot an arrow sensing Ghori’s voice that instantly killed the Afghan ruler. Apparently, Prithviraj was a master marksmen who could shoot arrows with his eyes closed. This time Bardai, the court poet, himself hatched a plan to kill Ghori. The king was subsequently captured and blinded by Ghori’s soldiers. According to Chand Bardai’s account, Chauhan refused to bow his head before Ghori after defeat. What happened to Prithiviraj after his defeat is a matter of debate. A fierce battle ensued that resulted in Prithviraj’s defeat. With the support of the Rajput king, Ghori waged a war against with a well-equipped army of 120,000 Afghani, Tajik and Turkic horsemen. Jaichand could not take the insult and forged an alliance with Ghori, the Afghan ruler who had tasted defeat at the hands of Chauhan. He suddenly sprang from behind the statue, took Sanyogita up in his arms and whisked her away to Delhi. As it turned out, Prithviraj was hiding behind the statue. On the day of the ceremony, Sanyogita walked past all the kings and princes, ignoring all of them, and put the garland around the neck of Prithviraj’s statue. When Prithviraj heard about the Swayamvara, he devised a plan to elope with the princess. To rub salt into the wound, Jaichand then commissioned a clay statue of Prithviraj and installed it as a dwarpal (doorman). To insult Prithviraj, Jaichand planned Sanyogita’s Swayamvara and decided against inviting Prithviraj.
This ignited an enmity between the two kings. To assert his supremacy over other kingdoms, Jaichand decided to do a Rajsuya Yagya, however, Prithviraj refused to accept his supremacy. However, before they could marry, Prithviraj and Jaichand’s relation soured due to the rivalry between their kingdoms. The same painter painted Sanyogita’s portrait and showed it to Prithviraj. It is said that they fell in love when a painter from Prithviraj’s court, Panna Ray, visited Kannauj and showed his painting of the king to the princess. Prithviraj too was mesmerized by the tales of Sanyogita’s beauty. She is said to have fallen in love with Prithviraj and desired nobody else but the king. Soon, tales of his conquests reached the ears of Sanyogita, the daughter of Kannauj’s king Jaichand who was known for her bewitching beauty. According to Prithviraj Raso, Prithviraj gained a reputation for his valour and chivalry.