The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v2.c32.s4.211

v2.c32.s4.211

The statement of Ḥasan Niẓāmī shows that a son of Pṛthvī-rāja had been installed to succeed his father as the feudatory of the Muslims. The yoke of bondage, it seems, did not fit in well with the pride and traditions of the Cāhamānas. The rebellions of ‘Hirāj,’ the brother of Pṛthvīrāja, and of ‘the Rāī’ from Delhi were the last attempts of the Cāhamānas of Sambhar to regain their independence. The Rāī who raised the standard of rebellion after escaping from Delhi was probably a scion of Govinda, presumably the feudatory of Pṛthvīrāja who was killed in the second battle of Tarā'īn. Unfortunately the Muslim chroniclers do not give us the names of either this prince of Delhi or of the son of Pṛthvīrāja who became a feudatory of the Muḥammadans. There are also discrepancies about the correct name of the brother of Pṛthvīrāja who gave so much trouble to his nephew. Firishta gives the name of the prince as Hemrāj, and states that he ‘expelled Gola, or natural son, of Pithow Raj, from Ajmer’? ¹ He has apparently mixed together two distinct episodes. Ḥasan Niẓāmī refers to two separate expeditions by Quṭb ud-Dīn. One of these, as we have seen, was undertaken against ‘Kola,’ the other when Pṛthvīrāja’s son was in great distress at Ranthambhor owing to the rebellion of ‘Hirāj.’ Elliot perceived that ‘Hirāja’ is not a common Indian name and suggested that it was probably an ‘abbreviation of the Sanskrit *l'hirāj*, a potentate.’ ² The *Hammīra-mahākāvya* of Nayacandra however seems to indicate that the name of this prince was really ‘Harirāja.’ That Someśvara had another son named Harirāja is proved by the *Pṛthvīrāja-vijaya*. According to Nayacandra, Pṛthvīrāja was succeeded by Harirāja, who ruled for sometime before he was destroyed by Shihāb ud-dīn.³ The *Tantoti image-inscription* discovered in the estate of the same name, in the district of Ajmer, dated in V.S. 1251 (*c.* 1194 A.D.), in the reign of Harirāja⁴ shows the correctness of the tradition recorded by Nayacandra. It is engraved on the pedestal of an image, which is broken off, and contains four lines. It records that the village of Taṁtūṭhī (mod. Tantoti) was in the fief of Pratāpadevi, the queen of Harirāja. Nayacandra also seems to indicate that the name of Pṛthvīrāja’s son who was ousted by Harirāja, was possibly Govindarāja.⁵