The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c14.s7: Muhammad's defeat at Tarain

c14.s7.1

The first Rajput ruler who felt the pressure from the invading hordes from Ghur was the Chauhan prince of Ajmer who ruled the territory from Ajmer to Delhi and was, therefore, responsible for the defence of our north-western frontier. The Chauhans had fortified important towns on this frontier right up to Bhatinda in order to be able to gaurd the entrance into Hindustan against any possible invasion from the north-west. Muhammad of Ghur made his first attack on the fortress of Bhatinda and besieged it in 1189 A.D. Prithviraj did not seem to have been ready, and the attack probably was a surprise attack. The garrison was defeated and had to surrender, Muhammad stationed his own men in the fortress under a commander, named Zia-ud-din, and, when the sultan was about to return, Prithviraj appeared in the vicinity of the fortress to recover it. Prithviraj’s army is said to have comprised two lakhs of cavalry and thirty thousand elephants, which is clearly an exaggeration. Muhammad had to turn round to face the valiant Chauhan and a battle was fought near the village of Tarain, situated near Bhatinda, in 1191 A.D. Prithviraj’s troops attacked the sultan with vigour and inflicted upon him a terrible defeat. Muhammad himself was wounded seriously. He was helped to ride his horse by one of his Khalji officers and was taken away from the field. Prithviraj besieged the fortress of Bhatinda, but it took him thirteen months to recover it from Zia-ud-din, its commandant.