History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c35.s22.9

v3.c35.s22.9

We need not describe the other queens of Prithvīrāj mentioned by the Rāsā; but we must notice his last queen viz: Sanyogitā daughter of Jaichand Gāhadavāla king of Kanauj. The Rāsā makes a most poetical story of this marriage. It represents Jaichand holding a svayamvara of his daughter and Prithvīrāj being his enemy was not only not invited, but in derision, an image of his in the dress of a Bhāldar or mace-bearer was placed at the entrance of the marriage hall. Sanyogitā who had already been married to Prithvirāj in a dream by the god Kali threw the garland of marriage round the neck of his image. The chivalrous Prithvirāj seized the princess and carried her off, fighting through the army of Jaichand. This story is too enchanting to be true; but it is difficult to reject it altogether as some do and we believe that Prithvirāj to whom Sanyogitā must have communicated her love like Juliet, by a sudden raid on Kanauj must have carried her off. Svayamvaras were obsolete at this time, though described by Chand in the Rāsā and by Bilhaṇa in Vikramānkacharitra, a little earlier (1125 A. D.). This love story has, however, immortalized the name of Prithvirāj as much as his defeat of Shihabuddin Ghori. Sir Vincent Smith places this marriage in 1175 A. D. following probably the Rāsā (E. H. I. p. 387 3rd Ed); but if we believe that Prithvirāj was born in 1158 according to Tod, he would be only 17 years old in 1175 A. D; (according to the Rāsā he would be 26 years old) and further the fall of Prithvirāj would come 17 years after this marriage. But the Rāsā represents the fall as coming soon after the marriage and it is probable, therefore, that this event happened at least 10 years later i.e. about 1185 A. D. which date indeed, we find, is given in the Rāsā and not 1175 A. D.