History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c36.s1.15

v3.c36.s1.15

Raverty in his note gives here the different account given by later authors and the account of Firishta as also of modern English historians based on the last. Firishta gives the army of Pithora as amounting to two lakhs of men and 3,000 elephants. He also states that the right and left wings had already been defeated and had turned their faces; and that the Sultan in the centre not heeding this led a furious assault. One account lastly states that the Sultan fell from his horse and was not known till night when slaves came searching for him among the slain on the battlefield. All this gives plausibility to the Rāsā account that the Sultan was captured. From the Tabakat even, it is clear that the Sultan was far from his men when wounded and turning back went on somehow for some time. It is likely that Dhira Pundīra, a young Rajput from the Hindu side, seeing his condition rushed on and seized him. That he was set free and asked to fight again is not inconsistent with the chivalrous character of Prithvirāj who perhaps imitated the tradition of Munja releasing his enemy Talla six times. It may further be added that Mahmud had released Jaipāl on ransom though he knew he would have to fight with him again.