Jaichand of Kannauj
Encyclopedia
Jaichand was the Rajput
ruler of Kannauj
. He was the father of Sanyogita, Prithvi Raj Chauhan's wife. Jaichand was the name of the last ruler of Kannauj
belonging to the Rathore
dynasty.
, a ballad with doubtful historical veracity, provides some clues about Jaichand's personality and relationship with Prithviraj Chauhan. Other sources include inscriptions and other accounts of the Battle of Tarain.
, he had enmity with the ruler of Delhi and this grew further when his daughter Samyogita married Chauhan against his wish.
, in the Battle of Tarain, when Muhammad Ghori successfully launched attack on the forces of Delhi, Prithvi Raj requested Jaichand to fight the invader together. To this Jaichand not only bluntly refused, he went to the Ghori camp to fight against Chauhan. It is alleged that Raja Jaichand met Ghori an divulged he secrets of Chauhan's war plans. Because of this, Jaichand is considered among the greatest traitors who made it easier for the islamic invasion of India.
However, this is disputed, because the kingdoms of Ajmer and Kannauj did not have a common border, fought no battles. As per inscriptions Jayachandra was fighting against the Sena rulers in the region of Bihar, far in the east.
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
ruler of Kannauj
Kannauj
Kannauj , also spelt Kanauj, is a city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is traditionally derived from the term Kanyakubja . Kannauj is an ancient city, in earlier times the capital...
. He was the father of Sanyogita, Prithvi Raj Chauhan's wife. Jaichand was the name of the last ruler of Kannauj
Kannauj
Kannauj , also spelt Kanauj, is a city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is traditionally derived from the term Kanyakubja . Kannauj is an ancient city, in earlier times the capital...
belonging to the Rathore
Rathore
The Rathore is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan same caste as Lohana. Their Kuldevi is Nagnechiya Mata and "Karani Mata". Rathores are originally from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh. Rathores are historically considered the samurais of India...
dynasty.
Sources
Prithviraj RasoPrithviraj Raso
The Prithviraj Raso or Prithvirajaraso is an epic poem composed by court poet, Chand Bardai, on the life of Prithviraj III, a Chauhan king who ruled Ajmer and Delhi between 1165 and 1192.Chand Bardai claimed to be contemporary of Prithviraj Chauhan.The historicity of Prithviraj Raso was proved...
, a ballad with doubtful historical veracity, provides some clues about Jaichand's personality and relationship with Prithviraj Chauhan. Other sources include inscriptions and other accounts of the Battle of Tarain.
History
Jaichand, ruled the north Indian kingdom of Kannauj during the reign of Prithvi Raj Chauhan. According to Prithviraj RasoPrithviraj Raso
The Prithviraj Raso or Prithvirajaraso is an epic poem composed by court poet, Chand Bardai, on the life of Prithviraj III, a Chauhan king who ruled Ajmer and Delhi between 1165 and 1192.Chand Bardai claimed to be contemporary of Prithviraj Chauhan.The historicity of Prithviraj Raso was proved...
, he had enmity with the ruler of Delhi and this grew further when his daughter Samyogita married Chauhan against his wish.
Role in the battle of Tarain
According to Prithviraj RasoPrithviraj Raso
The Prithviraj Raso or Prithvirajaraso is an epic poem composed by court poet, Chand Bardai, on the life of Prithviraj III, a Chauhan king who ruled Ajmer and Delhi between 1165 and 1192.Chand Bardai claimed to be contemporary of Prithviraj Chauhan.The historicity of Prithviraj Raso was proved...
, in the Battle of Tarain, when Muhammad Ghori successfully launched attack on the forces of Delhi, Prithvi Raj requested Jaichand to fight the invader together. To this Jaichand not only bluntly refused, he went to the Ghori camp to fight against Chauhan. It is alleged that Raja Jaichand met Ghori an divulged he secrets of Chauhan's war plans. Because of this, Jaichand is considered among the greatest traitors who made it easier for the islamic invasion of India.
However, this is disputed, because the kingdoms of Ajmer and Kannauj did not have a common border, fought no battles. As per inscriptions Jayachandra was fighting against the Sena rulers in the region of Bihar, far in the east.
Loss to Muhammad Ghori
After the defeat of Prithvi Raj Chauhan in the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192, Muhammad Ghori then turned his guns on Jaichand. Battle of Chandvar, 1194 ensued in which Jaichand was defeated. Jaichand died when he was trying to flee, while crossing the Ganges, and his descendents managed to escape to the region of Marusthali, where they established the Rathore kingdom of Marwar a few centuries late.Book References
- History of Kumaun : English version of "Kumaun ka itihas". by B. D. Pande. 1993. Almora, India: Shyam Prakashan : Shree Almora Book Depot.
- Medieval India History, published by NCERT, Edited by Prof. Satish Chandra
- Administrative History of Uttarakhand (Kumaon and Garhwal), During the Rule of the East India Company, 1815-1857, by Ajay Arora. Published by Eastern Book Linkers, 1996. ISBN 81-86339-33-7.
- Mahmud Of Ghazni http://www.afghan-network.net/Rulers/mahmud-ghazni.html