The 'Prithviraj Raso', a poem on the life of Prithviraj Chauhan, was written by:

The "Prithviraj Raso" is an epic poem in Brajbhasha (an early form of Hindi) about the life of Prithviraj Chauhan, traditionally ascribed to his court poet Chand Bardai.

About the Prithviraj Raso:

• It is one of the earliest works of Hindi literature, belonging to the "Adikal" (early period) or "Veergatha Kal" (age of heroic poetry).
• It describes the life, bravery, battles and love of Prithviraj Chauhan.
• It includes the famous story of his romance with Sanyogita (Samyukta), the daughter of the king of Kannauj, whom he carried away from her swayamvara.
• It describes his wars with Muhammad Ghori.

According to the poem, after his defeat, Prithviraj was taken to Ghazni and blinded; there, guided by Chand Bardai's verses, he shot an arrow and killed Ghori, using his skill of "shabdbhedi baan" (shooting at a target by sound alone).

This last part is legendary and not accepted by historians, as Ghori was actually killed in 1206 in the Punjab.

About its authorship:

• Chand Bardai is said to have been a friend and court poet of Prithviraj.
• The present version of the Raso contains many later additions, and parts of it were probably written in the 16th century or later.
• Many historians consider it a mixture of history and legend.

Other sources on Prithviraj Chauhan:

• "Prithvirajavijaya": a Sanskrit poem by the Kashmiri poet Jayanaka, written during Prithviraj's lifetime; it is considered more reliable.
• Persian chronicles, such as those of Minhaj and later writers.

About Prithviraj Chauhan:

• He was a ruler of the Chahamana (Chauhan) dynasty, ruling over Ajmer and Delhi in the late 12th century.
• He defeated Muhammad Ghori in the first battle of Tarain, but was defeated in the second battle the next year.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Jayanaka wrote the Sanskrit "Prithvirajavijaya".
• ✗Amir Khusrau was a later Persian poet.
• ✗Kalhana wrote the "Rajatarangini".