SSC
Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated by Muhammad Ghori in the Second Battle of Tarain in the year:
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Answer: Option A — 1192 CE
Detailed Solution
In the Second Battle of Tarain, fought in 1192 CE, Muhammad Ghori (Shihabuddin Muhammad of Ghor) defeated Prithviraj Chauhan (Prithviraj III), the Chahamana ruler of Ajmer and Delhi.
Background:
- The Ghurids (from Ghor in Afghanistan) had captured Ghazni and were expanding into India.
- In the previous year, the two armies had met at the same place, Tarain (Taraori, near Thanesar, in the Karnal district of present-day Haryana).
- In that first battle, Prithviraj's army had won; Muhammad Ghori was wounded and had to retreat.
The second battle (1192):
- Muhammad Ghori returned with a larger and better-organised army of mounted archers.
- He used clever tactics: he divided his cavalry into several units, attacked the flanks and rear of the Rajput army, and pretended to retreat, tiring out the enemy.
- Prithviraj's army, which relied heavily on elephants and massed infantry, was defeated.
- Prithviraj was captured and later killed.
Results:
- This battle was a turning point in Indian history, as it opened the way for the establishment of Turkish rule in north India.
- The Turks captured Ajmer, Delhi and other important places.
- Muhammad Ghori left his trusted slave general, Qutbuddin Aibak, in charge of his Indian conquests.
- This laid the foundation of the Delhi Sultanate, which began in 1206.
About Prithviraj Chauhan:
- He was a famous Rajput king of the Chahamana (Chauhan) dynasty.
- His life is described in the poem "Prithviraj Raso" attributed to his court poet (though much of the present text was written later) and in the Sanskrit poem "Prithviraja Vijaya" by Jayanaka.
- His romance with Samyukta (Sanyogita) is a famous legend.
Three battles of Tarain:
- First Battle (1191): Prithviraj defeated Muhammad Ghori.
- Second Battle (1192): Muhammad Ghori defeated Prithviraj.
- A later battle at the same place was fought between two Turkish rivals.
Why not the other options?
- ✗1191 CE was the first battle, which Prithviraj won.
- ✗1186 CE was the year the Ghurids took Lahore.
- ✗1206 CE marks the beginning of the Delhi Sultanate.
Quick tip
Remember: First Tarain (1191) = Prithviraj won; Second Tarain (1192) = Muhammad Ghori won (foundation of Turkish rule); Delhi Sultanate began 1206.
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Delhi Sultanate — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Delhi Sultanate, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
The Delhi Sultanate ruled much of northern India from 1206 to 1526 under five dynasties: the Slave (Mamluk), Khalji, Tughlaq, Sayyid and Lodi dynasties. This topic covers its rulers, administration, market and revenue reforms, architecture and the foreign invasions of the period. Typical questions cover the founder of each dynasty, Alauddin Khalji's market reforms, Muhammad bin Tughlaq's token currency and transfer of the capital, and Firoz Shah Tughlaq's public works. The First Battle of Panipat (1526), in which Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, ended the Sultanate. Keep the five dynasties in order with their founders. Practise the Delhi Sultanate questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.