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Question 38 of 94 · Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms
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The Chahamana (Chauhan) ruler who founded the city of Ajmer (Ajayameru) and made it his capital was:

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Answer: Option B — Ajayaraja

Detailed Solution

Ajayaraja II, a ruler of the Chahamana (Chauhan) dynasty, founded the city of Ajmer (originally called Ajayameru) in the early 12th century CE, and made it his capital.

About Ajayaraja:

  • He ruled in the early 12th century (around 1110-1135 CE).
  • He founded the city of "Ajayameru" ("the invincible hill" or "hill of Ajaya"), which later became Ajmer.
  • He is also said to have built the Taragarh Fort (Ajayameru Durg) on the hill overlooking the city.
  • He issued silver and copper coins; some of his queen's coins are also known.

About the Chahamanas of Shakambhari:

  • They were a Rajput dynasty that ruled parts of present-day Rajasthan from the 7th to the 12th centuries.
  • Their early capital was Shakambhari (Sambhar), near the Sambhar salt lake.
  • Ajayaraja shifted the capital to Ajmer.

Important rulers of the dynasty:

  • "Arnoraja": the son of Ajayaraja; built the Anasagar lake at Ajmer.
  • "Vigraharaja IV (Visaladeva)": captured Delhi from the Tomaras; a great patron of learning; he built a Sanskrit college at Ajmer, and wrote a play, "Harikeli Nataka", which was inscribed on stone.
  • "Prithviraj III (Prithviraj Chauhan)": the most famous ruler, who fought against Muhammad Ghori.

About Ajmer:

  • It is located in the Aravalli hills of Rajasthan.
  • It is famous for the Dargah of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, and for the Anasagar lake.
  • The holy town of Pushkar is near Ajmer.
  • During British rule, Ajmer-Merwara was a separate province directly under the British.

NCERT on the Chahamanas:

NCERT notes that the Chahamanas, later known as the Chauhans, ruled over the region around Delhi and Ajmer, and attempted to expand their control to the west and the east.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Prithviraj III was a later ruler.
  • ✗Vigraharaja IV captured Delhi.
  • ✗Arnoraja built the Anasagar lake.

Quick tip

Remember: Ajmer (Ajayameru) founded by Ajayaraja (Chahamana, early 12th century); Arnoraja = Anasagar lake; Vigraharaja IV = captured Delhi, Harikeli Nataka.

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Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms, 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.

This topic covers India from about the 7th to the 12th century: the Rajput dynasties, the tripartite struggle between the Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas, and the South Indian kingdoms of the Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas, along with the Sangam age and the temple architecture of the period. Questions often ask which dynasty built a temple (the Pallavas built the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, and Rajaraja Chola I built the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur), the capitals of dynasties, and the local self-government of the Cholas. Learning each dynasty with its capital, greatest ruler and one monument is the quickest way to answer these questions. Practise the early medieval India 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.

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