1192 AD: A Turning Point in Indian History
War, reversal, and the beginning of a new era
Hello,
As many of you might know, I’ve been a vocal proponent of diving deeper into our past and understanding the forces that have shaped us.
In trying to understand the trajectory of events that influenced Indian history, I happened to read about the beginnings of foreign invasions and the impact they had on the country.
Foreigners have been fighting with Indian empires for a very long time. However, there were some events that left an indelible mark on the land and its people.
One such watershed moment transpired in the year 1192. It was the Second Battle of Tarain. Fought between Muhammad Ghori and the Rajput confederacy led by Prithviraj Chauhan, this battle had massive, long-term consequences.
Muhammad of Ghor (or Ghori) was a Ghazni vassal (yes, the same land that gave rise to Mahmud of Ghazni, who led numerous looting expeditions and sacked many temples across the country) who took over the Ghurid Kingdom (an area in modern-day Afghanistan).
As fate would have it, his conquests further to the west were checked by the rise of the powerful Khwarizmi empire.
The only option to expand was to move east towards India, which brought him into conflict with the Rajputs. So Central Asian geopolitics of the 12th Century ensured that the Rajputs would have to encounter a challenge from a newly crowned ruler in the west.
Ghori first took over Multan, Uch, and gradually the Punjab area of Pakistan so he could eventually gain inroads into India. In 1191, these conquests finally led him to take over a fort in Bhatinda, when Privthiraj Chauhan decided to advance and settle the issue.
This resulted in the First Battle of Tarain. Chauhan was also assisted by several vassal princes including Govind Rai of Delhi, who was probably his brother and commander-in-chief. He was to have an electrifying round of direct combat with the Ghurid chief.
When the two came in contact, Rai was attacked with a lance that struck his mouth and he lost two teeth. However, he countered with a javelin attack which grievously injured Ghori’s arm and almost killed him.
Had he died, it could have all ended there. Indian history would probably have been extremely different. But where there are wars, there are also miracles and sudden twists of fate.
As luck would have it, a young Khalji cavalry saved Ghori’s life and safely escorted him back with a horse. The fall of their leader demoralized the troops and the First Battle of Tarain was decisively won by the Chauhans.
As the chief retreated and fought for his life, Prithviraj Chahaun’s army could have given chase to end matters once and for all. But they didn’t. This chance event would turn out to become their own undoing because Ghori wasn’t done.
He may have been mortally wounded, but the idea of conquest was still on his mind. Having learned his lesson, Ghori went back- only to amass an ever bigger and highly skilled army this time. He returned back in 1192 to avenge his defeat.
This fateful battle, which completely changed the fortunes of the country, was the Second Battle of Tarain.
While the Rajput army still had the numerical advantage, Ghori was prepared with dangerous cavalry archers. Alarmed, Chauhan called upon his various banners to mass his forces for the battle but they were all fighting on various fronts and couldn’t assemble in this time of need.
To make matters worse, even the king of Kanauj (part of the Gahadavala dynasty) didn’t send his army to support Chauhan. Some historians suggest that he was miffed by the fact that his daughter married Chauhan against his wishes, which is why he refused to help.
Well, love can make a lot of unimaginable things happen. But if this account is to be believed, this love story might just have altered the course of history.
The upshot was that the two dynasties could have put together a considerably larger army if they’d allied, but that, alas, didn’t happen.
Now, this was Ghori’s second attempt and he was desperate to win. As the armies massed together in preparation for the impending battle, he decided to even break the rules to gain the upper hand.
It was a fairly common practice to engage in battle only during daytime- but he had no consideration for such rules. He attacked the Rajput camp at night, inflicting a bitter surprise. While the ambush wasn’t fatal, it wasn’t the best of beginnings for the great Indian king.
The war began in earnest and Ghori was smart enough to avoid the mistake of the last war. He knew that given the discipline and ferocity of Rajput troops, it made no sense to wage a frontal attack. Instead, he directed his cavalry archers to attack the left and right flank.
The cavalry archers unleashed devastation on both sides. They implemented what was a pretty novel ploy in those times: the caracole tactic.
The cavalry archers shot and turned, only to be replaced by another who shot in quick succession. In the meantime, the turned archer reloaded and got back into the line, as the group incessantly rained a barrage of arrows onto the helpless opposition.
This created immense frustration and wreaked havoc on the flanks.
The disorder forced Chauhan to advance himself. In doing so, he repeated the same mistake that Ghori had made in the previous battle. Unfortunately, he was captured amidst the fighting and the Rajputs ended up losing the battle.
The impact of this outcome would be felt across the country for centuries.
So what were the reasons behind the Chauhan defeat? Well, quite a few things went wrong- from the feudal tendencies of the chiefs who failed to coordinate and organize their armies properly, to the military drawback that the armies faced against the devilishly quick cavalry archers.
The fatal flaw, though, was the lack of strategic vision.
In failing to take back the lost territories of Lahore and Kabul, the Chauhans let Ghori advance instead of pushing him out of Punjab once and for all. They were too focussed on affairs in India and paid little attention to the developments in Central Asian geopolitics- which had always played a big role in shaping Indian history.
As the Chauhans fell, Ghori was able to take Ajmer first, and then Delhi. Even the Gahadavala dynasty fell, and one can only wonder what would have happened if the two groups had managed to put up a united front against the Ghurid chief.
Thus, the fall of the mighty Prithviraj Chauhan opened up the pathway for the conquest of a large part of northern India.
One of his slaves, Qutubuddin Aibak, would go on to be the first king of the Delhi Sultanate, and thereby initiate centuries of Indian oppression at the hands of foreign invaders.
Thanks for tuning in today. If you enjoyed this, you might also like this piece on Genghis Khan or this short collection of amusing historical anecdotes.
Great read. To an ardent fan of Wars, strategies and tactics, this was one of the best written pieces I've read in a while. Simple and to the point. Great stuff!