Muhammad Ghori

Do you know? The Second Battle of Tarain was fought in 1192 between Muhammad Ghori and Prithviraj Chauhan. This time, Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated by Ghori and the latter established his rule over Delhi and Ajmer.

Muhammad Ghori

Muhammad Ghori ascended the throne at Ghazni in 1173. He was an ambitious ruler who wanted to establish an empire in India. Before his rule, the Arabs had invaded Sind. Mahmud of Ghazni had raided large parts of northern and western India, but he was not interested in controlling northern India.

Prithviraj Chauhan of the Chauhan dynasty was ruling Delhi and Ajmer during the second half of the twelfth century. Because of the expansionist designs of Muhammad Ghori, the conflict between both rulers became inevitable.

The First Battle of Tarain was fought in 1191 in which the forces of Ghori were completely routed by Prithviraj Chauhan.

Muhammad Ghori decided to avenge his defeat. The Second Battle of Tarain was fought in 1192 between Muhammad Ghori and Prithviraj Chauhan. This time, Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated by Ghori and the latter established his rule over Delhi and Ajmer. It seems that Prithviraj Chauhan was allowed to rule Ajmer for some time as coins bearing the name ‘Prithvirajadeva’ on one side and ‘Sri Muhammad Sam’ on the other side have been found.

In 1194, a battle was fought at Chandwar between Ghori and Jaichandra of Kannauj. The latter was killed in the battle and the Turks were successful in establishing their control over the territories extending up to the boundaries of Bihar.


The Rajputs despite their bravery lost important battles against the Turks. Reasons which led to their defeat against the Turks were

  • The Rajputs were divided into numerous clans which gave greater importance to their own family traditions. They were divided and did not unite against the Turks. The Turks were thus not fighting against a unified army but against few dynasties.
  • The Turkish army consisted mainly of cavalry and used horses of superior quality. The Rajputs, on the other hand, were using elephants which were not as swift as horses.
  • The Turkish army had several military leaders who employed new tactics during wars. The Rajputs were efficient in fighting with spears and swords but were not as good archers as the Turks.

Also, Read Medieval India -The Delhi Sultanate

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