Prithviraja II
Prithvirāja II (r. c. 1165–1169 CE ) was an Indian king from the Chahamana dynasty. He ruled parts of north-western India, including present-day Rajasthan. He is also known by other names, including Prithvi-bhatta, Prithvi-deva and Pethad-deva.
| Prithviraja II | |
|---|---|
| King of Shakambhari | |
| Reign | c. 1165-1169 CE |
| Predecessor | Amaragangeya |
| Successor | Someshvara |
| Dynasty | Chahamanas of Shakambhari |
Early life
Prithviraja was a son of the Chahamana king Jagaddeva. The rule of Jagaddeva was followed by that of his brother Vigraharaja IV, and then Vigraharaja's son Aparagangeya. According to an inscription found at the Ruthi Rani temple at Dhod, Prithviraja defeated the king of Shakambhari. This indicates that Prithviraja de-throned Aparagangeya, and became the Chahamana king.[1]
Reign
Prithviraja appears to have faced Muslim invasions from the west. According to the 1168 CE Hansi stone inscription, he assigned his maternal uncle Kilhana as the in-charge of the Ashika Fort (modern Hansi), anxious to save it from Hammira (Emir). The "Hammira" can be identified with Ghaznavid king Khusrau Malik, who controlled Lahore at the time.[2]
The Hansi inscription also states that Kilhana burnt a town called Panchapura.[2] Dasharatha Sharma identifies Panchapura with modern Panjaur. The ruler of Panchapura accepted Prithviraja's suzerainty, and surrendered to him an expensive pearl necklace.[3]
The Bijolia rock inscription states that Prithviraja secured an elephant named Manahsiddhikari from a ruler named Vasantapala. Dasharatha Sharma identifies this Vasantapala with a king mentioned in the play Lalita-Vigraharaja-Nataka. According to this play, Vasantapala was the father of Vigraharaja's lover Desaladevi. Sharma theorizes that Aparagangeya was Desaladevi's son. Thus, Vasantapala was probably an enemy of Prithviraja, and was subdued by him.[3]
Prithviraja probably died heirless, because of which he was succeeded by his uncle Someshvara.[2]
Religion
Prithviraja's queen was Suhavadevi[1] or Sudhava.[3] Both were devout Shaivites. Prithviraja gifted villages and precious metals (including gold) to Brahmins. He also granted the Morajhari village to the Parshvanatha Jain temple at Bijolia.[3]
Inscriptions
Inscriptions dated to Prithviraja's reign have been found at following places:[4]
References
- R. B. Singh 1964, p. 154.
- R. B. Singh 1964, p. 155.
- Dasharatha Sharma 1959, p. 66.
- Dasharatha Sharma 1959, p. 65.
Bibliography
- Dasharatha Sharma (1959). Early Chauhān Dynasties. S. Chand / Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 9780842606189.
- R. B. Singh (1964). History of the Chāhamānas. N. Kishore. OCLC 11038728.