Era of Prithviraj Chauhan (An Old And Rare Book)

This book provides a scholarly study of the struggle of Prithviraj Chauhan against the Turks and highlight the cultural activities of the period. It is divided into six chapters with seven appendices, A detailed study of temple architecture, sculptures and paintings have also been done. It is a well-documented work. Original of several inscriptions colophons and literary sources have also been given. The book is quite useful.

Shri Ramvallabh Somani born on April 8, 1931 A.D. at Bagor and brought up at gangaur (Bhilwara) is a renowned writer of Rajasthan history. Several research papers and books written by him elicited a well mented applause from the galaxy of the Scholars.

My aim in writing this book is to study the struggle of Prithviraj Chauhan III against the Turks and to highlight the cultural activities of that period. The scholars stress exclusively on the chronicles of the Muslim-Court analysts who familiarized us with the invader's version of conquest. The heroic resistance offered by the Chauhan rulers and other Rajputs residing on the border areas has not so far been studied in correct perspective. The Goverdhan and other memorial inscriptions are very important. These were engraved in order to commemorate the heroic deeds of those brave persons, who gave away their lives while fighting against the invaders in order to rescue "cows women and religious shrines". A good number of such inscriptions are still available on the border areas of Rajasthan. I have utilised some of these inscriptions for the first time.

The Prithviraj Vijay, the Hamir-Mahakavya and other Jain works, inspite of rhetorical exaggeration, furnish valuable histori- cal information. I have utilised these works very carefully. The Prithviraj Raso is very popular work composed to eulogise the heroic deeds of Prithviraj Chauhan. It's several recensions prove its popularity. Existence of its shortest form during the 13th century A. D. is also proved from the literary sources. But its pre- sent form is not very useful for the students of history.