Samyukta
| Samyukta | |
|---|---|
 Abduction of Samyukta | |
| Spouse | Prithviraj Chauhan |
| Father | Jaichand |
Sanyukta, also known as Sanyogita, Sanjukta, or Samyukta, was the daughter of Jaichand,the King of Kannauj. She became the wife of Prithviraj Chauhan, the Rajput King of the Chauhan clan, who ruled from his twin capitals of Delhi (Pithoragarh) and Ajmer. He is a popular figure of romance and chivalry from the folklore of medieval India, and also a figure of tragedy.
The love between Prithviraj and Samyukta is one of India's most popular medieval romances, immortalized in Chand Bardai’s epic Prithviraj Raso (or, Chand Raisa), but the historicity of the Samyukta episode remains a matter of debate.[1] At the peak of his reign, Prithviraj had annexed vast regions of India to his kingdom, and his fame had spread all across the subcontinent and to Afghanistan. Many lesser kings were envious and wary of his power, including Raja Jaichand of Kannauj. Jaichand's daughter, Samyukta, was a headstrong girl who was known for her bewitching beauty.
Samyukta fell in love with Prithviraj as his reputation dazzled her. She desired nobody but him. For his part, Prithviraj had heard of Samyukta's loveliness and fell in love with her as well.
However, Jaichand and Prithviraj belonged to rival Rajput clans.
On finding out about the affair, Raja Jaichand was outraged that a romance had been budding behind his back. Jaichand decided to insult Prithviraj and arranged a swayamvara for his daughter. He invited royalty from far and wide to the ceremony, every eligible prince and king- except Prithviraj. He then commissioned a clay statue of Prithviraj, which served as a dvarpala(or, a figurative "doorman") to Jaichand's court.
Prithviraj, on hearing about the impending swayamvara, devised a plan to elope with the bride to be.
On the day of the ceremony, Samyukta walked through the court holding the ceremonial garland, ignoring the gazes of her ardent suitors. She passed through the door and put the garland around the neck of Prithviraj's statue, declaring him her husband. Prithiviraj, who meanwhile was hiding behind the statue, caught Samyukta up in his arms, set her on his horse, and whisked her away to Delhi. Raja Jaichand was enraged. This led to a rift between Delhi and Kannauj, which was later taken advantage of by Mohammad Ghori of Afghanistan.
Prithiviraj and Samyukta in modern Indian culture
"Samyukta", which means "united" in Sanskrit, is a popular girl's name in modern India. The life of Prithviraj Chauhan has als been the subject of a television show aired on Star Plus.
See also
References
- ↑ "Prithviraja III". Encyclopedia Brittanica. Retrieved 21 September 2015.