AN: Not sure if this is allowed on this kind of thread, but I figured that complaining about nobody writing about India while having all my TL's about Europe was a little hypocritical so I figured that I may as well use it as a bit of a test thread for a little something I wrote recently about a What if revolving around Privthiraj's victory over Muhammed of Ghur at the second battle of Tarrain. Disclaimer I haven't done quite as much research as I could have, and if I get anything egregiously wrong please tell me.
"O, Jaychandra, why must we fight? Have I not taken your daughter for my bride? Open your gates to me, and I promise on my honor as a Kshyatriya that you will be allowed to live in peace-"
"Honour? As if you have any O, drunkard, despoiler of daughters, stealer of wives! I might be old, but I am not yet fool enough to put my life in your hands. Prithviraj, son of goat herds and disgrace to every Kshatriya in this world," His father-in-law spat from his wall, even now with his armies smashed, kingdom burned, and his capital surrounded. Jaychandra of Kaunnauj, the seed of Kings, showed no sign of fear. It would have been admirable in any other case, but now, it only brought him frustration. He had thrown back the Muslims from the frontiers of Bharatvarsha twice now, and still, the stubborn old fool wouldn't acknowledge his suzerainty.
"Surrender now. I am only offering you this one chance at Samyogita's urging-"
"You dare to speak her name!" Jaychandras dark face turned purple, eyes bulging; his countenance twisted savagely.
"You treacherously stole my little girl away from me, and now you have the gall to come before me as my son-in-law? I ought to kill you where you stand, Chaumana!"
"Stole her away? She came to me willingly. It is no fault of mine that she preferred me over the collection of dullards and weaklings that you lined up for her to choose." Prithviraj defended himself. Most of it was true enough. Samyogita had eloped with him willingly out of dissatisfaction with the suitors picked for her by her father. At the time, it was more out of a desire to get back at her father than anything else. It had only been after getting to know her that he'd fallen in love with her. He felt no shame over having abducted her. Hadn't Krishna done the same with Rukmini?
She was still fond of her father and had made him promise that he would spare him if he had the chance.
"She was my daughter; her wishes mattered not," Privthiraj was forced to accept the validity of Jaychandras words. A woman was under the protection of her father, son, or brothers for her entire life. She had no say in who she wed.
"Jaychandra, your armies lay crushed in the field, your sons slain in battle; you think you can win now? My men, even now, are preparing to storm your walls. I give you one more chance to surrender. You will be left in peace to rule over Kannauj and Varanasi as long as you live-"
"Rule? Bah, you intend me to warm the throne until that brat you've sired on my daughter is old enough. If this is your idea of mercy, Privthiraj, it would be crueler and more bitter than death in battle. I am Jaychandra, Raja of Kannauj and Varanasi, a devotee of Lord Shiva, the blood of Krishna and Rama flows in my veins, O, Privthiraj, what have you ever done that I should become your dotard vassal?"
"I slew Muhammed of Ghur and ended his ceaseless raids into India," Privthiraj said, defending himself.
"You killed the latest in a long line of Mleccha raiders, and that only after you let him skulk back to his Kingdom unharmed; tell me, what was the sense in that?"
"He fought well. Is it not any Kshatriya's duty to spare a courageous opponent?"
"Even when that opponent came to burn his lands, butcher his people, and defile our holy temples? How many innocents died because of your admiration? Not like you care, too busy getting drunk, I wager to worry about such things?" Jaychandra sneered, and a bright blush came to Privthirajs face.
"Nothing you can say will bend my resolve. I will die defending the home of my forefathers; if you wish to sit up on Harsha's throne, you will have to ascend it over my corpse. You may be named for Bhumi herself, but I call you worse than any of the demons that have troubled Bharatvarsha. Raavan, Hiranyayaksha, and Kamsa I name you."
With a heavy heart, Privthiraj rode back from the walls of Kannauj. Altogether, he was only moderately disappointed in not having obtained his father-in-law's surrender. He had little liking for the old bastard, and he could always take him, prisoner. It had been his words that bothered him, insulting, deep cutting, and undeniably true.
He had won many victories in his time, but nothing compared to the glories of the Samrats of old. His kingdom was expansive and wealthy but dwarfed by the empires of the South. None of his deeds was particularly memorable. He'd beaten back the armies of Ghur, but hadn't his great uncle Vighraraja IV done the same? The kingdom's border had increased since his ascension to the throne, but still, it was just one of many powerful Kingdoms in the region.
There were so many things he regretted about his feckless youth that Jaychandra's word had brought to light. He'd spent too much of his time in merry-making, listening to the praises of flatterers and fools, composing great poems in his honor, thinking himself to be the great Raja in all of Bharat. Oh, what a fool he had been!
His second battle with Ghur had been close, far more closely fought than any of his other campaigns. At one point, Privthiraj had even thought the engagement was lost and prepared himself to meet Yamraj. It could have gone the other way so easily. Wouldn't he be remembered more if it had? If for nothing else, the first Raja to fail sufficiently to let the Muslims establish a foothold in the heart of Bharat would be a well-known figure to future generations before he had been satisfied with conquering just Kannauj. Now after deeply complimenting Jaychandra's words, he resolved to do something bigger.
No longer would he resign himself to being just one of the many kings in Bharat; he would conquer more land than any Chauhan before him. The Solanki of Gujarat, the Paramara of Malwa, and the Chandelas of Bundelkhand would all acknowledge his suzerainty. He'd forge an empire that would equal Harsha's or Rama's. Kannauj was the start, and Privthiraj had plans for it. Ajmer had served the Chauhans well, but it was no seat for a King of Kings,who lorded over all he surveyed. No a Samrat needed a grander seat.
