Battle of Chandawar (1194 AD)

The Battle of Chandawar was fought between Mohammad Ghori and Jai Chand Gadhawal/Rathor in 1194 AD. In this battle, Jai Chand was defeated and also killed by Mohammad Ghori.

This battle is part of an important sequence of events that happened in Northern India, and the article will provide all information in the context useful for IAS Exam.

Chandawar Battle – Background

• Muhammad Ghori, a ruler of the Ghurid Empire, was determined to establish his territory over India, unlike Muhammad Ghazni who wanted to plunder India’s wealth.
• In 1191, Ghori fought the First Battle of Tarain with Prithviraj Chauhan as he stormed the dominion of Chauhan.
• Ghori was defeated in the First Battle of Tarain and felt humiliated and disheartened by his defeat.
• Later, he increased his strength and army power and made preparations to take revenge for his defeat.
• This resulted in the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192 AD. Ghori defeated Prithviraj Chauhan in this battle and captured Ajmer. Thus, the first Muslim kingdom was established at Ajmer.
• After the victory in the Second Battle of Tarain, Ghori returned to Ghazni leaving behind his general Qutb al-Din Aibak to take care of his possessions in India and make further conquests in India.
• Aibak occupied places like Delhi and Meerut.
• These conquests gave confidence and prepared the ground for another invasion by Ghori. This led Ghori to invade Gahadavala kingdom and this resulted in the Battle of Chandawar.

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Key facts of Battle of Chandawar

Who were the participants of this battle?

• Muhammad Ghori Sultan belonged to the Ghurid Empire.
• Jai Chand (or Jayachandra) (1169 – 1194 AD) of Kannauj belonged to the Gahadavala dynasty.

Where did the battle take place?

• The battle took place at Chandawar (modern Chandawal near Firozabad), on the Yamuna River close to Agra.

Who led the Battle of Chandawar from Ghori’s side?

• The Ghurid army during the battle of Chandawar was led by Qutb al-Din Aibak.

Who won the Battle of Chandawar?

• It is the second significant victory of Mohammad of Ghori after its triumph in the Second Battle of Tarain, 1192 against the Rajput ruler Prithviraj Chauhan.

Aftermath of the Battle of Chandawar

• Mohammad Ghori got control of much of northern India after the defeat of Jai Chand in the Battle of Chandawar.
• The consecutive victories in the Second Battle of Tarain and Battle of Chandawar laid the foundation of Turkish Rule in India.
• The Ghurids army plundered the treasury of the Gahadavala dynasty and took possession of the Asni fort.
• The Kannauj/Gahadavalas army anticipated Ghori to attack the capital next, but he chose to attack the defenceless city of Varanasi, a famous Hindu pilgrim centre.
• Turkic garrisons were placed in Varanasi, Asni, and other wealthy towns
• However, Harishchandra, son of Jai Chand, was able to expel the Turkic garrisons, thus recovering Kannauj, Jaunpur and Mirzapur in AD 1197. Thereby, the Gahadavala dynasty lingered during Harishchandra’s reign.
• Kannauj seems to have stayed independent until Iltumish of Delhi Sultanate conquered it.