First Battle of Tarain

The First Battle of Tarain was a significant defeat for Muhammad of Ghor in his attempt to extend Ghurid power into the Indian interior beyond the Punjab. Muhammad of Ghor had already captured Lahore and was advancing when he met the Rajput confederation led by Prithviraj Chauhan, the Chahamana king of Ajmer and Delhi. Prithviraj assembled a large force including war elephants and cavalry. In the battle, Muhammad of Ghor was personally wounded by a Chahamana noble and only survived because a young soldier held him on his horse until he could be evacuated. The Ghurid army fell back. However, Muhammad of Ghor demonstrated the same strategic persistence that characterised great commanders: he returned the very next year, 1192, for the Second Battle of Tarain. This time he made thorough preparations, including training his cavalry to avoid the Rajput elephants. At the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192, he achieved a decisive victory that opened the Gangetic plain to Muslim rule and led eventually to the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate.