RAS question
Kanhadadeva, the Chauhan ruler of Jalor, was defeated by Alauddin Khilji's forces in which year?
Correct answer: (A) 1311.
Kanhadadeva, the Chauhan ruler of Jalor, was defeated by Alauddin Khalji's forces in 1311 CE.
Explanation
Kanhadadeva is the ruler behind the year 1311 because Peter Jackson identifies Jalor's raja Kanhar Deo as Kanhadadeva and says Jalor seems to have fallen in 1311. In the fuller Rajasthan frame, Kanhadadeva was the last Chauhan ruler of Jalor, and Alauddin Khalji's army was led by Kamaluddin Gurg. Peter Jackson also credits Kamal al-Din Gurg with the capture of Jalor and the overthrow of Kanhadadeva, so the date, ruler and military commander line up. Padmanabha's Kanhadadev Prabandh matters here as the literary tradition that preserved Kanhadadeva's reputation for valour, but the exam fact being tested is the fall of Jalor in 1311 CE.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) 1301 belongs to the fall of Ranthambore, whereas Jalor is placed in 1311 in the Rajasthan chronology and by Peter Jackson.
- (C) 1303 points to the siege of Chittor, not the overthrow of Kanhadadeva at Jalor.
- (D) 1308 is too early for Jalor; Peter Jackson places Siwana in 1308 and then states that Jalor seems to have fallen in 1311.
Concept
This tests medieval Rajasthan's resistance to Delhi Sultanate expansion, especially the chronology of Alauddin Khalji's campaigns in Rajputana. It recurs in RAS because Jalor, Ranthambore, Chittor and Siwana are often separated by closely spaced dates.