Samyukta

Who was Samyukta?

Sanyukta, also known as Sanyogita, Sanjukta, or Samyukta, was the daughter of Raja Jaichand of Kannauj. She became the wife of Prithviraj Chauhan, the King of Delhi. Prithviraj was a Rajput who ruled from his twin capitals of Delhi 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. 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.