Question

Chandbardai was a state poet in the court of which of the following kings?
A) Maharana Pratap
B) Maharaja Hari singh
C) Prithvi raj Chauhan
D) None of these

Answer 1

Hint:
- He was a Chahamana dynasty ruler. In modern-day north-western India, he controlled Sapadalaksha, the old Chahamana domain.
- He is usually regarded as a courageous warrior king who valiantly fought the Muslim ruler, Muhammad of Ghor, ruler of the Muslim Ghurid dynasty, with all his might.

Complete answer:
Chandbardai - Prithviraj Raso, an epic poem in Braj Bhasha about the life of Chahamana ruler Prithviraj Chauhan, was written by Chand Bardai, an Indian poet. In the poem, he is described as Prithviraj's court poet. After Prithviraj was defeated at the Second Battle of Tarain and transported to Ghazna by Muhammad of Ghor, Chand Bardai went to Ghazna and assisted Prithviraj in killing Muhammad.

Let us analyze the given options:
Option A) Maharana Pratap: In the 16th century, Amar Rajputana was the court poet of Maharana Pratap, a Rajput king of India's western area. Like any other Rajput ruler, Maharana was a great spectator of art and music and hence encouraged Amar Rajputana to compose his own melodies to recount before him. Hence, this option is incorrect.
Option B) Maharaja Hari Singh: During the British Raj, Maharaja Sir Hari Singh was the last Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, a landlocked monarchy bordered by five countries: Afghanistan, Russia, India, Pakistan, and China. Hence, this option is incorrect.
Option C) Prithvi raj Chauhan: Chandrabai was Prithvi Raj Chauhan's court poet. In the year 1148, he was born in Lahore. He learned a great deal about language, literature, grammar, Puranas, astrology, and other subjects. Prithviraj Raso is Chandbardai's most famous creation. Hence, this option is correct.
Option D) None of these: We already know that option C. Prithvi raj Chauhan is the correct answer. Hence, this option is incorrect.

Therefore, Option ‘C’ i.e, Prithvi raj Chauhan is the correct answer because Chandbardai was a state poet in the court of his king.

Note: Prithviraj Raso was written by Chand Bardai, an Indian poet. With the passage of time, the Prithviraj Raso was enhanced, and a number of authors contributed to it. Only a few pages of the original text remain. There are several variants of Raso, but experts agree that the true "Prithviraj Raso" is a 1400 stanza poem. The poem consists of upwards of 10,000 stanzas in its most extended form.