Dynasties of North and South India
If ten neighbouring villages have ten different patils, each village runs its own affairs. In the same way many dynasties ruled different parts of India then.
A dynasty is the rule of kings of one family passing down the generations. At the start of the medieval age India had many regional dynasties.
Key idea 1 : North India — The Pal dynasty was famous in Bengal. The Gurjar-Pratihar power spread up to Kanauj in Central India. Among the Rajputs the Gahadwal, Parmar and Chauhan were important; Prithviraj Chauhan was a brave king. He defeated Muhammad Ghuri in the first battle of Tarai, but Ghuri defeated him in the second.
Key idea 2 : South India — In Tamil Nadu the Chola kings Rajaraja I and Rajendra I were famous; with naval strength they conquered the Maldives and Sri Lanka. In Karnataka the Hoysal king Vishnuvardhan conquered the whole of Karnataka.
Key idea 3 : Powers in Maharashtra — Under the Rashtrakuta king Govind III the power spread from Kanauj to Rameshwar. Western Maharashtra had three branches of the Shilahars. The last prosperous power was the Yadavas, with Bhillam V’s capital at Deogiri. The Yadava period is called the golden age of Marathi language and literature; the Mahanubhav Panth and the Varkari movement arose then.
- Easy : Who won the first battle of Tarai? — Prithviraj Chauhan.
- Medium : With what strength did the Cholas conquer the Maldives and Sri Lanka? — Naval strength.
- Exam-type : What was the Yadava capital and what did the Marathi language gain? — Deogiri; a golden age of Marathi literature.
In the figure: North, Rajput, South and Maharashtra — dynasties of four regions.
What happened before the Battle of Talikota? Around 1520 the Portuguese traveller Domingo Paes visited Hampi, the capital of Vijayanagara, and wrote that it was as large as Rome and very beautiful.
What happened after the Battle of Talikota? On 23 January 1565 the combined Deccan sultanates defeated Vijayanagara at Talikota. Hampi was plundered for months and never again became a capital; today its ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1986).
Chola = navy; Yadava = golden age of Marathi; Prithviraj = Tarai.
All kings did not belong to one empire; India then had many independent dynasties.
Memory clue: Chola = ships; Yadava = Marathi glory.
Spot the difference
| Dynasty | Region | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Chola | Tamil Nadu | Navy, Sri Lanka-Maldives |
| Rashtrakuta | Maharashtra | Kanauj to Rameshwar |
| Yadav | Deogiri | Golden age of Marathi |
Practice questions
- 1What is a dynasty?
- 2Write the names of two Chola kings.
- 3Which was the capital of the Yadavas?
- 4Where did the three branches of the Shilahars rule?
- 5Write briefly about the two battles of Tarai.
- 6Why is the Yadava period called the golden age of Marathi?
- 7How was the Chola navy useful to them?
- 8Write the advantages and disadvantages of many dynasties at one time.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Rule of kings of one family passing across generations.
- 2Rajaraja I and Rajendra I.
- 3Deogiri (near Aurangabad).
- 4North Konkan (Thane-Raigad), South Konkan, and the Kolhapur-Satara-Sangli-Belgaum area.
- 5In the first Prithviraj won; in the second Muhammad Ghuri won.
- 6Because writing in Marathi grew and the Mahanubhav and Varkari movements arose.
- 7They won over Sri Lanka and the Maldives across the sea.
- 8Advantage: regional art and language grow; disadvantage: they fight each other and outsiders take advantage.
Invasions from the North-West and the Sultanate
When neighbours quarrel, an outside thief enters easily. Disunity among Indian kingdoms made it easy for invaders from the north-west to come.
The Sultanate means the rule of the Sultans of Delhi. After Muhammad Ghuri, Qutubuddin Aibak started the Delhi Sultanate.
Key idea 1 : Arab and Ghazni invasions — In the 8th century the Arab general Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh; King Dahir resisted. In the 11th century Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni invaded many times and carried away wealth from temples at Mathura, Kanauj and Somnath.
Key idea 2 : Ghuri and Aibak — In 1175 and 1178 Muhammad Ghuri invaded India. He gave the governing of the conquered land to Aibak. After Ghuri died in 1206, Aibak began to rule independently. Aibak was a slave at first but became ruler of Delhi; he died in 1210.
Key idea 3 : End of the Sultanate — After Aibak came Iltutmish, Razia, Bulban, Alauddin Khalji, Muhammad bin Tughluq, Firuz Tughluq and Ibrahim Lodi. Ibrahim Lodi was the last Sultan; his temperament made him many enemies.
- Easy : Who conquered Sindh? — The Arab general Muhammad bin Qasim, in the 8th century.
- Medium : Who started the Delhi Sultanate? — Qutubuddin Aibak.
- Exam-type : Who was the last Sultan? — Ibrahim Lodi.
In the figure: Four steps from Sindh to the Delhi Sultanate.
What happened before the Delhi Sultanate began? Muhammad Ghuri died in 1206, and from this the Delhi Sultanate began. Ghuri had entrusted the governing of his conquered Indian lands to Aibak. Aibak had once been a slave — he went on to become the ruler of Delhi.
What happened after the Delhi Sultanate began? Aibak died in 1210. After him Sultans like Iltutmish, Razia and Bulban ruled Delhi and the Sultanate lasted about three hundred years.
Ghuri died 1206; Aibak = first Sultan; Lodi = last.
All invasions did not happen at once; Arabs in the 8th, Ghazni in the 11th, Ghuri in the 12th century.
Memory clue: 8-11-12: Arab-Ghazni-Ghuri.
Spot the difference
| Invader | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Muhammad bin Qasim | 8th c | Sindh won |
| Mahmud Ghazni | 11th c | Took temple wealth |
| Muhammad Ghuri | 1175-1206 | Base of Delhi Sultanate |
Practice questions
- 1What is the Sultanate?
- 2Which province did Muhammad bin Qasim conquer?
- 3In which year did the Delhi Sultanate begin?
- 4Who was Qutubuddin Aibak?
- 5Write the names of five Sultans.
- 6What happened after Muhammad Ghuri’s death?
- 7Why did Ibrahim Lodi make many enemies?
- 8How did disunity among Indian kingdoms help the invaders? Write your view.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1The rule of the Sultans of Delhi.
- 2Sindh.
- 31206.
- 4Once a slave; after Ghuri the first independent ruler of Delhi.
- 5Aibak, Iltutmish, Razia, Bulban, Alauddin Khalji.
- 6Aibak began to rule Delhi independently.
- 7Because of his peculiar temperament, the nobles were unhappy.
- 8Because kingdoms fighting each other could not unite to resist.
Vijaynagar and Bahamani kingdoms
When a school splits into two groups each makes its own team. During Muhammad bin Tughluq’s time revolts broke out in the south and two new kingdoms arose.
Vijaynagar was a large southern kingdom founded in 1336; the Bahamani kingdom was a Sultanate of the Deccan founded in 1347.
Key idea 1 : Vijaynagar — The brothers Harihar and Bukka founded Vijaynagar in 1336; its capital was Hampi. Krishnadevaraya ascended the throne in 1509; he was a scholar and wrote the Telugu work ‘Amuktamalyada’. In his time Vijaynagar spread from Cuttack in the east to Goa in the west.
Key idea 2 : Bahamani kingdom — Hasan Gangu defeated the army of the Sultan of Delhi and founded the Bahamani kingdom in 1347; its capital was Gulbarga. Mahmud Gawan was the chief Wazir. He paid soldiers in cash instead of land grants, reformed revenue and opened a madarsa at Bidar. After his death the kingdom split into five: Imadshahi, Baridshahi, Adilshahi, Nizamshahi and Qutubshahi.
Key idea 3 : Battle of Talikot — In 1565 the Adilshahi, Nizamshahi, Qutubshahi and Baridshahi joined forces and defeated Vijaynagar at Talikot. After that Vijaynagar’s dominance ended.
- Easy : What was Vijaynagar’s capital? — Hampi.
- Medium : How did Mahmud Gawan pay soldiers? — In cash instead of land.
- Exam-type : When was the Battle of Talikot? — 1565.
In the figure: Four steps in the south from 1336 to 1565.
What happened before the Battle of Talikot? Around 1564 the Sultans of the Deccan formed an alliance against Vijaynagar. Sultans who fought one another united against one enemy — this led to the Battle of Talikot.
What happened after the Battle of Talikot? After Talikot the capital Hampi was plundered for about six months and then abandoned. Today the ruins of Hampi are a world-famous heritage site.
1336 = Vijaynagar; 1347 = Bahamani; 1565 = Talikot.
Vijaynagar did not vanish at once after Talikot; its dominance ended and the capital was abandoned.
Memory clue: 36-47-65: Harihar-Hasan-Hampi.
Spot the difference
| Point | Vijaynagar | Bahamani |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1336 (Harihar-Bukka) | 1347 (Hasan Gangu) |
| Capital | Hampi | Gulbarga |
| Famous | Krishnadevaraya | Mahmud Gawan |
Practice questions
- 1Who founded the Vijaynagar kingdom?
- 2Who was the first Sultan of the Bahamani kingdom?
- 3Who was Mahmud Gawan?
- 4Into which five parts did the Bahamani kingdom split?
- 5Write two facts about Krishnadevaraya.
- 6What was the cause of the Battle of Talikot?
- 7What happened to Hampi after Talikot?
- 8Why did two kingdoms arise in the south at the same time? Write your view.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1The brothers Harihar and Bukka, in 1336.
- 2Hasan Gangu.
- 3The chief Wazir of the Bahamani kingdom and a good administrator.
- 4Imadshahi, Baridshahi, Adilshahi, Nizamshahi, Qutubshahi.
- 5He was a scholar who wrote ‘Amuktamalyada’; Vijaynagar spread from Cuttack to Goa.
- 6The Sultans of the Deccan formed an alliance against Vijaynagar.
- 7It was plundered for about six months and abandoned.
- 8Because revolts against Delhi arose in the south during Muhammad bin Tughluq’s time.
Mughal power and the resistance to it
When a new company enters the market, old shopkeepers must compete; some give up, some fight to the end. The same happened as Mughal power grew in India.
Babur founded Mughal power. In the first Battle of Panipat in 1526 he defeated Ibrahim Lodi and set up Mughal rule in Delhi.
Key idea 1 : Babur and Panipat — Daulatkhan Lodi, governor of Punjab, invited Babur to invade India. On 21 April 1526 at Panipat Babur used artillery effectively for the first time in India and defeated Lodi. Later at Khanua he defeated Rana Sanga. Babur died in 1530.
Key idea 2 : Akbar to Aurangzeb — Akbar (1556-1605) had a liberal religious policy; he took good principles of all religions to form Din-i-Ilahi, but forced none. Jahangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb (1658-1707) ruled after him. After Aurangzeb’s death the Mughal empire grew weak.
Key idea 3 : Heroes who resisted — Maharana Pratap of Mewad struggled to the end for his freedom. Chandbibi defended Ahmadnagar fort bravely in 1595. Rani Durgavati did not surrender. In Assam the Ahoms fought the Mughals with guerrilla tactics under Lachit Borphukan. The ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Teghbahadur, was put to death by Aurangzeb in 1675; after him Guru Gobindsingh raised the Khalsa Dal.
- Easy : In which year was the first Battle of Panipat? — 1526 (21 April).
- Medium : Who invited Babur? — Daulatkhan Lodi.
- Exam-type : Who defended Ahmadnagar fort in 1595? — Chandbibi.
In the figure: Four steps from Panipat to Aurangzeb.
What happened before the First Battle of Panipat? The relations between Daulatkhan Lodi, governor of Punjab, and Sultan Ibrahim Lodi had turned bad. Daulatkhan sent an invitation to Babur, the ruler of Kabul, to march on India — calling an outsider to defeat his own Sultan!
What happened after the First Battle of Panipat? After Panipat Rana Sanga united all Rajput kings and fought Babur at Khanua. Babur’s artillery and reserve force won, and Mughal power was firmly set in India.
Assam’s tradition says that Lachit Borphukan gave the work of building a rampart on the bank of the Brahmaputra to his maternal uncle. It was not finished in time, so he put the uncle to death and said, ‘My uncle is not greater than my country.’ In 1671 the Ahoms held back the Mughals in the river battle at Saraighat. Most sources give this story as ‘it is said’.
Panipat 1526 = Babur; Akbar = liberal policy; Aurangzeb = 1658-1707.
Akbar did not force Din-i-Ilahi; he forced it on nobody.
Memory clue: 1526: Panipat-Babur-Lodi.
Spot the difference
| Hero | Region | Resistance |
|---|---|---|
| Maharana Pratap | Mewad | Struggle against Akbar |
| Chandbibi | Ahmadnagar | Defended the fort |
| Lachit Borphukan | Assam | Guerrilla fight |
Practice questions
- 1Who founded Mughal power?
- 2Between whom and when was the first Battle of Panipat?
- 3Which new weapon did Babur use?
- 4What is Din-i-Ilahi?
- 5Write about Guru Teghbahadur.
- 6Whom did Babur have to fight after Panipat?
- 7Compare the struggles of Chandbibi and Durgavati.
- 8Why might the Mughal empire have weakened after Aurangzeb? Write your view.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Babur.
- 2Babur and Ibrahim Lodi, 21 April 1526.
- 3Artillery.
- 4A path Akbar made from good principles of all religions; no compulsion.
- 5Ninth Sikh Guru; opposed Aurangzeb’s religious intolerance; put to death in 1675.
- 6Rana Sanga (Battle of Khanua).
- 7Chandbibi defended a fort; Durgavati gave her life without surrendering — both fought the Mughals bravely.
- 8Because the cost of wars grew, resistance came from regions and a long war went on in the Deccan.