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Showing posts with label History of India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History of India. Show all posts

Nick Name of Indian Places

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Nick NamePlace
Golden CityAmritsar
Manchester of IndiaAhmedabad
City of seven islandsMumbai
Sorrow of BengalDamoda river
Sorrow of BiharKosi River
Blue MountainsNilgiri
Queen of Arabian SearKochi
Space CityBengaluru
Garden City of IndiaBengaluru
Silicon valley of IndiaBengaluru
Electronic City of IndiaBengaluru
Pink CityJaipur
Gateway of IndiaMumbai
Twin CityHyderabad-Sikandarabad
City of festivalsMudurai
Deccan QueenPune
City of BuildingsKolkata
Dakshin GangaGodavari
Old GangaGodavari
Egg bowls of AsiaAndhra Pradesh
Soya regionMadhya Pradesh
Manchester of the SouthCoimbator
City of NawabsLucknow
Venice of the eastKochi
Queen of the MountainsMussoorie (Uttarkhand)
Sacred riverGanga
Hollywood of IndiaMumbai
City of CastlesKolkata
State of five riversPunjab
City of weaversPanipat
City of lakesSrinagar
Steel city of IndiaJamshedpur (called Tatanagar)
City of TemplesVaranasi
Manchester of the northKanpur
City of RalliesNew Delhi
Heaven of IndiaJammu & Kashmir
Boston of IndiaAhmedabad
Garden of spices of IndiaKerala
Switzerland of IndiaKashmir
Abode of the GodPrayag (Allahabad)
Pittsburg of IndiaJamshedpur
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Struggle for Independence

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India’s struggle for independence stated almost as soon as it became a colony of the British. In 1857, the Indiansserving in the British army rebelled against their superiors and initiated India’s first freedom struggle. This freedom struggle marked the advent of a new chapter in the history of India and is famously known the ‘First War of Independence’ or the ‘Revolt of 1857’. However, the British called it merely a Sepoy Mutiny and were successful in suppressing this first independence struggle, waged by Indians. After the failure of the revolt, the British rule in India grew stronger and came under the direct control of the Queen of Britain.
Though, India’s First War of Independence (Revolt of 1857) was unsuccessful in gaining an Independent status for India, but it did raised a feeling of nationalism all across the country, which can be treated as an achievement in itself. Formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885 boosted this feeling of nationalism to the next level. Though, the initial stand of the Indian National Congress was moderate but with the passage of time, due to apathetic attitude of the British government, the national movement of Independence began to take its shape. The British government did not paid any heed to even extremely basic demands raised by the Congress, which provoked the Indians and another freedom movement started.
Congress grew more skeptic of the British government by the end of first decade of twentieth century. Extremist tendencies were continually increasing amongst the Congress members and they were unsatisfied with the moderate policies adopted initially by the Congress. The British government soon got alert and played its card of ‘Divide and Rule’, which led to the disintegration of the Indian National Congress and another party, Muslim League, was formed. This weakened the independence move initiated by the Congress. Keeping Muslim League on its side, the British government tried to suppress almost every demand raised by the Congress. Later, in 1916 AD, the Congress and the Muslim League united once again against the British government but the truce was short-lived. The independence struggle grew more aggressive by the end of second decade of the twentieth century. Under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, numerous freedom movements were launched against the British rule.
Non-cooperation movement (1920 AD to 1922 AD) was amongst the very first movements initiated by Mahatma Gandhi and it was followed by the civil disobedience movement. Apart from Congress, there were also some other individual organizations which strengthened the Indian independence struggle. Till 1930, many small and large movements were raised against the British rule in India. At the advent of Second World War, the Indian National Congress decided to support the Britain in its war effort and believed that the Britain will give independence to India after the war gets over. However, soon in 1942, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, the Congress initiated the ‘Quit India Movement’ after which the British realized that it was no longer possible to rule India and finally decided to quit.
At about the same time, the Muslim League vowed for the creation of an independent Muslim state, Pakistan. They feared that the united India will be primarily dominated by the Hindus. In 1945-46, under the leadership of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the Muslim league won all thirty reserved seats for Muslims in the Central Legislative Assembly with a majority of the reserved provisional seats. In order to resolve the tie between the two, the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, and transfer power to a single Indian administration, a three-man Cabinet Mission was formed in 1946 which drafted the plan for a three-tier federation of India.
The plan suggested India to be divided into three groups, Group-A including the Hindu majority areas whereas Group-B and Group-C comprising of the Muslim majority areas, and each group to be governed separately with a high degree of autonomy except for the handling of critical areas such as defense, foreign affairs, communications, etc.
The plan, however, did not take into account the fate of the Sikhs who formed a sizable portion in the Group-B population and wanted an independent state for themselves. Later, the Sikhs decided to stay with India and brought down their demand. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, as the leader of Muslim League, accepted what was proposed in the plan but Jawaharlal Nehru was not satisfied and stated that “no constituent assembly could be bound by any prearranged constitutional formula”, in his first press conference as the re-elected president of Congress. In return, Jinnah retraced him and the Muslim League withdrew its consent with the plan. In mid-August 1946, the Muslim League called upon the Muslims to launch a direct action which finally resulted into a frenzy of rioting between Hindus and Muslims


Later, in March 1947, Lord Mountbatten of the Great Britain came to India and in the wake of the civil war suggested the country to be split into two independent nations. However, Mahatma Gandhi opposed his recommendation and urged him to offer Mohammad Ali Jinnah to lead independent India, but this was unacceptable to many nationalist leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru. Hence, it was finally decided that India would be partitioned into two independent states. Accordingly, in July 1947, the Britain’s Parliament passed the Indian Independence Act. Finally, in August 1947, two independent states, India and Pakistan, came into existence.

Revolt of 1857

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Revolt of 1857, which is termed as the first war of independence of India was the first display of utter hatred and anger in Indians towards the foreign rule. This hatred and anger was the result of the excessive exploitation by theEast India Company of Indians and the Indian soil. However, the Revolt could not give India its independence but one cannot forget the fact that this Revolt was the first magnificent attempt by the Indians to free their mother soil and it did resulted in an end to the British company rule in India.
Although, the Revolt was initiated by the Indian soldiers working for the East India Company, but very soon the warmth of this fire reached the heart of the millions of Indians, who then stood together for a common objective of freedom and to throw the British rule out the premises of their mother soil, marking an end to the British exploitation.
In this first battle of freedom, there were no Hindus fighting against the company. Also, there were no Muslims involved in the Revolt. The only people who were part of this first move towards independence were Indians, who kept all the religious and regional differences away and fought for a common cause and objective, which was the freedom of their mother land and an end of the prolonged British exploitation.
Even though, according to the British tried to dismiss the Revolt by merely calling it as a ‘Sepoy Mutiny’, but the Revolt did generated some of the very considerable consequences which cannot be neglected. The various important causes, cause of failures and after effects of the Revolt are mentioned as follows:

CAUSES AND REASONS OF THE REVOLT OF 1857

Economic Reasons: The changes in the trade stance of the East India Company led to the generation of the massive economic instability and unemployment across the nation, resulting provocation and aggression in the souls and minds of the Indian workers and soldiers of British annexed kingdoms. During its initial and the middle phase, the East India Company was majorly involved in the trading textile, indigo, saltpeter, spices and food grains from the Indian markets to their home land Britain. This stance of the company gave a high and rapid boost to the Indian handloom and other small scale industry. The East India Company maintained this stance with no political intensions during the sixteenth and the seventeenth century, but in the eighteenth century, with the advent of the industrial revolution the company changed its trading stance drastically which had devastating impact on the Indian Economy, specifically, Indian handloom and cottage industry.With the start of the industrial revolution in Europe, the company began to export raw material like cotton from India to England and thereafter bringing the machine finished fabric back to the Indian markets for sale. This dual way trade was extremely beneficial for the company but it resulted in high pressure on the Indian handloom industry, which could not compete with the machine fabric and faced heavy losses and finally closed. The closure of the Indian handloom and cottage industry at such magnificent level left the Indian workers jobless and filled their hearts with hatred and disgrace for the British. The same aggression of these unemployed people for the British was displayed and resulted in the great Revolt of 1857.These people were also joined by the soldiers of the British annexed kingdoms and states who were also highly provoked by the British misdeeds.
Military Reasons: The British East India Company was successful in its intensions of ruling India only with the help and major contribution of the Indian Soldiers. However, once achieved its objectives, in spite of giving the soldiers credit for victory, the company treated them with disgrace and made them work at the lower ranks, not considering their capabilities. The Indian soldiers working for the company were not paid handsome and were also given no incentives. Their condition in the company was miserable. Moreover, the use of the greased cartridges was unacceptable to both Hindu and the Muslim soldiers as the grease used in these cartridges was made from the cow and the pig fats. The overall impact of all these resulted in the outburst of the anger and hate of these soldiers against the British and finally this outburst of anger took the shape of the First War of Indian Independence.
Social and Religious Reasons: The fear amongst the Indians that they will be forced to change their religion to Christianity added fuel to the fire of hate and aggression against the British. Also, the taxes held on property owned by the temples and mosques were unacceptable to the population of India.

AFTER EFFECTS OF THE REVOLT OF 1857

Divide and Rule Policy: After the Revolt the British realized that the Hindu-Muslim unity is a potential threat for its rule in India and it finally created differences between the two communities by providing religious preferences under its rule which made the Hindu’s and Muslim’s feel different at objectives and goals.
Rise of Nationalism: Even though the Revolt of 1857 could not give India its independence but it definitely arose a feeling of nationalism and developed national character amongst Indians. Indians were greatly inspired by the heroic deeds of the Rani Laxmi Bai, Nana Sahib, Mangal Pandey and others who stood against British for a common cause. This Revolt definitely laid the foundation for the India’s freedom struggle.
Economic Exploitation of India: With the end of Company’s rule the economic exploitation of India increased at par. Although, this was the phase of major developments like Railway, Tea and Coffee plantation in India, but the economic woes India had during this phase are unforgettable.
End of Peshwaship: After active and sound participation in the Revolt, Nana Sahib did managed to escape and was never traced thereafter, but with his escape an end was marked on the Peshwaship.
End of Mughal Empire: After participating in the great Revolt the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar died in year 1862 marking an end to the great and glorious Mughal Dynasty.
Amendments in British Policies: With the end of the company rule, the British Parliament assured the Princely States that all the treaties which they signed with the East India Company will be respected and their states would never be annexed by the British forces. Although, there were a lot many terms and conditions imposed by the British on these Princely States and their military powers were reduced to a great extent. Right to adoption was also given recognition after the 1857.
End of Company Rule in India: After the Great Revolt of 1857, the British Parliament passed an act for the better governance in India, according to which all the ruling power in India was directly undertaken by the British Queen and Parliament from the hands of the East India Company. This marked an end of the Company’s rule in India.

CAUSES OF FAILURE OF THE GREAT REVOLT OF 1857

Lack of Planning and Discipline: The Revolt initiated prior to schedule against the plan of Nana Sahib and others. The Revolt was planned to burst on 31st May, 1857 but due to an incident in Meerut it started early without any plan. Also, discipline was lacking amongst the freedom fighters which resulted in the failure of the Great Revolt.


Indian Help and Support to British: Many of the Indian Princely States namely princes of Nabhya, Patiala and Kapurthala and the rulers of Hyderabad and Gwalior supported the British in terms of man and money to suppress the war. This support made the Revolt suffer some great loss and finally end with failure.

East India Company

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East India Company has been a major player in the Indian history. The East India Company was also referred as The East India Trading Company or English East India Company. Early intensions of this company was to make possible trade with the areas of East Indies, however, these intensions were later diverted towards India and China because of the higher trade opportunities available at these areas.
It was one of the earliest joint stock companies of England. East India Company entered the Indian market as a trader of various products like tea, opium, cotton, silk and a lot more. That was the time when it could not have been predicted that this company will rule us for about the coming hundred years.
The rule of the East India Company in the country lasted from 1757 AD to 1857 AD. The english rule initiated with their victory in the Battle of Palassey. This battle was probably the first battle that the India fought against the Englishmen. Finally, the rule of this company ended after the Indian Revolt of 1857. It must be noted that year 1857, was just the year in which the rule of this English company ended and not the year in which India was declared Independent. In year 1857 the rule over the nation was taken up by the crown of England and the English forces were off its ruling powers. This company was later dissolved in year 1874.

East India Company-Early Days in India

Establishing its high profit trade and long rule in India was not an easy task for the British forces. The East India Company went through a long struggle and breathtaking competition with some of the other European Merchants like the French and the Portuguese. This competition finally moved its favors to this British forces after the defeat of the Portuguese in the Battle of Swally in year 1612. After their victory over the Portuguese, the company established itself throughout the nation, which was then under the rule of the Mughal ruler Jahangir. Jahangir allowed the East India Company to establish its factories and stay at various parts of the country. Although, it was not an easy task, but the British force officials were able to establish their wrist hold in country. The company established its trading ports at the city of Madras (now known as Chennai), Bombay and Calcutta (now known as Kolkata). These ports were used for the import and export of goods to and from India. The pace with which the forces expanded their root was mind-blowing as by the end of year 1647, the East India Company was able to establish twenty-three factories all across the nation with a workforce of about hundred employees in the country. The major products which were being traded by the British traders were cotton, silk, tea and some other products of similar stream.
The establishment of its rule in country was also not a race free from hurdles for the East India Company. The Indian rulers continuously strived and struggled to restrict the expansion of the roots of the company. The defeat of the Siraj Ud Daulah, in the famous Battle of Plassey, led to the first victory for ruler ship of the East India Company on the Indian soil. This victory moved the crown of Bengal to the company. Siraj Ud Daulah was a close friend of the Shah Alam-II, who was then commanding the helm of the Mughal Empire. The defeat of the Siraj Ud Daulah in the Battle of Plassey gave way to the battle of Buxar, between the british company rule and the Shah Alam-II. After the Battle of Buxar, the control over the areas of Bengal and Bihar was overtaken by the British company rule. Apart from this, the province of Mysore also offered a high resistance to the British Army but finally, the helm of the Mysore was also taken over by the English forces. The areas close to the city of Bombay(now known as Mumbai) were also taken away by the English forces from the hands of the Maratha rules.


The company expanded its rule over the entire nation and ruled it for about one-hundred years. The rule from the British East India Company was only undertaken by the British Crown, after the Revolt of 1857. The rule the British Crown in India was very responsible for its expanding infrastructure and falling economy.

Vijayanagara Empire

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The Vijayanagara Empire was a medieval times civilization which flourished in the Deccan Plateau regions of SouthIndia and was named after its capital city, Vijayanagar. It was referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese. The ruins of this ancient city can be found in the vicinity of the present day’s Hampi, located in Indianstate of Karnataka. For the ruins spread across its vicinity, Hampi has now been proclaimed a World Heritage Site. The archaeological excavations here have revealed the wealth and power of the great Vijayanagara Empire. Also, the literature obtained in local language and the writings of the medieval European travelers such as Niccolò Da Conti, Fernão Nunes and Domingo Paes have revealed sizable information about this medieval Indian Empire.
The Vijayanagara Empire was established as a Hindu kingdom in 1336 AD by Harihara Raya-I and his brother, Bukka Raya-I, on the southern bank of River Tungabhatra, close to Anegundi fortress. After his brother, Bukka Raya-I ruled the kingdom and he is known to be the first ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire to send an embassy to China for the development trade links. The embassy was sent in 1374. In 1377, Bukka Raya-I was succeeded by Harihara Raya-II who expanded this newly formed kingdom to almost whole of South India by his gradual conquests. Harihara Raya-II was the first ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire to be given the title of ‘Maharajadhiraj Rajaparmeshwara’.
In 1486, the Vijayanagara Empire was conquered by the Vir Narasimha of Chandragiri from the Tuluva Dynasty. Later, Vir Narasimha was succeeded by his son Krishanadev Raya who was successful in making a place for himself in the list of greatest rulers in the entire history of India. He was a gallant warrior and succeeded in every war that he waged. He was also a magnanimous and benevolent emperor known for treating his defeated enemies with respect and honor. He successfully captured southern Mysore and Udaigiri in 1511 AD and 1514 AD respectively. In fact, after conquering Vishakhapatnam he was able to completely abolish the authority of the King of Orissa. His victory against Ismail Adil Shah on March 19, 1950 which ended the Muslim dominance in South India is considered his greatest military achievement.
The reign of Krishanadev Raya was also marked with the development of arts, music, literature and culture. Krishanadev Raya was himself an accomplished poet, scholar and musician and was the author of a Telugu book, Amuktamalyada, which is of immense importance from the viewpoint of history as well as religion. It is believed that he was successful in developing and maintaining healthy relations with the Portuguese and offered some great subsidiaries to Governor Albuquerque of the Portugal.
Krishanadev Raya was succeeded by Achyut Raya who soon lost the helm of the Vijayanagara Empire to his brother-in-law Tirumala. Like Achyut Raya, Tirumala also could not rule the kingdom for long and was succeeded by his Prime Minister Ram Raya.
Later, on 23rd January 1565, a brutal battle took place between the troops of Vijayanagara Empire under the leadership of Ram Raya and the coalition force of three Muslim Sultanates (Deccan, Bijapur and Ahmadnagar). TheVijayanagara Empire lost in the battle and the kingdom shattered permanently at once.
During its reign, the Vijayanagara Empire established its own style of architecture by constructing numerous monuments spread all across the southern parts of India. Most famous of their construction is the group at Hampi. They used local granite for constructing Hindu temples and the mingling effect of all faith can be clearly seen in their architectural innovation. The influence of the Northern Deccan Sultanate can also be seen in the secular royal constructions of the empire.
The Vijayanagara Empire was marked by an efficient administration and under its regime vigorous overseas trade took place. New technologies such as the water management system for irrigation were developed and benchmarked as a result of overseas trade. This was one of the highest contributing factors which brought prosperity to the empire.
Under the reign of Vijayanagara Empire new heights were attained in the field of arts and literature in four languages, namely- Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit and Kannada. Also, it was during this period that the Carnatic music evolved into its present form. The Vijayanagara Empire is still remembered for transcending regionalism by promoting Hinduism as a unifying factor.

 List of rulers of the Vijayanagara Empire



  • Harihara Raya I (1336 AD to 1356 AD)
  • Bukka Raya I (1356 AD to 1377 AD)
  • Harihara Raya II (1377 AD to 1404 AD)
  • Virupaksha Raya (1404 AD to 1405 AD)
  • Bukka Raya II (1405 AD to 1406 AD)
  • Deva Raya I (1406 AD to 1422 AD)
  • Ramachandra Raya (1422 AD)
  • Vira Vijaya Bukka Raya (1422 AD to 1424 AD)
  • Deva Raya II (1424 AD to 1446 AD)
  • Mallikarjuna Raya (1446 AD to 1465 AD)
  • Virupaksha Raya II (1465 AD to 1485 AD)
  • Praudha Raya (1485 AD)
  • Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya (1485 AD to 1491 AD)
  • Thimma Bhupala (1491 AD)
  • Narasimha Raya II (1491 AD to 1505 AD)
  • Tuluva Narasa Nayaka (1491 AD to 1503 AD)
  • Viranarasimha Raya (1503 AD to 1509 AD)
  • Krishna Deva Raya (1509 AD to 1529 AD)
  • Achyuta Deva Raya (1529 AD to 1542 AD)
  • Sadasiva Raya (1542 AD to 1570 AD)
  • Aliya Rama Raya (1542 AD to 1565 AD)
  • Tirumala Deva Raya (1565 AD to 1572 AD)
  • Sriranga I (1572 AD to 1586 AD)
  • Venkata II (1586 AD to 1614 AD)
  • Sriranga II (1614 AD)
  • Ramadeva (1617 AD to 1632 AD)
  • Venkata III (1632 AD to 1642 AD)
  • Sriranga III (1642 AD to 1646 AD)

Sikh Empire

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The Sikh Empire was a prominent imperial power which established its rule in the Punjab region of IndianSubcontinent in the later eighteenth century. The Sikh Empire remained a dominant power in the northern Indiabetween the timeframe of 1799 and 1849 AD. Maharaja Ranjit Singh founded this empire by combining the autonomous Sikh Misls to form a single kingdom. At its peak, the Sikh Empire stretched from the Kashmir in the north to the Sindh in the south and from Tibet in the east to the Khyber Pass in the west.
The early foundations of the Sikh Empire were laid after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, synchronous to the decline of the Mughal Empire. The downfall of the Mughal Empire provided an opportunity to the Sikh army to lead expeditions against Mughals and the Afghans. The Sikh army was then known as the Dal Khalsa. Dal Khalsa was initially formed by the Tenth Guru of the Sikh religion, Shri Guru Gobind Singh, in response to the atrocities of the Mughals on people having any religious faith other then Islam. At the time when the Mughal Empire was declining the Sikh army did everything it could to further weaken and break it. As a result of this the army grew further and was later divided into different confederacies or semi-independent states. These states were known as the ‘Misls’. Each Misl of the Sikh army was responsible to protect and control different cities and their adjoining areas. Initially, these Misls were semi-autonomous and remained united but later in the timeframe between 1762 and 1799, the commanders of each Misl began to come on their own.


In 1801, Maharaja Ranjit Singh was successful to unite and merge these Sikh Misls to form a single state. This lead to the formation of the Sikh Empire and Maharaja Ranjit Singh was proclaimed as the ruler of this newly formed political state. On April 12, 1801, Maharaja Ranjit Singh was formally crowned as the ruler of Sikh Empire and the coronation was conducted by Sahib Singh Bedi, who was a descendant of Shri Guru Nanak Dev, the first Guru of Sikhreligion. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was successful in establishing his rule throughout the Punjab region and was a magnanimous ruler. He took the initiative to modernize the army by providing it sophisticated training and equipping it with latest weapons and artillery. However, after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the united Sikh Empireweakened internally by political mismanagement and finally disintegrated. It was then divided into four provinces. These were – Kashmir, Multan, Peshawar and Lahore. Later, close to 1849, the Sikh Empire declined and completely dissolved in the Anglo-Sikh wars.

Maratha Empire

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The Maratha Empire, also known as the Maratha Confederacy, was one of the strongest imperial powers in Indiawhich existed between 1674 and 1818 AD. The Maratha Empire is known to have re-established the Hindu rule inIndia, which was lost with the rise of Mughal powers.  At its peak, the Maratha Empire was the largest kingdom in South Asia with an approximate area cover of 2.8 million square kilometers.
Maharaja Shivaji Bhosle, famously referred as Veer Shivaji, founded and consolidated the independent Maratha Empire and ruled it from Raigah, which was made empire’s capital. He successfully fought and won against the Mughal forces to defend his kingdom. The battle between the Maratha Empire and the Mughal forces continued for an approximate period of 27 years, between 1681 and 1707, making it the longest battle in the entire history of India. Veer Shivaji successfully defeated larger and more powerful Mughal troops by making use of his guerrilla war tactics, famously known as ‘Shiva Sutra’ or ‘Ganimi Kava’, which leveraged the strategic war factors such as demographics, surprise, speed and focused attack.
In the reign of Shahu, a grandson of Veer Shivaji, the Peshwas were appointed as the Prime Ministers of theMaratha Empire. Also, under his regime, the empire was stretched in all directions by the Peshwas, Holkars, Bhosles, Shindes and the Gaikwads. At its peak, the Maratha Empire stretched from Afghanistan border in the north to Tamil Nadu in the south and from Bengal in the east to Peshawar (now in Pakistan) in the west. Later, in 1761, the Maratha forces lost in the ‘Third Battle of Panipat’ after which the imperial expansion of the Maratha Empire was halted.
In 1761, ten years after the Maratha defeat in the ‘Third Battle of Panipat’, Madhavrao Peshwa was successful in reinstating the Maratha authority in North India. In order to effectively control and manage the large Maratha Empire, semi-autonomy was given to strongest of knights; as a result of which, several Maratha States were established. Later, these states were known as the Holkars of Indore and Malwa, the Gaekwads of Baroda, the Bhonsales of Nagpur and the Shindes of Gwalior and Ujjain.
Later, in 1775, the British East India Company intervened in the dispute of succession in the Maratha Empire which resulted in the ‘First Anglo-Maratha War’. However, the Marathas remained a prominent power in India until their defeat in the second and third Anglo-Maratha wars, between 1805 and 1818 AD, after which the British East India Company was successful to gain control over most parts of India.
The Maratha Empire was later successful in securing a large coastline by making use of a potent navy under the leadership of commanders like Kanhoji Angre. Securing coastal areas and building land-based fortifications on them was a part of the Maratha defense strategy and an important chapter in the regional military history. The Marathasformed their navy by overtaking the foreign naval ships, particularly the ships of the British and the Portugal.

 List of the Maratha Empire rulers



  • Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (1630 AD to 1680 AD)
  • Chhatrapati Sambhaji (1657 AD to 1689 AD)
  • Chhatrapati Rajaram (1670 AD to 1700 AD)
  • Maharani Tarabai (1675 AD to 1761 AD)
  • Chhatrapati Shahu (1682 AD to 1749 AD)
  • Chhatrapati Ramaraja
  • Queen Tarabai (1675 AD to 1761 AD)
  • Chhatrapati Sambhaji
  • Chhatrapati Shahu IV
  • Sonopant Dabir (1640 AD to 1652 AD)
  • Shyampant Kulkarni-Ranzekar (1652 AD to 1657 AD)
  • Moropant Trimbak Pingle (1657 AD to 1683 AD)
  • Moreshwar Pingale (1683 AD to 1689 AD)
  • RamchandraPant Amatya (1689 AD to 1708 AD)
  • Bahiroji Pingale (1708 AD to 1711 AD)
  • Parshuram Tribak Kulkarni (1711 AD to 1713 AD)
  • Balaji Vishwanath (1713 AD to 1720 AD)
  • Peshwa Bajirao I (1720 AD to 1740 AD)
  • Balaji Bajirao
  • Madhavrao Peshwa
  • Narayanrao Bajirao
  • Raghunathrao
  • Sawai Madhava Rao II Narayan
  • Chimnajee Madhavarao
  • Baji Rao II
  • Amritrao
  • Nana Sahib

Rajput Kingdoms

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The Rajput Kingdoms emerged in India during the 7th and the 8th century AD. Essentially, the Rajputs were a warrior clan and their powers were primarily prominent in the present day’s Indian state of Rajasthan region and several areas across the central parts of India.  Between the 9th and the 11th century AD the Rajputs gained prominence in the region and were one amongst the few who could stand firmly against the troops of Mughal Empire. Their territories were mostly limited to the present day’s Indian State of Rajasthan and Gujarat but they ruled successfully for a period of about 500 years. Under their regime, almost every Rajput Kingdom prospered. However, historians have yet not been able to reach a consensus on the origin of the Rajput clan but a bulk of historians believe that they were of mixed origin, some of them being descendant from Gurjars, Huns etc while others from the aboriginal tribes of Gonds, Bhars etc. It is also believed that the Rajputs were divided into thirty-six clans and these together ruled over 21 kingdoms in north India.

Famous Rajput Clans

Of all the Rajput clans, the Pariharas, the Chauhans, the Solankis and the Paramaras claimed a special status and traced their descent from a mystical figure that arose from a fire pit, located near Mount Abu. These clans described themselves as the Agnikila Kshatriyas.
Some of the most famous Rajput clans are listed and described below.
  • Pariharas
  • Chauhans
  • Solankis
  • Paramaras
  • Gahadwalas
  • Kalachuris
  • Chandelas
Pariharas or Later Pratiharas: The Pariharas are sometimes also referred as the Later Pratiharas. This is because they found their kingdom on the ruins of the former Pratiharas. Their kingdom was majorly across the parts of present day’s southern Rajasthan.
Chauhans: The Chauhans, ruled between 956 and 1192 AD, over the eastern parts of the present day’s Rajasthan with their capital at Sakambari. This Rajput Dynasty was founded by Simharaj, who is famously known as the founder of the city of Ajmer.
Essentially, the Chauhans were the feudatories of the Pariharas and stood aside them to check Arab invasions. Visaladeva, a Chauhan ruler, was successful in defeating both the Ghazanis and the Tomaras and captured the city of Delhi. Also, in 1191, Prithviraj Chauhan, considered greatest of all Chauhan rulers, defeated the Muhammad of Ghor in the first battle of Tarain. However, he was defeated and killed in the second battle of Tarain, 1192.
Solankis: The Solankis established their rule over present day’s Indian State of Gujarat between 945 and 1297 AD. They are sometimes also referred as the Later Chalukyas and their empire came into prominence during the reign of Mularaj. Also, the famous temple of Somnath was looted under their rule, in the reign of King Bhima-I. They ruled with their capital situated at Anhilwarh.
Paramaras:  They were the feudatories of the Rashtrakutas and ruled over the Malwa with Dhar as the capital. ThisRajput Dynasty was founded by Krishnaraja (or Upendra) while Munjaraja had the honor of being called the greatest of all Paramara kings. During his reign, Munjaraja constructed a tank for irrigation which was called as the Munjasagara. King Bhoja, another Paramara ruler, is known for establishing Bhojasala, the Sanskrit University.
Gahadwalas: The Gahadwalas are famously known as the Rathors and ruled with Kanauj as their capital. ThisRajput Dynasty was founded by Chandra Sena while Govinda Chandra had the honor of being called the greatest ruler amongst all Gahadwalas. Jayachandra, the Gahadwala king, was defeated by the Muhammad of Ghor and this defeat marked the end of their dynasty.
Kalachuris: This Rajput Dynasty was founded by Kokkala as the Chedi Kingdom of Kalachuris with Tripuri as their capital city. They successfully ruled between the time period of 845 and 1212 AD. King Gangayadeva of this dynasty assumed the titles Trikalingadhipathi and Vikramaditya after his successful conquest of several areas.
Chandelas: This Rajput Dynasty was founded by Jayasakthi. They ruled the areas across Bundelkhand with Khajuraho as their capital. They essentially were feudatories of Rratiharas and are known for assisting Jayapala in repelling the Turkish invasion. Their dynasty came to an end after Alauddin Khalji conquered Bundelkhand.

List of famous Rajput Dynasties



  • Sisodias of Mewar (Udaipur)
  • Kachwahas of Amber (Jaipur)
  • Rathors of Marwar (Jodhpur & Bikaner)
  • the Hadas of Jhalwawar, Kota & Bundi
  • Bhattis of Jaisalmer
  • Shekhawats of Shekhawati
  • Chauhans of Ajmer

Mughal Empire

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The Mughal Empire was established in India by Zaheeruddin Muhammad Babur, famously known as Babur, in 1526 AD and it is known to have controlled most parts of the Indian Subcontinent between late seventeenth and the early eighteenth century AD. At its peak, the Mughal Empire extended from the Kashmir in the north to the Kaveri basin in the south and from the Baluchistan in the west to the Bengal in the east.
The Mughal Emperors were essentially the descendents of the Timurids who came from the present day’s Uzbekistan. Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, was the son of Genghis Khan. In 1526, he successfully defeated Ibrahim Shah Lodhi, last Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate, in the first battle of Panipat and laid the foundation of the Mughal Empire in India. Babur concluded his conquest of most parts of northern India in 1526, but constantly failed to conquer the Rajputana, home of the warlike Rajputs. Babur died at the age of 47 in 1530 and was succeeded by his son Nasiruddin Muhammad Humayun. Humayun ruled the kingdom but with a loose grip and finally lost the empire to Sher Shah Suri in 1540. However, he was able to restore his kingdom back in 1555 and then ruled efficiently till 1556 after which he was succeeded by his son Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar.
Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar was a magnanimous emperor and is remembered for his benevolence. Also, for his benevolence, Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar is commonly referred as ‘Akbar the Great’. In his reign, India gradually progressed in terms of culture and economy. Also, in his regime, a religious harmony was re-established throughoutIndia. Akbar was successful in forming strategic alliances with several Rajput Kingdoms of north-western parts ofIndia. He held the helm of the Mughal Empire till 1605 AD after which his son, Nooruddin Muhammad Jahangir, ruled the kingdom. Jahangir ruled till 1627 AD after which his son, Shahaabuddin Muhammad Shah Jahan, succeeded him. The reign of Shah Jahan is determined as the ‘golden age of Mughal architecture’ because of the splendid monuments constructed in his reign. Taj Mahal, one amongst the wonders of the world, was constructed by Shah Jahan in memories of his beloved wife. Some other famous constructions of Shah Jahan include the Pearl mosque, the Lahore Fort, Jama Masjid and the Red Fort. Later, in 1658, Shah Jahan was succeeded by his son, Mohiuddin Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir.
Aurangzeb became the emperor of the Mughal Empire at the time when the territory of the kingdom was at its peak and the empire was home to almost one-fourth population of the world. His reign lost the religious harmony established by his great grandfather, Akbar the Great, across the kingdom. Under his regime, the Hindu Maratha Empire and the Sikh Misl emerged as the formidable foes of the Mughal Empire. Despite this strong opposition, Aurangzeb was successful to rule till 1707, when he died.
After the death of Aurangzeb, the Mughal Empire was succeeded by a series of weak rulers and the empire gradually declined in a span of next 150 years. Bahadur Shah II was the last emperor of the Mughal Dynasty. His empire was restricted to the city of Delhi. For his participation in the Indian Revolt of 1857, he was first imprisoned and later exiled by the British.

Decline of the Mughal Empire

Some of the important factors responsible for the decline of the Mughal Empire in India are listed below:
  • The wars of succession weakened the kingdom.
  • The opposition from the Sikh, Maratha and the Durrani Empires.
  • Persian invasions under the leadership of Nadir Shah.
  • Rise of independent kingdoms of Oudh, Bengal, Hyderabad and Mysore.
  • British Colonialism.

List of Rulers from the Mughal Empire



  • Zaheeruddin Muhammad Babur (1526 AD to 1530 AD)
  • Nasiruddin Muhammad Humayun (1530 AD to 1540 AD)
  • Nasiruddin Muhammad Humayun (1555 AD to 1556 AD)
  • Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar (1556 AD to 1605 AD)
  • Nooruddin Muhammad Jahangir (1605 AD to 1627 AD)
  • Shahaabuddin Muhammad Shah Jahan (1627 AD to 1658 AD)
  • Mohiuddin Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir (1658 AD to 1707 AD)
  • Bahadur Shah I (1707 AD to 1712 AD)
  • Jahandar Shah (1712 AD to 1713 AD)
  • Furrukhsiyar (1713 AD to 1719 AD)
  • Rafi Ul-Darjat (1719 AD)
  • Rafi Ud-Daulat (a.k.a Shah Jahan II) (1719 AD)
  • Nikusiyar (1719 AD)
  • Muhammad Ibrahim (1720 AD)
  • Muhammad Shah (1720AD to1748 AD)
  • Ahmad Shah Bahadur (1748 AD to 1754 AD)
  • Alamgir II (1754 AD to 1759 AD)
  • Shah Jahan III (1759 AD)
  • Shah Alam II (1759 AD to 1806 AD)
  • Akbar Shah II (1806 AD to 1837 AD)
  • Bahadur Shah Zafar (1837 AD to 1857 AD)

Delhi Sultanate

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The Delhi Sultanate is the name used to describe five short-lived medieval dynasties which were successful in establishing the Muslim rule in India for the first time. These dynasties or sultanates were of Turkic origin and ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526 AD. The five dynasties which are together termed as the Delhi Sultanate are listed as follows:
  • Mamluk Dynasty (1206 AD to 1290 AD)
  • Khilji Dynasty (1290 AD to 1320 AD)
  • Tughlaq Dynasty (1320 AD to 1414 AD)
  • Sayyid Dynasty (1414 AD to 1451 AD)
  • Lodi Dynasty (1451 AD to 1526 AD)
Of these, the Mamluk Dynasty was the first to establish its rule at Delhi.

Mamluk Dynasty

The Mamluk Dynasty, famously known as the Slave Dynasty, was founded by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1206 AD. Its founder Qutb-ud-din Aibak was initially a slave to Muhammad Ghori and it is for this reason that the Mamluk Dynasty is famously known as the Slave Dynasty. In fact, the word ‘Mamluk’ in the ‘Mamluk Dynasty’ also meansslave. Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the first sultan of Delhi, was successful in conquering most portions of northern India in a small duration of time. He initiated the construction of Qutub Minar but was unable to complete it in his lifespan. Qutub Minar was later completed in the reign of IItutmish who was his successor and son-in-law. Though Qutub-ud-din Aikbak’s son, Aramshah, was his legitimate successor but the nobles preferred IItutmish over him, who was the Subedar of Badaun before Qutub-ud-din Aibak’s death. Ittutmish successfully completed the construction of Qutub Minar and was succeeded by his daughter, Razia Sultan. Razia Sultan was a magnanimous administrator and the first female ruler in the entire Muslim world. She was succeeded by Balban who ruled successfully till 1286. After Balban’s death there was a widespread turmoil in the empire for succession of the thrown resulting in weakening the empire. Revolts by the conquered territories and the rival dynasties further weakened the empire and theMamluk Dynasty finally declined.

Khilji Dynasty

Khilji Dynasty was the second Muslim dynasty which was able to establish its rule in India, next only to the Slave Dynasty. After the death of Balban, there was a widespread turmoil and political instability in the Slave Dynasty, in wake of which Jalal-ud-din Khilji was successful in conquering the territory of Delhi and established a new dynasty, which was later named as the Khilji Dynasty. After his conquest of Delhi, Jalal-ud-din Khilji began to extend the boundaries of his newly set empire in all directions. Later, he was succeeded by Ala-ud-din Khilji under whose reign the empire flourished. His reign is considered as the golden period of the Khilji Dynasty and was marked by revenue reforms, market control regulations and innovative administrative. After his able rule the Sultanate was succeeded by his son Shahab-ud-din Umar but he was soon removed from the crown by his brother Qutub-ud-din Mubarik who proclaimed himself as the new Sultan himself. After a short rule of thirty years, between 1290 AD and 1320 AD, theKhilji Dynasty declined with the rise of a Hindu slave, who was given the name Khusrav Khan by Malik Kafur of theKhilji Sultanate.

Tughlaq Dynasty

After the decline of the Sultanate of Khilji, Khusrav Khan became the new king of Delhi. He gradually replaced all Muslim officers with Hindus under his regime which provoked the Muslims in his empire. He was later killed by the Muslims and his death gave rise to the Tughlaq Dynasty which ruled for an approximate period of about hundred years, between 1320 and 1414 AD. Ghias-ud-din Tughlaq became the first ruler of this sultanate and ruled till 1325, after which he was succeeded by Jauna Khan. Jaun Khan was an able ruler and is known to have shifted the capital city from Delhi to Devgiri in his reign. He was famously known as Muhammad-bin Tughlaq and was succeeded by Firoz Shah Tughlaq, who was a great reformer. Firoz Shah Tughlaq ruled for a period of thirty-seven years between 1351 and 1388 AD. After his death, the Tughlaq Dynasty began to decline and finally came to an end in 1414.

Sayyid Dynasty

The Sayyid Dynasty was founded by Khizar Khan when he defeated Mahmud Shah, the last ruler of the Tughaq Dynasty in 1414 AD. Under his reign, different provinces of the Delhi Sultanate declared independence and the territory of the Delhi Sultanate was constrained to present day’s western Uttar Pradesh, western Punjab and Sind. After Khizar Khan, the reign of the Mubarak Shah of the Sayyid Sultanate was marked by internal and external revolts. Finally, in 1451, when Bahlul Lodhi conquered and established his rule at Delhi, the Sayyid Dynasty came to an end.

Lodi Dynasty



The Lodi Dynasty was the last dynasty of Delhi Sultanate, founded by Bahlul Khan Lodi in 1451. It was basically a Pashtun Dynasty and ruled till 1526. Nizam Khan, also known as Sikandar Shah, succeeded his father as the second ruler of the Lodi Sultanate.  After his death, a war for succession waged between his two sons, Ibrahim Lodi and Jalal Lodi, which weakened the roots of the empire. Later, Ibrahim Lodi became the ruler of Delhi Sultanate but soon lost his empire the Babur, founder of the Mughal Dynasty, in the first battle of Panipat, 1526. His defeat marked an end to the 320 year rule of the Delhi Sultanate in India.

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