MEDIEVAL HISTORY

MEDIEVAL HISTORY

CONTENTS

S.NO	NAME OF THE CHAPTER
1.	Dynasties during early Medieval Period
2.	Muslim Invasions
3.	Delhi Sultanate
4.	Vijaya Nagar Empire
5.	Bahamani Kingdaom
6.	The Mugha Empirel
7.	The Maratha Kingdom
8.	Bhakti Movement

Early Medieval India (650-1206 AD)

Early Medieval India (650-1206 AD)

In the post Harsha period, three great centres of powers emerged in North India and Deccan: Gurjara-Pratiharas, Palas and Rashtrakutas.

Gurjara-Pratiharas The Gurjara-Pratiharas were the early Rajputs who began theri rule from Gujarat and south western Rajasthan. Later they ruled from Kanauj. Nagabhata I was the first great ruler of the dynasty. He defeated the Muslim forces of Arab. Bhoja I (AD 836-885) was the most famous ruler of this dynasty. He was a devotee of Vishnu and adopted the title of Adivaraha, which has been incorporated as a legend on some of his coins.

Palas The Pala dynasty came into power in Bengal in about the middle of the eighth century AD. The founder of this dynasty was Gopala I who was elected as the king by the people. Dharampala and Devapala were the most famous rulers of this dynasty. They extended and consolidated the Pala empire. The Palas ruled over Bihar, Bengal and part of Orissa and Assam with mny ups and down in their learning and religions. Dharmapala founded the famous Buddhist monastery at Vikramshila, which became second only to Nalanda in fame as a centre for higher learning. During Devapals's reign, the king of Suvarnadvipa(South East Asia), Balaputradeva, built a monastery in Nalanda and requested Devapala to endow the income of five villages for the maintenance of the monastery.

Rashtrakutas The Rashtrakutas called themselves descendants of Satyaki. The founder of the Rashtrakuta power was Dantivarma or Dantidurga who was a contemporary of Chalukya King Pulakeshin II. Dantidurga occupied all territories between the Godavari and the Vima.

      Dantidurga was succeeded by his uncle Krishnaraja (768-772). Krishnaraja was responsible for the construction of the Kailash Temple of Ellora which stands as an excellent specimen of the Rastrakuta art and architecture.

Points to Remember
The Rashtrakutas kept on the best of terms with the Arabs of Sindh and enriched their subjects by encouraging commerce They encouraged Hinduism and Digambara Jainism Their capital was at Manyakheta The king Amonghavarsha I himself authored a part of Kavirajamarga, the earliest known Kannada poem. Rashtrakutas were the followers of Jainism.
The greatest king of the Rashtrakuta dynasty was Amoghavarsha. Asa warrior, he was, however no match with his father Govinda II, but he succeeded in defeating the East-Chalukya kings. It was Amoghavarsha who had successfully arrested the progress of the Gurjara King Bhoja I towards South India.
Temples Constructed by Rashtrakutas
Temples	Place	Constructed By
Vijalaycholeshwar	Naratmatai	Vijayalaya
Balsubramaniyam	Kannanur	Aditaya I
Nageshwar	Kuminakanam	Aditaya I
Kornagnain	Sriniwasnallur	Vartak I
Moverkaite	Padukottai	Bhutivikram Kesiri
Tiruvaleswaram	Brahmadesha	Raj Raj I
Uttarkailash	Tiruvadi	Raj Raj I
Rajrajeshwar	Tanjore	Rajendra I
Gangaikondchola	Gangai Kondacholapuram	Rajendra I
Airavateshwar	Darsunam	Raj Raj II
Kamhaveshwar	Tirumaranam	Kallotunga III

Tripartite Struggle The most important event of post-Harsha Period was tripartite struggle among the Gurjara-Pratiharas, Rashtrakutus and Palas for the supremacy of the north. This struggle started during the reign of Vatsaraja-Pratihara. He ascended the throne in 778 AD. In order to give practicle shape to his imperialist designs, Vatsaraja attacked Dharmpala, the Pala King of Bengal, and carried away his state umbrella.      The majore causes for the continuous struggle between the Pratiharas, Palas and Rashtrakuta, known in history as tripartite struggle, are as follows:-

• To get control over Gujarat and Malwa, the regions very important for foreign trade due to their nearness to the coast.
• To acquire supremacy over kanauj, a symbol of prestige in Indian politics.
• To get control over the vast resources of the Gangetic valley.
• Desire to impress the pretty kingdoms with the sense of their might.
• Lust for war booty, a prominent source for maintaining huge army

Kashmir Kashmir was ruled by three dynasties- the Karkota, Utpala and Loharas. Lalitaditya was the most famous ruler of Kashmir during this period.

MUSLIM INVASIONS

In 712 AD, AI Hajjaj, the Governor of Basra, led an expedition against Sindh's ruler Dahir, under his nephew and son-in-law, Muhammad-bin-Qasim. This expedition put Sindh under the Arabs.

      The cause of this expedition was neither the desire for territorial expansion nor religious. The king of Ceylon had sent some gifts to the king of Turkey which were looted at Debal in Sindh by the pirates. The ruler of Sindh, Dahir, refused to compensate the loss by showing his ignorance to the incident. This emerged AI Hajjaj and he attacked Sindh.

      However, the Arabs failed to build a permanent empire in India. Several factors were responsible for this.

1. Imprisonment of Muhammad bin Qasim by the new Khalifa
2. New Khalifa's indifferent attitude towards desert Sindh province
3. Diversion of Arab attention due to fight over Khilafat or Caliphate
4. Bravery and Heroism of Indian ruler
5. Long distance between Baghdad and Sindh.

Impact of Arab Rule in Sindh

Conversion of Sindh population to Islam, albeit on a very limited and temporary scale Laying the foundation of Islam in India Introduction of formal slavery system in India Promotion to Arab trade. New Arab settlements on sea-coast.

Attacks of Muhmud of Ghazni

Attacks of Muhmud of Ghazni

Mahmud of Ghazni raided India for the first time in AD 1000 for her wealth. He wanted to make Ghazni, a principality of Afghanistan, into a region wielding formidable power in the politics of Central Asia. In a short period of 25 years, he made 17 raids. He destroyed many temple e.g. Somnath temple in Gujarat (1025 AD) as they were ddepositories of vast quantitites of wealth.

      Muhmud did not make any systematic effort to capture India. However, he may be seen as the founder of Turkish rule in India to th extent that his expeditions opened India to conquest from the north-west.

Dynasties (Regions)	King/Kings
Hindu Shahi (Kabul and Punjab)	Jayapala, Anandapal
Lohar (Kashmir)	Rani Didda, Sangam Raj
Tomar (Delhi)	Angapal
Pratihara (Kannauj)	Rajyapala
Paramara (Malwa)	Sindhuraj
Chaulkya (Gujarat)	Chamundaran, Durlabharaj
Chandellas (Bundelkhand)	Vidyadhara
Kalachuri (Tripuri)	Kokkal II, Gangeyadeva
Pala (Bengal)	Mahipala
Chalukyas of Kalyani (Maharashtra)	Jaisimha II

Significance of Muhmud Ghazni's Invasion

Exposition of India's military weakness. Exposition of India's political disunity. Weakening of the economic condition of India as Mahmud carried huge wealth out of the country. Great setback to Indian art and sculpture owing to destruction of idols and templses. Opening of India to foreign attacks. Opportunity to Islam to set its foothold in India Growing of the feeling of hatred and fear among the Hindus towards the Muslims. Arrivals of Muslim saints, called the Sufis ,providing impetus to greater Hindu-Muslim interaction.

Attacks of Muhammed Ghori

The second attack from north-west was made by the Muhammed Ghori at the end of 12th century, for which India was not prepared. He attacked from Gomal Pass in 1182, and conquered Sindh. In 1182, he conquered Lahore and soon after, an attack was commenced on the Rajputs kingdoms controlling the Ganges plain. Prithviraj Chauhan led the Rajputs against Muhammed Ghori at the First battle of Tarain in 1191 and the Rajputs became victorious. At the Second battle of Tarain in 1191 at the same place, Prithviraj was defeated by the kingdom of Delhi fell to Ghori. Muhammad Ghori defeated and killed Jayachandra, the king of Kanauj, in the Battle of Chadawar. Before his assassination in 1206, Turks had conuered the Ganga-Yamuna doab and its neighbouring areas, and Bihar and Bengal wwere also overrun. This started a new era in Indian history.

Raids of Muhmammad Ghori
Ist Raid	1175 AD	Over Multan and Uchha
IInd Raid	1178 AD	Over Abu and Anilwar
IIIrd Raid	1179 AD	Over Punjab (Peshawar)
IVth Raid	1185 AD	Over Sialkot
Vth Raid	1186 AD	Defeated Malik Khusoro of Lahore and captured Punjab
VIth Raid	1191 AD	Ist Battle of Tarain
VIIth Raid	1192 AD	IInd Battle of Tarain
VIIIth Raid	1194 AD	Against Kannauj, defeated Jaichand
IXth Raid	1205,1206 AD	Against Khokkar (A tribe of Punjab)

The Story Of Kohinoor Diamond

The Story Of Kohinoor Diamond After the battle of Panipat, Babur ordered his son Humayun to secure the treasures at Agra, which had been the capital of the Lodhi dynasty since 1502. When Babur joined Humayun at Agra, Humayun presented him a magnificent diamond. It has always been a matter of some disputs, but it seems almost certain that his splendid gem was Kohinoor (mountain of light), making its first appearance in history. The Kohinoor was given to Humayun by the family of the Raja of Gwalior, whom he had given protection. Humayun later gave the diamond to Shah Tahmasp of Persia. The Shah sent it as a present to Nizam Shah in the Deccan. Somehow, the gem returned during the 17th century into the treasury of the Mughal emperor, Shah Jehan. When Nadir Shah plundered Delhi in 1739, he seized the diamond along with the other Moghul jewels and named it Koh-i-noor. The Kohinoor passed through several hands before finally resting in the Tower of London, where it remains on display. Provincial and Local Administration during Mughal Empire The administrative agency in the province of the Mughal Empire was an exact miniature of that of the central government. There were the Governor (officially styled Nazim and popularly the Subadhar), the Diwan, and the Bakshi, the Qazi, the Sadr, the Buyutat and the censor. These provincial bakhshis were really officers attached to the contingents that accompanied the different Sunbathers rather than officers of the subhash as geographical units. The administration was concentrated in the provincial capital. The Mughals were essentially an urban people in India, so were their courtiers and officials. The villages were neglected and village life was dreaded by them as a punishment. Officers in the Provincial Administration The Subadhar: The Subadhar was officially called the nazim or regulator of the province. His essential duties included the maintenance of law and order, to help for the smooth and successful collection of revenue and execution of royal decrees and regulations. Provincial Diwan: Provincial Diwan was the second officer in the locality and was the jealous rival of the subadhar. The provincial Diwan was selected by the imperial Diwan and acted directly under his orders and in constant correspondence with him. The Faujdar: In the maintenance of peace and the discharge of executive functions in general, the Subadhars' assistants were the Faujdars. These officers were placed in charge of suitable subdivisions of the provincial officers. The Kotwal: The ideal kotwal is described as a man who follows the regulations in his outward actions and fears god inwardly. He should attend, when the sovereign or provincial viceroy holds a court of justice or grants public audience. Wazir or Chancellor: Wazir in the Mughal Empire meant the Prime Minister. He was always the head of the revenue department, but in his capacity of Diwan. However, all Diwans were not Wazirs. The Barnshi or Paymaster: Every officer of the Mughal government was enrolled as a commander of so many horsemen, and this was only a convenient means of calculating his salary and status. Conclusion The Mughals, through their administration, installed an element of homogeneity in the governance of the country. All the subhas of the empire were governed in the same manner of administration. Regarding official language and currency, also, this was true.

MARATHAS(1649-1748)

MARATHAS(1649-1748)

At the beginning of the 17th century, most of the territory in the Maharashtra were under the position of Nizamshah of Ahmednagar and the Adilshah of Bijapur. They took the help of local, Marathi speaking people to run their administration. They recruited a large number of Maratha sardas and soldiers in their armies.

Shahji Bhonsle (1627-1680): The Bhonsle family of the Poona district acquired military and political advantage in the Ahmadnagar kingdom at the close of the 16th century. Shahji Bhonsle was married to Jija Bai. He sought fortune under the Sultan of Bijapur and had his Jagir at Poona.

Shivaji (1627-1680 A.D.) :- Shivaji was the son of Shahji Bhonsle. When he was 14 years old, his father entrusted the administration of the Pune Jagir to him. Shivaji's responded to the aspiration of masses. Shivaji realised that he could establish a welfare state for the benefit of his subjects only by controlling the neighbouring forts and building new ones.

Shivaji showed his mettle at the young age of 18, when he overrun a number of hill forts near Poona- Rajgarh, Kondana and Torana during 1645-1647. Shivaji became his real career of conquest in 1656, when he conquered Javli from the Maratha Chief, Chandra Rao More. The Mughal invasion of Bijapur in 1657 saved Shivaji from the latter's reprisal. Shivaji visit to Agra: Shivaji reached Agra in 1666, and was admitted in the hall of public audience. The emperor gave him a cold reception by making him stand among the mansabdars. A humiliated and angry Shivaji walked out of the court. He, along with his son, was put under house arrest. However, they tricked their guards and managed to escape in a basket of sweets which was to be sent as a gift to the consolidating his position and reorganising his administration, Shivaji renewed his was against the Mughals and gradully recovered many of his forts.

Important Events In Shivaji's Life

Birth : 1627 Conquest of Tornana: 1646 Conquest of Kondana fort : 1647 Shivaji kills Afzal Khan : 1659 Attack on Surat : 1664; 1670 Coronation: 1674

Shivaji Adminstration: Shivaji laid the foundation of a sound system of administration. Shivaji system of administration was a largely borrowed from the administrative practice of the Deccan States. Although he designated eight ministers, sometimes called the Ashtapradhan it was not in the nature of the Council of ministers, each minister being directly responsible to the ruler.

Military system : In Army administration, Shivaji prefer to give cash raise to the regular soldiers, though sometimes the Chief received revenue grants. The regular army consisting of about 30,000 to 40,000.

Shivaji laid the foundation of a strong state by curbing the power of deshmukhs . The Army was an effective instrument of his policies where rapidity of movement was the most important factor. The army dependent for its salaries to a considerable extent on the plunder of the neighbouring areas.