NCERT Notes: The Rajputs [Medieval Indian History Notes For UPSC]

Medieval Indian History is an important part of the UPSC IAS Exam. In this article, find
NCERT notes on The Rajputs and North Kingdoms for the Civil Service Exam 2019
preparation.
The North Indian Kingdoms - The Rajputs
The Medieval Indian History period lies between the 8th and the 18th century A.D.
Ancient Indian history came to an end with the rule of Harsha and Pulakesin II.
The medieval period can be divided into two stages:

 Early medieval period: 8th – 12th century A.D.

 Later Medieval period: 12th-18th century.
About the Rajputs

 They are the descendants of Lord Rama (Surya vamsa) or Lord Krishna
(Chandra vamsa) or the Hero who sprang from the sacrificial fire (Agni Kula
theory).
 Rajputs belonged to the early medieval period.
 The Rajput Period (647A.D- 1200 A.D.)
 From the death of Harsha to the 12th century, the destiny of India was mostly in
the hands of various Rajput dynasties.
 They belong to the ancient Kshatriya families.
 They are foreigners.
There were nearly 36 Rajput’ clans. The major clans were:

1. The Pratiharas of Avanti

2. The Palas of Bengal
3. The Chauhans of Delhi and Ajmer
4. The Rathors of Kanauj
5. The Guhilas or Sisodiyas of Mewar
6. The Chandellas of Bundelkhand
7. The Paramaras of Malwa
8. The Senas of Bengal
 9. The Solankis of Gujarat
The Pratiharas 8th-11th Century A.D

 The Pratiharas were also called as Gurjara.

 They ruled between 8th and 11th century A.D. over northern and western India.
 Pratiharas: A fortification- The Pratiharas stood as a fortification of India’s
defence against the hostility of the Muslims from the days of Junaid of Sind
(725.A.D.) to Mahmud of Ghazni.
Rulers

Nagabhatta I (725-740 A.D.)

 Founder of the Pratihara dynasty with Kanauj as it’s capital.

Vatsaraja and Nagabhatta II

 Played a vital role in merging the empire.

Mihirabhoja

 The most powerful Pratihara king.

 During his period, the empire expanded from Kashmir to Narmada and from
Kathiawar to Bihar.
Mahendrapala (885-908 A.D.)

 Son of Mihirabhoja, was also a powerful ruler.

 He extended his control over Magadha and North Bengal.
Decline of the Pratiharas

 Rajyapala was the last Pratihara king.

 Vast empire was reduced to Kanauj.
 The Pratihara power began to decline after Mahmud of Ghazni attacked the
kingdom in 1018 A.D.
  After the decline of the Prathiharas their feudatories Palas, Tomars, Chauhans,
Rathors, Chandellas.
 Guhilas and Paramaras became independent rulers.
 There was complete anarchism in Bengal between 750-760 A.D.
Pala Dynasty
Gopala (765-769 A.D.)

 Founder of Pala Dynasty and he also restored order.

 Ruled over Northern and Eastern India.
 He expanded the Pala dynasty and extended his power over Magadha.
Dharmapala (769-815 A.D.)

 He is the son of Gopala and succeeded his father.

 He brought Bengal, Bihar, and Kanauj under his control.
 He defeated the Pratiharas and became the master of Northern India.
 He was a steadfast Buddhist and founded the famous Vikramasila University and
several monasteries.
 He also restored the Nalanda University.
Devapala (815-855 A.D.)

 Devapala is the son of Dharmapala who succeeded his father.

 He kept the Pala territories intact.
 He captured Assam and Orissa.
Mahipala (998-1038 A.D.)

 The Palas became powerful during his reign.

 The Pala dynasty declined after the death of Mahipala.
Govinda Pala

 He is the last Pala King.

Tripartite Struggle for Kanauj
The Tripartite Struggle for Kanauj was between the Pratiharas of Central India,
the Palas of Bengal and the Rashtrakutas of Deccan.
As all these three dynasties wanted to establish their supremacy over Kanauj and
the fertile Gangetic Valley.
The Tripartite Struggle lasted for 200 years and weakened all of them which enabled
the Turks to overthrow them.
The Tomars of Delhi
The Tomars were the feudatories of the Pratiharas.
They founded the city of Delhi in 736 A.D.
Mahipala Tomar captured Thaneshwar, Hansi and Nagarkot in 1043 A.D.
Chauhans captured Delhi in middle of the 12th century and the Tomars became
their feudatories.
The Chauhans of Delhi and Ajmer

 The Chauhans declared their independence in the 1101 century at Ajmer and
they were the feudatories of the Pratiharas.
 They captured Ujjain from the Paramaras of Malwa and Delhi in the early part of
the 12th century.
 They shifted their capital to Delhi.
 Prithviraj Chauhan was the most important ruler of this dynasty.
Rathors of Kanauj (1090-1194 A.D.)

 The Rathors established themselves on the throne of Kanauj from 1090 to 1194
A.D.
 Jaichand was the last great ruler of this dynasty.
 He was killed in the battle of Chandwar in 1194A.D. by Muhammad of Ghori.
The Chandellas of Bundelkhand

 Established them in the 9th century.

 Mahoba was the capital of Chandella during the period of Chief Yasovarman
 Kalinjar was their important fort.
 The Chandellas built the most famous Kandariya Mahadeva Temple in 1050 A.D.
and a number of beautiful temples at Khajuraho.
 Paramal the last Chandella ruler was defeated by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1203A.D.
The Guhllas or Sisodiyas of Mewar

 The Rajput ruler Bapa Rawat was the founder of the Guhila or the Sisodiya
dynasty and Chittor was its capital.
 During the period of Rana Ratan Singh of Mewar.
 In 1307 A.D.Ala-ud-din khilji invaded his territory and defeated him.
Rana Sangha and Maharana Prata the Sisodiya rulers gave a tough fight to the
Mughal rulers of India.
The Paramaras of Malwa

 The Paramaras were also the feudatories of Pratiharas. They declared their
independence in the 10thcentury and Dhara was their capital.
Raja Bhoja (1018-1069)

 He was the most famous ruler of this period.

 He constructed a beautiful lake more than 250 sq. miles near Bhopal.
 He set up a college at Dhara for the study of Sanskrit Literature.
The reign of the Paramaras came to an end with the invasion of Ala-ud-din Khilji.
Nature of the Rajputs

 The Rajputs were great warriors and chivalrous by nature.

 They believed in protecting the women and the weak.
Religion

 The Rajputs were staunch followers of Hinduism.

 They also patronized Buddhism and Jainism.
 During their period the Bhakti Cult started.
Government

 The Rajput government was outdated in character.

 Each kingdom was divided into a large number of Jagirs held by the Jagirdars.
Major literary works of this period
  Kalhana’s Rajatarangin
 Jayadeva’s Gita Govindam
 Somadeva’s Kathasaritasagar

 Chand Bardai, the court poet of Prithviraj Chauhan, wrote Prithviraj Raso in
which he refers to the military exploits of Prithviraj Chauhan.
 Bhaskara Charya wrote Siddhanta Shiromani, a book on astronomy.
Rajasekhara

 The court poet of Mahendrapala and Mahipala.

 His best known works were Karpu ramanjari , Bala and Ramayana.
Art and Architecture
During this period

 Mural paintings and Miniature paintings were popular.

 Temples at Khajuraho
 Lingaraja Temple at Bhubaneshwar
 The Sun Temple at Konark
 The Dilwara Temple at Mount Abu
End of the Rajput Power

 There was no strong military power during the Rajput period to keep the warring
princes in check and to coordinate their activities against foreign invasions.
Some popular terms

 Jauhar: Amass suicide of women in order to escape defilement at the hands of

foreign victors.
 Gita Govindam: Song of the cowherd
 Rajatarangini: ‘River of Kings’
 Kathasaritasagara: ‘Ocean of tales’
NCERT Notes: The Deccan Kingdoms [Medieval History Of India Notes
For UPSC]
In this article, find NCERT notes on the Deccan Sultanates in India. The Deccan
Kingdoms are an important topic for the Civil Services Exam 2019 preparation.
To know more about UPSC 2020, refer to the linked article.
THE KINGDOMS OF THE DECCAN

 The Deccan or the Dakshinapatha regions are the part of Southern India.
 The Vindhya and Satpura mountains, the Narmada and Tapti rivers, and the
dense forests separate the Deccan from Northern India.
 The Deccan part witnessed the rise of the Chalukyas and the Rashtrakutas
during the medieval period.
 This period also witnessed the expansion of the Delhi Sultanate like the Khiljis
and the Tughluqs into South India.

The Chalukyas (6th -12th century A.D.)

The Chalukyas period can be broadly divided into three and they are:

1. The Early Western Chalukyas (6th-8th century A.D.)

2. The Later Western Chalukyas (10th-12th century A.D.)
3. The Eastern Chalukyas (7th-12th century A.D.)

The Early Western Chalukyas (6th-8thcentury A.D.)

 They rose into power in the 6 century A.D in Karnataka.

th

 Vatapi (modern Badami) in the Bijapur district was their capital.

 Jayasimha and Ramaraya, Pulakesin-I (543-566.A.D) were humble rulers of the
early Western Chalukyas.
Pulakesin II (610-642 A.D.)

 Pulakesin II is the real founder and greatest ruler of this dynasty

 He defeated Gangas, Malavas and Gurjaras.
 In 637 A.D he defeated Harsha’s attack in the north.
  He struggled constantly with the Pallavas in the south.
 Pulakesin II defeated the Pallava King Mahendravarma I after which he crossed
the Cauvery.
 Made friendly alliances with the Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas.
 Pulakesin II lost his life during the war.
The other important rulers of this dynasty

 Vikramaditya-I
 Vijayaditya
 Vikramaditya II
Kirtivarman II (746 AD – 753 AD)

 He is the last Chalukya King of Badami.

Later Western Chalukyas of Kalyani (10th -12th century A.D)

The founder of this dynasty brought the Rashtrakuta rule to an end.

The important rulers of this dynasty are:

 Someshwara-II
 Vikramaditya-VI
 Vikramaditya-VI
 Someswara IV was the last ruler
Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi (7th -12th century A.D)

 Vishnu Vardhana brother of Pulakesin-II was the founder of the Eastern

Chalukya Empire of Vengi.
 Kulothunga Chola (1071-1122 A.D.) is one of their descendants.
 He was crowned as a Chola ruler.
Contributions of the Chalukyas

1. They followed Hinduism.

 2. Ravikirti a Jain, the court poet of Pulakesin-II composed the Aihole Inscription.
3. Great patrons of architecture
4. 70 Vishnu temples in Aihole were built; hence Aihole has been called the ‘Cradle
of Indian Temple architecture.
5. Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal
6. Telugu literature developed during this period.
The Virupaksha temple

 Lokamahadevi built this temple and she was the queen of Vikramaditya II.
 In front of the Hall of the Priests or Antarala there is a pillared Mandapam or a
meeting place for the people.
 The Virupaksha temple is built on the model of the Kailasanatha temple at
Kancheepuram.

The Rashtrakutas (8th-10th century A.D.)

The Hoysalas of Dwarasamudra (11th -14th Century A.D.)

Vinayaditya (1006 -1022 A.D.)

 Vinayaditya carved out a trivial territory of Mysore with Sosavir as capital and
ruled over it.
Vishnuvardhana (1108–1152 A.D.)

 He was the first distinguished ruler of Vinayaditya’s family.

 He shifted his capital to Dwarasamudra.
 He captured Gangavadi from Kulothunga Chola and Gangavadi served as a
buffer state between the Chalukyas and the Chola Empire.
Vira Ballala – II (1173-1220 A.D.)

 Vira Ballala – II the next important ruler of the dynasty.

 He defeated Billama V of Yadava Dynasty.
  He detained the independence of the Hoysalas.
Narasimhan-II (1220-1235 A.D.)

 Narasimhan-II lost the territory between Krishna and Tungabhadra to a Yadava

ruler, Singhana.
 He defeated Maravarman Sundara Pandya
 Restored Rajaraja-III to the Chola throne.
 He erected the pillar of victory at Rameshwaram.
Ballala III (1291-1342 A.D)

 Ballala III was the last great ruler of this dynasty.

 In 1310A.D. he was defeated by Malik Kafur.
 In 1342 A.D. he fell victim to the Sultans of Madurai.
Ballala IV

 His son Ballala IV continued his struggle with the Muslims.

 With his death the Hoysala Kingdom came to end.
Contributions

 The Hoysalas paved the way for the rise of Mysore into a big Kingdom.
 They were great patrons of art, architecture and literature.
 The Hoysalas encouraged Kannada literature.

The Kakatiyas of Warangal (12th -14th Century A.D.)

Prola-II (1110 -1158 A.D.)

 The Kakatiya ruler captured the territory between the Krishna and the Godavari
from the Chalukyas and ruled over it with Hanumakonda as his capital.
Prataparudra-I (1158-1196.A.D.)

 He was son of Prola II shifted the capital to Warangal.

Ganapathi (1199-1261. A.D.)
  He was the next remarkable ruler of this dynasty.
 He captured territories up to Kanchi from the Cholas.
 He invaded Kalinga and Western Andhra.
(Rudrambha) (1261 -1291 .A.D.)

 She was the daughter of Ganapati.

 She abdicated the throne in favour of her grandson Prataparudhra-II
Prataparudhra-II (1291-1326 A.D.)

 Malik Kafur invaded Warangal in 1309 A.D, during his rule.

 Prataprudra – II paid Malik Kafur an immense treasure in return.
Ulugh Khan

 Ulugh Khan, the son of Ghiasud-din Tughluq captured Warangal in 1323 A.D.
and sent Prataparudra II to Delhi
 His successors continued their struggle with the rulers of the Tughluq dynasty
Vinayakadeva

 He is the last nominal ruler of this dynasty.

 He was sentenced to death by Muhammad Shah I.
KOHINOOR (the famous diamond belonged to Kakatiyas)

 KOHINOOR unearthed in Kollur on the banks of the Krishna River belonged to

the Kakatiyas.
Contributions

1. The Kakatiyas encouraged literature, art and architecture.

2. The thousand Pillar temple at Hanumakonda was built during their period and
stands as an everlasting contribution.

The Yadavas of Devagiri (850–1334 A.D.)

 The Yadavas of Devagiri claimed their descent from the epic hero Lord Krishna.
  They were known as Sevunas because they ruled over Sevuna, the region from
Nasik to Devagiri (Daulatabad).
Bhillama V (1 1 75-11 90 A.D.)

 The Yadava ruler took advantage of the declining power of the Later Western
Chalukyas of Kalyani and rose to power.
 He defeated Someswara-IV and declared his independence.
 He came into conflict with Vira Balalla-II (1173-1220A.D.), a Hoysala ruler.
 He lost his life in the battle of Lakkundi.
Jaitrapala (1191-1210 A.D.)

 He was son of Bhillama V

 He defeated Kalachuris, Gurjaras and Kakatiyas.
Singhana (1210-1247A.D.)

 He was son of Jaitrapala.

 He was the most distinguished ruler of this dynasty.
 He defeated Mahadeva, a Kakatiya ruler.
 He also defeated Vira Ballala-II, the Hoysala ruler and expanded his dominion
beyond the River Krishna.
 He invaded Gujarat many times and captured Kolhapur which belonged to
Silhara dynasty.
Krishna (1247-1260 A. D)

 Krishna was grandson of Singhana and succeeded him.

Mahadeva (1260-1271 A.D)

 He was brother Krishna.

 He captured North Konkan and ended the Silhara dynasty.
Ramachandra Deva (1271-1 309 A.D.)

 He was the last great ruler of this dynasty.

 Ala-ud-din-Khilji defeated him and made him as a vassal of the Delhi Sultanate.
Sankara Deva (1309 – 1312 A.D.)

 He was the son and successor of Ramachandra Deva

 Malik Kafur defeated and killed him in 1312 A.D.


 Harapala, brother-in-law of Sankara Deva raised the flag against the

Khiljis.
 Mubarak, son of Ala-ud-din Khilji defeated and killed Harapala.
Thus the Yadava dynasty came to an end.
Contribution of the Yadavas
Devagiri fort

1. Built during the reign of the Yadavas.

2. It was one of the strongest forts in India.
3. The Juma Masjid and Chand Minar were added by the Delhi Sultans later.
End of the Deccan Kingdoms

 The attacks on the Deccan Kingdoms by the Sultans of Delhi ever since the rule
of Alauddin Khilji led to their decline.
NCERT Notes: Rashtrakuta Dynasty [Medieval History Of India For
UPSC]
In this article, find NCERT notes on the Rashtrakutas. The Rashtrakuta Dynasty is an
important topic for Civil Services Exam 2020 preparation.
To know more about UPSC 2020, refer to the linked article.
Origin

 The Rashtrakutas considered themselves descendants of Satyaki.

 Historians differ on the question of their origins.
 It is evident from a few Chalukya kings’ inscriptions that they were vassals of the
Chalukyas.
 Rashtrakutas were of Kannada origin and their mother tongue was Kannada.
The Rashtrakuta Empire
The Rashtrakuta Emperors

Rashtrakuta Emperors (753--982)

Dantidurga (735 – 756)

Krishna I (756 – 774)

Govinda II (774 – 780)

Dhruva Dharavarsha (780 – 793)

Govinda III (793 – 814)

Amoghavarsha (814 – 878)

Krishna II (878 – 914)

Indra III (914 -929)

Amoghavarsha II (929 – 930)

Govinda IV (930 – 936)

Amoghavarsha III (936 – 939)

Krishna III (939 – 967)

Khottiga Amoghavarsha (967 – 972)

Karka II (972 – 973)

Indra IV (973 – 982)

Founder

Dantivarman or Dantidurga (735 - 756)

Dantivarman or Dantidurga (735 – 756) was the founder of the Rashtrakutas dynasty.
Dantidurga occupied all territories between the Godavari and Vima.
He is said to have conquered Kalinga, Kosala, Kanchi, Srisril, Malava, Lata etc. and
occupied Maharashtra by defeating Chalukya King Kirtivarma.
Rulers

Krishna I (756 - 774)

 Krishna I succeeded Dantidurga.

 He conquered the territories that were still under the Chalukyas
 He also occupied Konkan.
 Krishna I also defeated Vishnuvardhana of Vengi and the Ganga king of Mysore.
 He was a great patron of art and architecture.
 The Kailash Temple at Ellora was built by the Rashtrakuta King Krishna I.
Govinda II (774 - 780

 Govinda II son of Krishna I succeeded.

Dhruva (780 - 793)

 He defeated Gurjara-Pratihara King Vatsyaraja, the Pallavas of Kanchi and the Pala
King Dharmapala of Bengal.

Govinda III (793 - 814)

 Dhruva son of Govinda III succeeded the throne.

 He defeated the great Gurjara King Nagabhatta II.
 Pala King Dharmapala and his protégé Charayudh sought the help of Govinda III.
 His kingdom spread up to the Vindhyas and Malava in the north and the river
Tungabhadra to the south.

Amoghavarsha I (814- 878 A.D.)

 The greatest king of the Rashtrakuta dynasty was Amoghavarsha I son of Govinda III.
 Amoghavarsha I set up a new capital at Manyakheta (now Malkhed in Karnataka State)
and Broach became the best port of the kingdom during his reign
 Amoghavarsha I was a great patron of education and literature.
 Amoghavarsha was converted into Jainism by Jinasena, a Jaina monk.
 Suleman, an Arab merchant, in his account called Amoghavarsha I as one of the four
greatest kings of the world, the other three being the Caliph of Bagdad, the king of
Constantinople and the emperor of China.
 Amoghavarsha ruled for 63 years.

Krishna II (878 - 914)

 Son of Amoghavarsha, succeeded the throne.

Indra III (914 -929)

 Indra III was a powerful king.

  He defeated and deposed Mahipala

Krishna III (939 – 967)

 The last powerful and efficient king of the Rashtrakutas.

 He also succeeded in conquering Tanjore and Kanchi.
 He succeeded in defeating the Tamil kings of Chola kingdom.

Karka (972 – 973)

 The Rashtrakuta King Karka was defeated and deposed by Taila or Tailapa, the
Chalukya king of Kalyani.
Rasjtrakutas Administration

 divided rashtras (provinces) -contolled by rashtrapatis

 Rashtras divided into vishayas or districts governed by vishayapatis
 subdivision was bhukti consisting of 50 to 70 villages under the controlof bhogapatis

Village headmen carried on village administration.

Village assemblies played a significant role in the village administration.

Literature under Rashtrakutas

 Rashtrakutas widely patronized the Sanskrit literature.

 Trivikrama wrote Halayudha composed Kavirahasya during the reign of Krishna III.
 Jinasena composed Parsvabhudaya, a biography of Parsva in verses.
 Gunabhadra wrote the Adipurana, the life stories of various Jain saints.
 Sakatayana wrote Amogavritti a grammar work.
 Viracharya – a Great mathematician of this period wrote Ganitasaram.
 During the period of the Rashtrakutas, the Kannada literature saw its beginning.
 Kavirajamargacomposed by Amogavarsha’s was the first poetic work in the Kannada
language.
 Pampa was the greatest of the Kannada poets and Vikramasenavijaya is his famous
work.
 Santipurana was another great work wrote by Ponna another famous Kannada poet.
Rashtrakutas Art and Architecture
Art and Architecture

 The art and architecture of the Rashtrakutas can be found at Ellora and Elephanta.
 The most remarkable temple Kailasanatha temple at Ellora was built by Krishna.

Kailasanatha Temple

 The temple is carved out of a massive block of rock measuring 200 feet long, and 100
feet in breadth and height.
 The central face of the plinth has imposing figures of elephants and lions which give an
impression that the entire structure rests on their back
 It has three-tiered sikhara or tower which resembles the sikhara of the
Mamallapuram rathas
 There is a pillared hall with 16 square pillars in the interior of the temple
 A sculpture of the Goddess Durga is engraved as slaying the Buffalo demon.
 In the interior of the temple there is a pillared hall which has sixteen square pillars.
 The sculpture of the Goddess Durga is shown as slaying the Buffalo demon.
 In another sculpture Ravana was making attempts to lift Mount Kailasa, the abode of
Siva.

Elephanta

 Originally called as Sripuri, Elephanta is an island near Bombay.

 The Portuguese named it as Elephanta after seeing the huge figure of an elephant.
 The sculptures in Ellora and Elephanta has close similarities
 There are huge figures of dwara-palakas at the entrance to the sanctum.
 Trimurthi is the most magnificent figure of this temple. The sculpture is six metres high
and said to represent the three aspects of Shiva as Creator, Preserver and Destroyer.
Other facts of Rashtrakutas

 Vaishnavism and Saivism flourished during their period.

 Active commerce witnessed between the Deccan and the Arabs.
 They stimulated the Arab trade by maintaining a friendship with them.
NCERT Notes: Arab And Turkish Invasions [Medieval History Of India
For UPSC]
Arab and Turkish invasions in India are an important part of medieval Indian history for
the UPSC civil services exam. Given below is a gist of the important aspects of the Arab
and Turkish invasions of India for the IAS exam preparation.
To know more about UPSC 2020, refer to the linked article.
Arab and Turkish Invasions
Prophet Muhammad (570-632 A.D)

 He is the founder of Islam.

 He grew up in the deserts of Arabia.
 His first converts were the Arabs.
 Sind and Multan were conquered by the Arabs by 712 A.D.

Arab Invasion in India

Muhammad-bin-Qasim

 Al-Hajjajj, the Governor of Iraq sent Muhammad-bin-Qasim to India

 He Conquered Sind with the permission of Caliph Walid
Battle of Rewar

 Fought between Muhammad-bin-Qasim and Dahir the ruler of Sind

 Dahir was defeated. Sind and Multan was captured.
 Muhammad-bin-Qasim called Multan as ‘The City of Gold’
Administrative System

 Sind and Multan were divided into number of Iqtas or districts by Muhammad-bin-Qasim
and Arab military officers headed the Iqtas.
 The sub-divisions of the districts were administered by the local Hindu Officers.
 Jizya was imposed on non-Muslims.
Muhammad bin Qasim’s Army
  25,000 troops with 6000 Camels, 6000 Syrian horses, 3000 Bactrian Camels and an
artillery force with 2000 men, advanced guards, and five catapults.
End of Muhammad-bin-Qasim

 Caliph Walid was succeeded by Caliph Sulaiman.

 He was an enemy of Al-Hajjaj, the Governor of Iraq.
 Muhammad-bin Qasim was the son-in-law of Al-Hajjaj, so he dismissed him and sent to
Mesopotamia as a prisoner where he was tortured to death.
 For more than 150 years, Sind and Multan continued to remain as the part of the
Caliph’s Empire.
Effects of Arab Conquest

 The subjugation of Sind made way for Islam into India.

 The art of administration, astronomy, music, painting, medicine and architecture were
learnt by Arabs from our land and they spread astronomy, Indian Philosophy, and
numerals to Europe.

The Turkish Invasion in India

 In the 8th and 9th centuries, the Turks dominated the Caliphs of Baghdad
 They extended their dominion beyond Sind and Multan into India and finished the work
begun by the Arabs.

Rani Bai’s heroic defense

 The wife of Dahir and the other women of Sind put up a heroic defense within the
Fort of Rewar.
Indian Impact
Brahma Siddhanta

 Brahma Siddhanta a Sanskrit work of Brahma Gupta was translated into Arabic in
which the names of Indian Scientists like Sindbad, Bhala, Manaka are mentioned.
 In a hospital at Baghdad, Dhana was appointed as a chief Medical officer.
 A serious disease of Caliph Harun-al-Rashid Manaka, a physician cured.

Mahmud of Ghazni (971 to 1030)

 In 1000 A.D. Mahmud of Ghazni invaded India

  He was the first Turkish to invade India.
 He returned to Ghazna with enormous wealth after defeating
 Jaipala, the ruler of Hindu Shahi Dynasty
 Fateh Daud of Multan
 Anandpala of Nagarkot
 the Chandelas, the rulers of Mathura
 Kanauj, and Gwalior.
Mahmud’s significant invasion in Hindustan was against the Somnath temple in 1025
A.D., located on the coast of Kathiawar and Raja Bhima Dev the ruler of Kathiawar and his
followers escaped from the place.
Mahmud of Ghazni’s Character Estimation

 Mahmud of Ghazni was one of the greatest Muslim rulers of Asia.

 He patronised art and letters and scholars like Firdausi and Alberuni.
End of Ghazni’s rule in India

 Ghazni’s rule declined by 1186 A.D. and the Mahmud of Ghori grew up.
Muhammad of Ghori (1149 – 1206)

 He was the third Muslim ruler who invaded India.

 He became the ruler of Ghori.

Muhammad of Ghori invasions

 He first invaded India in 1176 A.D.

First Battle of Tarain (1191 A.D.)

 He seized the fortress of Bhatinda in 1189 A.D. and then progressed into the kingdom of
Prithviraj Chauhan.
 Muhammad of Ghori was defeated by Prithviraj in the first Battle of Tarain in 1191 A.D.
and recovered Bhatinda.
Second Battle of Tarain (1192 A.D.)

 In the second battle of Train, the joined forces of the Rajput rulers under Prithviraj were
defeated by Muhammad of Ghori.
 Prithviraj was held as a prisoner and later put to death.
  The Turkish rule began for the first time in Indian history with end The Second Battle of
Tarain.
 Qutb-ud-din Aibak was appointed as the commander by Muhammad of Ghori
Rajput Uprisings

 There were many Rajput mutinies between 1193 and 1198 A.D.
 Qutb-ud-din-Aibak defeated them and brought many regions under his control.
 Muhammad of Ghori made Delhi as the capital.
Battle of Chandwar (1194 A.D.)

 Muhammad of Ghori defeated Jaichandra, the greatest Rajput ruler of Kanauj and killed
him in the battle.
Conquest of Bengal and Bihar

 Muhammad-bin-Baktiyar Khilji, one of the commanders of Muhammad of Ghori

destroyed Vikramasila in 1202 and Nalanda Universities in 1203A.D.
Death of Muhammad of Ghori

 He was assassinated on 25 March 1206 A.D. in Central Asia by some Shia rebels and
th

Khokhars.
 He is considered to be the real founder of the Turkish Empire in India because of his
various invasions and subjugations of the Rajput territories in North India.

 NCERT Notes: Delhi Sultanate [Medieval History Of India For

UPSC]
 In this article, find detailed NCERT notes on the Delhi Sultanate. The Delhi
Sultanate comprises multiple dynasties which ruled over northern India in the
medieval period. It is an important topic for Civil Services Exam 2020
preparation.
 To know more about UPSC 2020, refer to the linked article.
 Sultanate of Delhi
 The period from 1206 A.D. to 1526 A.D. came to be known as the Delhi
Sultanate period. This period witnessed many dynasties and various rulers.
 Some of the major dynasties and rulers this period witnessed are listed below.
Sl. No. Dynasty Name

1 Slave (Ghulam) or Mamluk Dynasty

2 Khilji Dynasty

3 Tughluq dynasty

4 Sayyid Dynasty

5 Lodi dynasty

 Slave (Ghulam) or Mamluk Dynasty

Ruler Period Events

Qutb-ud-din (1206– Founder of Mamluk Dynast and Slave of

Aibak 1210) Muhammad Ghori

(1210–
Aram Shah Eldest son of Qutb-ud-din Aibak
1211)

Shams-ud-din (1211–
Son-in-law of Qutb-ud-din Aibak
Iltutmish 1236)

Rukn ud din
(1236) Son of Iltutmish
Firoz

(1236– Daughter of Iltutmish and Grand

Razia Sultana
1240) Daughter of Qutb-ud-din Aibak.

Muizuddin (1240–
Son of Iltutmish
Bahram 1242)

Alauddin (1242–
Son of Rukn-ud-din Firoz
Masud 1246)
Nasiruddin (1246–
Razia’s Brother who had died in 1229)
Mahmud 1266)

Father-in-law of Nashiruddin mahmud

Ghiyas-ud-din (1266–
and the most powerful ruler of the Slave
Balban 1286)
Dynasty

Muiz ud din (1287–

Grandson of Ghiyasuddin Balban
Qaiqabad 1290)

Kayumars 1290 Son of Muiz-ud-din Qaiqabad

 Khilji Dynasty
Rulers Period Events

Jalal- ud- din 1290– Founder of the Khilji Dynasty and son
Firoz Khilji 1296 of Qaim Khan

1296– Jalal ud din Firoz Khilji’s Nephew and

Ala-ud-din Khilji
1316 the most powerful ruler of Khilji period

Qutb ud din 1316–

Son of Alauddin Kilji
Mubarak Shah 1320

 Tughluq Dynasty
Rulers Period Events

Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq 1321–1325

Also called as Muhammad

Muhammad binTughluq 1325–1351
Shah II

1351
Mahmud Ibn Muhammad
(March)
 Cousin of Muhammad bin
Firuz Shah Tughlaq 1351–1388
Tughlaq

Ghiyas-ud-Din Tughluq II 1388–1389

Abu Bakr Shah 1389–1390

Nasir ud din Muhammad

1390–1393
Shah III

Ala ud-din Sikandar Shah I 1393

Also called as Sultan

Mahmud Nasir ud din 1393–1394
Mahmud II

Nasir-ud-din Nusrat Shah Grandson of Firuz Shah

1394–1399
Tughluq Tughlaq

Son of Mahmud Nasir-ud-

Nasir ud din Mahmud 1399–1412
din

 Sayyid Dynasty
Rulers Period

Khizr Khan 1414–1421

Mubarak Shah 1421–1434

Muhammad Shah 1434–1445

Alam Shah 1445–1451

  Lodi Dynasty
Rulers Period Important points

Bahlul 1451–
Founder of the Lodi Dynasty
Lodi 1489

Sikander 1489– Most prominent ruler of the Lodi Dynasty,

Lodi 1517 founded Agra city

Defeated by Babur in the First battle of

Ibrahim 1517–
Panipat (in 1526) and thus ended the Delhi
Lodi 1526
Sultanate

Slave Dynasty (Sultanate of Delhi)-NCERT Notes: Medieval History

Mamluk Origins

 Mamluk Dynasty is also called Slave Dynasty. Mamluk literally means ‘owned’
and it refers to a powerful military caste called Mamluks which originated in the
9th century CE in the Islamic Empire of the Abbasid caliphs.
 The Mamluks wielded military and political power in Egypt, Iraq and India.
Although they were slaves, they were held in high regard by their masters, and
they were mostly generals and soldiers who fought for their masters.
 Mamluk Dynasty was established in Delhi by Qutb ud-Din Aibak.
Candidates preparing for the UPSC 2020 exam can visit the linked article for more
details.

Slave Dynasty Introduction

 Established by Qutb ud-Din Aibak.

 Dynasty lasted from 1206 to 1290.
 It was the first of the dynasties to rule as the Delhi Sultanate.
  Dynasty ended when Jalal ud din Firuz Khilji overthrew the last Mamluk ruler
Muiz ud din Qaiqabad in 1290.
 Dynasty was succeeded by the Khilji (or Khalji) dynasty, the second dynasty of
the Delhi Sultanate.

Qutb ud-Din Aibak (Reign: 1206 – 1210)

 First ruler of the Mamluk Dynasty.

 Born to a Turkish family in Central Asia.
 Sold as a slave to Muhammad Ghori, the ruler of Ghor in Afghanistan.
 Aibak rose up the ranks and became Ghori’s trusted general and commander.
 He was given the charge of Ghori’s Indian possessions after 1192.
 When Ghori was killed in battle, Aibak declared himself Sultan of Delhi in 1206.
 Started construction of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque in Delhi. This is one of the
first Islamic monuments in northern India.
 He began the construction of Qutb Minar in Delhi.
 He was also known as Lakh Bash (Giver of Lakhs) for his generosity. However,
he was also responsible for the destruction and desecration of many Hindu
temples.
 He reigned till his death in 1210. He was said to have been trampled to death by
a horse.
 He was succeeded by Aram Shah.

Iltutmish (Reign: 1211 – 1236)

 Aram Shah was a weak ruler. It is not clear whether he was a son of Aibak or
not. He was conspired against by a group of nobles who invited Shamsuddin
Iltutmish to be the ruler.
 Iltutmish was a son-in-law of Aibak. He ruled Ghurid regions of northern India.
 He was a turkic slave born in Central Asia.
 Illtutmish was the greatest of the slave rulers of Delhi. He shifted his capital from
Lahore to Delhi.
Illtutmish – Invasions & Policies

 Iltutmish’s forces captured Bihar in the 1210s, and invaded Bengal in 1225.
 During the first half of the 1220s, Iltutmish neglected Indus River Valley, which
was under the controversy between the Mongols, the Khwarazm kings, and
Qabacha. Post the decline of the Mongol and the Khwarazmian threat, Qabacha
took over the region, but Iltutmish invaded his territory during 1228-1229.
 He defended his empire against Mongol invaders and also resisted the Rajputs.
 In 1221, he stopped an invasion led by Chenghiz Khan.
 He completed the construction of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque and the Qutb
Minar.
 He set up administrative machinery for the kingdom.
 He built mosques, waterworks and other amenities at Delhi, making it fit to be the
seat of power.
 He introduced the two coins of the Sultanate, the silver tanka and the copper jital.
 Also introduced the Iqtadari system in which the kingdom was divided into Iqtas
which were assigned to nobles in exchange of salary.
 He died in 1236 and was succeeded by his daughter Razia Sultana as he did not
consider his sons equal to the task.

Razia Sultana (Reign: 1236 – 1240)

 Born in 1205 as Iltutmish’s daughter.

 Was given a sound education by her father.
 She was the first and last Muslim woman to rule over Delhi.
 Also known as Razia al-Din.
 Before ascending to the throne of Delhi after her father’s death, the reign was
briefly handed over to her half-brother Rukn ud-din Firuz. But after Firuz’s
assassination within 6 months of his ascendency, the nobles agreed to place
Razia on the throne.
 She was known as an efficient and just ruler.
 She was married to Malik Ikhtiar-ud-din Altunia, the governor of Bathinda.
  She was reportedly killed by her brother’s forces.
 Her brother Muizuddin Bahram Shah succeeded her.

Ghiyas ud din Balban (Reign: 1266 – 1287)

 The next notable ruler after Razia.

 Ninth Sultan in the Mamluk dynasty.
 He was the wazir of the grandson of Iltutmish, Nasir-ud-din-Mahmud.
 Born of Turkish origins, his original name was Bahauddin.
 He was purchased as a slave by Iltutmish. He rose up the ranks quickly.
 He carried out successful military campaigns as an officer.
 After Nasir’s death, Balban declared himself the Sultan as the former did not
have any male heirs.
 He carried military and civil reforms in administration which earned him the
position of the greatest Sultanate ruler after Iltutmish and Alauddin Khalji.
 Balban was a strict ruler and his court was the symbol of austerity and strict
obedience to the emperor. He even demanded that people prostrate before the
king.
 He laid out severe punishments to the slightest of offences by his courtiers.
 He had a spy system to keep his nobles in check.
 He introduced the Persian festival of Navroz in India.
 Punjab saw large-scale conversions during his rule.
 After his death, his grandson Qaiqubad succeeded him at the throne of Delhi.
 Qaiqubad died of a stroke in 1290 and was succeeded by his three-year-old son
Shamsuddin Kayumars.
 Kayumars was murdered by Jalal ud-Din Firuz Khalji, thus ending the Mamluk
Dynasty to replace it with the Khalji Dynasty.

Reason behind the decline of the Mamluk Dynasty

The major reasons associated with the decline of the Mamluk dynasty are:

1. Mamluks lacked major warfare skills which resulted in their defeat against
Ottomans.
 2. Many of the rulers were weak to handle the kingdom for long
3. Improper administration management led to the disruption of the government.

List of Slave dynasty Rulers

Ruler Reign

Qutb ud-Din Aibak (1206-1210 AD)

Aram Shah (1210-1211 AD)

Iltutmish (1211-1236 AD)

Rukn-ud-din Feroze (1236 AD)

Razia al-Din (1236-1240 AD)

Muiz-ud-din Bahram (1240-1242 AD)

Ala-ud-din Masud (1242-1246 AD)

Nasiruddin Mahmud (1246-1266 AD)

Ghiyas-ud-din Balban (1266-1286 AD)

Muiz-ud-din Muhammad Qaiqabad (1286-1290 AD)

Alauddin Khilji - Khilji Dynasty [Medieval History Of India For UPSC]

The Khiljis served under the Ilbari dynasty of Delhi. Malik Firuz was the founder of the
Khilji Dynasty who was originally the Ariz-I-Mumalik appointed by Kaiqubad during the
days of the decline of the Ilbari Dynasty.
This article provides all relevant information of the Khilji Dynasty. This topic is important
for candidates preparing for the IAS Exam.

Important Rulers of the Khilji Dynasty

The important rulers of the Khilji dynasty are stated below:
Jalal-ud-din Firoz Khilji (1290-1296 A.D.)

 He was the founder of Khilji Dynasty.

 He was also called as “Clemency Jalal-uddin” as he followed peace and wanted to rule
without violence.
Domestic Policies of Jalal-ud-din Firoz Khilji

 He suppressed Malik Chhajju’s revolt at Kara

 He appointed Ala-ud-din Khilji as the Governor of Kara. Alauddin was his son-in-law and
also nephew.
Mongol Invasion

 In 1292 A.D. Jalal-ud-din defeated the Mongols who had come up to Sunam.
End of Jalal-ud-din

 Jalal-ud-din was treacherously murdered by Ala-ud-din Khilji his son-in-law.

 Jalal-ud-din’s policy of peace was not liked by many.

Ala-ud-din Khilji (1296-1316 A.D.)

 In 1296 A.D. Ala-ud-din Khilji succeeded Jalal-ud-din Firoz Khilji and ascended the
throne.
Ala-ud-din Khilji Invasions in the North

 Ala-ud-din Khiliji’s generals namely, Ulugh Khan and Nusrat Khan conquered Gujarat.
 He captured Ranthambore and killed Hamir Deva its ruler.
 He also captured Malwa, Chittor, Dhar, Mandu, Ujjain, Marwar, Chanderi and Jalor.
Ala-ud-din Khilji Invasions in the South

 He was the first Sultan who attacked South India.

 He sent his confidante and general Malik Kafur against the rulers of the south.
 Prataprudra-II of Warangal, Ramachandra Deva, the Yadava king of Devagiri, and Vira
Ballala-III the Hoysala king were defeated.
 He constructed a mosque in Rameswaram.
  The kingdoms of the south acknowledged the power of Alauddin Khilji and paid his
monetary tributes.
The Mongol Invasion

 Ala-ud-din successfully resisted the Mongol invasion more than 12 times.

To know more about Alaudin Khilji victories, refer to the linked article.
Domestic Policies of Alauddin Khilji

 Ala-ud-din followed the Divine Right Theory of Kingship.

 He introduced four ordinances to prevent repeated revolts.
 He impounded pious grants and free grants of lands
 He restructured the spy system.
 He banned social parties and wine.
 He introduced a permanent standing army.
 He started the system of branding of horses and descriptive roster of individual soldiers
to inhibit corruption.
 He fixed the prices of necessary commodities which were below the normal market
rates.
 He strictly prohibited black marketing.
 Revenue was collected in cash and not in kind.
 He followed discriminatory policies towards the Hindus and imposed the Jizya, a grazing
tax and a house tax on the Hindu community.
Marketing System

 Officers called Diwan-i-riyasat were appointed in the offices called Shahana-i-mandi to

standardize the market.
 Merchants should have to register themselves in the office (Shahana-i-mandi) before
selling their goods at the fixed rates.
Ala-ud-din-Khilji’s Estimate

 He was the first to bring the standing army system.

 He constructed Alai Darwaza, the Palace of a thousand pillars and the Fort of Siri.
Successors after Ala-ud-din-Khilji

 Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah (1316-1320 A.D.)

  Nasir-ud-din Khusrav Shah (1320A.D.)
His successors were weak.

End of the Dynasty

 Ala-ud-din Khilji died in 1316 A.D.

 Successors of Ala-ud-din-Khilji were weak rulers.
 Eventually, in 1320 A.D. the Governor of Punjab Ghazi Malik led a group of nobles,
conquered Delhi and captured the throne.
 Ghazi Malik assumed the name ‘Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq’ at Delhi and founded the
Tughluq Dynasty, a dynasty of rulers.

Tughlaq Dynasty - Delhi Sultanate [NCERT Notes on Medieval Indian

History For UPSC]
Tughluq dynasty emerged during the period of medieval India and was of Turq-Indian
Origin. The dynasty majorly ruled over Sultanate of Delhi. Tugluq dynasty emerged in
1312 and ended in 1413 and was ruled by many rulers like Ghazi Malik, Muhammad-
bin-Tughluq, etc. India witnessed major changes in the domestic and foreign policies
during the reign of the Tughluq dynasty.
In this article, find NCERT notes on Tughlaq Dynasty as part of BYJU’S Medieval Indian
History Notes for UPSC and other competitive exams.
The notes have been aligned as per the UPSC Syllabus.

Important Rulers of the Tughluq Dynasty

The various rulers and the policies introduced by them are mentioned below:

Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq or Ghazi Malik (1320 – 1325 A.D.)

 Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq or Ghazi Malik was the founder of the Tughluq dynasty.
 He rose from a humble origin.
Domestic and Foreign Policies

 Ghiyas-ud-din reinstated order in his empire.

 He gave more importance to postal arrangements, judicial, irrigation, agriculture, and
police.
  In 1320A.D. he ascended the throne
 He brought Bengal, Utkala or Orissa, and Warangal under his control
 The Mongol leaders who invaded North India were seized and confined by him.
End of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq rule

 In 1325 A.D. Ghiyas-ud-din was crushed to death while attending an event for his
victories in Bengal.
 Junakhan, the crown prince succeeded him.

Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq (1325-1361A.D.)

 In 1325 A.D. Junakhan, the crown prince sworn the title Muhammad-bin-Tughluq.
 Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq stood for the administrative and political unity of India.
 In 1327 A.D. he captured Warangal.
Domestic Policies of Muhammad-bin-Tughluq

 To fill the empty treasury, he raised taxes in the Doab region.

 Many people ran away to the forests to avoid heavy taxes due to which cultivation was
neglected and severe food shortage occurred.
 He shifted his capital from Delhi to Devagiri to protect his capital and ordered the
common people and government officials to shift to Devagiri, after many difficulties he
ordered them to return to Delhi.
 He introduced the copper currency system.
 The value of coins dropped; hence he had to withdraw the copper token currency.
 To conquer Khurasan, Iraq, and Transoxiana, he raised an army of 3,70,000 men.
 Mohammed-bin-Tughluq’s national treasure had a great burden due to the policy of huge
presents given to Tamashirin, the Mongol leader in order to avoid Mongol Invasion.
 Mohammed-bin-Tughluq’s domestic policies were good but due to faulty implementation
measures, they failed.
 The decline of the Delhi Sultanate is claimed due to his hasty decisions and defective
policy implementation.
Firoz Tughlaq (1351-1 388 A.D.)

 In 1351A.D. Firoz Tughlaq was the son of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq’s younger brother. He
succeeded the throne.
Administrative Reforms

 He withdrew all Taquavi (agricultural) loans granted by Mohammed-bin-Tughlaq.

 He raised the salary of the revenue officers.
 He brought to an end to all unlawful and unjust taxes.
 He collected four important taxes which are:
 Kharaj- 1/10 of the produce of the land
 Khams- 1/5 of the war booty
 Jizya-Poll Tax
 Zakat-Tax on Muslims for specific religious purposes
He constructed 150 wells, 100 bridges, and 50 dams, and also dug many irrigation
canals.
He constructed towns like Firozabad, Hissar, Jaunpur, and Fatehabad.
Firoz banned all kinds of damages and torture.
He levied Jizya on the Brahmins.
He established hospitals (Dar-ul-shafa), Marriage Bureau, (Diwani-i-kherat) and an
Employment Bureau.
He also established Diwan-i-lstibqaq to give financial aid to the poor.
Foreign Policy

 Firoz Tughlaq surrounded Bengal in 1353 A.D. and 1359A.D.

 He seized Jainagar.
 He devastated the Jagannath Temple at Puri.
Importance of Firoz Tughlaq in Medieval Indian History
Firoz proved his prominence by

 His generous measures and contributions to the affluence of the people.

 Futuhat-i-Firoz Shahi is an autobiography of Firoz Tughlaq.
 He patronized scholar Zia-ud-din Barani.
 During his reign, a number of Sanskrit books on medicine, science and arts were
translated into Persian.
  Kutab- Feroz Shahi – a book which dealt with Physics

Later Tughlaqs – successors of Firoz

 Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq Shah II

 Abu Bakr Shah,
 Nasir-ud-din Mohammed Tughlaq

End of Tughlug Dynasty

 The successors of Firoz were not very strong or competent.

 By the end of the 14th century, most of the territories became independent.
 Only Punjab and Delhi remained under the Tughlaqs.
 Timur’s invasion took place during the Tughlug period.
Timur’s Invasion (1398 A.D.)

 The fabulous wealth of India attracted Timur the ruler of Samarqand.

 During the period of Nasir-ud-din Mohammed Tughlaq, he invaded India.
 In 1398 A.D. Timur captured Delhi and caused the annihilation of the Tughlaq dynasty
by pillaging and slaughtering people.

NCERT Notes:Sayyid and Lodi Dynasties [Medieval History Of India For

UPSC]
This article gives important information about the Sayyid & Lodi Dynasty. Candidates can get an idea on the Empire, their Emperor
and the incidents that took place during that era.

This topic is a part of the UPSC syllabus and candidates should prepare this concept
properly.
Sayyid and Lodi Dynasties

THE SAYYID DYNASTY (1414-1451 A.D.)

Khizr Khan (1414- 1421 A.D.)

 He was the founder of Sayyid Dynasty

 He did not swear any royal title.
 He was the Governor of Multan.
 He took advantage of the disordered situation in India after Timur’s invasion.
  In 1414 A.D. he occupied the throne of Delhi.
 He brought parts of Surat, Dilapur, and Punjab under his control.
 But he lost Bengal, Deccan, Gujarat, Jaunpur, Khandesh and Malwa.
 In 1421 he died.
 Mubarak Shah Khizr Khan’s son succeeded him.
Mubarak Shah (1421-1434A.D.)

 Mubarak Shah crushed the local chiefs of the Doab region and the Khokhars.
 He is first Sultan ruler to appoint Hindu nobles in the court of Delhi.
 He constructed “Mubarakbad” City on the banks of the river Jamuna.
 Muhammad Shah Mubarak’s nephew succeeded him.
Muhammad Shah (1434-1445 A.D.)

 He defeated the ruler of Malwa with the help of Bahlul Lodi the Governor of
Lahore.
 He conferred Bahlul Lodi with the title Khan-i-Khanan for helping in defeating
the ruler of Malwa.
 Later Ala-ud-din Shah succeeded him.
Ala-ud-din Shah (1 445-1457 A.D.)

 He was a weak ruler.

 In 1457 A.D. Bahlul Lodi the Governor of Lahore captured Delhi and made Ala-
ud-din Shah to step down from the throne and sent him to Badaun.
 In 1478 A.D. Ala-ud-din Shah died in Badaun.

LODI DYNASTY (1451 to 1526)

Bahlul Lodi {1451 -1489 A, D.)

 Bahlul Lodi was the founder of Lodi Dynasty.

 The Lodi Dynasty is the last ruling dynasties of the Sultanate period.
 He was a wise statesman who knew his limits.
 He took various measures to gratify his nobles.
  He conquered Etawa, Gwalior, Mewat, Sakit, and Samthal.
 He died in 1489 A.D.
 Bahlul Lodi was a wise ruler, he never sat on the throne and he used to sit on the
carpet in front of the throne with his nobles to gain their recognition and support.
Sikandar Shahi (1489-1517 A.D.)

 Sikandar Shahi was the son of Bahlul Lodi.

 He swore the title Sikandar Shah and ascended the throne.
 He set up a well-organized spy system.
 He developed agriculture and industry.
 He was an orthodox Muslim.
 He put severe restrictions on the Hindus.
 Sikandar Shah enjoyed “Shehnai” Music.
 A work on music names “Lahjati-Sikandar Shahi” was created during his reign.
End of Lodi Dynasty (1517-1526 A.D.)

 Ibrahim Lodi succeeded Sikhandar Lodi.

 He was an intolerant and adamant ruler
 He had humiliated many nobles and killed some nobles cruelly.
 He also treated his son Dilwar Khan Lodi cruelly.
 Daulat Khan, the most powerful noble of Punjab, who was discontended with
Ibrahim Lodhi, invited Babur the ruler of Kabul to invade India.
 Babur invaded India and defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the first battle of Panipat in
1526 A. D.
NCERT Notes: Administration Under Delhi Sultanate [Medieval Indian
History For UPSC]
This article will give an idea on the working of Administration under the Delhi Sultanate.
The administration under the Delhi Sultanate was segregated into various parts-
Central, Provincial, Judicial,Local, etc.
To know more about the UPSC 2020, check the linked article.
Administration of Delhi Sultanate
Administration under the Delhi Sultanate

 The Delhi Sultanate period extended from 1206 A.D. to 1526 A.D. for almost 320 years.
 The administration was based on Islamic laws (Sharia).
 A Theocratic and a Military State.

Ministers to Sultan

 Wazir – Prime Minister and Finance Minister

 Diwani-I-Risalt – Foreign Affairs Minister
 Sadr-us-Suddar – Minister of Islamic Law
 Diwan-I-lnsha – Correspondence Minister
 Diwan-I-Ariz – Defence or War Minister
 Qazi-ul-quzar – Minister of Justice

Central Administration

 The Sultan was the head of the empire.

 He possessed vast powers.
 Also other officials were appointed to take care of the administration.

Provincial Administration

 The empire was divided into a number of Iqtas.

 Iqtadars administered the Iqtas.
 Iqtas further were divided into smaller units called Parganas, Shiqqs, and the villages.
 Amil or Munsif – an important official of the Pargana.

Local Administration

 The village was the smallest unit of administration.

 The village administration was carried out by local hereditary officers and the
Panchayats
 The Panchayat looked after education, sanitation, justice, revenue etc.
 The Central Government did not interfere in the village administration.
Revenue Administration under Delhi Sultanate

 Land revenue was the main source of income.

Judicial Administration

 The Sultan was the highest judicial authority.

 Qazi-ul-quzar – the Chief Judicial officer.
 A Quazi was appointed in every town.
 Criminals were punished severely.

Military Administration

 The Sultan was the Commander of the army

 The four divisions of the army were
1. The Royal army
2. Provincial or Governor’s army
3. Feudal army and
4. War Time army

Social life of the Sultanate period

The people in the society were divided based on their nationality and they are:

 Foreign Muslims
 Indian Muslims
 Hindus

Economic conditions of the people

 The people were mainly involved in agriculture and industry

 Textile industry was the primary industry.
 Paper Industry, metal work, pearl diving, ivory and sandal works, stone cutting, Sugar
industry were the other industries of this period.

Textiles
  Indian textiles were in great demand in foreign countries.
 Bengal and Gujarat were famous for their quality fabrics.
 Cotton, woollen and silk of different varieties were produced in large quantities.
 The clothes had gold, diamonds, pearls, silver and stone works.
Contributions of the Delhi Sultanate

Art and Architecture

 Delhi Sultans had a great taste for architecture.

 Architectures were a blend of Indian and Islamic styles.
The three well-developed styles were

1. Delhi or Imperial Style

2. Provincial Style
3. Hindu architectural style

Architecture during Mamaluk Period

 Qutubminar
 Quwat-ul-lslam mosque
 the tombs of Nasir-ud-din Muhammad
 Balban Siri the new town in Delhi

Architecture during Khilji Period

 Dargah of Hazrat Nizam – ud – din Aulia

 The Alai Darwaza

Architecture during Lodi Period

 The Lodi Garden

 Moti Masjid in New Delhi, and
 The tomb of Sikandar Lodi

Literature
The Sultanate of Delhi period witnessed some great scholars and some are:

 Alberuni
 Amir Khusrau
 Zia-ul-Barani
Many Sanskrit works were translated into Arabic and Urdu language originated during
the Sultanate period.
Scholars of sultanate period

Alberuni

 An Arabic and Persian Scholar patronized by Mahmud of Ghazni.

 He learnt Sanskrit and translated two Sanskrit works into Arabic.
 He was impressed by the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita.
 In his work Tarikh-ul-Hind, he had mentioned the socio-economic conditions of India.

Amir Khusrau

 He was a great Persian poet.

 He is said to have written four lakh couplets.
 He was a great singer and was given the title ‘Parrot of India’.

Impact of Turkish Conquest

 The Turkish conquest of India had its impact on various fields.

 It paved the way to a centralized political organization.
 It re-established relations with the rest of Asia and parts of Africa.
 A permanent army was established.
 Trade was established due to the uniform legal system, tariff regulations and currency.
 Persian became the court language and brought uniformity in the administration.

Disintegration of the Delhi Sultanate

 The disintegration of the Delhi Sultanate had begun during the Tughluq period.
  The invasion of Timur and the incompetent and intolerant nature of some of the Sayyid
and Lodi rulers led to the collapsing of the Delhi Sultanate.
 The rulers of the Vijayanagar and Bahmani Kingdom in the South were the first to break
free from Delhi.
 Other regions like Assam, Bengal, Khandesh, Gujarat, Jauripur, Kashmir, Multan,
Malwa, Sind, and Orissa also became independent.
 Babur ended the Lodi Dynasty by defeating Ibrahim Lodi in the first Battle of Panipat in
1526 A.D., which brought the downfall of the Delhi Sultanate in India.

NCERT Notes: Vijayanagara Empire [Medieval Indian History Notes For

UPSC]
Vijaynagara Empire was founded by Harihara and Bukka and the reign was from 1336
A.D to 1672 A.D.
This article gives all the relevant information about the Vijayanagara Empire for the
upcoming UPSC 2020 exam.
The Vijayanagar Empire (1336-1672 A.D.)
By the end of the Sultanate Period, Multan and Bengal were the first territories to break
away from the Delhi and declared independent and many other territories in the Deccan
region rose to power.
The Vijayanagar Empire (1336-1 672 A.D.)

 Harihara and Bukka is the founder the Vijayanagar City in 1336 A.D. on the
southern banks of Tungabhadra
 They made Hampi as the capital city.
 They served under Vira Ballala III, the Hoysala King
Vijayanagar Empire was ruled by four important dynasties and they are:

1. Sangama
2. Saluva
3. Tuluva
4. Aravidu
Harihara I
  In 1336 A.D. Harihara I became the ruler of Sangama Dynasty
 He captured Mysore and Madurai.
 In 1356 A.D. Bukka-I succeeded him
Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1529 A.D.)

 Krishnadeva Raya of the Tuluva dynasty was the most famous king of the
Vijayanagar Empire
 According to Domingo Paes a Portuguese traveller “Krishnadeva Raya was the
most feared and perfect king there could possibly be”.
Krishnadeva Raya‘s Conquests

 He conquered Sivasamudram in 1510A.D and Raichur in 1512A.D

 In 1523 A.D. he captured Orissa and Warangal
 His empire extended from the river Krishna in the north to River Cauvery in the
south; Arabian Sea in the west to Bay of Bengal in the east
His Contributions

 An able administrator.
 He built large tanks and canals for irrigation.
 He developed the naval power understanding the vital role of overseas trade.
 He maintained friendly relationship with the Portuguese and Arab traders.
 He increased the revenue of his government.
 He patronized art and architecture.
 It was during his period the Vijayanagar Empire reached its zenith of glory.
 Krishnadeva Raya was a great scholar.
 Ashtadiggajas: A group of eight scholars adorned his court and they were:
1. Allasani Peddanna – the author of Manucharitram, he was also known as
Andhra Kavitapitamaha
2. Nandi Thimmana – the author of Parijathapaharanam
3. Madayagari Mallana
4. Dhurjati
5. Ayyalaraju Ramabhadra Kavi
 6. Pingali Surana
7. Ramaraja Bhushana
8. Tenali Ramakrishna
Battle of Talikota (1 565 A.D.)

 The successors of Krishnadeva Raya were weak

 The combined forces of Ahmednagar, Bijapur, Golconda and Bidar declared war
on Vijayanagar during the rule of Ramaraya
 Ramaraya was defeated. He and his people were killed mercilessly.
 Vijayanagar was pillaged and ruined.
The Glories of the Vijayanagar Empire
Administration

 Well-organized administrative system

 The king was head of all powers in the state.
 Council of Ministers – to assist the King in the work of administration.
 The Empire was divided into six Provinces.
 Naik – a Governor who administered each Province.
 The provinces were divided into districts and the districts were further divided into
smaller units namely villages.
 The village was administered by hereditary officers like accountants, watchmen,
the weightsmen, and officers in charge of forced labour.
 Mahanayakacharya: He is an officer and the contact point between
the villages and the Central administration.
The Army

 The army consisted of the infantry, cavalry and elephantry.

 The commander-in-chief was in charge of the army.
Revenue Administration

 Land revenue was the main source of income

  The land was carefully surveyed and taxes were collected based on the fertility of
the soil.
 Major importance was given to agriculture and in building dams and canals.
Judicial Administration

 The king was the supreme judge.

 Severe punishments were given for the guilty.
 Those who violated the law were levied.
Position of Women

 Women occupied a high position and took an active part in political, social and
literary life of the empire.
 They were educated and trained in wrestling, in the use of various weapons of
offence and defence, in music and fine arts.
 Some women also received education of high order.
 Nuniz writes that the kings had women astrologers, clerks, accountants, guards
and wrestlers.
Social life

 The society was systemized.

 Child marriage, polygamy and sati were prevalent.
 The kings allowed freedom of religion.
Economic conditions

 Controlled by their irrigational policies.

 Textiles, mining, metallurgy perfumery, and other several industries existed.
 They had commercial relations with, the islands in the Indian Ocean, Abyssinia,
Arabia, Burma, China, Persia, Portugal , South Africa, and The Malay
Archipelago.
Contribution to Architecture and Literature

 The Hazara Ramasami temple and Vittalaswamy temple was built during this
period
  The bronze image of Krishnadeva Raya is a masterpiece.
 Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada literature were developed.
 Sayana wrote commentaries on Vedas.
 Krishnadevaraya wrote Amuktamalyada in Telugu and Usha Parinayam and
Jambavathi Kalyanam in Sanskrit.
Decline of the Empire

 The rulers of the Aravidu dynasty were weak and incompetent.

 Many provincial governors became independent.
 The rulers of Bijapur and Golconda seized some areas of Vijayanagar.
Bahmani Kingdom [NCERT Notes for Medieval History Of India For
UPSC]
In this article, find NCERT notes on the Bahmani Kingdom. The Bahmani Sultanate is
an important topic for the Civil Services Examination 2020 preparation.
To know more about UPSC 2020, refer to the linked article.

The Bahmani Kingdom (1347-1526 A.D.)

The Bahmani Kingdom was one of the most powerful Muslim kingdoms in India.
Bahmani Kingdom Political History

 Hasan Gangu Bahmani was the founder of the Bahmani Kingdom.

 He was a Turkish officer of Devagiri.
 in 1347 A.D. he established the independent Bahmani kingdom.
 His kingdom stretched from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal, included the whole of
Deccan up to the river Krishna with its capital at Gulbarga.

Rulers of the Bahmani Kingdom

The details about the different rulers of the Bahmani kingdom are given below:
Muhammad Shah-I (1358-1377.A.D.)

 He was the next ruler of the Bahamani Kingdom.

 He was an able general and administrator.
 He defeated Kapaya Nayaks of Warangal and the Vijayanagar ruler Bukka-I.
Muhammad Shah-ll (1378-1397.A.D.)

 In 1378 A.D. Muhammad Shah-ll ascended the throne.

 He was a peace lover and developed friendly relations with his neighbours.
 He built many mosques, madrasas (a place of learning) and hospitals.
Feroz Shah Bahmani (1397-1422 A.D.)

 He was a great general

 He defeated the Vijayanagar ruler Deva Raya I.
Ahmad Shah (1422-1435 A.D.)

 Ahmad Shah succeeded Feroz Shah Bahmani

 He was an unkind and heartless ruler.
 He conquered the kingdom of Warangal.
 He changed his capital from Gulbarga to Bidar.
 He died in 1435A.D.
Muhammad Shah-lll (1463-1482 A.D.)

 In 1463A.D. Muhammad Shah lll became the Sultan at the age of nine
 Muhammad Gawan became the regent of the infant ruler.
 Under Muhammad Gawan’s able leadership the Bahmani kingdom became very
powerful.
 Muhammad Gawan defeated the rulers of Konkan, Orissa, Sangameshwar, and
Vijayanagar.
Muhammad Gawan

 He was a very wise scholar and an able administrator.

 He improved the administration, systematized finances, encouraged public education,
reformed the revenue system, disciplined the army and eliminated corruption.
 In 1481 Muhammad Gawan persecuted by the Deccan Muslims who were jealous of him
and sentenced to death by Muhammad Shah.

The Five Muslim Dynasties

 Muhammad Shah-lll died in 1482

  His successors were weak and the Bahmani Kingdom disintegrated into five kingdoms
namely:
1. Bijapur
2. Ahmednagar
3. Bera
4. Golconda
5. Bidar

Administration

 The Sultans followed a Feudal type of administration.

 Tarafs – The kingdom was divided into many provinces called Tarafs
 Tarafdar or Amir – Governor who controlled the Taraf.
Golgumbaz

 Golgumbaz in Bijapur is called the whispering gallery because when one whispers, the
lingering echo of the whisper is heard in the opposite corner.
 This is so because when one whispers in one corner, a lingering echo is heard in the
opposite corner.
Contribution to Education

 The Bahmani Sultans gave great attention to education.

 They encouraged Arabic and Persian learning.
 Urdu also flourished during this period
Art and Architecture
Numerous mosques, madrassas and libraries were built.

 The Juma Masjid at Gulbarga The Golconda Fort

 The Golgumbaz at Bijapur
 The Madrasas of Muhammad Gawan
Decline of Bahmani Kingdom

 There was a constant war between the Bahmani and Vijayanagar rulers.
 Inefficient and weak successors after Muhammad Shah III.
 The rivalry between the Bahmani rulers and foreign nobles.
NCERT Notes: Bhakti Movement - Origin, Saints, Timeline [Medieval
Indian History Notes For UPSC]
BYJU’s brings to you, the Medival Indian History notes from the NCERT books for the
UPSC Civil Services Exam preparation. Medieval Indian History is important for the IAS
Prelims preparation, as many questions have been asked in the past from Bhakti and
Sufi Movements.
To know more about UPSC 2020 calendar, refer to the linked article.

Bhakti Movement
Bhakti Movement (c. 8th to 18th Century)
Spread of Isalam in India directly resulted in the Medieval Bhakti Movement. The Bhakti
Movement in Medieval India is of diverse way.
The thinking of Bhakti Reformers’ thinking like that of Kabir, Nana and Ramananda
were shaped by the preaching of Sufi teachers.
Sufism

Sufism was a liberal reform movement within Islam. It spread into India in the
11 century but had origin in Persia.
th

 Shaikh Ismail
 Shaikh Ismail of Lahore was the first Sufi Saint who started preaching his ideas.
Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti
He was one of the most famous Sufi Saints who settled in Ajmer which became the
centre of his activities.
He had a number of disciples who are called Sufis of the Chishti Order.
Bahauddin Zakariya
 He is another renowned Sufi Saint who was influenced by Shihabuddin
Suhrawardi another famous mystic.
 He founded the Sufis of the Suhrawardi Order.
Nizamuddin Auliya
 He belonged to the Chishti Order who is regarded to be a mighty spiritual force.
About Sufism

 Sufism highlighted the essentials of love and devotion as the effective means of the
realization of God.
 Sufis believed service to humanity was equal to service to God. According to the Sufis,
Love of God meant Love of Humanity.
 In Sufism, self-discipline is essential to gain knowledge of God with a sense of insight.
Read more about Sufism in the linked article.
Major differences between the Sufis and Orthodox Muslims:

Sufis Orthodox Muslims

the Orthodox Muslims stress on

The Sufis highlight on inner purity.
external conduct

The consider love and devotion They believed in blind observance

as the only means of attaining of rituals.
salvation.

Sufism also taught a spirit of tolerance among its followers.

Ideas of Sufism

 Sufism emphasized on good actions, meditation, performance of prayers and

pilgrimages, repentance for sins, fasting, charity and suppression of passions by austere
practices.
 The liberal and unorthodox features of Sufism had a profound influence on Medieval
Bhakti Saints.

Bhakti Movement in South

The Bhakti Movement originated in the seventh-century in Tamil, South India (now parts
of Tamil Nadu and Kerala), and spread northwards. It swept over east and north India
from the 15th century onwards, reached its peak between the 15th and 17th century
CE.
The Alvars and Nayanars of Tamil Nadu

 The Alvars and Nayanars led some of the earliest bhakti movements (c. sixth century).
 Alvars – those who are “immersed” in devotion to Vishnu
 Nayanars – leaders who were devotees of Shiva
 They travelled from place to place singing hymns in Tamil praising their gods.
 The Alvars and Nayanars initiated a movement of protest against the caste system and
the dominance of Brahmanas or at least attempted to reform the system. This is
 supported by the fact that bhaktas or disciples hailed from diverse social backgrounds
ranging from Brahmanas to artisans and cultivators and even from castes considered
“untouchable”
 The Nalayira Divyaprabandham (“Four Thousand Sacred Compositions”) – one of the
major anthologies of compositions of the 12 Alvars compiled by the 10 Century
th

 It was frequently described as the Tamil Veda, thus claiming that the text was as
significant as the four Vedas in Sanskrit that were cherished by the Brahmanas.
 From a composition of an Alvar named Tondaradippodi a Brahmana mentions
Chaturvedins – Are strangers and without faithfulness to your service.
 Tevaram – a collection of compiled and classified in the 10 century on the basis of the
th

music of the songs of Appar, Sambandar, and Sundarar.

Women Devotees

Andal

 A woman Alvar the compositions of Andal were widely sung (and continue to be sung to
date).
 Andal saw herself as the beloved of Vishnu; her verses express her love for the deity.
Karaikkal Ammaiyar

 Another woman, Karaikkal Ammaiyar, a devotee of Shiva, adopted the path of extreme
asceticism in order to attain her goal.

Sankara

 A Hindu revivalist movement giving a new placement to Hinduism was started by

Sankara.
 Kaladi in Kerala is his birthplace.
 His doctrine of Monoism or Advaita was too abstract to appeal to the common people.
 The Advaita Concept of Nirgunabrahman (God without attributes) received contradictory
reaction with the emergence of the idea of Sagunabrahman (God with attributes).

Ramanuja

 He was born at Sriperumbudur near modern Chennai.

 He preached Visishtadvaita in the12 century.
th

 According to him, God is Sagunabrahman.

  He encouraged Prabattimarga or path of self-surrender to God.
 He invited the downtrodden to Vaishnavism.

Madhava

 Madhava is from Kannada region whose preaching prevailed in the 13 th

 He spread Deviator dualism of Jivatma and Paramatma.

 His philosophy was that the world is not an illusion but a reality. God, soul, matter is
unique in nature.

Nimbarka and Vallabhacharya

 Nimbarka and Vallabhacharya were also other preachers of Vaishnavite Bhakti in the
Telangana region

Surdas

 He was the disciple of Vallabhacharya

 He popularized Krishna cult in the Northern part of India

Mirabai

 She was a great devotee of Krishna.

 She became popular in Rajasthan for her bhajans.

Tulsidas

 He was a worshipper of Rama.

 He composed the famous Ramcharitmanas, the Hindi version of Ramayana.

Ramananda

 He was born at Allahabad.

 Initially he was a follower of Ramanuja.
 Later he founded his own sect and preached his principles in Hindi at Banaras and Agra.
 Ramananda was the first to employ the vernacular medium to spread his ideas.
 He opposed the caste system and chose his disciples from all sections of society
irrespective of caste.
Ramananda’s disciples were:
  Kabir
 Raidasa, he was a cobbler
 Sena, he was a barber
 Sadhana
 Dhanna, he was from a Jat farmer
 Naraharai, he was a goldsmith
 Pipa, he was a Rajput prince

Kabir

 Kabir was the most famous disciple of Ramananda.

 He was brought up by a Muslim couple who were weavers by profession.
 He had a curious mind in learning new things and he learnt much about Hinduism in
Benares.
 Kabir’s aim was to reunite Hindus and Muslims and form harmony between them.
 He is regarded as the greatest of the mystic saints.
 His followers are called Kabirpanthis.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, Ramananda, Kabir and Nanak remained the great
apostles of the Bhakti cult.
They aided the common people to shed age-old superstitions and attain salvation
through Bhakti or pure devotion.
Criticized all forms of worship of idols.
Guru Nanak

 Guru Nanak was born in Talwandi near Lahore.

 He was a disciple of Kabir.
 He was founder of the Sikh Religion.
 He condemned caste difference and rituals like bathing in holy rivers.
 He established a centre at Kartarpur named Dera Baba Nanak on the river Ravi. His
idea of religion was highly practical and strictly moral.
 His one of the famous sayings was “Abide pure amidst the impurities of the world”.

Guru Angad

 Guru Angad also known as Lehna was appointed by Guru before his death.
  Guru Angad compiled the compositions of Guru Nanak in a new script known as
Gurmukhi and added his own compositions as well.

Guru Arjan

 He was the 5th Guru.

 He compiled the writings of the three successors of Guru Angad who wrote under the
name of “Nana”.
 He was executed by Jehangir in 1604.

Guru Gobind Singh

 He was the 10th Guru.

 In 1706, he authenticated the compilation which was added with the writings of other
figures like Shaikh Farid, Sant Kabir, Bhagat Namdev and Guru Tegh Bahadur, which is
now known as Guru Granth Sahib.
The town of Ramdaspur (Amritsar) had developed around the central Gurdwara called
Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple) by the beginning of the 17th century. It was almost
self-governing and also referred as ‘a state within the state’ community.
Chaitanya

 Chaitanya was another renowned saint and reformer of Bengal who popularised the
Krishna cult.
 He believed that a devotee can feel the presence of God through song and dance and
love and devotion.

Gnanadeva

 He was the founder of the Bhakti Movement in Maharashtra in the 13 th

 It was called as Maharashtra dharma.

 He wrote Gnaneswari a commentary of Bhagavad Gita.

Namadeva

 In the 16 Century, Namadeva preached the gospel of love.

th

 He opposed idol worship and the dominance of priests.

 He criticized the Caste System.
Ekanatha

 He was a prominent Marathi Sant, a scholar and religious poet of the Varkari
Sampradaya.
 He opposed caste differences and was kind towards the lower castes.
 He is known as a bridge between his predecessors Dnyaneshwarand Namdev and the
later Tukaram and Ramdas.

Tukaram

 Tukaram was another Bhakti saint of Maharashtra and was a contemporary of Sivaji.
 Tukaram also referred to as Sant Tukaram, Bhakta Tukaram, Tukaram
Maharaj, Tukobaand Tukobaraya.
 He was a 17th-century poet-saint of the Bhakti movement in
 Tukaram is best known for his Abhanga- devotional poetry and kirtans – community-
oriented worship with spiritual songs.
 His poetry was devoted to Vitthala or Vithoba, an avatar of Hindu god Vishnu.
 Responsible for creating a background for Maratha nationalism

Nathpanthis, Siddhas, and Yogis

 They condemned the ritual and other aspects of orthodox religion and the social order,
using simple, logical arguments.
 They encouraged the renunciation of the world.
 To them, the path to salvation lay in meditation and to achieve this they advocated
intense training of the mind and body through practices like yogasanas, breathing
exercises and meditation.
 These groups became particularly popular among “low” castes.

Importance of the Bhakti Movement

 Bhakti movement provided a spur for the development of regional languages such as
Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, etc.
 The lower classes rose to a position of great importance.
  The Bhakti movement gave equal importance to men and women which gave way to the
importance of women in society.

NCERT Notes: Babur [Medieval History Of India For UPSC]

In this article, find NCERT notes on Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire in India.
Although his reign was brief, Babur is an important topic for the Civil Services
Exam 2019 Preparation.
To know more about UPSC 2020, refer to the linked article.
MUGHAL EMPIRE - BABUR (1526-1530)
Mughals belonged to a branch of the Turks called Chagatai, which is named after the
second son of Genghis Khan, the famous Mongol Leader.
The Foundation of the Mughal Empire in India was laid by Babur, who was a Chagatai
Turk.

Babur – Zahiruddin Muhammad

Babur (1526-1530)

 Babur is the founder of the Mughal Empire in India.

 He was a descendant of Timur (on his father’s side) and Genghis Khan (on his Mother’s
side).
 His original name was Zahiruddin Muhammad.
 In 1494 at the age of 11, Babur became the ruler of Farghana (at present in Chinese
Turkistan) succeeding Umar Shaikh Mirza, his father.
 Daulat Khan, the most powerful noble of Punjab, who was discontented with Ibrahim
Lodhi, invited Babur to invade India.
 He undertook four expeditions to India in order to conquer it between the years 1519 and
1523.

Babur's Military Conquests

 In 1504, Babur occupied Kabul.

 In 1524, Babur occupied Lahore buthad to retreat to Kabul after Daulat Khan turned
against him.
 In November 1525, Babur attacked and occupied Punjab again.
 On 21 April 1526, Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the first Battle of Panipat and quickly
st

occupied Delhi and Despite of vast and superior troop Ibrahim Lodi lost in the battle due
to Babur’s superior strategy and use of artillery.
 The First Battle of Panipat marked the foundation of Mughal dominion in India.
 Babur conquered Delhi and sent his son Humayun to seize Agra.
 Babur announced himself as “Emperor of Hindustan”.

Rana Sangha

 Rana Sangha of Mewar was a great Rajput warrior.

 He gave the toughest resistance to Babur’s expansion plans.
  OnMarch 16, 1527, Rana Sangha, along with rulers of Marwar, Amber, Gwalior, Ajmer
and Chanderi and Sultan Mahmood Lodi (whom Rana Sangha had acknowledged
as ruler of Delhi) met Babur in a decisive contest at Kanhwa, a village near Agra. The
aim was to prevent the imposition of another foreign repression on Babur succeeded
over them by using similar tactics as in the Battle of Panipat. The, he took on the title of
“Ghazi”.
 In the year 1528, Chanderi was captured by Babur from Rajput king Medini Rai.
 On May 6, 1529, Babur met the allied Afghans of Bihar and Bengal on the banks
of Gogra, near Patna and defeated them. With this battle, Babur occupied a
considerable portion of northern India.
 Babur met the allied Afghans of Bihar and Bengal on the banks of Gogra, near Patna,
and inflicted a crushing defeat on them. The following year, Babur vanquished the
Afghans in the Battle of Gogra in Bihar.
 On December 26, 1530, Babur died at Agra aged 40. His body was first laid
at Arambagh in Agra, but was later taken to Kabul, where it was buried.

Estimate of Babur

 He was an eminent scholar in Arabic and Persian.

 His mother tongue was Chaghatai Turkic.
 He was said to be a statesman.
 He wrote his memoirs, Tuzuk-i-Baburiin Turki language.

NCERT Notes: Humayun - Mughal Empire [Medieval History Of India

For UPSC]
In this article, find NCERT notes on Humayun, the successor of Babur. The reign of Humayun and the
Mughal Empire, in general, are important from the perspective of the Civil Services Exam 2019.
To know more about UPSC 2020, refer to the linked article.
MUGHAL EMPIRE - HUMAYUN (1530-1556)

 Humayun was the eldest son of Babur.

 He was lacking wisdom, discretion, and strong determination and diligence of
his Thus, as a king he was a failure.
 Humayun means “fortune” but he remained the most unfortunate ruler of the
Mughal Empire.
 Six months after his succession, Humayun besieged the fortress of Kalinjar in
Bundelkhand, gained a decisive victory over Afghans at Douhrua and drove
out Sultan Mahmood Lodhi from Jaunpur, and even defeated Bahadur
Shah of Gujarat. His victories, however, were short-lived due to the weakness of
his character.
 Humayun had three brothers, Kamran, Askari and Hindal
 Humayun divided the empire among his brothers but this proved to be a great
blunder on his part.
 Kamran was given Kabul and Kandahar.
 Sambhal and Alwar were given to Askari and Hindal respectively.
 Humayun captured Gujarat from Bahadur Shah and appointed Askari as its
governor
 But soon Bahadur Shah recovered Gujarat from Askari who fled from there.
 In the east, Sher Khan became powerful. Humayun marched against him and in
the Battle of Chausa, held in 1539, Sher Khan destroyed the Mughal army and
Humayun escaped from there.
 Humayun reached Agra to negotiate with his brothers.
 In 1540, in the Battle of Bilgram or Ganges also known as Battle of Kanauj,
Humayun was forced to fight with Sher Khan alone and after losing his kingdom,
Humayun became an exile for the next fifteen years.
 In 1952, during his wanderings in deserts of Sindh, Humayun married Hamida
Banu Begum, daughter of Sheikh Ali Amber Jaini, who had been a preceptor of
Humayun’s brother Hindal.
 On November 23, 1542, Humayun’s wife gave birth to Akbar
 Amarkot’s Hindu chief RanaPrasad promised Humayun to help him to
conquer Thatta and
 However, Humayun could not conquer Bhakker or secure Thus, he left India and
lived under the generosity of ShahTahmashp of Persia.
 Shah of Persia agreed to help Humayun and lend him a force of 14,000 men on
a condition to confirm to Shia creed, to have the Shah’s name proclaimed in
his Khutba and to give away Kandhar to him on his success.
  In 1545, with Persian help, Humayun captured Kandhar and Kabul but refused
to cede Kandhar to Persia.
 Humayun sought help from the Iran ruler.
 Later, he defeated his brothers Kamran and Askari.
 In 1555, Humayun defeated the Afghans and recovered the Mughal throne.
 After six months, he died in 1556 due to his fall from the staircase of his library.
 Humayun was kind and generous, though he was not a good General and
warrior.
 He also loved painting and wrote poetry in the Persian language.

Sher Shah Suri [Medieval History Of India For UPSC]

In this article, get NCERT notes on Sher Shah Suri and the Sur Dynasty. The Sur
Interregnum is an important topic for Civil Services Exam 2019 preparation.
To know more about UPSC 2020, refer to the linked article.
SUR DYNASTY or SUR Interregnum (1540-1555)

Sher Shah’s Administration

 Sher Shah was the founder of Sur Dynasty.

 His original name was Farid.
 He was the son of Hasan Khan, a jagirdar of Sasaram in Bihar.
 He was given the title Sher Khan for his bravery under the Afghan Rule of Bihar.

Sher Shah Sur (1540-1545)

 Sher Shah Sur’s conquests include Bundelkhand, Malwa, Multan, Punjab, and
Sind.
 His empire occupied the whole of North India except Assam, Gujarat, Kashmir,
and Nepal.
 Though his rule lasted for only 5 years, he has organized an excellent
administrative system.
 The king was aided by four important ministers.
 1. Diwan –i- Wizarat or Wazir – in charge of Revenue and Finance
2. Diwan-i-Ariz – in charge of Army
3. Diwan-i-Rasalat – Foreign Minister
4. Diwan-i-Insha – Minister for Communications
 Sher Shah’s empire was divided into forty-seven Sarkars
 Each Sarkars was further divided into various Parganas and in charge of various
officers.
 Shiqdar – Military Officer
 Amin – Land Revenue
 Fotedar – Treasurer
 Karkuns – Accountants
Iqtas – various administrative units
Under Sher Shah, the land revenue administration was well organized.
The land survey was sensibly done.
All cultivable lands were classified into three classes – good, middle and bad.
The state’s share was one-third of the average production and it was paid in cash
or crop.
Sher Shah introduced new silver coins called “Dam” and they were in circulation
till 1835.
Police were competently restructured and crime was less during his regime.
Shah borrowed many ideas like the branding of horses from Alauddin Khalji
Sher Shah had also developed the communications by laying four important
highways.
 Sonargaon to Sind
 Agra to Burhampur
 Jodhpur to Chittor
 Lahore to Multan

Estimate of Sher Shah

 Sher Shah remained a pious Muslim and generally tolerant towards other
religions.
  He also employed Hindus in important offices.
 The old fort called Purana Qila and its mosque was built during his period.
 He also built a Mausoleum at Sasaram, which is considered as one of the
masterpieces of Indian architecture.
 The famous Hindi work Padmavat by Malik Muhammad Jayasi was written during
his reign.
 In 1545, Sher Shah died and his successors ruled till 1555 later which Humayun
reconquered India.
NCERT Notes: Akbar -The Great (1556-1605) [Medieval Indian History
Notes For UPSC]
Akbar was one of the mightiest Emperor during the Mughal Era. This article gives all
relevant information about the events during the reign of Akbar like Religious policies,
relationship with Indian kingdoms, etc.
AKBAR (1556-1605)

 Akbar’s position was in dangerous when he succeeded his father Humayun as Delhi was
seized by the Afghans.
 In 1556, in the second battle of Panipat, Akabar defeated Hemu and the army of Hemu
fled which made the victory of Mughal decisive.
 During the first 5 years of Akbar’s reign, Bairam Khan acted as his regent.
 Later, Akbar removed Bairam Khan and sent him to Mecca but Bairam Khan was killed
by an Afghan on his way.
  The military conquests of Akbar were extensive.

Akbar’s Relation with Rajputs

 Akbar married the Rajput Princess, the daughter of Raja Bharmal.

 For four generation, the Rajputs served the Mughals and many served in the positions of
military generals as well.
 Akbar appointed Raja Man Singh and Raja Bhagawan Das in the senior position of the
Mughal Administration.
 Though majority of the Rajput states surrendered to Akbar, the Ranas of Mewar
continued to confront even though they were defeated several times.
 In 1576, the Mugahl Army defeated Rana Pratap Singh in the battle of Haldighati,
following the defeat of Mewar, other leading Rajput leaders surrendered to Akbar and
accepted his
  Akbar’s policy towards Rajput was combined with a broad religious toleration.
 He abolished the pilgrim tax and later the jiziya.

Akbar’s Religious Policy

 It’s Akbar’s religious policy that made way to his name in the history pages.
 Akbar was a pious Muslim but after marrying Jodha Bai of Amber, he abolished pilgrim
tax.
 In 1562, he abolished jiziya.
 He allowed his Hindu wives to worship their own gods.
 In 1575, Akbar built Ibadat Khana (House of worship) at his new capital Fatepur Sikri
and invited scholars from all religions like Christianity, Hinduism, Jainism, and
Zoroastrianism.
 He did not like the intrusion of the Muslim Ulemas in political matters.
 In 1579, he delivered the “Infallibility Decree” and proclaimed his religious powers.
 In 1582, he propagated a new religion called Din Ilahi or Divine Faith.

About Din Ilahi

 The new religion believed in one God.

 It had all the good points of every religion.
 Its foundation was balanced.
 It didn’t endorse any philosophy.
 It aimed at bridging the gap that separated different religions.
 The new religion had only 15 followers including Birbal.
 Akbar did not compel anyone to join his new religion.
 However, the new religion proved to be a failure, after Akbar’s death.

Land Revenue Administration

 With the help of Raja Todar Mal, Akbar experimented on the land revenue
administration, which was completed in 1580.
 The land revenue system was called Zabti or Bandobast system or Dahsala System.
 The revenue was fixed on the average yield of land measured on the basis of previous
ten years.
  The land was divided into four categories
1. Polaj (cultivated every year)
2. Parauti (once in two years)
3. Chachar (once in three or four years)
4. Banjar (once in five or more years)
 Payment of revenue was made generally in cash.

Mansabdari System

 Akbar introduced the Mansabdari system in his administration

 Under this system every officer was assigned a rank (Mansab)
 Lowest rank was 10 and the highest was 5000 for the nobles.
 Princes of royal blood received even higher ranks.
 The ranks were divided into two – Zat and Sawar.
 Zat means personal and it fixed the personal status of a person.
 Sawar rank indicated the number of cavalrymen of a person who was required to
maintain.
 Every sawar had to maintain at least two horses.
 All appointments, promotions and dismissals were directly made by the emperor.

NCERT Notes: Akbar ' s Successors [Medieval History Of India For

UPSC]
This article will help the candidates get an idea on the reign of the successors of Akbar-
Jahangir, Nur Jahan,Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb.
Akbar's Successors: Jahangir (1605-1627), Shah Jahan (1627-1658),
Aurangazeb (1658-1707)
Jahangir (1605-1627)

 In 1605, Prince Salim succeeded with the title Jahangir (Conqueror of World) after the
death of Akbar.
 He defeated and imprisoned Son Khusrau.
 He also beheaded Guru Arjun, the 5 Sikh Guru and one of the supporters of Khusrau.
th

 One of his supporters, Guru Arjun, the fifth Sikh Guru, was beheaded.
Nur Jahan

 In 1611, Jahangir married Mehrunnisa who was known as Nur Jahan (Light of World).
 Asaf Khan elder brother of Nur Jahan was appointed as Khan-i-Saman, a post reserved
for the nobles.
 In 1612, Asaf Khan’s daughter, Arjumand Banu Begum (later known as Mumtaj), married
Jahangir’s third son, prince Khurram (later Shah Jahan).

Shah Jahan (1627-1658)

 Shah Jahan launched a continued war in the northwest frontier to recover Kandahar and
other ancestral lands.
 His Deccan policy was more successful.
 He defeated the forces of Ahmadnagar and seized it.
 Both Bijapur and Golkonda signed a treaty with the emperor.
 Shah Jahan engraved four Mughal provinces in the Deccan – Khandesh, Berar,
Telungana and Daulatabad

War of Succession

 The last years of Shah Jahan’s reign were clouded by a bitter war of succession among
his four sons
1. Dara Shikoh (crown prince)
2. Shuja (governor of Bengal)
3. Aurangazeb (governor of Deccan)
4. Murad Baksh (governor of Malwa and Gujarat)
 Aurangazeb emerged victorious in this struggle
 He entered the Agra Fort after defeating Dara
 He forced Shah Jahan to surrender
 Shah Jahan was confined to the female apartments in the Agra fort and strictly put under
watch
 Shah Jahan lived for eight long years lovingly nursed by his daughter Jahanara.
Aurangazeb (1658-1707)

 Aurangazeb was one of the ablest kings of the Mughal.

 He assumed the title Alamgir, World Conqueror.
 In his first ten years of reign, his military campaigns were a great success.
 But in the latter part of his reign, he faced serious difficulties.
 The Jats and Satnamis and also the Sikhs revolted against him due to his harsh
religious policy.
 The Deccan policy of the Mughals started from the reign of Akbar.
 Aurangazeb, as governor of Deccan, followed a belligerent Deccan policy.
 He concentrated on the northwest frontier in his first 25 years as the Mughal emperor
 In the same time, Sivaji, the Maratha Ruler carved an an independent Maratha kingdom
in the territories of north and south Konkan.
 Aurangazeb decided to invade Bijapur and Golkonda to hold the spread of the Marathas.
 He defeated Sikandar Shah of Bijapur and seized his kingdom.
 He proceeded against Golkonda and eliminated the Kutb Shahi dynasty.
 The destruction of the Deccan kingdoms was a political blunder by Aurangazeb.
 The barrier between the Mughals and the Marathas was removed and there ensued a

direct confrontation between them.

Religious Policy

 His ideal was to transform India into an Islamic state.

 He created a separate department to enforce moral codes under a high-powered officer
called Muhtasib.
 Drinking was prohibited. Cultivation and use of bhang and other drugs were banned
 Aurangazeb forbade music in the Mughal court
 He discontinued the practice of Jarokhadarshan
 He also discontinued the celebration of Dasarah and royal astronomers and astrologers
were also dismissed from service
 When he began a policy of destroying Hindu temples.
 The celebrated temples at Mathura and Benares were reduced to ruins.
 In 1679, he reimposed jiziya and pilgrim tax.
 The celebration of Muharram was stopped
  His invasions against the Deccan sultanates were partly due to his hatred of the Shia
faith
 He was also against the Sikhs and he executed the ninth Sikh Guru Tej Bahadur.
 His religious policy was responsible for turning the Rajputs, the Marathas and Sikhs into
the enemies of Mughal Empire
 It had also resulted in the rebellions of the Jats of Mathura and the Satnamis of Mewar.
 Therefore, Aurangazeb was held responsible for the decline of the Mughal Empire.

Personality and Character of Aurangazeb

 Aurangazeb was an orthodox Sunni Muslim.

 In his private life, Aurangazeb was diligent and disciplined
 He was very simple in food and dress.
 He earned money for his personal expenses by copying Quran and selling those copies.
 He did not consume wine.
 He was proficient in Arabic and Persian languages.
 He was devoted to his religion and conducted prayers five times a day.
 He strictly observed the Ramzan fasting.
 He misunderstood the true nature of the Maratha movement and provoked them.
 Also, he failed to solve the Maratha problem and left an open sore.
 His policy towards Shia Deccan Sultanates also proved to be wrong.
 His antagonistic policies towards non-Muslims did not help him to rally the Muslims to his

side and strengthened political enemies of the Mughal Empire.

Causes for the Downfall of the Mughals

 The Mughal Empire declined rapidly after the death of Aurangazeb.

 Taking this advantage, in 1739, Nadir Shah imprisoned the Mughal Emperor and looted
Delhi.
 The religious and Deccan policies of Aurangazeb contributed to its decline.
 The weak successors and demoralization of the Mughal army were also the reasons for
the decline.
 The financial difficulties due to continuous wars led to the decline.
  The neglect of the sea power by the Mughals was felt when the Europeans began to
settle in India.
 Further, the invasions of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali weakened the Mughal
state.

NCERT Notes: Akbar ' s Successors [Medieval History Of India For

UPSC]
This article will help the candidates get an idea on the reign of the successors of Akbar-
Jahangir, Nur Jahan,Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb.
Akbar's Successors: Jahangir (1605-1627), Shah Jahan (1627-1658),
Aurangazeb (1658-1707)
Jahangir (1605-1627)

 In 1605, Prince Salim succeeded with the title Jahangir (Conqueror of World) after the
death of Akbar.
 He defeated and imprisoned Son Khusrau.
 He also beheaded Guru Arjun, the 5 Sikh Guru and one of the supporters of Khusrau.
th

 One of his supporters, Guru Arjun, the fifth Sikh Guru, was beheaded.

Nur Jahan

 In 1611, Jahangir married Mehrunnisa who was known as Nur Jahan (Light of World).
 Asaf Khan elder brother of Nur Jahan was appointed as Khan-i-Saman, a post reserved
for the nobles.
 In 1612, Asaf Khan’s daughter, Arjumand Banu Begum (later known as Mumtaj), married
Jahangir’s third son, prince Khurram (later Shah Jahan).

Shah Jahan (1627-1658)

 Shah Jahan launched a continued war in the northwest frontier to recover Kandahar and
other ancestral lands.
 His Deccan policy was more successful.
 He defeated the forces of Ahmadnagar and seized it.
 Both Bijapur and Golkonda signed a treaty with the emperor.
  Shah Jahan engraved four Mughal provinces in the Deccan – Khandesh, Berar,
Telungana and Daulatabad

War of Succession

 The last years of Shah Jahan’s reign were clouded by a bitter war of succession among
his four sons
1. Dara Shikoh (crown prince)
2. Shuja (governor of Bengal)
3. Aurangazeb (governor of Deccan)
4. Murad Baksh (governor of Malwa and Gujarat)
 Aurangazeb emerged victorious in this struggle
 He entered the Agra Fort after defeating Dara
 He forced Shah Jahan to surrender
 Shah Jahan was confined to the female apartments in the Agra fort and strictly put under
watch
 Shah Jahan lived for eight long years lovingly nursed by his daughter Jahanara.

Aurangazeb (1658-1707)

 Aurangazeb was one of the ablest kings of the Mughal.

 He assumed the title Alamgir, World Conqueror.
 In his first ten years of reign, his military campaigns were a great success.
 But in the latter part of his reign, he faced serious difficulties.
 The Jats and Satnamis and also the Sikhs revolted against him due to his harsh
religious policy.
 The Deccan policy of the Mughals started from the reign of Akbar.
 Aurangazeb, as governor of Deccan, followed a belligerent Deccan policy.
 He concentrated on the northwest frontier in his first 25 years as the Mughal emperor
 In the same time, Sivaji, the Maratha Ruler carved an an independent Maratha kingdom
in the territories of north and south Konkan.
 Aurangazeb decided to invade Bijapur and Golkonda to hold the spread of the Marathas.
 He defeated Sikandar Shah of Bijapur and seized his kingdom.
 He proceeded against Golkonda and eliminated the Kutb Shahi dynasty.
 The destruction of the Deccan kingdoms was a political blunder by Aurangazeb.
  The barrier between the Mughals and the Marathas was removed and there ensued a

direct confrontation between them.

Religious Policy

 His ideal was to transform India into an Islamic state.

 He created a separate department to enforce moral codes under a high-powered officer
called Muhtasib.
 Drinking was prohibited. Cultivation and use of bhang and other drugs were banned
 Aurangazeb forbade music in the Mughal court
 He discontinued the practice of Jarokhadarshan
 He also discontinued the celebration of Dasarah and royal astronomers and astrologers
were also dismissed from service
 When he began a policy of destroying Hindu temples.
 The celebrated temples at Mathura and Benares were reduced to ruins.
 In 1679, he reimposed jiziya and pilgrim tax.
 The celebration of Muharram was stopped
 His invasions against the Deccan sultanates were partly due to his hatred of the Shia
faith
 He was also against the Sikhs and he executed the ninth Sikh Guru Tej Bahadur.
 His religious policy was responsible for turning the Rajputs, the Marathas and Sikhs into
the enemies of Mughal Empire
 It had also resulted in the rebellions of the Jats of Mathura and the Satnamis of Mewar.
 Therefore, Aurangazeb was held responsible for the decline of the Mughal Empire.

Personality and Character of Aurangazeb

 Aurangazeb was an orthodox Sunni Muslim.

 In his private life, Aurangazeb was diligent and disciplined
 He was very simple in food and dress.
 He earned money for his personal expenses by copying Quran and selling those copies.
 He did not consume wine.
 He was proficient in Arabic and Persian languages.
 He was devoted to his religion and conducted prayers five times a day.
  He strictly observed the Ramzan fasting.
 He misunderstood the true nature of the Maratha movement and provoked them.
 Also, he failed to solve the Maratha problem and left an open sore.
 His policy towards Shia Deccan Sultanates also proved to be wrong.
 His antagonistic policies towards non-Muslims did not help him to rally the Muslims to his

side and strengthened political enemies of the Mughal Empire.

Causes for the Downfall of the Mughals

 The Mughal Empire declined rapidly after the death of Aurangazeb.

 Taking this advantage, in 1739, Nadir Shah imprisoned the Mughal Emperor and looted
Delhi.
 The religious and Deccan policies of Aurangazeb contributed to its decline.
 The weak successors and demoralization of the Mughal army were also the reasons for
the decline.
 The financial difficulties due to continuous wars led to the decline.
 The neglect of the sea power by the Mughals was felt when the Europeans began to
settle in India.
 Further, the invasions of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali weakened the Mughal
state.

NCERT Notes: Akbar ' s Successors [Medieval History Of India For

UPSC]
This article will help the candidates get an idea on the reign of the successors of Akbar-
Jahangir, Nur Jahan,Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb.
Akbar's Successors: Jahangir (1605-1627), Shah Jahan (1627-1658),
Aurangazeb (1658-1707)
Jahangir (1605-1627)

 In 1605, Prince Salim succeeded with the title Jahangir (Conqueror of World) after the
death of Akbar.
 He defeated and imprisoned Son Khusrau.
 He also beheaded Guru Arjun, the 5 Sikh Guru and one of the supporters of Khusrau.
th

 One of his supporters, Guru Arjun, the fifth Sikh Guru, was beheaded.
Nur Jahan

 In 1611, Jahangir married Mehrunnisa who was known as Nur Jahan (Light of World).
 Asaf Khan elder brother of Nur Jahan was appointed as Khan-i-Saman, a post reserved
for the nobles.
 In 1612, Asaf Khan’s daughter, Arjumand Banu Begum (later known as Mumtaj), married
Jahangir’s third son, prince Khurram (later Shah Jahan).

Shah Jahan (1627-1658)

 Shah Jahan launched a continued war in the northwest frontier to recover Kandahar and
other ancestral lands.
 His Deccan policy was more successful.
 He defeated the forces of Ahmadnagar and seized it.
 Both Bijapur and Golkonda signed a treaty with the emperor.
 Shah Jahan engraved four Mughal provinces in the Deccan – Khandesh, Berar,
Telungana and Daulatabad

War of Succession

 The last years of Shah Jahan’s reign were clouded by a bitter war of succession among
his four sons
1. Dara Shikoh (crown prince)
2. Shuja (governor of Bengal)
3. Aurangazeb (governor of Deccan)
4. Murad Baksh (governor of Malwa and Gujarat)
 Aurangazeb emerged victorious in this struggle
 He entered the Agra Fort after defeating Dara
 He forced Shah Jahan to surrender
 Shah Jahan was confined to the female apartments in the Agra fort and strictly put under
watch
 Shah Jahan lived for eight long years lovingly nursed by his daughter Jahanara.
Aurangazeb (1658-1707)

 Aurangazeb was one of the ablest kings of the Mughal.

 He assumed the title Alamgir, World Conqueror.
 In his first ten years of reign, his military campaigns were a great success.
 But in the latter part of his reign, he faced serious difficulties.
 The Jats and Satnamis and also the Sikhs revolted against him due to his harsh
religious policy.
 The Deccan policy of the Mughals started from the reign of Akbar.
 Aurangazeb, as governor of Deccan, followed a belligerent Deccan policy.
 He concentrated on the northwest frontier in his first 25 years as the Mughal emperor
 In the same time, Sivaji, the Maratha Ruler carved an an independent Maratha kingdom
in the territories of north and south Konkan.
 Aurangazeb decided to invade Bijapur and Golkonda to hold the spread of the Marathas.
 He defeated Sikandar Shah of Bijapur and seized his kingdom.
 He proceeded against Golkonda and eliminated the Kutb Shahi dynasty.
 The destruction of the Deccan kingdoms was a political blunder by Aurangazeb.
 The barrier between the Mughals and the Marathas was removed and there ensued a

direct confrontation between them.

Religious Policy

 His ideal was to transform India into an Islamic state.

 He created a separate department to enforce moral codes under a high-powered officer
called Muhtasib.
 Drinking was prohibited. Cultivation and use of bhang and other drugs were banned
 Aurangazeb forbade music in the Mughal court
 He discontinued the practice of Jarokhadarshan
 He also discontinued the celebration of Dasarah and royal astronomers and astrologers
were also dismissed from service
 When he began a policy of destroying Hindu temples.
 The celebrated temples at Mathura and Benares were reduced to ruins.
 In 1679, he reimposed jiziya and pilgrim tax.
 The celebration of Muharram was stopped
  His invasions against the Deccan sultanates were partly due to his hatred of the Shia
faith
 He was also against the Sikhs and he executed the ninth Sikh Guru Tej Bahadur.
 His religious policy was responsible for turning the Rajputs, the Marathas and Sikhs into
the enemies of Mughal Empire
 It had also resulted in the rebellions of the Jats of Mathura and the Satnamis of Mewar.
 Therefore, Aurangazeb was held responsible for the decline of the Mughal Empire.

Personality and Character of Aurangazeb

 Aurangazeb was an orthodox Sunni Muslim.

 In his private life, Aurangazeb was diligent and disciplined
 He was very simple in food and dress.
 He earned money for his personal expenses by copying Quran and selling those copies.
 He did not consume wine.
 He was proficient in Arabic and Persian languages.
 He was devoted to his religion and conducted prayers five times a day.
 He strictly observed the Ramzan fasting.
 He misunderstood the true nature of the Maratha movement and provoked them.
 Also, he failed to solve the Maratha problem and left an open sore.
 His policy towards Shia Deccan Sultanates also proved to be wrong.
 His antagonistic policies towards non-Muslims did not help him to rally the Muslims to his

side and strengthened political enemies of the Mughal Empire.

Causes for the Downfall of the Mughals

 The Mughal Empire declined rapidly after the death of Aurangazeb.

 Taking this advantage, in 1739, Nadir Shah imprisoned the Mughal Emperor and looted
Delhi.
 The religious and Deccan policies of Aurangazeb contributed to its decline.
 The weak successors and demoralization of the Mughal army were also the reasons for
the decline.
 The financial difficulties due to continuous wars led to the decline.
  The neglect of the sea power by the Mughals was felt when the Europeans began to
settle in India.
 Further, the invasions of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali weakened the Mughal
state.

NCERT Notes: India Under The Mughals [Medieval Indian History Notes
For UPSC]
The Mughal reign was a crucial phase in the Indian History. This article throws light on
the Mughal era in India like Economic & Social Life, Agriculture, Trade Growth, etc.
To know more about the UPSC 2020, check the linked article.
INDIA UNDER THE MUGHALS

Economic and Social Life

 The socio-economic conditions of India are mentioned by many European

Travellers and trader who came to India and their accounts contain a mine of
information.
 Generally, most of the accounts describe the wealth and prosperity of India and
also the lavish life of the nobles.
 There are accounts of foreigners as well that give information about the poverty
and sufferings of the ordinary people such as peasants and artisans.

Mughal Nobility

 The Mughals were nobles and most of them were foreigners like Turks and
Afghans and formed a privileged class.
 The Mughal nobles were paid high salaries but their expenses were also the
same.
 Each noble had a large number of servants, horses, elephants etc.
 Wealthy people dressed in silk and cotton clothes and the poor people dressed
minimal.
 One of the foreigners Nikitin mentions that the people in the Deccan were bare-
footed indicating the high cost of leather.
  The common people food was pulses, millets and rice.
 In coastal region fish was common.
 Milk and milk products were surplus, salt and sugar were expensive, while ghee
and oil were cheaper.

Agriculture

 One of the estimate claims that at the beginning of the 17 century India’s
th

population was about 125 million.

 A large variety of crops such as barley, gram, pulses, rice, and wheat were
cultivated.
 Commercial crops such as indigo, oil-seeds, cotton and sugarcane were also
cultivated.
 During the seventeenth century two new crops, viz., tobacco and maize were
added.
 On a note, no new agricultural technique was introduced during this period.
 India was able to export food items like rice and sugar to the neighbouring
countries.

Growth of Trade

 The Indian trading classes spread across the country and were in large numbers.
 Seth and Bohra – Long distance traders
 Banik – Local traders
 Banjaras – Another class of traders specialized in carrying bulk goods, they also
moved long distances with their goods on the back of oxen.
 Bulk goods were also taken through rivers on boats.
 The Gujarati merchants included the Hindus, Jains and Muslims.
 In Rajasthan, Oswals, Maheshwaris, and Agarwals came to be called the
Marwaris.
 The most important trading communities in south India
 The Chettis on the Coramandal coast
 the Muslim merchants of Malabar
 Bengal – Exported sugar, rice as well as delicate muslin and silk.
Gujarat – Was an entry point of foreign goods from where fine textiles and silk
were taken to north India.
The major imports into India were certain metals such as
 tin and copper
 war horses and
 luxury items such as ivory
The import of gold and silver balanced of trade.
In the seventeenth century, the growth of foreign trade resulted in the increased
import of gold and silver.

Cultural Development under the Mughals

 The Mughal period witnessed a significant and widespread development in

cultural activity.
 It was evident in the sphere of art and architecture, painting, music and literature.
 The Mughals brought Turko-Iranian culture into India and the Indian traditions
were blended Turko-Iranian culture.

Art and Architecture

 The Mughals were fond of laying gardens with running water. Some of the
Mughal Gardens are:
 Nishat Bagh in Kashmir
 the Shalimar Bagh at Lahore
 the Pinjore garden in the Punjab
During the reign of Sher Shah, the mausoleum at Sasaram in Bihar and the
Purana Qila near Delhi were built.
Large scale construction of buildings started with the dawn of Akbar
He built many forts and the most famous one was the Agra Fort. It was built in
red sandstone.
His other forts are at Lahore and Allahabad.
 Shah Jahan built the famous Red Fort at Delhi with its Rang Mahal, Diwan-i-Am
and Diwan-i-Khaswas
Akbar also built a palacecum-fort complex at Fatehpur Sikri (City of Victory).
Many buildings in Guajarati and Bengali styles are also found in this complex.
Guajarati style buildings were probably built for his Rajput wives.
The most magnificent building in it is the Jama Masjid and the gateway to it
called Buland Darwaza or the Lofty Gate.
The height of the gateway is 176 feet. It was built to commemorate Akbar’s
victory over Gujarat.
Other important buildings at Fatehpur Sikri are Jodha Bai’s palace and Panch
Mahal with five storeys.
During Akbar’s reign, the Humayun’s tomb was built at Delhi and it had a
massive dome of marble.
It may be considered the precursor of the Taj Mahal.
Akbar’s tomb at Sikandara near Agra was completed by Jahangir.
Nur Jahan built the tomb of Itimaddaulah at Agra.
It was constructed wholly of white marble with floral designs made of semi-
precious stones on the walls. (Pietra dura)
This method became more popular during the reign of Shah Jahan.
Taj Mahal
 The Pietra Dura method was used on a large scale in the Taj Mahal.
 Taj Mahal is considered as jewel of the builder’s art.
 It contains all the architectural forms developed by the Mughals.
 The chief glory of the Taj is the massive dome and the four slender
minarets
 The decorations are kept to the minimum.
The Moti Masjid at Agra was built entirely in white marble. The Jama Masjid at
Delhi was built in red stone.
Many features of Mughal tradition can be seen in the Golden Temple at Amritsar.

Paintings and Music

  The foundation for the Mughal painting was laid by Humayun while staying in
Persia.
 He brought with him two painters – Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdal Samad to India.
 Akbar commissioned the illustrations of several literary and religious texts.
 He invited a large number of painters from different parts of the country to his
court.
 Both Hindus and Muslims joined in this work.
 Baswan, Miskina and Daswant attained great positions as Akabar’s court as
artists.
 Illustrations of Persian versions of Mahabharata and Ramayana were produced
in miniature form.
 Art Studio established by Akbar. Historical works such as Akbar Nama also
remained the main themes of Mughal paintings
 Mughal paintings reached its climax during the reign of Jahangir.
 He employed a number of painters like Abul Hasan, Bishan Das, Madhu, Anant,
Manohar, Govardhan and Ustad Mansur
 Music had also developed under the Mughals.
 Akbar patronized Tansen of Gwalior.
 Tansen composed many ragas.
 Jahangir and Shah Jahan were also fond of music.

Language and Literature

 Persian language became widespread in the Mughal Empire by the time of

Akbar’s reign.
 Many historical works were written during this period.
 They include Ain-i-Akbari and Akabar Nama authored by Abul Fazl.
 The leading poet of that period was his brother Abul Faizi.
 The translation of Mahabharata into the Persian language was done under his
supervision.
 Utbi and Naziri were the two other leading Persian poets
 Jahangir’s autobiography, Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri was famous for its style
 He also patronized many scholars like Ghiyas Beg, Naqib Khan and Niamatullah
 Shah Jahan also patronized many writers and historians like Abdul Hamid Lahori,
author of Padshah
 Nama and Inayat Khan who wrote Shah Jahan Nama.
 His son Dara Shikoh translated the Bhagavat Gita and Upanishads into the
Persian language
 Regional languages such as Bengali, Oriya, Rajasthani and Guajarati had also
developed during this period.
 Many devotional works including the Ramayana and Mahabharata were
translated into regional languages.
 The most influential Hindi poet was Tulsidas, who wrote the Hindi version of the
Ramayana, the Ramcharitmanas.