Major dynasties of Madhya Pradesh

Major dynasties of Madhya Pradesh

 Beginning from 6th Century BC we find that some parts of Madhya Pradesh became
thickly populated.
 There was growth of civilization, particularly in Malwa and Parts of the northern
regions.
 Avanti, with its capital at Ujjaini, comprised the major part of western Malwa. It was
one of the sixteen great Kingdoms (Mahajanapandas) of northern India during the
time of the Budha.
 Besides Ujjaini, Mahismati was another important town of western Malwa.
 Vidisha on the river Vetravati (Betwa) was the biggest town of eastern Malwa, with
Earn as its eastern military head quarters.
 During the 6th century BC king Pradyota was the monarch of Avanti.
During Maurya Period (321-185 BC)
Major sources for the study of Mauryan Empire are the Arthasastra of Kautilya and Indika of
Megasthenes.

 During the Maurya period almost the entire Madhya Pradesh region was included in
the Maurya empire. Ashoka set fjip an inscribed pillar also at Sanchi.
 Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of Mauryan Empire. Details about his early
life are not available He is believed to have belonged to Moriya Clan,hence got the
name Maurya. It is also said that his mother was Mura a women of lower birth hence
got the name Maurya. In some texts he is referred to as Vrishala and
 He conspired with Chanakya (Kautilya or Vishnugupta) the minister of Nanda to

overthrew the last Nanda ruler DhanaNanda.

 Chandragupta Maurya ascended the throne in BC 321. He fought against Selucus in
305 BC. Selucus surrendered before him and sent an ambassador, Megasthenese to
the court of Chandragupta Maurya.
  Chandragupta’s Governor Pushygupta constructed the famous Sudarshana lake.
ChandraGupta Maurya was converted to Jainism, abdicated the throne in favour of
his son Bindusara, passed his last days at Sravanabelagola (Near Mysore) where he
died in 298 BC.
 Chandragupa Maurya was responsible for the political unification of North India for
the first time.
 Bindusara was a follower of Ajivika sect. Bindusara was known as Amitragatha.
Ashoka (273-232 BC)
 Ashoka ascended the throne in 273BC and ruled upto 232 BC. He was known as
‘Devanampriya priyadarsi the beautiful one who was the beloved of Gods.
 Maski and Gujara Edicts of Ashoka gave the name Devanampriya Priyadarsi. Buddhist
tradition says Ashoka killed 99 of his brothers to capture the throne.
 Ashoka was the first king in Indian history who had left his records engraved on
stones. Ashokan inscriptions were written in Kharoshti and Brahmi scripts.
 Ashoka fought the Kalinga war in 261 BC Kalinga is in modern Orissa. Ashokan
inscriptions were deciphered by James
 After the battle of Kalinga Ashoka became a Buddhist, being shocked by the horrors
of the war.
 Ashoka was initiated to Buddhism by Upagupta or Nigrodha a disciple of Buddha.
 For the propagation of Buddhism Ashoka started the institution of
Dharmamahamatras.
 The IV Major Rock Edict of Ashoka tells about the practice of Dharma The Major
Rock Edict XII of Ahoka deals with the conquest of Kalinga.
 Ashoka held the third Buddhist council at his capital Pataliputra in 250BC under the
presidentship of Moggaliputa Tissa.
 He sent his son and daughter to Sri Lanka for the spread of Buddhism (Mahendra
and Sanghamitra)
 Ashoka spread Buddhism to SriLanka and Nepal. He is known as the Constantine of
Buddhism. In his Kalinga Edict he mentions ‘‘All man are as my children’’.
 Ceylones ruler Devanmpriya Tissa was Ashoka’s first convert to Buddhism.
 Ashoka ruled for 40 years and died in 232 BC.
 The emblem of the Indian Republic has been adopted from the four lion capital of
one of Ashokas pillars which is located in Saranath. Rock-cut architecture in India
made a beginning during Ashoka’s reign.
 Brihadratha the last Mauryan ruler was killed by Pushyamitra Sunga who founded the
Sunga Dynasty in 185 BC.
 Megasthenese the first foreign traveller to India mentions about the existence of
seven castes in India during the Mauryan period.

After Ashoka
  The Satnahanas were succeeded by the Buddhist and Senas in the Tripuri regions,
who ruled during the 2nd – 3rd Centuries A.D
 Madhya Pradesh ranks foremost in the country insofar as the rich and varied plasric
art is concerned.
 The Sunga-Sata-Vadhana Age brought a congenial atmosphere in Central India for
the development of fine arts.
 Apart from the depiction of the Jataka stories and interesting scenes from the life of
the Buddha on reliefed panels, bearing suitable Brahmi Labels, the art of Bharhut
opens before us an entire panorama of human and animal life.
Gupta Dynasty
 In the 4th century A.D a new power, the Gupta dynasty, arose in northern India.
 Chandragupta-I was the first monarch who extended his Kingdom in the Gangetic
Valley.
 His son, Samudragupta, made a countrywide conquest.
 Soon after the death of Samudragupta, the Sakas, taking advantage of weakness of
Ramaguta, over powered the latter.
 The problem of Ramuguta of the Gupta dynasty has been a controversial one.
 Various views have been expressed by scholars about this so called “Mysterious”
ruler.
 The region of Madhya Pradesh, particularly the area of Malwa received special
attention during the reign of Chandragupta-II.
 His inscriptions found at Vaigiri and Sanchi bear a testimony to this.
 After the death of Chandragupta-II, the Gupta supremacy over the Varmanas of
Dasapura (Mandsaur) seems to have been eclipsed for sometime during the early
reign of his son Kumargupta-I.
 A stone pillar inscription of this ruler dated Gupta era 141 (460 A.D.) has been
discovered at Supia (Distt. Rewa in M.P.).
 It records the setting up of Gotra Sailka (family memorial stone).
During Harsavardhana Time
 After the fall of the Gupta empire, parts of northern Madhya Pradesh went under the
suzerainty of Harsavardhana of Kanauj.
 He once visited the thick Vindhya forests while making a search for his sister Rajyasri.
 Banabhatta, the celebrated court-poet of Harsa, has left a vivid description of the
Vindhya forest.
 It seems plausible that Bana was bom and brought up near Chandreh in the Sidhi
district of Madhya Pradesh.
From 650 to 1250 A.D.
 From about ventury 650 to 1250 A.D. several dynasties ruled over different parts of
Madhya Pradesh.
 The chief dynasties of the early medieval period were the Guijara-Pratiharas, the
Chandellas, the Kalacuris (of Tripuri and Ratanpur), the Panduvamsis, the
Kacchapaghatas and the Paramaras.
  There were occasional skirmishes for political supremacy among these and other
contemporary powers.
Kalachuri Dynasty (10-12th Centuary)
 The geographical area for this dynasty was central part of India (MP and Rajasthan).
The founder of Dynasty was Kokalla 1st.
After and during 13th Century
 The Chandella dynasty of Bundelkhand was succeeded by Bundella, who entered into
his part in the 13th century. (The trace this origin /’ from Raja Pancama, son of
Gahadvala Chief Called Virafehadra

Khilji Dynasty
 The Khiljis, wrongly believed to be Afghans, were actually Turks who had for a long
time settled in the region of Afghanistan, called Khalji had adopted Afghan manners
and customs.
 There for their coming to the thrown of Delhi is called “Khalji” revulusion. The
Ghazani’s and Ghori’s invasions, and Mongol pressure from Central Asia had pushed
them into India.
 The term Khilji was their-designation, meaning in Turkic languages “swordsman”.
 Although they had played a noticeable role in the success of Turkic armies in India,
they had always been locked down upon by the leading Turks, the dominant group
during the Slave dynasty.
 They ruled in Northern part of MP specifically.
Jalauddin Khalji: 1290-1296 AD
 Jalaluddin Kjilji founded Khilji dynasty
 He followed mild and generous policies
 This generous policy of the Sultan affected his foreign policy as well.
 In 1290, he invaded the fort of Ranthambhor.
 In 1294, Ala-ud-din nephew of Jalal-ud-din, invaded Ramchandra, the ruler of
Devagiri in the south.
 Ramchandra was defeated and Ala-ud-din returneed with an immense booty.
Alauddin Khalji: 1296-1316 AD
 He was a nephew and son-in-law of Jalaluddin Khilji.
 Alauddin Khilji killed him and succeeded the throne in 1296.
 He was the first Turkish Sultan of Delhi who separated religion from politics.
 He proclaimed ‘Kingship knows no Kinship’.
 Alauddin’s Imperialism: Alauddin annexed Gujarat (1298), Ranthambhor (1301),
Mewar (1303), Malwa (1305), Jalor (1311).
 In Deccan, Aluddin’s army led by Malik Kafur defeated Ram Chandra, Pratap
Rudradeva, Vir ballal III and Vir Pandya.
  The most important experiment undertaken by the Alauddin was the attempt to
control the markets. Alauddin sought to control the prices of all commodities, from
foodgrains to horse, and from cattle and slaves to costly imported cloth.
Shihabuddin Omar: 1316 AD
Mubarak Khan: 1316-1320 AD
 After the death of Kafur (1316), Mubarak Khan was freed from prison and was
appointed as regent for Shiab-ud-din.
 He captured the throne at the first opportunity he got, but could rule only for 4 years
as he sank into debauchery and could not give up his dissipated lifestyle.
 He awarded his lover Hassan authority over the army and place guards, and the
latter soon obtained full control over the Sultan’s palace.
 Hassan was given the title Khusarau Khan by the Sultan and within months Khasrau
killed Mubarak Khan and assumed the title of Nasir-ud-din in mid 1320.
Khusro Khan: 1320 AD
 Khusrau Khan was killed by Ghazni Khan, governor of Dipalpur when he tried to
oppose a rebellion by Ghazni Malik and his son Fakhr-ud-din Jaima.
 This marked the end of the Khalji dynasty and the rise of Tughlaq dynasty at the
throne of Delhi.

The Mughals (1526-1540 and 1555-1857)

Babur (1526-1530)
 Babur was the first Mughal Emperor of India.
 Babur was born in Ferghana (1483), Central Asia, in the princely family of mixed
Mongol and Turkish blood.
 Failure to record his father’s land caused him to turn reluctantly to South-East.
 After defeating Ibrahim Lodhi with the support of Punjab’s Governor, Daulat Khan
Lodhi, Babur turned his attention to the Rajput confederacy & defeated Mewar ruler
Rana Sanga in the Battle of Khanwa in 1527.
 This victory secured Babur’s position in the Delhi Agra region.
Humayun (1530-1556)
 Humayun succeeded the Babur at the young age of 23. When he occupied the
throne, he found himself surrounded by enemies on all sides.
 In the east were Mahmud Lodhi and other Afghans under share Khan.
 In the South was Sultan Bahadur Shah, and the ruler of Gujarat, and in the north-
west, Kamran, the younger brother of Humayun.
 Humayun’s early expeditions were against Kalinjar, Jaunpur and Chunar.
Sher Shah Suri (1540-1545)
 Humayun was defeated by Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri and the Battle of
Chausa (near Buxar in Bihar) in 1539.
 Following the defeat, he was driven into exile in Persia. He regained his kingdom in
1555 after the end of rule of Suri Dynasty.
 Sher Shah was a great expansionist and wanted to expand his kingdom.
  In 1544, he invaded the fort of Kalinjar, which was ruled by Kirti Singh and laid a
blockade of the fort.
 During this siege, one of the cannons accidentally went off killing him on 26th of
May 1535.
 His dead body was taken to Sasaram, where he had already built a mausoleum for
himself, and was buried. Successors of Sher Shah were weak. The Suri dynasty’s rule
ended in 1545.
Akbar (1556-1605)
 Though Humayun reconquered his empire, he was not destined to reap the fruits of
his success.
 Humayun fell from staircase of his library and died soon due to its effect.
 The death of Humayun placed the responsibility of the kingdom over the younger
shoulders of Akbar.
 Akbar was as under the fortification of Bairam Khan(1556-60).
 Akbar was crowned at Kalanaur at the age of 13 years.
 Bairam Khan, the tutor of the Prince, became the Wakil of the kingdom with the title
of Khan-i-Khana and rallied the Mughal forces.
Jehangir (1605-1627)
 Ain-E-Jahangiri is the compilation of Jehangir 12 points on judicial probes.
 Jehangir was not without the imperial ambition of his father and early years of his
reign are some important military successes.
 Bengal had never been submissive to the vassakage of Delhi and the frequent
change of governors gave the local Afghans opportunity to rebel.
 In 1612, Jehangir saw the need of earning the goodwill of the plans in order to
disarm them against the Mughals. He therefore, followed a conciliatory policy.
 Most military success of Changi and was his trimph over the Rajput’s of Mewar.
 In 1613, Jehangir personally proceed to Ajmer to guide the expedition, the supreme
commander of which was given to Prince Khurram.
 Though the Rajputs displayed dauntless heroism, the suffered heavy losses.
 That pretty that was signed between the Rana and the emperor (1615) recognised
Jehangir as the suzerain of Mewa.
Shah Jahan (1627-1658)
 After putting an end of the short reign of his nephew, Dawar Bakshi, the son of
Khusru, Shah Jahan found himself in undisputed possession of the throne in 1627
when he was at the age of 36.
 After he became emperor, he exhibited modernisation as a ruler. Married to
Mumtaj/Anjumand Baanu Begum-1612.
 He had to face two revolves, at Bundelkhand and Deccan. Jujhar singh, the son of Bir
Singh Bundela, revolted in Bundelkhand, difficult to region to the south of the
Yamuna.
 Share Jahan pursued the Mughal designs of the complete conquest of the Deccan.
  However, it could not be completed during shah Jahan. Shah Jahan’s policy towards
Central Asia was to secure a position of Qandhar which the Persians had re-occupied
during the Jehangir’s reign. He occupied Badakshan and Balk in 1646.
Aurangzeb (1658-1707)
 Aurangzeb ruled for almost 50 years.
 His Empire stretched from Kashmir in the north to Jinji in the South, and from the
Hindukush in the West to Chittagong in the East.
 Within the Empire, he had to deal with a number of different problems, such as
problems of the Marathas in the Deccan, the Jats, and Satnamis and Rajputs in north
India, and that of Chip khans and Sikh in the north-west.
 Aurangzeb’s direct attention was concentrated on the affairs of north India.
 During 1681, the affairs of the South Central around the rise of the Marathas power
under Shivaji. For about 25 years (1682-7007) he made desperate efforts to crush the
Marathas, exhausting himself and his Empire in the process.

Following are the Later Mughuls :

 Bahadur Shah I (1707-1712) : Aurangzeb died in 1707. Pawar of succession started
among rest of his three surviving sons – Muazzam, Azam and Khan Baksh. Muazzam
defeated Azam and Khan baksh and ascended the Mughal throne with the title of
Bahadur Shah. He pursued pacifist policy and was, therefore, also called Shah
Bekhabar. He also assumed the title of Shah Alam I. He made peace with Guru
Gobind Singh and Chatrasal. He granted Sardeshmukhi to Marathas and also
released Shahu. He forced Ajit Singh to submit, but later recognised him as the Rana
of Mewar.
 Jahandar Shah (1712-13) : Acended the throne with the aid of Zulfikhar Khan. His
nephew, farrukhsiyar, dethroned him.
 Farrukhsiyar (1713-19) : of Ascended the throne with help of Sayyid brothers,
Abdullah Khan and Hussain Khan, who were Wazir and Mir Bakshi respectively.
Farrukhsiyar was killed by the Sayyid brothers in 1719. Sikh leader Banda
Bahadur was captured at Gurdaspur and executed.
 Mohammad Shah (1719-48) : During his reign, Nadir Shah provided India and took
away the peacock throne and Kohinoor diamond. He was a pleasure loving King and
was nicknamed During Muhammad Shah’ reign, autonomous states of Hyderabad,
Bengal and Awadh were established by Nizam-ul-mulk, Murshid Quli Khan and
Saddat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk respectively.
 Ahmed Shah (1748-1754) : During his reign Ahmed Shah Abdali (one of the best
general of Nadir Shah) marched towards Delhi and the Mughals ceded Punjab and
Multan.
 Alamgir (1754-1759) : During his reign, Ahmed Shah Abdali occupied Delhi. Later
Delhi was also captured by Marathas.
  Shah Alam II (1759-1806) : During his reign, Najib Khan Rohilla became very
powerful in Delhi. The Battle of Buxar(1764) was fought during his reign. During his
reign Delhi was overpowered by the 1803.
 Akbar Shah II (1806-37) : During his reign, Lord Hasting ceased to accept the
sovereignty of Mughals and claimed an equal status.
 Bahadur Shah II (1837-1862) : The last Mughal king, who was confined by the
British to the Red fort. During the revolt of 1857, he was proclaimed the Emperor by
the rebellions. He was deported to Rangoon following the 1857 rebellion.

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