Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about Ancient Dynasties of North India from Class 6 Social_Science.
The Mauryan empire was the first historical empire of India. Its contribution to various fields is extraordinary. Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka were the two outstanding emperors of this dynasty. Their life and achievements have been explained here. The contributions of King Kanishka of Kushanas has also been remembered here. It also describes the victory march of Samudragupta the greatest of Gupta’s and the brilliant progress made in various fields during the age of Chandragupta II. It introduces the way Harshavardhana saved the kingdom during troubled times and his contribution to the development of Buddhism. Historical, economical, social and literary contributions of the Karkotaka, Ahom and Rajput dynasties, which ruled between 620 C.E and 1200 C.E has also been discussed here. Along with this, there is a brief discussion about the various clans of Rajputs like Gurjara Pratiharas, Chauhans, Palas and Guhilas.
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Let us look at what we will learn. We will know about Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of Mauryan empire and his preceptor, Chanakya. We will understand the life and achievements of king Ashoka. We will understand the administrative system of Mauryans. We will recognise the achievements of Kanishka, the famous king of Kushanas. We will understand the achievements of India during the times of Samudra Gupta and Chandra Gupta II, the great kings of Gupta dynasty. We will know the causes that contributed to make Gupta Age a Golden Age. We will recall India as depicted by Fahein and Hu-En-Tsang in their works. We will understand the achievement and contribution of Harshavardhana. We will know the achievement of the Karkota dynasty. We will know major achievement of important Rajput kings. We will comprehend the contribution of the Mauryans, Kushanas, Guptas and Vardhanas to the field of art, literature, science, and architecture. We will appreciate the achievement of Ahom dynasty rulers and know about their contributions in the field of art.
Children, there is a wheel in the center of our National flag. Do you know its name? That is Ashoka Chakra, which means wheel. It is incorporated in our National Flag to symbolise progress. Then who is Ashoka? To which dynasty does he belong? What is the history of that family? What are the contributions of Ashoka? Let us know about these. The Mauryan empire was the first empire of India. Chandragupta Maurya established the Mauryan empire.
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Chandragupta Maurya was an adventurous youth. Vishnugupta of Takshashila was insulted by Dhanananda, king of Nanda dynasty. Vishnugupta was wise and an expert strategist, and had the names Chanakya and Kautilya. He trained Chandragupta Maurya in the art of warfare and helped him to establish his army. Meanwhile, Dhanananda had lost the confidence of his subjects and Chandragupta Maurya was able to dethrone him easily. Thus, Chandragupta Maurya established the Mauryan empire 2300 years ago and made Pataliputra, now Patna, the capital of Bihar, as his capital. Later Chandragupta Maurya organised a huge army and marched towards North West India. These territories, previously occupied by Alexander of Macedonia, were overseen by his representative Seleucus. Being defeated by Chandragupta Maurya’s army, Seleucus entered into a peace treaty with him. He surrendered Afghanistan, Baluchistan and Western Sindh territories to Chandragupta Maurya and also gave his daughter in marriage. In return, Chandragupta gifted 500 elephants to Seleucus.
Seleucus sent an ambassador named Megasthenes to Chandragupta’s court. Megasthenes wrote a book called Indica in which he has recorded his experiences. Vishnugupta or Kautilya was the prime minister of Chandragupta Maurya. His work Arthashastra tells many facts related to politics. This world famous work was first found in the manuscript collection of the Oriental Library, Mysuru. It was discovered by a scholar named R. Shamashastri. Chandragupta Maurya accepted Jainism. During his last days he handed over the throne to his son, Bindusara and followed the Jain monks to Karnataka. He undertook a severe vow called Sallekhana and sacrificed his body at Shravanabelagola in today’s Hassan district. Bindusara reigned for nearly 25 years.
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After Bindusara, his son, Ashoka ascended the throne. He holds a unique place in the world history. He was the first ruler who ruled the subjects saying subjects are like my children. Hundreds of Ashoka’s inscriptions have been found across the length and breadth of the subcontinent of India. These inscriptions are basically found in Brahmi script and Prakrit languages. Seventeen inscriptions of Ashoka are found in nine places of Karnataka. Among these the Maski inscription of Raichur district is important as Ashoka’s name was found for the first time in these inscriptions. Until then, his inscriptions only had the mention of Devanamapriya and Priyadarshi. Devanamapriya Priyadarshi Ashoka has been written in Maski inscription. From this inscription, we get to know that Devanamapriya and Priyadarshi refers to Ashoka himself. Through his inscriptions we can learn about his life, achievements, expansion of his empire and other aspects.
You should know that James Princep, a British officer, was the first to read Ashoka’s inscriptions 180 years ago. No one had read it before. Six centuries earlier, the Delhi Sultan Firozshah Tuglaq had made a futile attempt in getting Ashoka’s inscriptions read. Ashoka declared war on the state of Kalinga in the eighth year of his accession to power. This was a significant event in his life. Ashoka declared war on the state of Kalinga, a part of present day’s Odisha state. Thousands of people lost their lives in the war. One lakh people were injured. One and a half lakh enemy soldiers were captured. Ashoka was moved by the gruesome scenes of death and pain in the battlefield. Ashoka felt painful and decided not to wage wars from then onwards. There is no other emperor in the history of the world who has changed his mind in this way. Ashoka is called Mahashaya out of respect, as he followed the path of Dharma instead of the path of war.
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Ashoka was influenced by Buddhism and he accepted it. He propagated these religious messages to his subjects. He taught that one should be obedient to the teachers, elders and parents. One should be filled with compassion, generosity and truthfulness. He said that things like violence, anger and jealousy should be abandoned. Ashoka held the third Buddhist conference at Pataliputra. He built the Buddhist stupas. He sent ambassadors to spread the message of the Buddha, both within the country and abroad.
Now let us look at the Mauryan Administrative System. The King was the head of the administration. All powers were in his hands. There was a council of ministers to advise the king. There were higher officials to look after the administrative departments. Among them special officers called Dharma Mahamatras were promoting good moral conduct among the people. They were also responsible for looking after the welfare of orphans, widows and the aged. The vast kingdom was divided into many provinces, for the convenience of administration. In the villages, Gramika would carry on the governance with the help of the elders of the village. Villages were given a lot of power. The disputes of the village were settled by the Gram Sabha. Mauryan rule had its influence on many subsequent dynasties.
Some of the architecture and sculptures of the Ashoka period can be seen even today. Stupas and pillars are prominent among them. The Stupa of Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh and the pillars of Sarnath are famous among them. The four headed lion at the top of the pillar of Sarnath is our National emblem. You can also see Ashoka’s Inscription carved on stone, the Sanchi Stupa in Madhya Pradesh which is a large dome shaped structure, and Ashoka’s Monolith pillar standing tall and smooth. The Lion capital, which is our National emblem, shows four lions standing back to back on a circular base.
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About 2000 years ago Gandhara, now in Afghanistan, was ruled by the Kushan dynasty. In course of time, some parts of India were conquered by the Kushans. Kanishka was the famous king among the Kushans. He waged wars for a long time and expanded his empire. The expanse of his empire was spread in North India from Afghanistan to Bihar. Kanishka, a follower of Buddhism, also built many stupas like Emperor Ashoka. He sent Buddhist missionaries abroad. Also, he held the fourth Buddhist conference in Kashmir. Kanishka started the Shaka, or Shalivahana Shaka, year to commemorate his rise to power. At present, it has become the official calendar year of the Government of India. Let us look at the map of Kanishka’s Empire. The map shows the Arabian Sea to the west and the Bay of Bengal to the east. The Indian Ocean is to the south. The River Sindhu, River Yamuna, and River Ganga are marked. Important cities like Delhi, Mathura, Ujjaini, and Takshashila are shown within the empire boundaries.
Kanishka built many stupas. The stupa that he built at Purushapura, present day Peshawar, had a thirteen storied tower. The tower was 400 feet tall and was a wonder of the times. You would see an icon of Buddha in Gandhara style from Peshawar, and a stone idol of Kanishka with its head destroyed. Kanishka was a patron of art. He invited artists from various countries outside India. As a result, blending of various art styles helped to evolve new styles called Mathura style and Gandhara style, during this period. A stone idol of Kanishka is discovered at Mathura. Its head is destroyed. Kanishka’s name is etched on the pedestal. Many coins belonging to the Kushanas have been found. They were the first to circulate gold coins in India.
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Kanishka patronised scholars and writers. Among them Aswaghosha was prominent. He wrote Buddha Charita, in Sanskrit. Nagarjuna was a great philosopher and scientist in Kanishka’s court. Vasumitra, a scholar had presided over the fourth Buddhist conference held in Kashmir. Charaka, a physician is said to have been a contemporary of Kanishka. He wrote a treatise called Charaka Samhita.
Let us learn some new words. Ambassador means a king’s messenger or representative sent from one country to another. Empire means a vast kingdom. Stone Inscription or Edict means writings carved on rocks. Stupa means a monument with half spherical dome built around the urn. The urn which contains the remains like teeth, bone, and other relics of Buddha are preserved. Ashoka sent his Buddhist ambassadors not only to different kingdoms but also to Burma, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Egypt, West Asia and Eastern Europe. Ashoka’s son Mahendra and daughter Sangamitra went to Sri Lanka. Mahadeva was sent to Mysuru, then Mahishamandala, of Karnataka and Rakshita to Banavasi of Uttara Kannada district as propagators of Dharma. Architecture is the art of construction of a building. Sculpture is the art of making idols. During the reign of Ashoka, stones were used instead of wood and bricks for architectural construction. This is the reason why Mauryan architecture and sculpture have survived to this day. Ashoka’s inscriptions are located in Raichur, Koppal, Chitradurga, Bellary and Gulbarga districts in Karnataka. An inscription at Maski, Raichur district, calls Ashoka, Devanamapriya and Priyadarshi.
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Basic characteristics of Mauryan governance which was more than 2300 years old can be found even in today’s Indian administration. The present hierarchy of administration is Central, States, divisions, districts, taluks, hoblis, and villages. Ayurveda is still the most popular system of medicine in India. The UNO has recognised it. The use of this system is increasing in other countries as well.
Now let us solve the exercises together. Fill in the blanks with appropriate word. One. An ambassador sent by Seleucus to the court of Chandragupta Maurya was Megasthenes. Two. The emperor who said the subjects are like my children was Ashoka. Three. Our national emblem is the four headed lion capital from the pillar of Sarnath. Four. Kanishka began a new era called Shaka or Shalivahana Shaka, to commemorate his accession to the throne. Answer the following questions. Five. Who founded the Mauryan empire? Chandragupta Maurya founded the Mauryan empire. Six. Which city was the capital of Mauryan empire? Pataliputra, now Patna in Bihar, was the capital. Seven. Which book did Kautilya write? Kautilya wrote Arthashastra. Eight. Which book did Megasthenes write? Megasthenes wrote Indica. Nine. What were the functions of Dharma Mahamatras? They promoted good moral conduct among the people and were responsible for looking after the welfare of orphans, widows and the aged. Ten. Where did Kanishka hold the Boudha Maha Sabha? Kanishka held the fourth Buddhist conference in Kashmir. Discuss in group and answer. Eleven. Write about the significance of Kalinga war. The Kalinga war was fought in the eighth year of Ashoka’s reign. Thousands died, one lakh were injured, and one and a half lakh were captured. The gruesome scenes moved Ashoka deeply, leading him to abandon war forever and adopt the path of Dharma and Buddhism. He became known as Mahashaya for this change. Match the contents of list A with list B. One, Ashoka matches with Devanamapriya. Two, Kanishka matches with Kanishkapura. Three, Ashwaghosha matches with Buddha charita. Four, Gandhara matches with Kala kendra.
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After Mauryans the Guptas built the empire. Gupta dynasty is an important royal family in India. Pataliputra was the capital of Guptas. The most famous kings of this dynasty were Samudragupta and Chandragupta II. Samudragupta was a great warrior. An inscription on the pillar at Allahabad gives account of his victory march. This inscription of Samudragupta was written by the court poet Harisena. According to that, Samudragupta defeated nine kings of North India. Realizing his great military power, many kings surrendered themselves. The Kushana rulers of distant Afghanistan and Satraps, Shakas, of Gujarat acknowledged Samudragupta’s supremacy. Later Samudragupta undertook an expedition to Southern India and defeated twelve kings of the South. Among them one of the kings was of Kanchi. He performed the Ashwamedha yaga, horse sacrifice, to commemorate this expedition. Samudra Gupta was a patron of education. Himself a poet and musician, Samudra Gupta was accorded the title Kaviraja, king of poets. Coins have been found depicting him playing the veena. A senior Buddhist monk Vasubandhu was his minister. Samudra Gupta’s coins reflects the power, prosperity and glory of Gupta dynasty.
Chandragupta II the successor and son of Samudragupta was an expert in warfare. He defeated Satraps, Shakas, who were ruling Gujarat for more than three centuries. This was his great military achievement. He had a title Vikramaditya. He issued new types of gold coins. Kalidasa, the great poet and many other famous scholars were there in his court. The empire prospered well in the field of economy. Literature, iconography, architecture, painting, science and mathematics flourished like never before. Fa hein was a Buddhist pilgrim from China. He visited India with a longing to see the birth place of Buddhism. That was during the period of Chandragupta II. Fa hein has recorded his experiences in India in his book Fo kwo ki. According to him crimes were rare, in Gupta empire. Administration was pro people. Travel around the country was smooth. Fa hein travelled for many years in India visiting Buddhist sites. He returned to his country with many Buddhist scriptures. He translated them into Chinese language.
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During the Gupta period Sanskrit language developed well due to royal patronage. Kalidasa was a great poet of the Gupta times. He is one of the best playwrights of the world. He was one of the nine Jewels men, the Navaratna who adorned the court of Chandragupta II. Kalidasa had composed four epics and three dramas. Abhijnana Shakunthalam is his great play. He has been hailed as Kavikula Guru. Shudraka who wrote Mricchakatika and Vishakha Datta who wrote Mudrarakshasa were other famous dramatists of that time. Vishnu Sharma’s Panchatantra belongs to this period. Amara Simha’s Amarakosha a dictionary is a rare work. It is still in use today. In our country temple architecture developed during the times of the Guptas. The Sanchi temple in Madhya Pradesh is the oldest temple in India. Other temples of the Guptas are at Bhitargaon and Devgarh in Madhya Pradesh. The idol of Lord Vishnu in the Dashavatar temple at Devgarh is very beautiful. Stupas and Chaityalaya: Dhamek Stupa, 128 feet tall, at Saranath is a unique construction of the Gupta period. Paintings: Buddhist viharas and cave temples of Gupta times carved out of big rocks are found in Ajanta and Ellora. The pictures painted on the walls and ceilings of the caves at Ajanta are famous all over the world. Science, Mathematics and Astronomy: Science and technology got tremendous progress during the Gupta period. Aryabhata of Pataliputra was a well known mathematician of Gupta times. His work is Arya Bhateeyam. Aryabhata founded the reason for eclipses and also contributed to the fields of Algebra and Trigonometry. He achieved all these great heights when he was just 23 years. Brahma Gupta was another eminent mathematician of that time. Varahamihira, the great astronomer belonged to this period.
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Metallurgy achieved great progress during the Gupta period. The iron pillar at Mehrouli near Qutub minar in Delhi is an example for this. This pillar, though 1500 years old, has not rusted or suffered wear and tear. There is an 8 feet tall Buddha statue made of copper, of this time, at Nalanda. Vagbhata of the Gupta times prepared a paraphrase of the famous work Charaka Samhita, that is Ashtanga Hridaya Samhita. This is an important scripture on Ayurveda. Surgery was also highly advanced in ancient India. Surgeons were using 127 types of surgical instruments. They used to extract iron and stones from the body. The Indian physicians are credited for introducing mercury as medicine for the first time. Astronomy means the scientific study of planets, stars and celestial objects. Know these facts: One. Gupta dynasty commenced 1600 years ago; it ruled for more than two centuries. Two. Plays of Kalidasa are Abhijnana Shakuntalam, Malavikagnimitra and Vikramorvashiya. Poems are Raghuvamsha, Kumarasambhava, Ritusamhara, and Meghaduta. Three. Temples during Gupta times were built on a square plinth. They had a sanctum sanctorum and only a portico. Four. Bhitti means wall. The pictures written on wall are called Murals. They are found on walls of the Buddhist caves temples of Ajanta. They were painted with local available colours and ordinary brushes. These caves were hidden from view for many centuries. They were discovered in 1819. Five. The weight of the iron pillar at Mehrouli is 6 tonnes, and is 23 feet tall. Until the beginning of the 19th century no European black smith could cast such pillar.
Let us solve the Gupta exercises. Fill in the blanks with appropriate word. One. The capital of Gupta’s was Pataliputra. Two. The Gupta king who hailed the title Kaviraj was Samudragupta. Three. The work Mudrarakshasa was written by Vishakha Datta. Four. Mahakavi who had the title of Kavikulaguru was Kalidasa. Answer the following questions. Five. Which emperor’s details are there in the pillar inscription of Allahabad? Samudragupta’s details are there. Six. Who was the Chinese pilgrim who visited India during Gupta period? Fa hein was the Chinese pilgrim. Seven. Name any one play of Kalidasa. Abhijnana Shakuntalam is one of his plays. Eight. Who wrote Mricchakatika? Shudraka wrote Mricchakatika. Nine. Which dictionary was composed by Amarasimha? Amarakosha was composed by Amarasimha. Ten. Who was the famous mathematician of Gupta period? Aryabhata was the famous mathematician. Discuss in group and answer. Eleven. Describe the achievements of Samudragupta. He defeated nine kings of North India and twelve kings of South India. He received tribute from Kushana rulers and Shakas. He performed Ashwamedha yaga, was a patron of education, a poet and musician titled Kaviraja, and his coins show him playing the veena. Twelve. Explain the contributions of the Gupta’s to Sanskrit literature. Sanskrit flourished under royal patronage. Kalidasa wrote great plays and poems. Shudraka wrote Mricchakatika, Vishakha Datta wrote Mudrarakshasa, Vishnu Sharma wrote Panchatantra, and Amara Simha wrote the dictionary Amarakosha. Match the list of list A with B. One, Kaviraj matches with Samudragupta. Two, Vikramaditya matches with Chandragupta II. Three, Fa hein matches with Fo kwo ki. Four, Meharouli matches with Iron pillar. Five, Varahamihira matches with Astronomy.
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After the decline of the Gupta empire, many independent dynasties arose in North India. The Pushyabhuti dynasty was the most prominent among them. Prabhakara Vardhana, Rajyavardhana and Harshavardhana were the prominent rulers of this dynasty. Harshavardhana was a young man of 16 when he ascended the throne. By this time many tragedies had happened in his life. After the death of his father Prabhakaravardhana, his brother Rajavardhana came to power. The younger sister Rajyashree was married to Grihavarman of Moukhari family. An evil king of Malwa killed Grihavarman and imprisoned Rajyashree in Kanauj. Then Rajavardhana marched and defeated the Malwa army but was killed by Shashanka of Gowdadesha. In such difficult situation, Harshavardhana came to power. In the meantime, he found, Rajashree the widow sister who was wandering in the Vindhya mountains after her release from custody. Later his brother in law Grihavarman’s Moukhari kingdom came under the rule of Harshavardhana. He made Kanauj of Moukhari as his capital. Then he waged war on Shashanka who had killed his brother Rajavardhana. Later organised enough army and won Kashmir and Sindh provinces. He then invaded South India. In South India he was defeated by Pulikeshi II, a Kannada ruler of Chalukya dynasty on the banks of Narmada. Overall having control of North India, Harshavardhana ruled for nearly 40 years. Harshavardhana had a close relation with Chinese traveller Hu en Tsang.
Harshavardhana was not only a warrior, but also a poet. Harshavardhana himself penned plays in Sanskrit Priyadarshika, Ratnavali and Nagananda. He had patronised poets like Banabhatta. Banabhatta wrote Harshacharita, a biography of Harshavardhana. A lover of education, Harshavardhana gave munificent endowments to Nalanda University. Dharma: Harshavardhana was tolerant to all dharmas which means he respected all the religions. Although originally he was a Shaivite, he gave great importance to Buddhism. Organised religious conferences in Kanauj and Prayag. Let us look at the map of the Empire of Harshavardhana. The map shows the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. The Indian Ocean is to the south. The Narmadha River is marked. Important cities like Thaneswar, Indraprastha, Mathura, Kanauj, Udayapur, Vallabhi, Bhirukachacha, Ujjayani, Vidisha, Prayag, Kashi, Nalanda, Rajagriha, Tamralipi, Bodha Gaya, and Kashmir are shown.
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Hiuen Tsang, was a famous Chinese traveller. He came to India about 1400 years ago. He travelled in India for 15 years and studied Buddhist literature. He also studied at Nalanda University. He stayed for many years in the court of Harshavardhana. He recorded his experiences in India in Si yu ki, Record of Western kingdoms, a travelogue. Nalanda University in present Bihar state was famous for more than six centuries from the times of Gupta period. It was a famous university in ancient India. Thousands of students from foreign countries like Japan, China etc. used to come here to study. There were eight large schools and three large libraries. Although Buddhism was the main subject of study here Veda, Yoga, medicine and other subjects were also taught. In due course of time, on account of many attacks, books in the University were set on fire. Great scholars died. Nalanda University lost its reputation due to all these reasons. Hiuen Tsang had spent many years in this college. Do you know: In Nalanda University there was no fee for education, shelter or food. The revenue of hundred villages was earmarked to meet all these expenses. Emperor Harshavardhana was one of the patrons of this University. Students led a disciplined life. Great scholars were faculty members.
Let us answer the exercises. Fill in the blanks with suitable words. One. The Chinese tourist who was very close to Harshavardhana was Hu en Tsang. Two. Hiuen Tsang’s travelogue was Si yu ki. Three. Nalanda University was in present Bihar state. Four. Harshavardhana was defeated on the banks of river Narmada by the king Pulikeshi II. Answer the following questions. Five. Name Harshavardhana’s elder brother and younger sister. His elder brother was Rajyavardhana and younger sister was Rajyashree. Six. Which was the capital of Harshavardhana? Kanauj was his capital. Seven. Who wrote Harshacharita? Banabhatta wrote Harshacharita. Eight. Mention the plays written by Harshavardhana. He wrote Priyadarshika, Ratnavali and Nagananda. Nine. Which is the most famous ancient Indian University and where? Nalanda University in present day Bihar state is the most famous.
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The Karkota dynasty of Kashmir was one of the Indian dynasties which had efficient administration, model state and achieved the impossible. The dynasty found by Raja Durlabhavardhana in 625 C.E. was one of the powerful kingdoms of that time in India. The Karkota Empire which existed for 230 years, from 625 to 855 C.E., not only extended in the Himalayas and its foothills but also extended into Central Asia. The Karkotas were Sun worshippers who made Paraspore or Parihasapura as their capital. The famous Marthanda Sun temple in Kashmir, which represents the importance of Kashmir, is their important contribution. A notable and influential ruler of Karkota dynasty was Lalithaditya who came to power in 724 C.E. During his reign of 36 years the extension of empire included the present day Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Bihar states. This period is important in Karkota dynasty because Lalithaditya gave ample encouragement to art and culture. The period of Karkota is said to be the most glorious period of Shaivism in Kashmir. Vasugupta’s Shaivasutra was composed during this period. Abhinavagupta, a famous philosopher and poet belonged to this period. Trika and Koula of Shaivasutra traditions reached their zenith during this period. The famous poet Kalhana was in the court of Lalithaditya.
Rajputs were well known for their adventure and power. They claim to be Kshatriyas belonging to Surya vamsa and Chandra vamsa. The Rajputs ruled in North India for about 500 years. It was a glorious period. These were the ones who fought bravely against the military march and facing boldly the Arabs, Turks and the Mughals. In Indian history Rajputs have a distinctive place. They felt it was their bounden duty to protect the cows, orphans, weak and women. They defended those who sought protection. They sought inspiration from the songs composed over the heroic deeds of their ancestors. The Rajput women were very brave. When women lost their husbands in war thinking that death would be better than living in disgrace, they would sacrifice themselves in mass. This practice is called Johar.
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The contribution of the Rajput Age to architecture, literature and art are quite rich. Their beautiful temples, magnificent palaces and formidable forts can be seen even today. Following are some of the structures built by them. Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh: The world famous Khandoraya Mahadeva temple is at Khajuraho. There were 85 temples here. Today 22 of them remains. Dilwara in Rajasthan: The Marble temples at Dilwara on Mount Abu is world famous for its fascinating micro carvings. Konarak in Odisha: The magnificent Sun Temple at Konarak is one of the grandest and largest temples in India. It is shaped like the chariot of Sun God. The 24 wheels of the chariot are beautifully carved. Bhubaneswar in Odisha: The Lingaraja temple at Bhubaneshwar is 1000 years old. The Shikhara, the topmost point of the Garbh Gruha, rises to a height of 180 feet. Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh: The gigantic Gwalior fort has been called as The pearl among the Indian forts. Within the fort is a two storeyed palace built by Raja Mansingh for his beloved queen Mriganayane. On the walls of rocks outside the Gwalior fort several huge statues have been carved among them the idol of Vrishabhanath, Adinath, the first Jain Tirthankara is the tallest. Jaipur in Rajasthan: Jaipur city is popularly known as the Pink City. Because all the buildings of the city have been painted pink. It is described as one of the beautiful cities of the world. The five storeyed Hawa Mahal at Jaipur is an attractive structure. Udaipur in Rajasthan: The palace in the scenic city of Udaipur, India is the largest in Rajasthan. Chikani Paintings: Rajputs encouraged murals and chikani paintings, which means miniature intricate drawings. The paintings were done on the walls of palaces, temples and forts, and also on the books as decoration by the artists.
Sanskrit literature flourished during the Rajput Age. Gujarati, Hindi and Rajasthani languages developed. Chand Bardai’s Prithviraj Raso is a famous Hindi work of the period. Many of the Rajput rulers were themselves scholars. They patronised poets. Jayadeva, who wrote Gita Govinda, was in the court of the Sena rulers. The Rajput dynasties supported Nalanda, Kashi, Vikramashila, Ujjayini and other ancient higher centres of learning. Several Rajput dynasties played an important role in Indian history. Among them the Gurjara Pratihara, the Pala, the Chauhans and the Guhila’s achievements have been depicted here. The Gurjara Pratiharas were ruling from Avanti, Ujjaini, in Madhya Pradesh. The greatest ruler of the dynasty was Nagabhata. He is credited for having defended India from the Arab invasion. He built a vast empire. King Bhoja was a great ruler of the dynasty and a writer. He captured Kanauj, the prestigious city of that time. He defeated the Palas of Bengal. The Arab traveller Sulaiman, who visited India during his time, calls him as a noble king, the enemy of the Arabs, having an efficient cavalry. The Palas ruled for about four centuries. Dharmapala was the greatest ruler of the dynasty. His kingdom was one of the great kingdoms of the time in north India. His greatest achievement was the conquering of the famous city of Kannauj. The Pala dynasty was overthrown by Vijayasena, a ruler of Karnataka origin and established Sena dynasty. The Palas were followers of Buddhism. They patronised Hindu Dharma. They showed special interest in the spread of education. The educational centres of Uddandapura, Vikramashila were established during their period.
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Prithviraj III was the well known ruler among the Chauhans. Delhi was his capital city. The fascinating story of Prithviraj Chauhan marrying Samyukta, the beautiful daughter of Jayachandra, the king of Kannauj, has been narrated in several literary works. Samyuktha was very beautiful. There was enmity between Jayachandra and his relative Prithviraj. Jayachandra did not invite Prithviraj for the swayamvara of Samyukta. In order to insult Prithviraj, Jayachandra placed at the entrance of his palace a statue of the former to appear to be a palace guard. Samyuktha who was in love with Prithviraj, setting aside all the princes assembled for the swayamvara to seek her hand, went to the palace gate and garlanded the statue of Prithviraj. Prithviraj, who was hiding all the time behind the statue, rushed Samyukta to his palace on his horse and married her. This episode, however, further embittered the relations between the two royal houses. Prithviraj opposed the invasions of Muhammad Ghori. He united many Rajput kings. However Jayachandra of Kannauj refused to join him. Prithviraj defeated Muhammad Ghori in the battle but pardoned him. The next year Prithviraj was defeated in a war between them. During this hour of crisis Prithviraj tried to escape on his horse. However he was captured by the enemy soldiers. Muhammad Ghori got him killed. Delhi was captured by Muhammad Ghori. This marked the beginning of the reign of the Delhi Sultans. Prithviraj was known for bravery and valour. Prithiraj’s heroic deeds have been described in the Hindi poem called Prithviraj Raso by Chand Bardai. The Guhilas: Among the Rajputs Guhilas, Guhilots, belong to a lineage of great warriors. Khommana, a ruler of the dynasty, defended his kingdom from the Arab military expedition and took the title of Bappa Rawal. Rana Kumbha a warrior of this dynasty fought against the Sultans of Delhi and defended his kingdom. He built 32 forts for the security of the kingdom. The magnificent victory tower, Vijaya Sthambha, at Chittorgarh was his creation. Rana Sanga or Rana Sangrama Simha was another famous ruler of the Guhilas. A hero of a hundred battles. He had 80 scars of war on his body. He constantly fought against the sultans of Delhi.
Since the Gupta period land was granted to those who served in the government. This practice gave rise to zamindari system. This system added difficulties to the farmers. Towns had craftsmen and traders and the vaishyas, merchants, were engaged in business and banking. Foreign trade flourished. Mostly the Arab traders traded with India. Spices, cotton and silk clothes, perfumes and diamonds were exported from India. Horses were imported from Central Asia and Arabia. The income of the kingdom was mostly spent on building forts and temples. This provided employment to people. Social conditions: During the period of Rajputs social classes in society were based on their professions. Women were held in high esteem in the society. Women were experts in literature, dance, music, painting and embroidery work. Rajputs believed that taking bath in holy places was sacred. Pushkar, the centre of worship of Brahma near Ajmer, was an important place of pilgrimage. Every year a huge camel fair was held here and it is famous even now.
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Ahom rulers had ruled over the parts of modern Assam for 598 years, from 1228 to 1826 C.E. The dynasty was started by Shan prince Sukapa. His ancestors crossed Patcoy mountains and settled in Assam. The king was called Aasam raja and the citizens were called Kavopha. The King was appointed only with the concurrence of Patra mantris, Council Burhagohen, Borgohen, Borbarua, Borphukan and Borpatrogohen. The cabinet had the power of removing a king. In its 600 years of rule, three important rulers Sukapha, the founder of Ahom Dynasty, Suhang Mung, the one who extended the empire, and Supatha, the one who strived for the overall development of the kingdom were identified. Lachit Borphukan became a famous Commander in Chief of the army. The Queens of Ahom: Like the Ahom kings, even the queens took major part in the administration of the kingdom. The chief queen was called Boor kuvari and the other queens as Parvtiya kuvari, Rajdangiya kuvari and Tamuli kuvari. The queens were usually belonged to Ahom dynasty. After the demise of the king, the queens took up the responsibility of administration themselves. Coins were printed with the names of king and the queen on both the sides. Fight with the Mughals: Historians have recognized the fact that the Ahom kingdom was the major obstacle to the Mughals for gaining control over the North East. They invaded Ahom between 1615 to 1682 C.E. several times and captured few places. Later King Chakradwaja Singha along with his minister Borphukan defeated Mughuls and captured and took back the conquered places. As a result of the struggle Guwahati became a part of Ahom. Naval Force of Ahoms: Ahoms used to keep their naval force to the west of Bhramaputra river and drove the enemies away. They were experts in the naval warfare. They were outstanding in building the naval ships. They knew guerialla warfare. Therefore Mughal rulers could not defeat them easily. Chronology: Karkota Dynasty 625 to 855 C.E. Rajputs 650 to 1200 C.E. Ahom Dynasty 1228 to 1826 C.E.
Let us solve the final exercises. Fill in the blanks with a suitable word. One. The prominent ruler of Karkota Dynasty was Lalithaditya. Two. The poet who composed Gita Govinda was Jayadeva. Three. Ahom Dynasty ruled over the parts of modern Assam. Four. The Arab traveller who visited the court of King Bhoja, the prominent ruler of Gurjara pratihara was Sulaiman. Answer the following questions. Five. State the qualities of the Rajputs. They were adventurous, powerful, brave, and felt it was their bounden duty to protect cows, orphans, the weak, and women. They defended those seeking protection and drew inspiration from heroic ancestral songs. Six. Name any three famous architectural structures of the Rajput Age. Where are they located? The Khandoraya Mahadeva temple at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, the Marble temples at Dilwara on Mount Abu in Rajasthan, and the Sun Temple at Konarak in Odisha. Seven. Write a short note on Prithviraj Chauhan. He was a Chauhan ruler with Delhi as his capital. He married Samyukta, defeated Muhammad Ghori once but pardoned him, and was defeated and killed in the second battle. He was known for bravery and valour. Eight. Who was Bappa Rawal? Khommana, a ruler of the Guhila dynasty, defended his kingdom from Arab military expedition and took the title Bappa Rawal. Nine. Write a short note on Rana Sangram Singh. Also known as Rana Sanga, he was a famous Guhila ruler, a hero of a hundred battles with 80 war scars, who constantly fought against Delhi sultans. Ten. Write a note on the social conditions during the Rajput Age. Social classes were based on professions. Women were highly esteemed and experts in arts. Bathing in holy places was sacred. Pushkar near Ajmer was a major pilgrimage site with a famous annual camel fair.
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Now let us look at the activities for your practice. First, list out the places in Karnataka where you find Ashoka’s inscriptions. They are located in Raichur, Koppal, Chitradurga, Bellary and Gulbarga districts. Second, collect pictures with details of the Mauryan architecture and sculpture and prepare an album. Third, make a list of places where Ashokan inscriptions are found in Karnataka, which we just discussed. Fourth, collect the photos of Rajput temples, palaces and forts and write a short note on each. Fifth, mark the centres of Rajput architecture on the map. Sixth, list the names of writers and poets of the ancient Kashmir and their works. Vasugupta wrote Shaivasutra, Abhinavagupta was a philosopher and poet, and Kalhana was a famous poet in Lalithaditya’s court. Seventh, read the biography of Lachit Borphukan. Finally, collect more details about the ancient universities of India from the internet and prepare a report.
Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]