Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about India from 6th to 14th Century from Class 9 Social_Science. In this chapter, we will explore the Rajput dynasties that ruled North India and their contributions, the Karkota Dynasty of Kashmir, the Afghan invaders Mahmud Ghazni and Mohammed Ghori, and the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate along with their administration and contributions. Certain dynasties ruled between the 6th and 14th centuries in India. After the Vardhanas, the Rajput and Karkota dynasties ruled in North India. Subsequently, Mohammed Ghazni, Mohammed Ghori, and the Delhi Sultans ruled over many parts of India. Let us begin with the Rajputs who ruled from the 6th to the 12th century. The Gurjara Pratiharas, Garhwalas, Paramaras, Chauhans, Solankis, and Chandela Rajput families ruled in North India. They contributed greatly to literature, art, and architecture.
The Gurjara Pratiharas were started by Harichandra. His four sons ruled different branches at Jodhpur, Nandipur, Broach, and Ujjain. Nagabhatta, who ruled Ujjain, was prominent and successfully faced the Arab invasion. He extended his territory up to portions of Rajasthan, beyond Gujarat and Malwa. Another prominent king, Mihir Bhoj, defeated Narayanpala of the Palas and expanded his kingdom. Arab travellers Suleiman and Al Masood visited his court. After Mahendra Pala and Mahipala, this dynasty declined. The Garhwalas were founded by Chandradeva, who conquered vast areas of North India. Govindachandra was another famous king who seized Magadha and Malwa from the Palas, fought with Kalinga rulers, and expanded his kingdom to Orissa. He maintained diplomatic relations with Kashmir, Gujarat, and Chola kings.
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The Paramaras were founded by Upendra Krishna Raja, with their capital at Dhara in Malwa. King Shiyak defeated Kottiga the Second of the Rashtrakutas, freed himself from feudatory status, and built many tanks and temples. His court scholars included Dhananjaya, Bhatta Halayuddha, Dhanika, and Padmagupta. The Chauhans were founded by Vasudeva Chauhan. This was the most prominent Rajput dynasty. Prithviraj Chauhan, who hailed from Ajmer, was the most famous king. He defeated the Chandela kings of Bundelkhand and Mohammed Ghori in the first battle of Tarain. However, he lost the second battle of Tarain due to the treachery of Jayachandra, which led to the loss of his capital, Delhi, to Mohammed Ghori. Prithviraj Chauhan was known for bravery and adventurous nature, described in the Hindi epic Prithviraj Raso. Some unwise decisions led to his downfall. The Solankis were founded by Mularaja the First. Bheemaraya the First was famous. During his rule, Mohammed Ghazni attacked the Somnath Temple. Unable to resist, Bheemaraya handed power to his son Karnadeva. Jain scholar Hemachandra wrote the Prakrit dictionary Deshinamamala. Mularaja the Second defeated Mohammed Ghori near Mount Abu. Later, Allauddin Khilji’s commanders Ulugh Khan and Nusrat Khan defeated Karnadeva. The Chandelas established their kingdom after the Paramaras declined. Founded by Nannuka, they were initially feudatories of the Pratiharas. Dhanga was the famous king who declared independence, occupied eastern Pratihara territories, defeated the Palas and the Adras, and gave military aid to Hindu Shahi king Jayapala against Muslims. He received the title Maharajadhiraja. During his rule, Bhavabhuti wrote Malati Madhava, Uttara Ramacharita, and Mahavira Charitha in Sanskrit. King Dhanga was a scholar himself. His kingdom was later taken over by the Khilji sultans. Hatred and lack of unity among Rajput kings caused their decline.
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Let us look at the contributions of the Rajputs. They were Kshatriyas and brave warriors. Practices like sati and johar were prevalent. Swayamvar marriages were common in royal families. Rajput women were proud, brave, and skilled in literature, dance, music, painting, and embroidery. Kings encouraged scholars. Kings Bhoja and Munja were scholars themselves. King Munja hosted poets Padmagupta and Halayudha. Bhojaraja patronized Jain scholars Shantisena, Prabhachandrasuri, and Ghanapala. Great works include Gita Govinda by Jayadeva, Kiratarjuniya by Bharavi, Ravanavadha by Bharthrahari, and Kavyameemamsa by Mahendrapala. Dramas include Balaramayana and Karpuramanjari by Rajasekhara, and Mahavira Charita and Uttara Ramacharita by Bhavabhuti. Historical works include Rajatarangini by Kalhana, Prithvirajavijaya by Jayanika, and Kumarapalacharita by Hemachandra. Prithviraj Raso was written by Chand Bardai, and Bhoja Prabandha by Ballala. Gujarati, Rajasthani, and Hindi languages developed. Kings encouraged educational centers at Nalanda, Banaras, Vikramashila, and Ujjain. In art and architecture, they built massive forts at Chittoda, Mandu, Ranathambore, Jodhpur, and Gwalior. Palaces of Jaipur, Gwalior, and Udaipur, Dilawar temple at Mount Abu, and Vimalavasai and Lunavasai temples are notable. Chandelas built Khajuraho and Khandaraya temples in Madhya Pradesh. Shaiva and Vaishnava temples were prominent. They encouraged painting, leading to Rajasthani and Pahari schools. Rajasthani painting is seen at Mewar, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Bhuni. Pahari painting is seen at Khasoli, Jammu, and Garhwal.
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Now let us move to the Karkotas of Kashmir, who ruled from 625 to 855. Founded by Raja Durlabhavardhana in 625 CE, it was a strong kingdom. His son Durlabhaka, also known as Pratapadithya, married Narendraprabha and had three sons: Chandrapeda or Vajraditya, Tarapeeda or Udayadithya, and Mukthapeeda or Lalithaditya. After the first two ruled, Lalithaditya took charge and ruled for 36 years from 724 to 760 CE. He expanded the kingdom greatly. Details about him are in Rajatarangini by court poet Kalhana. Al-Beruni’s Tariq-e-Hind praises his adventures, and Chinese works mention him. He was brave and ambitious, defeating Yashovarma of Kanauj and the Shahi dynasty of Kabul. He maintained diplomatic ties with Vindhyachal kings and Rashtrakutas. His influence reached Bengal in the east. He befriended Tang kings of China, fought Tibetans, liberated northwest kingdoms, and expanded to Turkey. The Karkota kingdom included Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Kabul. During their 230 year span, borders reached the Bay of Bengal in the east, Vindhyachala in the south, Caspian Sea in the west, and Tibet in the north. They followed religious harmony. The age was known for Shaiva Siddhanta. Vasugupta wrote Shaivasutra. Philosopher Abhinavagupta belonged to this era. Thrika and Koula traditions developed. Later kings were weak, leading to downfall.
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Next, we study the Afghan invaders. Mahmud Ghazni ruled from 997 to 1030. Alaptigin, a Turkish slave, established Ghazni. Mahmud invaded India 17 times, looting wealth. He defeated Multan king Raja Jaipala, Bhimapala, and Chandela king Raja Trilochanapala. He attacked Nagarakote, Thaneswar, Gwalior, and Ujjain. He attacked the Somnath temple in Gujarat, plundered wealth, and destroyed the Shivalinga. His invasions paved the way for later Turkish invasions. He encouraged poets and scholars. Alberuni wrote Tarik-ul-Hind discussing Indian life and knowledge. Mohammed Ghori ruled from 1149 to 1206. He continued efforts to establish Turkish rule. He besieged Multan, conquered it, then attacked Anilwada in Gujarat but failed. He invaded Peshawar, took Lahore from Khusro Malik, and made Peshawar his headquarters. He tried to invade Delhi and Ajmer but lost to Prithviraj Chauhan in the first battle of Tarain. In the second battle of Tarain, he defeated Prithviraj. His commander Qutubuddin Aibak took Delhi, defeated Rajput kings in the Ganga plains, and began Turkish rule in North India. Ghori appointed Aibak to administer India. Lack of Rajput unity helped Ghori expand.
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The Delhi Sultanate lasted from 1206 to 1526. Five dynasties ruled: Ghulam, Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyed, and Lodhi. The Ghulam dynasty began with Qutubuddin Aibak. Since he and successors were slaves, it was called Ghulam dynasty. Aibak laid a solid foundation. He was Turkish, sold to the Khaji of Nishapur, learned Persian and Arabic, and trained in warfare. Mohammed Ghori bought him as a slave. Aibak’s bravery impressed Ghori. After the second battle of Tarain, he supervised invasions. After Ghori, he ruled independently. He married Tajuddin Yeldoj’s daughter to consolidate power, fought Nasiruddin Kadaccha, built Quwat-ul-Islam mosque in Delhi, and began Qutub Minar. Scholars Nizami and Faq-E-Mudabbeer were in his court. Tajul Masir gives details about him. Iltamush, from the Ilbari family, was Aibak’s slave and successor. He was Gwalior’s administrator. He defeated revolts by Tajuddin Yeldoj and Nasiruddin Kabacha. He conquered Ranathambore, Mandora, Gwalior, Bhilsa, Ajmer, Benares, and Kanauj. He repelled Mongol Emperor Chengiz Khan. The Khalif of Baghdad honored him with administrative power. He divided the kingdom into provinces called ikta, appointed iktadars, formed a group of 40 Sardars for advice, and brought gold and silver coins into circulation. He completed Qutub Minar.
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Do you know this? Qutub Minar is the tallest tower in India. It is located in Delhi. The construction was started by Qutubbuddin Aibak and completed by Iltamush. It is 225 ft. in height with delicate carvings. There are 5 floors in the building with steps leading to them. Razia Sultan succeeded Iltamush because his son Ruknuddin Feroze was incompetent. She was the first woman to ascend the Delhi throne. She earned the title Sultana, wore men’s dress for military activities, and expanded her kingdom from Sindh to Bengal. Provincial officers revolted and killed her. Ghiyas Uddin Balban was Iltamush’s slave, part of the Turkish group of slaves. He was Amir-E-Shikhar under Razia, controlled disobedient sardars, thwarted Mongol attacks, and established peace. He brought court discipline, wore Persian clothes, declared himself God’s representative, and practiced absolute monarchy. He reconstituted the army, took back land from those who did not pay service tax for jahagir, and built forts in the northwest to repel Mongols. After Balban, Sultan Qaiqubad was assassinated, ending the Slave dynasty.
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The Khilji dynasty ruled from 1290 to 1320. Founded by Jalaluddin, he was soft-spoken and merciful, which led to conspiracies. He was killed by Allauddin, who became Sultan. Allauddin served as governor and commander, looted wealth from Malwa, Bhilsa, and Devagiri, and murdered Jalaluddin. He resisted Mongols, defeated North and South Indian kings, and plundered wealth. He defeated Waghela dynasty kings, Rajput king Karnadeva the Second, Hamirdeva of Ranathambore, and Raja Bhimsingh of Chittor. He conquered Malwa, Jalore, Bundi, Mandore, and Tonk. His commander Malik Kafur invaded South India, looting Devagiri, Warangal, Dwarasamudra, and Madurai, causing their destruction without merging them. His son Qutubuddin Mubarak ruled 4 years before being killed by Khusro. Ghazi Malik, or Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, killed Khusro and started the Tughlaq dynasty. Allauddin’s administrative reforms abolished religious endowments, inams, land, and subsidies. He established an efficient intelligence network, banned alcohol, drugs, gambling, social gatherings of lieutenants, public socialization, and inter-caste marriages. He ordered heavy tax collection. Military reforms placed soldier appointment, training, arms, horses, and salary under the Wajeer. Records of soldiers and horses were kept systematically in the Huliya system. He stamped horses and built strategic forts. Economic reforms fixed prices of pulses, cereals, edible oil, sugar, salt, cloth, and others with minimum profit. Traders sold at controlled rates. Sahana-E-Mandi was appointed to control markets.
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The Tughlaq dynasty ruled from 1320 to 1399. Ghiyasuddin established it, brought peace, strengthened borders against Mongols, built irrigation canals, reduced land tax, started a postal system with horsemen and foot-soldiers, built Tughlaqabad court, conquered Warangal and Madurai, and established peace in Gujarat and Bengal. Mohammad bin Tughlaq knew Persian and Arabic but lacked common sense, tolerance, and pragmatic decision-making. His revenue reforms compiled detailed land tax records, established an Agriculture Department, utilized uncultivated land, gave financial aid to farmers, and increased taxes in Doab areas. Doab means the land between two rivers. He shifted his capital from Delhi to Devagiri to locate it centrally and protect against Mongol invasions. Poor implementation caused immense suffering. He introduced symbolic coins, adjusting currency value to gold and silver. He issued gold Dinar and silver Adali coins. Minting was not a government monopoly, causing chaos when commoners minted coins. Expensive administration, famine, and capital shifts emptied the treasury. His Deccan policy conquered Warangal, Dwarasamudra, and Madurai. He appointed Jalaluddin Hasansha as Madurai governor. He became the first Delhi Sultan to build a vast empire. He assembled a huge army without expanding through invasions, draining the exchequer. 27 rebellions in South India during his last 11 years led to Vijayanagar and Bahamani kingdoms. Firoze Shah Tughlaq abolished about 20 taxes, waived Takkavi loans, compensated victims, and built cities, mosques, madrasas, dams, and canals. He built Jaunpur, Fatehbad, Hissar, Firozepur, and Firozabad. Jaunpur was a learning center. He built choultries for travelers.
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The Sayyed dynasty ruled from 1414 to 1451. Khizr Khan Sayyed, Multan’s governor, conquered Delhi and ruled Doab, Bian, and Gwalior. He suppressed rebels. Mohammad Shah, Allauddin, and Alam Shah were prominent. Alam Shah was defeated by Bahulol Lodhi, ending the dynasty. The Lodhi dynasty ruled from 1451 to 1526, the last Sultanate. Bahulol Lodhi, Sikander Lodhi, and Ibrahim Lodhi were sultans. Sikander conquered Bihar, Bengal, Dholpur, and Chanderi, establishing peace. Ibrahim Lodhi was incompetent. Governors Alam Khan and Daulat Khan invited Afghans. Babur invaded, defeated Ibrahim Lodhi in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, and established Mughal rule. The Delhi Sultanate contributed significantly. Administratively, Sultans were dictators, army commandants, and chief justices, ruling by Quran doctrines. Sardars, Amirs, and Ulemas influenced administration. Central ministries included Defence, Foreign, Postal, Charity, and Endowment Boards, headed by ministers. Provinces were headed by Shikdar, Amin, and Chowkidars, responsible for revenue, peace, education, and cleanliness. Revenue sources included kharaj, zakhat, ushr, khums, jaziya, heirless property tax, import duty, and house tax. Qazis dispensed justice. Socially, religious restrictions applied to Hindus and Shias. Only Muslims held high posts, though Hindus served as revenue officials and clerks. Skilled craftsmen built structures. Slavery flourished. Prisoners became slaves. Many female slaves existed. Women had low status. Purdah and child marriage were practiced. Upper-class women knew fine arts. Rural women worked in agriculture and households. Economically, heavy taxes were levied. Transportation was poor, causing non-uniform taxes. Agriculture was the main income. Sultans owned Delhi factories. Gold and silver jewelry, embroidery, textiles, and dyeing were major industries.
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Literature flourished under foreign writers and historians in Arabic and Persian. Alberuni, a philosopher, mathematician, geographer, and writer, wrote Tariq-ul-Hind on Indian society, economy, and religion. Utbi wrote Tariq-E-Yamini in Arabic. Hasan Nijami wrote Tajul Masir. Minhaj-us-siraj wrote Tabakhal-E-Nasiri. Amir Khusro wrote six works on Hindu and Muslim culture, called the Parrot of India. Ziauddin Barani wrote Tariq-E-Firozeshahi. Firoze Tughlaq wrote Futuhat-E-Firozeshahi. In art and architecture, Sultans introduced the Indo-Islamic style featuring arches, domes, and minarets. They built forts, mosques, palaces, public buildings, madrasas, and choultries. Examples of Indo-Islamic style are Kuwat-ul-Islam mosque, Qutub Minar, Alai Darwaza, and Jamait Khana mosques at Delhi. Now, let us address the exercises to ensure you are fully prepared for your exams. First, fill in the blanks with suitable words. One. The founder of Gurjara-Pratihara Rajput dynasty was Harichandra. Two. Prithviraj Chauhan defeated Mohammed Ghori in the first battle of Tarain. Three. The chief commander of Mohammad Ghori was Qutubuddin Aibak. Four. The first woman to rule among the Delhi Sultans was Razia Sultan. Five. The famous Sultan of the Khilji dynasty was Allauddin Khilji. Six. The capital was shifted from Delhi to Devagiri during the rule of the Tughlaq.
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Next, answer the following questions. Question seven asks to explain the contributions of the Rajput kings in the field of literature. The Rajput kings encouraged scholars and contributed greatly to literature. Kings Bhoja and Munja were scholars themselves. King Munja hosted poets Padmagupta and Halayudha. Bhojaraja patronized Jain scholars Shantisena, Prabhachandrasuri, and Ghanapala. Notable works include Gita Govinda by Jayadeva, Kiratarjuniya by Bharavi, Ravanavadha by Bharthrahari, and Kavyameemamsa by Mahendrapala. Dramas include Balaramayana and Karpuramanjari by Rajasekhara, and Mahavira Charita and Uttara Ramacharita by Bhavabhuti. Historical works include Rajatarangini by Kalhana, Prithvirajavijaya by Jayanika, and Kumarapalacharita by Hemachandra. Prithviraj Raso was written by Chand Bardai, and Bhoja Prabandha by Ballala. Gujarati, Rajasthani, and Hindi languages also developed significantly during this period. Question eight asks who was the important king of the Karkota dynasty of Kashmir and how he expanded his empire. The important king was Lalithaditya Muktapeeda, who ruled for 36 years from 724 to 760 CE. He expanded his empire by defeating Yashovarma of Kanauj and the Shahi dynasty of Kabul. He maintained diplomatic relations with Vindhyachal kings and Rashtrakutas, extended influence to Bengal in the east, befriended Tang kings of China, fought Tibetans to liberate northwest kingdoms, and expanded the territory up to Turkey, including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Kabul.
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Question nine asks to describe the administrative system under Iltamush. Iltamush divided his kingdom into provinces called ikta and appointed provincial officers known as iktadars to oversee administration. He appointed a group of 40 Sardars to advise him on administration and justice. The Prime Minister and judges served as advisors to the Sultan. He introduced gold and silver coins into circulation and successfully repelled the Mongol invasion led by Chengiz Khan, earning recognition from the Khalif of Baghdad. Question ten asks about the administrative reforms of Allauddin Khilji. He abolished religious endowments, inams, land, and subsidies. He established an efficient intelligence network and banned alcohol, drugs, gambling, social gatherings of his lieutenants, their public socialization, and inter-caste marriages. He directed his lieutenants to collect heavy taxes from the public. Militarily, he placed soldier appointment, training, arms, horses, and salary under the Wajeer, maintained systematic records in the Huliya system, stamped horses, and built strategic forts. Economically, he fixed prices of essential commodities with minimum profit, controlled trader rates, and appointed Sahana-E-Mandi to manage markets. Question eleven asks about the administrative reforms by Mohammad bin Tughlaq. He compiled detailed land tax records, established an Agriculture Department, utilized uncultivated land, provided financial aid to farmers, and increased taxes in the Doab region. He shifted the capital from Delhi to Devagiri to centralize it and protect against Mongols, though poor implementation caused suffering. He introduced symbolic coins, issuing gold Dinar and silver Adali coins, but allowing public minting caused economic chaos. He also expanded administration into the Deccan, conquering Warangal, Dwarasamudra, and Madurai, and appointed governors to manage them.
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Question twelve asks to illustrate the contributions of the Delhi Sultans to art and architecture with examples. The Delhi Sultans introduced the Indo-Islamic architectural style, characterized by arches, domes, and minarets. They constructed forts, mosques, palaces, public buildings, madrasas, and choultries. Prominent examples of this Indo-Islamic style include the Kuwat-ul-Islam mosque, Qutub Minar, Alai Darwaza, and Jamait Khana mosques at Delhi. Question thirteen asks what was the result of the First Battle of Panipat. In the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, Babur invaded India, defeated the incompetent Sultan Ibrahim Lodhi, and established Mughal rule in India, ending the Delhi Sultanate. Now for the activities. Activity one asks you to identify the Rajput kingdoms in the outline map of India. When you look at your map, locate the regions of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. Mark the Gurjara Pratiharas in Ujjain and Rajasthan, the Garhwalas in North India, the Paramaras in Malwa with their capital at Dhara, the Chauhans in Ajmer and Delhi, the Solankis in Gujarat, and the Chandelas in Bundelkhand and Madhya Pradesh. This visual mapping will help you remember their geographical spread. The project activity asks you to work with your teacher to collect pictures and information about monuments constructed by the Rajputs and prepare an album. You should gather images of forts at Chittoda, Mandu, Ranathambore, Jodhpur, and Gwalior, the palaces of Jaipur, Gwalior, and Udaipur, the Dilawar temple at Mount Abu, the Vimalavasai and Lunavasai temples, and the Khajuraho and Khandaraya temples in Madhya Pradesh. Compile these with brief descriptions of their architectural features and historical significance to create a comprehensive study album.
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We have covered every dynasty, every reform, every literary work, and every architectural marvel from the 6th to the 14th century. Remember the exact dates, names, and definitions for your exams. Review the administrative systems of Iltamush, Allauddin Khilji, and Mohammad bin Tughlaq carefully. Practice locating the Rajput kingdoms on a map and keep your monument album updated. Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]