Early Medieval India

I. North India (Rajputa Period)

After Harshvardhana, the Rajputas emerged as a powerful force in Northern India and dominated for

Nearly 500 years.

10 Important Rajputa Kingdom	Period	Capital	Founder
Chahamanas/Chauhan of Shakambari and Ajmer	7^th - 12^th Century	Shakambari (at present Shakambari lake town, Jaipur, Rajasthan) and Ajmer (Rajasthan)	Vasudev
Pratihara/ Parihar of Kannauj	730 - 1036	Avanti and Kannauj	Nagabhatta I
Parmara/Pawar of Malwa	790- 1150	Ujjain and Dhar	Siyaka ‘Sri Harsha’
Chalukya/Solanki of Gujarat	942- 1244	Anahilavada (at present Patan, Gujarat)	Mularaja I
Rashtrakuta of Manyakheta	753-982	Maniakheta (Malkheda, Karnataka)	Dantidurga
Chandela of Jejaka bhukti	831-1202	Khajuraho(M.P.), Mahoba(U.P.), Kalinjar(U.P.)	Nannuka
Kalchuri of Tripuri/ Chedi	850-1211	Tripuri (M.P.)	Kokalla I
Gahadavala Dynasty	1090-1194	Varanasi (U.P.) and Kanyakubja(Kannauj, U.P.)	Chandradeva
Tomar of Haryana and Delhi	9^th – 12^th Century	Dhillika (Delhi)	-
Guhilot and Sisodiya of Mewar	Guhila – 8^th Century to 1303 Rana or Sisodiya – 1326-1955	Chittor	Bappa Rawal (Guhilot), Rana Hammir Singh I (Rana or Sisodiya)

Tripartite Struggle

Towards the close of the 8^th century AD, there were three great power in India-the Palas (East), Gurjar-Pratihara (North) and Rashtrakuta (Deccan).
The Struggle for the supremacy among the Palas, Pratihara and the Rashtrakuta was the important event of these centuries.
Main Cause - Desire to possess the Kannauj (Farrukhabad Distt, U.P.) which was then a symbol of sovereignty.

Palas (750 – 1159 AD)

Founder- Gopala I
Capital – Monghyr /Munger (Bihar) by Devapala, Somapura (Bangaladesh) by Dharampala, Mahipala (Murshidabad, W.B.) by Mahipala I, Ramavati (Varendra ,Bangladesh), Bikrampur (Bangladesh), Patliputra (Patna, Bihar), Gauda (West Bengal)
Language – Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali, Proto-Bengali
Religion – Mahayana Buddhism, Tantric Buddhism, Shaivism (Hinduism)
Dharamapala son and successor of Gopala I revived Nalanda University. He founded the Vikramshila University.
Pala Dynasty succeeded by Sena Dynasty of Bengal. Jayadeva was author of Gita Govinda and the great poet of the court of Laxmana Sena.

Pratiharas (730-1036AD)

Founder – Nagabhatta I
Capital – Kannauj (Farukkhabad, U.P.)
Language – Sanskrit, Prakrit
Religion- Hinduism
Pratiharas also called Gurjara-Pratihara probably because they originated from Gujarat or South-West Rajasthan.
Bhoja/Mihir Bhoja (836-882 AD) was the greatest ruler of this dynasty.
He was devotee of Vishnu and adopted the title of ‘Adivarah’.

Rashtrakutas (752-973AD)

Founder – Dantidurga
Capital- Manyakheta/Malkhed , Karnataka
Language – Kannada, Sanskrit
Religion – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism
The greatest Rashtrakuta rulers were Govinda III (793-814) and Amoghavarsha (814-878). Amonghvarsha ruled for 64 years which is one of the longest precisely dated monarchical reigns on record. He was an accomplished poet and scholar. He wrote ‘Kavirajamarg’, the earliest Kannada book on Poetics.
Kailash Temple (Shiva) at Ellora (Aurangabad, Maharashtra) was built by 2^nd Rashtrakuta ruler Krishna I.

Other Important Rulers

Prithviraj Chauhan (1178- 92)

He was king of Ajmer and Delhi from Chahamana/Chauhan Dynasty.
Important Battles: -
First Battle of Tarain (1191) between forces of Prithviraj Chauhan and Mohammad Ghori in Thanesar(Kurukshetra, Haryana). Chauhan Rajput got Victory.
Second Battle of Tarrain (1192) between again forces of Prithviraj Chauhan and Mohammad Ghori Thanesar(Kurukshetra, Haryana). Ghori (Persian) of Ghurid Dynasty got victory.

Jai Chand (1170-1194)

He was king of Gahadavala Dynasty.
He was last Rajputana king who was also defeated and killed by Mohammad Ghori in the Battle of Chandawar (1194).

Rana Kumbha, the Sisodia ruler of Mewar(1433-1468)

Important Battles :-
Battle of Mandavgad (1440) between Mewar Rajput Rana Kumbha and Malwa Sultanate Mahmud Khilji. Rajput got victory and erected the tower of victory (Vijay Stambha) in Chittor.
Battle of Nagaur (1455) between Mewar Rajput Rana Kumbha and Nagaur Sultan Mujahid Khan and Shams Khan. Rajput got victory.
His successors Rana Sangram Singh (Rana Sanga) and Rana Pratap were also great king of Mewar State.

II. South India

Chola Empire (850-1279 AD)

Capital – Thajavur/Tanjore, Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
Founder- Vijayalaya (Ist feudatory of Pallavas. He capured Tanjore in 850 AD)
Rajaraja (985-1014 AD) was the greatest ruler of Cholas and his son Rajendra I (1014-1044 AD).
Rajaraja built Vrihadeshwar / Rajarajeshwar Temple (Shiva Temple) at Tanjore.
Rajaraja conquered Orissa, Bengal, Burma and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Chola Dynasty was its zenith during his reign.
He got titled Gangaikondachola and built city Gangoikondacholapuram.
Last Ruler – Rajendra III
Main source of Income – Land Revenue and Trade Tax
Empire Divided into Mandalam (Province) and these turn were divided into Valanadu (Commissionary), Nadu (District) and Kurram (A Group of Village).
Kambana wrote Ramavataram and Kamba Ramayana.
Kambana, Kuttana, and Pugelendi are considered as ‘three gems of Tamil poetry’.
Great living CholaTemples is UNESCO World Heritage Site i.e. Brihadisvara Temple (Thanjavur), Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple (Gangaikonda Cholapuram) and Airavatesvara Temple (Darasuram).

Other Kingdom of South

Kingdom	Capital	Founder
Western/Later Chalukyas(973-1189)	Manyakheta and Basalvakalyan in Karnataka	Tailap II
Kakatiyas (1163-1323)	Warangal, A.P.	Prolla II (Ist Sovereign Ruler)
Yadavas (1187-1312)	Devagiri, Maharashtra	Bhillam V (Ist Sovereign ruler)
Hoysalas(1173-1342)*	Belur and Halebidu in Karnataka	Nripa Kama II