After the death of Harshavardhan three dynasties came into existencein the northern part of India andDeccan. Palas, Gurjara-Partiharas and Rashtrakutas.
The Palas (750-1150 AD) ruled in Bihar and Bengal from the 8th to the l2th century.
The Palas were supporters of Buddhism.
The Gurjara-Pratiharas were Rajputs who ruled in Gujarat and Rajasthan and later Kanauj.
Nagabhata-I was great ruler of the dynasty who defeated Muslim forces of Arab.
Bhoja-1 [836-885 AD) adopted the title of Adivaraha.
The Rashtrakutas- Dantidurga [Founder); Capital - Manyakheta.
The king Amonghavarsha-I himself authored a part of Kavirajamarga.
The king Krishna-I built the famous temple of Kailash at Ellora.
Tripartite Struggle
Tripartite conflict was fought among the Gurjara-Pratiharas, Rashtrkutas and Palas for the control over Kannauj.
Kannauj was located on the Ganga trade route and was connected to the Silk route.
The tripartite struggle continued from the end of eighth century to middle of tenth century.
This struggle started during the reign Of Vatsaraja-Pratihara.
Both Dharmpala, the Pala king and Pratihara king, Vatsaraja clashed against each other for Kannauj.
Nagabhata 11 Pratihara finally defeated Chakrayudha and usurped the throne of Kannauj.
The Rajputs
The period between 647 A.D. and 1192 A.D., i.e. 500 years is known as the Rajput period in the history of India.
The most powerful Rajputs: Gahadavalas [Kanauj), the Paramaras(Malwa), and the
Chauhans (Ajmer).
Other smaller dynasties : Kalachuris- Jabalpur, the Chandellas in Bundelkhand), the Chalukyas (Gujarat), and the Tomars [Delhi), etc.
The Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526 AD)
Dynasties of Delhi Sultanate
(i) Slave Dynasty : 1206-1290 AD
(ii) Khilje " : 1290-1320 AD
(iii) Tughlaq " : 1320-1414AD
(iv) Sayyid " : 1414-1451 AD
(v) Lodhi " : 1451-1526 AD
Sources of Medieval Indian History: Tarikh i Firoze Shahi [Ziauddin barani); Tuzuk-i-Mubarak Shahi [Yahaya bin Ahmed Sirhindi); Futuhat-i-Firoze Shahi [Firoze Shah Tughluq), etc.
The invasions of Mahmud of Ghazni and Muhammad Ghori introduced a new political chapter in India.
The campaigns of Muhammad Ghor paved the way for the rule of the Turk; and the Afghans.
Mahmud of Ghazni targeted the North Indian temple cities for wealth and iconoclastic fervour.
Muhammad Ghori nominate his trusted and prominent slave, Qutubuddin Aibak as his representative to govern the newly conquered regions in India. It was the beginning of slave dynasty.
Delhi became the center of the Turkish and Afghan power,
The Turkish rule from Delhi came to be known as the Delhi Sultanate.
The phrase 'Delhi Sultanate' is applied to the history of Northern India extending from 1206 to 1526.
The Mamluk dynasty or The Slave Dynasty (1206-1290 AD)
The Vijayanagar Empire was a South Indian dynasty based in the Deccan on the South bank of Tungabhadra
There were four dynasties ruled over Vijaynagar —Sangama Dynasty, Saluva Dynasty, Tuluva Dynasty and Aravidu Dynasty.
Hariharan I [Hakka] and Bukka [the sons of Sangama) established Vijayr agar kingdom.
Harihara I was the founder of the Sangama dynasty.
Harihara was controlling northern portion of Hoysala kingdom.
Bukka Raya ruled the kingdom for sabout twenty one years.
Bukka died in about 1380 and was succeeded by Harihara II.
Other kings of Vijaynagar Kingdom are Harihara Raya II, Virupaksha Raya, Bukka Raya II, Deva Raya I, Deva Raya II, Mallikarjuna Raya, Virupaksha Raya II. ,
Virupaksha's son, Praudharaya was a weak king and his general Saluva Narasimha took control of the empire in 1485.
Saluva Narasimha was the founder of Saluva Dynasty. .
Thimma Bhupala was the elder son of Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya.
Narasimha Raya II (Immadi , Narasimha) was the second son of King Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya. The real power was in the hands of .
the empire's able commander Tuluva Narasa ayaka till his death in 1503.
Sri Krishna Deva Raya was the most famous king of Vijayanagara Empire. He belonged to the tuluva bunt
Rama Raya was popularly known as "Aliya" Rama Raya, was the progenitor of the "Aravidu" dynasty ofVijayanagar Empire.
Later Kings of Vijaynagar: Tirumala Deva Raya, Sriranga Deva Raya, Venkatapati Deva Raya, Sriranga III.
Bahmani Kingdom
The Bahmani Kingdom of Deccan's capital was Gulbarga.
It was founded by Hasan Gangu (original name-Ismail Mukh).
He took the tittle of Alauddin Hasan, Bahaman Shah.
He ruled from AD 1347 to 1358.
His son, Mahmud Shah I ruled from AD 1358 to 75. He was succeeded by his son, Ala-ud-din Majahid Shah.
Firoz Shah was the most important ruler who ruled from AD 1397 to 1422.
Ahmed Shah succeeded his brother in AD 1422 and ruled upto AD 1436.
He was succeeded by his son Alauddin- II [AD 1436-58).
Kalim Ullah Shah [AD 1524-27) was the last ruler of Bahmani Kingdom.
Company rule in India effectively beganin l757afterthe Battle of Plassey.
In the Battle of Plassey, Nawab of Bengal surrendered his dominions to the Company.
Company was granted the diwani, or the right to collect revenue, in Bengal and Biharin 1765.
When the Company established a capital in Calcutta, Warren Hastings was appointed the first Governor General.
Company's rule lasted until 1858 after Indian rebellion of 1857.
Siraj-ud-Daula was the last independent Nawab of Bengal who succeeded Alivardi Khan to the throne.
The end of his reign marks the end of the independent rule in India and beginning of the company's rule that continued unabated over the next two hundred years.
Mir Jafar Ali Khan Bahadur, commonly known as Mir Jafar, [c. 1691-February 5,1765) was the first Nawab of Bengal under Company rule in India.
After Siraj decline Mir Jafar was installed as the Nawab in 1757 by the British East India Company.
Mir Qasim [ May 8, 1777) was the Nawab of Bengal from 1760 to 1763.
The Battle of Buxar was fought on 23 October 1764 between East India Company led by Hector Munro and the combined army of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal: the Nawab of Awadh and the Mughal King Shah Alam II.
Governors of Bengal and Governor Generals of India
Name and Tenure
Well Known For
War fought
Robert Clive
(1758-60) and(1765-67)
• Diarchy of Dual Goverment of Bengal from 1765-72
• Considered as one of the creators of British power in India.
• Battle of Plassey (1757)
• Battle of Condore [1758)
Henry Vansittart
(1760-65)
• Deposed Mir Jafar, the Nawab of Bengal,and replaced him with his son-in-law Mir Qasim.
• Battle of Buxar
Harry Verelst
1767-69
Increased tax revenue of the East India Company.
Exposed corruption within the company.
John Cartier
(1769-1772)
• The Great Famine of Bengal 1770 occured in his regime which claimed about two million lives
Warren Hastings
(1772-85)
• Founding Asiatic Society of Bengal
• Auctioning the right to collect land revenue to its highest bid
Starting Diwani and Fauzdari Adalats in district level and Nizam Adalats at Kolkata
Rohilla war (1774)
1st Anglo- Maratha war (1776-82)
2nd Anglo-Mysore war(1780-84
Lord Cornwallis
(1786-93)
Codifying laws in 1793 so as to separate the administration for revenue and justice