Medieval North Indian History: Rajput Age and Invasions

Siyaka II is credited with establishing the Paramara dynasty as an independent power by defeating the Rashtrakutas.

Nalanda, Kashi, and Vikramashila were world-renowned centers of higher learning and education in ancient and medieval India.

Prithviraj Chauhan was the last ruler of Chauhan dynasty to sit on the throne of Delhi. During his reign, Muhammad Ghori invaded India in 1191. In the first battle of Tarain, Prithviraj defeated his army. The battle was fought near the town of Tarain near Thanesar in present-day Haryana.

Mohammed Ghazni was the first sultan of the Ghaznavid dynasty in Afghanistan. He conquered the eastern Iranian lands, modern Afghanistan, and the northwestern Indian subcontinent (modern Pakistan) from 997 to his death in 1030. In 1025, he attacked Somanath temple in Gujarat, broke the jyotirlinga and took away 2 million dinars.

During the Rajput era, the feudal system was prevalent where landlords collected taxes from the peasantry and paid a portion as tribute to the king.

Land revenue was the primary source of income for kingdoms during the Rajput era, as it was an agrarian society.

In the village administration of the Rajput era, the head of the village Panchayat was commonly referred to as the Mukhi or Mukhiya.

Kingship was hereditary, but the succession was often contested among brothers or other family members; it was not strictly limited to the eldest son.

Firdausi was the court poet of Mahmud of Ghazni and the author of the epic Shahnama, which chronicles the history of Persian kings.

Historians generally agree that Mahmud of Ghazni's primary motivation for his numerous invasions of India was to plunder the immense wealth stored in temples and cities.

Answer- (B) - To gain possession of the wealth of India.

The Kandariya Mahadeva temple dedicated to Shiva was constructed in 999 by the king Dhangadeva of the Chandela dynasty. The temple had an ornamented gateway that led to an entrance. It had a main hall known as mahamandapa where dances were performed.

The practice of Panj Piyaras was started by Guru Gobind Singh who was the 10th and the last Guru of Sikhs. He was born on Dec.22, 1666 A.D. in Patna.He gave final shape to the Sikh religion by creating the 'Khalsa' in 1699 on the day of Baisakhi. On this day he preapared Amrit and selected five sikhs as 'Panj Piyaras'. These were Daya Singh, Dharam Singh, Mohkam Singh, Sahib Singh and Himmat Singh.

Sawai Jai Singh II was the founder of the Pink city i.e. Jaipur. He was a remarkable Monarch of Jaipur, was a mathematician, an astronomer, and a town planner. He shifted his capital from Amber to Jaipur due to increase in population and growing scarcity of water. He consulted several books on architecture and architects before making the layout of Jaipur.

 Ram Singh was the religious leader of the 'Kuka' sect of Sikhism. He launched his revolt against the British on 12 April 1857 by hoisting a white flag of freedom and announcing a programme of far-reaching significance.

Prithviraj Chauhan was the last and the most powerful ruler of the Chauhan dynasty. He defeated Muhammad Ghori in the First Battle of Tarain in 1191 A.D. 

The Parmaras founded their independent kingdom on the ruin of the Pratihara Kingdom. Munja Vakpati was the first great ruler of this dynasty. The Parmars ruled from their capital at Dhar (near Indore). The Parmars became famous in the time of Raja Bhoja.

In 750 AD, Nagabhata-I replaced the throne of the great king Harshavardhana and established himself as the great ruler of Ujjain. He resisted invasion by the Mlechchas who were identified with the Arab Muslim invaders which is mentioned in the Gwalior inscription of his descendant Mihira Bhoja. Nagabhata was the founder of the imperial Gurjara Pratihara dynasty.

The Khandaraya temple in Madhya Pradesh is a Hindu temple built in the medieval period. It was built by the Chandelas in their capital city of Khajuraho. Shiva is the chief deity of this temple. The temple is the largest among the three groups of the Khajuraho complex of temples namely Kandariya, Matangeshwara and Vishvanatha temples.

Acharya Hemachandra was a Jain scholar, poet, and polymath who wrote on grammar, philosophy, prosody, and contemporary history. He prepared the Prakrit dictionary Desinamamala.

Sayyed Dynasty : 1414 to 1451

Alauddin Khilji was the most powerful ruler of the Khilji dynasty. He was the first Sultan of Delhi who conquered Southern India. Malik Kafur was the commander of Alauddin Khilji, who invaded South India. 

Prithviraja Vijaya is a historical epic written by the poet Jayanaka, not by Bhavabhuti. Bhavabhuti is known for works like Malathi Madhava and Uttara Ramacharita.

Chand Bardai was an Indian poet, who composed Prithviraj Raso, an epic poem in Brajbhasa about the life of the Chahamana king Prithviraj Chauhan. The poem presents him as a court poet of Prithviraj. According to it, after Prithviraj was defeated at the Second battle of Tarain and taken to Ghazna by Muhammad of Ghor, Chand Bardai travelled to Ghazna and helped Prithviraj kill Muhammad.

Alberuni is the author of Kitab-ul-Hind. It contains comments on Indian sciences, Hindu religious beliefs, customs, and social organization. Al Beruni was an Iranian scholar and polymath from Khwarezm, modern day Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Most of his works including Kitab-ul-Hind are in Arabic.

Razia Sultan belonged to slave dynasty and was the first Muslim woman to rule India and the only woman to occupy the throne of Delhi. She was the daughter of Iltutmish. She was talented, wise, brave, excellent administrator, and a great warrior which resulted in her becoming the next sultan of Slave dynasty. 

Doab means the land between two converging rivers. Do means two and ab means water. The regions of the doabs near the rivers consist of low-lying, floodplains which are more fertile than the higher lying land away from the rivers. Some of the well known doabs are Yamuna-Ganga doab, Sindh Sagar doab, Jech doab, Raichur doab, etc.

Alauddin Khilji brought many reforms which included introduction of the system of branding of horses which made administration more efficient. The corruption was checked by the dagh or branding system. Every soldier had his face recorded and his horse branded with imperial sign.

The Paramara Dynasty was founded by a chief called Upendra (Krishanaraja) at the beginning of the 9th century. The capital of Paramaras initially was Ujjain which later was replaced by Dhara. They were able to rule till 1305 when Malwa was conquered finally by Alauddin Khilji.

The Gurjara Pratihara dynasty was founded by Harichandra, in the area around Jodhpur in Rajputana. They ruled most of northern India from mid-7th to the 11th century. Gurjara-Pratihara are known for their sculptures, carved panels and open pavilion style temples. The greatest development of their style of temple building was at Khajuraho

Alauddin Khilji belonged to the Khalji dynasty and was the most powerful ruler of his dynasty and one of the Sultans of Delhi Sultanate. He wanted to control the conspiring nobles for which an efficient spy network was set up that reached into the private households of nobles. Apart from this, he reduced the economic wherewithal of nobles to launch rebellions by confiscating their wealth and removing them from their bases of power.

The Second Battle of Tarian was fought in 1192 AD between Ghurid army of Mohammed Ghori and Rajput army of Prithviraj Chauhan. After his defeat in the first battle, Mohammad Ghori came back to avenge his loss. Many of Prithviraj Chauhan's former allies were this time indifferent to fight for him and his enemy, king Jaichand of Kannauj also supported Ghori which reduced the Rajput armywhich led them to their defeat.

Muhammad Ghori was Sultan of the Ghurid Empire from 1173 to 1202. In 1194 AD, when Muhammad Ghori invaded India, he attacked Kannauj and defeated Jai Chand Rathor in the battlefield of Chandawar. After this invasion, Qutab-ud-Din Aibak became his chief commander.

Chandbardai was known for his excellence in poetry. Chandrabai was a court poet of Prithvi Raj Chauhan. He was born in Lahore in the year 1148. He acquired immense knowledge of language, literature, grammar, puranas, astrology etc. The famous creation of Chandbardai is Prithviraj Raso. It is considered to be the first epic in Hindi. 

Chandrabai was a court poet of Prithvi Raj Chauhan. He was born in Lahore in the year 1148. He acquired immense knowledge of language, literature, grammar, puranas, astrology etc. The famous creation of Chandbardai is Prithviraj Raso. It is considered to be the first epic in Hindi. 

Chandbardai was known for his excellence in poetry. Chandrabai was a court poet of Prithvi Raj Chauhan. He was born in Lahore in the year 1148. He acquired immense knowledge of language, literature, grammar, puranas, astrology etc. The famous creation of Chandbardai is Prithviraj Raso. It is considered to be the first epic in Hindi. 

Duleep Singh was the youngest son of the Maharaja of the Punjab, Ranjit Singh. He was placed on the throne of the Sikh state in 1843 after the death of his father in 1839 and his elder brother. Under the provision of the Treaty of Lahore, the English Company annexed Punjab and Duleep Singh was dethroned. Deprived of his power, his lands and other property and the treasury were confiscated. Later, the English East India Company granted him a life pension of 4,00,000 to 5,00,000 rupees per year. 

Anandpal, the son of Jaipal, formed a coalition with other rulers to resist the invasions of Mahmud of Ghazni after his father's defeat.

Mahmud of Ghazni defeated the Hindu Shahi ruler Jaipal at the Battle of Peshawar in 1001 AD. This was the first major defeat of the Shahi dynasty against Mahmud.

Mahmud of Ghazni for the first time attacked modern Afghanistan and
Pakistan in 1000 AD. There he defeated Hindu Shahi ruler Jaipala, who
committed suicide later and was succeeded then by his son Anandpala. He formed an alliance with the rulers of central and western India to repulse Ghazni.

In
the nineteenth century, the region that constitutes most of present-day
Rajasthan was called as Rajputana by the British. While this may suggest
that this was an area that was inhabited only or mainly by Rajputs.

There
were several groups who identify themselves as Rajputs in many areas of
northern and central India. And of course, there are several peoples
other than Rajputs who live in Rajasthan. However, the Rajputs are often
recognised as contributing to the distinctive culture of Rajasthan.

From the eighth century onwards, a samanta or, in later times, a zamindar built a fortified palace in or near the towns. They levied taxes on traders, artisans and articles of trade and sometimes donated the right to collect these taxes to local temples, which had been built by themselves or by rich merchants. These rights were recorded in inscriptions that have survived to this day.

Mahmud of Ghazni's repeated raids demonstrated the military and political weakness of the fragmented Northern Indian states. This lack of unity facilitated subsequent invasions and the eventual conquest of India by later Islamic rulers.

Saadat Khan (also known as Burhan-ul-Mulk) was appointed the governor of Awadh by the Mughal Emperor in 1722 and subsequently established it as an independent state.

Alberuni, a famous scholar and polymath, accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni during his Indian expeditions and wrote the Kitab-ul-Hind.

When Mahmud of Ghazni attacked the Somnath temple in 1025-1026 AD, the ruler of Gujarat (the Chaulukya dynasty) was Bhima I.

Asaf-ud-Daula, who ruled from 1775 to 1797, shifted the capital of Awadh from Faizabad to Lucknow in 1775.

Asaf-ud-Daulah, the fourth Nawab of Awadh (ruled 1775-1797), permanently shifted the capital from Faizabad to Lucknow in 1775. He transformed Lucknow into a magnificent city with architectural projects including the Bara Imambara, Rumi Darwaza, and other monuments that remain landmarks today.

Shuja-ud-Daulah was the Nawab of Awadh from 5 October 1754 to 26 January 1775. He played a crucial role in the Battle of Panipat and the Battle of Buxar. He had allied himself with Mir Qasim and took part in the Battle of Buxar, which ended in defeat.

In Sikh tradition, the succession of Gurus is generally recognized as consisting of ten human Gurus, starting with Guru Nanak and ending with Guru Gobind Singh.

Historians generally agree that Mahmud of Ghazni conducted 17 plundering raids into India between 1000 and 1026 AD.

Maharaja Jaswant Singh was a prominent ruler of the Marwar kingdom (Jodhpur) during the Mughal period.

Mahmud of Ghazni invaded and plundered the Somnath temple in 1026 AD (often cited as 1025-1026).

Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, was the one who militarized the community and fought extensively against the Mughal Empire.

In Rajasthan and central India there arose a number of small kingdoms ruled by dynasties that came to be called the Rajputs. Many parts of North India and modern-day Pakistan were ruled by these dynasties. Some of these were Solanki dynasty who ruled over present day Gujarat, Chandelas of Khajuraho, Chauhans of Ajaymeru and Delhi, Bundelas of Bundelkhand, etc

Akabr was the third ruler of the Mughal empire. He was so liberal in his religious outlook that he attempted to find a new religion on the basis of good points of all religions. He founded a new religion in 1581 and named it DIn-i-Ilahi. The main reason for this liberalism was his wish to become a national king and expand his empire peacefully.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji founded the Khalsa Panth in 1699 at Anandpur Sahib. Khalsas are Sikhs which have undergone the sacred Amrit Ceremony initiated by the Guru Gobind Singh. A Sikh male at being initiated into the Khalsa is titled Singh meaning "Lion" and a female is entitled Kaur meaning "Princess".

Maharaja Suraj Mal was ruler of Bharatpur in Rajasthan in India. Deeg was the first capital of the Bharatpur state. Maharaja Suraj Mal built the Deeg fort in 1730 as the place was vulnerable to repeated attacks by invaders. The fort had massive walls and a deep moat to keep away raiders.

Mohammed Ghori was defeated by Raja Bhimdev II in the battle of Kayadara near Mt. Abu. After this defeat, he never turned to Gujarat later on. Bhimdev II  was an Indian king who belonged to the Solanki dynasty and ruled parts of present-day Gujarat. His reign suffered many rebellions by the feudatories as well as external invasions by the Ghurids, the Paramaras, and the Yadavas of Devagiri.

The Hitopadesha composed by Pandit Narayana is a remarkable compilation of short stories. It is regarded more or less similar to the Panchatantra. It is a collection of tales that counsel and advice for the welfare and benefit of everyone. hitopadesh is an Indian text in Sanskrit language consisting of fables with animal and human characters.

Mahmud Ghazni made the very first attack on India in 1001. He attacked India 17 times in 25 years. He made his last attack on the Somnath temple in 1025 to plunder the gold.

Modhera Sun temple is located at Modhera village of Mehsana district, Gujarat, India on the bank of river Pushpavati. It is a Hindu temple built by Bhimdev I of the Solanki dynasty in 1026AD and dedicated to the Sun. The Temple was plundered by Mahmud Ghazni in 1024-25 when his army invaded Bhima's kingdom. Even after the attack, the temple still retains its architectural grandeur till date.

Sukhpal was the ruler of Multan during Mahmud invasion. He was appointed as the ruler by Mahmud because he had embraced Islam. But later, when he gave up Islam and began to rule as an independent ruler Mahmud invaded Multan in 1008 to punish him.

Mahmud invaded Somnath temple in 1025 A.D it was his last invasion in India. He destroyed the idol of Somnath and looted enormous wealth from this temple. He took a lot of silver, gold and many other precious gems along with him.  The Islamic world appreciated this victory and the Caliph called him as the "Star of the Islamic world".

Mahmud of Ghazni for the first time attacked modern Afghanistan and Pakistan in 1000 AD. There he defeated Hindu Shahi ruler Jaya Pala, who committed suicide later and was succeeded then by his son Anandpala.

During the Rajput era, land revenue was typically fixed at one-sixth of the total agricultural produce.

Gopala was the founder of the Pala Dynasty of Bengal. He came to power around 750 CE. He was democratically elected by the people of Bengal.

Udai Singh was the Maharana of Mewar and the founder of the city of Udaipur in the present-day Rajasthan state of India. He was the 53rd ruler of the Mewar dynasty.

Maharaja Jaswant Singh was a ruler of Marwar which is in the southwestern part of the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan. He died at Jamrud, near Peshawar in Pakistan, on 28 December 1678 at the age of 49.

Maldev Rathore was an Indian ruler of Marwar, which was later known as Jodhpur in the present-day Rajasthan state of India. He was a descendant of the Rathore clan. 

The Ikshvaku dynasty ruled in the eastern Krishna River valley of India 3rd and 4th centuries CE. They were Shaivites and performed Vedic rites, but Buddhism also flourished during their reign. Therefore I statement is incorrect.

The Pala Empire was centered in the north and northeastern parts of India. The rulers were the patron of Buddhism and built important Buddhist centers of learning, such as Odantapura, Vikramashila, and Somapura. Therefore II statement is correct.              

The ShishupalVadha is a work of classical Sanskrit poetry composed by Magha in the 7th or 8th century. It is an epic poem consisting of 20 divisions of about 1800 highly ornate stanzas and is considered one of the greatest Sanskrit epic.

Naishad Charitra is a poem in Sanskrit on the life of Nala, the king of Nishadha. It was written by Shriharsha. It is considered one of the five mahakavyas in the canon of Sanskrit literature. The language of the Naishadha Charita is highly elaborate and polished.

The Paliya is a type of memorial found in western India especially Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat state of India. They mostly commemorate the death of a person. These stone monuments have symbols and inscriptions.

Naishad Charitra is a poem in Sanskrit on the life of Nala, the king of Nishadha and Damayanti, the daughter of Bhima, the king of Vidarbha. It was written by Shriharsha. It is considered one of the five mahakavyas in the canon of Sanskrit literature. The language of the Naishadha Charita is highly elaborate and polished.

Modhera Sun temple is located at Modhera village of Mehsana district, Gujarat, India on the bank of river Pushpavati. It is a Hindu temple built by Bhimdev I of the Solanki dynasty in 1026AD and dedicated to the Sun. The sanctum sanctorum is designed in a way that the first rays of rising sun lit up the image of Surya during solar equinox days.

1. The last attack of Mahmud was on the Somnath Temple in Gujrat in 1027 A.D
2. Mahmud invaded Kalinjar in 1023 A.D
3. Mahmud attacked Mathura and Kannauj in 1018 A.D and 1021 A.D respectively
4. Mahmud conquered Thanesar in 1014 A.D
5. Mahmud defeated the Hindu Shahi kingdom ruler Anandpal in the 1000 AD.

Therefore the correct chronology of invasion is 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

The correct matches are: Vishakhadatta (Mudrarakshasha), Kalhan (Rajtarangini), Bilhan (Vikramakadev Chant), Somdeva (Kathasaritsagar), and Merutunga (Prabodhchintamani).

Siddhem Shabdanushasan is the grammar book which was written by Jain Acharya Hemchandracharya. This book has seven chapters, with each chapter having four sections. It also includes six Prakrit languages.

Mahmud of Ghazni received a robe of honor and a title from the Caliph of Baghdad, Al-Qadir Billah, which legitimized his rule as an independent sovereign.

Prithviraj Chauhan or Rai Pithora in the folk legends was an Indian king from the Chahamana dynasty. He ruled Sapadalaksha, the traditional Chahamana territory, in present-day north-western India.

Prithvirajraso is an epic poem composed by Prithviraj's court poet, Chand Bardai. It narrates the heroic exploits of the Chauhan king, Prithviraj who ruled Ajmer and Delhi between 1165 and 1192. It also described the struggles between the Rajputs and Muhammad Ghori, besides providing details on the political, military and socio-economic structure of the Rajputs. 

Ajmer (Rajasthan) was the capital of the Chauhan kings in the twelfth century and later became the suba headquarters under the Mughals. The city provides an excellent example of religious coexistence.

Ajayaraja was the great ruler of Chauhan dynasty. He established the city of Ajmer which was originally known as Ajyameru in 1113. He made it the capital of his kingdom.

Chauhan king of Sakambhari – Ajayaraj Chauhan was a vassal of the Gurjara Pratihara. He established a city Ajaymeru, which was later known as Ajmer.

Prithviraj Chauhan known as Rai Pithora in the folk legends. He was an Indian king from the Chahamana (Chauhan) dynasty.

Chauhans were the Rajput kings who ruled parts of northern India in the medieval period. They were the feudatories of the Gurjar-Pratiharas who in the Battle of Rajasthan assisted Nagabhatta I to defeat and protect the borders from the Arab Invasions. Manik Rai, the founder of the Chauhan dynasty, belonged to Ajmer.