The Cholas
* The Chola dynasty was in power from the latter half of the 9th century to beginning of the 13th century.
* It is the best known for its splendid temples and bronze sculptures.
* The temples were the nuclei of the settlements.
* The empire was able to sustain its growth due to the advancements made in agriculture and irrigation works.
* The rulers as well as people living in villages took an active interest in its administration.
Administration of the Chola Empire
* The chola Empire was divided into nine Mandalams, each of which was further divided into Valanadus, Nadus and Urs.
* People actively participated in the administration of the land.
* There were strict rules regarding who could participate in the administration Sultans of Delhi
* Delhi became the capital city after the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate in the 13th century.
* The Delhi Sultanate consisted of five dynasties, namely the Mamluk, Khilji, Tughlauq, sayyid and Lodi dynasties.
Sources of Information
* Histories or tawarikh are the most valuable souces of information about the Delhi Sultanate.
* The authors of tawarikh narrated events and also gave advice about governance.
From Garrison Town to Empire
* The Sultans initially found it difficult to control their new kingdom. They faced many internal and external challenges.
* Between 1266 and 1296, the Sultans were able to conquer the internal frontiers extending their control over the garrison towns and the surroundings areas.
* From 1296 to 1351, the sultans conquered the external frontiers and expanded their kingdom till South India.
* They built mosques to being the people together and establish a sense of community.
Administration and Consolidation
* The Sultans trusted their slaves and people of humble origin to help administer high positions such as governors and generals.
* With the help of their trusted administrators, the Khilji and Tughluq suktans expanded their region to the southern tip of India.
* These administrators helped reassess the land and collection of the land revenue under the control of the state.
* The sultans trusted their slaves to help administer and consolidate the Empire as they were loyal to their masters.
Administration Styles of Delhi Sultans
* The Mongols attacked the Delhi sultanate during the rule of Alauddin Khilji and Muhammad Bin Tughluq.
* There was a difference in the stratergies adopted by Alauddin Khilji and Muhammad Bin Tughluq to counter foreign invasions.
* Alauddin Khilji is known as one of the best administrators. His policies influenced future rulers of Delhi from Sher shah to Akbar.
* Muhammad Bin Tughluq was ambitious and the first ruler of Delhi to launch an attack on the Mongol army.
* Sher Shah Suri, in his short reign, brought stability to the administration of the Delhi Empire.
The Mughals
* The Mughal Empire came into existence after the fall of the Lodi dynasty in 1526. It was established by Babur.
* His mother was a descendant of Genghis Khan, and his father was a descendant of Timur.
* The Mughals did not like to be associated with Genghis Khan. However, they were proud to have Timur as their ancestor.
Military Campaigns
* Babur won the first battle to Panipat to become the Emperor of Mughals Empire.
* Humayun was defeated by Sher khan in 1540 and lost Delhi. In 1555, he recaptured it with the help of Safaid khan.
* Akbar expanded the Mughal Empire during his reign from 1556 to 1605.
* Mewar’s rulers surrendered during Jahangir’s rule 1605 to 1627.
* Shah jahan reigned from 1627 to 1658.
* Aurangzeb faced several rebellions during his reign from 1658 to 1707.
Administration of Mughal Empire
* The Mughals followed the co – parcenary inheritance system.
* The Mughals tried to maintain good relations with the Rajputs.
* Mansabdars were appointed to carry out military responsibilities.
* Tax on the produce of peasants was one of the main sources of income for the Mughals.
* During the reign of Akbar, there was currency made of silver copper and gold.
Akbar’s Policies
* Abdul Fazl wrote a manuscript on the history of Akbar’s reign, called the Akbar Nama.
* The first volume of the Akbar Nama talks about Akbar’s ancestors.
* The second volume talks about Akbar’s reign.
* The third volume, the Ain – i – Akbari, gives information about Akbar’s administrative system.
* Akbar established a new faith called Din – i – ilahi, which merged the best elements from all religions.
Mughal Empire After the 16th century
* The 17th century saw the expansion and economic progress of the Mughal Empire.
* The Mughal Empire had both mansabdars, and poor peasants and artisans.
* From 1707 to 1857, the Mughal Empire was ruled by weak successors.
* Taking advantage of the weak rulers, individual kings founded independent kingdoms.
* The Mughal era ended in 1857.
Medieval Indian Ideas of Devotion
* In the eighth century, many people started accepting the idea of Bhakti or devotion to God.
* In South India, new Bhakti movements were propagated by the nayanars and the Alvars.
* The Bhakti movement was also influenced by philosophers like Shankaracharya and Ramanuja.
* Another Bhakti movement was started by Basavanna and his followers, called the Virashaiva movement.
Important Saints of Maharashtra and North India
* All the saint – poets had different beliefs and teachings about devotion or Bhakti.
* While some saints rejected all orthodox religions, others accepted it and wanted to spread it.
* A unique feature of most of the saints was that their works were written in their regional languages.
* The compositions could be easily sung by the followers.
* The poor and the women passed on these songs to the next generation.
Guru Nanak and the Sikh Movement
* Guru Nanak was the founder of Sikhism.
* His teaching laid emphasis in three things, namely: nam japan, kirt karna and vand chhakna.
* Guru Angad compiled Guru Nanak’s and his own compositions in the Gurmukhi script.
* The writings of all were affirmed by Guru Gobind Singh into the holy book of the Sikhs – the Guru Granth Sahib.
* Guru Gobind Singh formed the Khalsa.