Indian History

In ancient India, Swayamvara was a form of marriage in which the girl after attaining puberty chose her husband from among the assembled suitors. This type of marriage was particularly prevalent among the kshatriyas, the warrior and ruling class. Ancient law books lay down that in the case of parents not been able to marry their daughters, they can choose their own husband.  Epic literature is full of instances which show that Swayamvara marriage took place in good numbers in ancient times. Though this marriage by choice used to be conducted at a chosen venue, sometimes other means were also taken recourse to choose the partner. In order to find her soul mate, Princess Savitri toured the country in chariot, until she found Satyavan, the son of a king turned woodcutter. In the longest narrative episode in the Mahabharata it has been described how Princess Damayanti chose her husband Nala at a grand ceremony. Nala , who has long parted from his wife, is reunited with her only

A famous Sufi saint of Chisti order, Gesudaraz Syed Muhamad Husayni is credited with the spread of Chisti order in South India. A disciple of Chirag-i-Delhi, he left Delhi in 1398 and went to Gulbarga in Karnataka where he was well received by the Bahmani Sultan Firoz Shah Bahmani. Gulbarga was the capital of the Bahmani kingdom until its transfer to Bidar in 1428.  Author of a large number of books on Tasawwuf (mysticism), he was a scholar of great repute and well versed in Quranic verses. Popular with the masses, he had deep compassion for the poor and the impoverished and this earned him the title of Bandanawaz (benefactor of the creatures of God). A linguist with extensive knowledge of several languages, Gesudaraz was one of the early poets and writers who wrote in Urdu that came into being as a result of the mingling the Persian, Turkish and Arabic words accompanied by concepts of Sanskritic origin. In the later years, the relation between Gesudaraz and Firoz Bahmani be

Mubarak was the third son of 'Ala-ud-din Khilji. After the murder of Malik Kafur, who had placed Mubarak in prison in the Hazar Sutun (the palace of a thousand pillars) and tried to blind him, the latter was made by the nobles the regent of his minor brother Shihab-ud-din 'Umar, who was placed on the throne of Delhi Sultanate by Malik Kafur after Khilji Sultan’s death. After serving as the regent for sixty-four days, Mubarak blinded his brother in 1316, and placed himself on the throne and took the title of Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah. After become the Sultan, Mubarak set himself to the task of rescinding the harsher administrative policies and economic regulations of his father. As he had himself suffered the agony of imprisonment, he set the political prisoners free. As corollary, chaos, confusion and bankruptcy began to rule the roost in the Sultanate. Added to this, he indulged in indolence and pleasure immersing himself in drinking. This resulted in the disappearance

Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq was the founder of the Tughluq dynasty, the third of the five dynasties, the combination of which went on to be called the Delhi Sultanate. Though of a humble origin, he rose in ranks and was appointed Governor of the Punjab by the Khilji Sultan Ala-ud-din Khilji.  After successfully bringing the inglorious reign of Khusrau Khan to an end, Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq (called Ghazi Malik before his ascension to the throne of Delhi Sultanate) brought a semblance of liberalization to the administration which was severe in the times of his predecessors, especially Ala-ud-din Khilji. The mismanagement of the state affairs under Mubarak Khilji and Khusrav had resulted in a situation where financial condition of the Sultanate was in a mess. Ghiyas-ud-din tried his honest best to retrieve the situation. Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq is credited with the construction of the fortified city of Tughlaqabad, located on the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road. He has been hailed by the contemporary hi

Nasir-ud-din Mahmud, a grandson of Iltutmish, was one of the sultans of the Slave Dynasty. He was placed on the throne of Delhi Sultanate by the nobles in 1246 after the incompetent reigns of his predecessors Muiz-ud-din Bahram (1240-42) and Ala-ud-din Masud Shah (1242-46). Nasir-ud-din Mahmud was only sixteen when he ascended the throne. During his twenty year rule, he remained content in surrendering the power of the state to Balban, one of his Turkish minister. In 1249, Nasir-ud-din Mahmud married the daughter of Balban. This increased the power of Balban who was made his deputy (naib-i-mamalakat) and given the title of Ulugh Khan (premier ‘Khan’). Balban, de facto ruler of Delhi, managed the affairs of the sate competently. Internal rebellions were suppressed. Mongol invasions were successfully repulsed. This aroused the jealousy of the other nobles. This led to his exile from 1253 to 1255. But as they created a mess of the administration, he was once again recalled by the

              Tomb of Muhammad Shah Sayyid After the murder of Mubarak Shah, the second ruler of Sayyid Dynasty, by the Delhi nobles in 1434, Muhammad, a grandson of Khizr Khan , the first ruler of Sayyid Dynasty, was made Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate. Muhammad Shah, a nephew of Mubarak , was latter’s heir-designate. His inefficiency contributed fast to the weakening of the Sayyid Dynasty. Sarvar-ul-mulk, wazir of the kingdom, enjoyed supreme power. Even after the wazir’s death, he failed in his duty as a ruler. In the meantime, Mahmud Shah Khalji of Malwa showed his gumption to raid Delhi. However, Buhlul Khan Lodi, the governor of Lahore and Sirhind, frustrated the designs of the Malwa ruler. All these led to the decline of the Sayyid Dynasty and it was only a matter of time that dynasty, founded by Khizr Khan, was doomed to annihilation.   Muhammad Shah died in 1445. He lies buried in a tomb, located in the Lodhi Gardens in Delhi.

After the death of Muhammad Shah in A.D. 1445, his son, Alauddin Alam Shah, succeeded him to the throne of the Sayyid Dynasty, the fourth in the line of five dynasties that comprised Delhi Sultanate. This pleasure loving ruler was more inefficient than his father.   Such was his fondness for gratification and aversion to work that he abdicated the throne in favour of Buhlul Khan Lodi , the governor of Lahore and Sirhind, in 1451 and retired to Badaun (now in Uttar Pradesh), where he died in 1478.  Alam Shah’s only claim to fame lies in the field of architecture. He constructed his father’s tomb which is located in the Lodhi Gardens in central Delhi. He lies buried in a tomb in Badaun in Uttar Pradesh where his mother was also buried.

                                                  Mubarak Shah's tomb / Image Credit After the death of his father Khizr Khan, the founder of the Sayyid dynasty, Mubarak Shah ascended the throne of Delhi Sultanate. Mubarak Shah, who was nominated as the successor by his father, became the sovereign ruler of Delhi on the very day of the latter's death (20th May, 1421). Unlike his father, he assumed royal title. It was during Mubarak Shah’s reign that Yahiya bin Ahmad Sarhindi composed his Ta'rikh-i-Mubarak Shahi, dedicated to the Sayyid ruler. Like that of his father, his reign is also not marked by any important event. He suppressed the rebellions at Bhatinda and in the Doab. Khokars under Jasrat tired to pose challenge to the authority of Delhi Sultanate. Mubarak’s reign saw the ascendancy of the Hindu nobles in the court. Mubarak Shah fell prey to a conspiracy hatched by the Delhi nobles, both Muslims and Hindus, under the leadership of the disgruntled and unscrupulous w

Khizr Khan was the founder of the Sayyid dynasty, the fourth and penultimate dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. After the death of Sultan Mahmud, the last ruler of the Tughluq dynasty, in 1413, the nobles of Delhi entrusted Daulat Khan Lodi with the task of ruling Delhi. However, i n March 1414, Khizr Khan, who was appointed Governor of Multan, Lahore and Dipalpur by the Mangol leader Timur Lang or Tamerlane who won these places after invading India and sacking Delhi in 1398-99, defeated Daulat Khan who was sent to Hissar Firuza as a prisoner. According to some historians, Khizr Khan traced his descent to the Prophet. However, this view has been contested by other authorities. It seems probable that his ancestors might have belonged to Arabia. Instead of assuming sovereign title, Khizr Khan choose to rule as viceroy of Timur's fourth son and successor, Shah Rukh. His reign of seven years was devoid of any important event. Delhi Sultanate was reduced to the extent of a sma

Skandagupta, who ruled between 455 and 467 CE, was the last powerful ruler of the Gupta Empire that ruled Northern and Central India from the 4th to the late 6th century CE. He ascended the throne after the death of his father Kumar Gupta I. Though not the regular claimant to the throne as he was not born of the chief queen, he was chosen due to his superior ability. And he proved equal to the task. Soon after his accession to the Gupta throne, Skanda Gupta had to deal with the Hunas, the barbaric tribes from Central Asia who after terrorizing parts of the Roman Empire made incursions into Indian plains. Skanda Gupta succeeded in keeping the Hunas at bay by defeating them. To mark the occasion he justifiably assumed the title of Vikramaditya. His victory over the Hunas has been referred to in the Kathasaritsagara, written by Somadeva in the 11th century AD. Skanda Gupta died in AD 467 and with that the glory of the Guptas began to dwindle. The Bhitari pillar inscription in the Ghazipur

Though third in the line of the Gupta rulers, Chandra Gupta I is considered to be the real founder of the Gupta dynasty. Ascending the throne in 320 AD, he was the first Gupta ruler who assumed the title of Maharajadhiraja, "supreme King of great Kings". His marriage with a Lichchhavi princess Kumaradevi went a long way in increasing his power and position. It seems that Lichchhavis of Vaishali was once again a powerful force by now since its defeat by Ajatashatru some eight centuries before. This marriage found prominence in the genealogies of the later Gupta rulers and was commemorated by minting of special coins by them. After a rule of some fifteen years, Chandra Gupta I died. At that time Gupta empire held sway over large territories including Magadha, Allahabad, Oudh and South Bihar. Chandra Gupta I held an assembly to nominate his son Prince Samudra Gupta , against other claimants, to succeed the Gupta throne. The assembly was participated in by councilors and members

Initially started as a religious movement with a view to reforming the Sikh religion by purging it of the degenerate features, Kuka movement, founded in 1840 in the Western Punjab, turned into a political struggle against the British. The founder of Kuka movement was Bhagat Jawahar Mal.   Popularly known as Sian Saheb, Bhagat Jawahar Mal and his disciple, Balak Singh, gathered around them a band of followers and made Hazro in NWFP their headquarters. The Kuka movement sought to abolish the caste system in the Sikhism and create a society based on equality. It advocated woman’s freedom and abstinence from alcohol and drugs and discouraged non-vegetarianism. Alarmed at the growing popularity of the movement, the British took several measures to crush the Kuka revolt between 1863-1872. Ram Singh, one of the famous leaders of the Kuka movement, gave a call to his followers for boycott of British goods, government schools and government posts. Known to his followers as Satguru,

  Alluri Seetharama Raju is known in Indian history to have led the Rampa rebellion which took place in during 1922-24 against the British. He was born on July 4, 1897 in Pandrangi village in the Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh. He studied at Mrs. AVN College in Visakhapatnam.   Rampa rebellion was one of the 70 listed tribal uprisings during the British colonial period from 1778 to 1947. What makes Rampa rebellion unique that it was the earliest known tribal revolt led by a non-tribal Alluri Seetharama Raju. Though an outsider, he assembled a band of followers who had the support of the people of the surrounding areas of at least 2,500 square miles. He became a folk hero in Andhra Pradesh and came to be known as Manyam Veerudu (Hero of the jungles). Though Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-cooperation Movement inspired him, he advocated violence to win tribal goals.  The revolt takes it name from the Rampa region north of Godavari, which was the place of action for sever

One of the most famous figures of Indian history, Shivaji was the founder of the Maratha kingdom. The rise of Marathas is considered to be a revival of Hinduism in the seventeenth century. A brilliant leader, Shivaji was a just ruler and a statesman of consummate craft. He always respected the religion of his adversaries. Belonging to the Bhonsle clan, Shivaji was born in the hill-fort of Shivneri near Junnar (in the Pune district of Maharashtra) in 1630. According to one school of thought, he was born in 1627. His grandfather Maloji was employed with the Nizam Shahi rulers of Ahmednagar. Shahji, eldest son of Maloji and father of Shivaji, was initially in the service of the Ahmednagar kingdom as a trooper in the army. Shahji was married to Jijabai, daughter of a noble in the service of Nizam Shahi Kingdom.   Jijabai, who was a virtuous lady and had a profound impact on Shivaji, was the daughter of Lakhuji Jadav Rao, who claimed descent from the Yadavas of Devagiri.

Described by Jawaharlal Nehru as the R ani of the Nagas, Rani Gaidinliu was a Naga woman revolutionary leader and successor to the political movement launched by the Naga leader Haipou Jadonang (1905-31) to derive away the British from Manipur. She was born in 1915.    After the execution of Jadonang in 1931 by the British,  Rani Gaidinliu led a popular rebellion against the British rule at the young age of sixteen. In order to suppress her followers and capture her, the British deployed regular army columns. In 1932, she was arrested by the British government who sentenced her to life imprisonment. She spent fourteen years in different jails of Guwahati, Shillong, Aizawl, Tura and others. Rani Gaidinliu was finally released from the prison after India’s independence in 1947. She died in 1993.

Born in Khandaghosh village in the Purba Bardhaman district in district of West Bengal in 1845, Rash Behari Ghose was a n eminent lawyer, educationist, social worker and philanthropist. His was a brilliant academic career. He proved to be a very successful lawyer. Rash Behari Ghose was a leading leader of the moderate wing of the Indian National Congress. During the freedom struggle for India there were two divisions in the Indian National Congress (INC)- moderate and extremist. He is said to have called the extremists “irresponsible agitators” and “pestilential demagogues”. He was a believer in the British sense of justice.      Rash Behari Ghose was elected President of the Indian National Congress at the Surat session of 1907. It was at the Surat session when INC split into two sections: moderate and extremist. He was again elected president of the INC in its subsequent session in 1908.     Rash Behari Ghose breathed his last on February, 28, 1921.    The Cong