Indian History

In importance, Bhavabhuti is second only to Kalidasa, the greatest Sanskrit poet and dramatist. He resided in the court of Yasovarman of Kanauj in the early 8 th century. Three of his plays have survived: Malati and Madhava ; The Deeds of the Great Hero ( Mahavircharita ); and “The Later Deeds of Rama” ( Uttararamcharita ). Bhavabhuti’s greatness rests on his deep understanding of sorrow. As a matter of fact, in his treatment of the pathetic, according to the critics, he edges past even Kalidasa. Malati and Madhava is a love story which tells the rescue of the heroine from the jaws of death for more than once. Mahavircharita and Uttararamcharita tell the story of Lord Rama. Bhavabhuti in his Uttararamcharita has concluded with the full reconciliation of Rama and Sita in place of the grim ending to the story in which Sita allows herself to be swallowed up by the earth to prove her innocence. .

Cholas were one of the three major ruling dynasties of the Tamil Country during the Sangam period. They ruled over an area known as Tondaimandalam or Cholamandalam. The most celebrated ruler of this line was Karikalan who made a grand anicut at Kaveri and laid the foundation of the capital of Kaveripattinam, also known as Puhar. Kaveripattinam, now a non-descript fishing village silted up by the river mud, had an artificial harbour which was built by prisoners of war who were obtained by him following his successful raid on Sri Lanka. Uraiyur was the earlier capital of the Chola kingdom.   Karikalan was the son of Ilanjetcenni who was a valiant and brave ruler. Karikalan, which means man with a charred leg, was so named because his leg was caught in flames when the prison, in which he was incarcerated after being kidnapped by his enemies, was set on fire. He, however, managed to escape alive.  A contemporary of Chera king Perunjeral Adan whom he defeated  in the Battle of Venni (m oder

                                       Maurya Empire, c.250 BCE /  Wikimedia Commons Chandragupta Maurya’s claim to fame rests on the fact that he was the founder of the first and one of the greatest empires that appeared in India. He not only succeeded in overthrowing the unpopular last ruler of the Nandas with their capital at Pataliputra (modern day Patna), also to his credit goes the driving out of the Greeks garrisons from the North-West frontier set up as a result of Alexander’s invasion and unification of a large part of India including the Deccan. In fact, he was the first Indian ruler who sent military expeditions beyond the Vindhyas and brought the area under his influence. The early life of Chandragupta Maurya The early life of Chandragupta Maurya and his ascent to the throne is hidden in obscurity. He is described as Sandrocottus  in the Greek sources which attest to his meeting with Alexander who did not like his boldness of speech. Chandragupta Maurya is also men

Q. 1 Which of the following Sangam rulers is known as ‘Red Chera’? (a) Senguttuvan (b) Karikala (c) Nedunjeral (d) Elara Answer (a) Q. 2 Which of the following kings of the Sangam Age is credited with the foundation of Puhar or Kaveripattinam? (a) Karikala (b) Elara (c) Vijayalaya (d) Ilandiraiyan Answer (c) Q. 3 Karikala, the famous king of this period, belonged to which of the following dynasties did? (a) Chola (b) Chera (c) Pandya (d) Pallava Answer (a) Q. 4 Which of the following was not one of the royal dynasties of the Tamil country during the Sangam Age? (a) Pandya (b) Chera (c) Pallava (d) Chola Answer (c) Q. 5 The spies during the Sangam period were known as? (a) Dutas (b) Spasas (c) Orrars (d) Sanjayans Answer (c)

Q. 1 Which of the following Sangam rulers is known as ‘Red Chera’? (a) Senguttuvan (b) Karikala (c) Nedunjeral (d) Elara Answer (a) Q. 2 Which of the following kings of the Sangam Age is credited with the foundation of Puhar or Kaveripattinam? (a) Karikala (b) Elara (c) Vijayalaya (d) Ilandiraiyan Answer (c)

Vulture’s Peak, Rajagriha|Wikimedia Commons The most remarkable king of the Haryanka dynasty of the great Magadhan kingdom in the 6th century BC was Bimbisara, also known as Srenika. He ascended the throne in c 545 B.C. He was the first Indian ruler who conceived the idea of an extensive empire.  He embarked on a policy of imperialism by conquering the little kingdom Anga which had its capital at Champa near modern Bhagalpur in Bihar. In ancient times, the port city of Champa was of substantial commercial significance. Though Anga was the only conquest of Bimbisara, he strengthened his position by matrimonial alliances with other kingdoms. His marriage with Kosala Devi, a sister of Prasenjit of Kosala, brought him the part of Kasi (Varanasi). He was also married to Chellana, the daughter of Chetaka, the Licchavis king of Vaishali. Another wife of Bimbisara was Khema who was born into the royal family of Madra in central Punjab.  Bimbisara's  capital was Raagriha , the modern Rajgir

Ashvamedha, or horse sacrifice, was one of the main royal sacrifices in ancient India, performed to enhance the power and glory of the king. Naturally, it was the ambition of every king to conduct this sacrifice, though it can be performed only by the mighty monarchs. Apart from glorifying the king, the rite also was instrumental in bringing the prosperity and fertility to the kingdom. As the name suggests, a stallion marked with king's name was set free to wander at will for a year. The rulers and the chieftains of the territories on which the horse, followed by a chosen bans of warriors, roamed had to either accept the suzerainty of the king or defeat the accompanying warriors in the battle. When after a period of one year the horse returned to the kingdom accompanied by the kings of the territories where it entered, it was sacrificed. Sometimes scores of other animals were sacrificed with the horse. This elaborate sacrificial ritual, participated in by the priest, the king

The founder of the Sunga dynasty was Pushyamitra, a Brahman general of Brihadratha, the last Mauryan emperor. The ease with which he overthrew Brihadratha by way of a palace revolution in about 183 BC is testimony to the weakness and inefficiency of the later Mauryas who were unable to repulse the foreign invasion. According to the Puranas, religious texts dating from the Gupta period onwards, the event took place in 187 BC. Being a Brahman, Pushyamitra is credited with the restoration of the orthodox Hinduism and performed horse-sacrifice. He has been portrayed as a persecutor of the Buddhism which saw its hey-day during the Mauryan rule. However, the remains of the large Buddhist stupa at Bharhut built in the second century BC belie this. During his reign apart from Patliputra, Vidisa emerged as another centre of power where the crown prince Agnimitra, hero of Kalidasa’s famous drama Malavikagnimitra, held his court. Pushyamitra, who did not take regal titles, ruled for thirty-six ye

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

From 500 AD onwards Huna power was in ascendancy in Western India for next thirty years.  Hunas came from Central Asia in the 5th century AD and have been referred to as Hephthalites or White Hunas by the Byzantine historians.  Toramana was a famous Huna king in India and was succeeded by his son Mihirakula (Mihiragula, meaning sunflower) in 515 AD. Mihirakula, a follower of Shaivism, has been described by 7th century Chinese traveler Huen – T- Sang as a tyrant who fiercely persecuted the Buddhists by destroying their monasteries and killing them. He is supposed to have destroyed fourteen hundred Buddhist monasteries, His ferocity and cruelty has been also been recorded by the 12th century Kashmiri historian Kalhana in his magnum opus, Rajatarangini (Chronicle of Kings).   Mihirakula’s capital was at Sakala (modern Sialkot in Pakistan’s Punjab). He built up a vast empire which extended up to Gwalior.  However, Mihirakula suffered at the hands of Gupta ruler Nasimhagupta or Baladitya by

The Goddess Durga (Mahishasuramardini) destorying the Buffalo Demon, Mahisha, Mamallapuram. 7th century / Image Credit Today, the seaside village of Mamallapuram in Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu is witness to some of brilliant works of architecture by the Pallavas who ruled from A.D. 300-900 in the region south of Krishna-Tungbhadra rivers. Kanchi (modern Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu) was the capital of their Kingdom. Pallava dynasty was one of the most powerful and famous kingdoms of South India. The rulers of this dynasty are known to be the creators of one of most exquisite pieces of temple architecture in India. During the rule of the Pallavas, Hinduism was in a state of flourish and they are responsible for introducing Aryan institutions in South India to a great measure. Early Pallavas Nothing much can be said with certainty about the early history of the Pallavas.  We learn that in about the middle of the 4 th century AD a Pallava king named Vishnugopa was c