Indian History

  The Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha have returned to India after 127 years. The holy remains were discovered by British civil engineer and landowner William Claxton Peppé in 1898 from Piprahwa, the ancient site of Kapilavastu in the Siddharthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. Piprahwa is just south of Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha in Nepal.  The Piprahwa site contained a massive sandstone coffer housing the relics, including sacred bones and ashes, precious gemstones and soapstone as well as crystal reliquaries.  Five caskets, including a crystal casket believed to be over 2,300 years old, were unearthed during excavations. Buried 18 feet underground these caskets contained sacred relics associated with Lord Buddha. Inscribed in early Brahmi script, one of the oldest known in any Indian language, an urn identified the depositors as members of the Buddha’s own Shakya clan, who had enshrined here the relics of the Buddha. William Claxton Peppé’s excavation of the Pip...

Today on July 27, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the ancient capital of the imperial Cholas built by emperor Rajendra Chola - I (regnal years 1012-1044 CE). Participating in the valedictory function of ‘ Aadi Thiruvathirai ’ festival marking the birth anniversary of Rajendra Chola, Mr Modi released a commemorative coin to celebrate the 1000 years of naval expedition of Rajendra Chola - I.  To commemorate his successful military expedition to the Gangetic plains, Rajendra Chola founded a new capital and called it Gangaikonda Cholapuram , identified with modern  Gangaikonda Cholapuram   in the Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu.  Brihadisvara Temple  Gangaikonda Cholapuram / Image Credit Rajendra Chola  also built the Shiva temple in Gangaikonda Cholapuram. Known as Brihadisvara Temple , this temple has a similar name as the one built by his father Raja Raja I in Thanjavur. A UNESCO World Heritage site, this temple is adorned with exquisite granite...

Writer's Buildings / Image Credit Showing exemplary courage three Bengali revolutionaries – Benoy Krishna Basu, Badal Gupta , and Dinesh Chandra Gupta - barged into the historic Writer's Buildings in Calcutta on 8th December 1930 and shot dead the then Bengal's IG (Prisons) Lt Col N S Simpson who was notorious for his atrocities and physical torture of Indian freedom fighters. In the gun battle that ensued the trio seriously wounded several European high officials. Members of the Bengal Volunteers , a group set up by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress in 1928 , these revolutionaries had worn western suits to gain access to the Writer's Building, the seat of the government of undivided Bengal.  Refusing to surrender to the British, Badal Gupta immediately took potassium cyanide and died instantly, while Benoy and Dinesh shot themselves with their firearms. Benoy died in a hospital on December 13, 1930, while Dinesh surviv...

Bal Gangadhar Tilak Today India is celebrating the 169th birth anniversary of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a leading light of Indian freedom struggle.  Of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Edwin Samuel Montagu, British Secretary of State for India between 1917 and 1922, said, "Tilak is at the moment probably the most powerful man in India". One of the famous triumvirate called “Lal-Bal-Pal”, Bal Gangadhar Tilak was born on July 23, 1856 in Ratnagiri district in the Konkan region of Maharashtra.  Bal Gangadhar Tilak was educated in Poona where had co-founded Fergusson College, a landmark educational institution in Maharashtra. A scholar in mathematics, law and Sanskrit, Tilak was one of the founders of the Deccan Education Society in 1884, with Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, Madhavrao Namjoshi  and Vishnushastri Chipalunkar being the other members.  During Home Rule movement which he started in 1914 Bal Gangadhar was given the epithet of Lokamanya (Universally Respected).  Tilak was imprison...

Cellular Jail Andaman / Image Credit One of the main attractions of Port Blair, the capital of the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands in India, is Cellular Jail, where Indian freedom fighters and revolutionaries were imprisoned during the Indian struggle for Independence.  The jail was also known as Kālā Pānī, translating literally as “black waters”.  The three-storied massive structure bears testimony to the inhumane atrocities on them by the British. Built in 1906, this colossal monument, now declared a National Memorial, features a unique sound and light show taking you right back in time, when Indian people were engaged in fierce struggle with the British for the achievement of their freedom from the colonial rule. The jail was originally built with seven wings which had rows of single iron-gated cells – 693 in total, specially built for the solitary confinement of the prisoners.  Notable inmates  of the Cellular Jail also, known as Kala Pani, were...

Western Chalukya Temple Galaganatha Temple, Haveri district, Karnataka Akkadevi (1010 CE- 1064 CE) was a Kalyani Chalukya princess who governed parts of present-day Karnataka in the 11th century CE. She was a governor of an area known as Kishukadu , situated in the present-day districts of Bidar, Bagalkot, and Vijayapura in the state. Akkadevi was the sister of Jayasimha II (1015-1042), the Kalyani Chalukya ruler. There were many Chalukya dynasties. Of them, the four most important were: the Chalukyas of Badami or Vatapi (also known as early western Chalukyas) , the Chalukyas of Vengi (also known as eastern Chalukyas ), the Chalukyas of Kalyani (also known as western Chalukyas ) and the Chalukyas of Gujarat . The Chalukyas of Kalyani ruled from 957 to 1200.  Akkadevi had supressed many rebellions displaying great valour and courage which led her to be called Bhairavi . Early this year two gold  coins of Akkadevi were found near Madugula village in the Mahbubnagar distr...

Akbar's Mausoleum  The last days of the Mughal Emperor Akbar proved to be unhappy due to rebellion of his son Salim, who succeed him under the title of Jahangir.  Salim was eager to ascend the throne and even entered into intrigues with Portuguese to achieve his end. He even hurt Akbar by commissioning the murder of Abul Fazal (brother of Faizi), author of Akbarnama, by Vir Singh Bundela.  The Mughal court became divided into two factions, one favouring the succession of Salim while the other, led by Raja Man Singh (Khusrau's maternal uncle), plotted to secure succession of Salim’s son Khusrav. In fact, Khusrav was also Akbar’s choice. However, before his death Akbar pardoned Salim and nominated him as his successor. Akbar died of diarrhoea on c 25th October in 1605. Akbar’s tomb is at Sikandara, situated on the outskirts of the Agra City. Housing his mortal remains, the mausoleum was built by the emperor himself during his lifetime. The mausoleum was finished in 1613 dur...

As with case with many ancient and medieval cultures, in addition to their legal wives, the rulers have also kept concubines as well. And Mughal rulers were no exceptions. In most cases, these concubines’ served the same purposes as wives. However, they could not legally the men that they served. These concubines also became the mothers of children of the Mughal monarchs. The children born of these concubines were treated on par with those born of the legal wives. Akbar was a famous keeper of many concubines some of whom bore children to him. Two of Akbar’s three sons, Murad and Daniyal were born of concubines. According to English traveller William Finch, Anarkali who have been portrayed in films and books as the valentine of Saleem (Later Jahangir the fourth Mughal Emperor) was the mother of Daniyal. The concubines lived in an area which is known in Muslim culture as harem. The harem was not accessible for the male members.

12 Maratha forts of 'Maratha Military Landscapes', representing extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers, have been inscribed on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List. The decision to include 12 forts in the list was taken during the ongoing 47th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) being held in Paris. "New inscription on the @UNESCO #WorldHeritage List: Maratha Military Landscapes of India, #India," UNESCO said in a post on X. The nomination for UNESCO tag was for the 2024-25 cycle. Now India has 44 of its sites on the list. The country ranks sixth globally and second in the Asia Pacific Region for the most number of World Heritage Sites.  Spread across the Indian states of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, 12 forts are Salher, Shivneri, Lohgad, Khanderi, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, Vijaydurg, and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, along with Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu. Of the 12 forts eight are protected b...

  Tomb of Ahmed Nizam Shah. Photo: Wikimedia Commons Ahmadnagar Sultanate, known more famously as the Nizam Shahi Dynasty, was one of the five independent states that arose on the debris of the Bahmani Sultanate. The Sultanate derives its name from Ahmadnagar, the seat of the power, which is 120 km northeast of Pune and located in the state of Maharashtra. Nizam Shahi dynasty was founded by Malik Ahmad, son of Hasan Nizamul Mulk, wazir (Prime Minister) of the Bahmani kingdom after Mahmud Gawan’s execution in 1481.  Mahmud Gawan  was a renowned Islamic scholar who rose in ranks to become the wazir of the Bahmani kingdom. Malik Ahmad, who was appointed to the governorship of Junnar, asserted his independence in 1490. He transferred his seat of government from Junnar to Ahmadnagar which he founded in 1494. During his rule Daulatabad became part of the Ahmadnagar kingdom in 1499. After Ahmad’s death in 1510, he was succeeded by his son Burhan, a lad of seven years at that tim...

Situated southeast of the adjacent Tughlaqabad Fort , on the opposite side of the Badarpur-Mehrauli road, the relatively unknown Adilabad fort has for long been in the shadows of Tughlaqabad Fort which was built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq , the founder of the Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1413), the third of the five dynasties, the combination of which went on to be called the Delhi Sultanate . Located near the tomb of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq, the Adilabad fort (also known as Muhammadabad), on its part, was built by his son Juna Khan , better known as Muhammad bin Tughluq , who succeeded his father in 1325. The Adilabad fort was incorporated into the fortified city of Jahanpanah built by Muhammad bin Tughluq.  When it comes to bastion and walls Adilabad Fort, though small in size, bears striking resemblance to the Tughlaqabad Fort. 

Q.1 Which Delhi Sultanate ruler was killed in Battle? (A) Ibrahim Lodi (B) Razia Sultan  (C) Muḥammad bin Tughlaq (D) Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq Answer: A Ibrahim Lodi was defeated at the First Battle of Panipat (April 21, 1526) by Babur who laid the foundation of Mughal empire in India. During the battle Ibrahim lost his life, the first and only Delhi Sultan to die in battle . 

Located in Mehrauli Archaeological Park in Delhi, Rajon ki Baoli is a four-tiered stepwell featuring elegant arched colonnades ,  ornate stucco medallions with floral and geometric patterns, and finely carved stone elements. This baoli (reservoir) was built in the early years of 16 th century during the rule of Lodi dynasty of Delhi Sultanate. With an area of 1,610 square meters, this Baoli descends to a depth of 13.4 meters, with the main tank measuring 23 by 10 meters at its base. Rajon ki Baoli was recently restored by Archaeological Survey of India in collaboration with World Monuments Fund India (WMFI) and TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) Foundation.

In ancient times Tibet was not an isolated region as it is today. It lay in the much frequented route from China and Nepal. Buddhism was introduced to Tibet by Srong-tsan Gampo, one of the most illustrious kings of Tibet in the seventh century AD.  Gampo was married to Princesses Wen Cheng from China and another Princess Bhrikuti from Nepal. It was under the influence of his two wives that he was attracted to Buddhism. In China and Nepal Buddhism had already made its mark. Gampo is credited with introducing in Tibet Indian alphabets. This was the beginning of a new culture and civilisation in that land. Many Buddhist from Tibet, as in the case of China, came to India. Buddhist monks from Tibet came to study at the universities of Nalanda, Vikramshila and Odantapuri. As a reciprocation, many Indian Buddhist visited Tibet. In the eighth century AD from Nalanda (a famous centre of learning in ancient Bihar) Buddhist monk Padmasambhava went to Tibet and succeeded in converting the land...

Talagirishwara temple at Panamalai / Image Credit Talagirishwara temple at Panamalai in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu was built by Pallava king Narasimhavarman II, popularly known as Rajasimha, who is also credited with   commisioning the Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Kailasanatha Temple in Kanchipuram.  

Bamboo garden (Venuvana) at Rajagriha, the visit of Bimbisara / Image Credit Magadha was one of the 16 great kingdoms or mahajanapadas in India between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. Apart from Asmaka or Assaka , all the other fifteen mahajanpadas were located in Northern India.  Assaka was located in what is now present-day territory comprising Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra.  The most remarkable king of the Haryanka dynasty of the 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 of 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 ot...