Taj Mahal, the Symbol of India

The symbol of India, the Taj Mahal at Agra is known the world over. In fact, this is the most resplendent of the Indian sites, one certainly not to miss even in the most perfunctory of tours. Situated 125 miles (200km) south of Delhi, Agra is an essential stop in any tour of India.

Built under the reign of the fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century, this mausoleum of his wife, Arjumand Banu Begum (better known as Mumtaz Mahal), is the very pinnacle of Mughal architecture. It is called the Taj Mahal after the title of the empress. It has been poetically described as “a tender elegy in marble.”

The belief that the Taj owes its design to a Venetian, Gernimo Verrones, is misleading. The Taj is the crowing glory and culmination of the Mughal architecture. It was commenced in 1631 and completed some time around 1653. The monument is rightly regarded as one of the wonders of the world for its beauty and magnificence.

The grandest achievement of the Mughal architecture, the Taj Mahal, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Taj Mahal was the result of the efforts of over 12, 000 workers, over a period of 22 years. The cost incurred on the construction in those times was 50 (5 million) Rupees.

History of Tamil Nadu

The excavations at Adichanallur, 24 km from Tirunelveli in the state of Tamil Nadu, points to settlements of people in the pre-historic times.

The ancient period in Tamil Nadu is marked by the emergence of the four Tamil kingdoms of the Chera, Chola, Pandya and Pallavas. Apart from these dynasties, an obscure power named Kalabhras succeeded in displacing the three Tamil kingdoms between the fourth and the seventh centuries CE. The period is referred to as the Dark Age in the history of Tamil Nadu. The Kalabhras were later expelled by the Pallavas and the Pandyas.

The Pallavas who ruled Tamil Nadu were the contemporaries of the Rashtrakutas. The early history of the Pallavas is shrouded in mystery, but Simhavishnu Avanisimha, who ascended the throne in about 575 AD, is considered to e the real founder of the Pallava dynasty. Mahendravarman I and his son Mamalla Narasimhavarman I were the great rulers of the Pallavas dynasty. Kanchipuram was the capital of the Pallavas whose contribution to the Dravidian architecture was immense. The Shore Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was built by Narasimhavarman II.

Pallavas were followed by the Pandyas in the 8th century. With their capital Madurai, Pandyas were referred to as the richest kingdom by the famous traveller Marco Polo. The greatness of the Cholas as described by Asoka was restored by Vijayalaya, who began his rule in 850 AD. The greatest kings of the Chola Empire were Rajaraja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola. Mahipala, the pala king of Bengal was defeated by Rajendra Chola. To commemorate this victory he founded a new capital and called it Gangaikonda Cholapuram, identified with modern Gangakundapuram in Tiruchirapalli district of Tamil Nadu.

The Vijayanagara Empire which ruled over the entire Tamil Nadu was founded in 1336 by Harihara I and Bukka. This empire ruled for two centuries with the defeat of Vijayanagara forces in the Battle of Talikota against the Muslim forces of Deccan in 1565.

In 1968, Madras State became the state of Tamil Nadu.

Bharukachcha: An important port of ancient India

Located on the banks of the Narmada, Bharukachcha, the modern Broach in Gujarat, was the most famous port and commercial centre of Gujarat in ancient India. It was one of the chief ports of ancient India. It has been frequently mentioned in several Buddhist and Sanskrit works. From the early centuries of the Christian era till the close of the thirteenth century, Bharukachcha, remained a prosperous town and a thriving port under the successive dynasties which ruled Gujarat.

Sir Alexander Cunningham: Father of Indian Archeology

Alexander Cunningham was one of the colleagues of James Prinsep. He assisted the later in the decipherment of the Brahmi script. The decipherment of the Brahmi script led to the reading of the Asokan edicts. Thus the world came to know about the great emperor.

Alexander Cunningham was an officer of the Royal engineers. He came to India in 1831. Since his arrival in the country, he devoted his time to the study of the ancient remains of Indian history. Alexander Cunningham recorded the existence of a series of mounds after visiting Harappan site. He is credited to have conducted a limited excavation of the Harappan site. He published a few Objects (such as seals) as well as the site-plan. He was appointed Archeological Surveyor in 1862.

Indian Indology owes a lot to Sir Alexander Cunningham. He is rightly called father of Indian archeology.

History of Himachal Pradesh

After coming into the control of many dynasties including those of Gupats and Harshavardhana, the territory of Himachal Pradesh was divided into small principalities headed by chieftains. Some of these small kingdoms were ruled by Rajput chieftains.

These principalities were invaded by the Muslim armies at regular intervals. At the beginning of the 10th century, Mahmud Ghaznavi launched a military campaign against Kangra and captured it.

Timur and Sikander Lodi also made similar raids. Many of the hill kingdoms became vassals of the Mughal empire. 

During India’s struggle for freedom, most of the princely states of Himachal Pradesh either remained indifferent or supported the cause of the British. After becoming a Union Territory on 1 November 1956, Himachal Pradesh became the eighteenth state of the Indian Union on 18 December 1970 thanks to the enactment of the State of Himachal Pradesh Act by the Indian Parliament

History of Maharashtra

The area that constitutes the present day state of Maharashtra was the scene of the flourishing of many dynasties. After coming into the control of the Mauryan Empire, Satavahana kingdom held its sway over the territory. Junnar, thirty miles north of Pune, was the capital of the Satavahanas at one point of time.

During the Satavahana period, Maharashtra became a great centre of culture and learning. The official language of Satavahana was Maharashtri, which later developed into Marathi. The greatest ruler of the Satavahana dynasty was Gautamiputra Satkarni, who took pride in calling himself the destroyer of the Sakas (Scythians), Yavanas (Greeks) and Pahlavas (Parthians). He is credited to have started the Shalivahana era, a new calendar, still used by the Maharashtrians. Sri Yajna Satkarni was the last great king of the Satavahana kingdom. According to some Puranas, 19 kings of this dynasty ruled for 300 years, while according to others, 30 kings ruled for 465 years. The dynasty came to an end about the middle of the third century A.D.

After the fall of the Satavahana dynasty, the eastern part of Maharashtra came under the control of Vakatakas. Among other dynasties that ruled over the territory the Rashtrakutas, and the Yadavas of Deogiri find special mention.

The invading armies of the Delhi Sultanate rulers Ala-ud-din Khalji, and later Muhammad bin Tughluq took control of the territory of Maharashtra. After the collapse of the Delhi Sultanate, the area became part of the Bahmani Sultanate.

The greatest name in the history of Maharashtra was that of Shivaji who by dint of his hard work and sheer tenacity succeeded in creating a kingdom covering most of Maharashtra and nearly half of India in a short span of his life. He was the nemesis of Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor. Shivaji was born in the fort of Shivaner in 1627 and deied on April, 1680.

Shivaji's death was followed by internal dissensions in the newly created Maratha Kingdom. There was a dispute about succession between the two sons of Shivaji. Finally Sambhaji ascended the throne in 1680. He was captured, and after cruel torture for more than three weeks, he was brutally put to death by Aurangzeb.

Rajaram's nephew & Sambhaji's son, Shahu Bhosale (born May 18, 1682) who had been in Mughal captivity since November 3, 1689, was liberated on May 8, 1707. He was recognized as the king of the Marathas. This was resented by Rajaram’s wife Tara Bai. However, Shahu ultimately came out victorious, manly with the help and advice of a Chitpavan Brahmana from Konkan, named Balaji Viswanath.

Balaji’s character and capacity and the peculiar circumstances of the country favoured the rise of the Peshwas to power and renown. He has been rightly called the second founder of the Maratha state.

After the death of Balaji Viswanath, his eldest son Bajiroa, a young man of hardly twenty, was appointed the Peshwa by Sahu. Under him the Maratha power reached its zenith.

Maharashtra played an important role in India’s freedom struggle. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahadev Govind Ranade, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Pherozeshah Mehta and Dadabhai Naoroji were some of the prominent leaders of the freedom struggle.

Maharashtra became a full fledged state on May 1, 1960, when Bombay Presidency State was bifurcated into the new linguistic states of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

History of Madhya Pradesh

Various dynasties held their sway over the territory that constitutes the present day state of Madhya Pradesh. Many places in the state find mention in the ancient scriptures such as Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Khajuraho

The city of Ujjain, earlier known as Avanti, made its mark as a major center of power and learning in the sixth century BC. The whole area came under the control of the Maurya Empire (321 to 185 BCE). After the downfall of the Mauryan Empire, the territory was ruled by various dynasties including the Satavahana and the Sakas.

The Gupta dynasty which ruled over the state is considered to be golden period of the Indian history. The medieval period witnessed the emergence of several dynasties including the Paramaras of Malwa and the Chandelas of Bundelkhand. The world heritage site of Khajuraho temples were built by the Chandelas of Bundelkhand.

The territory came under the control of the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire. The present day Madhya Pradesh came into being on 1 November 2000, following its bifurcation to create a new state of Chhattisgarh.