Indian History

Stone Age rock shelters with paintings at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh are the earliest known traces of human life in India. The first known permanent settlements appeared 9,000 years ago and developed into the Indus Valley Civilization, which peaked between 2600 BC and 1900 BC. It was followed by the Vedic Civilization.  From around 500 BC onwards, many independent kingdoms came into being. In the north, the Maurya dynasty, which included the emperor Ashoka, contributed greatly to India's cultural landscape. From 180 BC, a series of invasions from Central Asia followed, with the successive establishment in the northern Indian subcontinent of the Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian and Indo-Parthian kingdoms, and finally the Kushan Empire. From the 3rd century onwards the Gupta dynasty oversaw the period referred to as India's "Golden Age". In the south, several dynasties including the Chalukyas, Cheras, Cholas, Pallavas, Pandyas and Hoysalas prevailed during different periods...

Arjuna Penance / Image Credit  The temple city of Mahabalipuram  in the state of Tamil Nadu   is the site of some of the greatest architectural and sculptural achievements made by the Pallava rulers in ancient India. Located some sixty km from Chennai, the temples of Mahabalipuram represent one of mankind's most amazing and enduring architectural achievements. The structures one sees at Mahabalipuram today, are the surviving remains of a wonderful religious, social and administrative metropolis that once severed the religious capital of the Pallavas,  who held sway over much of south India between the 4th and 9th centuries A.D. . Also known as Mamallapuram,  Mahabalipurum in the state of Tamil Nadu was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Once-thriving port city of the Pallavas  on the Bay of Bengal,     Mamallapuram was  named after its founder, the great Pallava king,   Narasimhavarman I, or  Mamalla , "the Great ...

  1471  - Birth of Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529), an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1509 to 1529.  Krishnadeva Raya  belonged to the Taluva dynasty, one of the four main dynasties, combination of which is known as the Vijayanagar empire.  One of the greatest kings of India, Krishnadeva Raya raised the Hindu power of Vijayanagar to the zenith of its prosperity and glory.  An epigraphical reference to the date of death of Krishnadevaraya was discovered at Honnenahalli in Tumakuru district in Karnataka. According to the inscription, Krishnadevaraya died on October 17, 1529. 

Battlefield / AI Generated 1399- Mongol leader Amir Timur, also known as Tamerlane, sacks Kangra on 16th January, 1399 during his invasions on India in which he massacred thousands of the inhabitants of many cities and places of India including Talamba, Delhi, Firuzabad, Meerut, Jammu and Kangra.  1680- Shambhiji, the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha Kingdom and son of Shivaji, was coronated at Raigad fort in 1680. He formally ascended the throne on 20 July, 1680, and his coronation ceremony was performed with great splendour on 16 January, 1681. 1757- The Battle of Narela took place between the Marathas and Afghan invader Ahmad Shah Abdali on 16 January 1757, at Narela, on the outskirts of Delhi. Ahmad Shah Abdali had defeated the Marathas in the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761.    1761 - The British East India Company captures Pondicherry (Puducherry) from the French on January 16, 1761.  1901- Death of  Mahadev Govind Ranade  (1842-1901) ,  a sc...

Image Credit Located in the Hassan district of Karnataka, Shravanabelagola is a famous pilgrimage site of Jainism. 48 km from the Hassan city, Sravanabelagola is renowned for its imposing statue of Gomateswara , also referred to as Lord Bahubali.  Carved out of monolithic stone, the awesome 17 metre high statue was commissioned by Western Ganga minister Chavundaraya in 981 A.D and can be seen from a distance of 20km. Starkly simple, the beautifully chiselled features of the statue  atop Vindhyagiri hill  embody serenity. His perfect lips are turned out at the corners with a hint of a smile, viewing the world with detachment. Sri Gommateshwara was the son of the first Jain Tirthankara (Ford-Maker)  Rishavdev . The chief festival of Shravanabelagola is called Mahamastakabhisheka , or the 'Head Anointing Ceremony'. The next Mahamastakabhisheka ceremony, which involves bathing of the statue of Lord Gomateswara with bucketfuls of milk and honey, will be held in 20...

Hoysaleswara Temple in Halebidu Hoysaleswara Temple in Halebidu A must see destination in any cultural tour of India, Halebid, previously known as Dwarasamudra (the gateway to the sea), was the capital of the powerful south Indian dynasty of the Hoysalas who were famous temple builders. Halebid was the Hoysala capital before Belur (in Karnataka). Also known as Halebeedu, Halebid ( in Hassan District of Karnataka)  is home to the awe-inspiring Hoysaleswara temple. Places of attraction in Halebid Hoysaleswara Temple Halebid’s claim to fame, Hoysaleswara Temple, is a masterpiece of Hoysala architecture. Hoysaleswara temple is a cultural extravaganza. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple was also built during the reign of King Vishnuvardhana. Its construction started around 1121 CE and was complete in 1160 CE. Its construction was initiated by Ketmalla, a general of Hoysala ruler Vishnuvardhan who ruled for a long period from 1108 AD to  1152AD. The Hoysaleswara Temple, along wi...

1661- Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor, sends Sulaiman Shikoh, the eldest son of his elder brother Dara Shikoh, for imprisonment in Gwalior Fort on 15th January. During the course of the fratricidal war of succession among the sons of fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, (Murad, another brother of Aurangzeb) and Sulaiman Shikoh were executed on the orders of Aurangzeb in the Gwalior Fort. 1888- Indian independence activist and Congress leader Saifuddin Kitchlew was born on 15 January 1888.