Indian History

1597-  Maharana Pratap, known for his valiant and spirited defence against the Mughal Empire under Akbar, died at Chavand, located in the Udaipur district of Rajasthan, on 19th January in 1597.  Chavand was one of the capitals of Mewar.   Maharana Pratap was the ruler of Mewar kingdom in present day Rajasthan, from 1572 until his death in 1597. He is notable for leading the Rajput resistance against the Mughals in the legendary battle of Haldighati in 1576. 1905-  Death anniversary of Debendranath Tagore (born May 15, 1817—died January 19, 1905), a philosopher and religious reformer, who was involved in the creation of the Brahmo Samaj which was founded on 20 August, 1828 in Kolkata by Rammohan Roy.   His son was Rabindranath Tagore (first Asian to receive Nobel Prize).  1936 -    First news bulletin was broadcast from All India Radio (Akashvani)  on 19th January, 1936 . 1990  -  19 January 1990 marks the day of the exodus...

In 1311, Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khalji conquered the strategic Jalore Fort in Rajasthan after a long siege, defeating the Chauhan ruler Kanhadadeva. The battle, detailed in the 15th-century epic Kanhadade Prabandha, resulted in the death of Kanhadadeva and his son Viram Dev.  Founded by Kirtipala in 1181, Chahamanas (Chauhans) of Jalore was an Indian dynasty which ruled the area around Javalipura (present-day Jalore in Rajasthan). Chahamanas (Chauhans) of Jalore were the offshoots of t he  Chahamanas of Naddula who in turn were offshoot s of  Chahamanas of Shakambhari to which belonged the famed Chauhan ruler Prithvi Raj Chauhan. In 1228 or 1229 Iltutmish, the  Slave Sultan of Delhi Sultanate,  besieged Jalore.  The Chauhan ruler  Udayasimha   was defeated but was allowed to continue as a  ruler of Jalor on agreeing to pay a tribute.  The most powerful king of the dynasty was Kanhadadeva (reigned 1304-1311). He was the cotem...

1842- Birth of Mahadev Govind Ranade , a scholar and prominent leader of the freedom struggle from Maharashtra. He was born on 18 January in 1842 . Mahadev Govind Ranade founded Poona Sarvajanik Sabha and was a prominent leader of Prarthana Samaj . He comes lauded as the prophet of cultural renaissance in western India. Ranade was the editor of Induprakash . 

Mount Road, Madras / Image Credit Early Chennai  The region currently around Chennai has served as an important administrative, military, and economic centre from dating back to the 1st century when it was ruled by several South Indian kingdoms, notably the Pallava, the Chola, the Pandya and Vijaynagar empires. The town of Mylapore, now part of the metropolis was once a major port of the Pallava kingdom. The Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Mylapore was built by the Pallava kings in the 7th century. The 6th century Parthasarathy Temple at  Triplicane (Tiruvellikeni)  in Chennai was built by the Pallavas.  The apostle St. Thomas is believed to have preached here between the years 52 and 70 AD. With the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, they built a port known as San Thome or Sao Thome in 1522. The region then passed under the hands of the Dutch, who established themselves near Pulicat just north of the city in 1612. In 1639, the British East India Company wa...

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.