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Medieval India
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My Dear Aspirants,

Greetings to all of you! “What we think we become” said Gautama Buddha. We all
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We at VETRII IAS Study Circle are committed to provide the right guidance, quality
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 Contents
1. Arab and Turk Invasions of India.................................. 1
1.1 Muhammad Bin Qasim
1.2 Muhammad of Ghazni
2. The Delhi Sultanate and Regional Kingdom................... 6
2.1 The Slave Dynasty (1206–290 AD)
2.2 The Khalji Dynasty (1290–1320 AD)
2.3 Tughlaq Dynasty (1320–1413 AD)
2.4 Sayyid Dynasty (1414–1451 AD)
2.5 Lodi Dynasty (1451–1526 AD)
2.6 Administration of Delhi Sultanate
2.7 Main Features of the Architecture
3. Bahmani Kingdom....................................................... 30
3.1 Alaudin Hasan Bahman Shah (1347–1358 AD)
3.2 Mohammed I (1358–1375 AD)
3.3 Mohammed Gawan
3.4 Five Deccan Sultanates
4. Vijayanagara Empire......................................................39
4.1 Sangama Dynasty (1336–1485 AD)
4.2 Saluva Dynasty (1485−1505 AD)
4.3 Tuluva Dynasty (1505−1556 AD)
4.4 Aravidu Dynasty (1556−1672 AD)
5. Bhakti Movement in India.................................................50
5.1 Bhakti Movement in the South
5.2 Conflict with Buddhism and Jainism
5.3 Impact of Sufism
5.4 Salient Features of Bhakti Movement
5.5 Major Proponents of Bhakti Movement
5.6 Impact of the Bhakti Movement
 Contents
6. The Mughal Empire.........................................................57
6.1 Babur (1526–1530 AD)
6.2 Sur Empire−Sher Shah Sur (1530−1545 AD)
6.3 Humayan (1530−1540, 1555−1556 AD)
6.4 Akbar (1556–1605 AD)
6.5 Jahangir (1605–1627 AD)
6.6 Shah Jahan (1627–1658 AD)
6.7 Aurangazeb (1657–1707 AD)
6.8 Mughal Administration
6.9 Art and Architecture of Mughals
7. Marathas....................................................................... 91
7.1 Causes for the Rise of the Marathas
7.2 Shivaji (1627–1680 AD)
7.3 Administration under Marathas
7.4 The Peshwas
 A BRIEF CHRONOLOGY OF INDIAN MEDIEVAL HISTORY
Arab and Turk Invasions of India
I. The Arab Invasion
Mohammad Bin Qasim(1st Arab invader) 712 CE
II. The Turkish Invasion (986–1206 CE)
a) Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni 997–1030 CE
b) Mohammad Ghori 1175–1206 CE

Delhi Sultanate Timeline

I. Ilbari Dynasty (CE 1206–1290)
Name of Sultan Years of Ruling
Qutub-ud-din Aibak 1206–1210 CE
Shams-ud-din Iltutmish 1211–1230 CE
Razia Begum 1236–1240 CE
Nasiruddin Mahmud 1246–1266 CE
Ghias-ud-din Balban 1266–1287 CE
Kaiqubad 1287–1290 CE

II. Khalji Dynasty (CE 1290–1320)

Name of Sultan Years of Ruling
Jalal-ud-din Khalji 1290–1296 CE
Alauddin Khalji 1296–1316 CE
Shiba-ud-din Omar 1316 CE
Mubarak Khalji 1316–1320 CE

III. Tughlaq Dynasty (CE 1320–1412)

Name of Sultan Years of Ruling
Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq 1320–1325 CE
Muhammad Bin Tughlaq 1325–1351 CE
Firuz Shah Tughlaq 1351–1388 CE
Tughlaq Shah 1388–1398 CE

x
Abu Bakar 1389–1390 CE
Nasirudin Muhammad Shah III 1390–1393 CE
Alauddin Sikander Shah I 1393 CE (March–April)
Nasiruddin Mahmud 1393–1394 CE
Nusrat Shah 1394–1398 CE

IV. Sayyid Dynasty (CE 1414–1450)

Name of Sultan Years of ruling
Khizr Khan 1414–1421 CE
Mubarak Shah 1421–1434 CE
Muhammad Shah 1434–1445 CE
Alauddin Alam Shah 1445–1450 CE

V. Lodi Dynasty (CE 1451–1526)

Name of Sultan Years of ruling
Buhlul Lodi 1451–1489 CE
Sikander Lodi 1489–1517 CE
Ibrahim Lodi 1517–1526 CE

Vijayanagar Kingdom Timeline

I. Sangama Dynasty (1336–1485 CE)
Ruler Period of Rule
Harihara Raya I 1336–1356 CE
Bukka Raya I 1356–1377 CE
Harihara Raya II 1377–1404 CE
Virupaksha Raya 1404–1405 CE
Bukka Raya II 1405–1406 CE
Deva Raya I 1406–1422 CE
Ramachandra Raya 1422 CE
Vira Vijaya Bukka Raya 1422–1424 CE
Deva Raya II 1424–1446 CE

xi
 Mallikarjuna Raya 1446–1465 CE
Virupaksha Raya II 1465–1485 CE
Praputha Raya 1485 CE

II. Saluva Dynasty (1485–1505 CE)

Ruler Period of Rule
Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya 1485–1491 CE
Thimma Bhupala 1491 CE
Narasimha Raya II 1491–1505 CE

III. Tuluva Dynasty (1491–1569 CE)

Ruler Period of Rule
Tuluva Nayaka 1491–1503 CE
Vira Narasimha Raya 1503–1509 CE
Krishna Deva Raya 1509–1529 CE
Achyuta Deva Raya 1529–1542 CE
Venkata I 1542 CE
Sadasiva Raya 1542–1569 CE

IV. Aravidu Dynasty (1542–1646 CE)

Ruler Period of Rule
Aliya Rama Raya 1542–1565 CE
Tirumala Deva Raya 1565–1572 CE
Sriranga I 1572–1586 CE
Venkata II 1586–1614 CE
Sriranga II 1614 CE
Rama Deva Raya 1617–1632 CE
Venkata III 1632–1642 CE
Sriranga III 1642–1646 CE

xii
BAHMANI KINGDOM TIMELINE (1347–1538 CE)
The most important rulers of this kingdom are

Ruler Period of Rule

Ala-ud-Din Hassan Bahman Shah 1347–1358 CE
Muhammad Shah I 1358–1375 CE

Mughal Dynasty Timeline

Mughal Ruler Period of Rule
Babur 1526–1530 CE
Humayun 1530–1540, 1555–1556 CE
Akbar 1556–1605 CE
Jahangir 1605–1627 CE
Shah Jahan 1628–1658 CE
Aurangazeb 1658–1707 CE

Maratha Empire Timeline

Ruler Period of Rule
Chhatrapati Shri Shivaji Maharaj 1627–1680 CE
Sambhaji 1681–1689 CE
Rajaram and Tarabai 1689–1707 CE
Shahu 1707–1749 CE
Peshwas
Amatya Ramchandra Pant Bawdekar 1650–1716 CE
Peshwa Baji Rao I 1720–1740 CE
Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao 1740–1761 CE

xiii
 Chapter

1 Arab and Turk

Invasions of India
▌▌ INTRODUCTION

T he Indian subcontinent had to contend with a series of raids from foreign fighters,
especially Islamic invaders, from 8th century onwards. New developments like rapid
spread of a new faith called as Islam and the unstable political condition in India coupled
with the wealth among certain sections of the society invited these invaders for plunder
and booty.
Arabs have had maritime commercial relationships with the western coastal regions
of India even before Islam was founded. But there were no attempts at proselytizing by
the Arabs, who came as traders, after their own conversion to Islam, since their primary
motive was only trade.

1.1 MUHAMMAD BIN QASIM
■■ Islam proper as an invading religion
entered the borders of India only 712 AD
after the conquest of Sind by Muhammad
bin Qasim.
■■ Sind was ruled by Raja Dahir, whose
father Chach had usurped the throne by
overthrowing Buddhist rule in the area.
The Arab traders who had been active in
the coastal area of Sind for commercial
activities had faced the threat of sea
pirates around the Sind coast. Despite
repeated requests Raja Dahir failed to
take any measures against the pirates.
■■ Therefore, the Arab traders took up the
issue with Al Hajjaj, Governor of Iraq
who sent his commander Muhammed bin
Qasim to Sind in 712 AD. Qasim’s Army
captured Debal, an inland commercial
port in Sind near modern Karachi despite
stiff resistance. The capital of Sind,
Aror was also captured soon after and
Muhammed bin Qasim started to rule
the region according to Islamic principles
and imposed Jizya on the Hindu and
Buddhist subjects of the region. Those
citizens were reduced to the status of
zimmis. Thus Qasim was the first Muslim
ruler to impose Jizya in India.

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Vetrii IAS Study Circle
■■ Chach-nama written by Kazi Ismail
mentions the administrative measures
newly introduced by Qasim in Sind.
The fatal withdrawal of Muhammad bin
Qasim from Sind by the governor of Iraq
over a minor dispute caused the decline
of power of Arabs in Sind.
■■ The Arab invasion of Sind established
permanent cultural relationship between
the Arabs and Indians. For instance, the
Arabs learnt the decimal system from
Indians and introduced it in the west.
Similarly, medieval practices like alchemy
and Arab astronomy was borrowed by
Indians during the cultural exchange.
1.2 MUHAMMAD OF GHAZNI
■■ The Arab empire in Central Asia had
collapsed with several of its provinces
declaring themselves independent. One
of the major kingdoms that emerged
out of the broken Arab empire was the
Samanid kingdom which also splintered,
leading to several independent states.
■■ In 963 Alaptigin, a Turkic slave who had
served Samanids as their governor in
Khurasan, seized the city of Ghazni in
eastern Afghanistan and established an
independent kingdom. Alaptigin died
soon after.
■■ After the failure of three of his successors,
the nobles enthroned Sabuktigin.
Sabuktigin initiated the process of
southward expansion into the Indian
subcontinent.
■■ He defeated the Shahi ruler of
Afghanistan, Jayapal and conferred the
governorship of the province on Mahmud,
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Arab and Turk Invasions of India
his eldest son. When Sabuktagin died in
997, Mahmud was in Khurasan. Ismail,
the younger son of Sabuktagin had been
named his successor.
■■ But defeating Ismail in a battle, Mahmud,
aged twenty-seven, ascended the
throne and the Caliph acknowledged
his accession by sending him a robe of
investiture and by conferring on him the
title Yamini-ud-Daulah (‘Right-hand of
the Empire’).
1.2.1 Muhammad’s Military Raid
■■ Hindu Shahis, the rulers in the North-
West with their capital at Waihind
became Mahmud’s first major target. In
1001 Mahmud defeated Jayapala, ruler of
this dynasty. After Jayapala’s death his
son Anandapala succeeded to the throne
of Hindusha his and continued to fight
with Mahmud.
■■ In the Battle of Waihind in 1009
Anandapala was finally defeated and a
great amount of booty fell for Mahmud
of Ghazni. Muhammad ruled for thirty
two years and during this period, he
condvered as many as seventeen military
campaigns into India.
■■ Mahmud’s lightning and repeated
raids into Northern India destroyed the
morale of Rajputs in Haryana, Punjab
and Rajasthan. Mahmud always choose
different regions for his raids year on
year so that he does not attack the same
area in successive years, for fear that he
may face a stiff resistance.
■■ At this time, Rajput rulers were so
fractured across North India that despite
Vetrii IAS Study Circle
repeated attacks by Mahmud they failed
to unite against him. The city of Kannauj
was plundered in 1018. Gwalior raid was
held in 1022 and Kalinjar in 1023.
■■ The notorious Somnath raid of Mahmud
of Ghazni happened in the year 1025–
1026. Mahmud invaded and plundered
Somnath temple in Gujarat, as the local
Chalukyan ruler of Bhima Dev-I did not
offer any resistance. As Somnath temple
was one of the richest temples in the
country, a great amount of booty to the
tune of 2 crore Dinars fell on the hands
of Ghazni.
■■ It was only after the death of Mahmud in
1030, India was freed from his devastating
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Arab and Turk Invasions of India
raids. Mahmud of Ghazni patronised two
vital scholars-namely Al Beruni, author
of Kitab-ul-Hind and Firdausi, the author
of Shah Namah.
1.2.2 Muhammad Ghori
■■ Ghor or Ghur is a mountainous territory
in between Herat and Helmand river
valley of modern Afghanistan. It was
conquered by Mahmud of Ghazni in
1020 and the region paid tribute to the
Ghaznavids till the middle 12th century.
■■ In 1149, the Ghaznavid ruler Bahram
Shah poisoned a local Ghorid ruler Qutb-
ud-din who had take refuge in the city of
Ghazni after a family quarrel. In revenge,
3
Vetrii IAS Study Circle
Alaudin Husayn, chief of Ghori sacked
the city of Ghazni and burnt it.
■■ With this attack, once and for all, the
Ghazni influence had dwindled and Ghori
chiefs took over from there. One of the
nephews of Alaudin Husayn, Muizuddin
Mohammed (aka Mohammed Ghori)
captured Ghazni again and then set his
covetous eyes towards India.
■■ In 1175, Mohammed Ghori captured
Multan and marched to Gujarat. But
the Vaghela ruler of Gujarat Mularaja II
defeated him near Mount Abu but failed
to capture Mohammed Ghori.
1.2.3 Fight against Prithiviraj
Chauhan
■■ In 1189, Mohammed Ghori captured
Bhatinda (Tabarhinda), upon which the
ruler of Ajmar-Delhi region Prithviraj
Chauhan marched out with a large
army and met Mohammed Ghori in the
battlefield of Tarain in 1191 (Battle of
Tarain 1191).
■■ Mohammed Ghori was humiliatingly
defeated and the fort of Batinda
was recaptured by Prithviraj. But
Prithviraj made the mistake of allowing
Mohammed Ghori to escape.
■■ Rajputs did not believe in pursuing the
enemy and putting an end to the threat
once and for all. Furious at being defeated
by a kafir, Mohammed Ghori returned
with a new army and a stronger battle
strategy to meet Prithviraj again in the
very next year 1192.
■■ In the second battle of Tarain
(1192), Prithviraj Chahamana was
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Arab and Turk Invasions of India
defeated and beheaded. The second
battle of Tarain was a watershed in Indian
history, as it marked the beginning of
Turkish rule in India.
■■ Mohammed Ghori appointed his general
Qutbuddin Aibak to take care of his
Indian conquests and to further annex the
surrounding regions.
1.2.4 Fight against Jaya Chandra
■■ In 1194, ruler of Kanauj and Banaras, Jai
Chand Gahadavala was defeated in the
battle of Chandwar. Jai Chand was the
father-in-law of Prithviraj Chahamana.
A family feud had kept them apart as
enemies. Had they taken a joint stand to
counter Mohammed Ghori it would have
been a different story. However, one of
the biggest curses in Rajput history is
their lack of cohesion and unity in the
face of even a common enemy.
■■ By 1200, Turks controlled a much larger
territory that included parts of present
day Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat
up to Anhilwara (Gujarat). Turkish
expansion to Bihar and Bengal took place
under Baktiyar Khalji, another brilliant
general of Mohammed Ghori. During
his raids Baktiyar Khalji destroyed
several Buddhist centers of learning in
eastern India and murdered thousands
of Buddhist monks. This was the last
nail in the coffin for Buddhism and we
no longer hear about the presence of
Buddhism in India.
■■ Baktiyar captured Bengal from the Sena
ruler of Bengal Lakshmana Sena in
1204–1205. In the mean time, Khokhar