Category Kindoms of India

Which dynasties come under the Delhi Sultanate?

           The Delhi Sultanate began with Muhammed Ghori. He invaded northern India and the slaves that he brought with him were appointed as officers. A steep rise in their ranks indeed! Things took a turn in 1206; that’s when he died and his three generals-Qutub-ud-din Aibak, Tajuddin Yalduz and Nasiruddin Quba-cha- started wrestling for supremacy.

         Qutub-ud-din Aibak is credited with laying the foundation of the first dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate known as the ‘Slave Kings’. The Khaljis, the Tughlaqs, the Sayyids and the Lodis succeeded them eventually. Since they called themselves sultans- another term for king, the time they ruled is referred to as the period of the Delhi Sultanate.

           The rule of the Delhi Sultanate changed India in terms of culture, religion and economy. The Sultanate is also credited with repelling the Mongol Empire’s potentially devastating Invasions of India in the 13th and 14th centuries.

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Why do the Cholas have a lasting influence on south India’s history?

           Their passion for Tamil literature and zeal for building marvellous temples resulted in the production of some of the finest pieces in literature and architecture. These works stood the test of time, bearing the true stamp of the Chola legacy.

           The Chola kings were avid builders. For them, temples were not places of worship alone, but also centre of economic activity.

           Among the temples they built, the Shiva temple at Tanjavur and the temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram are the most famous. The temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram has a vimana, 100 feet square at the base and 186 feet high.

           The Cholas also commissioned great many sculptures; Chola sculptures and bronze images include Nataraja, the divine dancer Shiva, dancing the dance of death and destruction. They also pioneered a centralized form of government, thereby establishing a disciplined bureaucracy.

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Which was the most prominent southern dynasty of the 9th century?

           In the 9th century, the Cholas emerged as a strong presence in the south when Vijayalaya captured Tanjavur from the Pandyas. He was a Pallava feudatory who managed to establish the Chola Empire. It was later inherited by Aditya Chola who took over the Pallava Empire.

           Rajaraja Chola and his son Rajendra I were the greatest Chola rulers under whom, the dynasty became a military, economic and cultural power in South Asia. They expanded the borders of the Chola Empire by taking over the territories ruled by the Pandyas and the Cheras. Their conquests reached as far as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Sumatra and other places in the Malay Peninsula.

           They also fought against the western Gangas and Chalukyas. Rajendra Chola I even went north up to Bengal and on his return, he built Gangaikondacholapuram (city of the Chola conquerer of the Ganga), a new capital.

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However, the Chola Empire declined at the beginning of the thirteenth century AD.

Who established the second Chera dynasty?

           With his capital as Mahodayapuram in present day Kodungallur, Kulashekhara Alwar established the second Chera dynasty. Kulashekhara is also credited with writing Perumal Thirumozhi, one of the most celebrated devotional works of the Tamil Bhakti cult.

           Rama Varma Kulashekhara was the last Chera King of the second Chera dynasty who ruled from AD 1090 to 1102. He fought a war with his contemporary Chola ruler Kulothunga Choladeva, but the prolonged wars weakened the Chera power. Some Naduvazhis (chiefs) took advantage of this chaotic situation to assert their power.

           The Chera kingdom was known for its foreign trade relations; many Arab travellers described the economic boom achieved by the state from its foreign trade. Mahodayapuram fell into the hands of the kingdom of Perumpadappu after the Chera rule.

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When did the Pandyas revive their kingdom after its decline in the Sangam age?

           Upon the invasion of the Kalabhras, the early Pandya Dynasty of the Sangam Age faded into obscurity. But, they made a glorious comeback in the early 6th century by driving away the Kalabhras out of the Tamil country and started ruling from Madurai.

           The restored kingdom crumbled into ruins with the rise of the Cholas in the 9th century; the Pandyas were in constant conflict with the Cholas. In their defence, the Pandyas allied themselves with the Sinhalese and the Cheras and fought against the Chola Empire till the late 13th century.

           The time under the rule of Maravarman Sundara Pandyan and Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan is known as the golden age of the later Pandyas. Both the rulers worked to expand the empire; Kalinga and Sri Lanka were conquered during this time. Their trade links extended to include the Southeast Asian maritime empires of Srivijaya and their successors. Pearl fisheries were largely under their control along the south Indian coast that produced some of the finest pearls of the time.

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Why is it said that Pallava temples are great examples of architectural marvel?

           The art and architecture that came into being during their reign speak for the glory of the Pallavas. The Pallavas were pioneers in art and architecture in the south.

          The Pallavas constructed the first stone and mortar temples of south India. They also made cave temples, rock sculptures and brick temples, all of which can be found at Mahabalipuram.

           Rock-cut temples came to be built in various parts of Tamil Nadu during the period of Mahendravarman I, the most important ones being at Pallavaram, Mamandur and Thalavanur. Narasimhavarman I became famous for building monolithic rathas, the notable ones being the fall of the river Ganga from the head of Lord Shiva, and Arjuna’s penance.

          The construction of structural temples began during the reign of Rajasimha. They came to be known so as they were built using granite slabs. The Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, with two vimanas surrounded by seated nandis is one of the remarkable structural temples.

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