Here are the 13 great emperors of Bharat (ancient India). I took the size of the territory won and the influence on the people & culture as the measure of the emperor's greatness. I have also included the maps of their territories. We have 9 individuals and two father-son duos (Samudragupta/Chandragupt
Tier I
Tier I
- Emperor Ashoka (304 BC) -- he ruled over one of the largest territories (more than 3 million sq. km) among Indian emperors by winning over most local kings. He then had a change of heart and became a pacifist (without which he could have ruled a territory as big as Genghis Khan's). He is the reason for the spread of Buddhism outside India. He is also the the originator of many ideas that have become a part of our present culture -- including the wheel in our flag and our national emblem. Ashoka is revered not just in India, but in most parts of East & South-east Asia.http://en.wikipedia.org/w
iki/Ashoka - Raja Raja Chola & Rajendra Chola (10th century AD) - The greatest of Tamil kings and among the best of India - the father-son duo established the Tamil empire in South East Asia. They built 100+ great temples (including the Tanjore Siva temple) that are a part of UNESCO's world heritage site. Unlike other kings of Bharat, they proceeded to extend their influence beyond India and controlled the Indian ocean's trade routes. http://en.wikipedia.org/w
iki/Raj... - Chandragupta Maurya (340 BC) -- the first Indian emperor and the grandfather of Emperor Ashoka. He unified India and brought a strong response to Greek advance into Asia. He used one of India's greatest strategists - Chanakya and devised ways to defeat his emperors through various means. Like Alexander, he started winning major battles when he was just 20, and recaptured the territories captured by the Alexander's troops east of Iran. http://en.wikipedia.org/w
iki/Cha... - Samudragupta & Chandragupta II/Vikramaditya (4th century AD of Gupta empire) -- http://en.wikipedia.org/w
iki/Cha... - The great Gupta king who has never lost a battle in his whole life. Samudragupta and his son Chandragupta II ushered the golden age of India. They instituted a proper currency system through his minted gold coins. Under their rule India's science & art reached its peak. Tier II - Krishna Devaraya (16th century Vijayangara Empire) -- One of the greatest south Indian kings, Krishna Devaraya consolidated southern kingdoms and pushed back the Islamic advances in the south. He built great temples and is a wonderful patron of art. http://en.wikipedia.org/w
iki/Kri... - Akbar (16th century of Mughal empire) -- The greatest Muslim emperor Akbar ruled over much of north India and was a fair monarch who was instrumental in building a large number of Islamic monuments in the country.http://en.wikipedia.org/w
iki/Akbar - Ajatasatru (491 BC of Magadha empire) -- His name in Sanskrit means one who is feared by enemies or invincible. He ruled at the time of Buddha and Mahavira (founder of Jainsim). He started the process of Indian consolidation/empire building that was then continued by his successors. He ruled over a vast part of North & eastern India. http://en.wikipedia.org/w
iki/Aja... - Alauddin Khilji (14th century Khilji Dynasty) -- One of the greatest warriors in the world of that time, Alauddin is one of the few who had defeated the Mongols at their heights (not in one, but 4 battles). One of the few kings who was able to venture deep into the south (as far as Madurai).
- Shivaji (17th century AD Marata Empire) -- The greatest emperor of Western India, Shivaji was a master of Guerilla warfare and presided over 100,000 soldiers at his peak. His warfare methods and a dozen battle victories are simply awe-inspiringhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w
iki/Shi... - Pulikesin II (7th century AD Chalukya empire) -- Ruling from Vatapi Pulikesi is one of the most feared kings of Southern India. He was brutal and his methods were fierce. He fought with 2 of the best emperors in India - Harshavardana & Narasimhavarma I http://en.wikipedia.org/w
iki/Pul... - Harshavardana (7th century Vardhana empire) -- Harsha was greatest emperor of Central India and consolidated much of central India after the fall of Gupta empire. He blocked the advances of Southern emperors such as Pulikesin into North India. A fair ruler who was greatly respected across India and still remembered.http://en.wikipedia.org/w
iki/Har... - Narasimhavarman I (7th century Pallava empire) -- The emperor who defeated Pulikesi and built one of the masterpieces of Indian architecture - Mahabalipuram. Apart from presiding over a great art civilization in South India, he also influenced the direction of Sri Lanka. http://en.wikipedia.org/w
iki/Nar...
Balaji Viswanathan and Gaurav Khairnar have just about covered most of the great Indian emperors. Here are some more from my side.
Kanishka
Kanishka was one of the greatest rulers of the Kushan dynasty, a warrior, a patron of arts, and along with Ashoka, Harshavardhana was responsible for the spread of Buddhism in India. Consider this his empire extended from Central Asia( Uzbekistan) upto Mathura in Northern India, covering large swathes of India's North and North West regions.
Ranjit Singh
A man who had lost one eye, an arm, and yet built one of the greatest empires in India, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh empire. He drove out the Durranis from Punjab, captured Multan, Peshawar, annexed the whole pf Punjab. His kingdom extended right up to the foothills of the Sulaiman Mountains, and conquered Kasur from the fierce Pathans. His empire consisted of undivided Punjab( extending till Multan now in Pakistan), Jammu and Kashmir till Gilgit now in POK, North West frontier till Khyber Pass and even parts of Western Tibet. And he had some formidable generals like Hari Singh Nalwa, Dewan Mokham Chand, Zorawar Singh along with Europeans like Jean Francois Allard.
Kanishka
Kanishka was one of the greatest rulers of the Kushan dynasty, a warrior, a patron of arts, and along with Ashoka, Harshavardhana was responsible for the spread of Buddhism in India. Consider this his empire extended from Central Asia( Uzbekistan) upto Mathura in Northern India, covering large swathes of India's North and North West regions.
Ranjit Singh
A man who had lost one eye, an arm, and yet built one of the greatest empires in India, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh empire. He drove out the Durranis from Punjab, captured Multan, Peshawar, annexed the whole pf Punjab. His kingdom extended right up to the foothills of the Sulaiman Mountains, and conquered Kasur from the fierce Pathans. His empire consisted of undivided Punjab( extending till Multan now in Pakistan), Jammu and Kashmir till Gilgit now in POK, North West frontier till Khyber Pass and even parts of Western Tibet. And he had some formidable generals like Hari Singh Nalwa, Dewan Mokham Chand, Zorawar Singh along with Europeans like Jean Francois Allard.
I see a lot of answers here mentioning most of the greatest kings of all time who ruled India. But most of them were considered to be the greatest of their time because of their military success and the vastness of the empire they ruled. That made sense as in those days, governance had very little intervention in a subject’s life. The king’s success was measured by the ability he possessed to protect his kingdom and the valor and military strategy to acquire and rule bigger territories.
Quite often, the models of public administration and economic strategies for a prosperous kingdom, developed by a king and his cabinet ministers go largely unnoticed when we read history. I believe a king who is an able administrator and master class policy maker should be considered equally great compared to a warrior king who got a big chunk of land under his rule.
On that note, I consider His highness Maharaja Sri Sri Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV as the greatest king to rule a part of Indian land.
Sri Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV (1894–1940):
After the death of his father Maharaja Chamaraja Chamarajendra Wadiyar X, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, still a boy of eleven, ascended the throne in 1895. His mother Maharani Kemparajammanni ruled as regent until Krishnaraja Wodeyar took over on 8 February 1902.
During his reign, he worked toward alleviating poverty and improving rural reconstruction, public health, industry and economic regeneration, education and the fine arts.
Progress during the reign:
He was a philosopher-king, who was seen by Paul Brunton as living the ideal expressed in Plato's Republic. He has been compared to the Emperor Ashoka by the English statesman Lord Samuel. His reign is often described as the “Golden age of Mysuru”.
Under his rule, Mysore was magically transformed into a model state by achieving progress in all sectors namely education, Industry, Commerce and Banking, Art, Science and Technology, etc.
1. Education :
· Mysore Agricultural Residential School, Bangalore, established in 1913, became University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore later.
· Yuvaraja College, Mysore, established in 1916.
· School of Engineering, Bangalore, later UVCE, established in 1917. This is the first Engineering college established in India.
· Maharani's Science College for Women,Mysore, established in 1917. Maharaja laid a huge emphasis on Woman empowerment and education.
· Mysore Medical College, established in 1924.
· Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, First Chancellor and co-founder
2. Industrial Development(Yes! We do Make In India)
· Government Sandalwood oil factory, Bangalore, established in 1917. I remember MS Dhoni being a brand ambassador for Mysore Sandal Soap.
· Wood Distillation Factory, Bhadravathi in 1918
· Mysore Chrome and Tanning Factory established in 1918
· Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant (VISL), Bhadravathi was started as Mysore Iron Works in 1923.
· Mysore Sugar Mills, Mandya, established in 1933
· Mysore Paper Mills, Bhadravati,established in 1936
· Mysore Lamps, Bangalore, established in 1936
· Mysore Chemical and Fertilizers Factory, Belagola established in 1937
· The Government Dichromate Factory,Belagola
· Glass and Porcelain Factories, Bangalore established in 1939
· Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited, established in 1937. It became part of the public sector in 1947.
· Mysore Implements Factory, Hassan, established in 1939 to produce agricultural and garden implements.
· Hindusthan Aircraft, Bangalore, established in 1940, later renamed as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
3. Dams and Modern Infrastructure
· The Hydro Electric Project at Shivanasamudra Falls in 1902. This was the first of its kind in South Asia
· Bangalore was the first city in India to get electric street lights in 1905.
· Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore established in 1909
· The Mysore Chamber of Commerce established in 1916
· Lalitha Mahal palace in 1921
· Marakonahalli dam in Tumkur district completed in 1930. The dam has an automatic siphon system, first of its kind in Asia.
· In 1934, the Government of Mysore gifted 10 acre land in Bangalore to Nobel laureate Sir C. V. Raman for the creation of research institute Raman Research Institute
· City Improvement Trust Board, first of its kind in India
4. Social Welfare and Upliftment of backward communities
· Put an effort to give entrance to untouchable people to temple at Gunja Narasimhaswamy at T.Narasipura and permission to use public wells and tank
· Implementation of Reservation Policy for Backward and Depressed class
· Special importance for girl education and scholarship for widowed girl
· Banning child marriage (girls bellow age 8)
· First Indian state to enfranchise women (1923)
· Sponsoring scholarship for un-touchable
Never did India had a king who had this kind of vision and zeal to modernize his state. Yes! He did not wage wars. He did not conquer large territories. He paid taxes to the British Crown. But he made sure his subjects were happy and led a prosperous life.
This would have not been possible without the support of his stellar Prime Ministers. Due credit has to be given to all of them namely Sir M Visvesvaraya, Sir P N Krishnamurthy, Sir Mirza Ismail, Sir Sheshadri Iyer.
Such were the strides that Mysuru made during the period of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV thatGandhiji was moved to remark that the Maharaja was a Rajarishi ("a saintly king").Paul Brunton, the British philosopher and orientalist; John Gunther, the American author; and the British statesman, Lord Samuel, were also among those who heaped praise on the king. Lord Sankey said during the Round table conference that Mysorewas "the best administered state in the world". Princes from other sections of India were sent to Mysuru for administrative training. The Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviyadescribed the Raja as "Dharmic" and Lord Wellington echoed the sentiment by calling Mysuru's industrial development "incredible".
Quite often, the models of public administration and economic strategies for a prosperous kingdom, developed by a king and his cabinet ministers go largely unnoticed when we read history. I believe a king who is an able administrator and master class policy maker should be considered equally great compared to a warrior king who got a big chunk of land under his rule.
On that note, I consider His highness Maharaja Sri Sri Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV as the greatest king to rule a part of Indian land.
Sri Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV (1894–1940):
After the death of his father Maharaja Chamaraja Chamarajendra Wadiyar X, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, still a boy of eleven, ascended the throne in 1895. His mother Maharani Kemparajammanni ruled as regent until Krishnaraja Wodeyar took over on 8 February 1902.
During his reign, he worked toward alleviating poverty and improving rural reconstruction, public health, industry and economic regeneration, education and the fine arts.
Progress during the reign:
He was a philosopher-king, who was seen by Paul Brunton as living the ideal expressed in Plato's Republic. He has been compared to the Emperor Ashoka by the English statesman Lord Samuel. His reign is often described as the “Golden age of Mysuru”.
Under his rule, Mysore was magically transformed into a model state by achieving progress in all sectors namely education, Industry, Commerce and Banking, Art, Science and Technology, etc.
1. Education :
· Mysore Agricultural Residential School, Bangalore, established in 1913, became University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore later.
· Yuvaraja College, Mysore, established in 1916.
· School of Engineering, Bangalore, later UVCE, established in 1917. This is the first Engineering college established in India.
· Maharani's Science College for Women,Mysore, established in 1917. Maharaja laid a huge emphasis on Woman empowerment and education.
· Mysore Medical College, established in 1924.
· Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, First Chancellor and co-founder
2. Industrial Development(Yes! We do Make In India)
· Government Sandalwood oil factory, Bangalore, established in 1917. I remember MS Dhoni being a brand ambassador for Mysore Sandal Soap.
· Wood Distillation Factory, Bhadravathi in 1918
· Mysore Chrome and Tanning Factory established in 1918
· Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant (VISL), Bhadravathi was started as Mysore Iron Works in 1923.
· Mysore Sugar Mills, Mandya, established in 1933
· Mysore Paper Mills, Bhadravati,established in 1936
· Mysore Lamps, Bangalore, established in 1936
· Mysore Chemical and Fertilizers Factory, Belagola established in 1937
· The Government Dichromate Factory,Belagola
· Glass and Porcelain Factories, Bangalore established in 1939
· Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited, established in 1937. It became part of the public sector in 1947.
· Mysore Implements Factory, Hassan, established in 1939 to produce agricultural and garden implements.
· Hindusthan Aircraft, Bangalore, established in 1940, later renamed as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
3. Dams and Modern Infrastructure
· The Hydro Electric Project at Shivanasamudra Falls in 1902. This was the first of its kind in South Asia
· Bangalore was the first city in India to get electric street lights in 1905.
· Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore established in 1909
· The Mysore Chamber of Commerce established in 1916
· Lalitha Mahal palace in 1921
· Marakonahalli dam in Tumkur district completed in 1930. The dam has an automatic siphon system, first of its kind in Asia.
· In 1934, the Government of Mysore gifted 10 acre land in Bangalore to Nobel laureate Sir C. V. Raman for the creation of research institute Raman Research Institute
· City Improvement Trust Board, first of its kind in India
4. Social Welfare and Upliftment of backward communities
· Put an effort to give entrance to untouchable people to temple at Gunja Narasimhaswamy at T.Narasipura and permission to use public wells and tank
· Implementation of Reservation Policy for Backward and Depressed class
· Special importance for girl education and scholarship for widowed girl
· Banning child marriage (girls bellow age 8)
· First Indian state to enfranchise women (1923)
· Sponsoring scholarship for un-touchable
Never did India had a king who had this kind of vision and zeal to modernize his state. Yes! He did not wage wars. He did not conquer large territories. He paid taxes to the British Crown. But he made sure his subjects were happy and led a prosperous life.
This would have not been possible without the support of his stellar Prime Ministers. Due credit has to be given to all of them namely Sir M Visvesvaraya, Sir P N Krishnamurthy, Sir Mirza Ismail, Sir Sheshadri Iyer.
Such were the strides that Mysuru made during the period of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV thatGandhiji was moved to remark that the Maharaja was a Rajarishi ("a saintly king").Paul Brunton, the British philosopher and orientalist; John Gunther, the American author; and the British statesman, Lord Samuel, were also among those who heaped praise on the king. Lord Sankey said during the Round table conference that Mysorewas "the best administered state in the world". Princes from other sections of India were sent to Mysuru for administrative training. The Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviyadescribed the Raja as "Dharmic" and Lord Wellington echoed the sentiment by calling Mysuru's industrial development "incredible".
Not a single person has mentioned Maharana Pratap, the first freedom fighter of India.
Maharana Pratap was a Hindu rajput ruler of Mewar Kingdom.
Nearly all of Pratap's fellow Rajput chiefs had meanwhile entered into the vassalage of the Mughals. Even Pratap's own brothers, Shakti Singh and Sagar Singh, served Akbar. Indeed, many Rajput chiefs, such as Raja Man Singh of Amber (later known as Maharaja of Jaipur) served as army commanders in Akbar's armies and as members of his council.
Akbar sent a total of six diplomatic missions to Pratap, seeking to negotiate the same sort of peaceful alliance that he had concluded with the other Rajput chiefs. Each time, however, Pratap politely refused to accept Akbar's suzerainty, arguing that the Sisodia Rajputs had never accepted any foreign ruler as their overlord, nor will he. It is worth noting that both these rulers' grandfathers, Rana Sanga and Babur, had previously fought against each other. Thus the enmity was not only political, but was also a bit personal.
Pratap maintained that he had no intention to fight with Akbar but he could not bow down to Akbar and accept him as the ruler. Some scholars argue that there was some possibility that Maharana could have become friends with Akbar but in the siege of Chittor when Akbar killed 30,000 civilian, unarmed residents of Chittor, because they refused to convert to Islam, left a lasting impression on Maharana's mind and he decided he cannot bow to such an unjust and cruel human being as Akbar was.
Akbar felt insulted and thought of teaching this Rajput ruler a lesson.
Battle Of Haldighati:
On June 21, 1576, the armies of Maharana Pratap & Akbar met at haldighati.
Maharana Pratap has some 10,000 soldier at his command, but they were outnumbered 1/8 against the mighty mughal army consisting of some 80,000 soldiers.
The battle of Haldighati, a historic event in the annals of Rajputana, lasted only four hours. In this short period, Pratap's men essayed many brave exploits on the field.
When he was fighting, he saw Man Singh, a rajput prince who was fighting as a commander from Mughals side. Maharan was so angry that he personally attacked Man Singh: his horse Chetak placed its front feet on the trunk of Man Singh's elephant and Pratap threw his lance; Man Singh ducked, and the mahout was killed.
However, the numerical superiority of the Mughal army and their artillery finally began to tell. Seeing that the battle was lost, Pratap's generals prevailed upon him to flee the field so as to be able to fight another day. To facilitate Pratap's escape, one of his lieutenants, a member of the Jhala clan, donned Pratap's distinctive garments and took his place in the battlefield. He was soon killed.
Chetak was severely injured in the attack, but he still managed to take Pratap away from the battle, two turkish soldiers were following Maharana Pratap. The moment they started chasing him Pratap’s younger brother Shakti Singh, who was fighting from the Mughal side (he had some disputes with Pratap at the time of Pratap’s coronation; hence he had defected and gone over to Akbar’s court) realized that his own brother was under threat.
Pratap's army general's sacrifice had already been discovered by him. He could not help but react against a threat to his own brother. He followed the Turks, engaged them in single combat and killed them. In the meanwhile, Chetak collapsed and Pratap saw his brother Shakti Singh killing the two Mughal riders. Saddened by the loss of his beloved general and horse, he embraced his brother and broke into tears. Shaktisingh also cried and asked for his brother's pardon, for having fought as his enemy. Pratap pardoned him (later on he was given a huge estate near Chittor). Shaktisingh then offered him his own horse and requested him to get to a safe place.
The impact of the battle on the Mughal army was also significant. In terms of numbers the Mughal army suffered heavier losses. This was also because of the intensive arrow showers by the Bhil tribes of the surrounding mountains who had aided with Pratap. To honour their contribution, a Bhil warrior was placed next to Pratap in the Royal Coat of Arms of Mewar.
Pratap retreated into the hilly wilderness of the Aravallis and continued his struggle. Using the hills as his base, Pratap harassed the large and therefore awkward Mughal forces in their encampments. He ensured that the Mughal occupying force in Mewar never knew peace: Akbar despatched three more expeditions to ferret Pratap out of his mountainous hideouts, but they all failed.
In one incident that caused him extreme pain, his children's meal - bread made from grass - was stolen by a dog. It is said that this cut into Maharana Pratap's heart deeply. He began to have doubts about his resolute refusal to submit to the Mughals. Perhaps in one of these moments of self doubt - something each and every human being goes through - Maharana Pratap wrote to Akbar demanding "a mitigation of his hardship".
Pratap's first cousin (his mother's sister's son) Prithviraj Rathore, who was one of Akbar's courtiers, heard of this overture. He is said to have grown despondent and written thus to his cousin Pratap:
This letter sparked the honour of Maharana Pratap, he wrote:
Pratap replied to this letter like this.
Maharana Pratap had vowed that he will never sleep or like a King till he frees all his kingdom.
He was able to free most of his kingdom, but in January 1597, Rana Pratap Singh I, Mewar's greatest hero, was seriously injured in a hunting accident. He left his body at Chavand, aged 56, on January 29, 1597. He died fighting for his nation, for his people, and most importantly for his honor.
Maharana Pratap was a Hindu rajput ruler of Mewar Kingdom.
Nearly all of Pratap's fellow Rajput chiefs had meanwhile entered into the vassalage of the Mughals. Even Pratap's own brothers, Shakti Singh and Sagar Singh, served Akbar. Indeed, many Rajput chiefs, such as Raja Man Singh of Amber (later known as Maharaja of Jaipur) served as army commanders in Akbar's armies and as members of his council.
Akbar sent a total of six diplomatic missions to Pratap, seeking to negotiate the same sort of peaceful alliance that he had concluded with the other Rajput chiefs. Each time, however, Pratap politely refused to accept Akbar's suzerainty, arguing that the Sisodia Rajputs had never accepted any foreign ruler as their overlord, nor will he. It is worth noting that both these rulers' grandfathers, Rana Sanga and Babur, had previously fought against each other. Thus the enmity was not only political, but was also a bit personal.
Pratap maintained that he had no intention to fight with Akbar but he could not bow down to Akbar and accept him as the ruler. Some scholars argue that there was some possibility that Maharana could have become friends with Akbar but in the siege of Chittor when Akbar killed 30,000 civilian, unarmed residents of Chittor, because they refused to convert to Islam, left a lasting impression on Maharana's mind and he decided he cannot bow to such an unjust and cruel human being as Akbar was.
Akbar felt insulted and thought of teaching this Rajput ruler a lesson.
Battle Of Haldighati:
On June 21, 1576, the armies of Maharana Pratap & Akbar met at haldighati.
Maharana Pratap has some 10,000 soldier at his command, but they were outnumbered 1/8 against the mighty mughal army consisting of some 80,000 soldiers.
The battle of Haldighati, a historic event in the annals of Rajputana, lasted only four hours. In this short period, Pratap's men essayed many brave exploits on the field.
When he was fighting, he saw Man Singh, a rajput prince who was fighting as a commander from Mughals side. Maharan was so angry that he personally attacked Man Singh: his horse Chetak placed its front feet on the trunk of Man Singh's elephant and Pratap threw his lance; Man Singh ducked, and the mahout was killed.
However, the numerical superiority of the Mughal army and their artillery finally began to tell. Seeing that the battle was lost, Pratap's generals prevailed upon him to flee the field so as to be able to fight another day. To facilitate Pratap's escape, one of his lieutenants, a member of the Jhala clan, donned Pratap's distinctive garments and took his place in the battlefield. He was soon killed.
Chetak was severely injured in the attack, but he still managed to take Pratap away from the battle, two turkish soldiers were following Maharana Pratap. The moment they started chasing him Pratap’s younger brother Shakti Singh, who was fighting from the Mughal side (he had some disputes with Pratap at the time of Pratap’s coronation; hence he had defected and gone over to Akbar’s court) realized that his own brother was under threat.
Pratap's army general's sacrifice had already been discovered by him. He could not help but react against a threat to his own brother. He followed the Turks, engaged them in single combat and killed them. In the meanwhile, Chetak collapsed and Pratap saw his brother Shakti Singh killing the two Mughal riders. Saddened by the loss of his beloved general and horse, he embraced his brother and broke into tears. Shaktisingh also cried and asked for his brother's pardon, for having fought as his enemy. Pratap pardoned him (later on he was given a huge estate near Chittor). Shaktisingh then offered him his own horse and requested him to get to a safe place.
The impact of the battle on the Mughal army was also significant. In terms of numbers the Mughal army suffered heavier losses. This was also because of the intensive arrow showers by the Bhil tribes of the surrounding mountains who had aided with Pratap. To honour their contribution, a Bhil warrior was placed next to Pratap in the Royal Coat of Arms of Mewar.
Pratap retreated into the hilly wilderness of the Aravallis and continued his struggle. Using the hills as his base, Pratap harassed the large and therefore awkward Mughal forces in their encampments. He ensured that the Mughal occupying force in Mewar never knew peace: Akbar despatched three more expeditions to ferret Pratap out of his mountainous hideouts, but they all failed.
As James Tod writes: "There is not a pass in the alpine Aravalli that is not sanctified by some deed of the great freedom fighter, Maharana Pratap Singh; some brilliant victory or, more often, some glorious defeat."The exiles were facing the prospect of actual starvation.
In one incident that caused him extreme pain, his children's meal - bread made from grass - was stolen by a dog. It is said that this cut into Maharana Pratap's heart deeply. He began to have doubts about his resolute refusal to submit to the Mughals. Perhaps in one of these moments of self doubt - something each and every human being goes through - Maharana Pratap wrote to Akbar demanding "a mitigation of his hardship".
Pratap's first cousin (his mother's sister's son) Prithviraj Rathore, who was one of Akbar's courtiers, heard of this overture. He is said to have grown despondent and written thus to his cousin Pratap:
Patal sun Patshah, bole mukh hunta bayan(The mouth of Pratap has begun to say "Badshah". O Rao! has the sun started rising in the West, as well? Should I keep my hand over my mustache or should my body fall with my own hands? Write, O Deewan! to give an answer choosing between the two.)
Mihir picham dis mahn, uge kasap rao ut
Patakun munchyan pan, ke patakun nij tan karad
' Dije likh Deewan,in do mahali bat ik
This letter sparked the honour of Maharana Pratap, he wrote:
Pratap replied to this letter like this.
Turak kahasi turakado, in mukh sun Ikling(Lord Eklingji will always make my mouth call him "Turk". The sun will rise in the east always. O Prithviraj Rathod be happy and put your hand over your mustache. Till Pratap stands on his feet, his sword will keep hovering over the heads of the invaders.)
Uge jya hi ugasi, prachi bich Patang
Khushi hunt Peethal Kamadh, patako munchyan pan
Jete hai pachatan Pato, kilama sir kewan
Maharana Pratap had vowed that he will never sleep or like a King till he frees all his kingdom.
He was able to free most of his kingdom, but in January 1597, Rana Pratap Singh I, Mewar's greatest hero, was seriously injured in a hunting accident. He left his body at Chavand, aged 56, on January 29, 1597. He died fighting for his nation, for his people, and most importantly for his honor.
Chozhas
Just to give you an idea, the Chola empire, if it existed today would have spanned
Cholas were one of the earliest empires in Indian history, with some estimates dating them back to almost 300 B.C. They are even mentioned by Emperor Ashoka in his pillars, as a friendly empire in the south. Their recorded downfall is in the 1250’s. In pre-medieval India’s highly fluid power equations, the Chola empire was the one and perhaps the only constant.
The good stuff about the Cholas first. I am sure all of you must have heard of the beautiful and the grand temples all over Tamil Nadu. It was the Cholas who added the adjective grand before the temples. The kind of made it a fashion statement to build big temples, covered with intricate carvings, a trend which was essentially followed by his successors transcending empires.
Ever heard of the Brihadeeshwara Temple in Tanjore. It was built by Raja Raja Chola in the 11th century. Let me tell you some quick facts about this place of worship
Any emperor or empire will consider this piece of art to be the peak of their artistic prowess which will be talked about for generations to come. But Cholas being the Cholas, weren’t satisfied. Raja Raja’s son Rajendra went on to build an exact replica of this temple at a place called Gangai Konda Cholapuram, near the modern town of Chidambaram.
Two big temples, takes quite a beating doesn’t it. Sadly the second temple is not even mentioned in the history books, anywhere. None outside Tamil Nadu even know about its existence, even today.
And also did I tell you, the Cholas were the first in the world to build a fully functional water diversion/water regulation system in the world. Chola king Karikalan built this 329 feet stone dam over the river Kaveri and a network of canals, in 1st century AD, for water storage and irrigation. So when most of the western world was still eating raw animal flesh, Cholas were building dams, navigable canals and were irrigating 10,00,000 (1 Million) hectares of land in their kingdom.
And before I forget, the system they built is in use even today!!!
I don’t have to tell you whether our historians bothered to mention this thing in our textbook.
In case you think Cholas were your peace loving, violence shying role model Emperors, let me move on to some of their badass stuff
Cholas pioneered in the 6th century what we today know as the Navy. Use of ships for fighting battles existed, Battle of Salamis was probably the first naval engagement ever recorded, but Cholas took Naval warfare to an entirely new level. They probably were the first ones to make their Navy a totally independent service with its own powers and not the extension of the army as was the norm then. They also were the first to pioneer the concept of building exclusive fighting ships and the first to implement the idea of fleets.
Their ship building program was instituted and ships were designed and built for different purposes. Trap ships (They called themselves ‘Kannis’ which means a ‘virgin’ in Tamil. They even had a sense of humour) to lure the enemies into traps, destroyers to do what their name suggests, supply ships etc were the some of the different types of Chola Naval vessels. Cholas also were one of the first to evolve strategic naval doctrines, advanced ship formations and naval warfare tactics. They were the first ones to start operating ships in fleets. The smallest fleet in the Chola navy consisted of about 12 ships and the largest went up to 500 or more vessels.
In three words, They kicked ass…
And to match their tactical nous, they augmented their vessels with the then state of the art weaponry, both indigenous and imported from China. Their ships were equipped with catapults and probably the first ship-based flamethrowers. Chola navies were routinely known to annihilate enemies five times their number. The Chola navy, in one line, could be described as
Awesome tactics+Brilliant Ships+Latest Weaponry= Bad news for the enemy
This combination enabled Cholas, to practice the first ever recorded instance of what is today called ‘Gunboat Diplomacy’. Sri Vijaya empire, ruling Cambodia, had the guts to actually sack a Chola Merchant convoy. Cholas responded by taking two fleets of about 500 ships each and obliterating the Sri Vijaya kingdom out of existence. The neighboring king of Kambujadesa, terrified of what happened to his colleague, basically folded his hands, bowed his head and sent an ornamental chariot to appease the Cholas and declared them as his rulers. And Cholas didn’t even have to fire a single shot.
It is also believed by some sources, that Cholas because of a navigational error, landed in Sri Lanka by mistake. And just for fun, they went on to capture the entire country. There is no actual proof of this but knowing the Cholas, this is quite possible.
At their peak Chola ships consisted of about 1000-1500 battle ships divided into 4 fleets placed in strategic locations like Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Kaveripoompatinam in Tamil Nadu also known as Poompuhar. They were so powerful that the Chinese actually requested Cholas to stop the rampant piracy in the straits of Malacca. They even merited mentions in dispatches in faraway Greece for their naval expertise.
And they were no mugs on the land either. Recall the Gangai Konda Cholapuram temple built by Rajaendra Cholan? It literally means ‘Subduing of the river Ganges’. He built the city in honour of his march upto the Ganges river. A south Indian empire stretching from the River Kaveri in the south all the way up to the River Ganga in the North deserves much better treatment in our history books. As one of my friend’s said, if the Cholas had been born in America, DC or Marvel comics would have transformed them into super-heroes with a body of adamantium. Because they were born in India, they get about a quarter page in the text-book.
There were in all a total of 16 Chola kings in the Chola Empire. For all of you who actually read that chapter, you will find only the names of two (Raja Raja Chola and Rajendra Chola) have been mentioned. And all the other kings and important details of their empire have been completely eliminated.
Source - from my friend's blog who has done aweosome reseaarch on these topics -Kaipullai.com .
Just to give you an idea, the Chola empire, if it existed today would have spanned
- India
- Sri Lanka
- Bangladesh
- Myanmar
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
- Vietnam
- Singapore
- Maldives
Cholas were one of the earliest empires in Indian history, with some estimates dating them back to almost 300 B.C. They are even mentioned by Emperor Ashoka in his pillars, as a friendly empire in the south. Their recorded downfall is in the 1250’s. In pre-medieval India’s highly fluid power equations, the Chola empire was the one and perhaps the only constant.
The good stuff about the Cholas first. I am sure all of you must have heard of the beautiful and the grand temples all over Tamil Nadu. It was the Cholas who added the adjective grand before the temples. The kind of made it a fashion statement to build big temples, covered with intricate carvings, a trend which was essentially followed by his successors transcending empires.
Ever heard of the Brihadeeshwara Temple in Tanjore. It was built by Raja Raja Chola in the 11th century. Let me tell you some quick facts about this place of worship
- The Shivling in this temple is the largest of its kind, in the world.
- The Nandi outside, is, again, the largest in the world.
- The base of the temple is supposed to be so big, that the shadow of its massive ‘gopuram’ actually does not fall on the ground.
- The top of the ‘gopuram’ consists of a single granite stone weighing approximately 82 tonnes (82,000 Kgs for those weak in metrics). Now, this being 11th century AD, it was a problem getting that big piece of rock to a height of 63 Metres. So what did the Cholas do?
- Unsurprisingly they built the world’s largest transport ramp, using some kick-ass trigonometry, which stretched all the way to about 20 Kms, all the way inclining towards the top, which basically allowed the elephants to push the rock all the way up.
- Once on top, they sent masons to do some intricate carvings on that stone, as if somebody would notice at that height.
Any emperor or empire will consider this piece of art to be the peak of their artistic prowess which will be talked about for generations to come. But Cholas being the Cholas, weren’t satisfied. Raja Raja’s son Rajendra went on to build an exact replica of this temple at a place called Gangai Konda Cholapuram, near the modern town of Chidambaram.
Two big temples, takes quite a beating doesn’t it. Sadly the second temple is not even mentioned in the history books, anywhere. None outside Tamil Nadu even know about its existence, even today.
And also did I tell you, the Cholas were the first in the world to build a fully functional water diversion/water regulation system in the world. Chola king Karikalan built this 329 feet stone dam over the river Kaveri and a network of canals, in 1st century AD, for water storage and irrigation. So when most of the western world was still eating raw animal flesh, Cholas were building dams, navigable canals and were irrigating 10,00,000 (1 Million) hectares of land in their kingdom.
And before I forget, the system they built is in use even today!!!
I don’t have to tell you whether our historians bothered to mention this thing in our textbook.
In case you think Cholas were your peace loving, violence shying role model Emperors, let me move on to some of their badass stuff
Cholas pioneered in the 6th century what we today know as the Navy. Use of ships for fighting battles existed, Battle of Salamis was probably the first naval engagement ever recorded, but Cholas took Naval warfare to an entirely new level. They probably were the first ones to make their Navy a totally independent service with its own powers and not the extension of the army as was the norm then. They also were the first to pioneer the concept of building exclusive fighting ships and the first to implement the idea of fleets.
Their ship building program was instituted and ships were designed and built for different purposes. Trap ships (They called themselves ‘Kannis’ which means a ‘virgin’ in Tamil. They even had a sense of humour) to lure the enemies into traps, destroyers to do what their name suggests, supply ships etc were the some of the different types of Chola Naval vessels. Cholas also were one of the first to evolve strategic naval doctrines, advanced ship formations and naval warfare tactics. They were the first ones to start operating ships in fleets. The smallest fleet in the Chola navy consisted of about 12 ships and the largest went up to 500 or more vessels.
In three words, They kicked ass…
And to match their tactical nous, they augmented their vessels with the then state of the art weaponry, both indigenous and imported from China. Their ships were equipped with catapults and probably the first ship-based flamethrowers. Chola navies were routinely known to annihilate enemies five times their number. The Chola navy, in one line, could be described as
Awesome tactics+Brilliant Ships+Latest Weaponry= Bad news for the enemy
This combination enabled Cholas, to practice the first ever recorded instance of what is today called ‘Gunboat Diplomacy’. Sri Vijaya empire, ruling Cambodia, had the guts to actually sack a Chola Merchant convoy. Cholas responded by taking two fleets of about 500 ships each and obliterating the Sri Vijaya kingdom out of existence. The neighboring king of Kambujadesa, terrified of what happened to his colleague, basically folded his hands, bowed his head and sent an ornamental chariot to appease the Cholas and declared them as his rulers. And Cholas didn’t even have to fire a single shot.
It is also believed by some sources, that Cholas because of a navigational error, landed in Sri Lanka by mistake. And just for fun, they went on to capture the entire country. There is no actual proof of this but knowing the Cholas, this is quite possible.
At their peak Chola ships consisted of about 1000-1500 battle ships divided into 4 fleets placed in strategic locations like Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Kaveripoompatinam in Tamil Nadu also known as Poompuhar. They were so powerful that the Chinese actually requested Cholas to stop the rampant piracy in the straits of Malacca. They even merited mentions in dispatches in faraway Greece for their naval expertise.
And they were no mugs on the land either. Recall the Gangai Konda Cholapuram temple built by Rajaendra Cholan? It literally means ‘Subduing of the river Ganges’. He built the city in honour of his march upto the Ganges river. A south Indian empire stretching from the River Kaveri in the south all the way up to the River Ganga in the North deserves much better treatment in our history books. As one of my friend’s said, if the Cholas had been born in America, DC or Marvel comics would have transformed them into super-heroes with a body of adamantium. Because they were born in India, they get about a quarter page in the text-book.
There were in all a total of 16 Chola kings in the Chola Empire. For all of you who actually read that chapter, you will find only the names of two (Raja Raja Chola and Rajendra Chola) have been mentioned. And all the other kings and important details of their empire have been completely eliminated.
Source - from my friend's blog who has done aweosome reseaarch on these topics -Kaipullai.com .
1. Samudragupta :
Samudragupta, the greatest emperor born in the India history, ruled India from 335 to 375 AD. He is also known as the “Napoleon of India“. He was an extraordinary Military commander who conquered the entire Indian subcontinent after Ashoka. Though, Ashoka had gone into the path of peace and non-violence but Samudragupta believed in total control and one India. Even the Southern kingdoms of modern-day Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh which maintained independent sovereignty from many ages, came under direct rule of Samudragupta.
The great Samudragupta was born into Gupta dynasty and was the son ofChandragupta I. The Gupta kingdom controlled some parts of Central India during that time. But Samudragupta had a vision to unite India under one rule. Different kingdoms and dynasties had popped up after the downfall of Mauryan empire and Samudragupta wanted to re-install the glory of Bharatvansh.
He led many military campaigns one after the another and annexed entire Indian subcontinent under his control and was entitled as the Rajadhiraja (The King of kings). The rule of Samudragupta and his son Chandragupta Vikramaditya is called as theGolden Age of India.
Samudragupta, playing Veena. (Image Source- Amar Chitra Katha)
Military Campaigns
The name Samudragupta means the ‘Conqueror of Oceans’ and he did conquer huge areas of land comparable to the great oceans of the world. He maintained the policy ofDigvijaya which means direct control over each and every territory in the North India. Contrarily he followed the policy of Dharamvijaya in the South India, conquering/defeating Kings and making their territories as his tributary kingdoms.
He started at Madhya Pradesh, crossed Orissa, Vishakhapatnam, deltas of Godavari and Krishna and finally reached Nellore. He defeated all the kings of South India but didn’t annex their territory, although he made them as his tributary kingdoms. The South Indian kings accepted Samudragupta as their Emperor. But in the North, he attacked the territories with aggression, defeating one after another from the west deltas of river Brahmaputra, Takshila, Kabul, Kandahar and all the way up to the boundaries of Mesopotamia, every territory of Indian Subcontinent became a part of Gupta empire.
Multifaceted Personality
Samudragupta was an able ruler, benevolent administrator and patron of arts and crafts. He was a great player of Veena, himself. The Indian coinage system is attributed to the Gupta empire, especially Samudragupta. Ancient coins represent Samudragupta as a very tall and muscular human being. He was also known to be a very skillful poet and learner.
Devoted Hindu
Unlike Ashoka, who embraced Buddhism after seeing the aftermath of Kalinga war, Samudragupta was a very devoted Hindu. He followed strict principles of Vedas andBrahamnic ideology. Following the Hindu tradition of Kings, he also conducted variousAshwa-medh Yagyas after every victory in the battlefield.
Gupta Empire after Samudragupta
The great Samudragupta was succeeded by Chandragupta Vikramaditya, who was also a very great king. Gupta Empire kept shining with glory under Vikramaditya’s rule as well. But the stature of Samudragupta is unmatched throughout Indian history.
2. Ashoka
Ashoka Maurya popularly known as Ashoka the Great and Emperor Ashoka, was one of the three Indian rulers, who ruled over the entire Indian subcontinent (Other two being Samudragupta and Akbar). Ashoka, was the third ruler of Mauryan Dynasty and ruled from 269-232 B.C. Prior to Ashoka, Chandragupta Maurya and Bindusarahad won tremendous areas and kingdoms, which Ashoka further extended.
Ashoka’s kingdom spanned across almost half of the Asian continent, From Kashmir to Deccan Plateau , From Burma to Iraq and Iran, Ashoka controlled thousands of square kilometers. That is why in some historical scriptures, King Ashoka is also referred asSamrat Chakarvarti, which means Emperor of the Emperors. The great king had his capital at Patliputra (modern-day Patna). Two great Universities at Takshila andNalanda, were world famous at the time under Mauryan rule and students from Europe and Asia studied there.
The conflict with Kalinga
Under King Bindusara (Ashoka’s father), entire country was under Mauryan rule. Only the kingdom of Kalinga(Orissa) was an independent state remaining in India. The kingdom of Kalinga had a strong army and a very able ruler. After the death ofBindusara, when Ashoka came to power. He had a strong desire to capture Kalinga. Though, Kalinga was a small kingdom, but it had a very strong army and complete support of its people.
During the battle, though Ashoka defeated and destroyed Kalinga, many of his soldiers died in the battle as well. When he witnessed this tragic scene of devastation and killings. He had a complete transformation into a peace-loving person. He resigned himself from waging any further wars and abolished killing of animals for sacrifice. He even adopted Buddhism and sent his nobles all around the world to spread the word of peace andGautama Buddha’s teachings.
ing Ashoka with Buddhist monks. (Image Source – Prasanna Weerakoddy)
Legacy:
Famous English writer, H.G. Wells quoted about Ashoka – Amidst tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns of history, their majesties, graciousness, serenities, royal highnesses and the like, the name of Ashoka shines and shines almost alone, a star.
Ashoka’s name is found in historic scriptures of both Asia and Europe. His teachings are embedded on rock pillars, stones and stupas, constructed by him in his kingdom.
The famous National emblem of India depicting 4 lions is taken from the Ashoka Pillar atSarnath.
Mauryan Empire after Ashoka
Mauryan Empire hardly survived more than 50 years after the death of Ashoka. Most of his successors were not able rulers and couldn’t control such a huge kingdom. The last Mauryan King was Brihadratha.
3. Shivaji
The name “Shivaji” sparks a great sense of pride in every patriotic Indian. Shivaji, the man, the legend was a Maratha brave-heart who established the great Maratha Kingdom in the seventeenth century, when Mughals were at their prime. Shivaji was born toShahaji Bhonsle and Jija bai. Shahaji was a General in Deccan Sultanates. Shivaji learned the ways of the war from his father. He learned the significance of religion and spirituality from his mother, Jija bai.
The Beginning of Revolts
Shivaji rose to prominence after his father’s death. Adil Shah was wary of Shivaji’s growing stature as a Maratha Commander. He sent his trusted General Afzal Khan to crush Shivaji. But Shivaji’s battle prowess and agile tactics led to a comprehensive Maratha victory. Shivaji defeated the forces of Adil Shah and Afzal Khan. From that day Shivaji emerged as a heroic figure in all the
Maratha folklore.
Conflicts with the Mughals
In 1663, Shivaji launched a surprise attack on Mughal General Shaista Khan who had captured Pune from the Marathas. Shivaji and his 200 soldiers infiltrated in the castle where Shaista was staying. The breached the walls and killed every guard inside it, though Shaista escaped but Shivaji killed all Mughal chiefs inside the castle, this capturing Pune back.
In the next year in 1664, Shivaji attacked the rich Mughal Trade Surat and captured it. Aurangzeb got fed up with Shivaji’s constant aggression against his forces. He called Shivaji for a peace treaty at Agra. When Shivaji reached there, Aurangzeb tricked him and arrested him. Though, Shivaji escaped from Aurangzeb’s prison. Shivaji was anguished after Aurangzeb’s treachery, he vowed to avenge him. As a result, he launched various attacks on Mughal forts and cities, capturing both wealth and area. Mughal empire was constantly getting defeated in every battle against the Marathas and consequently weakened after each defeat.
Shivaji in his court. (Image Source – Rayaraya via Wikimedia Commons)
Shivaji won large parts of area in Central and Northern India as well. Thus, he was entitled as the Chattrapati (the great emperor) and as a King of the Marathas on June 1674. Not only, the Mughals but many Kings and Sultans were also defeated by the Maratha army under Shivaji, including – Athani, Janjira, Ramnagar, Belgaum, Vayem Rayim and parts of Northern Karnataka. No other Emperor ever had the courage to challenge the might of Mughal Empire at its prime. Shivaji openly crushed large armies of Mughals at various battles and established a strong Hindu rule in Central India.
Though, after the demise of Shivaji, his son Sambhaji kept on following his father’s path and after him manyPeshwas followed. The Maratha empire continued till the arrival ofEnglish East India Company.
4. Chandragupta Maurya
Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of Mauryan dynasty. He was the first emperor to rule over almost entire India. His rule spanned from 322 to 298 B.C. India, before the time of Chandragupta Maurya was divided into many small kingdoms and states. The kings of these states were very self-centered and cruel to the people.
Chandragupta was from a Kshatriya family but due to the death of his father when Chandragupta was still young, he was left in destitute. But Chanakya, one of the greatest teachers in the Indian history and a professor atUniversity of Takshila saw Chandragupta a young boy with great aptitude and perseverance for learning. Chanakya trained Chandragupta in various subjects including economics, history, diplomacy, management and war strategies.
Chandragupta Maurya (Image Source – mrinal-rai on DeviantArt)
On Chanakya’s guidance, Chandragupta led an uprising against the Nanda rulers and defeated them. He further annexed Magadha and Kamboja kingdoms. He also defeated the generals of Alexander the Great in Gandahara (in Afghanistan). One of the generals of Alexander, Seleucus controlled much of Mesopotamia(Modern day Iraq),Armenia,Cappadocia(Turkey), Persia(Iran), Bactria(Tajkistan) and Arabia. Chandragupta confronted him and won major parts of his empire up to Afghanistan, Iraq and surrounding areas in 305 B.C.
Chanakya (Image Source – Page on tekhnologia.com)
Chandragupta Maurya was the first Indian emperor to control such a vast area under his kingdom. From Bengal to East Mesopotamia, From Kashmir to the Deccan Plateau, his rule extended many thousand kilometers. He also established a very effective and efficient administration under his rule. On the directions of Chanakya, he developed an organized system of bureaucratic working. All sections of society and economy elevated under his rule.Trade, architecture, mathematics, literature, agriculture and textiles flourished during the Mauryan empire.
Chandragupta is referred as Sandrokottos and Androcottus in Latin and Greek scriptures. He became immensely renowned in the ancient Greece after defeating many generals of Alexander the Great, including the Seleucus. Chandragupta married Seleucus’s daughter and established a great relationship with Hellenistic kingdoms, which enabled large scale Trade between ancient Greece and India. During these times, Greek traveler Megasthenes visited India and Patliputra, the capital city of Chandragupta Maurya.
Chandragupta Maurya was succeeded by Bindusara and later by Ashoka.
5. Krishnadevaraya
Krishnadevaraya was the greatest king from South India. In his empire at peak, from 1509-1529, Mughals and other Muslim rulers never dared to touch his territory. Contrarily, Krishnadevaraya led many successful campaigns against them.
He holds a very respectable position among the lovers of Telugu history. He was a genius personality, able ruler and a great patron of art and literature. His reign is denoted as the golden age of Telugu literature. Many literary experts adorned the court of the great king. The great mathematician Nilakantha Somayaji lived in the time of Krishnadevaraya.
Military conquestsTHE FIVE ORISSA CAMPAIGNS
Krishnadevaraya had his eye on the coastal areas of South East India, which were under the rule of Oriya rulers. In total, he had to lead five different campaigns for his conquest of the entire South East India. His led successful campaigns against the large Orissa kingdom, in which he captured Udayagiri in the first campaign. In his second campaign, he captured Kondavidu. The third campaign led to the capture of Bezwada, Kondapallo, Nalgondaand Warangal. At the fourth campaign, he captured the city ofVengi and constructed a victory pillar at Potnuru. In his fifth campaign, Cuttack was the target. But eventually, the Orissa ruler surrendered and signed a treaty with Krishnadevaraya.
THE CAMPAIGN OF BIJAPUR
Krishnadevaraya was a very powerful ruler. After capturing almost all of the South India, he decided to free the surrounding parts of his kingdom from the evil Muslim rulers. Bijapur Kingdom was the close to the area of Krishna-Tungabhadra delta which was under Vijayanagar empire. Krishnadevaraya launched a fierce attack on Bijapur which was under Sultan Ismail Adil Shah. The attack was so well planned and swift, that the armies of Sultan were completely overwhelmed. Forces of King Krishnadevaraya emerged victorious and Bijapur was freed from the rule of Sultan.
Diplomacy with the Portuguese
Vijayanagar empire, during the rule of Krishnadevaraya had very friendly relationship with the Portuguese, who had made Goa as their main port. The Portuguese used to supply Arab horses and artillery to the Vijayanagar empire, which proved very decisive in all the victorious campaigns led by Krishnadevaraya. Even, European engineering was used in maintaining proper water supply in the Vijayanagar kingdom.
Fate of Vijayanagar kingdom
Achyuta Deva Raya was the successor of Vijayanagar kingdom after Krishnadevaraya. But he was not a very able king and soon the empire lost its glory and eventually succumbed to Mughal forces.
6. Raja Raja Chola I
The man, who laid the foundation of the Chola Kingdom into a mighty Empire, is none other than Rajaraja the Great (reign 985-1014 C.E.). A patron of arts and religion, he was also an organizational and political genius.
When Rajaraja became the king, he conquered the kingdoms of southern India and Sri Lanka in the extreme south, and Kalinga (Orissa) in the northeast. He fought many battles with the Chalukyas in the north and the Pandyas in the south. He also subdued the traditional Chera rivalries in the southwest. It took less than a decade for him to become the master of southern India.
He divided his country into various districts and standardized the revenue collection by carrying out systematic land surveys. In this way he smoothly maintained the administrative system. He also allowed autonomy to the local units.
One of his greatest deeds is the building of the magnificent Rajarajeshwar Temple at Tanjore. The stone sculpture on the mighty tower (216 feet) and the base is one of the finest examples of Chola art.
Rajaraja was succeeded by his son, Rajendra Chola who followed the footprints of his father and glorified the Chola Empire even more.
7. Rajendra Chola (son of Rajaraj Chola I) (1012 to 1044 CE):
One of the greatest rulers of the Tamil Chola Dynasty, Rajendra Chola was a very talented administrator and warrior. He expended his empire to the Coast of Burma, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Maldives and Pegu islands. It is believed that Cholas became one of the most powerful dynasties under his rule and the glory surged to a new high.
8. Prithviraj Chauhan
Prithviraj Chauhan was the hindu king of Chauhan dynasty in 12th century. He is famous in Indian history for his bravery and courage.
He was born in 1168 at Ajmer. His father was Someshwar Chauhan, the king of Ajmer and mother was Kamala Devi.
Prithviraj Chauhan
In his childhood, he killed a tiger with his bare hands. He defeated the king of Gujarat, Bhimdev only at an age of thirteen. For his bravery, his maternal grandfather Angam declared him the king of Delhi.
He built a strong Rajput empire and his empire was expanded mainly in the northwest of India. His empire included Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Chand Bardai, a poet of Prithviraj Chauhan’s court wrote a poem “Prithviraj Raso” describing Prithviraj’s life. Chand Bardai was also a friend of Prithviraj.
He married to Somyukta. She was the daughter of Jaichandra Gahadwal, an enemy of Prithviraj. Their love story is famous in indian history.
In 1191, He defeated Shahabuddin Muhammad Ghori in the first battle of Tarrain. He left Muhammad Ghori unharmed and forgave him. In 1192, Ghori again attacked Prithviraj and won the battle of Second Tarrain. Ghori not only arrested Prithviraj but also made him blind with red hot iron rods.
Later Prithviraj killed Ghori in an archery competition with the help of his friend Chand Bardai and he got killed by Ghori’s bodyguard.
9. Maharana Pratap
Maharana Pratap (May 9, 1540-January 29, 1597) was a ruler of Mewar, a state in north-western India. He belonged to the Sisodia clan of Suryavanshi Rajputs. The epitome of fiery Rajput pride and self-respect, Pratap has for centuries exemplified the qualities that Rajputs aspire to. Pratap, eldest of 25 brothers and 20 sisters, was born at Kumbhalgarh on Sunday the May 9, 1540 to Maharana Udai Singh II and Maharani Javanta Bai Songara (Chauhan).
Coronation of “Rana Pratap”
Maharana Udai Singh II died at the early age of 42 in “Gogunda”, leaving behind twenty-five sons. Setting aside the established laws of “Primogenitor”, he proclaimed his favorite son “Jagmall” his successor. But surprisingly, in a coronation performed at Gogunda Maharana Pratap was crowned the 54th king in the lineage of Sisodia Rajputs Girding Pratap with the sword, thrice touching the ground, hailed him the “King of Mewar” when Jagmall too was moved out of the seat by Rawat Kistna and ex-prince of Gwalior.
By the year 1573, Akbar the then Mughal king had control of Chittorgarh. But to realize his dream of being the Jahanpanah of Hindustan he needed to bring the ruling state of Mewar under him which wouldn’t be possible under the rule of Maharana Pratap.
Akbar sent six diplomats to get Maharana Pratap agree to the former’s servitude whereby the sovereignty and honor of Mewar would remain intact.
However, Maharan Pratap turned down each one of them. The last of these missions were headed by Raja Man Singh, the brother-in-law of Akbar and king of Amber (Jaipur). Even the lack of recourses never lured him and he scorned comfort and luxury when they had to be bought at the cost of his independence.
For a quarter of a century he withstand the combined effects of the Mogul empire; at one time carrying destruction into the plains, at another flying from rock to rock, feeding his family from fruits of the jungle, and rearing the nursling Hero Amar Singh, amidst savage beasts, and scarce less savage men. Though wealth and fortune tempted the fidelity of his chiefs, not one was found enough to abandon him.
Warfare Tactics and the Heroes
“Guerrilla Warfare” had been in existence since times unknown, but Rana Pratap was probably the first to use “Organized Guerrilla Warfare” against a mighty enemy and very successfully administered a disastrous blow to the Mughal army.
Many, at times it seemed that Rana Pratap was on the verge of being victorious. To lead his battle against the Mughals Maharana Pratap has the bravest of all brave leaders- Jhala Bida, Hakim Khan Sur, Poonja Bhil ( in photo) including Raja Ram Shah of Gwalior, Rawat Netsi of Kanod, Kishandas Chundawat of Salumber, Bheem singh Dodiya, Ramdas Rathore of Badnore, Shankardas Rathore of Kelwa, Jhala Maan of Delwara, Ram Singh Sandoo, Jaisa Barhat and Keshav Barhat were few of the leaders who laid their lives for the brave Rana Pratap in his efforts to keep the lamp of Independence burning.
Battle of Haldighati 1576 A.D.
Akbar launched an offensive against Rana Pratap in A.D. 1576 after all the efforts, to bring Rana Pratap to his servitude failed. Akbar established his headquarters at Ajmer and this became one of the 22 subahs of Akbar’s empire.
As a “Guerilla Warfare” tactic Rana Pratap restricted his region in the mountains of Aravali i.e from north to south, Kumbhalgarh to Rishabdev and from west to south Mirpur to Satola. The faithful aborigines “ The Bhils” took to field, with Rana Pratap with their ordinary weapon the Bow and Arrow and huge stones ready to roll upon the combatant enemy, above and below the Rajputs were posted and on the cliffs and pinnacles the “Bhils”.
To save the honor of their land against the mighty Mughal army with the strength of Two Lakh soldiers. There stood the Twenty Two thousand on that day 7th of Sawan Sanwat 1632(July 1576), for the defense of Haldighati and only eight thousand quitted the field alive.
After the Haldighati Battle, Mughal Emperor Akbar made repeated attempts to capture or kill Maharana Pratap, but he did not succeed. Where in the year 1576 he captured Udaipur and named it Mohammadabad and likewise Chittorgarh was named Akbarabad (source), both the names were never accepted. Maharana Pratap served (struggled) for 25 years and died a peaceful death on January 19, 1597 at Chawand, the capital founded by him in deep hills south of Udaipur, the reason of his death being injury caused during a hunting game.
Maharana Pratap’s arch foe Mogul Emperor Akbar is believed to have shed tears at end of this brave warrior, because he was the only ruler who refused to compromise his honor for comfort & safety and, in the end, he died a proud and free king. Maharana Pratap was affectionately called “KIKA” especially by the tribal’s and the poets.
It is a very sad saga; we do not have any original portrait of the person we worship so deeply. It is said that there was only one portrait of Rana Pratap made during his struggle against the Moguls, and that one was taken by the British.
10. The Great Sikh Emperor Maharajah Ranjit Singh (Lion of Punjab)
Maharaja Ranjit Singh became the chief of the Sukerchakia Misl at the age of eleven years in 1791. In his young days, he was an excellent soldier and the beau-ideal of youth. One of his ancestors Budh Singh had been one of the Khalsas baptised by Guru Gobind Singh.23 He found the Punjab strife-ridden and chaotic, a loose confederacy of powerful Misl Chiefs, lacking the corporate spirit and indulging in petty intrigues and dissensions. In the absence of a strong central authority the state had become a prey to the Afghan invaders on the one hand and to the Marattha and the British designs on the other. Ranjit Singh brought the Misl chiefs into submission, fired his people with a corporate zeal and led them from victory to victory so as to galvanise a whole people with a sense of collective triumph. 'He avenged the innumerable defeats, humiliations and depredations suffered by India over the centuries at the hands of the Afghan invaders by conquering part of the Indian territory wrested by them and more than that, by being an arbiter in the fate of Afghanistan herself.24 He rose to be the ruler of a powerful state extending from Tibet to Sind and from Khyber pass to the Satluj. With his capture of Lahore he sealed the Khyber pass for ever, thus putting and end to the tyranny and oppression of the invaders. He was both feared and respected by the British, who ruled over the rest of the subcontinent. It has been acknowledged that in fulfilling his ambitions, Ranjit Singh used the barest minimum of force necessary.
Ranjit Singh built his rule on religious foundations. He referred to his Government as Sarkar-i-Khalsa, which derived its legitimacy from the Khalsa or the Commonwealth-the mystic entity in which resided all sovereign power pertaining to the Sikh Community. He referred to his Darbar as Darbar-i-Khalsa. He never arrogated to himself the title or powers of a despot. He never sat on a throne and never wore a crown. He attributed every success to the favour of God and he styled himself and the people collectively as the Khalsa or Commonwealth of Gobind. Everything was meant for the benefit of his subjects, including the Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims because the Khalsa aims at Sarbat da Bhala (welfare of entire humanity). His state salutation was Wahe-i-Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe-i-Guru Ji Ki Fateh (Khalsa belongs to God and its victory is the victory of God). He was often heard saying that he was nothing more than a mere Nagara (drum) of Guru Gobind Singh.
Ranjit Singh gave complete freedom of expression and worship to all his subjects. Under him careers were thrown open to men talent, irrespective of their religion, caste or class. Even when he lavished his favours, he endeavoured to maintain an even balance among Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. Far from demolishing the religious places of Muslims or Hindus, he was in fact generous in his endowments to the Hindu and the Muslim places of worship. He gave liberal grants to the learned Muslims and paid due respect to the fakirs and derveshs of his kingdom.
Ranjit Singh's rule was, on the whole in many respects, humanitarian and humane. In fact his clear attempt at self-effacement and avoidance of nay personal elevation, while giving credit to God, Guru and the Khalsa would suggest a kind of unpretentious rule, beneficial; free from wanton atrocities and solicitious of the public Weal.58 It will always be the most inspiring example of a welfare State in the true sense in India.
Ranjit Singh's Place in History: The Maharaja gave to his citizens a consistent and uniform system of administration and a greater amount of peace and prosperity than they had enjoyed for over a century. The Mughal and the Maratha rules in the country had been marked by bigotry, corruption, degradation, persecution, treachery, confusion, disorder, extravagance and pomp. Ranjit Singh's claim to greatness lies in the fact that he successfully faced the historical challenge of abuse of power and religious bigotry by restoring communal harmony in his state. He endowed politics with a moral purpose. His state was governed and sustained by values and attitudes that characterised the Sikh tradition. The Gurus had envisioned an egalitarian social order based on justice and freedom. With the Sikh ethos in his psyche, Ranjit Singh translated this vision into practice.
11. Akbar The Great (October 14, 1542 to October 27, 1605):
A third generation ruler in the Mughal Empire, Akbar ruled almost all of the northern and central India. He is celebrated highly for his unmatched acumen in forming strategies and splendid victory in the Second Battle of Panipat. He is also known for his military innovations that were later adopted by many other kings as well. His shrewd warfare tactics can be learnt from a multitude of battles and wars described in various history books.
Akbar was a cunning general, and he continued his military expansion throughout his reign. By the time he died, his empire extended to Afghanistan in the north, Sindh in the west, Bengal in the east, and the Godavari River in the south.Akbar’s success in creating his empire was as much a result of his ability to earn the loyalty of his conquered people as it was of his ability to conquer them. He allied himself with the defeated Rajput rulers, and rather than demanding a high “tribute tax” and leaving them to rule their territories unsupervised, he created a system of central government, integrating them into his administration. Akbar was known for rewarding talent, loyalty, and intellect, regardless of ethnic background or religious practice. In addition to compiling an able administration, this practice brought stability to his dynasty by establishing a base of loyalty to Akbar that was greater than that of any one religion.
Beyond military conciliation, he appealed to the Rajput people by ruling in a spirit of cooperation and tolerance. He did not force India’s majority Hindu population to convert to Islam; he accommodated them instead, abolishing the poll tax on non-Muslims, translating Hindu literature and participating in Hindu festivals.
Akbar also formed powerful matrimonial alliances. When he married Hindu princesses—including Jodha Bai, the eldest daughter of the house of Jaipur, as well princesses of Bikaner and Jaisalmer.
Administration
In 1574 Akbar revised his tax system, separating revenue collection from military administration. Each subah, or governor, was responsible for maintaining order in his region, while a separate tax collector collected property taxes and sent them to the capital. This created checks and balances in each region, since the individuals with the money had no troops, and the troops had no money, and all were dependent on the central government. The central government then doled out fixed salaries to both military and civilian personnel according to rank.
Patronage of the Arts
Unlike his father, Humayun, and grandfather Babur, Akbar was not a poet or diarist, and many have speculated that he was illiterate. Nonetheless, he appreciated the arts, culture and intellectual discourse, and cultivated them throughout the empire. Akbar is known for ushering in the Mughal style of architecture, which combined elements of Islamic, Persian and Hindu design, and sponsored some of the best and brightest minds of the era—including poets, musicians, artists, philosophers and engineers—in his courts at Delhi, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri.
Akbar was religiously curious. He regularly participated in the festivals of other faiths, and in 1575 in Fatehpur Sikri—a walled city that Akbar had designed in the Persian style—he built a temple (ibadat-khana) where he frequently hosted scholars from other religions, including Hindus, Zoroastrians, Christians, yogis, and Muslims of other sects. He allowed the Jesuits to construct a church at Agra, and discouraged the slaughter of cattle out of respect for Hindu custom. Not everyone appreciated these forays into multiculturalism, however, and many called him a heretic.
In 1579, a mazhar, or declaration, was issued that granted Akbar the authority to interpret religious law, superseding the authority of the mullahs. This became known as the “Infallibility Decree,” and it furthered Akbar’s ability to create an interreligious and multicultural state. In 1582 he established a new cult, the Din-i-Ilahi (“divine faith”), which combined elements of many religions, including Islam, Hinduism and Zoroastrianism. The faith centered around Akbar as a prophet or spiritual leader, but it did not procure many converts and died with Akbar.
Death and Succession
Akbar died in 1605. Some sources say Akbar became fatally ill with dysentery, while others cite a possible poisoning, likely traced to Akbar's son Jahangir. Many favored Jahangir’s eldest son, Khusrau, to succeed Akbar as emperor, but Jahangir forcefully ascended days after Akbar's death.
12. Rani Lakshmi Bai (November 19, 1828 to June 18, 1858):
Queen of Maratha ruled state of Jhansi, On 7th March 1854, the British issued a gazette dissolving the State of Jhansi. Rani Lakshmibai was enraged due to the injustice when an English officer, Major Ellis came to meet Lakshmibai. He read out the official declaration dissolving the State. The furious Rani Lakshmibai told Ellis ‘‘Meri Jhansi Nahin Doongi (I shall not part with my Jhansi)’ when he sought her permission to leave. Ellis heard her and left. Battle of 1857 The battle for freedom that started from January 1857 engulfed even Meerut on 10th May.
Jhansi Ki Rani was the great heroine of the First War of Indian Freedom. She became a widow at the tender age of 18 and lived only till 22 yet she has inspired many and is still a living legend. She was the embodiment of patriotism, self-respect and heroism. Her life is a thrilling story of womanliness, courage, adventure, deathless patriotism and martyrdom. In her tender body there was a lion’s spirit.
Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi was the queen of the Maratha-ruled princely state of Jhansi, situated in the north-central part of India. She was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and for Indian nationalists a symbol of resistance to the rule of the British East India Company in the subcontinent.
When she went to War and took up arms she was the very embodiment of the War Goddess Kali. She was beautiful and frail. But her radiance made men diffident. She was young in years, but her decisions were mature. A lesson is to be learnt for us all from her experiences. The words of the British General Sir Hugh Rose who fought against the Maharani several times and was defeated time and time again stated: "Of the mutineers the bravest and the greatest commander was the Rani".
Samudragupta, the greatest emperor born in the India history, ruled India from 335 to 375 AD. He is also known as the “Napoleon of India“. He was an extraordinary Military commander who conquered the entire Indian subcontinent after Ashoka. Though, Ashoka had gone into the path of peace and non-violence but Samudragupta believed in total control and one India. Even the Southern kingdoms of modern-day Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh which maintained independent sovereignty from many ages, came under direct rule of Samudragupta.
The great Samudragupta was born into Gupta dynasty and was the son ofChandragupta I. The Gupta kingdom controlled some parts of Central India during that time. But Samudragupta had a vision to unite India under one rule. Different kingdoms and dynasties had popped up after the downfall of Mauryan empire and Samudragupta wanted to re-install the glory of Bharatvansh.
He led many military campaigns one after the another and annexed entire Indian subcontinent under his control and was entitled as the Rajadhiraja (The King of kings). The rule of Samudragupta and his son Chandragupta Vikramaditya is called as theGolden Age of India.
Military Campaigns
The name Samudragupta means the ‘Conqueror of Oceans’ and he did conquer huge areas of land comparable to the great oceans of the world. He maintained the policy ofDigvijaya which means direct control over each and every territory in the North India. Contrarily he followed the policy of Dharamvijaya in the South India, conquering/defeating Kings and making their territories as his tributary kingdoms.
He started at Madhya Pradesh, crossed Orissa, Vishakhapatnam, deltas of Godavari and Krishna and finally reached Nellore. He defeated all the kings of South India but didn’t annex their territory, although he made them as his tributary kingdoms. The South Indian kings accepted Samudragupta as their Emperor. But in the North, he attacked the territories with aggression, defeating one after another from the west deltas of river Brahmaputra, Takshila, Kabul, Kandahar and all the way up to the boundaries of Mesopotamia, every territory of Indian Subcontinent became a part of Gupta empire.
Multifaceted Personality
Samudragupta was an able ruler, benevolent administrator and patron of arts and crafts. He was a great player of Veena, himself. The Indian coinage system is attributed to the Gupta empire, especially Samudragupta. Ancient coins represent Samudragupta as a very tall and muscular human being. He was also known to be a very skillful poet and learner.
Devoted Hindu
Unlike Ashoka, who embraced Buddhism after seeing the aftermath of Kalinga war, Samudragupta was a very devoted Hindu. He followed strict principles of Vedas andBrahamnic ideology. Following the Hindu tradition of Kings, he also conducted variousAshwa-medh Yagyas after every victory in the battlefield.
Gupta Empire after Samudragupta
The great Samudragupta was succeeded by Chandragupta Vikramaditya, who was also a very great king. Gupta Empire kept shining with glory under Vikramaditya’s rule as well. But the stature of Samudragupta is unmatched throughout Indian history.
2. Ashoka
Ashoka Maurya popularly known as Ashoka the Great and Emperor Ashoka, was one of the three Indian rulers, who ruled over the entire Indian subcontinent (Other two being Samudragupta and Akbar). Ashoka, was the third ruler of Mauryan Dynasty and ruled from 269-232 B.C. Prior to Ashoka, Chandragupta Maurya and Bindusarahad won tremendous areas and kingdoms, which Ashoka further extended.
Ashoka’s kingdom spanned across almost half of the Asian continent, From Kashmir to Deccan Plateau , From Burma to Iraq and Iran, Ashoka controlled thousands of square kilometers. That is why in some historical scriptures, King Ashoka is also referred asSamrat Chakarvarti, which means Emperor of the Emperors. The great king had his capital at Patliputra (modern-day Patna). Two great Universities at Takshila andNalanda, were world famous at the time under Mauryan rule and students from Europe and Asia studied there.
The conflict with Kalinga
Under King Bindusara (Ashoka’s father), entire country was under Mauryan rule. Only the kingdom of Kalinga(Orissa) was an independent state remaining in India. The kingdom of Kalinga had a strong army and a very able ruler. After the death ofBindusara, when Ashoka came to power. He had a strong desire to capture Kalinga. Though, Kalinga was a small kingdom, but it had a very strong army and complete support of its people.
During the battle, though Ashoka defeated and destroyed Kalinga, many of his soldiers died in the battle as well. When he witnessed this tragic scene of devastation and killings. He had a complete transformation into a peace-loving person. He resigned himself from waging any further wars and abolished killing of animals for sacrifice. He even adopted Buddhism and sent his nobles all around the world to spread the word of peace andGautama Buddha’s teachings.
Legacy:
Famous English writer, H.G. Wells quoted about Ashoka – Amidst tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns of history, their majesties, graciousness, serenities, royal highnesses and the like, the name of Ashoka shines and shines almost alone, a star.
Ashoka’s name is found in historic scriptures of both Asia and Europe. His teachings are embedded on rock pillars, stones and stupas, constructed by him in his kingdom.
The famous National emblem of India depicting 4 lions is taken from the Ashoka Pillar atSarnath.
Mauryan Empire after Ashoka
Mauryan Empire hardly survived more than 50 years after the death of Ashoka. Most of his successors were not able rulers and couldn’t control such a huge kingdom. The last Mauryan King was Brihadratha.
3. Shivaji
The name “Shivaji” sparks a great sense of pride in every patriotic Indian. Shivaji, the man, the legend was a Maratha brave-heart who established the great Maratha Kingdom in the seventeenth century, when Mughals were at their prime. Shivaji was born toShahaji Bhonsle and Jija bai. Shahaji was a General in Deccan Sultanates. Shivaji learned the ways of the war from his father. He learned the significance of religion and spirituality from his mother, Jija bai.
The Beginning of Revolts
Shivaji rose to prominence after his father’s death. Adil Shah was wary of Shivaji’s growing stature as a Maratha Commander. He sent his trusted General Afzal Khan to crush Shivaji. But Shivaji’s battle prowess and agile tactics led to a comprehensive Maratha victory. Shivaji defeated the forces of Adil Shah and Afzal Khan. From that day Shivaji emerged as a heroic figure in all the
Maratha folklore.
Conflicts with the Mughals
In 1663, Shivaji launched a surprise attack on Mughal General Shaista Khan who had captured Pune from the Marathas. Shivaji and his 200 soldiers infiltrated in the castle where Shaista was staying. The breached the walls and killed every guard inside it, though Shaista escaped but Shivaji killed all Mughal chiefs inside the castle, this capturing Pune back.
In the next year in 1664, Shivaji attacked the rich Mughal Trade Surat and captured it. Aurangzeb got fed up with Shivaji’s constant aggression against his forces. He called Shivaji for a peace treaty at Agra. When Shivaji reached there, Aurangzeb tricked him and arrested him. Though, Shivaji escaped from Aurangzeb’s prison. Shivaji was anguished after Aurangzeb’s treachery, he vowed to avenge him. As a result, he launched various attacks on Mughal forts and cities, capturing both wealth and area. Mughal empire was constantly getting defeated in every battle against the Marathas and consequently weakened after each defeat.
Shivaji won large parts of area in Central and Northern India as well. Thus, he was entitled as the Chattrapati (the great emperor) and as a King of the Marathas on June 1674. Not only, the Mughals but many Kings and Sultans were also defeated by the Maratha army under Shivaji, including – Athani, Janjira, Ramnagar, Belgaum, Vayem Rayim and parts of Northern Karnataka. No other Emperor ever had the courage to challenge the might of Mughal Empire at its prime. Shivaji openly crushed large armies of Mughals at various battles and established a strong Hindu rule in Central India.
Though, after the demise of Shivaji, his son Sambhaji kept on following his father’s path and after him manyPeshwas followed. The Maratha empire continued till the arrival ofEnglish East India Company.
4. Chandragupta Maurya
Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of Mauryan dynasty. He was the first emperor to rule over almost entire India. His rule spanned from 322 to 298 B.C. India, before the time of Chandragupta Maurya was divided into many small kingdoms and states. The kings of these states were very self-centered and cruel to the people.
Chandragupta was from a Kshatriya family but due to the death of his father when Chandragupta was still young, he was left in destitute. But Chanakya, one of the greatest teachers in the Indian history and a professor atUniversity of Takshila saw Chandragupta a young boy with great aptitude and perseverance for learning. Chanakya trained Chandragupta in various subjects including economics, history, diplomacy, management and war strategies.
On Chanakya’s guidance, Chandragupta led an uprising against the Nanda rulers and defeated them. He further annexed Magadha and Kamboja kingdoms. He also defeated the generals of Alexander the Great in Gandahara (in Afghanistan). One of the generals of Alexander, Seleucus controlled much of Mesopotamia(Modern day Iraq),Armenia,Cappadocia(Turkey), Persia(Iran), Bactria(Tajkistan) and Arabia. Chandragupta confronted him and won major parts of his empire up to Afghanistan, Iraq and surrounding areas in 305 B.C.
Chanakya (Image Source – Page on tekhnologia.com)
Chandragupta Maurya was the first Indian emperor to control such a vast area under his kingdom. From Bengal to East Mesopotamia, From Kashmir to the Deccan Plateau, his rule extended many thousand kilometers. He also established a very effective and efficient administration under his rule. On the directions of Chanakya, he developed an organized system of bureaucratic working. All sections of society and economy elevated under his rule.Trade, architecture, mathematics, literature, agriculture and textiles flourished during the Mauryan empire.
Chandragupta is referred as Sandrokottos and Androcottus in Latin and Greek scriptures. He became immensely renowned in the ancient Greece after defeating many generals of Alexander the Great, including the Seleucus. Chandragupta married Seleucus’s daughter and established a great relationship with Hellenistic kingdoms, which enabled large scale Trade between ancient Greece and India. During these times, Greek traveler Megasthenes visited India and Patliputra, the capital city of Chandragupta Maurya.
Chandragupta Maurya was succeeded by Bindusara and later by Ashoka.
5. Krishnadevaraya
Krishnadevaraya was the greatest king from South India. In his empire at peak, from 1509-1529, Mughals and other Muslim rulers never dared to touch his territory. Contrarily, Krishnadevaraya led many successful campaigns against them.
He holds a very respectable position among the lovers of Telugu history. He was a genius personality, able ruler and a great patron of art and literature. His reign is denoted as the golden age of Telugu literature. Many literary experts adorned the court of the great king. The great mathematician Nilakantha Somayaji lived in the time of Krishnadevaraya.
Krishnadevaraya had his eye on the coastal areas of South East India, which were under the rule of Oriya rulers. In total, he had to lead five different campaigns for his conquest of the entire South East India. His led successful campaigns against the large Orissa kingdom, in which he captured Udayagiri in the first campaign. In his second campaign, he captured Kondavidu. The third campaign led to the capture of Bezwada, Kondapallo, Nalgondaand Warangal. At the fourth campaign, he captured the city ofVengi and constructed a victory pillar at Potnuru. In his fifth campaign, Cuttack was the target. But eventually, the Orissa ruler surrendered and signed a treaty with Krishnadevaraya.
THE CAMPAIGN OF BIJAPUR
Krishnadevaraya was a very powerful ruler. After capturing almost all of the South India, he decided to free the surrounding parts of his kingdom from the evil Muslim rulers. Bijapur Kingdom was the close to the area of Krishna-Tungabhadra delta which was under Vijayanagar empire. Krishnadevaraya launched a fierce attack on Bijapur which was under Sultan Ismail Adil Shah. The attack was so well planned and swift, that the armies of Sultan were completely overwhelmed. Forces of King Krishnadevaraya emerged victorious and Bijapur was freed from the rule of Sultan.
Diplomacy with the Portuguese
Vijayanagar empire, during the rule of Krishnadevaraya had very friendly relationship with the Portuguese, who had made Goa as their main port. The Portuguese used to supply Arab horses and artillery to the Vijayanagar empire, which proved very decisive in all the victorious campaigns led by Krishnadevaraya. Even, European engineering was used in maintaining proper water supply in the Vijayanagar kingdom.
Fate of Vijayanagar kingdom
Achyuta Deva Raya was the successor of Vijayanagar kingdom after Krishnadevaraya. But he was not a very able king and soon the empire lost its glory and eventually succumbed to Mughal forces.
6. Raja Raja Chola I
The man, who laid the foundation of the Chola Kingdom into a mighty Empire, is none other than Rajaraja the Great (reign 985-1014 C.E.). A patron of arts and religion, he was also an organizational and political genius.
When Rajaraja became the king, he conquered the kingdoms of southern India and Sri Lanka in the extreme south, and Kalinga (Orissa) in the northeast. He fought many battles with the Chalukyas in the north and the Pandyas in the south. He also subdued the traditional Chera rivalries in the southwest. It took less than a decade for him to become the master of southern India.
He divided his country into various districts and standardized the revenue collection by carrying out systematic land surveys. In this way he smoothly maintained the administrative system. He also allowed autonomy to the local units.
One of his greatest deeds is the building of the magnificent Rajarajeshwar Temple at Tanjore. The stone sculpture on the mighty tower (216 feet) and the base is one of the finest examples of Chola art.
Rajaraja was succeeded by his son, Rajendra Chola who followed the footprints of his father and glorified the Chola Empire even more.
7. Rajendra Chola (son of Rajaraj Chola I) (1012 to 1044 CE):
One of the greatest rulers of the Tamil Chola Dynasty, Rajendra Chola was a very talented administrator and warrior. He expended his empire to the Coast of Burma, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Maldives and Pegu islands. It is believed that Cholas became one of the most powerful dynasties under his rule and the glory surged to a new high.
8. Prithviraj Chauhan
Prithviraj Chauhan was the hindu king of Chauhan dynasty in 12th century. He is famous in Indian history for his bravery and courage.
He was born in 1168 at Ajmer. His father was Someshwar Chauhan, the king of Ajmer and mother was Kamala Devi.
Prithviraj Chauhan
In his childhood, he killed a tiger with his bare hands. He defeated the king of Gujarat, Bhimdev only at an age of thirteen. For his bravery, his maternal grandfather Angam declared him the king of Delhi.
He built a strong Rajput empire and his empire was expanded mainly in the northwest of India. His empire included Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Chand Bardai, a poet of Prithviraj Chauhan’s court wrote a poem “Prithviraj Raso” describing Prithviraj’s life. Chand Bardai was also a friend of Prithviraj.
He married to Somyukta. She was the daughter of Jaichandra Gahadwal, an enemy of Prithviraj. Their love story is famous in indian history.
In 1191, He defeated Shahabuddin Muhammad Ghori in the first battle of Tarrain. He left Muhammad Ghori unharmed and forgave him. In 1192, Ghori again attacked Prithviraj and won the battle of Second Tarrain. Ghori not only arrested Prithviraj but also made him blind with red hot iron rods.
Later Prithviraj killed Ghori in an archery competition with the help of his friend Chand Bardai and he got killed by Ghori’s bodyguard.
9. Maharana Pratap
Maharana Pratap (May 9, 1540-January 29, 1597) was a ruler of Mewar, a state in north-western India. He belonged to the Sisodia clan of Suryavanshi Rajputs. The epitome of fiery Rajput pride and self-respect, Pratap has for centuries exemplified the qualities that Rajputs aspire to. Pratap, eldest of 25 brothers and 20 sisters, was born at Kumbhalgarh on Sunday the May 9, 1540 to Maharana Udai Singh II and Maharani Javanta Bai Songara (Chauhan).
Coronation of “Rana Pratap”
Maharana Udai Singh II died at the early age of 42 in “Gogunda”, leaving behind twenty-five sons. Setting aside the established laws of “Primogenitor”, he proclaimed his favorite son “Jagmall” his successor. But surprisingly, in a coronation performed at Gogunda Maharana Pratap was crowned the 54th king in the lineage of Sisodia Rajputs Girding Pratap with the sword, thrice touching the ground, hailed him the “King of Mewar” when Jagmall too was moved out of the seat by Rawat Kistna and ex-prince of Gwalior.
By the year 1573, Akbar the then Mughal king had control of Chittorgarh. But to realize his dream of being the Jahanpanah of Hindustan he needed to bring the ruling state of Mewar under him which wouldn’t be possible under the rule of Maharana Pratap.
Akbar sent six diplomats to get Maharana Pratap agree to the former’s servitude whereby the sovereignty and honor of Mewar would remain intact.
However, Maharan Pratap turned down each one of them. The last of these missions were headed by Raja Man Singh, the brother-in-law of Akbar and king of Amber (Jaipur). Even the lack of recourses never lured him and he scorned comfort and luxury when they had to be bought at the cost of his independence.
For a quarter of a century he withstand the combined effects of the Mogul empire; at one time carrying destruction into the plains, at another flying from rock to rock, feeding his family from fruits of the jungle, and rearing the nursling Hero Amar Singh, amidst savage beasts, and scarce less savage men. Though wealth and fortune tempted the fidelity of his chiefs, not one was found enough to abandon him.
Warfare Tactics and the Heroes
“Guerrilla Warfare” had been in existence since times unknown, but Rana Pratap was probably the first to use “Organized Guerrilla Warfare” against a mighty enemy and very successfully administered a disastrous blow to the Mughal army.
Many, at times it seemed that Rana Pratap was on the verge of being victorious. To lead his battle against the Mughals Maharana Pratap has the bravest of all brave leaders- Jhala Bida, Hakim Khan Sur, Poonja Bhil ( in photo) including Raja Ram Shah of Gwalior, Rawat Netsi of Kanod, Kishandas Chundawat of Salumber, Bheem singh Dodiya, Ramdas Rathore of Badnore, Shankardas Rathore of Kelwa, Jhala Maan of Delwara, Ram Singh Sandoo, Jaisa Barhat and Keshav Barhat were few of the leaders who laid their lives for the brave Rana Pratap in his efforts to keep the lamp of Independence burning.
Battle of Haldighati 1576 A.D.
Akbar launched an offensive against Rana Pratap in A.D. 1576 after all the efforts, to bring Rana Pratap to his servitude failed. Akbar established his headquarters at Ajmer and this became one of the 22 subahs of Akbar’s empire.
As a “Guerilla Warfare” tactic Rana Pratap restricted his region in the mountains of Aravali i.e from north to south, Kumbhalgarh to Rishabdev and from west to south Mirpur to Satola. The faithful aborigines “ The Bhils” took to field, with Rana Pratap with their ordinary weapon the Bow and Arrow and huge stones ready to roll upon the combatant enemy, above and below the Rajputs were posted and on the cliffs and pinnacles the “Bhils”.
To save the honor of their land against the mighty Mughal army with the strength of Two Lakh soldiers. There stood the Twenty Two thousand on that day 7th of Sawan Sanwat 1632(July 1576), for the defense of Haldighati and only eight thousand quitted the field alive.
After the Haldighati Battle, Mughal Emperor Akbar made repeated attempts to capture or kill Maharana Pratap, but he did not succeed. Where in the year 1576 he captured Udaipur and named it Mohammadabad and likewise Chittorgarh was named Akbarabad (source), both the names were never accepted. Maharana Pratap served (struggled) for 25 years and died a peaceful death on January 19, 1597 at Chawand, the capital founded by him in deep hills south of Udaipur, the reason of his death being injury caused during a hunting game.
Maharana Pratap’s arch foe Mogul Emperor Akbar is believed to have shed tears at end of this brave warrior, because he was the only ruler who refused to compromise his honor for comfort & safety and, in the end, he died a proud and free king. Maharana Pratap was affectionately called “KIKA” especially by the tribal’s and the poets.
It is a very sad saga; we do not have any original portrait of the person we worship so deeply. It is said that there was only one portrait of Rana Pratap made during his struggle against the Moguls, and that one was taken by the British.
10. The Great Sikh Emperor Maharajah Ranjit Singh (Lion of Punjab)
Maharaja Ranjit Singh became the chief of the Sukerchakia Misl at the age of eleven years in 1791. In his young days, he was an excellent soldier and the beau-ideal of youth. One of his ancestors Budh Singh had been one of the Khalsas baptised by Guru Gobind Singh.23 He found the Punjab strife-ridden and chaotic, a loose confederacy of powerful Misl Chiefs, lacking the corporate spirit and indulging in petty intrigues and dissensions. In the absence of a strong central authority the state had become a prey to the Afghan invaders on the one hand and to the Marattha and the British designs on the other. Ranjit Singh brought the Misl chiefs into submission, fired his people with a corporate zeal and led them from victory to victory so as to galvanise a whole people with a sense of collective triumph. 'He avenged the innumerable defeats, humiliations and depredations suffered by India over the centuries at the hands of the Afghan invaders by conquering part of the Indian territory wrested by them and more than that, by being an arbiter in the fate of Afghanistan herself.24 He rose to be the ruler of a powerful state extending from Tibet to Sind and from Khyber pass to the Satluj. With his capture of Lahore he sealed the Khyber pass for ever, thus putting and end to the tyranny and oppression of the invaders. He was both feared and respected by the British, who ruled over the rest of the subcontinent. It has been acknowledged that in fulfilling his ambitions, Ranjit Singh used the barest minimum of force necessary.
Ranjit Singh built his rule on religious foundations. He referred to his Government as Sarkar-i-Khalsa, which derived its legitimacy from the Khalsa or the Commonwealth-the mystic entity in which resided all sovereign power pertaining to the Sikh Community. He referred to his Darbar as Darbar-i-Khalsa. He never arrogated to himself the title or powers of a despot. He never sat on a throne and never wore a crown. He attributed every success to the favour of God and he styled himself and the people collectively as the Khalsa or Commonwealth of Gobind. Everything was meant for the benefit of his subjects, including the Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims because the Khalsa aims at Sarbat da Bhala (welfare of entire humanity). His state salutation was Wahe-i-Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe-i-Guru Ji Ki Fateh (Khalsa belongs to God and its victory is the victory of God). He was often heard saying that he was nothing more than a mere Nagara (drum) of Guru Gobind Singh.
Ranjit Singh gave complete freedom of expression and worship to all his subjects. Under him careers were thrown open to men talent, irrespective of their religion, caste or class. Even when he lavished his favours, he endeavoured to maintain an even balance among Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. Far from demolishing the religious places of Muslims or Hindus, he was in fact generous in his endowments to the Hindu and the Muslim places of worship. He gave liberal grants to the learned Muslims and paid due respect to the fakirs and derveshs of his kingdom.
Ranjit Singh's rule was, on the whole in many respects, humanitarian and humane. In fact his clear attempt at self-effacement and avoidance of nay personal elevation, while giving credit to God, Guru and the Khalsa would suggest a kind of unpretentious rule, beneficial; free from wanton atrocities and solicitious of the public Weal.58 It will always be the most inspiring example of a welfare State in the true sense in India.
Ranjit Singh's Place in History: The Maharaja gave to his citizens a consistent and uniform system of administration and a greater amount of peace and prosperity than they had enjoyed for over a century. The Mughal and the Maratha rules in the country had been marked by bigotry, corruption, degradation, persecution, treachery, confusion, disorder, extravagance and pomp. Ranjit Singh's claim to greatness lies in the fact that he successfully faced the historical challenge of abuse of power and religious bigotry by restoring communal harmony in his state. He endowed politics with a moral purpose. His state was governed and sustained by values and attitudes that characterised the Sikh tradition. The Gurus had envisioned an egalitarian social order based on justice and freedom. With the Sikh ethos in his psyche, Ranjit Singh translated this vision into practice.
11. Akbar The Great (October 14, 1542 to October 27, 1605):
A third generation ruler in the Mughal Empire, Akbar ruled almost all of the northern and central India. He is celebrated highly for his unmatched acumen in forming strategies and splendid victory in the Second Battle of Panipat. He is also known for his military innovations that were later adopted by many other kings as well. His shrewd warfare tactics can be learnt from a multitude of battles and wars described in various history books.
Akbar was a cunning general, and he continued his military expansion throughout his reign. By the time he died, his empire extended to Afghanistan in the north, Sindh in the west, Bengal in the east, and the Godavari River in the south.Akbar’s success in creating his empire was as much a result of his ability to earn the loyalty of his conquered people as it was of his ability to conquer them. He allied himself with the defeated Rajput rulers, and rather than demanding a high “tribute tax” and leaving them to rule their territories unsupervised, he created a system of central government, integrating them into his administration. Akbar was known for rewarding talent, loyalty, and intellect, regardless of ethnic background or religious practice. In addition to compiling an able administration, this practice brought stability to his dynasty by establishing a base of loyalty to Akbar that was greater than that of any one religion.
Beyond military conciliation, he appealed to the Rajput people by ruling in a spirit of cooperation and tolerance. He did not force India’s majority Hindu population to convert to Islam; he accommodated them instead, abolishing the poll tax on non-Muslims, translating Hindu literature and participating in Hindu festivals.
Akbar also formed powerful matrimonial alliances. When he married Hindu princesses—including Jodha Bai, the eldest daughter of the house of Jaipur, as well princesses of Bikaner and Jaisalmer.
Administration
In 1574 Akbar revised his tax system, separating revenue collection from military administration. Each subah, or governor, was responsible for maintaining order in his region, while a separate tax collector collected property taxes and sent them to the capital. This created checks and balances in each region, since the individuals with the money had no troops, and the troops had no money, and all were dependent on the central government. The central government then doled out fixed salaries to both military and civilian personnel according to rank.
Patronage of the Arts
Unlike his father, Humayun, and grandfather Babur, Akbar was not a poet or diarist, and many have speculated that he was illiterate. Nonetheless, he appreciated the arts, culture and intellectual discourse, and cultivated them throughout the empire. Akbar is known for ushering in the Mughal style of architecture, which combined elements of Islamic, Persian and Hindu design, and sponsored some of the best and brightest minds of the era—including poets, musicians, artists, philosophers and engineers—in his courts at Delhi, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri.
Akbar was religiously curious. He regularly participated in the festivals of other faiths, and in 1575 in Fatehpur Sikri—a walled city that Akbar had designed in the Persian style—he built a temple (ibadat-khana) where he frequently hosted scholars from other religions, including Hindus, Zoroastrians, Christians, yogis, and Muslims of other sects. He allowed the Jesuits to construct a church at Agra, and discouraged the slaughter of cattle out of respect for Hindu custom. Not everyone appreciated these forays into multiculturalism, however, and many called him a heretic.
In 1579, a mazhar, or declaration, was issued that granted Akbar the authority to interpret religious law, superseding the authority of the mullahs. This became known as the “Infallibility Decree,” and it furthered Akbar’s ability to create an interreligious and multicultural state. In 1582 he established a new cult, the Din-i-Ilahi (“divine faith”), which combined elements of many religions, including Islam, Hinduism and Zoroastrianism. The faith centered around Akbar as a prophet or spiritual leader, but it did not procure many converts and died with Akbar.
Death and Succession
Akbar died in 1605. Some sources say Akbar became fatally ill with dysentery, while others cite a possible poisoning, likely traced to Akbar's son Jahangir. Many favored Jahangir’s eldest son, Khusrau, to succeed Akbar as emperor, but Jahangir forcefully ascended days after Akbar's death.
12. Rani Lakshmi Bai (November 19, 1828 to June 18, 1858):
Queen of Maratha ruled state of Jhansi, On 7th March 1854, the British issued a gazette dissolving the State of Jhansi. Rani Lakshmibai was enraged due to the injustice when an English officer, Major Ellis came to meet Lakshmibai. He read out the official declaration dissolving the State. The furious Rani Lakshmibai told Ellis ‘‘Meri Jhansi Nahin Doongi (I shall not part with my Jhansi)’ when he sought her permission to leave. Ellis heard her and left. Battle of 1857 The battle for freedom that started from January 1857 engulfed even Meerut on 10th May.
Jhansi Ki Rani was the great heroine of the First War of Indian Freedom. She became a widow at the tender age of 18 and lived only till 22 yet she has inspired many and is still a living legend. She was the embodiment of patriotism, self-respect and heroism. Her life is a thrilling story of womanliness, courage, adventure, deathless patriotism and martyrdom. In her tender body there was a lion’s spirit.
Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi was the queen of the Maratha-ruled princely state of Jhansi, situated in the north-central part of India. She was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and for Indian nationalists a symbol of resistance to the rule of the British East India Company in the subcontinent.
When she went to War and took up arms she was the very embodiment of the War Goddess Kali. She was beautiful and frail. But her radiance made men diffident. She was young in years, but her decisions were mature. A lesson is to be learnt for us all from her experiences. The words of the British General Sir Hugh Rose who fought against the Maharani several times and was defeated time and time again stated: "Of the mutineers the bravest and the greatest commander was the Rani".
A great warrior wreaks havoc and terrorizes his opponents, has the ego to go up against and conquers a stronger foe, dictates terms to the enemies, innovates battle formations and weapons and dies on the battle field, weapon in hand. And the finest warrior of India who did all these things is not mentioned so far. It is the Tiger of Mysore - Tipu Sultan.
Let us see some of his exploits:
Tipu was cruel and not a worthy King because of how he treated his prisoners and humiliation of defeated enemies. But as a warrior, he is unparalleled and is the Indian equivalent of "Last Samurai" as he was the last king to defeat the British at battle. That makes him a strong contender for this title.
Further Reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w
http://en.wikipedia.org/w
http://en.wikipedia.org/w
Let us see some of his exploits:
- Won small battles against British with 1:1 forces, while suffering small losses before he was 30. He was crown prince at the time. became King with a proven track record.
- The last Indian King to dictate terms to the British after defeating them in battle.
- Lord Charles Cornwallis, after mixed results in American war of Independence thought that he can improve his military record by coming to India. What a miscalculation a battle against Tipu turned out to be:
- Tipu practically invented usage of rockets in warfare. They were present during his fathers time, but Tipu refined it for use in battle. The rockets were inefficient by modern terms, but they were meant for chaos and commotion to disperse the enemy. Tipu had a good laugh after unleashing his rocket infantry:
- The Royal Arsenal procured samples and took them back to Britain to refine and put them in a production line, which led to the use of modern rocket propelled artillery that we see today.
- He was a shrewd negotiator - he offered the post of Admiral to a French Admiral - Pierre André de Suffren and built the first Church in Mysore just as a part of the employment deal. This led to advancements in the Mysore Kingdom's Navy with many innovations.
- Tipu established contact and negotiations with Persian, Mughal and French rulers.
- Tipu was obsessed with quality of weaponry. For instance, he had a dedicated gun smith to maintain his private arsenal.
- And as mentioned earlier, he died commanding his army after refusing surrender and going up against a army 1:3 ratio.
Tipu was cruel and not a worthy King because of how he treated his prisoners and humiliation of defeated enemies. But as a warrior, he is unparalleled and is the Indian equivalent of "Last Samurai" as he was the last king to defeat the British at battle. That makes him a strong contender for this title.
Further Reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w
http://en.wikipedia.org/w
http://en.wikipedia.org/w
Abhishek Arijit,
Views
Hem Chandra
(Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, Hindu emperor Hemu, who was supplier of Food items, Cannons and Gun Powder to Sher Shah Suri, chief Advisor to his son Islam Shah from 1545 to 1553, Prime Minister-cum-Chief of Army of Adil Shah Suri, a virtual king from 1553-56, established Hindu Raj in North India from Delhi on 7th Oct. 1556, was defeated and killed in the Second Battle of Panipat, in 1556. Here (bazaar art, 1910's) he's reimagined in very Mughal courtly style, and glorified in Hindi, Persian (from the Akbar-namah), and English, as "the last Hindu emperor of Hindustan"-- with his genius certified by the Imperial Gazetteer. )
His achievements notwithstanding, he is not a household name in India. His name does not ring any bells in the collective memory of indians. I am not even sure if any physical memorial of this Indian Hero exists. Anecdotally, Prithvi Raj Chauhan is considered as the last Indian ruler of Delhi. It is incorrect to think that Indians made no efforts to liberate Delhi in medieval India. Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya made one such effort that succeeded – albeit for a brief interlude.
Early Childhood
Not much is known about his childhood and early life. In fact, historians disagree about both his birth name and birth place. K.K. Bhardwaj claims that perhaps his original name was Basant Rai, Hem Rai, Hem Raj or Hem Chandra Bhargava. R.C. Majumdar writes that “he was born in a poor family of Dhansar section, living in a town in the southern part of Alwar”. Muslim historian Badayuni has described him as a resident of a small town called Rewari in the taluk of Mewat, and began his life as a green vendor. Others believe that he was a hawker in the town of Mewat . Historians mention that brought up in a religious environment, he was educated in Sanskrit, Hindi, Persian, Arabic and Arithmatic. He was also trained in Horse riding and was fond of wrestling (Kushti) . His rise to fame did not begin until late 1530s when he came in contact with the officers of Sher Shah Suri. But events that happened in north India during his youth were not as dull!
Hem Chandra’sYouth
In the early 1500s, huge portions India were under afghan occupation. South India(vijayanagara’s), Rajputana, Orissa and Assam were the only parts of India that remained free. In Delhi, Lodi dynasty was ruling large parts of north India. Independent sultanates ruled Gujarat and Central India. Under the afgan occupation, Indians was already burdened by the crushing Jizya tax. At such point in 1526, a Central Asian tribal warrior named Babur attacked India. His armies marched from Kabul to Delhi via Punjab. In the first battle of Panipat (April 21, 1526) Babur defeated the joint armies of Ibrahim Lodi and Raja Vikramjit – king of Gwalior – and captured the throne of Delhi. Now Rajputs under the leadership of Rana Sangramsingh of Chittor challenged Babur. They were also supported by Hasan Khan Moe. But unfortunately their joint forces too were defeated by Babur in the battle of Khanwa. With this victory Babur now controlled north-western India as well as parts of Gangetic Plains.
“]
Babur’s March to Delhi from Samarkand in present day Uzbekistan
Mercifully, Babur died (January 1531) before he could consolidate his hold on India and was succeeded by a weak son – Humayun. Sensing an opportunity, Sher Khan Suri – an Afghan commander of the Lodis – who was stationed in Bihar during Ibrahim Lodi’s rule, attacked Humayun. He defeated the Mughals in the battles of Chausa and Kanauj and drove them out of Delhi [9]. He captured Delhi in May 1540, declared himself the emperor and took the name of Sher Shah Suri.
Rise to Generalship and earning title of Samrat (Emperor)
At a very young age Hemu started supplying food/cereals to Sher Shah Suri's army. Slowly he started other supplies like Saltpetre (Gunpowder) to Sher Shah's army, who had defeated Babur's son Humanyun in the year 1540 and had forced him to withdraw to Kabul. Sher Shah Suri was a progressive Afghan ruler and considered himself a native Indian.He also considered Mughals as invaders. Hemu also laid the foundation of brass cannons casting and manufacturing industry in Rewari. After Sher Shah Suri's death in the year 1548, his son Islam Shah became ruler of North India. He recognised the calibre, dynamism, administrative skills and sincerity of Hemu and placed him in important government positions including Shahangaye Bazara Persian word meaning 'Bazar superintendent' and 'Chungi Adhikshak', and wazir later on. After Islam Shah's death in October 1553, Adil Shah Suri took command of most of North India. Adil Shah, not a good administrator, depended entirely on Hemu and placed him chief of army and prime minister. Hemu was sent to various states in North India to crush rebellion. Hemu fought, in all, twenty two battles from Punjab to Bengal, winning all of them. At the battle of Chhapparghatta in December 1555, Hemu routed Bengal forces under Muhammad Shah, who was killed in the battle. These continuous victories in entire North India, and victories over Akbar's strong holds like Agra and Delhi in Sept.- Oct. 1556 earned him the title of 'Samrat' and at his coronation at Delhi all his army commanders, Afghans as well as Rajputs bestowed him the title [['Samrat Hem chander Vikramaditya']]. Samrat is a Hindi word meaning unchallengeable warrior - one who has won all the battles fought. On the basis of being a Samrat, he re-established Hindu Kingdom and Vikramaditya Dynasty, in North India with all the authority and command.
Reason for Hemu's success was that, Hemu could muster the support of both Hindus and Afghans against the Mughal invaders. He was very popular among Hindus as well as Afghans. Afghans considered themselves to be Indians, and Hemu also considered Afghans as Indians. Unity of Hindus and Afghans had created a formidable force to take on the Mughals. This shows that Nationalism and Secularism was the common cause.
His Victories like Napoleon
After the victory of the Mughal ruler Humayun over Adil Shah's brother Sikander, Mughal rule was reestablished in Punjab,Delhi and Agra. Humayun's sudden death in 1556, however, gave Hemu an opportunity to claim power for himself. By then he had won several battles spanning the entire North India. He was in Bengal at that time. He made known his decision to his Afgan and Hindu commanders that he would capture power for himself in Delhi. He started a winning march from Bengal through present day Bihar & Eastern UPand Madhya Pradesh. Hemu marched to Agra, an important Mughal stronghold. But the commander of Mughal forces,representative of Akbar ran away from Agra hearing about Hemu's invasion leaving Hemu winner without a fight. Itawa,Kalpi,Bayana all came under Hemu's rule. Then he moved towards final assault on Delhi. This was Hemu's 22nd Battle. Hemu won Delhi after a day's battle on 6th October 1556. Some 3000 army men died in this battle.However,Mugal forces lead by Tardi Beg Khan vacated Delhi after a day's fight and Hemu entered Delhi under a royal canopy.
(Gwalior Fort, from where Hem Chandra Vikramaditya launched most of the attacks during 1553-56, for his 22 battle victories.)
Starting of Vikramaditya Dynasty
He had his formal 'Rajyabhishake' or 'coronation' following all Hindu religious ceremonies in Delhi and became the ruler under the title 'Raja Vikramaditya'. Hemu was crowned at Purana Qila in Delhi on 7th Oct. 1556 in the presence of all Afghan Sardars and Hindu Senapatis (Military Commanders). Thus Hemu re-established a Hindu kingdom and restarted Vikramaditya dynasty in North India, after centuries of foreign rule. He reorganized his Army but did not remove a single Afghan from any position. He started coins in his name.
Second Battle of Panipat
Hem Chandra’s victories and coronation caused a lot of consternation among the Mughals. Many of Akbar’s commanders advised him to retreat to Kabul and wait for an opportune moment – like his father Humayun. However, Bairam Khan, the guardian of Akbar and chief strategist for army matters, insisted on fighting Hem Chandra in an effort to regain control of Delhi. Bairam Khan was well aware of the consequences of a loss. He and Akbar stayed back eight miles from the battle ground with preparations to flee as soon as possible to Kabul in case of a defeat.
On November 5, 1556, the Mughal army met Hem Chandra’s army at the historic battlefield of Panipat. It was the same battlefield where Akbar’s grandfather had defeated Ibrahim Lodi 30 years ago. Unsurprisingly, Bairam Khan motivated his army by a religious speech and ordered them to move for battle.
Samrat Hem Chandra himself led his large army himself and leaving his main generals to stabilize is kingdom(one of the greatest mistakes that changed fate of india) sitting atop an elephant and was poised to achieve victory. But alas, destiny had something else in mind. All of a sudden the Emperor was hit in the eye by a stray arrow. In spite of that, Hem Chandra pulled the arrow by his hands and exhorted his forces to charge ahead. Unfortunately, he soon collapsed unconscious in his hauda due to severe bleeding. His collapse changed everything. Looking at their king collapsed, his armies lost heart, and no commander came forward to rise to the occasion and to make coordinated decisions. As a result of this confusion, Hem Chandra’s armies started losing the battle line – and an easy victory got converted into a disastrous defeat!
(This is a photograph of a Mughal painting of Akbar's period showing a minarett being built of the beheaded skulls of Hem Chandra Vikramaditya's relatives and supporters)
Unconscious, the almost dead Hem Chandra was captured by Shah Qulin Khan and carried to the camp of Akbar where he was beheaded by Bairam Khan. His head was sent to Kabul, where it was hung outside Delhi Darwaza, while his body was placed outside Purana Quila in Delhi – the same place where he was coroneted earlier.
(Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, Hindu emperor Hemu, who was supplier of Food items, Cannons and Gun Powder to Sher Shah Suri, chief Advisor to his son Islam Shah from 1545 to 1553, Prime Minister-cum-Chief of Army of Adil Shah Suri, a virtual king from 1553-56, established Hindu Raj in North India from Delhi on 7th Oct. 1556, was defeated and killed in the Second Battle of Panipat, in 1556. Here (bazaar art, 1910's) he's reimagined in very Mughal courtly style, and glorified in Hindi, Persian (from the Akbar-namah), and English, as "the last Hindu emperor of Hindustan"-- with his genius certified by the Imperial Gazetteer. )
His achievements notwithstanding, he is not a household name in India. His name does not ring any bells in the collective memory of indians. I am not even sure if any physical memorial of this Indian Hero exists. Anecdotally, Prithvi Raj Chauhan is considered as the last Indian ruler of Delhi. It is incorrect to think that Indians made no efforts to liberate Delhi in medieval India. Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya made one such effort that succeeded – albeit for a brief interlude.
Early Childhood
Not much is known about his childhood and early life. In fact, historians disagree about both his birth name and birth place. K.K. Bhardwaj claims that perhaps his original name was Basant Rai, Hem Rai, Hem Raj or Hem Chandra Bhargava. R.C. Majumdar writes that “he was born in a poor family of Dhansar section, living in a town in the southern part of Alwar”. Muslim historian Badayuni has described him as a resident of a small town called Rewari in the taluk of Mewat, and began his life as a green vendor. Others believe that he was a hawker in the town of Mewat . Historians mention that brought up in a religious environment, he was educated in Sanskrit, Hindi, Persian, Arabic and Arithmatic. He was also trained in Horse riding and was fond of wrestling (Kushti) . His rise to fame did not begin until late 1530s when he came in contact with the officers of Sher Shah Suri. But events that happened in north India during his youth were not as dull!
Hem Chandra’sYouth
In the early 1500s, huge portions India were under afghan occupation. South India(vijayanagara’s), Rajputana, Orissa and Assam were the only parts of India that remained free. In Delhi, Lodi dynasty was ruling large parts of north India. Independent sultanates ruled Gujarat and Central India. Under the afgan occupation, Indians was already burdened by the crushing Jizya tax. At such point in 1526, a Central Asian tribal warrior named Babur attacked India. His armies marched from Kabul to Delhi via Punjab. In the first battle of Panipat (April 21, 1526) Babur defeated the joint armies of Ibrahim Lodi and Raja Vikramjit – king of Gwalior – and captured the throne of Delhi. Now Rajputs under the leadership of Rana Sangramsingh of Chittor challenged Babur. They were also supported by Hasan Khan Moe. But unfortunately their joint forces too were defeated by Babur in the battle of Khanwa. With this victory Babur now controlled north-western India as well as parts of Gangetic Plains.
“]
Babur’s March to Delhi from Samarkand in present day Uzbekistan
Mercifully, Babur died (January 1531) before he could consolidate his hold on India and was succeeded by a weak son – Humayun. Sensing an opportunity, Sher Khan Suri – an Afghan commander of the Lodis – who was stationed in Bihar during Ibrahim Lodi’s rule, attacked Humayun. He defeated the Mughals in the battles of Chausa and Kanauj and drove them out of Delhi [9]. He captured Delhi in May 1540, declared himself the emperor and took the name of Sher Shah Suri.
Rise to Generalship and earning title of Samrat (Emperor)
At a very young age Hemu started supplying food/cereals to Sher Shah Suri's army. Slowly he started other supplies like Saltpetre (Gunpowder) to Sher Shah's army, who had defeated Babur's son Humanyun in the year 1540 and had forced him to withdraw to Kabul. Sher Shah Suri was a progressive Afghan ruler and considered himself a native Indian.He also considered Mughals as invaders. Hemu also laid the foundation of brass cannons casting and manufacturing industry in Rewari. After Sher Shah Suri's death in the year 1548, his son Islam Shah became ruler of North India. He recognised the calibre, dynamism, administrative skills and sincerity of Hemu and placed him in important government positions including Shahangaye Bazara Persian word meaning 'Bazar superintendent' and 'Chungi Adhikshak', and wazir later on. After Islam Shah's death in October 1553, Adil Shah Suri took command of most of North India. Adil Shah, not a good administrator, depended entirely on Hemu and placed him chief of army and prime minister. Hemu was sent to various states in North India to crush rebellion. Hemu fought, in all, twenty two battles from Punjab to Bengal, winning all of them. At the battle of Chhapparghatta in December 1555, Hemu routed Bengal forces under Muhammad Shah, who was killed in the battle. These continuous victories in entire North India, and victories over Akbar's strong holds like Agra and Delhi in Sept.- Oct. 1556 earned him the title of 'Samrat' and at his coronation at Delhi all his army commanders, Afghans as well as Rajputs bestowed him the title [['Samrat Hem chander Vikramaditya']]. Samrat is a Hindi word meaning unchallengeable warrior - one who has won all the battles fought. On the basis of being a Samrat, he re-established Hindu Kingdom and Vikramaditya Dynasty, in North India with all the authority and command.
Reason for Hemu's success was that, Hemu could muster the support of both Hindus and Afghans against the Mughal invaders. He was very popular among Hindus as well as Afghans. Afghans considered themselves to be Indians, and Hemu also considered Afghans as Indians. Unity of Hindus and Afghans had created a formidable force to take on the Mughals. This shows that Nationalism and Secularism was the common cause.
His Victories like Napoleon
After the victory of the Mughal ruler Humayun over Adil Shah's brother Sikander, Mughal rule was reestablished in Punjab,Delhi and Agra. Humayun's sudden death in 1556, however, gave Hemu an opportunity to claim power for himself. By then he had won several battles spanning the entire North India. He was in Bengal at that time. He made known his decision to his Afgan and Hindu commanders that he would capture power for himself in Delhi. He started a winning march from Bengal through present day Bihar & Eastern UPand Madhya Pradesh. Hemu marched to Agra, an important Mughal stronghold. But the commander of Mughal forces,representative of Akbar ran away from Agra hearing about Hemu's invasion leaving Hemu winner without a fight. Itawa,Kalpi,Bayana all came under Hemu's rule. Then he moved towards final assault on Delhi. This was Hemu's 22nd Battle. Hemu won Delhi after a day's battle on 6th October 1556. Some 3000 army men died in this battle.However,Mugal forces lead by Tardi Beg Khan vacated Delhi after a day's fight and Hemu entered Delhi under a royal canopy.
Starting of Vikramaditya Dynasty
He had his formal 'Rajyabhishake' or 'coronation' following all Hindu religious ceremonies in Delhi and became the ruler under the title 'Raja Vikramaditya'. Hemu was crowned at Purana Qila in Delhi on 7th Oct. 1556 in the presence of all Afghan Sardars and Hindu Senapatis (Military Commanders). Thus Hemu re-established a Hindu kingdom and restarted Vikramaditya dynasty in North India, after centuries of foreign rule. He reorganized his Army but did not remove a single Afghan from any position. He started coins in his name.
Second Battle of Panipat
Hem Chandra’s victories and coronation caused a lot of consternation among the Mughals. Many of Akbar’s commanders advised him to retreat to Kabul and wait for an opportune moment – like his father Humayun. However, Bairam Khan, the guardian of Akbar and chief strategist for army matters, insisted on fighting Hem Chandra in an effort to regain control of Delhi. Bairam Khan was well aware of the consequences of a loss. He and Akbar stayed back eight miles from the battle ground with preparations to flee as soon as possible to Kabul in case of a defeat.
On November 5, 1556, the Mughal army met Hem Chandra’s army at the historic battlefield of Panipat. It was the same battlefield where Akbar’s grandfather had defeated Ibrahim Lodi 30 years ago. Unsurprisingly, Bairam Khan motivated his army by a religious speech and ordered them to move for battle.
Samrat Hem Chandra himself led his large army himself and leaving his main generals to stabilize is kingdom(one of the greatest mistakes that changed fate of india) sitting atop an elephant and was poised to achieve victory. But alas, destiny had something else in mind. All of a sudden the Emperor was hit in the eye by a stray arrow. In spite of that, Hem Chandra pulled the arrow by his hands and exhorted his forces to charge ahead. Unfortunately, he soon collapsed unconscious in his hauda due to severe bleeding. His collapse changed everything. Looking at their king collapsed, his armies lost heart, and no commander came forward to rise to the occasion and to make coordinated decisions. As a result of this confusion, Hem Chandra’s armies started losing the battle line – and an easy victory got converted into a disastrous defeat!
Unconscious, the almost dead Hem Chandra was captured by Shah Qulin Khan and carried to the camp of Akbar where he was beheaded by Bairam Khan. His head was sent to Kabul, where it was hung outside Delhi Darwaza, while his body was placed outside Purana Quila in Delhi – the same place where he was coroneted earlier.
Aditya S Acharya,
Views
A2A...
Here's my two cents on who the greatest Indian king is and why:
Chandragupta II aka Vikramaditya
Here's my two cents on who the greatest Indian king is and why:
Chandragupta II aka Vikramaditya
- The Gupta period is often called the Golden Age and it reached its zenith during the reign of this guy. He encouraged arts and sciences. Fa Hein visited India during his reign and states:
"The people were rich and prosperous and seemed to emulate each other in the practice of virtue. Charitable institutions were numerous and rest houses for travelers were provided on the highway. The capital possessed an excellent hospital."
- He had Navratna (his small council) with stalwarts like Kalidas, Dhanvantri and Varahamihir.
- Another perk of being under his reign: no capital punishment, no land tax, no poll tax.
- Not to forget, that the Iron Pillar at Mehrauli was built, as per some accounts, by him after defeating Vahilakas. That's the prowess of the Gupta dynasty in metallurgy.
- Much said about Akbar, the only reason I nominate him is for the stability he provided to the Indian subcontinent economically and culturally.
- Agreed, he had a lot of wars, but that was the price that had to be paid to bring the subcontinent under one rule, the bitter pill.
- With a Navratna of his own, he is often described as a just king who had an extremely elaborate and well laid out system of governance.
Brijesh Chandrakar,
Views
I found following 3 warriors/kings most inspiring of all. They were as good king as great warriors.
SHIVAJI, the leader of the Marathas, was at war with the Mughals. Enraged by the many defeats, which the Maratha chieftain had inflicted on his forces, the Emperor Aurangzeb decided to crush once for all his growing power in the Deccan. He sent against him a large army under two his ablest commanders, Jai Singh, the Rajah of Jaipur and Dilere Khan, a Mughal nobleman.
The emperor’s soldiers met with immediate successes in this campaign. They captured fort after fort and laid siege to Purandhar, where the Maratha garrison put up a long and gallant resistance. At last, Shivaji thought it wise to agree to the terms of peace. He was forced to surrender most of his forts and was allowed to retain only a few for himself on condition of service and loyalty to the empire. It was also proposed that he should visit the imperial court at Agra. Shivaji hesitated in the beginning, but finally yielded to the persuasion of jai Singh, who gave him solemn promises about his personal safety in the court of Aurangzeb. He proceeded to Agra with his son Sambhaji and a band of some 4,000 followers.
At Agra a grand durbar was being held in the magnificent Diwan-i-Am in honor of Aurangzeb’s birthday. Shivaji and Sambhaji attended the durbar to pay their respects to the Emperor. But Aurangzeb treated Shivaji with marked coldness and placed him in the rank of the commanders of 5,000 horsemen. The Maratha hero, who had so often humbled the pride of the Mughals, took this insult to heart. He complained bitterly in open durbar about Aurangzeb’s breach of faith. The next day a strong guard of Mughals soldiers was placed round his house, and Shivaji became the Emperor’s prisoner.
An ordinary man would have given way to despair in such a situation. But Shivaji’s wonderful resourcefulness came to his rescue. He feigned sickness and began to send regular presents of fruits and sweetmeats to Brahmins and other holy men in large wicker baskets, each of which was covered with flowers and was carried on a pole by two men. The soldiers guarding the house got used to seeing these baskets pass in and out of shivaji’s house. They examined the baskets very carefully for some days; Shivaji and Sambhaji concealed themselves in two of the baskets and slipped out of the gates of the house and out of the walls of Agra. Then, at a selected spot, they mounted swift horses that had been kept ready saddled for their escape.
For many hours after the flight, Shivaji’s disappearance was not noticed by anybody. One of his faithful flowers had taken his place on the sick bed, covering himself with a blanket but showing on his finger the diamond ring that the Maratha chieftain always wore. The guards naturally thought that Shivaji was still slipping. They discovered their mistake when it was too late.
Meanwhile, Shivaji and sambhaji had galloped away to Mathura. There Sivaji shaved off his head and whiskers, rubbed his face with ashes, and looking like a wandering gosavi journeyed by secret Paths to the Deccan. He travelled right round the country, through Bihar, and then to the east coast, and thence across central India to Raigarh. Many, many months later, he went in this disguise to his mother Jijabai and threw himself at her feet. She could not recognize her own son. But when he placed his head on her lap, and took off his cap, she burst into tears of joy. Her son, whom she had believed dead, had returned to her safe and sound after a miraculous escape from his enemies.
Source-http://www.preserv
- Rani Lakshmibai-
Laxmi Bai, (born Nov.19, 1835) the Queen of Jhansi is unparalleled in the history of India. She was only 18 years old when her husband Gangadhar Rao, the king of Jhansi died. As the first born child of Rani had died, the couple was childless. They adopted a child whom the English refused to accept as the legal heir to the throne of Jhansi. Instead the English offered her a pension of Rs. 60,000 per year and ordered her to leave the fort of Jhansi. Rani however refused and decided to fight for her rights. She raised a volunteer army where both men and women were recruited. In March 1858, English army laid siege to the fort of Jhansi and took Jhansi after fighting for two weeks. Rani escaped in guise of a man with few of her supporters, riding a horse with her son tied behind her back and a sword in her hand. She regrouped her forces in Kalpi, about 100 miles from Jhansi and advanced into Gwalior. Three weeks later on June 18, 1858 she was martyred by bullets of the English army in a combat battle. Super human courage, convictions and velour displayed by such a young girl in nineteenth century India to take up English army in armed combat and to give up her life fighting for her rights, became a source of inspiration for generations of Indians in their fight for independence.
Following poem by Subhadra Kumari Chauhan was taught to us in class 8th.
Quora doesn't allow answers in hindi. So I had to upload photographs. For more better script of poem-http://manaskriti.com/kaavyaalay...
source- http://www.geeta-kavita.com/hind... - Maharana Pratap-
In 1576, the historic battle of Haldighati took place. Maharana Pratap Singh, the King of Mewar and son of Rana Udai Singh of Udaipur, had turned down several proposals of alliance with the mighty adversary, Akbar. Resultantly, Akbar’s army led by his general, King Man Singh of Amber attacked Mewar. Maharana Pratap Singh’s army of nearly ten thousand took on a four times larger Mughal Army. However the Guerrilla tactics of Pratap Singh’s army and their ferocity drove away the Mughal army up to a long distance. Finally, the Mughal army gathered itself and faced the army of Mewar at a place which is today known as Rakta Talai, the lake of blood at Haldighati.
As the intensity of the battle grew, Pratap Singh attacked General Man Singh. While Pratap Singh rode his beloved horse Chetak, Man Singh was seated on an elephant. Pratap Singh bounded on Chetak and drove his spear through the man with the leash of the elephant. However, the sword tied at the elephant’s trunk, gravely wounded a hind leg of Chetak. As the situation grew delicate, Pratap Singh’s general who was also named Man Singh, convinced Pratap Singh to leave the battlefield, as there would still be hope for Mewar while he was alive. Man Singh, who also happened to be a look alike of Pratap Singh, wore his crown and helped Pratap Singh escape Haldighati.
The wounded Chetak carried Pratap Singh many a mile from the battlefield of Haldighati, while being chased by enemy horses. Chetak leaped over a river crossing a distance the enemy’s horses would not dare to take on and took Pratap Singh to safety. However, that proved to be the final leap of his life. At the bank of the river Chetak took his last breath and died with his head in his master’s lap. It was said that before Pratap Singh left for the battle, his wife had carried the religious rite of Puja for him as well as for Chetak. She had said to Chetak that he made sure her husband came back home safely. Chetak, who kept that promise at the cost of his life, became immortal in Indian history.
After the battle of Haldighati, Maharana Pratap Singh swore an oath that he would denounce all the earthly pleasures such as a bed to sleep, gold and silverware to eat from and a palace to live in till he freed his motherland from the enemies. For the rest of his life thereafter, he lived in the forest, slept on the grass beds and ate from the leaves giving an example of the honor and pride for which he lived.
Source-http://www.remarkableindia.com/h...
More complete story-http://www.chittorgarh.com/mahar... - Shivaji-
SHIVAJI, the leader of the Marathas, was at war with the Mughals. Enraged by the many defeats, which the Maratha chieftain had inflicted on his forces, the Emperor Aurangzeb decided to crush once for all his growing power in the Deccan. He sent against him a large army under two his ablest commanders, Jai Singh, the Rajah of Jaipur and Dilere Khan, a Mughal nobleman.
The emperor’s soldiers met with immediate successes in this campaign. They captured fort after fort and laid siege to Purandhar, where the Maratha garrison put up a long and gallant resistance. At last, Shivaji thought it wise to agree to the terms of peace. He was forced to surrender most of his forts and was allowed to retain only a few for himself on condition of service and loyalty to the empire. It was also proposed that he should visit the imperial court at Agra. Shivaji hesitated in the beginning, but finally yielded to the persuasion of jai Singh, who gave him solemn promises about his personal safety in the court of Aurangzeb. He proceeded to Agra with his son Sambhaji and a band of some 4,000 followers.
At Agra a grand durbar was being held in the magnificent Diwan-i-Am in honor of Aurangzeb’s birthday. Shivaji and Sambhaji attended the durbar to pay their respects to the Emperor. But Aurangzeb treated Shivaji with marked coldness and placed him in the rank of the commanders of 5,000 horsemen. The Maratha hero, who had so often humbled the pride of the Mughals, took this insult to heart. He complained bitterly in open durbar about Aurangzeb’s breach of faith. The next day a strong guard of Mughals soldiers was placed round his house, and Shivaji became the Emperor’s prisoner.
An ordinary man would have given way to despair in such a situation. But Shivaji’s wonderful resourcefulness came to his rescue. He feigned sickness and began to send regular presents of fruits and sweetmeats to Brahmins and other holy men in large wicker baskets, each of which was covered with flowers and was carried on a pole by two men. The soldiers guarding the house got used to seeing these baskets pass in and out of shivaji’s house. They examined the baskets very carefully for some days; Shivaji and Sambhaji concealed themselves in two of the baskets and slipped out of the gates of the house and out of the walls of Agra. Then, at a selected spot, they mounted swift horses that had been kept ready saddled for their escape.
For many hours after the flight, Shivaji’s disappearance was not noticed by anybody. One of his faithful flowers had taken his place on the sick bed, covering himself with a blanket but showing on his finger the diamond ring that the Maratha chieftain always wore. The guards naturally thought that Shivaji was still slipping. They discovered their mistake when it was too late.
Meanwhile, Shivaji and sambhaji had galloped away to Mathura. There Sivaji shaved off his head and whiskers, rubbed his face with ashes, and looking like a wandering gosavi journeyed by secret Paths to the Deccan. He travelled right round the country, through Bihar, and then to the east coast, and thence across central India to Raigarh. Many, many months later, he went in this disguise to his mother Jijabai and threw himself at her feet. She could not recognize her own son. But when he placed his head on her lap, and took off his cap, she burst into tears of joy. Her son, whom she had believed dead, had returned to her safe and sound after a miraculous escape from his enemies.
Source-http://www.preserv
Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Khushwant Singh, one of the greatest writers of India mentions in his book "Ranjit Singh, Maharaja of Punjab" something like this:
A calligraphist who had spent many years making a copy of the Koran(Quran) and had failed to get any of the muslim princes of Hindustan to give him an adequate price for his labours turned up at lahore to try and sell it to the foreign minister, Fakeer Azizuddin, The fakeer praised the work but expressed his inability to pay for it . The argument was overhead by Ranjit Singh who summoned the calligraphist to his presence. This maharaja respectfullly pressed the holy book against his forehead and scrutinized the writing with his single eye. he was impressed with the excellence of the work and bought the Koran for his private collection. Some time later, Fakeer Azizuddin asked him why he had paid such a high price for a book for which, he as a sikh would have no use .Ranjit Singh replied: 'God intended men to look upon all religions with one eye; that is why he took away the light from other'.
The story is apocryphal , but it continues to be told by the Punjabis to this day because it has the answer to the question why Ranjit Singh was able to unite Punjabi Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs to create one and only independent kingdom in history of Punjab.
During mid 70s , Sikhs were divided into the 12 Misl which were actually independent from each other. Ranjit Singh's father's (Maha Singh) kingdom was the smallest one. After the death of his father , he was able to unite all the sikh independent kingdoms because they frequently suffered the constant invasions by the afghan rulers.
The formation of the empire began with the capture of Lahore, by Ranjit Singh, from its Afghan ruler, Zaman Shah Durrani, and the subsequent and progressive expulsion of Afghans from the Punjab and the unification of the separate Sikh misls. Ranjit Singh was proclaimed as Maharaja of the Punjab on 12 April 1801 (to coincide with Vaisakhi), creating a unified political state.
At its peak in the 19th century, the Empire extended from the Khyber Pass in the west to western Tibet in the east, and from Mithankot in the south to Kashmir in the north.It was the last major region of the subcontinent to be conquered by the British due to very trained army.
Though they were able to raise their flag in Delhi but due to weakness in Diplomacy, they were not able to rule at that part.
Religious policy
The Sikh Empire was idiosyncratic in that it allowed men from religions other than their own to rise to commanding positions of authority.In fact, men of piety from all religions were equally respected by the Sikhs and their rulers. Hindu sadhus, yogis, saints andbairagis; Muslim faqirs and pirs; and Christian priests were all the recipients of Sikh largess.Hinduism emphasises the sanctity of cows,so a ban on cow slaughter was universally imposed in the Sarkar Khalsaji.Ranjit Singh willed the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which was under his possession, to Jagannath temple in Puri, Odhisa while on his deathbed in 1839. Ranjit Singh also donated huge amount of gold for the construction of Hindu temples not only in his state, but also in the areas which were under the control of the Marathas with whom Sikhs had a cordial relation. Ranjit Singh’s most lasting legacy was the golden beautification of the Harmandir Sahib, most revered Gurudwara of the Sikhs, with marble and gold, from which the popular name of the "Golden Temple" is derived.
His army even included a few Europeans like Jean-François Allard, however the British were not allowed to join it due to their fickle nature. In 1831, Ranjit Singh deputed his mission to Simla to confer with the British Governor General, Lord William Bentinck. Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa, Fakir Aziz-ud-din and Diwan Moti Ram ― a Sikh, a Muslim and a Hindu representative ― were nominated at its head.
ARMY
Ranjit Singh introduced various reforms one of which was to train his army. So to tackle British power, he introduced various French generels to train his army at Amritsar. The sikh army was one of the most advanced army India ever had. That is why British was forced to sign a Treaty of Amritsar in which Britishers cannot move to the north of Sutlej River and Sikhs would not move South. This lead to more peace in the state and Sikhs were able to focus on the border with Afghanistan.
The army of the Sikh Empire was a formidable military machine that helped Ranjit Singh carve out an extensive kingdom and maintain it amid hostile and ambitious neighbours. All of Ranjit Singh's conquests were achieved by Punjabi armies composed of mostly Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus. His commanders were also drawn from different religious communities, as were his cabinet ministers.
Jean-François Allard was one of his generels in the army.
Read moe about Ranjit Singh :Ranjit Singh
Best Generel
Hari Singh Nalwa
Billionaires, Australia had compiled a list of top 10 generels in the world and Hari Singh Nalwa topped the list with Genghis Khan and Alexander at second and third place respectively.
Why he topped the list? Because of the fact that he was the one who was able to defeat Afghans and capture Peshawar (which even Britishers were unable to do ). No one could match his determination and the mental power.
During a hunt in 1804, a tiger attacked him and also killed his horse. His fellow hunters attempted to protect him but he refused their offers and killed the tiger by himself bare handedly by tearing the tiger apart from its mouth, thus earning the cognomen Baagh Maar (Tiger-killer).
During his milatry career he faught various battles in which one of the battles was battle of Attock. This is very important because they had to cross the dangerous Indus river (due to its flow). Despite the difficulty, they were able to cross Indus river and defeat afghans and conquer the fort of Attock. He won one of its battles with only 20 men behind him.
Camilo Raphael,
Views
I'm very upset, when Charismatic Cholas were wiped out from the minds of fellow brothers. Though, we understand our deep roots of regionalism among different ethnic groups, it is unacceptable to blame history books, containing versions of chronology according to biased political power with very lesser information on South Indian Kingdoms. The above reason wouldn't suffice. At some point, every individual should take their own responsibility exploring our nation regardless of controversial split we have on the basis of language family or racial identity. Since Quora became an engaging community among many youths in India, which is a way positive sign, yet, left a prejudice view on the history of our country in a whole. Here is a live example:
Below are the six different discussion posted in Quora based on same notion.
1. What are some of the greatest Kings in the history of India? what can we learn from their life?
2. Who are the greatest Kings & Warriors in Indian history?
3. Who is the greatest Indian Warrior in the history of India?
4. Who is the greatest of all the kings who ruled India ?
5. Who was the greatest King in Indian history?
6. Who is the greatest Indian King in History ?
Answered by 46 different individuals from various part of country with names of 40 kings from 24 dissimilar kingdoms. Below graphical statistical data seems preconceived.
Southern rulers & kingship mentioned was less than 5%, feels like Vijayanagar empire,Pallava, Chola, Chera and Pandya are tamed. When South Indians respect , value the history of Rajputs, Marathas, Guptas & Mughals willingly defending their glory regardless of cultural, traditional uproar; why is this favoritism seen from the rest?
I thought to elaborate the merit of king from any Northern part, unfortunately all is rightly said. This left me with no choice to write the eminence & reputation of 'Rajendra Chola' the Great. Here are some rare facts of this powerful king.
1. His territory was widespread to an area of 3.6million sq.km. 4,00,000 Sq.km more than the modern India what we have now. The great Mauryan Empire couldn't establish its territory in modern land of Tamils when they conquered whole India. Isn't that big enough for his name and fame?
2. He celebrated the success of Ganges expedition constructing 'Gangaikonda Cholapuram Brihadisvara' temple, which stand tall even now. Is it colossal, compared to the long rule of Cholas had for 1600 years?
3. Many medieval history scholars conclude that his primary intention was to establish peace within kingdom & its neighbors to have a fearless trade. He is the only Indian King to travel out of country by sea and conquered Malaysia, Indonesia, Java, Singapore & Srilanka. Thus made Tamil an only Indian language to have an official status in another country. ( Srilanka & Singapore )
4. Since Cholas had a trading business with China, his traveling route was systematically attacked by fellow opponents. Looting his goods made him upset & to clear all the obstacle in the direction of transport he wage war outside of India and become victorious.
5. Cholas had a damn naval army. unlike his predecessors, Rajendra I had a vast empire by help of these. No other Indian rulers are so strong as Cholas, when it comes to naval.
6. Thanjavur a city also known as 'Rice bowl of Tamil Nadu ' was the capital of Cholas for a very long time & Rajendran shifted this capital from Tanjore to a new built city 'GangaiKonda cholapuram' with a immense idea in mind. Bringing all his military establishments, cavalry, infantry & elephants to Tanjore would damage agricultural land & cause scarcity of food supplies to his enormous troops. So, he built a new city near the previous capital & now the full military power can stand without hindering irrigation & farming.
7. He is also known as 'Uttama Cholan' (உத்தமச்சசோழன்) , 'cholaendira simman'(சோழேந்திர சிம்மன்), 'Vikrama Cholan'(விக்கிரமச் சோழன்), 'Mudikonda Cholan'(முடிகொண்ட சோழன்), 'Panditha cholan'(பண்டிதச்சோழன்), (He captured 'Kadaram' of Malaysia now known as 'Kedah' ) which bears his title name 'Kadaram Kondan'(கடாரங்கொண்டான்) literally means 'one who captured 'Kadaram ". He brought a rare species of fruit from 'Kadaram'- Malaysia unknown to Tamil country at that time & cultivated it in Tamil Nadu, which is known as 'Kadarangai' (கடாரங்காய்)in Tamil which is also named after his voyage. It is better known as 'Wild Lemon' in English speaking world.
8. He gave equal rights to all his citizens regardless of class & caste which is rebellion act in medieval India. It was the time, when rules, decrees were defined & set by Brahmans. Every king was dictated by the leadership of Brahmanism except Rajendra I.
Here goes an example:
During his sovereignty, due to frequent wars, all the weapons were lost, broken and become blunt with no further use. Every sword, spear, arrow & knife should be made new or sharpened by grinding through rough surface. Metal polisher or blacksmith can perform such work. Here in Tamil Nadu it was done by a group of clan/caste named as 'Karman' who is an equivalent to Metal smith. Since these clan had a lot of job to do, without holidays, working all day & night due to higher output expectancy by king. 'Karmans' gained high reputation & respect from 'Rajendra' for the hard work & dedication nevertheless they belong to a lower class status according to the caste system prevailed. King praised them with wealth and property. But this ain't satisfied them, they dared to reach king and mourned about the pitiful dishonor & disgrace they went through by fellow people due to their lineage. Karmans felt ashamed when the rest insulted by the name of caste & pleaded the king to give respect with esteem regards like Higher class Brahmans. Majesty gave them right to blow conch for good & evil happenings within their family which is a traditional right for forward castes. He ordered them to build two doors in a home, can paint their home with limestone, can wear slipper, can use turban on head which is a form of honor, they were allowed to wear 'poonal' : 'upanayana' a religious ritual performed only by Brahmans. This is such a great revolutionary idea connotes his Humanity, Equality, Justice, Non-discrimination among a community held up with caste based bunch. Not even his father 'Raja Raja Chola' the Great' had a though of it.
For about 2500 years 'Tamilakam' was ruled by native rulers of the land resisting foreign invasion. One way or another some part of this land had a continuous ruling of indigenous people until dark ages.
This year Tamil Nadu celebrated 1000 years of 'Rajendra Chola's reign blissfully. Knowing his excellency would make every Indian proud & rivals write-off.
Below are the six different discussion posted in Quora based on same notion.
1. What are some of the greatest Kings in the history of India? what can we learn from their life?
2. Who are the greatest Kings & Warriors in Indian history?
3. Who is the greatest Indian Warrior in the history of India?
4. Who is the greatest of all the kings who ruled India ?
5. Who was the greatest King in Indian history?
6. Who is the greatest Indian King in History ?
Answered by 46 different individuals from various part of country with names of 40 kings from 24 dissimilar kingdoms. Below graphical statistical data seems preconceived.
Southern rulers & kingship mentioned was less than 5%, feels like Vijayanagar empire,Pallava, Chola, Chera and Pandya are tamed. When South Indians respect , value the history of Rajputs, Marathas, Guptas & Mughals willingly defending their glory regardless of cultural, traditional uproar; why is this favoritism seen from the rest?
I thought to elaborate the merit of king from any Northern part, unfortunately all is rightly said. This left me with no choice to write the eminence & reputation of 'Rajendra Chola' the Great. Here are some rare facts of this powerful king.
1. His territory was widespread to an area of 3.6million sq.km. 4,00,000 Sq.km more than the modern India what we have now. The great Mauryan Empire couldn't establish its territory in modern land of Tamils when they conquered whole India. Isn't that big enough for his name and fame?
2. He celebrated the success of Ganges expedition constructing 'Gangaikonda Cholapuram Brihadisvara' temple, which stand tall even now. Is it colossal, compared to the long rule of Cholas had for 1600 years?
3. Many medieval history scholars conclude that his primary intention was to establish peace within kingdom & its neighbors to have a fearless trade. He is the only Indian King to travel out of country by sea and conquered Malaysia, Indonesia, Java, Singapore & Srilanka. Thus made Tamil an only Indian language to have an official status in another country. ( Srilanka & Singapore )
4. Since Cholas had a trading business with China, his traveling route was systematically attacked by fellow opponents. Looting his goods made him upset & to clear all the obstacle in the direction of transport he wage war outside of India and become victorious.
5. Cholas had a damn naval army. unlike his predecessors, Rajendra I had a vast empire by help of these. No other Indian rulers are so strong as Cholas, when it comes to naval.
6. Thanjavur a city also known as 'Rice bowl of Tamil Nadu ' was the capital of Cholas for a very long time & Rajendran shifted this capital from Tanjore to a new built city 'GangaiKonda cholapuram' with a immense idea in mind. Bringing all his military establishments, cavalry, infantry & elephants to Tanjore would damage agricultural land & cause scarcity of food supplies to his enormous troops. So, he built a new city near the previous capital & now the full military power can stand without hindering irrigation & farming.
7. He is also known as 'Uttama Cholan' (உத்தமச்சசோழன்) , 'cholaendira simman'(சோழேந்திர சிம்மன்), 'Vikrama Cholan'(விக்கிரமச் சோழன்), 'Mudikonda Cholan'(முடிகொண்ட சோழன்), 'Panditha cholan'(பண்டிதச்சோழன்), (He captured 'Kadaram' of Malaysia now known as 'Kedah' ) which bears his title name 'Kadaram Kondan'(கடாரங்கொண்டான்) literally means 'one who captured 'Kadaram ". He brought a rare species of fruit from 'Kadaram'- Malaysia unknown to Tamil country at that time & cultivated it in Tamil Nadu, which is known as 'Kadarangai' (கடாரங்காய்)in Tamil which is also named after his voyage. It is better known as 'Wild Lemon' in English speaking world.
8. He gave equal rights to all his citizens regardless of class & caste which is rebellion act in medieval India. It was the time, when rules, decrees were defined & set by Brahmans. Every king was dictated by the leadership of Brahmanism except Rajendra I.
Here goes an example:
During his sovereignty, due to frequent wars, all the weapons were lost, broken and become blunt with no further use. Every sword, spear, arrow & knife should be made new or sharpened by grinding through rough surface. Metal polisher or blacksmith can perform such work. Here in Tamil Nadu it was done by a group of clan/caste named as 'Karman' who is an equivalent to Metal smith. Since these clan had a lot of job to do, without holidays, working all day & night due to higher output expectancy by king. 'Karmans' gained high reputation & respect from 'Rajendra' for the hard work & dedication nevertheless they belong to a lower class status according to the caste system prevailed. King praised them with wealth and property. But this ain't satisfied them, they dared to reach king and mourned about the pitiful dishonor & disgrace they went through by fellow people due to their lineage. Karmans felt ashamed when the rest insulted by the name of caste & pleaded the king to give respect with esteem regards like Higher class Brahmans. Majesty gave them right to blow conch for good & evil happenings within their family which is a traditional right for forward castes. He ordered them to build two doors in a home, can paint their home with limestone, can wear slipper, can use turban on head which is a form of honor, they were allowed to wear 'poonal' : 'upanayana' a religious ritual performed only by Brahmans. This is such a great revolutionary idea connotes his Humanity, Equality, Justice, Non-discrimination among a community held up with caste based bunch. Not even his father 'Raja Raja Chola' the Great' had a though of it.
For about 2500 years 'Tamilakam' was ruled by native rulers of the land resisting foreign invasion. One way or another some part of this land had a continuous ruling of indigenous people until dark ages.
This year Tamil Nadu celebrated 1000 years of 'Rajendra Chola's reign blissfully. Knowing his excellency would make every Indian proud & rivals write-off.
Prithvi Raj Chauhan:
Prithviraj is considered to be the greatest warrior of India, and also one of the greatest in the world. He succeeded to the throne of Ajmer at the age of thirteen, in 1179,when his father died in a battle. His grandfather Angam, ruler of Delhi, declared him heir to the throne of Delhi after hearing about his courage and bravery. He once killed a lion on his own without any weapon. He was known as the warrior king. Chauhan was the last independent Hindu king, before Hemu, to sit upon the throne of Delhi. He succeeded to the throne in 1169 CE at the age of 20, and ruled from the twin capitals of Ajmer and Delhi.
He defeated the mighty Bheemdev, ruler of Gujarat, at the mere age of thirteen. He was trained in Archery and could aim at target while being blind folded (Shabdabhedi Ban Vidya).
His love story with his enemy, Jaichand's daughter, Samyukta/Sanyogita is very famous. He rode off with her on the day of her 'Swayamwara'.
Edit - Removing the paragraph on death of Prithvi Raj Chauhan.
Prithviraj is considered to be the greatest warrior of India, and also one of the greatest in the world. He succeeded to the throne of Ajmer at the age of thirteen, in 1179,when his father died in a battle. His grandfather Angam, ruler of Delhi, declared him heir to the throne of Delhi after hearing about his courage and bravery. He once killed a lion on his own without any weapon. He was known as the warrior king. Chauhan was the last independent Hindu king, before Hemu, to sit upon the throne of Delhi. He succeeded to the throne in 1169 CE at the age of 20, and ruled from the twin capitals of Ajmer and Delhi.
He defeated the mighty Bheemdev, ruler of Gujarat, at the mere age of thirteen. He was trained in Archery and could aim at target while being blind folded (Shabdabhedi Ban Vidya).
His love story with his enemy, Jaichand's daughter, Samyukta/Sanyogita is very famous. He rode off with her on the day of her 'Swayamwara'.
Edit - Removing the paragraph on death of Prithvi Raj Chauhan.
Kavish Dwivedi,
Views
CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA :
Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the great Mauryan Empire which was undoubtedly the first such big empire by an Indian Ruler. Trained in Takshshila University of Gandhar Kingdom at that time under the guidance of one of the greatest Acharya (Teacher) in Indian history, Chandragupta Maurya is credited with doing what was believed to be impossible by many learned during that period.
Alexander and his army were on a road to conquer the whole world and he was moving very aggressively towards the Hindukush Mountains (now Pakistan) . Chanakya, one of the most brilliant Political Science expert of all times, a Master at the Takshshila University and the father of the art of modern world Politics proposed a Unified Bharat(modern day India) to stop the advances of Alexander's army. But most experts during that period didn't agree with that because :
- The whole Bharat was divided into around 20 small and large kingdoms and that included the very powerful Magadha and Gandhar Kingdoms. It was always near to impossible to unify so many kingdoms.
- The two largest kingdoms viz. Gandhar Kingdom and Magadha Kingdom were at opposites of each other and the only way they could be unified was through Magadha because it was the center of India.
- Magadha Empire was ruled by a cruel king Dhanananda who was more interested inMadira(Alcohol) and left most of his matters to his Prime Minister Mudra Rakhasa.When Chanakya went to Dhanananda with the proposal of a Unified India, Chanakya was mocked and thrown out by Dhanananda's Sainiks (soldiers).
Chanakya then decided that it has to be someone from the outside who would unify the land, be good towards the people and lead like a king is expected to. He picked up Chandragupta from a village as a kid knowing well that his father was a very able warrior who had to die revolting against the cruel Nanda Empire. He took Chandragupta to Takshshila and trained him in matters of Political Science, Economics and most importantly Warrior-ship. Chandragupta coming from a normal family didn't have the privileges of a prince or any army and that's were he faced the toughest challenge. Most of the great kings we talk had some army or a legacy to begin with but Chandragupta did all this from scratch.
- Saam (To advise and ask)
- Daam (To offer and buy)
- Dand (To punish )
- Bhed (Exploiting the secrets)
Points 1 and 3 were prevalent from the past but coupled with 2 and 4 which more importantly form the part of what modern day politics is, Chanakya started conquering small kingdoms for Chandragupta by brain rather than by blood. At the age of 20, the greatest emperor to be had already raised an army and that in all is very significant considering that he achieved so much in such a less time period. Chandragupta looted the Nanda Empire's gold with a huge conspiracy which involved Chanakya deliberately sending Chandragupta to Dhanananda's mines as a prisoner where his Gold was stored. Chandragupta lost his mother who was also a prisoner in the mines after Dhanananda found out about his conspiracy but instead of choosing to save his mother, Chandragupta decided to follow his Acharya's orders for the success of the mission he was on. After conquering Nanda dynasty, Chandragupta along with with the king of Himalayas, defeated the combined army of Alexander and Gandhar causing one of the greatest upsets in the history. There are some instances which point towards Chanakya being involved in the demise of Alexander by food poisoning him.
As a result of all this, a kid aged 12 whose father had been brutally killed , whose family was living as peacock keepers in jungles to save themselves from the Nanda soldiers, taken by Chanakya to Takshshila went on to become the first true Emperor of Modern day India. This might not seem too much to some but for me conquering such a lard land with nothing initially is a feat. That same kid defeated the army of the greatest ruler of all times and didn't let him conquer Indian Subcontinent. The greeks sent Selucus to learn about the Mauryan Empire and prepare a study over it. Selucus was so impressed by the ruling that he defined Chandragupta Maurya as one of the best rulers he had ever met.
Yes Ashoka was great but he inherited a great Empire which was made possible by the greatest Teacher Student Pair of Chandragupta Maurya and Chanakya.
Mauryan Empire defined the modern day development of India.
This was when he started his empire. Just see the magnitude of his reach.
Chandrasekar Wagmare
Views
Veera Mangai Velunachiyar:
Veera Mangai Velunachiyar was one of the queens in the 18th century in South India. She rebelled against the British Empire and fought for the freedom of India. She was born in 1730 AD to the Mannar Sellamuthu Sethupathy and to Rani Sakandhimuthal of Ramnad Kingdom presently in Tamil Nadu. She was the only daughter of this Royal family. The Royal couple had no male heir. The royal family brought up the Princess, Velunachiyar, like Prince of Ramnad due to this reason.
She married Sivagangai ,presently in Tamil Nadu Mannar (King) Muthuvaduganathar at the age of sixteen. In the year 1772 , the English invaded her kingdom . Velu Nachiyar heard that her husband Raja Muthu Vaduganathar and her daughter young Princess Gowri Nachiyar were killed in Kalaiyar Koil war.
This war was held in Kalaiyar Koil palace. British troops attacked the palace under the command of Lt.Col. Bon Jour . She was very much worried and wanted to take revenge. Dalavay Thandavaraya Pillai and Maruthu brothers other important warriors sustained injuries. They promised to recapture the samasthan(Sivagangai ) to punish the English. commander cheif Dalavay Thandavaraya Pillai, an incredible and distinguished person was the most powerful administer in Sivagangai samsthanam.
Thandavaraya Pillai, the loyalist served (1700-1773) as Palavay(King).
Her prolific generals The Maruthu brothers are fearless warriors .
They used an unique weapon resembles boomerang called
Valari
It shows the significance of loyalty of Dalavay Thandavaraya Pillai. He advised Veera Mangal Velunachiar to move to different places often in order to avoid British invaders . Meanwhile Dalavay Thandavarayan Pillai wrote a letter to Sultan Hyder Ali on behalf of Velu Nachiyar to provide 5000 infantry and 5000 cavalry to defeat the British army. But unfortunately he passed away due to old age. She decided to meet Hyder Ali after the demise of Dalavay
Thandavarayan Pillai at Mysore with the help of his son. She could explain in detail in Urdu all her problems with East India Company. She explained him her strong opposition of British regime. Hyder Ali was very much pleased and promised to help her in this conflict… He accepted her request with sympathy and provided the necessary military assistance. He orderd Syed Karki of Dindigul fort gladar to provide the required military equipments to Rani Velu Nachiyar. He released 5000 infantry and 5000 cavalry to Rani Velu Nachiyar immediately. Her troops advanced to Sivaganga with the help provided by Maruthu brothers. The Nawab of Arcot put so many hindrances to avoid the advancement of Rani Velu Nachiyar’s combined troops. The queen and Maruthu brothers overcame all hurdles.
They geared up the troops and entered Sivaganga. She defeated the Nawab of Arcot and took him as a captivator. She re-captured her Sivaganga samsthan with the help of Hyder Ali and crowned as queen of the Sivagangai seemai. Velu Nachiyar is only the first queen who raised the revolt against the British emperor. According to historians. Prof.Sanjeevi mentioned in his ‘ Maruthiruvar’ book that ‘ the bravery queen Velu Nachiyar raised revolt against English emperor and fought for the freedom of India 85 years before Jhansi Rani’s freedom struggle in North . Venkatam further stated that Velu Nachiyar is India’s Joan of Arc.
When Velu Nachiyar finds the place where the British stock their ammunition, she builds the first human bomb. A faithful follower, Kuyili douses herself in oil, lights herself and walks into the storehouse.[3] Rani Velu Nachiyar formed a woman's army named “udaiyaal” in honour of her adopted daughter — Udaiyaal, who died detonating a British arsenal. Nachiar was one of the few rulers who regained her kingdom and ruled it for 10 more years.
Veera Mangai Velunachiyar was one of the queens in the 18th century in South India. She rebelled against the British Empire and fought for the freedom of India. She was born in 1730 AD to the Mannar Sellamuthu Sethupathy and to Rani Sakandhimuthal of Ramnad Kingdom presently in Tamil Nadu. She was the only daughter of this Royal family. The Royal couple had no male heir. The royal family brought up the Princess, Velunachiyar, like Prince of Ramnad due to this reason.
She married Sivagangai ,presently in Tamil Nadu Mannar (King) Muthuvaduganathar at the age of sixteen. In the year 1772 , the English invaded her kingdom . Velu Nachiyar heard that her husband Raja Muthu Vaduganathar and her daughter young Princess Gowri Nachiyar were killed in Kalaiyar Koil war.
This war was held in Kalaiyar Koil palace. British troops attacked the palace under the command of Lt.Col. Bon Jour . She was very much worried and wanted to take revenge. Dalavay Thandavaraya Pillai and Maruthu brothers other important warriors sustained injuries. They promised to recapture the samasthan(Sivagangai ) to punish the English. commander cheif Dalavay Thandavaraya Pillai, an incredible and distinguished person was the most powerful administer in Sivagangai samsthanam.
Thandavaraya Pillai, the loyalist served (1700-1773) as Palavay(King).
Her prolific generals The Maruthu brothers are fearless warriors .
They used an unique weapon resembles boomerang called
Valari
It shows the significance of loyalty of Dalavay Thandavaraya Pillai. He advised Veera Mangal Velunachiar to move to different places often in order to avoid British invaders . Meanwhile Dalavay Thandavarayan Pillai wrote a letter to Sultan Hyder Ali on behalf of Velu Nachiyar to provide 5000 infantry and 5000 cavalry to defeat the British army. But unfortunately he passed away due to old age. She decided to meet Hyder Ali after the demise of Dalavay
Thandavarayan Pillai at Mysore with the help of his son. She could explain in detail in Urdu all her problems with East India Company. She explained him her strong opposition of British regime. Hyder Ali was very much pleased and promised to help her in this conflict… He accepted her request with sympathy and provided the necessary military assistance. He orderd Syed Karki of Dindigul fort gladar to provide the required military equipments to Rani Velu Nachiyar. He released 5000 infantry and 5000 cavalry to Rani Velu Nachiyar immediately. Her troops advanced to Sivaganga with the help provided by Maruthu brothers. The Nawab of Arcot put so many hindrances to avoid the advancement of Rani Velu Nachiyar’s combined troops. The queen and Maruthu brothers overcame all hurdles.
They geared up the troops and entered Sivaganga. She defeated the Nawab of Arcot and took him as a captivator. She re-captured her Sivaganga samsthan with the help of Hyder Ali and crowned as queen of the Sivagangai seemai. Velu Nachiyar is only the first queen who raised the revolt against the British emperor. According to historians. Prof.Sanjeevi mentioned in his ‘ Maruthiruvar’ book that ‘ the bravery queen Velu Nachiyar raised revolt against English emperor and fought for the freedom of India 85 years before Jhansi Rani’s freedom struggle in North . Venkatam further stated that Velu Nachiyar is India’s Joan of Arc.
When Velu Nachiyar finds the place where the British stock their ammunition, she builds the first human bomb. A faithful follower, Kuyili douses herself in oil, lights herself and walks into the storehouse.[3] Rani Velu Nachiyar formed a woman's army named “udaiyaal” in honour of her adopted daughter — Udaiyaal, who died detonating a British arsenal. Nachiar was one of the few rulers who regained her kingdom and ruled it for 10 more years.
BAPPA RAWAL
Bappa rawal was the eight ruler of guhilot dynasty and the founder of Mewar dynasty.
Bappa Rawal played an important role in the Battle of Rajasthan, a series of wars fought in the 8th century AD between the Rajput rulers of North-Western India and the Arabs of Sindh, in which the regional Indian rulers inflicted a resounding defeat on the invading Arabs.[citation needed]
In the 8th century Arabs started attacking India within a few decades of the birth of Islam, which was basically an extension of invasion of Persia. In order to ward off Arabs invasions across the western and northern borders of Gurjaratra, Bappa united the smaller states of Ajmer and Jaisalmer to stop the attacks. Bappa Rawal fought and defeated the Arabs in the country and turned the tide for a while. Bin Qasim was able to defeat Dahir in Sindh but was stopped by Bappa Rawal. Some accounts say that Qasim attacked Chittor, which was ruled by Mori Rulers. Bappa defeated and pursued Bin Qasim through Saurashtra and back to the western banks of the Sindhu (i.e. current day Baluchistan). He then marched on to Ghazni and defeated the local ruler Salim and after nominating a representative returned to Chittor. After Raja Mori named Bappa Rawal his successor and crowned him King of Chittor, Bappa Rawal and his armies invaded various kingdoms including Kandahar, Khorasan, Turan, Ispahan, Iran and made them vassals of his kingdom. Thus he not only defended India's frontiers but for a brief period was able to expand them.
#respect.
(Image credits: Google)
(Source Wikipedia)
RANA KUMBHA
Rana Kumbha or Kumbhakarna Singh (died 1468 CE) was the ruler of Mewar, a state in western India, between 1433 and 1468 AD, and belonging to the Sisodia clan of Rajputs. Kumbha was a son of Rana Mokal Singh of Mewar by his wife Sobhagya Devi, a daughter of Jaitmal Sankhla, the Parmara fief-holder of Runkot in the state of Marwar.
he was one of the greatest rajputana Warriors as he has never lost a fight in the battle fields, he had defeated combined armies of sultan Mahmoud khalji and sultan of gujrat
Shams khan,the sultan of nagaur took the help of rana kumbha after his father firoz khan died and his rightful throne was taken over by mujahid khan.the rana gave him help on the condition that shams Khan would weaken his defense of the fort but shams Khan took the path of betrayal and didnt obliged to do so and took the side of qutbuddin,the sultan of gujrat against kumbha, angered by this betrayal, rana captured nagaur,khandela and sakambar.
in reaction to this qutubbdin captured sirohi and attacked kumbhalmer, but failed in doing so,and his advance towards chittor was also blocked.
in this way he was surrounded by enemies on all the sides as qutubuddin concluded the treaty champaner with Mahmoud khalji, which dictated a joint effort to attack Mewar and divide the spoils.
Mahmud Khilji captured Ajmer and in December 1456, conquered Mandalgarh. Taking advantage of Kumbha's preoccupation, Rao Jodha (the son of Ranmal Rathore) captured Mandore. It is a tribute to Rana Kumbha's skills that he was able to defend his kingdom against this multi-directional attack. The death of Qutbuddin in 1458, and hostilities between Mahmud Begara (the new ruler of Gujarat) and Mahmud Khilji allowed Rana Kumbha to recapture his lost territories.
Rana Kumbha successfully defended Mewar and expanded his territory at a time when he was surrounded by enemies like Mahmud Khilji of Malwa, Qutbuddin of Gujrat, Shams Khan of Nagaur and Rao Jodha of Marwar.
Himanshu Rawat
Views
Bappa Rawal
''Bappa Rawal was one of the most powerful and famous rulers of the Mewar Dynasty.''
Ring a bell
The same Mewar dynasty that produced heroes like Maharana Pratap.
While Maharana Pratap fought against Akbar.
You know what Bappa Rawal fought against. This
Umayyad Caliphate
Don't die of the surprise. This is one of the largest Empire world has ever seen. Massive it is and the similarity it has with the present day world is that almost every part covered under this empire is a Muslim majority region now a days.
Now look at this man
Bappa Rawal
What!! surprised to see this comics cover. Well after an hour of searching, this is the best you could find on the net and believe me even Wikipedia has not got much to say except a few lines which should have made him great but did not.
Exactly what did he do??
He stopped the Umayyad Caliphat depicted above. Fought the Battle of Rajasthanaimed at capturing India.
(National Humiliation- nobody knows it ).
Muslims who won the whole of Arab peninsula and mighty and highly civilised Persia and completely destroyed its culture and brutally Arabised them now planned to do the same to India and invaded it.The outcome of the Battle ( or the series of battle ) was that the Expansion of the Islamic Caliphate was restricted to sindh only. He succeeded in defending India and it's Hindu heritage.
Means this man is the saviour of Hinduism. He Saved the very existence of Hinduisim. He saved the very Identity of 850 million Hindus living in this country
.
and all he got for his heroics is a just a two page description in Wikipedia, Without a photo of course.
While in Europe
Charles Martel
This man is famous in Europe. Because he stopped the advance of the Muslims into Europe by winning the Battle of Tours.
His victory ensured the survival of the Christianity in the entire Europe.
And battle of tours he fought figures in the list of The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World
''Bappa Rawal was one of the most powerful and famous rulers of the Mewar Dynasty.''
Ring a bell
The same Mewar dynasty that produced heroes like Maharana Pratap.
While Maharana Pratap fought against Akbar.
You know what Bappa Rawal fought against. This
Don't die of the surprise. This is one of the largest Empire world has ever seen. Massive it is and the similarity it has with the present day world is that almost every part covered under this empire is a Muslim majority region now a days.
Now look at this man
What!! surprised to see this comics cover. Well after an hour of searching, this is the best you could find on the net and believe me even Wikipedia has not got much to say except a few lines which should have made him great but did not.
Exactly what did he do??
He stopped the Umayyad Caliphat depicted above. Fought the Battle of Rajasthanaimed at capturing India.
(National Humiliation- nobody knows it ).
Muslims who won the whole of Arab peninsula and mighty and highly civilised Persia and completely destroyed its culture and brutally Arabised them now planned to do the same to India and invaded it.The outcome of the Battle ( or the series of battle ) was that the Expansion of the Islamic Caliphate was restricted to sindh only. He succeeded in defending India and it's Hindu heritage.
Means this man is the saviour of Hinduism. He Saved the very existence of Hinduisim. He saved the very Identity of 850 million Hindus living in this country
.
and all he got for his heroics is a just a two page description in Wikipedia, Without a photo of course.
While in Europe
Charles Martel
This man is famous in Europe. Because he stopped the advance of the Muslims into Europe by winning the Battle of Tours.
His victory ensured the survival of the Christianity in the entire Europe.
And battle of tours he fought figures in the list of The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World
Kritika,
Views
Basically I belong to MEWAR region of Rajasthan. From my childhood, I heard the stories of MAHARANA PRATAP.
I want to tell you few things related to Pratap which people don't know .
Battle of Haldighati
Akbar launched an offensive against Rana Pratap in A.D. 1576 after all the efforts, to bring Rana Pratap to his servitude failed.
To save the honor of their land against the mighty Mughal army with the strength of Two Lakh soldiers. There stood the Twenty Two thousand on that day 7th of Sawan Sanwat 1632(July 1576), for the defense of Haldighati and only eight thousand quitted the field alive.
Rana Pratap had the very strong support of the indigenous tribe of Mewar- Bhils, who fought with him to till end and sacrificed their lives for the Honor of their ruler.
Maharana Pratap served (struggled) for 25 years and died a peaceful death on January 19, 1597 at Chawand.
The turmeric colored soil of the pass
It is the site of the famous Battle of Haldighati which took place in 1576 between the Kingdom of Mewar and the Mughal Army. Maharana Pratap led the armed forces of Mewar against the Mughals.
The Chetak Samadhi at Haldighati
Maharana Pratap's horse Chetak played a pivotal role in the Battle of Haldighati.Chetak was fatally wounded in this battle and died on June 21, 1576 .Maharana Pratap erected a small monument for his horse at the place where Chetak fell.
The name “Maharana Pratap” has always been held in great honour and respect and projected as the premier of patriotism, freedom and independence.
Edit : The empire under his rule was expanded till Afghanistan-all across Pakistan. Even Afghans supported Pratap's army against mughals in the battle of haldighati under an Afghani leader , Hakim khan sur.
I want to tell you few things related to Pratap which people don't know .
- Maharana Pratap is revered as one of the strongest warriors India has ever seen. Standing at 7 feet 5 inches, he would carry a 80-kilogram spear and two swords weighing around 208 kilograms in total. He would also wear an armour weighing 72 kilogram.
- By the time of his reign, almost all Rajput dynasties had surrendered to Akbar and had become members of his council. Akbar sent six diplomatic missions to Pratap to create a peaceful alliance between the two mighty rulers.But Pratap didn't agreed.
- "Guerrilla Warfare” had been in existence since times unknown, but Rana Pratap was probably the first to use “Organized Guerrilla Warfare” against a mighty enemy and very successfully administered a disastrous blow to the Mughal army.
Battle of Haldighati
Akbar launched an offensive against Rana Pratap in A.D. 1576 after all the efforts, to bring Rana Pratap to his servitude failed.
To save the honor of their land against the mighty Mughal army with the strength of Two Lakh soldiers. There stood the Twenty Two thousand on that day 7th of Sawan Sanwat 1632(July 1576), for the defense of Haldighati and only eight thousand quitted the field alive.
Rana Pratap had the very strong support of the indigenous tribe of Mewar- Bhils, who fought with him to till end and sacrificed their lives for the Honor of their ruler.
Maharana Pratap served (struggled) for 25 years and died a peaceful death on January 19, 1597 at Chawand.
- Rana Pratap made his descendants Vow that until he brings back the glory of Chittor, he would sleep on straw bed and eat off a Pattras (leaf Plate). Rana Pratap could not win back Chittor and even today, many Rajput follows that promise and places a leaf under their plates and a straw under their bed.
- Maharana Pratap’s arch foe Mogul Emperor Akbar is believed to have shed tears at end of this brave warrior, because he was the only ruler who refused to compromise his honor for comfort & safety and, in the end, he died a proud and free king.
- Maharana Pratap was affectionately called “KIKA” especially by the tribal’s and the poets.
- Maharana Pratap memorial at Haldighati
The turmeric colored soil of the pass
It is the site of the famous Battle of Haldighati which took place in 1576 between the Kingdom of Mewar and the Mughal Army. Maharana Pratap led the armed forces of Mewar against the Mughals.
The Chetak Samadhi at Haldighati
Maharana Pratap's horse Chetak played a pivotal role in the Battle of Haldighati.Chetak was fatally wounded in this battle and died on June 21, 1576 .Maharana Pratap erected a small monument for his horse at the place where Chetak fell.
The name “Maharana Pratap” has always been held in great honour and respect and projected as the premier of patriotism, freedom and independence.
Edit : The empire under his rule was expanded till Afghanistan-all across Pakistan. Even Afghans supported Pratap's army against mughals in the battle of haldighati under an Afghani leader , Hakim khan sur.
Namrata Singh Chauhan,
Views
Normally I agree with and fascinated by Balaji Viswanathan , but this time I strongly disagree. I think all the kings he mentioned in his answer were great warriors , certainly , but not so much great kings except few.
However , I would like to add one more king to list :
PrithviRaj Chauhan
who defeated Muhammad Gori 16 times , but forgave him every time. He was king of Ajmer dynasty (32nd king of Chauhan dynasty) and ruled Ajmer and Delhi for several year saving his reign from foreign attacks. He defeated Muhammad Gori , 16times in a row , but forgave him every time leading to his defeat and death in 1192 , in second war of Tarain. After him , Hindu kings couldn't hold the country into one and started loosing their reign to foreigner attackers laying the foundation for Muslim rulers in India.
another great king was Chatrasal.
Maharaja Chhatrasal (4 May 1649 – 20 December 1731), was a medieval Indian warrior from Bundela Rajput clan, who fought against the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, and established his own kingdom in Bundelkhand, becoming a Maharaja of Panna.
and ,not to forget , Maharan Pratap
who ate grass, slept under sky but did not give up to Akbar, Maharana Pratap orPratap Singh (May 9, 1540 – January 29, 1597) was a Hindu Rajput ruler ofMewar, a region in north-western India in the present day state of Rajasthan. He belonged to the Sisodia clan of Rajputs. In popular Indian culture, Pratap is considered to exemplify qualities like bravery and chivalry to which Rajputs aspire, especially in context of his opposition to the Mughal emperor Akbar.
However , I would like to add one more king to list :
PrithviRaj Chauhan
who defeated Muhammad Gori 16 times , but forgave him every time. He was king of Ajmer dynasty (32nd king of Chauhan dynasty) and ruled Ajmer and Delhi for several year saving his reign from foreign attacks. He defeated Muhammad Gori , 16times in a row , but forgave him every time leading to his defeat and death in 1192 , in second war of Tarain. After him , Hindu kings couldn't hold the country into one and started loosing their reign to foreigner attackers laying the foundation for Muslim rulers in India.
another great king was Chatrasal.
Maharaja Chhatrasal (4 May 1649 – 20 December 1731), was a medieval Indian warrior from Bundela Rajput clan, who fought against the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, and established his own kingdom in Bundelkhand, becoming a Maharaja of Panna.
and ,not to forget , Maharan Pratap
who ate grass, slept under sky but did not give up to Akbar, Maharana Pratap orPratap Singh (May 9, 1540 – January 29, 1597) was a Hindu Rajput ruler ofMewar, a region in north-western India in the present day state of Rajasthan. He belonged to the Sisodia clan of Rajputs. In popular Indian culture, Pratap is considered to exemplify qualities like bravery and chivalry to which Rajputs aspire, especially in context of his opposition to the Mughal emperor Akbar.
Ashirbad Mohanty
Views
King Langula Narasimha Deva of Kalingawho was one of the most successful rulers to go offensive against the muslim invaders. He also built the Konark Sun Temple.
- Battle of Kotasin (1243 A.D)
His first offensive steps against the constantly warring Muslim state of Bengal came in the 1243 A.D. His brother-in-law Haihaya Kalchuri, Paramdri Dev who is also considered to be an exceptionally brave warrior led the huge Ganga army along with the Kalchuri conscripts across the semi independent but small Hindu states of southern Bengal.
Tughan Khan,a turk was bought to India as a slave for the Sultanate of Delhi, Shamsuddin Iltutmish. Seeing, his prowess in leading an army Iltutmish appointed him as the governor of Anga. He lead his army to east and captured Banga and shifted his capital. During this time Iltutmish became ill and his son Allauddin Shah took over the throne of Delhi.
When, he heard about the coronation of Narasimha Deva in Kalinga he was pleased as it would be easy for him to defeat a young and inexperienced king. Previously, the Delhi Sultan's generals were not able to capture Kalinga because of the fighting prowess of king Anangabhima Deva III. He called his experinced commander Masud Khan.
He decided to invade from Anga and invade the Kotasin fort of Kalinga first as he would have to travel a great deal of distance to their capital Puri. Kotasin fort was in the north of Kalinga and south of Banga, in the Damodar valley. But it was hardly used by Kalinga forces. It was protected by a very small army, no elephants and a few horses. He decided to turn Kotasin into his command center, bring reinforcements from Anga and invade further into Kalinga.
Narasimha Deva knew that Tughan Khan was going to invade Kalinga, so he ordered his commander Vishnu to build up their army along the borders of Anga and Banga. He met with Vishnu every day to devise a plan. It was not long before they were fully aware of Tughan Khan's army building along the border in Damodar valley. He ordered Vishnu to
- Build two secret cavalry regiments of two hundreds each. These two regiments will be atleast twenty to thirty miles from the two sides of Kotasin Fort.
- Keep two hundred foot soldiers and fifty thousand mounted soldiers at the Kotasin Fort. Fill the fort with good wine and good food and make it comfortable.
- Build a third secret regiment of two hundred elephant mounted soldiers and a fourth secret regiment of five hundred foot soldiers and keep them atleast ten miles from the first two regiments.
And for the border of Bengal he ordered
- The frontline should be one thousand strong elephant regiment.
- Behind them will be one regiment of two thousand foot soldiers.
- In the back there will be three cavalry regiments, each five hundred strong. Two of the cavalry regiments will proceed to Bengal, one to Gaur and other to Bankura.
It did not take very long. The people of Kotasin fort heard the band of war and saw the soldiers approaching on foot. Behind them were soldiers on horseback led by Masud Khan and Tughan Khan in horse drawn chariots.
The foot soldiers at Kotasin fort however ran away from the fort. The mounted soldiers also turned their back and started retreating. The Kotasin fort was captured without any battle. Tughan and Masud aighted their chariots, the soldiers dismounted from their horses and they marched into the Kotasin fort. Tughan Khan was surprised to see a hoard of good wine and good food. He ordered some food and wine to be sent to his army outside the fort, settled with his army generals with the food and wine.
Most of the attackers both inside and outside the fort were drunk as night approached. Half asleep, Tughan took shelter in the largest room east. He saw his room had a door to go outside as well and posted two personnel to guard inside the door and six more outside. From the window, he could see the position of his guards and his horse. Satisfied, he rested his lavishness on the softness of the lavish bed.
The Kotasin fort had a secret, that was completely unknown to Tughan Khan. On the west side of the wall, inside the main chamber, a wall with concealed doors hid a secret room. A flight of stairs descended from the floor of the room and connected with an underground tunnel that surrounded the fort. The tunnel had the capacity to hold fifty soldiers in armour along with their weapons. The tunnel had two entrances several miles apart that were well camouflaged by indigenous flora and well-guarded that allowed fresh air to fill the tunnel.
The soldiers unsheathed their swords and quitely and snuck into the fort through the concealed doors. An indescribable blood followed soon after. Masud Khan was captured alive and put in irons immediately. Tughan Khan, opened the doors that led to the outside, mounted a horse and fled the scene with his soldiers to save his life.
The two horse regiments had also started at late night to join forces with the swordsman. At the wake of dawn, the soldiers outside the fort saw five hundred armoured horseman approaching them. In the absence of any leader, they started running to where they came from.
The two horse regiments at Banga border started almost immediately for Bankura and Gaur. One regiment went to the capital of Bengal and built there tents in the mango fields of Gaur. War had erupted in the absence of their ruler, as Tughan Khan fled to Delhi.
Finaly, the army general of Bengal, Veer Hambir agreed on a truce with the Kalinga general, Shiladitya.
An edict of Narshima Deva I’s descendents found from Kendupatna in Odisha described that the enemies were slain in such big numbers that the river Ganga turned muddy in color like Yamuna as an effect of black eye liners flowing into them from its banks along with the tears of their women wearing them.
- Battle of Lakhnauti (1244 A.D)
In the subsequent year of 1244 A.D the forces of Narshima Deva again marched into the other side of the river Ganga into the province of Varendra and led seize on the fort of Lakhnauti or Gaud. Tughan Khan appealed for help from the governor of Awadh, Qamruddin Tamur Khan who arrived with large reinforcement in the close vicinity of Lakhnauti. By this time the Odia army had taken over the fort and the commander Fakr-Ul-Mulk-Karimuddin-L
aghri was killed. The province of Gaud and Varendra were ransacked and plundered. Seeing the major fort of Bengal surrounded by the Kalinga army, Qamruddin quarreled with Tughan Khan and dishonorably discharged him from the position of Governor in Bengal assuming the position himself.
- Battles of Umurdan (1247 to 1256 A.D)
In 1247 A.D, the Delhi Sultanate had appointed a new militarily experienced governor of Bengal, lkhtiyar-ud-Din Yuzbak with obviously the first task to get rid of the Odia forces from Bengal and the secondly of Tughan Khan who was now plotting a rebellion. Tughan was planning to claim independence from Delhi for Bengal. Yuzbak was reinforced with large amount of supplies and soldiers from the Delhi sultanate to secure the eastern frontiers. A series of four major battles followed in the heartland of Bengal between both Prachya Gangas and Afghan –Turk forces.Tabaqat-i-Nasiri Minhaj mentions that two of the battles were initially won by Yuzbak but in the third battle, Parmadri Dev inflicted a crushing defeat despite their advantage of support from the Delhi Sultanate. Yuzbak appealed for more reinforcements from Delhi and marched in to Umurdan or Amarda fort in 1256 A.D. Here the brave Haihaya Kalachuri Paramadri Dev was killed in the battle and the Yuzbak's succeeded to an extent. They never attempted to march further into Kalinga as they were exhausted from battle and feared the massive retaliation from the Ganga forces.
- Clashes with Kaktiya king Ganapatideva
The Lingaraj and Bhimeswar temple inscriptions give a testimony to the continuing hostilities between Kakatiya king, Ganapati and Narasingha Deba I. Ganapati had also indulged unsuccessfully with the father of Narasingha, Ananga Bhima Deba III who had crossed into the Vengi territory south of Godavari defeating the Kakatiyas. Ganapatideva had attacked the territories of southern Odisha or the Kalinga Mandala when the Gangas were busy dealing with the Muslims and was capable of capturing some portions north of Godavari which is proven by the 1237 A.D Draksharama inscriptions of Kakatiya general Mallala Hemadi Reddi but was eventually kept at the bay by the might of the Ganga forces under the command of Narasingha Deba I whose presence in the region can be felt by the temples built by him like at Sri Kurmam and at Simanchalam.
Narasimha Deva was ruling one of the last standing powerful kingdoms of ancient India while others were crumbling under the ruthless expansion of Muslim forces in India. He was the first Hindu warrior king who had decided to play by the rules of the enemy and not follow the traditional Hindu war code that had ethical rules in it. This included the guerrilla warfare tactics instead of head on battle and ransacking captured enemy territories.
Siddharth Oza
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my answer,
Keladi Chennamma the queen of keladi
Keladi Chennamma the queen of keladi
everybody has named, almost all the famous kings right from the maurian empire to peshwa.
but you missed one Keladi Chennamma the queen of keladi in karnataka, who defeated 3 lakh army of Aurangzeb, She provided shelter to Rajaram Chhatrapati, son of Shivaji who was fleeing from the Mughal emperorAurangzeb.
Among st the warriors of India’s medieval times and whom the Hindu civilization is greatly indebted to is Rani Chennamma, who ruled the small kingdom of Keladi (which is in the present day Indian state of Karnataka) for 25 years from 1671-1696. She was very beautiful and hardly looks like a hardy warrior, but indeed she fought like an incarnation of Shakti, administered her kingdom well and took decisions that few others had the courage to take.
She was not from royal lineage, but the king of Keladi, Somashekhara Nayak met her and fell in love with her, hence she became queen. Queen Chennamma looked after the subjects of her kingdom and the servants of the palace with great love as if they were her children. She was not only a wife to Somashekhara Nayaka but also an adviser and trusted minister. If the government did any injustice, those who suffered, being afraid to go to the King, would make their appeals to the Queen. The Queen would speak to her husband and ensure justice. She was an inspiration to her husband to punish the wicked and protect the virtuous. The people of Keladi looked up to the Queen and were very devoted to her.
it was because of her that the marathas were able to conquer the whole 85% of India in the 18th century.
the maratha chhatrapatis survived the moghul barbarism and ruled from geene (Tamil nadu) and were able to outst them later after the epic 27 years war.
Keladi Chennamma was the Queen of Keladi Kingdom (1671-1697) inKarnataka. A Lingayat by Religion.She was the daughter of Siddappa Setti, a native merchant ofKundapur, Karnataka. Keladi Kingdom (also known as Bednur and Ikkeri), was formed after the fall of Vijayanagara Empire.Chennamma married King Somashekara Nayaka in 1667 CE.After Somashekhara Nayaka's death in 1677,Chennamma efficiently handled the administration of the Keladi Nayaka dynasty. During her reign of 26 years, she repelled the advances of the Mughal Army led by the infamous Aurangzebfrom her military base in the kingdom of Keladi located in Sagara, Karnataka India. She adopted Basavappa Nayaka, one of her close relatives who succeeded as Hiriya Basappa Nayaka. She also rendered a trade agreement with the Portuguese involving commodities like pepper and rice.
She was given the epithet "the Pepper Queen or Raina da Pimenta' by the Portuguese. She also permitted Portuguese to establish churches at Mirjan, Honnavara, Chandavaraand Kalyanpura.
She provided shelter to Rajaram Chhatrapati, son of Shivaji who was fleeing from theMughal emperor Aurangzeb after a meeting with her cabinet and treated Rajaram with respect,but Aurangazeb attacked Keladi. Keladi Chennamma fought the war without defeat and battle with Mughals ended in a treaty. A subordinate of Keladi Kingdom, Sadasiva of Swadi also helped Rajaram through a loan. Keladi kingdom was probably the last to lose autonomy to Mysore rulers and subsequently to British. Her cabinet was headed by Timmanna Nayaka who was the descendant of a commander of Vijayanagra.
She is considered as the epitome of the Kannada women's valor along with Rani Abbakka, Onake Obavva and Kittur Chennamma. Mirjan fort was built by Keladi Chennamma.
Chennamma was known to be a very virtuous and pious woman, and a pragmatic administrator of her times. She is reported to have given a prudent advice about leading a life of virtues and good conduct to her son Basavappa Nayaka on her deathbed. She said:
"Do not go back on your words. At no time and nowhere you should neglect your duties. Take care to speak always in a wholesome way. Do not disclose yourintentions to the wicked. Do not go astray. Do not be partial to your kinsmen. Refrain from committing sins. Do good deeds. Always remember God. Have compassion for all living objects. Give protection to those who come to you seeking it. Do not hate others. Conduct yourself in the world with your senses under control. Conquer lust and other weaknesses and seek liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Do not, lose fortitude even in the face of dangers. When you come by riches, do not be conceited. Contemplate on philosophical values. Grasp the purpose of non-dualism. Do not lose opportunities. Honor those who are versed in Humanity,Well being. Consider this life as a dream. Reflect on the question "Who am I ? ". Laugh, but in such a way that you do not become a laughing stock. Speak in a fine way. Beh' yourself in such a manner that it can win commendation of the people. Follow that path which will not bring about rebirth.Worship God in various ways and win boundless bliss- She worshiped her istalinga 3 times a day through her life. He gave alms to various temples all across south India including the Sringeri Mutt.
Anshul Shukla
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I would like to through one name - Alha , what are you thinking ? , who the hell he is, right ? I am pretty sure 99.9% people never heard about him.
During late twelve century North India was divided into three parts
1. Delhi - Ruled by Prithiviraj Chauhan.
2. Kanauj - Ruled by Jaichand Rathor.
3. Mahoba - Ruled by Parmal.
Alha was the famous general of Parmal. Why he is so special -
Originating in the Bundelkhand Region. it (Alha) recounts the intertwined fates of the three principal Rajput Kingdoms of North India on the eve of Turkish conquest (late 12th century C.E.); Delhi (ruled by Prithviraj Chauhan), Kannauj(ruled by Jaichand Rathor), and Mahoba(ruled by Chandel king Parmal). The heroes of the epic are the brothers Alha and Udal retainers of the low social status, but exceptional valour, whose cause is the protection of Mahoba and defense of its honour. Called the "Mahabarata of the Kaliyuga", Alha both parallels and inverts the themes and the structures of the classical religious epic.
The(Alha) cycle consists of fifty-two episodes in which the heroes confront enemies of Mahoba or the resistant fathers of prospective brides. It ends with the great historical battle between the kingdoms of Mahoba and Delhi, in which the Chandels were annihilated and the Chauhans so weakened that they could not resist the subsequent attack of the Turks.
source - wikipedia.
Fight between Alha and Prathviraj Chauhan -
During late twelve century North India was divided into three parts
1. Delhi - Ruled by Prithiviraj Chauhan.
2. Kanauj - Ruled by Jaichand Rathor.
3. Mahoba - Ruled by Parmal.
Alha was the famous general of Parmal. Why he is so special -
- He fought 52 war and never lost any.
- He defeated The Great Ruler of Delhi Prathviraj Chauhan (many considered him as greatest). He was about to kill Prathviraj Chauhan but his Guru stopped him by saying that you are killing him only to take revenge of your brother (Udal) death, which is against the moral of a great worrier.
Originating in the Bundelkhand Region. it (Alha) recounts the intertwined fates of the three principal Rajput Kingdoms of North India on the eve of Turkish conquest (late 12th century C.E.); Delhi (ruled by Prithviraj Chauhan), Kannauj(ruled by Jaichand Rathor), and Mahoba(ruled by Chandel king Parmal). The heroes of the epic are the brothers Alha and Udal retainers of the low social status, but exceptional valour, whose cause is the protection of Mahoba and defense of its honour. Called the "Mahabarata of the Kaliyuga", Alha both parallels and inverts the themes and the structures of the classical religious epic.
The(Alha) cycle consists of fifty-two episodes in which the heroes confront enemies of Mahoba or the resistant fathers of prospective brides. It ends with the great historical battle between the kingdoms of Mahoba and Delhi, in which the Chandels were annihilated and the Chauhans so weakened that they could not resist the subsequent attack of the Turks.
source - wikipedia.
Fight between Alha and Prathviraj Chauhan -
There are many contenders for the title of greatest kings. You have Chandragupta Maurya , Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire , Samudragupta, Chandragupta II of the Gupta Empire, Rajendra Chola I of Chola Empire and Akbar of Mughal Empire.
It's really very difficult to emphasis one Emperor over another because each of them had their own difficult circumstances and strategies. Chandraguta Maurya, Samudragupta and Rajendra Chola were excellent military strategists who were responsible for consolidating and establishing the Empire which their successor did justice to by giving proper and fair governance.
Ashoka and Chandragupta II got a vast empire as inheritance, but lead a governance which conformed to the dharma prevalent at that time in which art (both performed and non-performed), literature, philosophy and science (including mathematics) flourished to great extent.
As far I think, Chandragupa II of Gupta Empire was greatest among these as even though he might not be a military genius, his benevolence and patronage to arts and artists helped in the founding of what latter came to be known as the Golden Age of India.
It's really very difficult to emphasis one Emperor over another because each of them had their own difficult circumstances and strategies. Chandraguta Maurya, Samudragupta and Rajendra Chola were excellent military strategists who were responsible for consolidating and establishing the Empire which their successor did justice to by giving proper and fair governance.
Ashoka and Chandragupta II got a vast empire as inheritance, but lead a governance which conformed to the dharma prevalent at that time in which art (both performed and non-performed), literature, philosophy and science (including mathematics) flourished to great extent.
As far I think, Chandragupa II of Gupta Empire was greatest among these as even though he might not be a military genius, his benevolence and patronage to arts and artists helped in the founding of what latter came to be known as the Golden Age of India.
1# Chandragupta Maurya (340 BC – 298 BC) :
He was the founder of the Maurya Empire and the first emperor to unify most of Greater India into one state. He ruled from 322 BC until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favour of his son Bindusara in 298 BC.
Chandragupta Maurya was a pivotal figure in the history of India. Prior to his consolidation of power, most of the Indian Subcontinent was divided into small states, while the Nanda Empire dominated the Indus-Gangetic Plain.[6] Chandragupta succeeded in conquering and subjugating almost all of the Indian subcontinent by the end of his reign, except the Tamil regions (Chera, Chola and Pandya) and modern day state Odisha (Kalinga). His empire extended from Bengal in the east, to Afghanistan and Balochistan in the west, to the Himalayas and Kashmir in the north, and to the Deccan Plateau in the south. It was the largest empire yet seen in Indian history.
2# Ashoka Maurya (304–232 BCE) :
He was commonly known as Ashoka and Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from circa 269 BCE to 232 BCE. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over a realm that stretched from the Hindu Kush mountains in the west to Bengal in the East and covered the entire Indian subcontinent except parts of present-day Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The empire's capital was Pataliputra (in Magadha, present-day Bihar), with provincial capitals at Taxila and Ujjain.
In about 260 BCE Ashoka waged a bitterly destructive war against the state of Kalinga (modern Odisha). He conquered Kalinga, which none of his ancestors had done.He embraced Buddhism after witnessing the mass deaths of the Kalinga War, which he himself had waged out of a desire for conquest. "Ashoka reflected on the war in Kalinga, which reportedly had resulted in more than 100,000 deaths and 150,000 deportations. Ashoka converted gradually to Buddhism beginning about 263 BCE
3# Porus a.k.a. Puru :
As for the Macedonians, however, their struggle with Porus blunted their courage and stayed their further advance into India. For having had all they could do to repulse an enemy who mustered only twenty thousand infantry and two thousand horse, they violently opposed Alexander when he insisted on crossing the river Ganges also, the width of which, as they learned, was thirty-two furlongs, its depth a hundred fathoms, while its banks on the further side were covered with multitudes of men-at-arms and horsemen and elephants. For they were told that the kings of the Ganderites and Praesii were awaiting them with eighty thousand horsemen, two hundred thousand footmen, eight thousand chariots, and six thousand fighting elephants. And there was no boasting in these reports. For Androcottus, who reigned there not long afterwards, made a present to Seleucus of five hundred elephants, and with an army of six hundred thousand men overran and subdued all India."
4# Raja Raja Chola :
He was popularly known as Raja Raja the Great (Raja Raja literally translates to 'the King of Kings'), is one of the greatest Emperors of India, who ruled between 985 and 1014 CE. He went down in history as the harbinger of the heights of Chola glory. It was during his reign that the Chola Dynasty started to emerge as a great conquering several kingdoms in India, he expanded the Chola Empire as far as Sri Lanka in the south, and Kalinga (Odisha) in the northeast.
Raja Raja Chola was one of the greatest sovereigns of South India, a valiant conqueror and empire builder, an able administrator, a patron of arts and letters and a great builder. He was a great patron of Tamil literature as during his reign the texts of the famous Tamil poets Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar were collected and edited into one compilation called Thirumurai. He initiated a massive project of land survey and assessment in 1000 CE which strengthened the Imperial administration and which led to the reorganization of the Empire into units known as valanadus. He built the famous Brihadeeswarar Temple which is one of the largest and tallest temples in India
5# Kanishka I or Kanishka the Great:
He was the emperor of the Kushan dynasty in 127–151 famous for his military, political, and spiritual achievements.
Kanishka's empire was certainly vast. It extended from southern Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, north of the Amu Darya (Oxus) in the north west to Pakistan and Northern India, as far as Mathura in the south east (the Rabatak inscription even claims he held Pataliputra and Sri Champa), and his territory also included Kashmir, where there was a town Kanishkapur, named after him not far from the Baramula Pass and which still contains the base of a large stupa.
6# Alha :
He was the famous general of Parmal. Why he is so special?
He fought 52 war and never lost any. He defeated The Great Ruler of Delhi Prathviraj Chauhan (many considered him as greatest). He was about to kill Prathviraj Chauhan but his Guru stopped him by saying that you are killing him only to take revenge of your brother (Udal) death, which is against the moral of a great worrier.
Originating in the Bundelkhand Region. it (Alha) recounts the intertwined fates of the three principal Rajput Kingdoms of North India on the eve of Turkish conquest (late 12th century C.E.); Delhi (ruled by Prithviraj Chauhan), Kannauj(ruled by Jaichand Rathor), and Mahoba(ruled by Chandel king Parmal). The heroes of the epic are the brothers Alha and Udal retainers of the low social status, but exceptional valour, whose cause is the protection of Mahoba and defense of its honour. Called the "Mahabarata of the Kaliyuga", Alha both parallels and inverts the themes and the structures of the classical religious epic.
7# Prithvi Raj Chauhan :
Prithviraj is considered to be the greatest warrior of India, and also one of the greatest in the world. He succeeded to the throne of Ajmer at the age of thirteen, in 1179,when his father died in a battle. His grandfather Angam, ruler of Delhi, declared him heir to the throne of Delhi after hearing about his courage and bravery. He once killed a lion on his own without any weapon. He was known as the warrior king. Chauhan was the last independent Hindu king, before Hemu, to sit upon the throne of Delhi. He succeeded to the throne in 1169 CE at the age of 20, and ruled from the twin capitals of Ajmer and Delhi.
He defeated the mighty Bheemdev, ruler of Gujarat, at the mere age of thirteen. He was trained in Archery and could aim at target while being blind folded (Shabdabhedi Ban Vidya).
His love story with his enemy, Jaichand's daughter, Samyukta/Sanyogita is very famous. He rode off with her on the day of her 'Swayamwara'.
8# Hemu a.k.a. Hemchandra Vikramaditya :
Hemu (died 5 November 1556) was a Hindu emperor of North India during the 16th century CE, a period when the Mughals and Afghans were vying for power in the region.
Hemu acceded to the throne of Delhi on 7 October 1556 after defeating Akbar's Mughal forces in the Battle of Delhi in the Tughlakabad area in Delhi, and became the de facto king assuming the title of Vikramaditya that had been adopted by many Hindu kings since Vedic times.[3] He re-established native rule (albeit for a short duration) in North India, after over 350 years of Turkish and Mughal rule.
9# Maharana Pratap :
He was a Hindu rajput ruler of Mewar Kingdom.
Nearly all of Pratap's fellow Rajput chiefs had meanwhile entered into the vassalage of the Mughals. Even Pratap's own brothers, Shakti Singh and Sagar Singh, served Akbar. Indeed, many Rajput chiefs, such as Raja Man Singh of Amber (later known as Maharaja of Jaipur) served as army commanders in Akbar's armies and as members of his council.
Akbar sent a total of six diplomatic missions to Pratap, seeking to negotiate the same sort of peaceful alliance that he had concluded with the other Rajput chiefs. Each time, however, Pratap politely refused to accept Akbar's suzerainty, arguing that the Sisodia Rajputs had never accepted any foreign ruler as their overlord, nor will he. It is worth noting that both these rulers' grandfathers, Rana Sanga and Babur, had previously fought against each other. Thus the enmity was not only political, but was also a bit personal.
Pratap maintained that he had no intention to fight with Akbar but he could not bow down to Akbar and accept him as the ruler. Some scholars argue that there was some possibility that Maharana could have become friends with Akbar but in the siege of Chittor when Akbar killed 30,000 civilian, unarmed residents of Chittor, because they refused to convert to Islam, left a lasting impression on Maharana's mind and he decided he cannot bow to such an unjust and cruel human being as Akbar was.
Pratap maintained that he had no intention to fight with Akbar but he could not bow down to Akbar and accept him as the ruler. Some scholars argue that there was some possibility that Maharana could have become friends with Akbar but in the siege of Chittor when Akbar killed 30,000 civilian, unarmed residents of Chittor, because they refused to convert to Islam, left a lasting impression on Maharana's mind and he decided he cannot bow to such an unjust and cruel human being as Akbar was.
10# Shivaji (1674–1680 CE) :
He established a competent and progressive civil rule with the help of a disciplined military and well-structured administrative organisations. He innovated military tactics, pioneering the guerrilla warfare methods (Shiva sutra or ganimi kava), which leveraged strategic factors like geography, speed, and surprise and focused pinpoint attacks to defeat his larger and more powerful enemies. From a small contingent of 2,000 soldiers inherited from his father, Shivaji created a force of 100,000 soldiers; he built and restored strategically located forts both inland and coastal to safeguard his territory. He revived ancient Hindu political traditions and court conventions and promoted the usage of Marathi and Sanskrit, rather than Persian, in court and administration.
Shivaji he is the greatest king and most successful general in Indian history; he is the father of Indian navy nobody else recognised the importance of a navy except him. he is the first general in Indian history to have used the geographical terrain to his advantage. he kept the dream of swaraj (self rule) above everything else; his successful military adventures; his escape from Agra; his escape to vishalgad; his military expeditions in karnataka are legends moreover he was a very inspiring general almost none of his cheiftains ever decieved him. also he was inspired by king bali this theological character is said to have established a kingdom of farmers; shivaji was a very kind ruler. he established laws that were responsible for social integrity of state. he even established mosque on raigad for muslim slodiers. cases against women were dealt with death penalty.
11# Maharaja Ranjit Singh :
The founder of the Sikh empire ,A man who had lost one eye, an arm, and yet built one of the greatest empires in India. He drove out the Durranis from Punjab, captured Multan, Peshawar, annexed the whole pf Punjab. His kingdom extended right up to the foothills of the Sulaiman Mountains, and conquered Kasur from the fierce Pathans. His empire consisted of undivided Punjab( extending till Multan now in Pakistan), Jammu and Kashmir till Gilgit now in POK, North West frontier till Khyber Pass and even parts of Western Tibet. And he had some formidable generals like Hari Singh Nalwa, Dewan Mokham Chand, Zorawar Singh along with Europeans like Jean Francois Allard.
12# TIPU Sultan :
Won small battles against British with 1:1 forces, while suffering small losses before he was 30. He was crown prince at the time. became King with a proven track record.
The last Indian King to dictate terms to the British after defeating them in battle.
Lord Charles Cornwallis, after mixed results in American war of Independence thought that he can improve his military record by coming to India. What a miscalculation a battle against Tipu turned out to be Tipu practically invented usage of rockets in warfare. They were present during his fathers time, but Tipu refined it for use in battle. The rockets were inefficient by modern terms, but they were meant for chaos and commotion to disperse the enemy.
Tipu had a good laugh after unleashing his rocket infantry: Tipu was cruel and not a worthy King because of how he treated his prisoners and humiliation of defeated enemies. But as a warrior, he is unparalleled and is the Indian equivalent of "Last Samurai" as he was the last king to defeat the British at battle. That makes him a strong contender for this title.
To precisely answer your query its important for us to first define the parameters of greatness.
If its about territorial expanse then the list of contenders would be as follows:
Ancient India
Medieval India
Ashoka was perhaps first ruler with control over most of India’s territories and event part of transoxania beyond the Hindukush.
Kunshanas are perhaps the most under-rated dynasty of ancient India. despite their origin in central Asia; their is not an iota of doubt about their adaptation and further propagation of Indian culture.
Samudragupta though widely celebrated hardly stands a chance in this illustrious list
The reason for incorporation of Krishna III (Rashtrakuta) is primarily considering his pan-India conquest and consolidation, a feat unequalled by any south Indian ruler. There are instance of ‘gangaikonda chola’ or the chola who conquered the ganges, but it was not reinforced or consolidation as in the case of Rashtrakutas, who played a pivoting role in the geopolitics of ganga planes for a considerable amount of time. Muhammad bin Tuglaq despite his failed exploits, controlled more territories than any other delhi sultan; Allaudin again must be credit for not just reclaiming the lost grounds of sultanate but also indianizing the bureaucracy and laying the foundation of Rajput policy, which reached its zenith under Akbar.Aurangzeb too was controlled the largest territories even when compared to his more popular ancestors
The case for Marathas is somewhat different. Though Shivaji must be credit for establishing
‘Hindavi Swaraj’ it was at best confined to konkan and parts of western maharashtra ( and Jinji, an outpost in Tamilnadu), The real heroes of Maratha expansionism where peshawas and their loosely controlled feudal confederacy; which reached its zenith under Peshwa Nanasaheb just before the epic battle of panipat.
If greatness is judged basis the socio-economic development, the contenders will be:
Ancient India
Medieval India
1.Balban
2. Allaudin
3.Rajendra & Rajaraja Chola
4. Krishnadev Raya
5. Shershah and Islamshah Sur
6. Akbar
Ashoka is widely credited for socio-economic consolidation of waste Mauryan territories. Balban & Allaudin though ruthless, managed to control the market forces to their advantage; in fact Allaudin's Market control was nothing short of a miracle considering the limited resources of that era. Cholas like the mauryans not only consolidated their gains but also ensured their military pursuits remain a consistent source of income. Krishnadevraya of Vijayagar was perhaps the most successful in the lot, if we believe the accounts of Domingo Paes, who visited Vijaynagar at its zenith
Shershah and his son Islamshah Sur are again the unsung heroes of medieval India. Be it establishment of a ‘full-proof’ currency order ( Rupee), centralization under mansabdari or efficient judicial system, they were rivaled by none; Akbar however must be acknowledged for his ability of quick learning and giving further form to the best practices of Shershah.
After the death of Aurangzeb, none of the emerging powers including Sikhs and Marathas managed to truly consolidate the gain they made after the decline of Mughals. It was this vacuum that eventually made way for conquest of India by the British.
Hope this helps...
If its about territorial expanse then the list of contenders would be as follows:
Ancient India
- Ashoka ( Mauryan Empire)
- Vāsishka ( Kushanas Empire)
- Samudra Gupta (Gupta Empire)
Medieval India
- Krishna II ( Rashtrakuta)
- Rajendra & Rajaraja Chola
- Muhammad bin Tuglaq
- Allaudin Khilji
- Aurangzeb
- Maratha Confederacy under Peshwa Balaji Bajirao
Ashoka was perhaps first ruler with control over most of India’s territories and event part of transoxania beyond the Hindukush.
Kunshanas are perhaps the most under-rated dynasty of ancient India. despite their origin in central Asia; their is not an iota of doubt about their adaptation and further propagation of Indian culture.
Samudragupta though widely celebrated hardly stands a chance in this illustrious list
The reason for incorporation of Krishna III (Rashtrakuta) is primarily considering his pan-India conquest and consolidation, a feat unequalled by any south Indian ruler. There are instance of ‘gangaikonda chola’ or the chola who conquered the ganges, but it was not reinforced or consolidation as in the case of Rashtrakutas, who played a pivoting role in the geopolitics of ganga planes for a considerable amount of time. Muhammad bin Tuglaq despite his failed exploits, controlled more territories than any other delhi sultan; Allaudin again must be credit for not just reclaiming the lost grounds of sultanate but also indianizing the bureaucracy and laying the foundation of Rajput policy, which reached its zenith under Akbar.Aurangzeb too was controlled the largest territories even when compared to his more popular ancestors
The case for Marathas is somewhat different. Though Shivaji must be credit for establishing
‘Hindavi Swaraj’ it was at best confined to konkan and parts of western maharashtra ( and Jinji, an outpost in Tamilnadu), The real heroes of Maratha expansionism where peshawas and their loosely controlled feudal confederacy; which reached its zenith under Peshwa Nanasaheb just before the epic battle of panipat.
If greatness is judged basis the socio-economic development, the contenders will be:
Ancient India
- Ashoka
- Milinda (Bactrian)
- Kushanas
Medieval India
1.Balban
2. Allaudin
3.Rajendra & Rajaraja Chola
4. Krishnadev Raya
5. Shershah and Islamshah Sur
6. Akbar
Ashoka is widely credited for socio-economic consolidation of waste Mauryan territories. Balban & Allaudin though ruthless, managed to control the market forces to their advantage; in fact Allaudin's Market control was nothing short of a miracle considering the limited resources of that era. Cholas like the mauryans not only consolidated their gains but also ensured their military pursuits remain a consistent source of income. Krishnadevraya of Vijayagar was perhaps the most successful in the lot, if we believe the accounts of Domingo Paes, who visited Vijaynagar at its zenith
Shershah and his son Islamshah Sur are again the unsung heroes of medieval India. Be it establishment of a ‘full-proof’ currency order ( Rupee), centralization under mansabdari or efficient judicial system, they were rivaled by none; Akbar however must be acknowledged for his ability of quick learning and giving further form to the best practices of Shershah.
After the death of Aurangzeb, none of the emerging powers including Sikhs and Marathas managed to truly consolidate the gain they made after the decline of Mughals. It was this vacuum that eventually made way for conquest of India by the British.
Hope this helps...
10. Rajendra Chola (son of Rajaraj Chola I) (1012 to 1044 CE):
One of the greatest rulers of the Tamil Chola Dynasty, Rajendra Chola was a very talented administrator and warrior. He expended his empire to the Coast of Burma, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Maldives and Pegu islands. It is believed that Cholas became one of the most powerful dynasties under his rule and the glory surged to a new high.
9. Akbar (October 14, 1542 to October 27, 1605):
A third generation ruler in the Mughal Empire, Akbar ruled almost all of the northern and central India. He is celebrated highly for his unmatched acumen in forming strategies and splendid victory in the Second Battle of Panipat. He is also known for his military innovations that were later adopted by many other kings as well. His shrewd warfare tactics can be learnt from a multitude of battles and wars described in various history books.
8. Sher Shah Suri (1486 to 22 May 1545):
Farid Khan or Sher Khan, or better known as Sher Shah Suri was the founder of Sur Empire in the Indian Subcontinent. Later, he took control over the reins of the Mughal Empire. Some historians regard him as the best strategist and the most competent army general in the Indian history. He is also remembered for killing a tiger without using any weapon in the jungles of Bihar.
7. Chandragupta Maurya (340 BC to 298 BC):
Founder of the Mauryan Empire, Chandragupta Maurya unified different states of India into one empire when the Indian sub-continent was about to fall apart. He is regarded as one of the greatest warriors ever born on the land of India. This great warrior even finds a mention in Greek and Latin historical records where he was equated along with Alexander The great for defeating Alexander’s successors and gaining control over some parts of his empire.
6. Chandragupta II Vikramaditya (c 380 to 413/415 CE):
He was one of the most powerful kings of the Gupta Empire who ruled the northern India for a long time. He was the son of Samudragupta the Great. The period of his rule is referred to as the Golden Age of India in the history books. Chandragupta II Vikramaditya ruled fearlessly for a very long time and went on to aggressively expand his empire like his predecessor did.
5. Samudragupta (c.335 to c.375 CE):
The famous ruler of Gupta Empire, Samudragupta is considered to be one of the finest strategists of his times. He was the direct successor to Chandragupta I and always ruled on the fundamentals of war and aggression. His glorious conquests through the southern India along the coast of Bay of Bengal are highly renowned. He was known as the “Chakravati Raja” in the northern part of India due to his passion for victories in the war.
4. Prithviraj Chauhan (1149 to 1192 CE):
A king from the Hindu Chauhan dynasty (Chauhamana), Prithviraj Chauhan ruled the kingdom of Ajmer and Delhi during his reign in the latter part of 12
century. As per the Indian history, Prithviraj Chauhan defeated the Muslim ruler Ghori in the First Battle of Tarain but let him free as an open gesture. However, in the preceding war he was defeated and captured as a war prisoner. Subsequently, his eyes were pierced with iron rod.
3. Rani Lakshmi Bai (November 19, 1828 to June 18, 1858):
Queen of Maratha ruled state of Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai is one of the most popular female warriors in the Indian history. She was also one of the leaders in the rebellion of 1857. She was ordered to vacate the throne of Jhansi under the “Doctrine of Lapse” once her husband and Maharaja of the state left for heavenly abode. She fought against the Britishers with her small army. She is symbolized in the history books as a warrior riding a horse with her toddler tied on the back.
2. Maharana Pratap (May 9, 1540 to January 9, 1597):
Maharana Pratap was a very brave Hindu Rajput ruler from Rajasthan. His stories of outstanding bravery against the Mughals especially Akbar can give goose bumps to many till date. His struggle with Akbar can be traced back on the same lines as in the case of Shivaji and Aurangzeb. In short, he fought against the invading Mughals to save his motherland from their clutches and sacrificed his life. Maharana Pratap along with his legendary horse Chetak spent a long time in the forests when the war was going on.
1. Shivaji (1627/1630 to April 3, 1680):
The founder of Maratha Empire, Chatrapati Shivaji was a gallant ruler whose empire enclosed almost complete Indian subcontinent at one point of time. He is regarded as one of the very few rulers in the Indian history that led a resistance movement against mighty Mughals and Adishahi Sultanate of Bijapur. It was him who formed Hindavi Swarajya for the first time that accounted for complete Hindu rule. His combat and guerrilla warfare stories are still very famous.
Most wonderfull Article, Thanks for sharing!
பதிலளிநீக்குTop 15 Greatest Kings and Warriors In Indian History
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