Why did the founders of Vijayanagara give it this name?


          The Vijayanagara Empire rose in southern India in the 14th century. It was founded by two princes of the Sangama dynasty, Harihara and Bukka in 1336. They were actually ministers of the ruler of Kampili in Karnataka. The Sultan of Delhi, Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq captured them and sent them back to Karnataka to suppress revolts there. The brothers then formed the Kingdom of Vijayanagara after revolting and defeating the Sultan.



          The capital was named ‘Vijayanagara’ which means ‘the City of Victory’; in honour of the grand victory they had scored against the Sultan of Delhi. Later, the empire also was called by this name.



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Why Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan is considered a great Pandyan ruler?


          The early Pandyan kingdoms declined with the rise of the Cholas in the 9th century, and were in constant conflict with them. The Pandyans allied themselves with the Sinhalese and the Cheras in harassing the Chola Empire, until they found an opportunity for reviving their fortunes during the late 13th century. Sundara Pandyan I burnt the Chola towns of Tanjavur and Uraiyur, and shot into prominence. But the Pandyans really entered their golden age under Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan who expanded their empire into Telugu country and invaded the northern half of Ceylon. He defeated the Hoysalas, the Kakatiyas and the Pallavas.



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Why did the Bahmani king go to war with the Vijayanagara kingdom?


          The Bahmani and Vijayanagara kingdoms were constantly at war over the control of three main areas. These areas were the regions between the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers, the Krishna-Godavari Delta area, and the Konkan coastline.



          The reason for this continuous conflict was that these areas were very fertile, and also contained important cities.



          Though the Bahmani king Mohammed Shah I attacked Vijayanagara and plundered its capital, he could not hold on to it. His successor, Mujahid could not capture Vijayanagara either, though he tried twice.



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Why does the Hoysala dynasty have a special place in history?


          The Hoysalas were a family that ruled from about AD 1006 to about 1346 in the southern Deccan, was later moved to Halebid.



          The dynasty, founded by a tribal chief Nripa Kama, is well remembered for the beautifully carved temples of Belur, Halebid, Somanathapur, Shravanabelagola and others. The Hoysala kings were famous for their religious tolerance. They were also great patrons of art and culture. The main rulers of this dynasty were King Vishnuvardhana and Vira Ballala-II. Through Vishnuvardhana’s expansive military conquests, the Hoysalas achieved the status of a major kingdom. He wrested Gangavadi from the Cholas in AD 1116, and moved the capital from Belur to Halebid.



          Vira Ballala-II was the greatest monarch of the Hoysalas. During his rule, the kingdom expanded considerably.



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Who were the Kakatiyas?


          The Kakatiya dynasty was a South Indian dynasty that ruled from AD 1083 to 1323. It was one of the great Telugu kingdoms that lasted for centuries.



          Ganapatideva was the greatest of the Kakatiyas and the first after the Satavahanas to bring the entire Telugu area under one rule. He put an end to the rule of the Velanati Cholas in AD 1210.



          Ganapatideva’s reign lasted for 62 years. It is one of the most brilliant epochs in the history of Andhra. Though Ganapatideva was alive until AD 1269, he handed over the threads of administration to his daughter Rudramadevi in AD 1262 itself, and retired from active politics.



          On the death of Rudrama, her grandson Prataparudra, who was adopted by her as her son and heir, ascended the throne at the beginning of the year 1280. In 1323, Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq sent his son Ulugh Khan to defeat the defiant Kakatiya king. Ulugh Khan’s raid was repulsed, but he returned in a month with a larger and more determined army. The unprepared and battle-weary Kakatiya army was finally defeated. King Prataparudra was taken prisoner, and this marked the end of the Kakatiyas dynasty.



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Who built the royal city of Kumbakonam?

          The royal city of Kumbakonam and the famous Shiva temple there were built by one of the greatest kings of the Chola dynasty, Rajendra I.



          The Chola Kingdom was a very ancient one. It was in the 8th century AD that the Cholas’ glory began to shine, when the power of the Pallavas declined. By the 10th century AD, the Cholas took the holy city of Madurai from the Pandyas, and moved further down south to invade Sri Lanka.



          The Cholas also defeated the Chalukyas in northeast Deccan.



          The greatest triumph was brought by Rajendra I when he marched right up to the banks of the holy river Ganga in Bengal. To celebrate his achievement, he built the royal city of Kumbakonam and constructed a temple for Lord Shiva called Gangaikondacholapuram. This temple is a masterpiece of South Indian architecture. By the beginning of the thirteenth century AD, the Chola Empire began to decline.





 



 



 



 



 



 



 



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Who is Bahubali?


          Do you know that the renowned film Bahubali by S. S. Rajamouli has a counterpart in real Indian history? However, the real Bahubali has little to do with the fictional Bahubali. Bahubali is a great name in Jain legends.



          His story is an example of the inner strength of the entire culture of India. Bahubali’s elder brother, Bharat was envious of his wealth, grandeur, strength and success, and fought against him. Bahubali defeated his brother, and could have become an emperor. Instead, he returned everything to his brother, and went away to meditate on God. He enriched the lives of his fellowmen with the light he received.



          A wonderful statue of Lord Bahubali is located on top of a hillock at Shravanabelagola in the Hassan district of Karnataka. It is a sacred place for Jains. This statue of Gommateshwara, which is another name for Bahubali, is carved out of a single stone. It is 17.3 metres high. In AD 981, Chavundaraya, the minister of the Ganga King Rachamalla had this statue carved.



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When was the first mosque in India built?


          The last known Chera ruler, Cheraman Perumal converted to Islam, and built the first mosque in India around AD 629. This mosque is situated at present-day Kodungalloor in Kerala.



          Kerala and parts of southern Tamil Nadu formed the Chera kingdom. They ruled from ancient times until around the 12th century AD with Tiruvanchikulam near Kodungalloor as their main capital. The earliest ruler of repute of Cheras was Udayan Cheralatan. The most renowned Chera ruler was Senguttuvan.



          The Cheras rivalled the neighbouring dynasties of Cholas and Pandyas in prosperity. Trade flourished throughout their reign. Spices, ivory, timber, pearls and gems were exported to Egypt, Rome, Greece, Phoenicia, Arabia, Mesopotamia and Persia. The Cheras faded from history by the 12th century AD.



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Why is the Konark Temple unique?


          The Konark temple is dedicated to Surya, the Sun God, and was built during the reign of the Eastern Ganga King, Narasimha Deva in Orissa. It is unique for its supremely imaginative character. The structure as a whole is conceived of as a ‘rath’, or temple on wheels.



          The Konark temple is in the shape of a chariot on twenty-four wheels, representing the winged chariot of time, in which the Sun God rides. The base of the temple is an immense terrace with twelve giant wheels on either side, each three metres long. Seven splendidly carved horses straining their necks to pull the massive chariot draw the carriage of the Sun God. The Konark temple is hailed as the supreme achievement of the architectural genius of Orissa.



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Who were the Chalukyas?


          The Chalukyas were a South Indian dynasty that ruled in the Deccan, and are considered to be natives of the Karnataka region. The Chalukya Kingdom was established in the 6th century AD by Pulakeshin-I. He founded Vatapi, which is modern Badami in Bijapur district, and made it his capital.



          Pulakeshin II was the greatest ruler of the Chalukya dynasty. He ruled from AD 608 to 642. In this long reign, he consolidated his authority in Maharashtra and conquered large parts of the Deccan. His greatest achievement was his victory in the defensive war against Harshvardhan in AD 620.



          In AD 641, the Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang visited the kingdom, and said that his nobles served him with perfect loyalty. Pulakeshin was succeeded by his son Vikramaditya who was also as great a ruler as his father was. His great grandson Vikramaditya II was also a great warrior. In AD 753, the Chalukyas were overthrown by a chief named Dantidurga, who laid the foundation of the next great empire of Karnataka and Maharashtra, that of the Rashtrakutas.



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Who was Bhavabhuti?


 



          Bhavabhuti was an 8th century scholar of India  whose dramas, written in Sanskrit are noted for their suspense and vivid characterization. Bhavabhuti has written three dramas-Mahaviracharita, Malati Madhava, and Uttara Ramacharita.



          The Mahaviracharitra is based on the Ramayana of Valmiki. It depicts the character of Sri Rama, showing his bravery and valour during his youth.



          The love of Malati and Madhava is depicted in the drama Malati Madhava. Uttara Ramacharita is also based on the Ramayana. It is an account of the life of Rama after his return from exile. Bhavabhuti stands second only to Kalidasa in the field of Sanskrit dramatic literature.



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What is Sati?


 



          Sati was the traditional Hindu practice of a widow burning herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. ‘Sati’ means a virtuous woman. A woman who dies after burning herself on her husband’s funeral fire was considered most virtuous, and was believed to directly go to heaven.



          Sati was prevalent among certain sects of the society in ancient India. A woman who committed Sati was worshipped as a goddess, and temples were built in her memory. The famous Indian social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy, through his organization Brahmo Samaj, was among the first who fought to eliminate Sati.



         Sati was stopped by the British in 1829. It continues to be banned today, as it is a cruel and inhuman practice.



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How did Shahi kingdom come to its end?


          The Hindu Shahi dynasty ruled much  of the Punjab, as well as western Afghanistan, from the mid-9th to the early 11th centuries. In AD 977, the Turkish ruler Sabuktigin acceded to the throne of the small kingdom of Ghazni in Central Afghanistan. In the 980s, Sabuktigin conquered the Shahis, extending his rule from the Khyber Pass, to the Indus.



          After his death in AD 997, his son Mahmud assumed power in Ghazni. He expanded his father’s kingdom far to the west and east through military conquest. He invaded the Punjab and northern India seventeen times during his reign, conquering the Shahi kingdom and extending his rule across the Punjab as far as the upper Yamuna.



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Why did the rule of the Rajputs decline?


          The Rajputs got their name from the Sanskrit ‘rajaputra’, which means ‘son of a king.’ They are generally Kshatriyas from North India and Gujarat, and are a war-loving, land owning community. They had many outstanding virtues and a spirit of chivalry. The Rajputs were generous and merciful even to enemies, if the latter submitted and sought shelter. Even when they were victorious, they did not resort to wholesale massacre of their enemies. They did not cause needless misery to the poor and innocent people. They offered the stiffest resistance to foreign invaders, but if they once submitted and took an oath of fidelity, they remained faithful to their word of honour.



          Agriculture was the main profession of the people. The poor toiled for the construction of temples, forts and palaces, irrigation works, reservoirs, tanks, wells and canals. The upper classes lived in palatial buildings and enjoyed all kinds of comforts. They even had slaves. There were many festivals and fairs throughout the year. Music, dancing, drama, dice, hunting and chess, were popular.



          Trade and commerce flourished during the Rajput period. Big cities were linked up with roads. The people were wealthy. Although the Rajputs were strong and brave, they failed to accomplish much. That was partly due to their clannish patriotism. They cared only for their chiefs and clans. They did not bother about the country as a whole. They were not able to team up to defeat foreign invaders. They kept on quarrelling among themselves, and this eventually led to their decline.



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What is Tantricism?


 



          Tantricism is a broad religious movement which emerged in east India and soon became popular. Tantricism is primarily a set of ritual practices involving the chanting of mantras, and also involves the use of mudras or gestures. Diagrams known as yantras or mandals, and sacrifices are also used with a hope to obtain whatever one desires. Tantric methods were also used to attain spiritual regeneration. It was open to all castes and to women.



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