notes
Medieval Indian History (c. 8th–18th Century)
🔹 Periodisation (UPSC friendly)
- Early Medieval India (c. 750–1200)
- Late Medieval India (c. 1200–1707)
1️⃣ Early Medieval India (750–1200)
🔸 Major Dynasties
- Palas – Bengal & Bihar
- Pratiharas – Western India
- Rashtrakutas – Deccan
👉 Tripartite Struggle for Kannauj
🔸 Administration & Society
- Feudal tendencies (samantas)
- Land grants to Brahmins & temples
- Growth of agrarian economy
🔸 Religion & Culture
- Bhakti movement (early phase)
- Decline of Buddhism in India
- Temple architecture:
- Nagara – North India
- Dravida – South India
- Vesara – Deccan
2️⃣ Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526)
🔸 Dynasties
- Slave Dynasty – Qutbuddin Aibak, Iltutmish
- Khalji Dynasty – Alauddin Khalji
- Tughlaq Dynasty – Muhammad bin Tughlaq
- Sayyid Dynasty
- Lodi Dynasty – Ibrahim Lodi
🔸 Important Rulers & Reforms
- Alauddin Khalji
- Market control
- Military reforms
- Price regulations
- Muhammad bin Tughlaq
- Token currency
- Capital shift (Delhi–Daulatabad)
- Taxation in Doab
🔸 Administration
- Iqta system
- Centralised administration
- Persian as court language
🔸 Culture
- Indo-Islamic architecture
- Qutub Minar, Alai Darwaza
- Growth of Persian literature
3️⃣ Vijayanagara & Bahmani Kingdoms
🔸 Vijayanagara Empire
- Founders: Harihara & Bukka
- Famous ruler: Krishnadevaraya
- Amara-Nayaka system
- Hampi – UNESCO site
🔸 Bahmani Kingdom
- Deccan Sultanates origin
- Golconda, Bidar, Ahmadnagar, Bijapur
4️⃣ Mughal Empire (1526–1707)
🔸 Important Rulers
- Babur – First Battle of Panipat
- Akbar
- Mansabdari system
- Sulh-i-Kul (religious tolerance)
- Rajput policy
- Jahangir – Chain of Justice
- Shah Jahan – Architecture (Taj Mahal)
- Aurangzeb
- Expansion to Deccan
- Reimposition of Jizya
🔸 Administration
- Mansab system
- Jagirdari system
- Revenue system (Todar Mal)
🔸 Culture
- Mughal painting
- Persian chronicles (Akbarnama)
- Architecture peak
5️⃣ Bhakti & Sufi Movements (Very Important for UPSC)
🔸 Bhakti Saints
- Ramananda
- Kabir
- Mirabai
- Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
- Tulsidas
🔸 Sufi Orders
- Chishti
- Suhrawardi
- Naqshbandi
👉 Emphasis on social harmony & devotion
📌 UPSC Prelims Focus Areas
- Chronology of rulers
- Architecture styles
- Administrative terms (iqta, mansab, jagir)
- Bhakti–Sufi saints & philosophy
- Coins, inscriptions, foreign travelers
✍️ UPSC Mains Focus
- Feudalism debate
- Nature of Mughal state
- Religious policy of Akbar vs Aurangzeb
- Role of Bhakti movement in social change
📚 Standard Sources (UPSC)
- NCERT (Class 7 & 12)
- Satish Chandra – Medieval India
- RS Sharma (Early Medieval)
- Spectrum (selective revision)