Medieval India refers to a long period of post-classical history of the Indian subcontinent between the "ancient period" and "modern period". It is usually regarded as running approximately from the breakup of the Gupta Empire in the 6th century CE to the start of the early modern period in 1526 with the start of the Mughal Empire, although some historians regard it as both starting and nishing later than these points. The medieval period is itself subdivided into the early medieval and late medieval eras. In the early medieval period, there were more than 40 different states on the Indian subcontinent, which hosted a variety of cultures, languages, writing systems, and religions. At the beginning of the time period, Buddhism was predominant throughout the area, with the short-lived Pala Empire on the Indo Gangetic Plain sponsoring the Buddhist faith's institutions. One such institution was the Buddhist Nalanda mahavihara in modern-day Bihar, India, a centre of scholarship and brought a divided South Asia onto the global intellectual stage. Another accomplishment was the invention of the Chaturanga game which later was exported to Europe and became Chess. In Southern India, the Tamil Hindu Kingdom of Chola gained prominence with an overseas empire that controlled parts of modern-day Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Indonesia as oversees territories, and helped spread Hinduism and Buddhism into the historic cultural area of Southeast Asia. In this time period, neighboring regions such as Afghanistan, Tibet, and Southeast Asia were under South Asian inuence. During the late medieval period, a series of Islamic invasions from modern-day Central Asia, Afghanistan and Iran conquered massive portions of Northern India, founding the Delhi Sultanate which ruled until the 16th century. As a consequence, Buddhism declined in South Asia, but Hinduism survived and reinforced itself in areas conquered by Muslim empires. In the far South, the Vijayanagara Empire resisted Muslim conquests, sparking a long rivalry with the Bahmani Sultanate. The turn of the 16th century would see introduction of gunpowder and the rise of a new Muslim empire—the Mughals, as well as the establishment of European trade posts by the Portuguese colonists.
Deepti Pandey is an educator, writer, and social thinker with over 20 years of teaching experience. She has a deep interest in social, cultural, and historical studies, with a particular focus on historical subjects. Her academic and literary pursuits reect a strong commitment to exploring India's rich heritage, society, and cultural traditions. Through her teaching, research, and writing, she continues to contribute to the promotion of historical awareness and social understanding.
Preface Chapter 1 Chief Sources of Medieval Indian History Chapter 2 Early Medieval India (800-1200 AD) Chapter 3 Delhi Sultanate Chapter 4 Vijayanagara Empire Chapter 5 Mughal Invasion And Rise of Other Empires Chapter 6 The Mughal Empire Chapter 7 Maratha Empire Bibliography Index
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