ποΈ CLASS 8 SOCIAL SCIENCE Β· HISTORY Β· CHAPTER 2 Β· PART 1 of 2
Reshaping India’s Political Map
The Delhi Sultanate, resistance movements, and the rise of the Vijayanagara Empire β the story of India’s political transformation from the 13th century onward.
π Tapestry of the Past
πΊοΈ Medieval India (11thβ17th century)
βοΈ Five dynasties covered
Quick Navigation
Introduction
Delhi Sultanate
Resistance
Vijayanagara Empire
Final Quiz
Summary
π
Introduction: The Medieval Period
A new era in India’s journey began in the early 11th century. Invasions from beyond the Hindu Kush mountains reshaped India’s political map. While India had seen much warfare earlier, the spate of invasions by people from outside the subcontinent during this period was unprecedented.
Many invaders were Central Asian β Turkic or Afghan. They were drawn to India for her reputed riches, territorial ambitions, and often to spread their religion.
π What is the “Medieval Period”?
The term ‘medieval’ (meaning ‘between two ages’) was originally applied to European history (fall of Roman Empire to the Renaissance). In India, we use it to mean the period from the 11th to the 17th centuries. It is not ideal to apply the same European term to India, but it has become common usage.
π Key Term β Turkic
Turkic refers to peoples, languages, and cultures historically associated with a vast region stretching across Central Asia, all the way to Turkey and Siberia.
π Key Dates β Part 1
1192Defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan β beginning of Delhi Sultanate era
1206Establishment of the Delhi Sultanate
~1264Eastern Ganga kingdom under Narasimhadeva I (Konark Temple)
1326Re-establishment of the Mewar Kingdom
1336Establishment of the Vijayanagara Empire by Harihara and Bukka
1347Establishment of the Bahmani Sultanate in the Deccan
1398Timur attacks and devastates Delhi
1498Arrival of the Portuguese in India
1565Battle of Talikota β destruction of Vijayanagara city
Q1. What does the term ‘medieval’ mean in its original sense?
The age of empires
The age of trade and commerce
Between two ages
The age of invasions
Q2. In this textbook, the ‘medieval period’ of India refers to which centuries?
11th to 17th centuries
5th to 10th centuries
15th to 19th centuries
7th to 12th centuries
Q3. Many invaders who came to India during this period were from which region?
East Asia and Southeast Asia
Central Asia (Turkic or Afghan)
Arabia and North Africa
Europe and the Mediterranean
π°
Rise and Fall of the Delhi Sultanate
π Definition β Sultanate
A Sultanate is a territory ruled by a ‘Sultan’ β a title that some Muslim rulers adopted.
The Delhi Sultanate was formed after the defeat in 1192 of King Prithviraj Chauhan, who ruled parts of northwestern India. It saw the rule of five successive foreign dynasties of Turkic-Afghan origin:
Mamluks
‘Slave dynasty’
Khiljis
(also Khaljis)
Tughlaqs
(also Tughluqs)
Sayyids
Lodis
(also Lodhis)
The Sultanate period was marked by political instability combined with efforts at territorial expansion. Key features:
- Military campaigns raided villages, plundered cities, and destroyed temples and seats of learning.
- Successions were often violent β almost two sultans out of three seized power by eliminating their predecessor.
- A sultan’s average reign was hardly more than nine years.
- The city of Delhi assumed a bigger role in the political landscape of northern India.
π Spellings Note
Due to difficulties in transcribing Persian script to Roman script, alternative spellings exist: ‘Khalji’ or ‘Khilji’ are the same. ‘Mughal’, ‘Mughul’, and ‘Moghul’ are also the same.
Key Rulers of the Delhi Sultanate
AK
Turn of 14th century
Ala-ud-din Khilji
Conducted military campaigns across north and central India, sacking and plundering many cities. He also repelled several Mongol invasions into India. His slave-general Malik Kafur expanded the Sultanate southward, attacking Hindu centres like Srirangam, Madurai, Chidambaram, and Rameswaram. He called himself ‘Sikander Sani’ (the second Alexander) on his coins.
MT
14th century
Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Expanded the Sultanate’s territories β for the first time since the Mauryan Empire, most of the subcontinent was under one ruler. However, his schemes were often poorly executed:
- Capital transfer: Forced people to move over 1,000 km from Delhi to Daulatabad (then Devagiri); then reversed the decision β causing great loss of life.
- Token currency: Declared cheap copper coins to have the value of silver/gold. While a progressive idea, it caused confusion in trade and led to widespread counterfeiting, causing the economy to decline.
π Economy of the Sultans
The sultans’ wealth came from: (1) plunder from military campaigns, (2) taxes levied on common people and conquered regions, and (3) engagement in slave trade. But plunder, in turn, disrupted trade networks and agricultural production.
π Exam Point β Jizya Tax
Some sultans imposed the jizya β a tax on non-Muslim subjects to grant protection and exemption from military service. In practice this was a discriminatory, humiliating financial burden and formed an incentive for subjects to convert to Islam.
π Definition β Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm means the rejection or destruction of icons or religious images considered idolatrous. This period witnessed numerous attacks on sacred images in Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu temples β motivated not just by plunder but also by iconoclasm.
TI
End of 14th century (1398)
Timur’s Invasion
A brutal Turkic-Mongol conqueror from Central Asia, Timur invaded northwest India and launched a devastating attack on Delhi. His objective (as he wrote) was to “wage war with the infidels and gain something by plundering the wealth of the infidels.” Large numbers were killed or enslaved; Delhi was left in ruins. Timur soon withdrew with huge plunder, leaving chaos behind. In the aftermath, the Lodis emerged as the last dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, but its territory had shrunk considerably.
π Definition β Infidel
Literally, someone who does not share the faith of a given religion. For medieval Islam in the context of India, infidels were Hindus, Buddhists, or Jains.
Q1. How many dynasties ruled the Delhi Sultanate in total?
Three
Six
Two
Five
Q2. What was Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s ‘token currency’ experiment?
Replacing gold coins with paper money
Declaring cheap copper coins to have the value of silver/gold
Banning all trade using coins
Minting the first silver coins in India
Q3. Why did Muhammad bin Tughlaq move his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad?
He thought its more central location would offer better control of the empire
Delhi was destroyed by Timur
Daulatabad had more fertile land
Mongol forces had captured Delhi
Q4. What was the jizya?
A tax on trade goods imported from other countries
A tax on Muslim pilgrims visiting Mecca
A tax on non-Muslim subjects in the Sultanate
A land tax on all farmers equally
βοΈ
Resistance to the Delhi Sultanate
Throughout its rule, the Delhi Sultanate faced resistance from many quarters. While many kingdoms fell into its net, several successfully resisted or even defeated it.
Eastern Ganga Kingdom (Kalinga)
NI
Mid-13th century
Narasimhadeva I (Eastern Ganga Kingdom)
The Eastern Ganga Kingdom of Kalinga (present-day Odisha, parts of Bengal and Andhra Pradesh) resisted the Delhi Sultanate. Narasimhadeva I repelled multiple inroads and defeated the Delhi Sultanate’s governor of Bengal. Partly to commemorate these victories, he built the famous SΕ«rya temple at Konark (present-day Odisha).
Hoysala Kingdom
The Hoysalas ruled parts of southern India (mostly present-day Karnataka). They fended off several attacks from the Delhi Sultanate, remaining the only independent kingdom in the south for some time. However, weakened by attacks and internal conflicts, the Hoysala kingdom declined and was later absorbed into the Vijayanagara Empire in the mid-14th century.
π Don’t Miss Out β Hoysala Emblem
The Hoysala emblem depicts Sala, a young man who fought a lion to save his guru, giving the dynasty its name β ‘Hoy (strike)! Sala’. The magnificent Hoysala temples at Belur and Halebidu are famous examples of their architectural brilliance.
Other Resistances
- The Musunuri Nayakas (Telugu chieftains) rallied over 75 chieftains of the region, formed a confederacy, and expelled Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s army from Warangal (present-day Telangana) around 1330β1336.
- The Bahmani Sultanate rose in the mid-14th century as a regional power that the Delhi Sultanate could not control.
- Parts of Rajasthan remained beyond the reach of Delhi. Rana Kumbha, the ruler of the Mewar kingdom, in the 15th century successfully repelled invasions from the Sultanate.
π Don’t Miss Out β Kumbhalgarh Fort
Built by Rana Kumbha in the 15th century in the Aravalli hills, Kumbhalgarh Fort served as a stronghold for the rulers of Mewar. It is famous for its massive 36-kilometre-long wall β one of the longest continuous walls in the world.
π‘ Think About It
The Musunuri Nayakas brought together 75+ leaders to form a confederacy against the Delhi Sultanate. Do you think it would have been an easy task to bring together 75 leaders in those days?
Q1. Which kingdom successfully resisted the Delhi Sultanate in Kalinga, and who was its notable ruler?
The Bahmani Sultanate, under Rana Kumbha
The Eastern Ganga Kingdom, under Narasimhadeva I
The Hoysala Kingdom, under Harihara
The Vijayanagara Empire, under Krishnadevaraya
Q2. The famous SΕ«rya temple at Konark was built to commemorate which ruler’s victories?
Ala-ud-din Khilji
Rana Kumbha
Harihara
Narasimhadeva I
Q3. Kumbhalgarh Fort is famous for which distinctive feature?
Its underground tunnels connecting to Delhi
Having the largest moat in the world
Its 36-kilometre-long wall β one of the longest in the world
Being built entirely without mortar
Q4. Which Telugu chieftains drove out Tughlaq’s forces from Warangal around 1330β1336?
Musunuri Nayakas
Hoysalas
Gajapati rulers
Ahom warriors
π―
The Vijayanagara Empire
While the Delhi Sultanate grew politically unstable, a new centre of power emerged in the south. In the 14th century, two brothers β Harihara and Bukka β who had initially served as governors under Muhammad bin Tughlaq, eventually rejected Delhi’s authority and established an independent kingdom that grew into the Vijayanagara Empire.
π Don’t Miss Out β The Founding Legend
According to folklore, Harihara and Bukka witnessed a hare turning around and chasing a pack of hounds at Hampi (present-day Karnataka) β symbolising unexpected strength and courage. Their guru Vidyaranya interpreted it as a symbol of resilience and advised them to establish their capital there.
To the north, the Bahmani Sultanate was a major rival. It eventually fragmented into five independent states called the ‘Deccan Sultanates’ β Bijapur, Golconda, Berar, Ahmednagar, and Bidar β each ruled by former governors who declared autonomy. The Vijayanagara rulers battled with the Deccan Sultanates and also with the Gajapati rulers of Odisha in the east.
π Think About It β The ‘Pati’ Titles
Pati means ‘lord’ or ‘master’. The Vijayanagara kings were called Narapati (lord of men), Bahmani rulers were called Ashwapati (lord of horses), and Maratha rulers were called Chhatrapati (lord of the umbrella / lord of the kingdom).
Krishnadevaraya β The Greatest Vijayanagara Ruler
KR
16th century (died 1529)
Krishnadevaraya
Under him, the Vijayanagara Empire reached its peak. He achieved both military dominance and a remarkable cultural renaissance:
- Patronised poets and scholars in Sanskrit, Telugu, and Kannada.
- Composed an epic poem in Telugu β ΔmuktamΔlyada β on the Tamil poet-saint ΔαΉαΈΔl; it includes a section on ‘RΔjanΔ«ti’ (royal policy/good governance).
- Provided grants to temples including Tirupati and the Vitthala temple in the capital.
- The capital Vijayanagara was described by Portuguese traveller Domingo Paes as being “as large as Rome” β a city of markets, water conduits, and countless people, and “the best provided city in the world.”
π Don’t Miss Out β Musical Pillars
The Vitthala temple’s mahamandapa (great hall) has finely sculpted monolithic pillars. When struck, their smaller columns give out different musical notes β hence called ‘musical pillars’!
Fall of the Vijayanagara Empire
In 1565, the Deccan Sultanates formed a coalition and defeated the Vijayanagara forces led by Ramaraya (Krishnadevaraya’s son-in-law) at the Battle of Talikota. The city of Vijayanagara (Hampi) was sacked over several months β houses, buildings, palaces, and most temples were destroyed; much of the civilian population was massacred. It was left in ruins.
After this, the empire fragmented into smaller regions ruled by Nayakas (former military governors), and the empire came to an end in the mid-17th century.
Q1. Who founded the Vijayanagara Empire?
Narasimhadeva and Vidyaranya
Harihara and Bukka
Rana Kumbha and Rana Sanga
Krishnadevaraya and Ramaraya
Q2. Krishnadevaraya composed which Telugu epic poem?
Baburnama
Ain-i-Akbari
ΔmuktamΔlyada
Razmnama
Q3. The Bahmani Sultanate eventually split into which five Deccan Sultanates?
Delhi, Lahore, Multan, Agra, Jaunpur
Mewar, Marwar, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Udaipur
Konark, Calicut, Madurai, Goa, Mangalore
Bijapur, Golconda, Berar, Ahmednagar, Bidar
Q4. Which battle in 1565 led to the destruction of Vijayanagara city?
Battle of Talikota
Battle of Haldighati
Battle of Panipat
Battle of Khanwa
π Part 1 Final Quiz
15 questions β Delhi Sultanate, Resistance movements & Vijayanagara Empire
1. The Delhi Sultanate was formed after the defeat of which ruler in 1192?
Prithviraj Chauhan
Rana Kumbha
Narasimhadeva I
Harihara
2. Ala-ud-din Khilji called himself ‘Sikander Sani’, meaning:
The Conqueror of India
The Lion of the North
The Second Alexander
The Defender of Islam
3. Malik Kafur was the slave-general of which sultan?
Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Ala-ud-din Khilji
Ibrahim Lodi
Timur
4. The average reign of a Delhi Sultan was approximately how many years?
25 years
20 years
15 years
9 years
5. Timur’s invasion of Delhi occurred in which year?
1206
1336
1398
1526
6. The Eastern Ganga Kingdom of Kalinga included present-day:
Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra
Odisha and parts of Bengal and Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
Punjab and Haryana
7. The Hoysala kingdom was located mainly in present-day:
Karnataka
Rajasthan
Odisha
Telangana
8. The Vijayanagara Empire was established in which year?
1206
1398
1347
1336
9. The present-day location of the Vijayanagara capital is:
Bidar, Karnataka
Hampi, Karnataka
Daulatabad, Maharashtra
Golconda, Telangana
10. Portuguese traveller Domingo Paes compared Vijayanagara city to which European city for its size?
Lisbon
Paris
Rome
London
11. The Vijayanagara Empire reached its peak under which ruler?
Krishnadevaraya
Harihara
Bukka
Ramaraya
12. Iconoclasm, as mentioned in the chapter, means:
Worshipping icons and images in temples
Building new temples in conquered territories
Collecting taxes from temples
The rejection or destruction of religious icons or images
13. The Battle of Talikota (1565) was fought between:
The Delhi Sultanate and the Vijayanagara Empire
The Deccan Sultanates coalition and the Vijayanagara Empire
Babur and Ibrahim Lodi
Akbar and Maharana Pratap
14. Which dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate came last?
Khilji
Tughlaq
Lodi
Mamluk
15. Rana Kumbha belonged to which Rajput kingdom?
Mewar
Marwar
Jaisalmer
Jodhpur
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π Part 1 Summary
- Delhi Sultanate (1206 onwards): Five dynasties β Mamluk, Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, Lodi β ruled north India with political instability and violent successions.
- Ala-ud-din Khilji: Expanded the Sultanate militarily; his general Malik Kafur conquered southern kingdoms; repelled Mongol invasions.
- Muhammad bin Tughlaq: Ambitious but poorly executed schemes β capital transfer to Daulatabad and failed token currency experiment caused economic decline.
- Timur (1398): Devastated Delhi, killed thousands; Lodis rose after, but Sultanate’s power had shrunk.
- Resistances: Eastern Gangas (Konark Temple), Hoysalas, Musunuri Nayakas, Mewar (Rana Kumbha, Kumbhalgarh Fort) all resisted Sultanate expansion.
- Vijayanagara Empire (1336βmid-17th c.): Founded by Harihara and Bukka; reached its peak under Krishnadevaraya; destroyed at the Battle of Talikota (1565).
π Part 1: Delhi Sultanate & Vijayanagara Empire
Part 2 β The Mughals, Resistance, Administration & People’s Lives