Medieval India: The Centres of Power PDF

Medieval India: The Centres of Power Fr ien ds, I am the River Yamuna. of the You might have heard of me. I am one river in India. I tributar...

Medieval India: The Centres of Power Fr ien ds, I am the River Yamuna. of the You might have heard of me. I am one river in India. I tributaries of the Ganga, the longest akh and. De lhi ori gin ate fro m the Ya mu not ri in Ut tar y. is one of the important cities on my wa hrauli, the The Qutb Minar, the Iron Pillar of Me Gate....Many Juma Masjid, the Red Fort, the India be found here. such majestic historical monuments can of several Delhi has witnesse d the rise and fall dyn ast ies. Haven't you listened to what the Yamuna spoke about Delhi? Shall we journey into the medieval history of Delhi? The period between CE 8th century and 18th century is generally known as the medieval period in Indian history.  Social Science Across the topography of Delhi… Observe the map (map 1.1) given below. What all information can you gather from it? Indo-Gangetic plain You have seen that Delhi is situated in the Indo-Gangetic plain. The fertility of the region has been favourable for agricultural progress. Observe the location of the Aravalli mountain ranges marked on the map. These mountain ranges helped Delhi to resist the invasions of enemies. The massive rocks of this mountain range supplied the stones for the construction Map 1.1 of forts and buildings. The river Yamuna facilitated water transportation and ensured enough water supply for Delhi. It was these geographical features that attracted the rulers to Delhi. What were the geographical features that motivated the rulers to opt Delhi as the centre of their power? Delhi as a seat of power It was under the Tomar kings, who were Rajputs, that Delhi first became a seat of power in CE 8th century. Back then, Delhi was known as 'Dhillika'. Following the Tomars, the Chauhan dynasty ruled Delhi. Prithviraj Chauhan was the last king of the Chauhan 8 Medieval India: The Centres of Power  Standard VI dynasty. Muhammad of Ghor (in the present Afghanistan) defeated Prithviraj Chauhan and Rajputs established his domination over Delhi. The Rajputs were the kshatriyas Qutbuddin Aybak was his Commander-in-chief. After of the central and north-west India. The Tomars and the the death of Muhammad of Ghor, Qutbuddin Chauhans were prominent established his rule in CE 1206 with Delhi as the among them. seat of power. This dynasty is known as the Mamluk dynasty (Slave Dynasty). Four major dynasties ruled Delhi after the decline of the Mamluk dynasty and their rule lasted until CE 1526. The rulers of Delhi between CE 1206 and CE 1526 are known as Sultans and the period of their reign is known as the Sultanate period. Look at the flow chart given below. It chronologically lists the dynasties and the respective major rulers during the Sultanate period. Mamluk Dynasty (Slave Dynasty) Qutbuddin Aybak, Iltutmish, Balban  Khalji Dynasty Alauddin Khalji  Tughluq Dynasty Muhammad Bin Tughluq, Firuz Shah Thughluq  Sayyid Dynasty Khizr Khan  Lodi Dynasty Ibrahim Lodi 9 Medieval India: The Centres of Power  Social Science Complete the table given below based on the flow chart Dynasties of the Major rulers Sultanate period Mamluk dynasty Qutbuddin Aybak, Iltutmish, Balban Let us discuss the expansion of power of the Delhi Sultans to other parts of the Indian subcontinent. Iltutmish was the ruler who assumed power after Qutbuddin. He conquered Multan, Lahore, Bengal, etc. He introduced a uniform monetary system in the regions under his control. Tanka and The coins of Iltutmish Jital were the newly introduced coins. Balban was the major ruler who rose to power after the reign of Iltutmish. Lahore Multan Sultana Raziyya Sultana Raziyya was the only Gujarat Bengal woman ruler of the Delhi Sultanate. She was the daughter of Iltutmish. She lost her power owing to the protest from some nobles. The regions under Iltutmish Map 1.2 10 Medieval India: The Centres of Power  Standard VI The expansion of the Sultanate The Khalji dynasty succeeded the Mamluk dynasty. Alauddin Khalji was the most prominent among the Khalji rulers. It was during his reign that the south and west regions of India came under the Delhi Sultanate. Gujarat was the first region that came under his control. Identify Gujarat in the given map 1.2. What are the geographical peculiarities of Gujarat? You can find that the long coastline is a peculiar feature of Gujarat. Therefore, several seaports exist here. With the conquest of Gujarat, these sea ports came under the control of Alauddin Khalji. He could import fine horses from Iraq through these ports. This strengthened his military power and he conquered the regions in the southern and western India. How did the domination over Gujarat strengthen the military of Alauddin Khalji? Daulatabad The region under the control of The region under the control Muhammad Bin of Alauddin Khalji. Arrow Tughluq marks denote the military movements Map 1.3 Map 1.4 11 Medieval India: The Centres of Power  Social Science The Khalji dynasty was succeeded by the Tughluq dynasty. Muhammad Bin Tughluq was an important ruler of the Tughluq dynasty. To rule more efficiently he shifted the capital from Delhi to Devagiri and renamed the latter as Daulatabad. Observe the location of Daulatabad in map 1.4. Daulatabad was situated almost at the centre of the expanded state. Muhammad Bin Tughluq thought that all the regions could be controlled effectively by shifting the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad. Later he found that shifting the capital was not practical and withdrew the decision. The rulers of the Sayyid and the Lodi dynasties who succeeded the Tughluq dynasty were weak. The Sultanate rule began to decline with the end of the Tughluq dynasty. Delhi under the Mughal rule 26th April 1526... The armies of Sultanate ruler Ibrahim Lodi and Babur, the ruler of Kabul (in Afghanistan) fought at Panipat near Delhi. Since the army of Babur made use of cannon and gunpowder, they could easily defeat the army of Ibrahim Lodi. Babur ended the Sultanate reign and established a new rule known as the Mughal rule with Delhi as the capital. Battlefield of Panipat - An illustration 12 Medieval India: The Centres of Power  Standard VI Let us see the names of the major Mughal rulers with the help of the flow chart given below. Humayun Babur Akbar Jahangir Shah Jahan Aurangazeb 1530-1540, 1526-1530 1556-1605 1605-1627 1627-1658 1658-1707 1555 - 1556 The Mughal rule established by Babur was later Sher Shah Suri extended. Akbar played an important role in the Delhi was ruled by Sher Shah expansion of the Mughal empire. He formed a huge Suri of the Sur dynasty from CE army. To maintain it, he adopted a special system 1540 to CE 1545. He rose to known as Mansabdari. Under this system, every power by defeating the Mughal officer was liable to maintain a specific number of ruler Humayun. His successors were weak. Hence, Humayun soldiers. Raja Man Singh, Raja Todar Mal, Birbal, could recapture Delhi in CE Raja Jay Singh, etc. were the prominent Rajputs who 1555. held important office during the Mughal period. Observe the map 1.5 and complete the diagram. Kabul Kashmir Multan Khandesh Delhi Bihar The region under Malwa Bengal the Mughal Gujarat Khandesh empire India under Akbar Map 1.5 13 Medieval India: The Centres of Power  Social Science Akbar Nama and Ain-i-Akbari Akbar Nama is a work on history written by Abul Fazl, a courtier of Jats Akbar. The work is in three volumes. Rajputs The first volume deals with Akbar's ancestors, the second with the events during Akbar's reign, and the third with Akbar's administration. The third volume is also known as Ain-i-Akbari. Marathas India under Aurangazeb The Mughal empire expanded the most during the reign of Aurangazeb. (Observe map 1.6). He ruled for fifty years. Though the empire began to decline after Map 1.6 Aurangazeb, it lasted until 1857. Prepare a seminar paper on 'The expansion of the Sultanate- Mughal rule in medieval India'. Centres of power in southern and western India We have discussed the growth of Delhi as a seat of power in medieval India. The other important kingdoms that prevailed in southern and western India during the period are given below. Kingdom Region Chola Vijayanagara Southern India Bahmani Maratha Western India 14 Medieval India: The Centres of Power  Standard VI Chola kingdom The Chola dynasty became powerful by CE 9th century. Raja Raja Chola and Rajendra Chola were the prominent Chola rulers. The Cholas had a powerful navy. The influence of the Cholas was extended even to countries like Malaysia and the Indonesian islands. Observe the map 1.7 and locate the nations outside India that were under the dominion SriLanka Malaysia of the Chola rule. Indonesian Islands Map 1.7 Vijayanagara kingdom This prince has in three months his dominions three journey. The hundred ports, each country is for the of which is equal to most part well Calicut and on terra cultivated, very firma his territories fertile. The troops comprise a space of amount in number to eleven lakhs. Abdur Razzaq This is an extract from the description of the Persian traveller Abdur Razzaq. What information can you obtain from it? There were many ports in Vijayanagara. 15 Medieval India: The Centres of Power  Social Science The Vijayanagara kingdom was established by Harihara and Bukka in CE 14th century. Krishnadeva Raya was the major ruler of Vijayanagara. Bahmani kingdom Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah was the founder of the Bahmani kingdom. The Raichur region located between the Tungabhadra and the Krishna rivers was fertile. It was known as 'the rise bowl of South India'. The rulers of Bahmani and Vijayanagara frequently engaged in wars to gain control over the Raichur region. With the help of a map, locate the present Indian states where the Raichur region is situated. What are the factors that motivated the Vijayanagara and Bahmani rulers to engage in battles for the Raichur region? Maratha kingdom It was in CE 17th century that the Marathas Pune became a prominent power. The geographical features of the region helped the growth of the Region under the Marathas. The Vindhya- Satpura mountain ranges Maratha kingdom and the Narmada-Tapti rivers separated the Maratha region from the nearby regions. These geographical features offered natural protection to it. The Marathi language and literature Map 1.8 instilled a sense of unity among the Marathas. 16 Medieval India: The Centres of Power  Standard VI What were the factors that helped the growth of the Marathas? Shivaji was the major ruler of the Maratha kingdom. He adopted the title 'Chatrapati'. The Marathas had strong army and navy. It helped them to be a major political power. Pune was the capital of the Maratha kingdom. In addition to Delhi, various centres of power existed in different parts of India during the medieval period. Prepare a note on them. It was the geographical features that inspired the rulers to opt Delhi as a centre of power. It was under the Tomar kings that Delhi first became the centre of power. The Sultanate rule was established with Delhi as its capital. The Sultanate rule expanded further during the reign of Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Bin Tughluq. Babur who defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the battle of Panipat in 1526 established the Mughal rule. Akbar and Aurangazeb played an important role in the expansion of the Mughal empire. Different centres of power existed in western and southern India during the medieval period. 17 Medieval India: The Centres of Power  Social Science Medieval India Tomar Dynasty (Delhi) Cholas (South India) Chauhan Dynasty (Delhi) Vijayanagara (South India) Sultanate Rule (Delhi) Bahmani (South India) Maratha (Western India) Mughal Dynasty (Delhi) The learner : explains the topographical features that helped Delhi to become a centre of power. analyses the growth and expansion of the Sultanate and Mughal dynasties. analyses the influence of the topographical features in the growth of the dynasties. explains the various centres of power that existed in southern and western India. 18 Medieval India: The Centres of Power  Standard VI Which are the geographical factors that contributed to Delhi becoming a centre of power? The battle of Panipat was crucial in the history of India. Substantiate. Analyse the policy adopted by Akbar in the expansion of the Mughal empire. The rulers of Vijayanagara and Bahmani frequently engaged in wars for the possession of the Raichur region. Based on this statement, examine the features of the Raichur region. Which are the geographical factors that helped in the rise of the Maratha kingdom? Match column 'A' with 'B' A B Iltutmish The battle of Panipat Krishnadeva Raya Mansabdari system Muhammad Bin Tughluq Jital coin Babur Vijayanagara Akbar Shifting of capital Collect the proof for the cultural relations between southeast Asian countries and India. 19 Medieval India: The Centres of Power  Social Science Prepare an Atlas incorporating the maps of the regions under the control of the different dynasties in the medieval period. The southeast Asian countries are the major releasing centres for Tamil films. Find out the reason. Self assessment Need Completely Partially imporvement Can identify the geographical features of Delhi Can identify the dynasties that made Delhi their capital Can analyze the expansion of the Sultanate rule Can identify the regions under the control of the Sultanate rulers Can identify and explain the importance of the battle of Panipat Can analyze the policies of Akbar in the expansion of the Mughal empire Can explain the different centres of power that originated in various parts of medieval India 20 Medieval India: The Centres of Power Medieval India:Society, Resource, and Trade Hindustan is a wonderful land. Compared to other countries, it is entirely different. The mountains, rivers, forests, and deserts here are unique. The animals, plants, people, languages, rain, and wind are all diverse… a[y-Ime C¥y : A[n-Im-ct- I-{μ-߃ Babur Nama The description given above is taken from Babur Nama, the memoir of the Mughal emperor Babur. What information can you gather about India from it? Babur speaks about the diversity and resources of India. It is this diversity and prosperity that attracted the foreign travellers to India during the medieval period. Their travelogues help us to comprehend the socio-economic conditions of that period.  Social Science Agriculture and artisanship For farming cereals and grazing cattle, land revenue and grazing tax were to be paid to the rulers. Similarly, tax was to be paid on income from trade. One sixth of the income was to be spent for the protection of the country. Al-Biruni Given above is an extract from the travelogue of Al-Biruni, a traveller who reached India from Central Asia. What are the occupations and taxes mentioned in this description? Agriculture was the chief occupation of the people of medieval India. Cotton, cereals, pulses, indigo, sugarcane, etc. were the major crops. In this period, there was plenty of cultivable land in India that was kept uncultivated. Those who first cultivated in such land were granted its ownership right. The hardworking farmers tried to win the ownership of such lands in this way. Let us see the steps taken by the rulers for the progress of agriculture. Arranged irrigation facilities Supplied seeds Granted tax relaxation In the medieval period the officers were given land as wages. This system was known as Iqta during the Sultanate period and Jagirdari during the Mughal period. What were the factors that promoted the progress of agriculture during the Sultanate and the Mughal periods? Discuss. 22 Medieval India:Society, Resource, and Trade  Standard VI In addition to agriculture, many occupations for making agricultural tools existed in villages. What might be they? Discuss. Metal work Weaving and other handicrafts were the major occupations in towns. The cotton, indigo, and silk produced by the rural folks enriched the textile industry. The Indian weavers produced garments of A water wheel different colours and quality. The garments made used for irrigation of silk, cotton, and wool were important among them. New tools like spinning wheel and looms were used for weaving. Indigo and colour mixtures were used for dyeing the textile. Indian textile won world acclaim. Spinning wheel Discuss how the agricultural sector promoted the growth of the textile industry. Towns and trade The great town Vijayanagara is situated near steep mountain ranges. There are attractive gardens and groves in this town. The markets of this prosperous town are full of costly goods. Nicolo Conti Nicolo Conti 23 Medieval India:Society, Resource, and Trade  Social Science Have you read the description about Vijayanagra by Nicolo Conti, the Italian traveller who visited India? The agricultural progress created favourable conditions for the prosperity of trade and commerce. Indian spices, textiles, leather, gems, sandal, metals, pearl, ivory, etc. were in great demand in foreign countries. These commodities Calico and Calicut attracted traders to India. Several traders from Cotton textiles were different parts of the world reached India in the exported from Calicut. These medieval period. textiles were known as Calico The foreigners who engaged in trade with India. in the European market. Kozhikode was called Calicut Chinese by the Europeans. Arabs Portuguese Dutch English French Haven't you listened to the descriptions of Indian towns by Ibn The towns in India are Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, and highly populous and Ahmedabad are bigger wealthy. The streets of the cities were flooded than London, the biggest with diverse goods. Delhi city in the world. Delhi is and Daulatabad are a big and wealthy city. colourful cities. Ibn Battutah Ralph Fitch Ralph Fitch 24 Medieval India:Society, Resource, and Trade  Standard VI Haven't you listened to the descriptions of Indian towns by Ibn Battutah, the Moroccan traveller, who visited during the Sultanate period and Ralph Fitch, the English traveller, who visited during the Mughal period? What information can you gather from them about the Indian towns of that period? Discuss. Towns developed around the production centres and markets. Dacca, Paithan, Kanchipuram, Urayur, Madurai, etc. were the towns that developed this way. Artisans, traders, officers, servants, slaves, and so on constituted the urban population. Delhi Agra Murshidabad Ahmedabad Dacca Calcutta Surat Paithan Hampi n sea Kanchipuram Mahabalipuram Arabia al Urayur eng Thanchavoor of B Kozhikode Madurai Kochi Bay Kollam The major trade centres in medieval India Find out the major trade centres of medieval India from the given map. Discuss the common geographical features that helped the progress of the South Indian trade centres. 25 Medieval India:Society, Resource, and Trade  Social Science Workshops Big rooms where Karkhanas function are found in many places. Embroiderers working under a supervisor are found in one room. Goldsmiths in another… Dyers and cobblers work in different rooms... Bernier Bernier Given above is the description by Bernier, the French traveller, about the workshops and the occupational groups. Karkhana in the Red Fort: A painting Karkhanas were the centres that produced and supplied goods for the palaces of the Mughal kings and nobles. Which occupational groups could be found in the Karkhanas? 26 Medieval India:Society, Resource, and Trade  Standard VI Social life Listen to the description about the social life in India by Tavernier, the French traveller, who visited India during the Mughal period. The lifestyle, dressing, and food habits are extensively varied across India. Extravagantly colourfully dressed people and those sparsely clad were also found here. Tavernier Tavernier What information about the social life of the period can be obtained from this description? Social and economic inequalities existed among the people back then. Let us see what they were. Social status was determined on the basis of caste, occupation, and wealth. Kings, lords, priests, officers, etc. enjoyed higher social status. Those who engaged in agriculture and handicraft belonged to lower social strata. Each caste had its own customs and rituals. Evil customs like the sati and child marriage prevailed. India, the abode of knowledge We, the Indians can speak any language. But it is difficult for others to master our language. Indians do not go abroad in search of knowledge. It is the people from other countries who come to India. Chess, the Panchatantra stories, and Mathematics are the contributions of India to the world. Amir Khusrau 27 Medieval India:Society, Resource, and Trade  Social Science These are the words of Amir Khusrau, the poet who lived during the Sultanate period. What can you comprehend from this description about the advancement in learning in India? We have discussed Nalanda University in the previous class. Several educational centres existed in medieval India as well. Students from different parts of the world flocked to these centres in search of knowledge. The educational centres in Banaras, Agra, Lahore, Kanchi, Mathura, and Delhi were remarkable among them. Astronomy and Mathematics advanced during the period. Lilavati by Bhaskaracharya was a famous work in Mathematics. Observatories were established in Jaipur, Delhi, Ujjain, and Banaras. Several texts were translated into Persian. Organize a seminar on the topic 'The socio economic conditions and the advancement of learning during the medieval period'. The travelogues of the foreigners provide information about medieval India. During the medieval period several foreigners came to India for trade. The rulers facilitated the progress of agriculture and trade. Handicrafts and trade centres developed during the medieval period. Karkhanas were the centres that produced and supplied goods for the palaces of the Mughal kings and nobles. 28 Medieval India:Society, Resource, and Trade  Standard VI Social and economic inequalities existed during the medieval period. India attained economic progress along with advancement in learning. The learner : recognizes the importance of travelogues as a source of history. analyses the social and economic life in medieval India. evaluates different kinds of economic activities that favoured the growth of towns. explains the advancement in the field of learning in medieval India. The agricultural activities in medieval India were admirable. Explain. How did the spread of weaving and trade facilitate the growth of towns? What were the factors that attracted the travellers and traders to medieval India? Examine the progress attained by medieval India in the field of learning. 29 Medieval India:Society, Resource, and Trade  Social Science Prepare a travelogue based on your study tour. List the major trade centres in medieval India and the present states where they are located. Read various travelogues and prepare notes. List the names of the travellers and their works that you have familiarised in this unit. Self assessment Need Completely Partially imporvement Can recognize the travellers who came to India during the medieval period Can analyze the social life in the medieval period from travelogues Can recognize the socio-economic conditions of medieval India Can comprehend that agriculture was the foundation of prosperity of medieval India Can recognize that weaving and trade were the foundation for the growth of towns. Can recognize the progress in the field of learning during the medieval period 30 Medieval India:Society, Resource, and Trade