Early Medieval and Delhi Sultanate – UPSC GS1

After Harsha's death in 647 CE, no single power ruled north India for over five centuries. Historians call this the early medieval period. It is marked by: the rise of many regional kingdoms; the spread…

From the 6th century, the Deccan and the far south saw powerful kingdoms that built some of India's finest temples, encouraged the bhakti movement and reached across the sea to South-East Asia. Three powers dominate…

The Delhi Sultanate lasted 320 years (1206–1526) under five dynasties. It brought much of north India – and for a time the Deccan – under a single centralised authority, introduced new systems of administration and…

The Sultanate was in theory an Islamic state: the Sultan ruled according to the Sharia, recognised the Caliph as the head of the Muslim world, and was advised by the ulema (religious scholars). In practice,…

The revolts against Muhammad bin Tughlaq in the Deccan produced two great kingdoms within a decade: Vijayanagara (1336) south of the Tungabhadra and the Bahmani kingdom (1347) to its north. For nearly two centuries the…