Textbook
Our Pasts I, II & III (Classes 6–8)
The simplest possible start: short, illustrated and the base of countless exam questions.
Al-Biruni
Scholar / historian
Ghaznavid Empire
c. 973 CE – c. 1050
Author of the Kitab al-Hind, a study of India.
Their world
Move along the chart to see their age in any year, who ruled and what happened; click anything to open it.
The map shows Ghaznavid Empire around their lifetime and where the events of their lifetime took place.
Hover a dot for the event; click it to open the full map in that year.
Rulers of the time
Sabuktigin
Amir, Ghaznavid Empire · 977 CE – 997 CE
Mularaja I
King, Chaulukyas (Solankis) of Gujarat · c. 940 CE – c. 995 CE
Dhanga
King, Chandela Dynasty · c. 950 CE – c. 999 CE
Munja
King, Paramara Dynasty · c. 972 CE – c. 990 CE
Tailapa II
King, Western Chalukyas of Kalyani · 973 CE – 997 CE
Events in their lifetime
| 973 CE | Tailapa II overthrows the Rashtrakutas The Western Chalukya dynasty of Kalyani was founded. |
| 985 CE | Rajaraja I becomes Chola king |
| c. 993 CE | Chola invasion of Sri Lanka Anuradhapura was sacked and the Sinhalese capital abandoned. |
| 1000 | Mahmud of Ghazni begins his raids on India About seventeen raids followed over 25 years. |
| 1001 | Mahmud defeats Jayapala at Peshawar Jayapala was captured and later abdicated. |
| 1008 | Battle of Chach Anandapala's coalition was defeated, opening Punjab to Mahmud. |
| 1010 | Brihadisvara Temple completed |
| 1014 | Rajendra I becomes Chola king |
| 1017 | Chola conquest of Sri Lanka completed Northern Sri Lanka became the Chola province of Mummudi-chola-mandalam. |
| 1018 | Mahmud sacks Mathura and Kannauj The Pratihara capital was plundered. |
| c. 1023 | Rajendra's Ganga expedition; Gangaikonda Cholapuram founded Chola armies reached the Ganga and a new capital commemorated the victory. |
| 1025 | Chola naval expedition to Srivijaya Srivijaya's ports were raided, securing Chola trade routes to China. |
| 1026 | Mahmud of Ghazni raids Somnath The Somnath temple was plundered and Mahmud carried vast treasure to Ghazni. |
| 1030 | Al-Biruni writes the Kitab al-Hind |
Contemporaries
Sorted by how long their lives overlapped. The bar shows when, within Al-Biruni’s life.
Atisha Dipankara
Saint / religious leader · 982 CE – 1054
Vikramashila scholar who revived Buddhism in Tibet
Overlap: 68 years
Ramanujacharya
Philosopher · c. 1017 – c. 1137
Exponent of Vishishtadvaita Vedanta
Overlap: 33 years
📚 Recommended reading
Textbook
Themes in Indian History, Parts I–III (Class 12)
Source-based chapters on Harappa, Vijayanagara, the Mughal court and 1857 — essential for UPSC.
Textbook
An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I (Class 11)
The standard base for art and architecture questions — stupas, temples and sculpture.
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