Textbook
Themes in Indian History, Parts I–III (Class 12)
Source-based chapters on Harappa, Vijayanagara, the Mughal court and 1857 — essential for UPSC.
Raja Todar Mal
Statesman / administrator
Mughal Empire
died 1589
Akbar's finance minister who devised the zabt revenue system.
Rulers of the time
Kujula Kadphises
Emperor, Kushan Empire · c. 30 CE – c. 80 CE
Vima Taktu
Emperor, Kushan Empire · c. 80 CE – c. 95 CE
Vasishthiputra Pulumavi
King, Satavahana Empire · c. 130 CE – c. 159 CE
Huvishka
Emperor, Kushan Empire · c. 150 CE – c. 190 CE
Yajna Sri Satakarni
King, Satavahana Empire · c. 170 CE – c. 199 CE
Vasudeva I
Emperor, Kushan Empire · c. 190 CE – c. 230 CE
Sri Gupta
Maharaja, Gupta Empire · c. 240 CE – c. 280 CE
Mahasena
King, Anuradhapura Kingdom · c. 274 CE – c. 301 CE
Ghatotkacha
Maharaja, Gupta Empire · c. 280 CE – c. 319 CE
Chandragupta I
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 319 CE – c. 335 CE
Samudragupta
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 335 CE – c. 375 CE
Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya)
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 375 CE – c. 415 CE
Kumaragupta I
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 415 CE – c. 455 CE
Skandagupta
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 455 CE – c. 467 CE
Dhatusena
King, Anuradhapura Kingdom · c. 455 CE – c. 473 CE
Budhagupta
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 477 CE – c. 495 CE
Kashyapa I
King, Anuradhapura Kingdom · c. 477 CE – c. 495 CE
Pulakeshin I
King, Chalukyas of Badami · c. 543 CE – c. 566 CE
Kirtivarman I
King, Chalukyas of Badami · c. 566 CE – c. 597 CE
Simhavishnu
King, Pallava Dynasty · c. 575 CE – c. 600 CE
Prabhakaravardhana
King, Pushyabhuti (Vardhana) Dynasty · c. 580 CE – c. 605 CE
Mangalesha
King, Chalukyas of Badami · c. 597 CE – c. 609 CE
Mahendravarman I
King, Pallava Dynasty · c. 600 CE – c. 630 CE
Rajyavardhana
King, Pushyabhuti (Vardhana) Dynasty · 605 CE – 606 CE
Events in their lifetime
| 1529 | Battle of the Ghaghra Babur defeated the Afghan chiefs of the east. |
| 1530 | Death of Babur; Humayun succeeds |
| 1535 | Humayun takes Mandu and Champaner |
| 1539 | Battle of Chausa Humayun was defeated and escaped by swimming the Ganga. |
| 1540 | Battle of Kannauj Humayun fled into exile and Sher Shah founded the Sur Empire. |
| 1541 | Rohtas Fort begun by Sher Shah |
| 1545 | Death of Sher Shah at Kalinjar |
| 1555 | Humayun recovers Delhi (Battle of Sirhind) Humayun regained his throne from the Surs. |
| 1556 | Second Battle of Panipat Hemu was captured and killed, securing Akbar's throne. |
| 1558 | Portuguese occupy Malé |
| 1559 | Drabya Shah founds the Gorkha kingdom |
| 1564 | Akbar abolishes the jizya |
| 1565 | Battle of Talikota Vijayanagara's army was routed and its capital Hampi was sacked. |
| 1568 | Akbar takes Chittorgarh Chittor fell and Rana Udai Singh moved his capital to Udaipur. |
| 1571 | Fatehpur Sikri founded |
| 1573 | Akbar conquers Gujarat |
| 1573 | Muhammad Thakurufaanu frees the Maldives The Portuguese were expelled after fifteen years. |
| 1576 | Battle of Haldighati The Mughals held the field but Maharana Pratap escaped to continue resisting. |
| 1576 | Battle of Rajmahal: Mughals take Bengal Daud Khan Karrani was killed and Bengal became a Mughal province. |
| 1580 | Akbar organises the empire into subahs The empire was divided into twelve provinces with uniform administration. |
| 1582 | Akbar's Din-i-Ilahi |
| 1586 | Mughals annex Kashmir |
Contemporaries
Srimanta Sankardev
c. 1449 – c. 1568
Assamese saint who founded Ekasarana Dharma and the sattras
Guru Nanak
1469 – 1539
Founder of Sikhism and the first Sikh Guru
Malik Muhammad Jayasi
c. 1477 – c. 1542
Author of the Awadhi epic Padmavat
Surdas
c. 1478 – c. 1583
Blind Bhakti poet of the Sursagar
Purandara Dasa
c. 1484 – c. 1564
Called the 'father of Carnatic music'
Mirabai
c. 1498 – c. 1547
Rajput princess and Bhakti poet devoted to Krishna
Tansen
c. 1500 – c. 1589
Musician at Akbar's court and one of the Navaratnas
Bairam Khan
1501 – 1561
Regent and guardian of the young Akbar
Hemu (Hemchandra Vikramaditya)
c. 1501 – c. 1556
Sur general defeated at the Second Battle of Panipat
Guru Angad
1504 – 1552
Second Sikh Guru who standardised the Gurmukhi script
Francis Xavier
1506 – 1552
Jesuit missionary whose remains lie in Goa
Domingo Paes
active c. 1520
Portuguese traveller who described Krishnadevaraya's capital
Tenali Ramakrishna
active c. 1520
Telugu poet famed for his wit at Krishnadevaraya's court
Allasani Peddana
active c. 1520
Called 'Andhra Kavita Pitamaha', chief of the Ashtadiggajas
Gulbadan Begum
1523 – 1603
Babur's daughter who wrote the Humayun-nama
Rani Durgavati
1524 – 1564
Gond queen of Garha-Katanga who died resisting Akbar's army
Birbal
1528 – 1586
Minister and famed wit at Akbar's court
Tulsidas
c. 1532 – c. 1623
Author of the Ramcharitmanas
Abdul Qadir Badayuni
c. 1540 – c. 1615
Historian who wrote the Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh
Abul Fazl
1551 – 1602
Author of the Akbarnama and Ain-i-Akbari
Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan
1556 – 1627
Poet of the Rahim ke dohe and general of Akbar
Muhammad Qasim Ferishta
c. 1560 – c. 1620
Historian of the Deccan who wrote the Tarikh-i-Ferishta
Guru Arjan Dev
1563 – 1606
Fifth Sikh Guru who compiled the Adi Granth
Nur Jahan
1577 – 1645
Jahangir's empress and the power behind his throne
📚 Recommended reading
Textbook
History of Medieval India
The go-to single volume on the Sultanate, Mughals and regional kingdoms.
Reference
Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals (2 vols)
The detailed two-volume treatment for readers who want more than the single-volume textbook.
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