Personalities

Saints, scholars, poets, scientists, reformers, freedom fighters, travellers and commanders who shaped the history of Bharat. Rulers are listed on each polity's page.

Name or contribution Role Era Reset 13 personalities

13th century CE13 personalities by century — click a bar to jump there20th century CE

13th century CE · 1

Artist / musician · 1245 – 1306

Newar artist-architect who worked at Kublai Khan's court

15th century CE · 1

Annamacharya

Artist / musician · c. 1408 – c. 1503

Telugu composer of devotional songs to Venkateswara

16th century CE · 2

Purandara Dasa

Artist / musician · c. 1484 – c. 1564

Called the 'father of Carnatic music'

Artist / musician · c. 1500 – c. 1589

Musician at Akbar's court and one of the Navaratnas

17th century CE · 1

Ustad Ahmad Lahauri

Artist / musician · died c. 1649

Architect traditionally credited with designing the Taj Mahal

18th century CE · 1

Artist / musician · 1767 – 1847

Carnatic composer, one of the musical Trinity

19th century CE · 1

Raja Ravi Varma

Artist / musician · 1848 – 1906

Painter of Indian mythological subjects in oils

20th century CE · 6

Amrita Sher-Gil

Artist / musician · 1913 – 1941

Pioneer of modern Indian painting

M. S. Subbulakshmi

Artist / musician · 1916 – 2004

Carnatic vocalist, the first musician awarded the Bharat Ratna

Ustad Bismillah Khan

Artist / musician · 1916 – 2006

Shehnai maestro of Varanasi

Pandit Ravi Shankar

Artist / musician · 1920 – 2012

Sitar maestro who took Indian classical music to the world

Satyajit Ray

Artist / musician · 1921 – 1992

Film director of Pather Panchali

Lata Mangeshkar

Artist / musician · 1929 – 2022

Legendary playback singer awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2001