Events

Humayun suffered severe defeats at the hands of Sher Shah Suri in the Battles of Chausa (1539) and Kannauj (1540). These losses forced him to flee successively from Agra to Delhi, then to Amarkot and Sind, before finally seeking refuge at the court of Shah Tamasp of Persia (modern-day Iran). Although Humayun lost the throne … Read more

Rajput kingdoms had long served as a defensive barrier on the north-western frontiers of India. However, their decline began after the defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan by Muhammad of Ghor in the Second Battle of Tarain. Prior to this, the Rajputs had ruled over large parts of northern India. During the rule of the Delhi Sultanate … Read more

Portugal was the first European country to enter India in 1498 and remained there until 1961. Vasco da Gama of Portugal discovered a new trade route to India via the Cape of Good Hope and arrived at Calicut. Although he was received with dignity by the Zamorin of Calicut, Portugal was not granted a monopoly … Read more

The Northern Sircars and the Carnatic region lay along the Coromandel Coast and were critically important for trade for East India Company. The Carnatic region consisted mainly of the coastal areas of present-day Tamil Nadu and parts of Andhra Pradesh. During the eighteenth century, both the France and United Kingdom competed intensely for influence in … Read more

Several invaders came to India for loot and plunder, and one of the most notorious among them was Nadir Shah, who invaded India in 1739. Nadir Shah rose from humble beginnings as a shepherd and eventually became the Emperor of Persia (modern-day Iran). Before invading India, he had already conquered Afghanistan. Some Afghan rebels had … Read more

After Bengal, the next major Indian kingdom to be annexed by the East India Company was Mysore. However, Mysore offered one of the toughest resistances to British expansion. The armies of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan were among the most advanced in India. They even used sophisticated rockets in warfare, a technology not yet fully … Read more

When most Rajput rulers accepted the sovereignty of Akbar and became his jagirdars and mansabdars, the only major ruler who refused to submit was Maharana Pratap of Mewar. For this reason, he became a lasting symbol of independence and sacrifice. Akbar, in the true sense, consolidated and expanded the Mughal Empire. Rajput kingdoms such as … Read more

After the decline of the Mughals, the Marathas emerged as the most powerful kingdom, controlling much of central India. They even collected Chauth from the Nizam and the Mughals and rajputs. They confronted Ahmad Shah Abdali in the Third Battle of Panipat; although they were defeated, they later recovered. The mighty Marathas fell because of … Read more

After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the decline of the Mughal Empire began. Gradually, the political vacuum was filled by the rising Maratha power. The Maratha Empire, founded by Shivaji, emerged in the 18th century as the most powerful political force in India. At its height, it extended from Attock in the northwest to … Read more

Akbar reigned for about 49 years, from 1556 to 1605. He had five sons. Hassan and Hussain died in infancy. Murad and Daniyal died due to excessive consumption of alcohol and opium. Akbar was also not very impressed with Salim, who later became Jahangir. Akbar’s favourite was Prince Khusrau, the son of Jahangir. Khusrau was … Read more