Early Medieval India

India’s history can be classified into three specific phases. They are:

1. Ancient.

2. Medieval.

3. Modern India.

We will be discussing the first two phases of Indian history I.e., The Ancient History and The Early Medieval History.

Ancient history lasted from 1500BCE to 500BCE. It marked the arrival of Aryans and extended till the Buddha Period.

Ancient Indian history consists of the following phases:

1. Pre-historic period.

2. Indus Valley Civilization.

3. Vedic/Aryan Civilization.

4. Pre-Mauryan Age.

5. Mauryan Age.

6. Post- Mauryan Age.

7. Gupta Age.

8. Post-Gupta Age.

The Medieval period is further classified into two phases – “The Early medieval Age” and “The Late Medieval Age”.

Early Medieval Period – Lasted from 8th- 13th century.

Late Medieval Period- Lasted from 13th –18th century.

Medieval Indian history consists of the following dynasties:

1. Delhi Sultanate.

2. Khilji Dynasty.

3. Tughlaq Dynasty.

4. Lodi Dynasty.

5. The Mughal Empire.

Characteristics of Ancient Indian History:

1. Ample supply of food products.

2. Technological Advancements.

3. Culture and Diversity.

4. Social Structure.

Characteristics of Medieval Indian History:

1. Cultural advancements.

2. Expansion of Human Growth Development.

3. Suppressed Independence.

Unknown Facts About the Ancient Indian History:

1. Establishment of first-ever universities in India.

2. Knowledge about the Solar System.

3. The fondness of games such as Chess as well as Snake and Ladder.

4. Introduction of Shampoos.

5. Well-fledged and advanced toilet system.

Now, we will discuss the magnificent landmarks of both the Ancient and Medieval periods marks of Ancient Period:

1. Ashoka Pillars-

• Regarded as “The National Emblem of India”.

• Situated in the district of Vaishali in the state of Bihar.

• The Great Emperor Ashoka erected the significant structures during the 3rd century BCE.

• Height- 40-50 feet, Weight- 50-60 tons each.

• Made of polished sandstone.

• Remarks the combination of Buddhism and Hinduism beliefs.

• Formation of a thin dark grey protective layer made of crystalline iron hydrogen phosphate has kept the pillar-free from corrosion.

• There are seven major Pillar Edicts relevant to Emperor Ashoka and have various inscriptions embedded on its walls and stones.

2. Ajanta and Ellora Caves-

• Represents the combination of Buddhism + Jainism + Hinduism culture and religion.

• Ajanta consists of nearly 29 caves that were discovered on the British expedition.

•Depiction of several patterns and pictures on the walls.

• The artisans sculpted the caves with different figures, stairs, benches and carved out pretty decorative items out of stone.

• A UNESCO world heritage.

• Situated in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra.

• Buddhist monasteries, Jain temples, and Hindu temples.

• Dantidurga’s uncle Krishna I, built the Ajanta and Ellora caves during the period between the 6th-8th century.

3. Sun Temple-

• Situated in the Konark district of Orissa.

• Structure- Geometric patterns + carved sundial wheels.

• Interesting fact- No shadow appears at any time of the day.

• Represents the power and wealth of India.

• Also known as “Black Pagoda” as it was dark in color which served as a landmark to the European sailors.

4.  Nalanda University-

• First international university built during the Gupta Period in 5th century AD.

• It is known as a center of learning as well as a library of a variety of sacred books.

• Alauddin Khilji destroyed the university by burning around 9 million sacred manuscripts.

• It reopened almost after a huge time gap of 800 years.

Landmarks of Early Medieval Period:

1. The Taj Mahal-

• It was built by Shah Jahan, one of the famous Mughal emperors, in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.

• The Taj Mahal was built during the period between 1600-1650.

• Holds the title of one of the “seven wonders of the world”.

• Architectural Design- Islamic + Persian + Indian styles.

• Islamic inscriptions all over the monument.

• Almost 20,000 workers teamed for the construction purpose.

2. Charminar-

• Structure- Perfect Square shaped, 20 meters long on both sides.

• Composition of building materials- Granite, Mortar with stucco ornaments.

• Was built to celebrate the end of the plague.

• One of its arches comprises a carving of  lion’s head.

• Charminar and Golconda Fort are interlinked through an underground tunnel.

•Situated at the center of the main city of Hyderabad.

• Was built by Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah somewhere around 1500.

3. Qutub Minar-

• Height-72-73 meters.

• A UNESCO world heritage landmark.

• Structure- Islamic with Arabic + Brahmi inscriptions on the walls.

• First 3 Storeys- Sandstone, 4th & 5th Storeys- Marble & Sandstone.

• Consists of 379 stairs inside the Qutub Minar tower leading to the top.

• Each Storey has a protruding balcony.

• Names after the first Muslim ruler, Qutub-ud-din-Aibak.

4. Hawa Mahal-

• Built by Rajput Sawai Pratap Singh in 1798.

• Construction materials- Red and Pink Sandstone.

• Structure- blend of Mughal + Rajasthani styles.

• Also known as “Palace of Winds”.

• Replica of a honeycomb.

• There are no stairs to reach the top.

• Situated in Rajasthan.

5. Gol Gumbaz-

• Situated in the Bijapur district of Karnataka.

• A large chamber covering an area of 1700 sq. meters inside the monument which happens to be the biggest single chamber in the world.

• Distinguished magical echoes from the Gol Gumbaz.

• Contains the memorials of Muhammad Adil Shah and his entire family.

Conclusion:

Thus, these landmarks play an important role in depicting future events and also represent the glory and power of Indian culture and traditions. They also represent our heritage and serve as an important treasure and pride of our country. Therefore, it is necessary to preserve them as a symbol of India’s rich culture.