Home > Indian History > History of India > Indian Historical Dynasties
Indian Historical Dynasties
Indian historical dynasties emote a sense of awe and wonder, with their consecutive modes in ruling and intelligent strategies, which can be categorised as ancient, medieval and modern.

Share this Article:

Indian Historical DynastiesIndian historical dynasties consist of the various royal dynasties which administered different portions of India, since ancient ages. These dynasties in the present contemporaneous times entails a very much different and diversified context, referring primarily to the political dynasties in India, luminaries in these families who have for generations served their nation with untiring and relentless spirit. However, the present Indian administration, following a democratic and sovereign form of government, is rooted on terms on a very dissimilar plane; the Government of India espouses that mode of administration, which was formulated by the British Empire, largely following in their liens, with a few exceptions.

As such, the notion of politics and politic view to ruling the country is entrusted generally with the ruling Indian political dynasty since Indian Independence. The present Republic of India, as in universally known from Indian ancient historical annals, never was governed in the present manner, with ancient Indians and the nationwide populace resorting to the monarchical system of administration, involving the dynastic form of government, ruled for time immemorial by one single dynasty, owing to his royal blood line and lineage. As such, the concept of Indian dynasties in erstwhile times entailed a much different context, pitching rulers against rulers for absolute supremacy.

Indian Historical Dynasties Ancient Historical Dynasties
Maurya Dynasty (322 to 185 BCE) was amongst the most important historical dynasties of ancient India, founded by Chandragupta Maurya and it reached great heights especially during the regime of King Ashoka. He ruled for 37 years (268 to 232 BCE) and later embraced Buddhism. The Kushanas ruled Jammu and Kashmir, along with several other portions of northern India during the 1st century and it flourished under King Kanishka (ca 127 to ca 140). He administered his kingdom from two capitals, one at Purushapura which currently corresponds to Peshawar, north-western Pakistan and another in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. The Fort at Bathinda or Qila Mubarak, Punjab is attributed to him. It was followed by Gupta Dynasty which commenced from 320 to 550 CE whose illustrious rulers were Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, Chandragupta II, etc. Termed as the Golden Age of India, India witnessed excellent growth in the spheres of religion, philosophy, science and technology, mathematics, literature, engineering and others. During 3rd century CE, the Vakataka Dynasty controlled several parts of India and then it was succeeded by the regime of Harsha Vardhana who ruled from 606 till 647 who was known to be a compassionate ruler. Thereafter, kings of Chalukya Dynasty reigned over vast portions of central and southern India between the 6th and 12th centuries.

Medieval Historical Dynasties
Medieval historical dynasties involve the Rashtrakuta Dynasty which prospered from the 8th till the 10th century, The Pala Dynasty which continued from 8th till the 12th century, Chola Dynasty which was in imperial power from 9th to 13th century, the Islamic Sultanates, Delhi Sultanate which controlled India during the 12th and 13th centuries, Mughal Dynasty which enjoyed royal administrative powers from 1526 till 1740, Maratha Dynasty which lasted from 1674 to 1818 and Sikh Dynasty which continued from 1799 till 1849. Rulers of Slave Dynasty (1206 to 1290) administered large tracts of India, followed by Khilji Dynasty (1290 to 1320) whose famous king was Ala-ud-din Khilji which enabled the empire to safeguard against the repeated Mongol conquests. Indian Historical DynastiesUrdu language was born during Delhi Sultanate. Ghiyas- ud- din Tughlaq established the Tughlaq Dynasty (1320 till 1414). During 14th to 16th century, Vijayanagar Empire was at its peak, founded by Harihara I and is a World Heritage site, known as Hampi. Delhi, Punjab, etc. were ruled by Lodhi Dynasty from 1451 till 1526 and Ibrahim Lodhi, Sikander Lodhi, Bahlol Lodhi were some of the famous rulers of this dynasty.

A major part of India was governed by the Mughals belonging to the Mughal Dynasty which was established by Zahiruddun Mohammed Babur in 1526 and continued till 1858. It started declining after 1707 onwards, while some of its most renowned rulers included Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, most of whom patronised arts, architecture and literature. Humayun`s Tomb, Red Fort of Delhi, Fatehpur Sikri at Agra, Taj Mahal at Agra and numerous others. Another royal dynasty which ruled large parts of northern India with its capital in Delhi was the Sur Dynasty (1540 to 1556) which was established by Sher Shah Suri. The Marathas were the only imperial power which thwarted the Mughal Dynasty, Nizam, Nizam of Bengal, etc. and was founded by Shivaji and gathered considerable power during the rule of the Peshwas. Sikh Empire flourished under the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh from 1780 till 1839 and it experienced gradual downfall by the first and second Anglo-Sikh war.

Modern Historical Dynasties
Modern historical dynasties belong to the final Mughal rulers of the Mughal Dynasty and also the various Nawabs including Nawab Siraj-Ud-Daulah of Bengal who ruled from 1733 till 1757, emperor Shah Alam II or Ali Gauhar who reigned from 1728 to 1806 CE and Farrukhsiyar whose rule continued from 1685 till 1719. These rulers fought several force battles against the Indian colonial powers, particularly the British forces, of the British East India Company.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.