the classical age
During the Classical Age, the trade with the Roman Empire and Southeast Asia flourished. Also, some of India’s finest art was produced in this period and the spiritual and philosophical systems continued to develop.
This period began with the resurgence of the north during Harsha’s conquests. After the collapse of the Gupta dynasty, king Harsha succeeded in reuniting northern India.
Unfortunately, after his death, his kingdom collapsed and three dynasties fought for control:
- The Pratiharas of the Malwa
- The Palas of Bengal
- The Rashtrakutas of the Deccan
Parts of southern and central India were ruled by the Chalukya dynasty, while the south was under the Pallavas. These two kingdoms fought many wars, each conquering the other’s capitals at various points.
Pratiharas, Palas, and Rashtrakutas
The Pratiharas, also called the Gurjara-Pratiharas were an Indian dynasty who ruled kingdoms in Rajasthan and northern India from the sixth to the eleventh centuries.
The Pala Empire controlled Bihar and Bengal, from the 8th to the 12th century.
The Rashtrakutas of Malakheda (Karnataka) were a dynasty which ruled the Deccan during the 8th-10th centuries after the end of Chalukya rule.
Each three kingdoms vied for north Indian domination around the same time that the Cholas were flourishing in the south. The Sena dynasty would later assume control of the Pala kingdom, and the Pratiharas fragmented into various Rajput states.
The Rajputs
The first recorded Rajput kingdoms emerged in Rajasthan in the 6th century, and Rajput dynasties later ruled much of northern India, including Mewar (Sisodias), Gujarat (Solankis), Malwa (Paramaras), Bundelkhand (Chandelas), and Haryana (Tomaras).
One Rajput of the Chauhan dynasty, Prithviraj Chauhan, was known for bloody conflicts against the encroaching Islamic Sultanates, and the Rajputs in general, due to their location in the north of India, bore the brunt of this assault for centuries, successfully maintaining their kingdoms.
Later, some of them cooperated with the Mughal Empire. The Rajput period is known for its artistic and architectural contribution. The Rajputs constructed some of the most beautiful architectural marvels of India, including the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, the palaces of Udaipur, and the temples of Khajuraho. Rajput architecture played a major role in the fruition of Mughal architecture.
Rajasthani art and paintings (also called Pahari art) depicting the pastimes of Lord Krishna became a landmark, paving the way for religious and artistic movements in India during the Mughal period. Hindi was the result of amalgamation of Hindu cultures like the Rajputs with the Mughals.
Hoysalas, Kakatiyas, southern Kalachuris, Seuna Yadavas
With the decline of the Kalyani Chalukya Empire, their feudatories, Hoysalas of Halebidu, Kakatiya of Warangal, Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri and a southern branch of the Kalachuri divided the vast Chalukya Empire amongst themselves around the middle of 12th century.
Literature in local vernaculars and spectacular architecture flourished till about the beginning of the 14th century when southern expeditions of the sultan of Delhi took their toll on these kingdoms. By 1343 A.D., all these kingdoms had ceased to exist giving rise to the Vijayanagar Empire that rose to power in the domains of the Hoysalas and Kakatiya.
Shahi kingdom
The Shahi dynasty ruled portions of eastern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, and Kashmir from the mid-seventh century to the early eleventh century. They are split into two eras the Buddhist Turk Shahis and the Hindu Shahis with the changeover occurring sometime around 870. They were the last Hindu or Buddhist dynasty to rule the area of Gandhara or Afghanistan, prior to the invasions of the Ghaznavids and other Sultanates or warlords.
In 1336, the Vijayanagar Empire was founded by Harihara and Bukka brothers. The empire prospered during the reign of Krishnadevaraya and contributed greatly to arts, architecture and literature.
Eventually, the empire declined due to the pressure from the first Delhi Sultanates.
*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "History of India".