5 Editorial 75 Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq 6 Rajput Age : From 750 A.D. to 1200 A.D. 75 Mohammad-Bin-Tughlaq 6 Origin of Rajputs and Prominent Rajput 77 New Political Policies and Administrative Dynasties Principles of State under Mohammad 7 Rashtrakut Dynasty Tughlaq 8 Gurjar Pratiharas 77 Firoz Shah Tughlaq 8 Pala Dynasty 78 Feroz Shah Tughlaq’s—Religious Policy and Public Works 9 Tripartite Struggle 79 Indian Kingship and the Effect of the 11 Other Prominent Rajput States Disintegration of Sultanate 15 Political Condition of the Rajputs 79 Nature of State : Political Thought and 17 Political Views and Institutions Institutions 22 Trade and Commerce 81 Impact of Islam on Indian Culture 24 Agriculture and Land System 82 Economy of Thirteenth and Fourteenth 25 Art, Religion and Philosophy Century 27 Religion and Philosophy 83 Caste System and Slavery During Sultan- 27 Education, Literature and Art of Rajput ate Period Period 84 Change in Technology 28 Shankaracharya 84 Architecture of Early Sultanate Period 30 The Chola Empire 86 Important Facts to Remember 32 The Chola Rulers as Builders and Patrons 91 Vijaynagar Empire of Art 99 Bahamani State 32 The Chola Administration 101 Religious Movements of 15th and 16th 35 Indo-Arab Relations Centuries 37 Invasion of Mahmud Ghaznavi of India 101 Sufism of Mysticism 39 Alberuni’s Description of India 102 Bhakti Movement—Nature and Relevance 40 Invasion of Mohammed Ghori of India of the Saints of the Bhakti Movement 105 Role of the Vaishnava Revivalists and 41 Memorable Facts Their Work 42 Objective Questions 106 Emergence of Regional States in Fifteenth 58 Medieval Period : From 1200 to 1707 and Early Sixteenth Century 58 Historians of Medieval India and their 108 Foundation of Mughal Empire in North Historical Texts India 61 Foundation of Delhi Sultanate in North India 123 Jahangir 66 Circumstances and Causes for the Estab- 125 Shahjahan lishment of Muslim Rule 127 Aurangzeb 68 Muslim Impact on Indian Society 148 The Maratha Empire 71 Khalji Empire 161 Memorable Points 74 Tughlaq Dynasty 167 Objective Questions Medieval India / 3 NurtureNurture GoodGood ThoughtsThoughts state is considered to be the gift of We seldom realise that our thoughts affect not only those the best cultural and political thought with whom we come into contact, but also the nature of the modern age. The Indian outside. Though vibrations have immense potential of thinkers have visualised the welfare creating bad or good outside environment, thoughts do state as Ram-Rajya, which has been deeply affect our nervous system. Our evil thoughts will beautifully described by Tulsidas in cause harm to us first, somebody else later. In order to Ramcharitmanas. have a healthy life, we should nurture good thoughts. We The effect of good thoughts is must at all cost stop thought pollution which does no good not limited to human life but also it to anybody, but harms one and all. All of us like to live in affects the outer atmosphere and the an atmosphere free of the negative thoughts like jealousy, behaviour of nature. cunningness, fraud, deceit, treachery, malice, distrust and We want to solve these pro- fear. Let us inculcate healthy and positive thoughts so as blems on political and social levels, to make the environment livable to all. while they are concerned with moral aspect or formation of ideas. Evil These days environmental pollu- the other side can be understood with thoughts induce evil behaviour. On tion is a subject of universal concern the help of the example given here examining the hearts of cunning among the thinkers. Various maga- below. Once a king went in a garden people we will find a sea of fraud, zines and journals are full of material to take rest. Without introducing tricks and cunningness. The psycho- concerning the subject. The main himself he asked the gardener to logists after examining minutely the idea behind it is that the danger give him some water to drink—The human behaviour have come to the posed by environmental pollution is gardener plucked a pomegranate and conclusion that the thoughts greatly more damaging than that of the presented its juice in a tumbler to the affect the behaviour and health of the atomic blasts. Out of the discussions king. The king was surprised to see person. We know it too well that the idea comes up that the human life that the juice of a pomegranate had anger makes the man lose himself pollutes the environment. The trees filled the whole tumbler. The king and even makes him mad. Jealousy purify the environment. The environ- made up his mind that he would levy makes a man very narrow–minded. It mental pollution affects adversely suitable tax on this garden as these is said that thoughts of Jealousy and both human life and trees. fruits must be a source of a great anger even adversely affect the flow of blood and emotions of malice and While talking of environmental income. hatred make the man intolerant and pollution we centralise our thoughts After some time the king called bad tongued. Hundreds of years ago on the physical life and the things the gardener and said, “give me one the Upanishads declared that the which create pollution. Subtle world more tumbler of juice.” The gardener negative thoughts destroy the power or subtle causes of pollution are often was surprised to see that this time and potential of the person. ignored. We miss the point that the juice of the fruit could fill only half our thoughts affect environment on a the tumbler. He immediately ques- The Australian thinker Bishop wider scale. We often read such con- tioned, “Are you a king and have an Lead-Beater in his book, ‘Thought clusions of research that the milch evil eye on my garden ?” The king forms’, has dealt with thought forms animals yield more milk and trees go had to say yes. The king silently went at length in the book. Persons coming better in an atmosphere replete with from there. into our contact leave some effect without uttering a word. But why ? It music and trees also give more fruits. Do we ever think that our pollu- is due to the thought forms created by Even then we remain indifferent to- ted thoughts may be behind the them. wards thought pollution. whirlwind, storms, accidents and Thought motivates all actions other disturbances of nature. Our evil Evil thoughts create bad effect and also determines the outline of all thoughts take us to the evil actions. and healthy thoughts create healthy activities. And for our evil actions they create effect. Our young men will do well to Our personality is formed accord- desired atmosphere also. Jealousy, realize the power of thought forms ing to our thought so much so that malice, hatred, classstruggle etc. which are our life and blood and they our physical body is deeply affected have created the painful atmosphere will always try to have healthy by our thought power. of plunder, murder, terror, insecurity thoughts. This would make them Thoughts create vibrations in the etc. The government full of goodwill lovable and dear to all those who atmosphere which affect other per- and without economic inequalities is come into their contact. sons. How the thought forms affect called the welfare state. The welfare ●●● Medieval India / 5 RAJPUTRAJPUT AGEAGE (From 750 A.D. to 1200 A.D.) by the fact that Chandel Rajputs of Origin of Rajputs and Prominent Bundelkhand originated from the Gonds. The famous queen Durgawati Rajput Dynasties belonged to this Gond tribe. The modern historians do not give any importance to this theory although The mid of the 7th century A.D., There in the early years of the sixth there are many supporting proofs. present a changing scenario and century A.D. These Khazars were 4. Origin from Fire (Agni- carves out certain amaging facts. The known to the Indians as ‘Gurjaras.’ kund) suzerainty of Harsha Vardhan over 2. Theory of Descent from the entire North India was a land Kshatriya Heroes This theory was propounded by mark in Indian history. The way he Chandbardai in his book ‘Prithviraj Some Indian scholars do not brought under his sway, different Raso’. According to this theory some agree to the theory of foreign origin states to establish one organised state Rajput clans believe that their fore- of Rajputs. They assert that the origin was remarkable feast but in the fathers were born from the holy fire of Rajputs came from Suryavanshi absence of able and worthy succes- burnt on the Abu Mountains. Accord- and Chandravanshi Khashtriyas. The sors, the entire north India was divi- ing to it when Parshuram killed all main protagonist of this theory are ded into small estates and it remained Kshatriyas and there remained no Vaidya and Ojha etc. They assert that divided till 12th century. In the Kshatriya on the earth to protect the Anthropology, Totems and other meantime, many small estates sprang Brahmins, the Brahmins burnt holy factors emphasize upon the fact that up in western India. All of these fire on mount Abu and performed the origin of Rajputs has been from estates were called ‘Rajput estates Yajna for forty days. They prayed to the indigenous heroes and not from and the main region where the Rajput God to grant them for their security a foreign races. They have supported dynasties ruled was, in course of heroic race. Ultimately their prayer time, designated as Rajasthan. The their views as under— yielded results and four heroes were Rajputs were brave, fearless and self- (i) Many traditions of the Rajputs born of the Agni Kund (fire place).