Rani-ki-vav, or ‘Queen’s stepwell’, is located in the Patan district in Gujarat. Udyamati, the wife of Bhima I, the Chaulukyan king, constructed it. This account has been mentioned in work Prabandha-Chintamani of the Jain monk Merutunga in 1304 CE. It was accorded the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. It is located on…
Fort Lal Kot was constructed by the Anangpal (r. 1051 – 1081 CE), the Tomar Rajputs who ruled from Delhi. The fort was constructed around numerous palaces and temples built by Anganpal. Therefore, the fort complex is called the “first city of Delhi”. Location: It is in the Qutub Minar complex in south Delhi’s Mehrauli…
It is dated to the early 18th century, built by Raja Bhimdev I of the Solanki Dynasty in 1026 CE. The Solankis were a branch of the later Chalukyas. Features: Suryakund: There is a massive rectangular stepped tank called the Surya kund in front of it. This hundred-square-metre rectangular pond is perhaps the grandest temple…
Vagehlas were a dynasty that ruled from Dholka in Gujarat during the 13th century CE. They descended from a family that had served under the Chaulukya kings. Later they became the vassals of the Chaulukyas. Finally, during the reign of Bhima II, the Vaghelas became the de facto rulers of the Chaulukya kingdom. They were…
Somnath Temple is located in Parabhas Patan in Veraval, Gujarat. It is considered the first among the 12 jyotirlingas shrined of Shiva. The temple is known for being an essential point of interest for the Muslim invader and rulers due to its riches. Its wealth was looted multiple times, starting with Mahmud of Ghazni. Moreover,…
Saraswati valley Saraswati is an ancient river mentioned in the IVth book of the Rigveda. The text describes Saraswati as a sacred and mighty river. Its had confluence with Ganga and Yamuna at the Triveni Sangam. It is said to be located between the Satluj in the west and Yamuna in the East. It emptied…
Chintamani-Sarnika, Dasbala Chintamani-Sanika (1055 CE) is a work of Dasbala, the court poet of Paramara king Bhoja. Dabala, an astronomer, came from Saurashtra, now in Rajasthan. He belonged to the Buddhist sect. His two important works are: Chintamani-Sarnika (1055) Karanakamalamartanda (1058) indicates he belonged to the Brahma School of astronomy. These texts deal with calendar…
Bhojpur is a medieval Indian site on the Betwa river near Bhopal. The town was founded by King Bhoja (1010-1055 CE) of the Parmara Rajputs. Moreover, he constructed three large dams and a Shiva temple called Bhojeswar temple on a hill. The dams were built to contain the water from the rivers and rivulets into…
Battle of Mahoba, 1182, Allha and Udal The battle of Mahoba was fought in 1182 CE between Prithvi Raj III and Chandela king Parmadi Deva. Mahoba was the capital of Chandelas, the rulers of the Jejabhukti region comprising the present-day Bundelkhand. The battle is known for the heroic resistance by Udal and his brother Alha,…
Seljuk Empire or the Greater Seljuk Empire (1040–1157 CE) Seljuks were a Turkic tribe that gained control over Syria, Iran and Trans-Oxiana, after the death of Mahmud of Ghazni in 1041 CE. The Seljuks were descendants of a tribal chief named Seljuk, originally from trans-Oxus near the Aral Sea. The Greater Seljuk Empire was founded…