Found 88 Articles for Ancient Indian History

Introduction The Kalinga War is marked in history as the most devastating war ever fought. It was fought by none other than emperor Ashoka who was the most significant ruler of the Mauryan dynasty. He was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya and the son of Bindusara of the Mauryan Empire. The Mauryan empire took control over all of India except the Kalinga region. Kalinga state was ruled by the feudal Nanda Empire. It was located on the eastern side of India’s coastal area. After many failed attempts when emperor Ashoka became the King of Magadha, he went into a war ... Read More

Introduction Ashoka the great was the third ruler of the Mauryan empire. His edicts were mainly about the reforms, he had taken after the Kalinga war and the recommendation of moral principles in order to create a humane and peaceful society. The practice of engraving royal proclamations on rocks was one of the important features of Ashoka’s reign. His inscriptions are mainly written in the Prakrit language and Brahmi script, a language and script of common people. Some of the inscriptions are also in the Kharoshti script as well a few inscriptions are in Greek and Aramaic. Ashoka’s inscriptions comprised ... Read More

Introduction Ashoka was born in 304 BC, he was the son of Mauryan emperor Bindusara and his mother was Subhadrangi. From an early age, he was a great fighter and highly educated in court. Even though he was not the successor of the king yet he was liked by the ministers. At the age of 18, he was sent to Taxila to curb a revolt and maintain law and order in the city. He completed his task swiftly and brought peace to Taxila. After successfully curbing the revolt, he was assigned the Governorship of Ujjain, a commercial city. When ... Read More

Introduction The third volume of Akbarnama, Ain-i-Akbari, contains information about the government of Akbar, including its various departments, ranks, etc. The histories written in India during the Muslim era were all chronicles that primarily followed the chronological order of the events they described. Rarely are the common people mentioned unless there are famines or other natural disasters with significant death tolls. However, the Ain-i-Akbari is a book with a distinct nature. In this book, individuals involved in various industries and professions are described alongside imperial institutions, lords, and grandees of the empire. Who Wrote Akbar Nama and Ain-i-Akbari? Abu'l-Fuzle Ibn ... Read More

Introduction The phrase "Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned" is based on The Mourning Bride, a 17th century English comedy. Women's righteous rage has been a recurring theme in literature throughout history. Both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, ancient Indian epics, have generated iconic pictures of the same in the figures of Sita and Draupadi. Peninsular India also gave us Kannagi, the protagonist of the ancient Tamil epic Silappadikaram, who is one of the most typical figures in this genre. The Silappadikaram is a manuscript of great cultural significance and one of Tamil literature's most brilliant achievements. ... Read More

Introduction The beginning of the age of Bhakti coincides with the time when humans first began to worship various deities. Later on, the idea of Bhakti grew to be regarded as the most important aspect of Hinduism. Shiv and Vishnu, along with several goddesses like Saraswati and Durga, were the most often venerated gods. Between the seventh and twelfth centuries, the southern region of India was the setting for the maturation of the popular Bhakti tradition. The Savina Nayanars and the Vaishnavite alvars did not adhere to the rigorous practices encouraged by the Buddhists and the Jains. Scholars and saints ... Read More

Introduction Following the collapse of the Mauryan empire, a string of new, independent kingdoms began to emerge along the coast. In the beginning, new kingdoms began to develop in the most southern part of India and gradually moved their way towards the northern part of the country. India became a target for conquest by foreign powers such as the Greeks. Because most of the population used to rely on agriculture for their livelihood, the river valleys in the southern part of the country experienced significant economic growth. This was the primary factor that led to new kingdoms in the coastal ... Read More

Introduction Siddartha, also known as Gautama Buddha, lived simultaneously as Mahavira. Siddartha was a contemporary of Mahavira. It was 563 BC when he was born in the Lumbini jungle close to Kapplia Vastu in the Nepalese foothills. He was a Chatriya and hailed from a little community located nearby called Sabgya Ganda. In the beginning, he lived a lavish lifestyle. He even wed a princess by the name of Yeshodhra, and they had a son by the name of Rahul. The Story of Gautam Buddha Legend has it that Gautam first became aware of sorrow in the world after ... Read More

Introduction China is credited with being where silk was originally found around 7000 years ago. The Chinese people kept the methods a well-guarded secret and instead focused their efforts on exporting silk fabric to far-off regions. They travelled on foot, horses, and camels, and the path they took eventually became known as the silk road. The Roman Empire could be reached by land by travelling via Iran and the rest of West Asia. The wealthy citizens of the Roman Empire were drawn to the silk fabric because of its lustrous sheen and its velvety smoothness. Silk was very expensive ... Read More

Introduction Purchasing and selling things from one location to another or from one country to another is trade. South India was known for its gold, rare stones, and pepper 2000 years ago. Due to its tremendous worth, black pepper was referred to as "black gold" throughout the Roman Empire. Many of these commodities would be delivered to Rome by ships or caravans if they selected the land route. In southern India, archaeologists discovered Roman gold coins, proving that trade took place. The items traded from southern India must have been paid in gold coins by the Romans. Images ... Read More