Major Dynasties (750 – 1200 AD)

Three major dynasties dominated this historical period. The Upper Gangetic plains and western India were governed by the Gurjara-Pratihara until the middle of the tenth century. The Pala people had supremacy over eastern India until the mid-9th century.

The fight between the three aforementioned kingdoms is known as the “tripartite struggle” because they were constantly at odds with one another and attempted to dominate the Gangetic area of north India.

Overview of Major Dynasties (750 – 1200 AD)

Focusing on the Indian context, here’s an overview of major dynasties that were prominent in India from 750 to 1200 AD, presented in table format:

Dynasty	Region	Period	Notable Contributions/Events
Gurjara-Pratihara	Northern India	c. 730–1036 AD	Known for defending India against Arab invasions, notable infrastructure and temple construction.
Pala Empire	Eastern India	c. 750–1174 AD	Promotion of Buddhism, establishment of Nalanda and Vikramashila universities.
Rashtrakuta Dynasty	Deccan Plateau	c. 753–982 AD	Known for their architectural marvels like the Kailasanatha temple in Ellora.
Chola Dynasty	Southern India	c. 300 BCE–1279 AD (peak 850–1250 AD)	Naval dominance, architectural achievements, and bronze sculptures.
Western Chalukya Empire	Western Deccan	c. 973–1189 AD	Contributions to art, architecture, and literature, including the development of the Chalukya style.
Sena Dynasty	Bengal	c. 1097–1230 AD	Promotion of Hindu culture and Sanskrit literature in Bengal.
Hoysala Empire	Karnataka	c. 1000–1343 AD	Notable for their unique temple architecture and contributions to Kannada and Sanskrit literature.
Kakatiya Dynasty	Telangana, Andhra Pradesh	c. 1163–1323 AD	Known for their fort constructions and promoting local temple culture.
Paramara Dynasty	Central India	c. 9th–14th century AD	Notable for their contributions to literature, art, and architecture, including the Bhojeshwar Temple.
Eastern Ganga Dynasty	Odisha	c. 11th–15th century AD	Construction of the Jagannath Temple in Puri and the Sun Temple in Konark.

This table highlights the major dynasties in India from 750 to 1200 AD, each contributing significantly to the cultural, religious, and socio-political landscape of the Indian subcontinent.

Pallava Dynasty

The Pallava dynasty is credited with being founded by Shivaskandavarman.

The Pallava emperors established Kanchi as their capital city.

Simhavarama I, Sivaskkandavarma I, Veerakurcha, Shandavarma II, Kumaravishnu I, Simhavarma II, and Vishnugopa were the notable kings of this era. It is stated that after Samudragupta’s military victory over Vishugopa, the Pallavas grew weaker.

In 575 AD, Simhavishnu, the son of Simhavarma II, finally overthrew the Kalabhras and restored his kingdom.When Parameshwaravarma I ascended to the throne in 670, he curtailed the Chalukyan ruler Vikramaditya I’s progress. But to overthrow Parameshwaravarma I, the Chalukyas allied with the Pandya ruler Arikesari Maravarma, a notable rival of the Pallavas.

Narasimhavarma II, a pacifist ruler, succeeded Parameshwaravarma I after he died in 695. He is also renowned for having constructed Kanchi’s well-known Kailashanatha shrine. After the unintentional death of his older son in 722, he passed away.

In 722, Parameshwaravarma II, his youngest son, assumed leadership. The Pallava empire was in turmoil when he passed away in 730 since there were no heirs to the throne.

After some family members and royal officials engaged in a power struggle for the crown, Nandivarma II rose to power. Nandivarma restored the Pallava kingdom after marrying the princess Reetadevi of Rashtrakuta.​ Dantivarma (796–846), who ruled for a long 54 years, succeeded him. Dantivarma was vanquished by the Rastrakuta ruler, Dantimurga, and then by the Pandyas. In 846, Nandivarma III took over from him. Nrupatungavarma, who had two brothers, Aparajitavarma and Kampavarma, succeeded Nandivarma III. Aprajitavarman was prompted to start a civil war in the Pallava realm by the Chola ruler. Aprajita Varma then seized the throne.

The Chalukyas

The Chalukya Dynasty can be divided into three different periods, namely

• The Chalukyas of Badami
• The Chalukyas of Kalani century
• The Chalukyas of Vengi

With Vatapi in Bijapur as his stronghold, Pulakesin I (543-566) was the first autonomous monarch of Badami.

Kirthivarma I (566–596) took up the throne in his place. Because Prince Pulakesin II, the heir apparent, was still a newborn when he passed away, the king’s brother Mangalesha (597–610) assumed the role of caretaker ruler.

The most well-known Chalukyan ruler was Pulakesin II (610–642), the son of Pulakesin I, who lived during Harshavardhana’s time.

Kubja Vishnuvardana, the brother of Pulakeshin II, established the eastern Chalukyan dynasty following the conquest of the Kosalas and the Kalingas.

The Chalukyan kingdom stretched from sea to sea by 631.

Nonetheless, in 642, Pulkeshin II was vanquished and most likely slain by the Pallavas, commanded by Narsimhavarma I, who attacked and took control of the Chalukyan capital at Badami.

Under the leadership of Vikramaditya I (655–681), the Chalukyas gained power once more. He overthrew the Pandya, Pallava and Chola, to establish the dominant Chalukyan empire in the area.

The Pandyas Of Madurai (6th to 14th Century)

The Pandyas are the most well-known of them was Nedunchazian, who established Madurai as his capital.

At Madurai, the Pandyas established the Sangam, a Tamil literary academy. They became followers of the sacrifice-based Vedic religion and gave money to Brahmin priests. When the Kalabhra tribe invaded, their dominance began to wane.

By the end of the sixth century, the pandas increase once more.

Dundungan (590–620) was their first notable emperor; he vanquished the Kalabars and restored the Pandavas to their former splendour.

When the Tuglaq dynasty was attempting to expand their rule as far as Kanyakumari, Usaf Khan, a viceroy of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq, overthrew Parakramadeva, the last known Pandya king.

The Cholas (9th to 13th Century)

The Karikala Chola were the first Chola kings. During the Pandya-Pallava wars in 850, Tanjore was taken over by Vijayalaya. He constructed a temple in Tanjore to mark his accession. During this time, the enormous Gomateswara statue at Shravanbelagola was constructed.

Aditya I (871–901), the son of Vijayalaya, ascended to the kingdom after him.

The CHOLAS peaked under the reign of Rajaraj I (985–1014). He became the most powerful Chola ruler by reclaiming lands that the Rastrakutas had lost. Rajaraja is also well-known for building the stunning Shiva temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. After his name, it is referred to as Rajarajeswara.

One significant member of this dynasty was Rajendra Chola (1014–1044), son of Rajaraja I, who subjugated Bengal, Burma, Orissa, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It was also during his rule that the Cholas dynasty reached its peak.

He also took control of Sri Lanka.

Kulottunga I (1070–1122) was an additional noteworthy Chola emperor.

The two kingdoms of the Cholas of Thanjavur and the Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi were unified by Kulottunga I. Following a nearly fifty-year reign, Kulottunga I stepped down in 1122, and his son Vikrama Chola, also known as Tyagasamudra, took over as ruler.

Rajendra III was the last Chola Dynasty monarch (1246–79). He was a helpless king who gave in to the pandas.

Later, in 1310, Malik Kafur conquered this realm in Tamil, bringing an end to the Chola empire.

The Rashtrakutas

This kingdom was formed by Dhantidurga (735-756). They deposed the Chalukyas and held power until 973 AD.

Krishna I, Dhantidurga’s son, succeeded him (756-774).

Dhruva, Govinda II, Govinda III, and Amoghavarsa Nrupatunga I were the other monarchs of this dynasty.

This dynasty’s greatest ruler, Amoghavarsa, was the son of GOVINDA III. Sulaiman, an Arabian explorer who visited Amoghavarsa’s court in 851 and stated in his book that “his kingdom was one of the four greatest empires of the world at that time,” provides an estimate of the size of the Amoghavarsa empire.

The Rashtrakuta ruler is referred to as the “greatest king of India” by the Arab adventurer Al-Mashdi, who travelled to India around this time.

The Pratiharas (8th to 10th Century)

The Pratiharas were also known as Gurjar Pratihars.

The Arab raids from Sindh into Rajasthan were repelled by Nagabhatta I, who protected western India.

The Rashtrakutas claimed a string of victories against the Pratiharas following the Nagabhatta I.

Only with the ascension of Mihirbhoja, also referred to as Bhoja, did the Pratihara authority reclaim its former grandeur.

The Arab traveller Sulaiman became interested in him due to his unusual career.

Mahendrapala I, the son of Mihirbhoja, succeeded him.

Rajasekhara is the most talented writer in his court. ​

​Four literary masterpieces of Rajshekhar:

1) Karpuramanjari

2) Bala Ramayana;

3) Bala and Bharta; and

4) Kavyamimamsa.

After Mahendrapala’s passing, there was a rush to take the throne. After Bhoja II took the throne, his stepbrother Mahipala quickly stole it.

Mahipala was spared the deadly blow when Indra III withdrew to the Deccan. The son and successor of Mahapalla, Mahendrapala II, managed to hold onto his dominion.

The Palas (8th to 11th Century)

The Pala empire was referred to as Rhumi by the Arab trader Sulaiman, who travelled to India in the ninth century.

In 750 AD, Gopala established the Pala Empire. As a devout follower of Buddhism, Gopala is claimed to have erected the monastery at Odantapuri (in Bihar’s Sharif district).

Dharmapala, Gopala’s son, succeeded him and brought the Pala empire to unprecedented heights. Under his leadership, the kingdom grew to include all of Bengal and Bihar.

Dharmapala passed away after a 32-year reign, leaving his vast domains intact for his son Devapala to rule over.

For forty years, beginning in 810, Devapala ruled as king. Pragjyotishpur (Assam), a portion of Orissa, and a portion of modern-day Nepal came under his dominion.

He was a sponsor of Haribhadra, a renowned Buddhist scholar. The Buddhist poet and Lokesvarasataka author Vijrakatta ornamented Dev Apala’s court

The Senas (11th to 12th Century)

Bengal was controlled by the Sena dynasty following the Palas.

Samantasena was its creator. referred to as a “Brahma Kshatriya.”

Hemantasena, the son of Samantasena, succeeded to the throne. & established an autonomous principality by taking advantage of Bengal’s precarious political status.

Hemantasena’s son, Vijayasena, the legendary King, elevated the family to prominence by capturing almost all of Bengal. Among other insignificant titles, Vijayasena adopted were Paramesvara, Paramabhattaraka, and Maharajadhiraja.

The renowned poet Sriharasha, who wrote the Vijayaprasasti as a remembrance of Vijayasena.

Ballalasena, the son of Vijayasena, succeeded him.

Ballalasena was an exceptional student.

Lakshmanasena marked the end of the empire.

The Yadavas (Of Devagiri) (12th to 13th Century)

Dridhaprahara was the first dynasty member.

Dridhaprahara belonged to the dynasty.

The first person to obtain feudatory status for his family from the Rastrakutas was Seunachandra I, the son of Dridhaprahar.

Bhillama established the groundwork for the roughly century-long Yadava Empire.

The family’s strongest matriarch was Simhana.

After experiencing great success in the south, Simhana turned his attention to fighting his inherited rivals, the Chalukyas of Gujarat and the Paramaras of Malwa, in the north.

The Paramara ruler Arjunavarman was vanquished and killed by him.

As a result, during Simhana’s rule, the Yadava kingdom attained its pinnacle of splendour and might.

In his court was composed the significant musical composition Sangitaratnakara of Sarangadeva. He also had two renowned astronomers adorn his court: Anantadeva and Changadeva.

It’s likely that Yadava ruler Ramachandra was the final one.

The Yadav kingdom was captured by Malik Kafur after he decisively defeated and killed Kankaradeva.

Related Links

Major Dynasties Of South India (Part II)

Conclusion

The “early medieval” refers to the mediaeval era that preceded the intermediate transitional period, which has been called ancient. An introduction to this study covers the early mediaeval era, which spanned from 600 to 1200 CE. The period has been split into two parts: C 750–1000 CE and C 1000–1200 CE. The northern India era, including the Thaneswar and Mukahris of Kannauj dynasties, has been examined along with highlighting the contemporaneous period of three significant states—the Pandyas of Madurai, the Chalukyas of Badami, and the Pallavas of Kanchi.

FAQs on Major Dynasties (750 – 1200 AD)

Who were the kings of India from 700 to 1200 AD?

From 700 to 1200 AD, India was ruled by some great rulers. 1- king Vastsaraj and King Nagabhatta I, ruled India for years. They both belonged to Protihara dynasty. 2- King Devapala and King Dharmapala ruled India for a long time.

What was the early medieval period of India 750 to 1200?

The period between AD 750 and AD 1200 is referred to as an early medieval period of Indian History. It was earlier treated by historians as a ‘dark phase’. It was so because during this time the whole country was divided into numerous regional states which were busy fighting with each other.

What happened in 1200 AD in India?

Approximately in the year 1200, the Delhi Sultanate conquered northern India, pressed from Iran and Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire. This Muslim empire spread Islam in India and caused the decline of Buddhism.

Who ruled India 750 AD?

The Yadavas or Seuna dynasty ruled a kingdom spanning from the Tungabhadra to the Narmada rivers, comprising present-day Maharashtra, north Karnataka, and parts of Madhya Pradesh. They were initially feudatories of the Western Chalukyas but later on, they declared independence and founded a sovereign kingdom.

What are the major dynasties of India?

The important dynasties in Ancient India include the Haryanka Dynasty, Shishunaga Dynasty, Nanda Dynasty, Mauryan Dynasty, Indo-Scythians Kingdom, Kushans/ Yeuchi, Sunga dynasty, Kanva dynasty, Satavahanas, Ikshvaku dynasty, Chola Dynasty, Pandyan Dynasty, Chera Dynasty, Pallava Dynasty, and Chalukya Dynasty.