Do you think India’s victory in the 1971 war was mainly because of the military’s strategy on the ground, or because of Indira Gandhi’s political leadership? The Indian Army carried out an incredibly fast and well planned campaign that led to Pakistan’s surrender in just 13 days
Please let me know
This is a close-up of a Hoysala-period sculpture from either the Chennakeshava Temple at Belur or the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu in Karnataka, dated to the 12th–13th century CE. It represents the lower portion of a shilabalika (madanika), a standard sculptural type used as bracket figures on temple exteriors.
The material is consistent with chloritic schist (commonly referred to as soapstone), which was widely used in Hoysala architecture. Quarrying this stone in a relatively soft state allowed for very fine carving, including detailed ornamentation such as layered anklets, beaded girdles (mekhala), and textile-like surface treatment. The stone hardens gradually on exposure, which helps preserve these details.
The figure itself represents the lower portion of a shilabalika (also called a madanika), a recurring sculptural type in Hoysala temples. These figures are typically placed as bracket sculptures and are associated with courtly or celestial imagery, often dancers or musicians. Their presence is well documented in situ at Belur, where multiple such figures are positioned along the temple’s exterior.
What stands out in this fragment is the degree of undercutting in the jewellery. In several Hoysala examples, elements such as bangles or loops are carved almost free from the main body, creating the impression of separable or movable parts, although they remain integral to the stone. This technique is attested across multiple sculptures from the region and reflects a high level of technical control rather than any use of mechanical tooling.
The iconographic program of these temples also includes friezes of animals, narrative panels, and decorative bands arranged in horizontal registers. These are not random embellishments but follow a structured visual order typical of Hoysala temple design.
A massive, mysterious fire in 1828 destroyed the 7-story Shaniwar Wada in Pune, leaving only the stone foundations and walls. The blaze occurred after the British took control in 1818 and lasted for a week. Today, only the stone fortifications and foundations remain.
The 13-story palace complex, built by Peshwa Bajirao I in 1732, suffered significant damage from the fire. Priceless art, murals, and the wooden upper floors were lost.
The fire continued for a week, destroying the complex, which was mostly under British control at the time.
It consumed the seven-story palace, including the Audience Hall, Mirror Hall, and dancing hall. Only the heavy, fortified stone foundations and massive teak wood gates, like the Delhi Darwaja, survived. Only the inner buildings became ruins, leaving the stone structure and gates standing.
The exact cause of the fire is still unknown or debated and is often referred to as a "mysterious fire." Some people believe that British intentionally started the fire or at least let it rampant for a whole week to destroy the significance of the place and erase the Maratha history.
This place was later turned into a mental asylum by the British.
Video by muslimhistorychronicles on Instagram
About 4 years ago, after I started following Buddhism, I visited Bodh Gaya and decide to do a pilgrimage to the important Buddhist sites gradually. As I spent more time studying Buddhism, I took a bigger interest in Indian history in general and I decided to map them in a chronological order instead of just reading about them. I created a list of 200 places which I believed represented the history of India.
This is a continuation of the 50 photo series as reddit doesn't allow posting more than 20 photos at once.
Link to Post 1 about Prehistory and IVC: https://www.reddit.com/r/IndianHistory/comments/1sbgu5n/i_travelled_across_india_to_witness_indian/
Link to Post 2 about Vedic History and Buddha: https://www.reddit.com/r/IndianHistory/comments/1scd0ln/i_travelled_across_india_to_witness_indian/
PART 4 - THE IMPERIAL AGE
As Buddha was getting older, we see mentions of the imperial ambitions of the Magadha Mahajanapada. The Magadha Mahajanapada was followed by Sishunaga Dynasty which was followed by the Nanda Empire which was followed by the Maurya Empire which is a landmark empire in the history of India ruling over the subcontinent.
The Mauryan Empire is known for its usage of both wood and stone for structures inspired by the Greeks.
Figure 36: A pillar of the Mauryan Palace's 80 pillared hall, Kumrahar Park, Patna
The imperial spread of the empire is best visualized by Ashoka who built religious and secular structures showing the extent of his influence.
Figure 37: An assortment of some Ashokan Pillars and capitals
Immediately after Buddhism, we see the birth of Stupas as structures which are the earliest examples of major religious public structures.
It is important to note that the Hindu and Buddhist Statues we see today also didn’t exist. Hinduism was still focused on yagna and nature worship. Hence the earliest religious structures; mostly belonging to Buddhism are aniconic in nature.
Figure 38: Aniconism- Describing Buddha without showing him, 300 BCE, Sanchi
It was only during the Kushana Empire through Mathura Art that we see a shift from aniconism to iconism; where there the symbols of Buddhism in Stupas are replaced with Buddhist statues. This also coincides with the creation of Hindu statues which evolved into the statues of Gods we see today, with the earliest statues being of Vasudeva.
Figure 40: Herakles slaying the Nymean Lion, Mathura Art, 150 CE
Somewhere around 200 BCE, we also start to see the use of natural and artificial caves for the use of creation of an idea which would evolve into the temple we know today. These are known as Chaityas or prayer halls where Buddhist monks would meditate in or pray.
Figure 41: From Aniconism to Iconism
Figure 42: Full Blown display of deities, Ajanta Caves, 600 CE
Figure 43: Vishnu, 600 CE, Badami Caves
Figure 44: Varaha, 650 CE, Ellora Caves
While such architectural progress was taking place inside caves, some architects were also making rock cut temples wherein the temples were carved out from a rock/mountain. This allowed them to make massive structures which caves couldn’t accommodate and whose height couldn’t be matched by free standing temples.
Figure 45: Kailasha Rock Cut Temple, Ellora
Figure 46: Underground Shiva Temple, Hampi
However, the style of temple which eventually became the standard style as we see today was the free standing temple. Its origin can be attributed to the Gupta Empire at around 500 CE in the North and the Chalukya Empire at 600 CE in the South.
Figure 47: Temple 17, 500 CE, Sanchi
Figure 48: Durga Temple, 650 CE, Aihole, Karnataka
Figure 49: Galaganatha Temple, 700 CE, Patadakkal, Karnataka
Once the architects figured out how to make temples from free standing stone pillars and how to take heavy construction materials to the top, we see a gradual increase in complexity and grandeur even in free standing temples. From this point onwards, we see the divergence in temple architecture; ultimately giving birth to Nagara and Dravida temple architecture. Around 1000 CE onwards we see bigger and taller temples with complex designs.
Figure 50: Viswanatha Temple, Nagara Architecture, Maru Gurjara Style, 900 CE, Khajuraho
Figure 51: Lakshmana Temple, Khajuraho
Figure 52: Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple, Dravida Architecture, 1000 CE, Thanjavur
Figure 53: Brihadeshwara Temple, Thanjavur
This brings an end to the story of India I wanted to share with the internet. While I have visited places dated between 1100-1900 CE, I have chosen to not share that story due to personal reasons.
I am grateful to my parents for kick starting this journey as kid and to the Buddha who gave me the wisdom to rethink about what it meant be a part of this holy land. I will continue to make some detailed posts about particular sites and topics in the future.
After defeating the weakened forces of the Delhi Sultanate , Timur ordered large-scale massacres of civilians. Thousands of prisoners were executed even before the final battle to prevent rebellion, and once the city fell, widespread killing followed across neighborhoods.
Contemporary chronicles mention 100,000+ prisoners executed in a single day.
One of the most chilling symbols of this approach was the construction of “towers of skulls,” where the severed heads of the dead were stacked into pyramids as a public display.
In his autobiography, Timur stated, “My object in the invasion of Hindustan is to lead an expedition against the infidels, to convert them to the true faith of Islam and purify the land itself from the filth, infidelity, and polytheism.” Spreading Islam, he wanted to acquire the title of ‘Ghazi’.
Above image is of Rajkumari Amiyabala, 1950, of the House of Hatkhola and Manikgunj.
She was born to Sailendranath Sircar and Mrinalini in the royal house of Hatkhola. Her grandfather was Peary Charan Sarkar, an eminent educationist, often referred to as Arnold of the East, he wrote the first book of reading and established two schools. Rajkumari Kalishkamini, wife of Peary Charan and the grandmother of Amiyabala was the fourth daughter of Raja Shib Narayan Basu. Raja Shib Narayan Basu was the Zamindar King of the House of Hatkhola in West Bengal, a branch of House of Manikgunj in Bangladesh. The father of Shib Narayan Basu was Maharaja Manik Ram Basu, the wealthy Zamindar monarch of Manikgunj and founder of the Houses of Hatkhola and Manikgunj.
Amiyabala married Dhirendra Mohan Dhar a barrister-at-law from the Gray's in, a mathematician son of Mohini Mohan Dhar, the Judge and Dewan of Mayurbhanj. Dhirendra Mohan Dhar was a member of the Royal House of Dar, of Akhnoor. Founded in 17 century by Harikrishna. The House operated fully under the leadership of Maharaja Virendra Mohan Dar.
Amiyabala had two children, one of them was Chittajit Mohan Dhar who was a former Member of Parliament, Congress Party and a chemical industrialist.
One of the most debated issues in ancient Indian history is the question of who Ashoka's immediate successors were.
The list of Ashoka's successors as per various Puranas -
A. Vishnu Purana - Suyushas, Dasaratha, Samgata, Salisuka, Somasarman, Satadhanvan, Brihadratha.
B. Vayu Purana - Kunala, Bandhupalita, Indrapalita, Devavarma, Satadhara, Brhadasva.
C. Matsya Purana - Dasaratha, Samprati, Satadhanvan, Brihadratha.
D. Bhagavatam - Suyushas, Samgata, Salisuka, Somasarman, Satadhanvan, Brihadratha.
E. Brahmanda Purana - Kusala/Kunala, Bandhupalita, Indrapalita, Devavarma, Satadhanu, Brihadratha.
All Puranas agree that Satadhanvan (Satadhara or Satadhanu) and Brihadratha (Brhadasva) were the final two Mauryan emperors. Suyushas and Kunala also seems to be the same Person.
Vishnu Purana and Matsya Purana mentions a Dasharatha Maurya as a successor to Ashoka. This Dasharatha Maurya is 100% a real king as we have an inscription of him.
"The cave of Gopika, a refuge that will last as long as the sun and the moon, was dug by Devanampiya (beloved of the gods) Dasaratha at from his elevation to the throne, to make it a hermitage for the most pious Ajivikas".
\- Gopika cave Inscription of Dasharatha Maurya.
Buddhist and Jain texts totally ignore Dasaratha and Instead say that Samprati was the immediate successor of Ashoka. At that time, Kunala's son, Sampadin, had become the heir apparent.
"The ministers therefore gave four kotis of gold pieces for the Teaching in order to buy back the Earth, and they consecrated Sampadin as king."
\- Ashoka's last gift, Ashokavadana.
"Samprati, accordingly, was named Kunala’s son, and, though a baby in arms, he was anointed Asoka’s successor, after whose demise he ascended the throne and became a powerful monarch. Samprati was a staunch Jaina."
\- Parisitaparvan.
Another theory is that Ashoka in his deathbed divided the empire between his two grandsons - Dasharatha and Samprati.
The idea we get from these accounts is that there seems to be some general confusion and instability following Ashoka's death.
The type of question mentioned in the post title while being fairly innocuous on the surface, ends up often being a type of agenda posting in practice, with dog whistles being thrown to those believing certain political talking points and the resulting comments section often filled with unproductive and even hateful comments whose tone and tenor are not conducive to productive historical discussions of the past. These posts end up being a type of soapbox for present day political concerns, and are hence violative of the no current politics rule in the sub. To emphasise, this is not to take away from the discussion of difficult and/or less savoury aspects of the history of the Subcontinent, there have indeed been posts in the sub that have and will continue to highlight the same, however what is not being permitted here are posts and titles whose very framing is loaded from the start, making the conversations that follow decidedly unproductive. Hence, such measures have been deemed necessary to maintain the quality of discussion in the sub.
A short writeup about Kanhoji Angre — the 18th century Indian admiral who kept the British, Dutch, AND Portuguese in check simultaneously
Kanhoji Angre (also called Conajee Angria or Sarkhel Angré) was born in 1669 on Suvarnadurg fort near Ratnagiri. His dad served under the legendary Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, so naval/military life was basically in his blood.
Here's why he's so fascinating:
He went toe-to-toe with every major European colonial power at once. The British, Dutch, and Portuguese were all trying to dominate Indian Ocean trade routes, and this guy was the main reason they couldn't just walk in and take over. He captured European merchant ships and collected taxes from them.
In 1713, when Peshwa Bahirupant Pingle led a military force specifically to bring Angre to heel, Angre turned it around completely — defeated him AND took him captive. Instead of this ending badly, it led to negotiations where Angre was officially crowned Admiral (Sarkhel) of the Maratha fleet and given ten forts and sixteen fortified posts. Remarkable diplomatic outcome for someone who just kidnapped the Peshwa.
European powers genuinely could not catch him. The British East India Company repeatedly tried and failed. His knowledge of the coastline and guerrilla-style naval tactics made him nearly untouchable.
He died in 1729 still undefeated, which is a pretty rare distinction for anyone who spent decades fighting multiple colonial empires simultaneously.
The guy deserves a Netflix series at minimum.
Why is “Rajputana” typically used to refer only to the Rajput-ruled states within present-day Rajasthan, when historically there were many other Rajput states and territories in regions that are now part of Pakistan (such as Sindh), Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, which are connected with those states? Why aren’t these also included under the same framework?
Additionally, just as the Rajput states of Rajputana shared certain cultural, political, and social characteristics, did similar forms of unity or common identity exist among the Pahadi Rajput states and the Dogra Rajputs as well?
Thanks.
Images -
2.Lactose tolerance
Vegetarians v/s Non Vegetarians
Wheat v/s Rice
Pizza v/s Biryani
Language groups
(thanks to Indiainpixels for image 2, 3, 4🙏🏻)
Hello history geeks, I am a physician (an aspiring neurologist) who recently developed interest in Indian and world history. Even though I used to despise it back on school, I am now very intrigued to learn about my country's history, specifically the impact of religions on it. Especially after moving out of India, I realized I barely know about my country as life never gave me time to learn history. Given the current socio-political situation, I realized only reading history can give me a better understanding of the current state. I came across this video, if anyone has seen it, please share your opinion on its accuracy. I would also love to seek some recommendations for books that I should be reading to get a good idea of our history. Thank you for reading.https://youtu.be/syocq98pAy8?si=JnHvpUEfDoPzWkRR
![[Original Source Attached] Akbar had a law that any girl without a veil in public will be sent to prostitution](https://preview.redd.it/s3a0fjlmuctg1.png?width=140&height=140&crop=1:1,smart&auto=webp&s=1e248d84b35391ec8e1b3bb78fb53f8fd956c9c1)
And if a woman was found running about the lanes and bazars of the town, and while so doing either did not veil herself, or allowed herself to become unveiled, or if a woman was worthless and deceitful and quite shameless, she was to go to the quarter of the prostitutes and take up the profession.
English Tanslation of Badauni's Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh (Vol. II) page 405: https://ia601405.us.archive.org/5/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.118062/2015.118062.A-History-Of-India-Muntakhabu-t-tawarikh-Vol-2_text.pdf
Original source from Badauni's Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh (Vol. II) persian page 380 :
Page 192 in this pdf : https://archive.org/details/MuntakhabAl-tavarikhOfBadauni.Volume2.Persian/page/n189/mode/2up
Translation: https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtMg_22b7b720-ae3a-4b92-a9a2-a35bca312ae2
peer-reviewed
Secondary peer reviewd citation Soma Mukherjee,p.46: https://scispace.com/pdf/women-performers-and-prostitutes-in-medieval-india-2rh1thtnlz.pdf
