Gurjaras

After the collapse of the Gupta Empire in the 6th century AD, its former possessions fragmented into a patchwork of successor states ruled by various chieftains and dynasties. During the 8th century, a king named Nagabhata took command of the region, inaugurating the Pratihara dynasty – also known as Gurjara-Pratihara for the region that the Pratihara kings ruled. The Pratiharas participated prominently in the Kannauj Triangle rivalry, fighting the Rashtrakutas and Bengali Palas for control of Kannauj and the lands surrounding it.

One especially noteworthy monarch, Mihira Bhoja, expanded the Pratihara realm throughout all of Gujarat and beyond. Various sources describe his prowess as a ruler and the vastness of his armies, making specific reference to a cavalry force riding Shrivamsha horses, a breed noted for their elite levels of speed, endurance, and agility. The Pratihara kings also had to contend with increasingly large Muslim invasions across the Hindu Kush. While initially successful in fending them off, the Pratihara realm suffered from a process of attrition brought on by these various conflicts and weakened considerably over time. The dynasty’s death knell rang in the early 11th century when Mahmud Ghaznavi’s armies sacked Kannauj, displacing the Pratihara ruling family.

The Pratiharas were not the only noteworthy players in northwestern India at this time. Also figuring into the power struggle over this fruitful region were the Chandelas (9th-13th centuries), Paramaras (9th-14th centuries), Solankis (10th-13th centuries), and Soomros of Sindh (11th-14th centuries). These and several other states contributed to a vast amount of cultural, linguistic, and religious variety in this part of the world. Their differences at times bred rivalry, but more often this remarkable diversity was an emblem of cultural transfer and convergence, with conflicts being primarily politically motivated.

During the 12th century, much of north and northwestern India came under the hegemony of Prithviraj Chauhan of Ajmer, a powerful ruler in Rajputana. Prithviraj, whose story survives principally in the epic Prithviraj Raso, put down a relative’s revolt, subdued several neighboring states, and married Sanyogita, the daughter of his rival Jayachandra. This union had disastrous consequences, as a jealous advisor conspired with Jayachandra to overthrow Prithviraj by inviting the zealous armies of Muhammad Ghori to invade. Although Prithviraj initially held off the waves of Ghorid invaders, he was slain and his kingdom then succumbed to conquest. Muhammad Ghori’s successor, Qutb al-Din Aibak, went on to found the Delhi Sultanate in 1206.

The Delhi Sultanate overextended itself, leading several regions to splinter off during the 14th and 15th centuries. Three prominent powers during this time were the Gujarat and Malwa Sultanates, and the Sisodias of Mewar, all of which retained power until the rise of the Mughal Empire. While Gujarat and Malwa fell to the Mughals during the 16th century, Mewar survived somewhat longer thanks to the efforts of its valiant ruler, Maharana Pratap, who fought the Mughals to a stalemate. His successors took up the fight, but after further military impasses negotiated an agreement, retaining autonomy while recognizing Mughal supremacy.