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…
Battle of Chach or Battle of Chaach , 1008 CE It was fought between the Mahmud of Ghazni and the Hindu Shahi ruler Anandapala, near Hazro (in the Attock district of Punjab Province of Pakistan) in 1008 CE. (Image Source: Wikipedia) It was Mahmud’s sixth raid on India. Anadapala’s army was led by his son,…
How to choose an Optional Subject The Mains part of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination decides the actual rank of a candidate and therefore is the most significant aspect of the examination. Even after clearing UPSC CSE Prelims multiple times, candidates find it difficult to secure a rank. The selection of…
Which optional subject has a higher chance of Success in UPSC Mains? Selection of an optional subject is an investment of valuable time and effort. Like each investment, it should be a good analytical exercise to note the potential returns. Every year, the number of candidates who appear for the written examinations in the Mains…
⦁ Hindu Shahis ruled the western part of the Indian subcontinent, including the Kabul Valley, Gandhara and west Punjab, between 822-1026 CE. (Image Source: Wikipedia) ⦁ Kallar, a Brahmin vizier of the Turk Shahis, founded the Hindu Shahi dynasty. ⦁ Mahmud of Ghazni as a prince and then as the Sultan of Ghazni, led multiple…
Who was Firdausi? Firdausi was a poet of great stature in Persian literature, famous as a philosopher. He was a contemporary of Mahmud of Ghazni. He was born in the Khorasan region of the Samanid Empire (in present-day Iran). What are the works of Firdausi? Shahnameh Firdausi authored the famous work ‘Shahnameh’ (Book of Kings)…
