Civilizations, empires and states in Southern Asia

[Shah-Jehan]

The history of Southern Asia in Theapricity is generally relatively unknown or vague to some people. I wanted to create a thread that reflected the history of the region in reference to various major civilizations in the region from the Bronze Age starting with the Indus valley civilization all the way to the British period.

Bronze Age (3000-1300 BC)

Indus Valley Civilization
http://www.mapsofindia.com/history/indus-valley-civilization-map.jpg

The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) was a Bronze Age civilization (3300–1300 BCE; mature period 2600–1900 BCE) extending from what today is northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India. Along with Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, it was one of three early civilizations of the Old World, and the most widespread among them, covering an area of 1.25 million km2. It flourished in the basins of the Indus River, one of the major rivers of Asia, and the now dried up Sarasvati River, which once coursed through northwest India and eastern Pakistan together with its tributaries flowed along a channel, presently identified as that of the Ghaggar-Hakra River on the basis of various scientific studies.

At its peak, the Indus Civilization may have had a population of over five million. Inhabitants of the ancient Indus river valley developed new techniques in handicraft (carnelian products, seal carving) and metallurgy (copper, bronze, lead, and tin). The Indus cities are noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, and clusters of large non-residential buildings.

The Indus Valley Civilization is also known as the Harappan Civilization, after Harappa, the first of its sites to be excavated in the 1920s, in what was then the Punjab province of British India, and is now in Pakistan. The discovery of Harappa, and soon afterwards, Mohenjo-Daro, was the culmination of work beginning in 1861 with the founding of the Archaeological Survey of India in the British Raj. Excavation of Harappan sites has been ongoing since 1920, with important breakthroughs occurring as recently as 1999. There were earlier and later cultures, often called Early Harappan and Late Harappan, in the same area of the Harappan Civilization. The Harappan civilization is sometimes called the Mature Harappan culture to distinguish it from these cultures. By 1999, over 1,056 cities and settlements had been found,

Early Vedic Indo-Aryan Civilization
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Late_Vedic_Culture_%281100-500_BCE%29.png/1024px-Late_Vedic_Culture_%281100-500_BCE%29.png

The Vedic period (or Vedic age) (ca.1750–500 BCE) was the period in Indian history during which the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, were composed.

During the early part of the Vedic period, the Indo-Aryans settled into northern India, bringing with them their specific religious traditions. The associated culture (sometimes referred to as Vedic civilization was initially a tribal, pastoral society centred in the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent; it spread after 1200 BCE to the Ganges Plain, as it was shaped by increasing settled agriculture, a hierarchy of four social classes, and the emergence of monarchical, state-level polities

Iron Age (1200-26 BC)

Mahajanapadas and other janapadas
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/EpicIndiaCities.jpg/640px-EpicIndiaCities.jpg

Mahājanapada (Sanskrit: महाजनपद, Mahājanapada, literally "great realm" from maha, "great", and janapada "foothold of a tribe", "country") refers to one of the sixteen kingdoms and oligarchic republics that existed in ancient India from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE. Ancient Buddhist texts like Anguttara Nikaya make frequent reference to sixteen great kingdoms and republics which had evolved and flourished in a belt stretching from Gandhara in the northwest to Anga in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent and included parts of the trans-Vindhyan region, prior to the rise of Buddhism in India

Eastern Satraps (provinces) of the Achaemenid empire (550-330 BC)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Eastern_border_of_the_Achaemenid_Empire.jpg

The modern day regions of Balochestan, Afghanistan, Punjab, Sindh and Gujarat were part of the eastern provinces of the Achaemenid empire during their extension in Southern Asia

Early Magadha Empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Magadha_Expansion_%286th-4th_centuries_BCE%29.png/800px-Magadha_Expansion_%286th-4th_centuries_BCE%29.png

Magadha (Sanskrit: मगध) formed one of the sixteen Mahā-Janapadas (Sanskrit: "Great Countries") or kingdoms in ancient India. The core of the kingdom was the area of Bihar south of the Ganges; its first capital was Rajagriha (modern Rajgir) then Pataliputra (modern Patna). Rajagriha was initially known as 'Girivrijja' and later came to be known as so during the reign of Ajathashatru. Magadha expanded to include most of Bihar and Bengal with the conquest of Licchavi and Anga respectively,followed by much of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Orissa. The ancient kingdom of Magadha is heavily mentioned in Jain and Buddhist texts. It is also mentioned in the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas. A state of Magadha, possibly a tribal kingdom, is recorded in Vedic texts much earlier in time than 600BCE.

[Shah-Jehan]

Nanda empire of Magadha
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Nanda_Empire%2C_c.325_BCE.png/800px-Nanda_Empire%2C_c.325_BCE.png

The Nanda Dynasty (345–321 BCE) originated from the region of Magadha in ancient India during the 4th century BC. At its greatest extent, the empire ruled by the Nanda Dynasty extended from Bengal in the east, to Punjab in the west and as far south as the Vindhya Range. The rulers of this dynasty were famed for the great wealth which they accumulated. The Nanda Empire was later conquered by Chandragupta Maurya, who founded the Maurya Empire.

Macedonian empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/MacedonEmpire.jpg/1280px-MacedonEmpire.jpg

The Macedonian army conquered Afghanistan, Punjab and parts of Sindh

Maurya empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Maurya_Empire%2C_c.250_BCE_2.png/800px-Maurya_Empire%2C_c.250_BCE_2.png

The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in ancient India, ruled by the Maurya dynasty from 322–185 BCE. Originating from the kingdom of Magadha in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (modern Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh) in the eastern side of the Indian subcontinent, the empire had its capital city at Pataliputra (modern Patna).The Empire was founded in 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya, who had overthrown the Nanda Dynasty and rapidly expanded his power westwards across central and western India, taking advantage of the disruptions of local powers in the wake of the withdrawal westward by Alexander the Great's Hellenic armies. By 316 BCE the empire had fully occupied Northwestern India, defeating and conquering the satraps left by Alexander. Chandragupta then defeated the invasion led by Seleucus I, a Macedonian general from Alexander's army, gaining additional territory west of the Indus River.

The Maurya Empire was one of the world's largest empires in its time, and the largest ever in the Indian subcontinent. At its greatest extent, the empire stretched to the north along the natural boundaries of the Himalayas, to the east into Assam, to the west into Balochistan (south west Pakistan and south east Iran) and the Hindu Kush mountains of what is now Afghanistan.[5] The Empire was expanded into India's central and southern regions by the emperors Chandragupta and Bindusara, but it excluded a small portion of unexplored tribal and forested regions near Kalinga (modern Odisha), until it was conquered by Ashoka. It declined for about 50 years after Ashoka's rule ended, and it dissolved in 185 BCE with the foundation of the Sunga Dynasty in Magadha.

Under Chandragupta and his successors, internal and external trade, agriculture and economic activities, all thrived and expanded across India thanks to the creation of a single and efficient system of finance, administration, and security. After the Kalinga War, the Empire experienced nearly half a century of peace and security under Ashoka. Mauryan India also enjoyed an era of social harmony, religious transformation, and expansion of the sciences and of knowledge. Chandragupta Maurya's embrace of Jainism increased social and religious renewal and reform across his society, while Ashoka's embrace of Buddhism has been said to have been the foundation of the reign of social and political peace and non-violence across all of India. Ashoka sponsored the spreading of Buddhist ideals into Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, West Asia and Mediterranean Europe.

The population of the empire has been estimated to be about 50 – 60 million making the Mauryan Empire one of the most populous empires of Antiquity. Archaeologically, the period of Mauryan rule in South Asia falls into the era of Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW). The Arthashastra and the Edicts of Ashoka are the primary sources of written records of Mauryan times. The Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath has been made the national emblem of India.

Pandya empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Pandya_territories.png

The Pandyan or Pandian dynasty was an ancient Tamil dynasty, one of the three Tamil dynasties, the other two being the Chola and the Chera. The Pandya King, along with Chera King and Chola King, together were called as Three Crowned Kings of Tamilakam. The dynasty ruled parts of South India from around 600 BCE (Early Pandyan Kingdom) to first half of 17th century CE. They initially ruled their country Pandya Nadu from Korkai, a seaport on the southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, and in later times moved to Madurai. Fish being their flag, Pandyas were experts in water management, agriculture(mostly near river banks) and fisheries and they were eminent sailors and sea traders too. Pandyan was well known since ancient times, with contacts, even diplomatic, reaching the Roman Empire. The Pandyan empire was home to temples including Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, and Nellaiappar Temple built on the bank of the river Thamirabarani in Tirunelveli. The Pandya kings were called either Jatavarman or Maravarman Pandyan. From being Jains in their early ages, they became Shaivaits after some centuries of rule.Strabo states that an Indian king called Pandion sent Augustus Caesar "presents and gifts of honour".[5] The country of the Pandyas, Pandi Mandala, was described as Pandyan Mediterranea in the Periplus and Modura Regia Pandyan by Ptolemy.

Chera Kingdom
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Kalabhras_territories.png

The Chera dynasty also known as Kerala Putras, Chera was an ancient dynasty in India, ruling over an area corresponding to modern-day western Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Together with the Chola and the Pandyas, it formed the three principal warring Iron Age kingdoms of southern India in the early centuries of the Common Era.

Chola empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Rajendra_map_new.svg/465px-Rajendra_map_new.svg.png

The Chola dynasty (Tamil: சோழர்) was one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of southern India. Together with the Chēras and the Pāndyas, the Cholas formed the three main Tamil dynasties of Iron Age India, who were collectively known as the Three Crowned Kings. The earliest datable references to this Tamil dynasty are in inscriptions from the 3rd century BCE left by Ashoka, of the Maurya Empire and in the ancient Sangam literature.

The heartland of the Cholas was the fertile valley of the Kaveri River, but they ruled a significantly larger area at the height of their power from the later half of the 9th century till the beginning of the 13th century. The whole country south of the Tungabhadra river was united and held as one state for a period of two centuries and more.[1] Under Emperor Rajaraja Chola I and his successors Rajendra Chola I, Rajadhiraja Chola, Virarajendra Chola and Kulothunga Chola I the dynasty became a military, economic and cultural power in South Asia and South-East Asia. The power of the new empire was proclaimed to the eastern world by the expedition to the Ganges in northern India which Rajendra Chola I undertook and by the occupation of cities of the maritime empire of Srivijaya in Southeast Asia, as well as by the repeated embassies to China.

During the period 1010–1200, the Chola territories stretched from the islands of the Maldives in the south to as far north as the banks of the Godavari River in Telangana.[4] Rajaraja Chola conquered peninsular South India, annexed parts of which is now Sri Lanka and occupied the islands of the Maldives. Rajendra Chola sent a victorious expedition to North India that touched the river Ganges and defeated the Pala ruler of Pataliputra, Mahipala. His army went on to invade modern Bangladesh and defeated Govindachandra who was the last ruler of the Candra Dynasty. He also successfully invaded cities of Srivijaya in Malaysia, Indonesia and Southern Thailand.The Chola dynasty went into decline at the beginning of the 13th century with the rise of the Pandyan Dynasty, which ultimately caused their downfall.

Their patronage of Tamil literature and their zeal in the building of temples has resulted in some great works of Tamil literature and architecture. The Chola kings were avid builders and envisioned the temples in their kingdoms not only as places of worship but also as centres of economic activity. They pioneered a centralised form of government and established a disciplined bureaucracy. The Chola school of art spread to Southeast Asia and influenced the architecture and art of Southeast Asia. According to the Malay chronicle Sejarah Melayu the rulers of the Malacca sultanate claimed to be descendants of the kings of the Chola Empire.

Pallava empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Pallava_territories.png

The Pallava dynasty existed between the 3rd and 9th centuries CE, ruling a portion of what is today southern India. They gained prominence after the eclipse of the Satavahana dynasty, whom the Pallavas served as feudatories.[2][3] A number of legends are associated with their origin.

Kharavela Empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Kharavela-Kingdom.GIF

The Mahameghavahana dynasty (Oriya: ମହାମେଘବାହନ; Mahā-Mēgha-Bāhana, c. 250s BC to 400s AD) was an ancient ruling dynasty of Kalinga after the decline of the Mauryan Empire. The third ruler of the dynasty, Khārabēḷa, conquered much of India in a series of campaigns at the beginning of the common era

Indo-Parthian kingdom
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/IndoParthianKingdom.svg/640px-IndoParthianKingdom.svg.png

The Gondopharid dynasty and other Indo-Parthian rulers were a group of ancient kings from Central Asia, who ruled parts of present day Afghanistan, Pakistan and northwestern India, during or slightly before the 1st century AD. For most of their history, the leading Gondopharid kings held Taxila (in the present Punjab province of Pakistan) as their residence, but during their last few years of existence the capital shifted between Kabul and Peshawar. These kings have traditionally been referred to as Indo-Parthians, as their coinage was often inspired by the Arsacid dynasty, but they probably belonged to a wider groups of Iranian tribes who lived east of Parthia proper, and there is no evidence that all the kings who assumed the title Gondophares, which means ”Holder of Glory”, were even related.

Satavahana empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/SatavahanaMap.jpg/640px-SatavahanaMap.jpg

The Sātavāhana Empire was a royal Indian dynasty based from Dharanikota and Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh as well as Junnar (Pune) and Prathisthan (Paithan) in Maharashtra. The territory of the empire covered much of India from 230 BCE onward. Although there is some controversy about when the dynasty came to an end, the most liberal estimates suggest that it lasted about 450 years, until around 220 CE. The Satavahanas are credited for establishing peace in the country, resisting the onslaught of foreigners after the decline of Mauryan Empire.

[Shah-Jehan]

Indo-Scythian empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/IndoScythianKingdom.svg/640px-IndoScythianKingdom.svg.png

Indo-Scythians is a term used to refer to Scythians (Sakas), who migrated into parts of central and northern South Asia (Sogdiana, Bactria, Arachosia, Gandhara, Sindh, Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar), from the middle of the 2nd century BC to the 4th century AD.

The first Saka king in south Asia was Maues (Moga) (1st century BC) who established Saka power in Gandhara (modern day Pakistan and Afghanistan region) and gradually extended supremacy over north-western India. Indo-Scythian rule in northwestern India ended with the last Western Satrap Rudrasimha III in AD 395 who was defeated by the Indian Emperor Chandragupta II of the Gupta Empire. The power of the Saka rulers started to decline in the 2nd century AD after the Indo-Scythians were defeated by the south Indian Emperor Gautamiputra Satakarni of the Satavahana dynasty . Later the Saka kingdom was completely destroyed by Chandragupta II of the Gupta Empire in the 4th century.

The invasion of India by Scythian tribes from Central Asia, often referred to as the Indo-Scythian invasion, played a significant part in the history of South Asia as well as nearby countries. In fact, the Indo-Scythian war is just one chapter in the events triggered by the nomadic flight of Central Asians from conflict with tribes such as the Xiongnu in the 2nd century AD, which had lasting effects on Bactria, Kabul, Parthia and India as well as far-off Rome in the west.

Indo-Greek kingdom
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Indo-Greeks_100bc.jpg

he Indo-Greek Kingdom or Graeco-Indian Kingdom was a Hellenistic kingdom covering various parts of the northwest regions of the Indian subcontinent (modern Afghanistan, Pakistan and North Western India) during the last two centuries BC, and was ruled by more than 30 kings, often in conflict with each other.

Sunga empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Sunga-Border.jpg/640px-Sunga-Border.jpg

The Sunga Empire (Sanskrit: शुंग राजवंश) or Shunga Empire was an ancient Indian dynasty from Magadha that controlled vast areas of the Indian Subcontinent from around 187 to 78 BCE. The dynasty was established by Pushyamitra Sunga, after the fall of the Maurya Empire. Its capital was Pataliputra, but later emperors such as Bhagabhadra also held court at Besnagar, modern Vidisha in Eastern Malwa.

[Shah-Jehan]

Classical period (21-1279 AD)

Western Satraps empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/WKshatrapas.jpg/640px-WKshatrapas.jpg

The Western Satraps, Western Kshatrapas, or Kshaharatas (35–405) were Saka rulers of the western and central part of India (Saurashtra and Malwa: modern Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh states).

They were contemporaneous with the Kushans who ruled the northern part of the Indian subcontinent and were possibly their overlords, and the Satavahana (Andhra) who ruled in Central India. They are called "Western" in contrast to the "Northern" Indo-Scythian satraps who ruled in the area of Mathura, such as Rajuvula, and his successors under the Kushans, the "Great Satrap" Kharapallana and the "Satrap" Vanaspara.[1] Although they called themselves "Satraps" on their coins, leading to their modern designation of "Western Satraps", Ptolemy in his 2nd century "Geographia" still called them "Indo-Scythians".[2]The power of the Saka rulers started to decline in the 2nd century CE after the Saka rulers were defeated by the south Indian Emperor Gautamiputra Satakarni of the Satavahana dynasty.[3] Later the Saka kingdom was completely destroyed by Chandragupta II of the Gupta Empire in the 4th century CE

Kushan empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Kushanmap.jpg/640px-Kushanmap.jpg

The Kushan Empire (Bactrian: κυϸανο; Sanskrit: कुषाण राजवंश Kuṣāṇ Rājavaṃśa; BHS: Guṣāṇa-vaṃśa; Parthian: �������� �������� Kušan-xšaθr[4]) was an empire in South Asia originally formed in the early 1st century AD under Kujula Kadphises in the territories of the former Greco-Bactrian Kingdom around the Oxus River (Amu Darya), and later based near Kabul, Afghanistan.[5] The Kushans spread from the Kabul River Valley to also encompass much of the Indo-Greek Kingdom, from which they took their first official language (Greek), Bactrian alphabet, Greco-Buddhist religion, coinage system, and art. They absorbed the Central Asian tribes that had previously conquered parts of the northern central Iranian Plateau once ruled by the Parthians, and reached their peak under the Buddhist emperor Kanishka (127–151), whose realm stretched from Turfan in the Tarim Basin to Pataliputra on the Gangetic Plain.

Sassanids and Indo-Sassanids
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Indo-Sassanid.jpg

The Indo-Sassanids, Kushano-Sassanids or Kushanshas (also Indo-Sassanians) were a branch of the Sassanid Persians who established their rule in the northwestern Indian subcontinent during the third and fourth centuries at the expense of the declining Kushans. They were in turn displaced in 410 by the invasions of the Huna people. They were able to re-establish some authority after the Sassanids destroyed the Hephthalites in 565, but their rule collapsed under Arab attacks in the mid 7th century.

Vakataka kingdom
http://www.timemaps.com/store/timemaps/2012/4/newsouthasia_ad500.jpg

The Vākāṭaka Empire (Marathi: वाकाटक) was a royal Indian dynasty that originated from the Deccan in the mid-third century CE. Their state is believed to have extended from the southern edges of Malwa and Gujarat in the north to the Tungabhadra River in the south as well as from the Arabian Sea in the western to the edges of Chhattisgarh in the east. They were the most important successors of the Satavahanas in the Deccan and contemporaneous with the Guptas in northern India.

Gupta empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Gupta_Empire_320_-_600_ad.PNG

he Gupta Empire (Sanskrit: गुप्तसाम्राज्य, Gupta Sāmrājya) was an ancient Indian empire, founded by Maharaja Sri Gupta, which existed from approximately 320 to 550 CE and covered much of the Indian Subcontinent. The peace and prosperity created under the leadership of the Guptas enabled the pursuit of scientific and artistic endeavours. This period is called the Golden Age of India and was marked by extensive inventions and discoveries in science, technology, engineering, art, dialectic, literature, logic, mathematics, astronomy, religion and philosophy that crystallized the elements of what is generally known as Hindu culture. Chandra Gupta I, Samudra Gupta, and Chandra Gupta II were the most notable rulers of the Gupta dynasty. The 4th century CE Sanskrit poet Kalidasa credits Guptas with having conquered about twenty one kingdoms, both in and outside India, including the kingdoms of Parasikas, the Hunas, the Kambojas, tribes located in the west and east Oxus valleys, the Kinnaras, Kiratas etc.

The high points of this cultural creativity are magnificent architecture, sculptures and paintings. The Gupta period produced scholars such as Kalidasa, Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Vishnu Sharma and Vatsyayana who made great advancements in many academic fields. Science and political administration reached new heights during the Gupta era. Strong trade ties also made the region an important cultural center and set the region up as a base that would influence nearby kingdoms and regions in Burma, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. The earliest available Indian epics are also thought to have been written around this period.

Kadamba kingdom
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/Indian_Kadamba_Empire_map.svg/640px-Indian_Kadamba_Empire_map.svg.png

Kadamba (345 – 525 CE) was an ancient royal dynasty of Karnataka, India that ruled northern Karnataka and the Konkan from Banavasi in present day Uttara Kannada district. At the peak of their power under King Kakushtavarma, the Kadambas of Banavasi ruled large parts of modern Karnataka state.

Western Ganga kingdom
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Western-ganga-empire-map.svg/250px-Western-ganga-empire-map.svg.png

Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 1000 AD. They are known as 'Western Gangas' to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over Kalinga (modern Odisha). The general belief is that the Western Gangas began their rule during a time when multiple native clans asserted their freedom due to the weakening of the Pallava empire in South India, a geo-political event sometimes attributed to the southern conquests of Samudra Gupta. The Western Ganga sovereignty lasted from about 350 to 550 AD, initially ruling from Kolar and later, moving their capital to Talakad on the banks of the Kaveri River in modern Mysore district.

Kamarupa Kingdom
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Kamarupa_7th-8th_Century_AD.jpg/250px-Kamarupa_7th-8th_Century_AD.jpg

Kāmarūpa or Kāmarūpa Kingdom (/ˈkɑːməˌruːpə/; also called Pragjyotisha), was one of the first historical kingdoms of Assam, alongside Davaka, existing from 350 to 1140 CE. Ruled by three dynasties from their capitals in present-day Guwahati, North Guwahati and Tezpur, it at its height covered the entire Brahmaputra Valley, North Bengal, Bhutan and parts of Bangladesh, and at times portions of West Bengal and Bihar

[Shah-Jehan]

Huna empire
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R4ArI8GvVV0/U9JmTl9F35I/AAAAAAAAEI4/ZnVeq5Ctfe0/s1600/Map+of+Huna+Kingdom.jpg

The Hunas were Iranian-speaking Xionite tribes who, via Khyber Pass, entered India at the end of the 5th or early 6th century and were defeated by the Indian Gupta Empire and the Indian king Yasodharman.[2] In its farthest geographical extent in India, the Huna empire covered the region up to Malwa in central India

Chalukya empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Badami-chalukya-empire-map.svg/250px-Badami-chalukya-empire-map.svg.png

The Chalukya dynasty ([tʃaːɭukjə]) was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynasty, known as the "Badami Chalukyas", ruled from Vatapi (modern Badami) from the middle of the 6th century. The Badami Chalukyas began to assert their independence at the decline of the Kadamba kingdom of Banavasi and rapidly rose to prominence during the reign of Pulakesi II. After the death of Pulakesi II, the Eastern Chalukyas became an independent kingdom in the eastern Deccan. They ruled from Vengi until about the 11th century. In the western Deccan, the rise of the Rashtrakutas in the middle of the 8th century eclipsed the Chalukyas of Badami before being revived by their descendants, the Western Chalukyas, in the late 10th century. These Western Chalukyas ruled from Kalyani (modern Basavakalyan) until the end of the 12th century.

Eastern Chalukya kingdom
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qwE0CVbz18M/TCPVOynl4-I/AAAAAAAAKoo/3961eltWdhQ/s1600/Chalukya_territories_lg.png

Eastern Chalukyas, or Chalukyas of Vengi,(Kannada) were a South Indian dynasty whose kingdom was located in the present day Andhra Pradesh. Their capital was Vengi (Pedavegi and Denduluru, near Eluru) and their dynasty lasted for around 500 years from the 7th century until c. 1130 C.E. when the Vengi kingdom merged with the Chola empire. The Vengi kingdom was continued to be ruled by Eastern Chalukyan kings under the protection of the Chola empire until 1189 C.E., when the kingdom succumbed to the Hoysalas and the Yadavas. They had their capital originally at Vengi now (Pedavegi, Chinavegi and Denduluru) near Eluru of the West Godavari district end later changed to Rajamahendravaram (Rajamundry).

[Shah-Jehan]

Rashidun Caliphate
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Mohammad_adil-Rashidun-empire-at-its-peak-close.PNG

The eastern provinces of the Rashidun Caliphate comprised of modern day regions of Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan

Gurjara-Pratihara kingdom
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Indian_Kanauj_triangle_map.svg/640px-Indian_Kanauj_triangle_map.svg.png

The Gurjara-Pratihara, also known as the Pratihara Empire, was an imperial dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the mid-7th to the 11th century. Its territories were greater in extent than those of the Gupta empire when at its peak and it began to decline in the early 10th century when it faced several invasions by the south Indian Rashtrakuta dynasty.

Ummayad Caliphate
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Map_of_expansion_of_Caliphate.svg/305px-Map_of_expansion_of_Caliphate.svg.png

eastern provinces in India

Pala empire of Bengal
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Pala_Empire_(Dharmapala).gif

The Pala Empire was a Buddhist imperial power in Classical India. It is named after its ruling dynasty, all of whose rulers bore names ending with the suffix -Pala (meaning "protector" in Prakrit). The kingdom was centered around present-day Bangladesh and eastern India. The Palas had ushered in a period of stability and prosperity in the Bengal-Bihar region. They were the followers of the Mahayana and Vajrayana schools of Buddhism. They created many outstanding temples and works of art, including the Somapura Mahavihara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The renowned universities of Nalanda and Vikramashila flourished under their patronage. The commercial and cultural influence of the Palas reached far and wide, with trade networks and intellectual contacts spanning across the Himalayas to Southeast Asia. The Arabs recorded them as the most benevolent rulers in India.

Gopala, the first ruler from the dynasty, came to power during the 750s in a landmark election by regional chieftains. The empire reached its peak under his successors Dharmapala and Devapala, who fought with the Rashtrakutas and the Gurjara-Pratiharas for the control of Kannauj. The death of Devapala ended the period of ascendancy of the Pala Empire, and several independent dynasties and kingdoms emerged during this time. The Pala rule was temporarily rejuvenated, first by Mahipala I and then by Ramapala. Subsequently, the Pala power declined, and they were dethroned by the Senas. The Palas were the last major Buddhist dynasty to rule in South Asia.

[Shah-Jehan]

Rashtrakuta empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Indian_Rashtrakuta_Empire_map.svg/250px-Indian_Rashtrakuta_Empire_map.svg.png

Rashtrakuta (Kannada: ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಕೂಟ, rāṣṭrakūṭa), was a royal dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian Subcontinent between the sixth and the 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant that mentions their rule from Manpur in the Malwa region of modern Madhya Pradesh. Other ruling Rashtrakuta clans from the same period mentioned in inscriptions were the kings of Achalapur (modern Elichpur in Maharashtra) and the rulers of Kannauj. Several controversies exist regarding the origin of these early Rashtrakutas, their native home and their language.

Yadava dynasty
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Asia_1200ad.jpg/300px-Asia_1200ad.jpg

The Seuna, Sevuna or Yadavas of Devagiri (850–1334) was an Indian dynasty, which at its peak ruled a kingdom stretching from the Tungabhadra to the Narmada rivers, including present-day Maharashtra, north Karnataka and parts of Madhya Pradesh, from its capital at Devagiri (present-day Daulatabad in modern Maharashtra). The Yadavas initially ruled as feudatories of the Western Chalukyas. Around the middle of the 12th century, as the Chalukya power waned, they declared independence and established rule that reached its peak under Singhana II.

Solanki kingdom
https://ssrajguru.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/yadav-map.jpg

Solanki's are the Agnivanshi clan. There are four clans claiming Agnivanshi descent, being the Chauhans (Chahamanas), Parihars (Pratiharas), Parmars (Paramaras) and Solankis (Chalukyas). The Solanki dynasty was originally a Gurjar clan, dynasty in late Indian culture that later partly joined rajputs that ruled Gujarat from c. 960 to 1243.

Western Chalukya empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Western-chalukya-empire-map.svg/250px-Western-chalukya-empire-map.svg.png

The Western Chalukya Empire (Kannada: ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯ) ruled most of the western Deccan, South India, between the 10th and 12th centuries. This Kannadiga dynasty is sometimes called the Kalyani Chalukya after its regal capital at Kalyani, today's Basavakalyan in Karnataka and alternatively the Later Chalukya from its theoretical relationship to the 6th-century Chalukya dynasty of Badami. The dynasty is called Western Chalukyas to differentiate from the contemporaneous Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi, a separate dynasty. Prior to the rise of these Chalukyas, the Rashtrakuta empire of Manyakheta controlled most of Deccan and central India for over two centuries. In 973, seeing confusion in the Rashtrakuta empire after a successful invasion of their capital by the ruler of the Paramara dynasty of Malwa, Tailapa II, a feudatory of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty ruling from Bijapur region defeated his overlords and made Manyakheta his capital. The dynasty quickly rose to power and grew into an empire under Somesvara I who moved the capital to Kalyani.

Hoysala empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Hoysala_Empire_extent.svg/250px-Hoysala_Empire_extent.svg.png

The Hoysala empire was a prominent Southern Indian Kannadiga empire that ruled most of the modern-day state of Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur but was later moved to Halebidu.

Sena empire
http://www.indianetzone.com/photos_gallery/70/Downfall_of_Sena_Empire_in_Bengal__Indi.jpg

The Sena Empire (Bengali: সেন সাম্রাজ্য, Shen Sāmrājya) was a Hindu dynasty that ruled from Bengal through the 11th and 12th centuries. The empire at its peak covered much of the north-eastern region of the Indian subcontinent. The rulers of the Sena Dynasty traced their origin to the south Indian region of Karnataka.[

[Shah-Jehan]

Late Medieval period

Delhi Sultanates
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Delhi_History_Map.png

The Delhi Sultanate (Persian: سلطنت دهلی‎) was the name of Delhi-based Muslim kingdoms that ruled over large parts of India for 320 years (1206 – 1526).[3][4] Five dynasties ruled over Delhi Sultanate sequentially, the first four of which were of Turkic origin and the last was the Afghan Lodi. The Lodi dynasty was replaced by the Mughal dynasty. The five dynasties were the Mamluk dynasty (1206–90); the Khilji dynasty (1290–1320); the Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1414); the Sayyid dynasty (1414–51); and the Afghan Lodi dynasty (1451–1526).

Ahom kingdom of Assam
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Ahom-kingdom-c1826p.png/250px-Ahom-kingdom-c1826p.png

The Ahom Kingdom (/ˈɑːhɑːm, ˈɑːhəm/; Assamese: আহোম ৰাজ্য) (1228–1826) was a kingdom in the Brahmaputra valley in Assam, India that maintained its sovereignty for nearly 600 years and successfully resisted Mughal expansion in North-East India. Established by Sukaphaa, a Tai prince from Mong Mao, it began as a Mong in the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra river based on wet rice cultivation. It expanded suddenly under Suhungmung in the 16th century and became multi-ethnic in character, casting a profound effect on the political and social life in the entire Brahmaputra valley. The kingdom became weaker with the rise of the Moamoria rebellion, and subsequently fell to a succession of Burmese invasions. With the defeat of the Burmese after the First Anglo-Burmese War and the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826, control of the kingdom passed into British (East India Company) hands.

Reddy kingdom
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Reddy_Kingdom.png/250px-Reddy_Kingdom.png

he Reddy kingdom (1325–1448 CE) was established in southern India by Prolaya Vema Reddi. The region that was ruled by the Reddi dynasty is now part of modern day coastal and central Andhra Pradesh. Prolaya Vema Reddi was part of the confederation that started a movement against the invading Turkic Muslim armies of the Delhi Sultanate in 1323 CE and succeeded in repulsing them from Warangal.

Vijaynagara empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Vijayanagara-empire-map.svg/250px-Vijayanagara-empire-map.svg.png

The Vijayanagara Empire (also called Karnata Empire), referred to as the Kingdom of Bisnegar by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South India, in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of Sangama Dynasty.[1][2][3] The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts by the southern powers to ward off Islamic invasions by the end of the 13th century. It lasted until 1646 although its power declined after a major military defeat in 1565 by the Deccan sultanates. The empire is named after its capital city of Vijayanagara, whose ruins surround present day Hampi, now a World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India.[4] The writings of medieval European travelers such as Domingo Paes, Fernão Nunes and Niccolò Da Conti, and the literature in local languages provide crucial information about its history. Archaeological excavations at Vijayanagara have revealed the empire's power and wealth.

Gajapati kingdom
http://www.topnews.in/law/files/Orissa-Map_1.jpg

The Gajapatis were a medieval Hindu dynasty (ଗଜପତି ସାମ୍ରାଜ୍ୟ୍) that ruled over Kalinga (the present day Odisha), large parts of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, and the eastern and central parts of Madhya Pradesh and the southern parts of Bihar from 1434-1541. Gajapati dynasty was established by Kapilendra Deva (1434–66) in 1434. During the glorious reign of Kapilendra Deva, the first Gajapati emperor, the borders of the empire of Kalinga-Utkal were expanded immensely and the king took the title of Sri Sri ... (108 times) Gajapati Gaudesvara Nava Koti Karnata Kalvargesvara. This title is still used by the kings of Puri during the Ratha Yatra. The significant rulers of this dynasty were Purushottama Deva (1466–97) and Prataparudra Deva (1497–1540). The last ruler Kakharua Deva was killed by Govinda Vidyadhara in 1541, who founded the Bhoi dynasty.

Deccan Sultanates
http://static.newworldencyclopedia.org/thumb/1/1a/Karta_sodra_indien_1500.jpg/200px-Karta_sodra_indien_1500.jpg

he Deccan sultanates were five dynasties of mixed ethnic background (Afghan, Persian, Turk, Mongol etc) that ruled late medieval kingdoms, namely, Bijapur, Golkonda, Ahmadnagar, Bidar, and Berar in south-western India. The Deccan sultanates were located on the Deccan Plateau, between the Krishna River and the Vindhya Range. These kingdoms became independent during the breakup of the Bahmani Sultanate.[1] In 1490, Ahmadnagar declared independence, followed by Bijapur and Berar in the same year. Golkonda became independent in 1518 and Bidar in 1528.[2] In 1510, Bijapur repulsed an invasion by the Portuguese against the city of Goa, but lost it later that year.

Deva kingdom
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Map_of_Bengal.svg/2000px-Map_of_Bengal.svg.png

Deva Dynasty (c.12th-13th century) was a Hindu dynasty of early medieval Bengal, ruled over eastern Bengal after the Sena dynasty. The capital of this dynasty was Bikrampur in present-day Munshiganj District of Bangladesh. The end of this dynasty is not yet known

Bengal Sultanate
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Bengal_Sultanate.png

The Bengal Sultanate (Bengali: শাহী বাংলা; Persian: سلطنت ا بنگال, Sultanat e Bangala) was an independent medieval Indo-Islamic state established in Bengal in 1342. Its realm and influence extended across modern-day Bangladesh, East India and West Burma. The sultanate was dominated by numerous dynasties of Turkic, Arab, Persian, indigenous/Bengali and Abyssinian origin. It disintegrated at the end of the 16th-century and was absorbed into the pan-South Asian Mughal Empire and the Arakanese Kingdom of Mrauk U.

[Shah-Jehan]

Early Modern period (1526-1858)

Mughal Empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/The_Mughal_Empire.jpg/640px-The_Mughal_Empire.jpg

The Mughal Empire (Urdu: مغلیہ سلطنت‎, Mug̱ẖliyah Salṭanat),[5] self-designated as Gurkani (Persian: گورکانیان‎, Gūrkāniyān),[6] was a Persianate[7][8] empire extending over large parts of the Indian subcontinent and ruled by a dynasty of Chagatai-Turkic origin.[9][10][11]

In the early 16th century, northern India, being then under mainly Muslim rulers, fell to the superior mobility and firepower of the Mughals.The resulting Mughal Empire did not stamp out the local societies it came to rule, but rather balanced and pacified them through new administrative practices[14][15] and diverse and inclusive ruling elites, leading to more systematic, centralized, and uniform rule. Eschewing tribal bonds and Islamic identity, especially under Akbar, the Mughals united their far-flung realms through loyalty, expressed through a Persianised culture, to an emperor who had near-divine status.[16] The Mughal state's economic policies, deriving most revenues from agriculture and mandating that taxes be paid in the well-regulated silver currency, caused peasants and artisans to enter larger markets. The relative peace maintained by the empire during much of the 17th century was a factor in India's economic expansion, resulting in greater patronage of painting, literary forms, textiles, and architecture. Newly coherent social groups in northern and western India, such as the Marathas, the Rajputs, and the Sikhs, gained military and governing ambitions during Mughal rule, which, through collaboration or adversity, gave them both recognition and military experience. Expanding commerce during Mughal rule gave rise to new Indian commercial and political elites along the coasts of southern and eastern India.[21] As the empire disintegrated, many among these elites were able to control their own affairs

Maratha empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/India-1760-map.jpg/250px-India-1760-map.jpg

The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy (Marathi: मराठा साम्राज्य) was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of the subcontinent, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km². The Marathas are credited to a large extent for ending the Mughal rule in India.[2][3]

The Marathas were a Hindu warrior group from the western Deccan (present day Maharashtra) that rose to prominence by establishing 'Hindavi Swarajya'. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, "The Maratha group of castes is a largely rural class of peasant cultivators, landowners, and soldiers. The Marathas became prominent in the 17th century under the leadership of Shivaji who revolted against the Bijapur Sultanate and the Mughal Empire, and carved out a rebel territory with Raigad as his capital. Known for their mobility, the Marathas were able to consolidate their territory during the Deccan Wars against the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and, later in time, controlled a large part of India.

Duranni empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Durrani_Empire_1747_1862_AD.png/250px-Durrani_Empire_1747_1862_AD.png

he Durrani Empire, Durrani Tulukamani, Durrani Wakmani, Durrani Emirate (Pashto: د درانیانو واکمني‎), also called the Sadozai Kingdom and the Last Afghan Empire,[4] was founded in 1747 by Ahmad Shah Durrani with its capital at Kandahar, Afghanistan.[5][6] The Durrani Empire at its maximum extent encompassed present-day Afghanistan, northeastern Iran, eastern Turkmenistan (including the Panjdeh oasis), most of Pakistan, and northwestern India, including the Kashmir region. Durrani's Pashtun soldiers also instigated the Sikh holocaust of 1762 when they killed thousands of Sikhs in the Punjab.[7][8][9] With the support of various tribal leaders, Ahmad Shah Durrani with his Baloch allies extended Afghan control from Khorasan in the west to Kashmir and Delhi in the east, and from the Amu Darya in the north to the Arabian Sea in the south. In the second half of the 18th century, after the Ottoman Empire the Durrani Empire was very briefly the second-largest Muslim empire.

Sikh empire
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Sikh_Empire.JPG/250px-Sikh_Empire.JPG

The Sikh Empire was a major power in the Indian subcontinent, that arose under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh who established the empire basing it around the Punjab. The empire existed from 1799, when Ranjit Singh captured Lahore, to 1849 and was forged on the foundations of the Khalsa from a collection of autonomous Sikh misls.[2][3] At its peak in the 19th century, the Empire extended from the Khyber Pass in the west to western Tibet in the east, and from Mithankot in the south to Kashmir in the north. It was the last major region of the subcontinent to be conquered by the British.

The foundations of the Sikh Empire can be traced to as early as 1707, the year of Aurangzeb's death and the start of the downfall of the Mughal Empire. With the Mughals significantly weakened, the Sikh army, known as the Dal Khalsa, a rearrangement of the Khalsa inaugurated by Guru Gobind Singh, led expeditions against them and the Afghans in the west. This led to a growth of the army which split into different confederacies or semi-independent misls (from a Persian word that means 'similar'). Each of these component armies controlled different areas and cities. However, in the period from 1762 to 1799, Sikh commanders of the misls appeared to be coming into their own as independent warlords.

The formation of the empire began with the capture of Lahore, by Ranjit Singh, from its Afghan ruler, Zaman Shah Durrani, and the subsequent and progressive expulsion of Afghans from the Punjab and the unification of the separate Sikh misls. Ranjit Singh was proclaimed as Maharaja of the Punjab on 12 April 1801 (to coincide with Vaisakhi), creating a unified political state. Sahib Singh Bedi, a descendant of Guru Nanak, conducted the coronation. Ranjit Singh rose to power in a very short period, from a leader of a single misl to finally becoming the Maharaja of Punjab. He began to modernise his army, using the latest training as well as weapons and artillery. After the death of Ranjit Singh, the empire was weakened by internal divisions and political mismanagement. Finally, by 1849 the state was dissolved after the defeat in the Anglo-Sikh wars.

The Sikh Empire was divided into four provinces: Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, and Kashmir from 1799 to 1849.

[Shah-Jehan]

Colonial period (1510-1961)

Portuguese India
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Portuguese_India.PNG/250px-Portuguese_India.PNG

The State of India, formally, Estado da Índia Portuguesa, and commonly Portuguese India, was a colonial state of the Portuguese Empire, founded six years after the discovery of a sea route between Portugal and the Indian Subcontinent to serve as the governing body of a string of Portuguese fortresses and colonies overseas.

Dutch India
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/European_settlements_in_India_1501-1739.png

Dutch India is a term used to refer to the settlements and trading posts of the Dutch East India Company on the Indian subcontinent. It is only used as a geographical definition, as there has never been a political authority ruling all Dutch India. Instead, Dutch India was divided into the governorates Dutch Ceylon and Dutch Coromandel, the commandment Dutch Malabar, and the directorates Dutch Bengal and Dutch Suratte.

French India
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/French_India_1815.gif/250px-French_India_1815.gif

French India is the name commonly used to refer (in English) to the French possessions acquired by the French East India Company in India from the second half of the 17th century onward, and officially known as the Établissements français dans l'Inde ("French establishments in India") from the resumption of French rule in 1816 to their de facto incorporation into the Union of India in 1947 and 1954. They included Pondichéry, Karikal and Yanaon on the Coromandel Coast, Mahé on the Malabar Coast, and Chandernagor in Bengal. French India also included several loges ("lodges", subsidiary trading stations such as European East India companies founded in various places) in other towns, but after 1816 the loges had little commercial importance and the towns to which they were attached came under British administration.

British Raj in India as well as princely states
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/British_Indian_Empire_1909_Imperial_Gazetteer_of_I ndia.jpg/800px-British_Indian_Empire_1909_Imperial_Gazetteer_of_I ndia.jpg

The British Raj (rāj, meaning "rule" in Hindi) was British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947. The term can also refer to the period of dominion. The region under British control—commonly called "India" in the British period—included areas directly administered by the United Kingdom (contemporaneously, "British India") as well as the princely states ruled by individual rulers under the paramountcy of the British Crown

Nawabs of Greater Bengal
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/1776_Rennell_-_Dury_Wall_Map_of_Bihar_and_Bengal%2C_India_-_Geographicus_-_BaharBengal-dury-1776.jpg/1024px-1776_Rennell_-_Dury_Wall_Map_of_Bihar_and_Bengal%2C_India_-_Geographicus_-_BaharBengal-dury-1776.jpg

Nawabs of Bengal were the rulers of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Between 1717 and 1757, they served as the heads of state of the sovereign Principality of Bengal. The position was established as the hereditary Nazims or Subahdars (provincial governors) of the subah (province) of Bengal during the Mughal rule and later became the independent rulers of the region.[2] Siraj ud-Daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal was betrayed in the Battle of Plassey by Mir Jafar. He lost to the British, who took over the charge of Bengal in 1757, installed Mir Jafar on the Masnad (throne) and established itself to a political power in Bengal.

Nawabs of Awadh
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/India_Awadh_locator_map.svg/640px-India_Awadh_locator_map.svg.png

The Nawab of Awadh or Nawab of Oudh was the title of rulers who governed the state of Oudh (Awadh) in India in the 18th and 19th century. The Nawabs of Oudh belonged to a dynasty of Persian origin from Nishapur.[1][2][3] In 1724, Nawab Sa'adat Khan established Oudh State.

Mysore Kingdom and Sultanate
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/Indian_Mysore_Kingdom_1784_map.svg/640px-Indian_Mysore_Kingdom_1784_map.svg.png

The Kingdom of Mysore was a kingdom of southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. The kingdom, which was ruled by the Wodeyar family, initially served as a vassal state of the Vijayanagara Empire. With the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire (c.1565), the kingdom became independent. The 17th century saw a steady expansion of its territory and during the rule of Narasaraja Wodeyar I and Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar, the kingdom annexed large expanses of what is now southern Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu to become a powerful state in the southern Deccan.

Nizams of Hyderabad
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Hyderabad_princely_state_1909.svg/250px-Hyderabad_princely_state_1909.svg.png

The Hyderābād State About this sound pronunciation (help·info) was located in the south-central region of India, and was ruled, from 1724 until 1948, by a hereditary Nizam. The capital city was Hyderabad.

The Asaf Jahi Dynasty was a dynasty of Turkic origin from the region around Samarkand in modern-day Uzbekistan, who came to India in the late 17th century, and became employees of the Mughal Empire. The region became part of the Mughal Empire in the 1680s. When the empire began to weaken in the 18th century, Asif Jah defeated a rival Mughal governor's attempt to seize control of the empire's southern provinces, declaring himself Nizam-al-Mulk of Hyderabad in 1724. The Mughal emperor, under renewed attack from the Marathas, was unable to prevent it.