Gujarat Sultanate

During the reign of Firoz Shah Tughluq, a governor by name Zafar Khan revolted and established an independent kingdom in Gujarat.

Ahmad Shah (1411-1442):

• He was the most conservative and religious bigot among the Sultans of Gujarat. He destroyed many temples and imposed Jizya on Hindus.
• He founded the capital city of Ahmadabad and shifted the capital from Anhilwara.
• He built famous monuments like Jama Masjid and Teen Darwaza in Ahmadabad.

Mahmud Shah (1459-1511):

• He was the greatest of the Sultans of Gujarat. 
• He occupied the forts of Girnar and Champaner in Gujarat and took the title of 'Beghara'.
• His court poet Udayaraja wrote Raja Vinoda in Sanskrit which is the biography of Mahmud Shah.

Malwa Sultanate

Malwa was one of the regional kingdoms that were born against the Tughluqs. The Sultans of Malwa ruled from Mandu as their capital and constructed excellent monuments. Jama Masjid, tomb of Hoshang Shah, Hindola Mahal (a 'T' shaped palace), Baj Bahadur Palace, Rupamati Palace, Jahaj Mahal are some of the excellent monuments built in Mandu.

Baj Bahadur (1555-1562):

Baj Bahadur was praiseworthy among the Malwa Sultans. He was a great scholar and musician. He married the most beautiful Hindu singer Rupamati. He was a devotee of Lord Sri Krishna and used to dance in devotion at Brindavan.

Mewar Dynasty

The Sisodia dynasty traces its origins to Rahapa, a scion of Guhila King Ranasimha in the 12th century. However, the main branch of the Guhila dynasty faced defeat at the hands of the Khalji dynasty in 1303. The resurgence came in 1326 when Rana Hammir of the Sisodiya branch reclaimed control, re-establishing the dynasty and becoming its proponent. The Sisodias regained the former Guhila capital, Chittoor, setting the stage for a new era.

Important Rulers

Rana Hammir (1326-1364):

• Founder of the Sisodia dynasty, Hammir defended Chittorgarh from Delhi's ruler, Muhammad Tughlaq.
• Notable for restoring Mewar's prosperity and building the Annapoorna Mata temple at Chittorgarh Fort.

Rana Lakha (1382-1421):

• Achieved victory at Badnor against the royal army of Delhi.
• Oversaw the construction of Pichola Lake.

Rana Mokul (1421-1433)

• Rana Choonda administered Mewar during Mokul's minority.
• Strategic political maneuvers marked this period.

Maharana Kumbha (1433-1468):

• Known as the "Hindu Surtran" and the "Abhinav Bharat Acharya."
• Victorious in the war against the Sultan of Mandu, commemorated by the iconic Vijay Stambh at Chittor.

Maharana Sanga (1509-1528):

• Established matrimonial alliances with neighboring Rajput states.
• Successfully defended Mewar against external threats.

Maharana Pratap Singh (1540-1597):

• Renowned for his valor and refusal to submit to Mughal control.
• Iconic Battle of Haldighati in 1576 against Akbar's forces.

Amar Singh I (1597-1620):

• Notable for defeating the Mughal commander Sultan Khan in the Battle of Dewair.
• Fulfilled his father Maharana Pratap's last wish by resisting Mughal dominance.

Bhagwat Singh (1955-1984):

• Ascended the throne during a transformative period in Indian history.
• Witnessed the abolition of privy purses, marking a shift in the role of royalty.

Shah Mir Dynasty- Kashmir

Shah Mir dynasty reigned Kashmir with Ala-ud-dinpur (Srinagar) as the capital between the 14th and the 16th centuries.

Zain-ul-Abidin (1420-1470):

He was the most popular of all the rulers of Shah Mir dynasty and popularly known as 'Bada Shah' (the great king), and the historians called him 'Akbar of Kashmir'.

He abolished the jizya tax imposed on Hindus and gave high positions to Kashmiri pandits.

He reconstructed the Hindu temples that were demolished by his ancestors. He used to visit Amarnath Cave Temple, a famous Shiva temple in Kashmir, very frequently.

He extended liberal patronage to many poets. Mahabharata and Rajatarangini were translated to Persian. Two poets namely Jonaraja  and Srivara wrote Rajatarangini-II as a sequel of Kalhana's Rajatarangini. It describes the history of Kashmir from the12th century to the 16th century. He built an artificial island called Zain Lanka in Wular Lake in Kashmir and constructed a mosque and a palace on the island.