Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

LURE - THRU THE AGES

most refined and these temples are dedi- cated to Jain Tirthankaras and Siva and Vishnu; Kalika mata temple at Chittor- garh, Ekalinga temple (Udaipur) Jain temples at M L Abu; the Rudra Mala temple etc. Strength The bravery of Rajput kings; loyalty of subordinates. Achievements Offered strong resistance to the foreign invaders. Architecture and Art: Beautiful temples at Khajuraho. Weakness Clanish patriotism of Rajputs weakened their strength and they were defeated by foreign invaders. The Rajputs declined after a series of long-drawn-out conflicts with the Muslim invaders. Decline

gara) and Chand Bardai ( Prithviraj Raso ); The vernacular literature made progress during this period. Art They were great builders; the evolution of Rajput temple architecture can be divided into two parts. 1-600-900 A.D. and II 900-1200 A.D.; during the II phase they lost their originality due to the influence of Tantricism; important monuments of the period are fortresses of Chittorgarh, Ranthambhor, Kumbhalgarh (Rajasthan), Mandu, Gwalior, Chanderi, Asirgarh (M.P.), the palaces of Mansingh at Gwalior, buildings at Amber (Jaipur), lake palaces at Udaipur, the castle of Jodh- pur; most Rajput temples were destroyed by the Muslims and a few which have survived show their artistic excellence - Khajuraho group of temples (30) in B un- del Khand, are famous for elegant pro- portions, graceful contours and rich sur- face treatment, the Sikharas of these are

rigid; their courts had 'Bard, Bhat or Charau' who recited the heroic deeds of the ancestors of the Rajputs; women enjoyed great respect, "women were educated and took active part in public life- Girls could read and write and understand Sanskrit...." (Alberuni); 'Sati' system was popular. The birth of a daughter was not liked by them. Economic Condition Construction of irrigation works, reser- voirs, tanks, wells and canals was their chief activity. Literature Kings were great patrons of art and lit- erature. Important poet, kings were- Raja Munja, Raja Bhoja (wrote Ayur- veda, Sarvasva etc.) Great literary fig- ures of the period were: Padamgopa, Dhanika, Halayudha, Raja Shekhara, Jayadeva ( Gita Govinda ), Kalhana ( Ra- jatarangini), Somadeva ( Kathasaritsa-

SISODIAS

a musician writing commentaries on several Sanskrit works. He built many temples and his architect Mandana composed a treatise on house building iconography and ornamentation. Rana Sanga (1508-28) was the greatest ruler of the dynasty. In 1518 he gained a resound- ing victory over Sultan Mahmud II of Malwa. In 1521 an invasion by Gujarat army was beaten back. Sultan Ibrahim Lodi's bid to annex Ranathambhor and Ajmer to the Delhi Sultanate led Rana Sanga to make peace with the Sultan of Gujarat and to persuade Babur to invade India.

The most important kingdoms were Mewar & Marwar.

Hammir (1314-78) of the Sisodia branch was the liberator of the medieval state of Mewar. In early 15th C the discovery of silver and lead greatly strengthened the kingdom's economy. A new system of weights and measures was introduced. An artificial lake, now called Dichholain modern Udaipur, was excavated. Rana Kumbha Karana (1433-68) increased his army and built numerous forts. In 1437 he defeated Mahmud Khalji and built a victory tower in Chittor. He defended his territory from incursions by Malwa and Gujarat. Kumbha was also a poet, a man of letters and

Rao Chanda (1384-1423) ruled in Marwar. He seized Khattu, Didwana, Sambhar, Nagaurand Ajmer. Jodha (1438-89) ruled in Marwar. A great warrior. In 1459 he built Jodhpur and later Mandor fort. Rana Kumbha made an alliance with him.