Category 3 · Medieval History

Regional Kingdoms

16 micro topics in Medieval History for UPSC Prelims, in book order: Bahmani Kingdom of the Deccan; Bengal Sultanate; and 14 more.

3.1

Bahmani Kingdom of the Deccan

The Bahmani kingdom was founded in 1347 by Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah, known as Hasan Gangu, as the first independent Muslim state of the Deccan. Firuz Shah Bahmani made it a cultural centre, Mahmud Gawan raised…
3.2

Bengal Sultanate

The Bengal Sultanate was an independent kingdom that broke away from Delhi in 1338 and lasted until Sher Shah overran it in 1538. Ilyas Shah founded its main dynasty, Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah linked it to China…
3.3

Sultanate of Jaunpur (Avadh Region)

The Jaunpur or Sharqi Sultanate ruled parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar from Jaunpur from about 1394 to the 1480s and 1490s. Founded by Malik Sarwar, it was a centre of learning and of a…
3.4

The Sikh Kingdom and Rise of Sikh Political Power Under Ranjit Singh

Sikh political power grew from a religious movement founded by Guru Nanak. After the execution of Guru Arjun and Guru Tegh Bahadur it became a military brotherhood, the Khalsa, under Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, and…
3.5

Rajput States of Medieval India

After the Chauhans fell, new Rajput states grew in Rajasthan: Mewar under Rana Kumbha and Rana Sanga, Marwar with Jodhpur founded in 1465, and Amber. Mewar resisted Akbar under Rana Pratap, while Marwar and Amber became…
3.6

Jat Kingdom of Bharatpur

The Jats of the Agra-Delhi region were peasant cultivators who rose against Mughal revenue demands in 1669 under Gokla, in 1685 under Rajaram and later under Churaman. In the confusion after Aurangzeb, Churaman and Badan Singh…
3.7

Hyderabad State (Asaf Jahi/Nizam Dynasty)

Hyderabad State was founded by Kilich Khan, Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah, who defeated the viceroy Mubariz Khan at Shakr-Kheda in 1724 and took the Deccan. His dynasty ruled until 1948, allied with the British against Mysore, accepted…
3.8

Kingdom of Mysore (Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan)

The Wodeyars founded a Hindu kingdom at Mysore in 1612 on the ruins of Vijayanagara. Haidar Ali, a soldier who became de facto ruler in 1761, built a modern army, and his son Tipu Sultan continued…
3.9

Social and Cultural Conditions in the Regional Kingdoms

The fifteenth-century regional kingdoms balanced one another without bringing peace, but they left a rich cultural record: local styles of architecture, patronage of regional languages, Hindus in high office, and music and learning at courts such…
3.10

Economic Conditions in the Regional Kingdoms

The regional kingdoms of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries drew wealth from ports, crafts and farming: Gujarat's seaports and textiles, the Bahmani ports of Goa, Chaul and Dabhol that handled horse imports, Bengal's trade with China…
3.11

Military Organisation in the Regional Kingdoms

The armies of the regional kingdoms combined cavalry, mounted archers, elephants and growing use of artillery. Their strength depended on imported horses, on nobles or nayaks who supplied troops in return for land or salary, and…
3.12

Rise of Autonomous Regional Powers Following the Decline of Mughal Central Authority in the Early 18th Century

After Aurangzeb died in 1707, weak emperors, the jagirdari crisis and noble factions let provincial governors and local groups build autonomous states. Hyderabad, Awadh and Bengal grew from Mughal provinces, Mysore and the Rajput states became…
3.13

The Maratha Confederacy in the 18th Century (Peshwas, Bhonsles, Gaikwads, Holkars, Scindias)

The Marathas survived Aurangzeb's long Deccan war and, under the Brahman Peshwas of Pune, built a confederacy in which chiefs such as the Gaekwad, Bhonsle, Holkar and Sindhia ruled spheres of influence in the name of…
3.14

Third Battle of Panipat (1761) – Marathas vs. Ahmad Shah Abdali

The Third Battle of Panipat was fought on 14 January 1761 between the Marathas under Sadashivrao Bhau and the Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali, who had allies in Najib-ud-Daula's Rohillas and Shuja-ud-Daula of Awadh. The Afghan…
3.15

Economic Conditions in the 18th Century Regional Kingdoms

The regional kingdoms of the eighteenth century inherited a medieval economy: farming by hard-pressed peasants, craft production for home and export, and trade that brought gold and silver to India because exports exceeded imports. Trade and…
3.16

Social and Cultural Life in the 18th Century Regional Kingdoms

Society in the eighteenth-century regional kingdoms kept its traditional outlook: caste and patriarchy shaped life, education stayed religious and literary, and women faced purdah, sati and child marriage. Yet new courts at Hyderabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Murshidabad…

← All Medieval History categories

Frequently asked questions

Which topics are in Regional Kingdoms?

Regional Kingdoms has 16 micro topics in Medieval History: Bahmani Kingdom of the Deccan; Bengal Sultanate; Sultanate of Jaunpur (Avadh Region); The Sikh Kingdom and Rise of Sikh Political Power Under Ranjit Singh; Rajput States of Medieval India; Jat Kingdom of Bharatpur; Hyderabad State (Asaf Jahi/Nizam Dynasty); Kingdom of Mysore (Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan); Social and Cultural Conditions in the Regional Kingdoms; Economic Conditions in the Regional Kingdoms; Military Organisation in the Regional Kingdoms; Rise of Autonomous Regional Powers Following the Decline of Mughal Central Authority in the Early 18th Century; The Maratha Confederacy in the 18th Century (Peshwas, Bhonsles, Gaikwads, Holkars, Scindias); Third Battle of Panipat (1761) – Marathas vs. Ahmad Shah Abdali; Economic Conditions in the 18th Century Regional Kingdoms; Social and Cultural Life in the 18th Century Regional Kingdoms.

Is Regional Kingdoms important for UPSC Prelims?

Regional Kingdoms is a part of the UPSC Prelims Medieval History syllabus map on MaargX UPSC. Each of its 16 published topics has key terms, a Mains angle and practice questions.