SSC CGL History · Medieval India
Early Medieval Kingdoms
The kingdoms of 650 to 1200 CE: the three powers that fought over Kannauj, the Pallavas and Cholas of the south, and the Rajput and Kashmir rulers of the north up to Muhammad Ghori.
Why this matters
Twenty-three questions in the bank: four from the 2023 shifts, nine from the 2024 shifts and ten from the 2025 shifts. The questions match a dynasty to its region, founder or rival, so this page is a set of matchings: three powers to three regions, two Chola kings to two temples, three assemblies to three kinds of village.
Concept 1 of 3: Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas
Definition
The tripartite struggle (8th to 10th century) for Kannauj:
- Palas of Bengal and Bihar: founded by Gopala (about 750 CE); then Dharmapala and Devapala.
- Gurjara-Pratiharas of Gujarat and Rajasthan: first capital Bhinmal; rose under Nagabhatta I, who held back the Arabs; later ruled from Kannauj. The poet Rajashekhara served Mahendrapala I.
- Rashtrakutas of the western Deccan (capital Manyakheta): founded by Dantidurga. Kings such as Dhruva, Govinda III and Indra III raided north for Kannauj. Krishna III defeated the Chola Parantaka I at Takkolam (949 CE).
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 1 · Medieval India · Early Medieval Kingdoms
| Column A: Dynasty | Column B: Region |
|---|---|
| A. Gurjara-Pratiharas | 1. Bengal |
| B. Rashtrakutas | 2. Tamil Nadu |
| C. Palas | 3. Gujarat and Rajasthan |
| D. Cholas | 4. Western Deccan |
Rashtrakutas, not Chalukyas
Concept 2 of 3: Pallavas and Cholas
Definition
Pallavas: Narasimhavarman I defeated the Chalukya Pulakeshin II and captured Vatapi (Badami) in 642 CE.
Cholas:
- Emblem: the tiger. (The Pandyas used the fish and the Cheras the bow.)
- Rajaraja I (985 to 1014) built the Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur. His son Rajendra I built a new capital, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, and sent a navy to South-East Asia.
- Village assemblies: the Ur in an ordinary village, the Sabha (Mahasabha) in a Brahmin village (brahmadeya), and the Nagaram of merchants.
- Farming depended on irrigation water, so the Cholas built tanks, wells and channels from the Kaveri.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 2 · Medieval India · Early Medieval Kingdoms
Sabha for Brahmin villages, Ur for the rest
The Bahmanis were not southern Tamil kings
Concept 3 of 3: Rajputs, Kashmir and Muhammad Ghori
Definition
In time order:
- Kashmir: Queen Didda ruled in the 10th century (980 to 1003 CE), first as regent; Kalhana's Rajatarangini tells her story.
- Tomaras: the Rajput clan that founded Delhi (Anangapala); they minted the Dehliwal coins.
- Prithviraj Chauhan: won the first battle of Tarain (1191) against Muhammad Ghori and lost the second (1192), which ended his reign.
- Chandawar (1194): Ghori defeated Jayachandra of the Gahadavalas of Kannauj.
- Mewar: ruled by the Sisodia Rajputs from Chittor. Rana Kumbha (15th century) built the Vijay Stambh and wrote the Sangeet Raj, a book on music.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 3 · Medieval India · Early Medieval Kingdoms
1192 ended Prithviraj, 1206 began the Sultanate
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (3)
Watch out for (4)
- Rashtrakutas, not Chalukyas→ Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas
- Sabha for Brahmin villages, Ur for the rest→ Pallavas and Cholas
- The Bahmanis were not southern Tamil kings→ Pallavas and Cholas
- 1192 ended Prithviraj, 1206 began the Sultanate→ Rajputs, Kashmir and Muhammad Ghori
Test yourself on Medieval India
20 past SSC CGL questions from this chapter, timed at 12 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.