Major dynasties of Haryana | HPSC Preparation: All subjects - HPSC (Haryana) PDF Download

Introduction

• Haryana has a rich history that dates back to the Vedic Age and was the homeland of the Bharata dynasty, which gave India its name. The state is mentioned in the epic Mahabharata as the site of the famous Kurukshetra battle between the Kauravas and Pandavas. 
• Despite its significant role in India's history, Haryana became subservient to Delhi after the arrival of the Muslims and the establishment of Delhi as India's capital. As a result, Haryana remained largely unknown until the First War of India's Independence in 1857.

Vardhan Dynasty

• Thanesar was the capital of the Vardhana dynasty, which was founded by PrabhakarVardhana. Today, Thanesar is a small town in the Kurukshetra district and is located approximately 150 km from Delhi. After PrabhakarVardhana's death in 606 A.D, his eldest son, RajyaVardhana succeeded him. RajyaVardhana won a battle against Devagupta, who had murdered Grahavarman, RajyaVardhana's brother-in-law and usurped the throne of Kannauj. 
• However, RajyaVardhana was later killed in this battle. Harsha, who was only 16 years old, ascended to the throne and proved to be a great warrior and capable ruler. One of his first acts as king was to prevent his sister from committing sati, and at her request, he united the kingdoms of Thanesar and Kannauj, making Kannauj his capital. 
• Harsha was involved in many wars and emerged victorious in battles against Sasank of Bengal, Dhruvasena of Gujarat, and Ganjam in modern-day Orissa. He also brought under his control five regions, including eastern Punjab (present-day Haryana), Kannauj, Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.
• Harsha's empire included territories of distant tribal rulers as well, and he ruled his empire in a similar manner to the Guptas. The kings he conquered paid him taxes and provided soldiers whenever he fought wars. 
• They accepted his authority but remained rulers over their own kingdoms. However, Harsha's ambitions of expanding his power to the Deccan and southern India were thwarted by Pulakesin II, the Chalukya king of Vatapi in northern Mysore.
• Harsha's reign is well-documented, thanks to his court poet BanaBhata and the Chinese Buddhist explorer Hieun Tsang. Bana chronicled Harsha's rise to power in the Harshacharita, while Hieun Tsang wrote a detailed account of his travels in India during this time in his book SI-YU-KI. 
• Harsha passed away in 647 AD after ruling over India for 41 years. He was the last great empire builder of ancient India, and he supported the development of philosophy and literature, even writing three famous plays: Nagananda, Ratnavali, and Priyadarshika. Following Harsha's death, with no apparent heir, his empire disintegrated. 
• The kingdom fragmented quickly into smaller states. The period that followed is poorly documented, but it marked the culmination of a process that had begun with the invasion of the Hunas in the final years of the Gupta Empire. Meanwhile, the kingdoms of the Deccan and the south became powerful. 
• After the rebellion was suppressed and the British rule was re-established, the Nawabs of Jhajjar and Bahadurgarh, the Raja of Ballabgarh, and Rao Tula Ram of Rewari in the Haryana region lost their territories. These territories were either merged with British territories or given to the rulers of Patiala, Nabha, and Jind. 
• As a result, Haryana became a part of the Punjab region. On November 1, 1966, Haryana was formed into a full-fledged state with Uttar Pradesh to the east, Punjab to the west, Himachal Pradesh to the north, and Rajasthan to the south. The National Capital Territory of Delhi is adjacent to Haryana.

Tomar Dynasty

• The Tomara Rajput-Gurjar family claims to descend from the legendary Chandravanshi dynasty, which counts Mahabharata warrior Arjuna among its ancestors.
• The earliest known historical reference to the Tomaras is found in the Pehowa inscription of the Pratihara ruler Mahendrapala I. This inscription, which is undated, suggests that the Tomara chief Gogga was a vassal of Mahendrapala I.
• From the 9th to the 12th century, the Tomaras of Delhi held sway over certain territories in present-day Delhi and Haryana. However, there is limited valuable recorded information about this dynasty as much of their history is based on bardic legends. Therefore, reconstructing their history is challenging. According to the bardic tradition, the founder of the dynasty was AnangapalTuar (also known as Anangapala I Tomara) who established Delhi in 736 CE.
• The veracity of the claim that Anangapal I Tomara founded Delhi in 736 CE is questionable, according to bardic legends. The same legends also suggest that the last Tomara king, also named Anangapal, passed on the throne of Delhi to his son-in-law Prithviraj Chauhan, which has been proven incorrect by historical evidence showing that Prithviraj inherited Delhi from his father Someshvara. 
• The Bijolia inscription of Someshvara indicates that his brother Vigraharaja IV had captured Dhillika (Delhi) and Ashika (Hansi) after defeating a Tomara ruler. Haryana was ruled by the Slave, Khiliji, Tuglaq, and Saiyad dynasties during the sultanate period, before the Mughal Dynasty came into power.

Mughal Dynasty

• The establishment of the Mughal Empire is traditionally believed to have occurred in 1526, when its founder Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the final ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, in the First Battle of Panipat. The Mughal dynasty traced their lineage back to the Turco-Mongol Timurid tradition of Central Asia, claiming direct descent from both Genghis Khan (the founder of the Mongol Empire, through his son Chagatai Khan) and Timur (a Turco-Mongol conqueror who established the Timurid Empire). 
• During the reign of Humayun, who succeeded Babur, the Sur Empire posed a major obstacle to the Mughal domain. The Mughal Empire's "golden age" commenced in 1556 when Akbar the Great ascended to the throne. During Akbar's and his son Jahangir's reign, the region experienced economic progress and religious harmony, and the rulers showed interest in local religious and cultural traditions. 
• Akbar was not only a successful warrior but also established alliances with various Hindu Rajput kingdoms. Although certain Rajput kingdoms continued to pose a significant threat to Mughal dominance in northwestern India, Akbar managed to suppress most of them. It is worth noting that all Mughal rulers were Muslims, but towards the end of his life, Akbar introduced a syncretic religion called Dīn-I Ilāhī. 
• This religion has been documented in historical texts such as Ain-I-Akbari. Throughout most of its existence, the Mughal Empire did not try to intervene in the neighboring societies. Instead, they adapted to and appeased them by implementing new administrative practices and having a diverse and inclusive ruling elite. This approach led to more precise, focused, and consistent governance. 
• As a result of Mughal rule, traditional and newly emerging social groups in northern and western India, such as the Marathas, Rajputs, Pashtuns, Hindu Jats, and Sikhs, gained military and political ambitions. They either collaborated or faced resistance from the Mughals, which provided them with both recognition and military experience.
• Between 1628 and 1658, Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal ruler, presided over the golden era of Mughal architecture. He commissioned the construction of several grand monuments, the most famous of which is the Taj Mahal in Agra. Additionally, he oversaw the construction of other notable structures such as the Moti Masjid in Agra, the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid in Delhi, and the Lahore Fort.
• Under the leadership of Aurangzeb, the Mughal Empire reached the height of its regional power. However, during his reign, the Empire also began its gradual decline due to the resurgence of the Maratha military led by Shivaji Bhosale. 
• During Aurangzeb's lifetime, the Mughal Empire's victories in the south led to its largest territorial extent, ruling over more than 150 million subjects, which was almost one-fourth of the world's population at that time. This massive population and territory were accompanied by a GDP of over $90 billion.
• In the mid-eighteenth century, the Marathas had taken control of the Mughal military and had conquered several Mughal provinces from Punjab to Bengal. The Mughal Empire experienced internal failures due to the weaknesses of its administrative and financial systems, leading to its fragmentation and declarations of independence by its former provinces, including the Nawab of Bengal, the Nawab of Awadh, the Nizam of Hyderabad, and other smaller states.
• The Mughals suffered a crushing defeat in the Battle of Karnal in 1739 at the hands of Nader Shah, the founder of the Afsharid dynasty in Persia. Delhi was sacked and looted, hastening the decline of the Mughal Empire. 
• Over the next century, Mughal control became severely limited, and the last emperor, Bahadur Shah II, only held authority over the city of Shahjahanabad. He issued a firman supporting the Indian Rebellion of 1857 but was subsequently tried by the British East India Company for treason after their defeat. Bahadur Shah II was imprisoned and exiled to Rangoon.
• The British took over the remaining parts of the Mughal Empire, and the Government of India Act in 1858 allowed the British Crown to officially establish direct control over India as the new British Raj.