Canberra, 13 July 2021 Even though Shivaji had emphatically asserted his independence, he carefully maintained peace with the Mughals for two primary reasons. First was that from 1653, the Mughal territories in the Deccan were being governed by Aurangzeb, a prince of singular efficiency and vigour who no one wanted to offend. The second, Shivaji […]
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Tag Archives: Deccan Plateau
The Marathas Prelude: The Indian Sub-continent in the 16th Century – Politics & Religion
May 26, 2021 
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Canberra, 26 May 2021 Geographically, the 16th century Indian sub-continent was similar to modern India, with the inclusion of Afghanistan and Baluchistan within its borders. [In this series of books ‘From Indus to Independence: A Trek through Indian History’ that narrate the history of the Indian sub-continent, the countries of Pakistan created in 1947 and […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 2: Framing the Maratha Identity
May 21, 2021 1 Comment
Canberra, 21 May 2021 By late 13th century, the Hindu revolt in Peninsular India against the invading Muslim forces was bitter and widespread. Even the learned heads of various Hindu ‘Maths’, monasteries, were involved in attempting to repel the Muslim invaders. Shankaracharya Madhav Vidyaranya, the head of the famous and powerful Sringeri Math, was one […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 84 Aurangzeb Section VII: The Curtain Falls
February 23, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 23 February 2021 After the capture and execution of Shambhuji, it would have been logical for Aurangzeb to return to Delhi—the three major powers in the Deccan, the Adil and the Qutb Shahis and the Marathas, had been effectively destroyed or subdued and their territories annexed to the Empire. There was nothing more to […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 84 Aurangzeb Section IV: Emergence of the Marathas
February 6, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 6 February 2021 Geography and nature had never intended the Deccan Plateau to be an integral part of the greater Indian sub-continent. The Vindhya and Satpura Mountain Ranges and the River Narmada form a triple barricade that divides the high tableland of Central India from the Gangetic Plains. These formidable geographical barriers should have […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 66 The Adil Shahis of Bijapur, Section VI: A Concluding Evaluation
July 7, 2018 0 Comments
Canberra, 7 July 2018 The Adil Shahi kingdom of Bijapur was centred on modern Bijapur district in Karnataka, in the western region of the Deccan Plateau. Earlier it had been a province of the more extensive Bahmani kingdom. The Bijapur kingdom was established in 1489 and ceased to exist as an independent entity on […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 63: The Bridge Between Two Eras
February 16, 2018 0 Comments
Canberra, 16 February 2018 The geo-cultural axis, forged along the ancient trade routes that wound its way east through the Khyber and Bolan Passes, gradually became migratory corridors into North India. Subsequently they linked South Asia and the Iranian plateau by joining Lahore to Delhi. At Delhi the migratory route trifurcated—one led directly south to […]
Continue readingFROM INDUS TO INDEPENDENCE: A TREK THROUGH INDIAN HISTORY: Part 12
May 30, 2013 0 Comments
Canberra, 30 May 2013 PENINSULAR INDIA: OF MOUNTAINS AND RIVERS [GOING SOUTH OF THE VINDHYAS: AN EXPLANATION Even a cursory glance at the available literature on Indian history reveals that there is an absolute bias towards recounting the history of the northern part of the sub-continent, specifically that of the Indus-Gangetic plains, and labelling it […]
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