India—Medieval Period
The medieval period (eighth–eighteenth centuries) in India is an important phase in the history of the South Asian subcontinent. Not only is it notable for cultural and political developments, but it also marked the coming of Islam and all its consequences.
Parameters of Period
In the twentieth century, the history of medieval India became the rallying point for the two-nation theory that culminated in the partition of the Indian subcontinent. The vastly differing natures of the religions, cultures, and histories of the Hindu and Muslim communities were stressed. Ancient India was identified with Hindu rule, and the medieval period was identified with Muslim rule. That characterization is simplistic, however: although the rulers of a portion of India may have been Muslim during the medieval period, at any given time many parts of India were not under Muslim rule, so that periodization according to the ruler's religion is incorrect.
The beginning date of medieval India is controversial. Historians have taken different demarcation lines—the death of Harsa in 647 CE, the invasion of Mahmud of Ghanza, the establishment of the Delhi sultanate in 1192, and so forth—as the beginning of the period. Likewise, the end of medieval times is variously given as 1707, 1739, and 1757.
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