79-507: Pattini ( Sinhala : පත්තිනි දෙවියෝ , lit. 'Pattiṉi Deviyō', Tamil : கண்ணகி அம்மன் , lit. 'Kaṇṇaki Am'man'), is considered a guardian deity of Sri Lanka in Sri Lankan Buddhism and Sinhalese folklore. She is also worshipped by Sri Lankan Tamil Hindus by the name of Kannaki Amman . She is considered the patron goddess of fertility and health, particularly protection against smallpox , which
158-783: A supposed former abundance of lions on the island. According to the chronicle Mahāvaṃsa , written in Pali, Prince Vijaya of the Vanga Kingdom and his entourage merged in Sri Lanka with later settlers from the Pandya kingdom . In the following centuries, there was substantial immigration from Eastern India, including additional migration from the Vanga Kingdom (Bengal), as well as Kalinga and Magadha . This influx led to an admixture of features of Eastern Prakrits. The development of Sinhala
237-653: A Dravidian origin for this word. ), dola for pig in Vedda and offering in Sinhala. Other common words are rera for wild duck, and gala for stones (in toponyms used throughout the island, although others have also suggested a Dravidian origin). There are also high frequency words denoting body parts in Sinhala, such as olluva for head, kakula for leg, bella for neck and kalava for thighs, that are derived from pre-Sinhalese languages of Sri Lanka. The oldest Sinhala grammar, Sidatsan̆garavā , written in
316-510: A number of dynasties in their times, and based on Ptolemy 's Geography and the nomenclature of later kings, a certain Theophila in the south was also probably a satrapal or royal seat at some point. Euthydemus I was, according to Polybius a Magnesian Greek . His son, Demetrius, founder of the Indo-Greek kingdom, was therefore of Greek descent from his father at minimum. A marriage treaty
395-900: A people mentioned in ancient Indian texts like the Manusmṛti , various Puranas , the Ramayana , the Mahabharata , and the Brhatsamhita . In some texts the Pahlavas are synonymous with the Pallava dynasty of South India . While the Vayu Purana distinguishes between Pahlava and Pahnava , the Vamana Purana and Matsya Purana refer to both as Pallava . The Brahmanda Purana and Markendeya Purana refer to both as Pahlava or Pallava . The Bhishama Parava of
474-722: A period of prior bilingualism: "The earliest type of contact in Sri Lanka, not considering the aboriginal Vedda languages, was that which occurred between South Dravidian and Sinhala. It seems plausible to assume prolonged contact between these two populations as well as a high degree of bilingualism. This explains why Sinhala looks deeply South Dravidian for an Indo-Aryan language. There is corroboration in genetic findings." In addition to many Tamil loanwords , several phonetic and grammatical features also present in neighbouring Dravidian languages set modern spoken Sinhala apart from its Northern Indo-Aryan relatives. These features are evidence of close interactions with Dravidian speakers. Some of
553-474: A significant part in the history of India as well as nearby countries. In fact, the Indo-Scythian war is just one chapter in the events triggered by the nomadic flight of Central Asians from conflict with Chinese tribes which had lasting effects on Bactria , Kabul , Parthia and India as well as far off Rome in the west. The Scythian groups that invaded India and set up various kingdoms , included, besides
632-613: A symbol of luck.They also add plantains too.At the alms giving day , they offer dishes for Lord Buddha and Goddess Pattini . After they offer the dishes for the invited good womans.Next , they read the ancient script of Pattini Halla and Some chants of goddess pattini. Sinhala language Sinhala ( / ˈ s ɪ n h ə l ə , ˈ s ɪ ŋ ə l ə / SIN -hə-lə, SING -ə-lə ; Sinhala: සිංහල , siṁhala , [ˈsiŋɦələ] ), sometimes called Sinhalese ( / ˌ s ɪ n ( h ) ə ˈ l iː z , ˌ s ɪ ŋ ( ɡ ) ə ˈ l iː z / SIN -(h)ə- LEEZ , SING -(g)ə- LEEZ ),
711-605: A variety of academic fields. Science and political administration advanced during the Gupta era. Trade ties made the region an important cultural center and set the region up as a base that would influence nearby kingdoms and regions in Burma , Sri Lanka , and both maritime and mainland Southeast Asia . The Guptas performed Vedic sacrifices to legitimize their rule, but they also patronized Buddhism , which continued to provide an alternative to Brahmanical orthodoxy. The military exploits of
790-473: Is a conspicuous example of the linguistic phenomenon known as diglossia . Sinhala ( Siṁhala ) is a Sanskrit term; the corresponding Middle Indo-Aryan ( Eḷu ) word is Sīhala . The name is a derivative of [[[:wikt:सिंह|siṁha]]] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script ( help ) , the Sanskrit word for 'lion'. The name is sometimes glossed as 'abode of lions', and attributed to
869-584: Is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka , who make up the largest ethnic group on the island, numbering about 16 million. Sinhala is also spoken as the first language by other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, totalling about 2 million speakers as of 2001. It is written using the Sinhala script , which is a Brahmic script closely related to the Grantha script of South India. Sinhala
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#1732852158017948-479: Is divided into four epochs: The most important phonetic developments of Sinhala include: According to Wilhelm Geiger , an example of a possible Western feature in Sinhala is the retention of initial /v/ which developed into /b/ in the Eastern languages (e.g. Sanskrit viṁśati "twenty", Sinhala visi- , Hindi bīs ). This is disputed by Muhammad Shahidullah who says that Sinhala Prakrit branched off from
1027-412: Is one of the official and national languages of Sri Lanka, alongside Tamil . Along with Pali , it played a major role in the development of Theravada Buddhist literature. Early forms of the Sinhala language are attested as early as the 3rd century BCE. The language of these inscriptions, still retaining long vowels and aspirated consonants, is a Prakrit similar to Magadhi , a regional associate of
1106-577: Is referred to as deviyange ledé ('the divine affliction') in the Sinhala language . Goddess Pattini is the deification of Kannaki , who is the central character of the Tamil epic the Cilappatikaram of Ilango Adigal , written in South India after the 2nd century . After a short time, it was introduced into Sri Lanka and absorbed earlier deities such as Kiri Amma ('milk mother'). Historians attribute
1185-718: The Chalukyas arose forming a formidable nation marking the migration of the centers of cultural and military power long held in the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the new nations forming in the southern regions of India. The Sātavāhana dynasty began as feudatories to the Maurya Empire but declared independence with its decline. They were the first Indic rulers to issue coins struck with their rulers embossed and are known for their patronage of Buddhism , resulting in Buddhist monuments from
1264-573: The Chalukyas . The Classical Age refers to the period when much of the Indian Subcontinent was reunited under the Gupta Empire (ca. 320 CE–600 CE). This period is called the Golden Age of India and was marked by extensive achievements in science, technology , engineering , art , dialectic , literature , logic , mathematics , astronomy , religion and philosophy that crystallized
1343-614: The Ellora Caves to Amaravathi village, Guntur district . They formed a cultural bridge and played a vital role in trade and the transfer of ideas and culture to and from the Gangetic plains to the southern tip of India. The Sātavāhanas had to compete with the Shunga Empire and then the Kanva dynasty of Magadha to establish their rule. Later they had to contend in protecting their domain from
1422-548: The Gupta Empire arose in the Indo-Gangetic Plain and ushered in a "Golden Age" and rebirth of empire as decentralized local administrative model and the spread of Indian culture until collapse under the Huna invasions. After the fall of Gupta Empire the Gangetic region broke up into several states temporarily reunited under Harsha then giving rise to the Rajput dynasties. In the Deccan ,
1501-657: The Mahabharata does not distinguish between the Pahlavas and Pallavas. The Pahlavas are said to be same as the Parasikas, a Saka group. According to P. Carnegy, the Pahlava are probably those people who spoke Paluvi or Pehlvi, the Parthian language . Buhler similarly suggests Pahlava is an Indic form of Parthava meaning "Parthian". In a 4th-century BCE, the Vartika of Kātyāyana mentions
1580-599: The Maldives and Maritime Southeast Asia . Even today Indians are referred to as Keling in Malaysia because of this. Although religiously tolerant, Khārabēḷa patronised Jainism , and was responsible for the propagation of Jainism in the Indian subcontinent but his importance is neglected in many accounts of Indian history. The main source of information about Khārabeḷa is his famous seventeen line rock-cut Hātigumphā inscription in
1659-700: The Middle Indian Prakrits that had been used during the time of the Buddha . The most closely related languages are the Vedda language (an endangered, indigenous creole still spoken by a minority of Sri Lankans, mixing Sinhala with an isolate of unknown origin and from which Old Sinhala borrowed various aspects into its main Indo-Aryan substrate), and the Maldivian language . It has two main varieties, written and spoken, and
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#17328521580171738-519: The Muslim conquest ." This honour is accorded to the empire of Harsha by many historians of repute but without any real justification, for the Pratihara empire was probably larger, certainly not less in extent rivalled the Gupta Empire and brought political unity and its attendant blessings upon a large part of Northern India. But its chief credit lies in its successful resistance to the foreign invasions from
1817-514: The Sakah-Parthavah , demonstrating an awareness of these Saka-Parthians, probably by way of commerce. The Western Satraps (35–405 CE) were Saka rulers of the western and central part of India ( Saurashtra and Malwa : modern Gujarat , southern Sindh , Maharashtra , Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh states). Their state, or at least part of it, was called " Ariaca " according to the Periplus of
1896-576: The UNESCO National Commission of Ceylon According to Wilhelm Geiger , Sinhala has features that set it apart from other Indo-Aryan languages. Some of the differences can be explained by the substrate influence of the parent stock of the Vedda language . Sinhala has many words that are only found in Sinhala, or shared between Sinhala and Vedda and not etymologically derivable from Middle or Old Indo-Aryan. Possible examples include kola for leaf in Sinhala and Vedda (although others suggest
1975-733: The Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves near Bhubaneswar , Odisha. According to the Hathigumpha inscription, he attacked Rajagriha in Magadha, thus inducing the Indo-Greek king Demetrius I of Bactria to retreat to Mathura . Before the rise of the Guptas, Bharshiva Kings ruled most of the Indo-Gangetic plains . They perform ten Ashvamedha sacrifices on the banks of Ganga River. Samudragupta mention Naga rulers in his Allahabad pillar. The Vakataka Empire
2054-832: The Yuezhi who had founded the Kushan Empire. From their capital in Bamyan (present-day Afghanistan) they extended their rule across the Indus and North India , thereby causing the collapse of the Gupta Empire. They were eventually defeated by the Sasanian Empire allied with Turkic peoples . The Rai dynasty of Sindh were patrons of Buddhism even though they also established a huge temple of Shiva in Sukkur close to their capital, Aror . Gandhāra
2133-464: The 13th century CE, recognised a category of words that exclusively belonged to early Sinhala. The grammar lists naram̆ba (to see) and koḷom̆ba (fort or harbour) as belonging to an indigenous source. Koḷom̆ba is the source of the name of the commercial capital Colombo . The consistent left branching syntax and the loss of aspirated stops in Sinhala is attributed to a probable South Dravidian substratum effect. This has been explained by
2212-585: The 6th to the 11th centuries. At its peak of prosperity and power (c. 836–910 CE), it rivaled the Gupta Empire in the extent of its territory. Pointing out the importance of the Gurjara Pratihara empire in the history of India Dr. R. C. Majumdar has observed, "the Gurjara Pratihara Empire which continued in full glory for nearly a century, was the last great empire in Northern India before
2291-565: The Afghan mountains, and refer to the various dynasties of the many kingdoms in the region in the wake of the collapse of the Sassanid Empire and Gupta Empire and marks the transition of Buddhist ruling dynasties to Hindu ruling dynasties. The Katoch were a Hindu Rajput clan of the Chandravanshi lineage; with recent research suggests that Katoch may be one of the oldest royal dynasties in
2370-567: The Chauhan king of Delhi who resisted and repelled the invasion by Mohammed of Ghor at the First Battle of Tarain in 1191. Armies from other Rajput kingdoms, including Mewar , assisted him. The Chauhan kingdom collapsed after Prithviraj and his armies faced defeat from Mohammed of Ghor in 1192 at the Second Battle of Tarain . The Kachwaha originated as tributaries of the preceding powers of
2449-700: The Eastern Prakrits prior to this change. He cites the edicts of Ashoka , no copy of which shows this sound change. An example of an Eastern feature is the ending -e for masculine nominative singular (instead of Western -o ) in Sinhalese Prakrit. There are several cases of vocabulary doublets , one example being the words mæssā ("fly") and mækkā ("flea"), which both correspond to Sanskrit makṣikā but stem from two regionally different Prakrit words macchiā (Western Prakrits) and makkhikā (as in Eastern Prakrits like Pali ). In 1815,
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2528-703: The Erythraean Sea . They were successors to the Indo-Scythians and were contemporaneous with the Kushan Empire, which ruled the northern part of the Indian subcontinent and were possibly their overlords, and the Satavahana dynasty of Andhra who ruled in Central India. They are called "Western" in contrast to the "Northern" Indo-Scythian satraps who ruled in the area of Mathura , such as Rajuvula , and his successors under
2607-554: The Gangetic plains and were conversely influenced by it. This period is marked by both intellectual and artistic achievements inspired by cultural diffusion and syncretism as the new kingdoms straddle the Silk Road . The Indo-Greek Kingdom covered various parts of the Northwestern South Asia during the last two centuries BCE, and was ruled by more than 30 Hellenistic kings, often in conflict with each other. The kingdom
2686-668: The Indian subcontinent. Variants were used much more priorly in the Near East, but as well later on by the Sakas, Kushans Hunas, Bactrians, by the rulers of Kapisa/Kabul and Gilgit . Country, Culture and Political life in early and medieval India, 2004, p 34, Daud Ali.</ref> In Persian form, the title appears as Kshathiya, Kshathiya Kshathiyanam , Shao of the Kushanas and the Ssaha of Mihirakula (Huna chief). The Kushanas are stated to have adopted
2765-579: The Indus region and conquer lands from the Kushan Empire, setting up the Indo-Sasanians around 240 CE. They were to maintain their influence in the region until they were overthrown by the Rashidun Caliphate . Afterwards, they were displaced in 410 CE by the invasions of the Hephthalite Empire . The Hephthalite Empire was another Central Asian nomadic group to invade. They are also linked to
2844-535: The Kushans, the "Great Satrap" Kharapallana and the "Satrap" Vanaspara. Although they called themselves "Satraps" on their coins, leading to their modern designation of "Western Satraps", Ptolemy's Geography still called them "Indo-Scythians". Altogether, there were 27 independent Western Satrap rulers during a period of about 350 years. The Kushan Empire (c. 1st–3rd centuries) originally formed in Bactria on either side of
2923-417: The Later Guptas of Magadha, were the rulers of the Magadha region and partly of Malwa from the 6th and 8th centuries CE. The Later Guptas emerged after the disintegration of the Imperial Guptas as the rulers of Magadha and Malwa however, there is no evidence to connect the two dynasties and the Later Guptas may have adopted the -gupta suffix to link themselves the Imperial Guptas. Present day Rajasthan
3002-399: The Maurya Empire up until the end of the Gupta Empire in 500 CE, and early Medieval India from 500 CE onwards. It also encompasses the era of classical Hinduism , which is dated from 200 BCE to 1100 CE. From 1 CE until 1000 CE, India's economy is estimated to have been the largest in the world, having between one-third and one-quarter of the world's wealth. This period was followed by
3081-450: The Maurya Empire, attempt to contain the expansions of the successive before eventually crumbling internally due to the pressure exerted by these wars. The invading tribes were influenced by Buddhism which continued to flourish under the patronage of both invaders and the Satavahanas and Guptas and provides a cultural bridge between the two cultures. Over time, the invaders became "Indianized" as they influenced society and philosophy across
3160-462: The North By the Himalaya and Sutlaj , and on the South by the Jumna and Narmada . The region round Broach , which was offshoot of this kingdom, was also ruled by the Gurjaras of Nandipuri and Gurjaras of Lata . The Vishnukundina Empire was an Indian dynasty that ruled over the Deccan , Odisha and parts of South India during the 5th and 6th centuries carving land out from the Vakataka Empire . The Vishnukundin reign came to an end with
3239-421: The Northwest. The Satavahanas straddling the Deccan plateau also provided a link for transmission of Buddhism and contact between the Northern Gangetic plains and the Southern regions even as the Upanishads were gaining ground. Eventually weakened both by contention with the northwestern invaders and internal strife they broke up and gave rise to several nations around Deccan and central India regions even as
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3318-594: The Pahlavas and Hunas were sometimes described as mleccha s, "foreigners". Kambojas and the inhabitants of Madra , the Kekeya Kingdom , the Indus River region and Gandhara were sometimes also classified as mleccha s. This name was used to indicate their cultural differences with the culture of the Kuru Kingdom and Panchala . The Indo-Scythians are a branch of the Sakas who migrated from southern Siberia into Bactria , Sogdia , Arachosia , Gandhara , Kashmir , Punjab , and into parts of Western and Central India, Gujarat , Maharashtra and Rajasthan , from
3397-442: The Sakas, other allied tribes , such as the Medes , Scythians , Massagetae , Getae , Parama Kambojas , Avars , Bahlikas , Rishikas and Paradas . The Indo-Parthian Kingdom was founded by Gondophares around 20 BCE. The kingdom lasted only briefly until its conquest by the Kushan Empire in the late 1st century CE and was a loose framework where many smaller dynasts maintained their independence. The Pahlavas are
3476-415: The Satavahanas and the South Indian regions ruled by the Pandyan dynasty (modern Andhra Pradesh ) and expanded Kaḷinga as far as the Ganges and the Kaveri . The Kharavelan state had a formidable maritime empire with trading routes linking it to Sri Lanka , Burma , Thailand , Vietnam , Cambodia , Borneo , Bali , Sumatra and Java . Colonists from Kaḷinga settled in Sri Lanka, Burma, as well as
3555-417: The Tibetans and Yashovarman of Kanyakubja , and subsequently conquered eastern kingdoms of Magadha, Kamarupa , Gauda , and Kaḷinga . Kalhana also states that he extended his influence of Malwa and Gujarat and defeated Arabs at Sindh . According to historians, Kalhana highly exaggerated the conquests of Lalitaditya. The Kabul Shahi dynasties ruled portions of the Kabul valley and Gandhara from
3634-607: The cessation of displaying of the nominal allegiance to the Gupta overlords. He was succeeded by his son Dharasena II, who used the title of Mahadhiraja . His son, the next ruler Siladitya I, Dharmaditya was described by Hiuen Tsang as a "monarch of great administrative ability and of rare kindness and compassion". Siladitya I was succeeded by his younger brother Kharagraha I. Virdi copperplate grant (616 CE) of Kharagraha I proves that his territories included Ujjain . The Gurjara Pratihara Empire ( Hindi : गुर्जर प्रतिहार) formed an Indian dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from
3713-475: The city of Ajayameru ( Ajmer ) in the southern part of their kingdom, and in the 12th century, the Chauhans captured Dhilika (the ancient name of Delhi ) from the Tomaras and annexed some of their territory along the Yamuna River . The Chauhan Kingdom became the leading state in Northern India under King Prithviraj III (1165–1192 CE), also known as Prithvi Raj Chauhan or Rai Pithora. Prithviraj III has become famous in folk tales and historical literature as
3792-408: The common era. Kaḷingan military might was reinstated by Khārabēḷa: under Khārabēḷa's generalship, the Kaḷinga state had a formidable maritime reach with trade routes linking it to the then-Simhala (Sri Lanka), Burma (Myanmar), Siam (Thailand), Vietnam, Kamboja (Cambodia), Borneo, Bali, Samudra (Sumatra) and Jabadwipa (Java). Khārabēḷa led many successful campaigns against the states of Magadha, Anga ,
3871-410: The conquest of the eastern Deccan by the Chalukya , Pulakeshin II . Pulakeshin appointed his brother Kubja Vishnuvardhana as Viceroy to rule over the conquered lands. Eventually Vishnuvardhana declared his independence and started the Eastern Chalukya dynasty. The Maitraka Empire ruled Gujarat in western India from the c. 475 to 767 CE. The founder of the dynasty, Senapati (general) Bhatarka,
3950-401: The decline of the Kushan Empire in the 3rd century to the early 9th century. The kingdom was known as the Kabul Shahan or Ratbelshahan from 565 CE–670 CE, when the capitals were located in Kapisa and Kabul, and later Udabhandapura , also known as Hund, for its new capital. In ancient time, the title Shahi appears to be a quite popular royal title in Afghanistan and the northwestern areas of
4029-427: The east. Inscriptions also associate them with Sambhar, the salt lake area in the Amber (later Jaipur) district (the Sakhambari branch remained near lake Sambhar and married into the ruling Gurjara-Pratihara , who then ruled an empire in Northern India ). Chauhans adopted a political policy that saw them indulge largely in campaigns against the Chalukyas and the invading Muslim hordes. In the 11th century, they founded
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#17328521580174108-532: The elements of what is generally known as Hindu culture . The decimal numeral system , including the concept of zero , was invented in India during this period. The peace and prosperity created under Guptas leadership enabled the pursuit of scientific and artistic endeavors in India. The high points of this cultural creativity is seen in Gupta architecture, sculpture and painting. The Gupta period produced scholars such as Kalidasa , Aryabhata , Varahamihira , Vishnu Sharma , and Vatsyayana who made advances in
4187-497: The features that may be traced to Dravidian influence are: ඒක ēka it අලුත් aḷut new කියලා kiyalā having-said මම mama I දන්නවා dannavā know ඒක අලුත් කියලා මම දන්නවා ēka aḷut kiyalā mama dannavā it new having-said I know "I know that it is new." ඒක ēka it අලුත් aḷut new ද da Q කියලා kiyalā having-said මම mama I දන්නේ Middle kingdoms of India The middle kingdoms of India were
4266-473: The first three rulers - Chandragupta I (ca. 319–335), Samudragupta (ca. 335–376), and Chandragupta II (ca. 376–415) —brought much of India under their leadership. They successfully resisted the north-western kingdoms until the arrival of the Hunas who established themselves in Afghanistan by the first half of the 5th century, with their capital at Bamiyan . Nevertheless, much of the Deccan and southern India were largely unaffected by this state of flux in
4345-529: The goddess of healing, they pray to Pattini Devi. When a family member is infected, they hold Dānas ( alms -givings) for her, called Kiri-ammāwarungè dānaya (Nursing mothers' alms-giving). Sri Lankan Sinhalese first invite to 7 or more than that ( 7 multiples ) good women by their behavior.Next , they made Kiriya ( A dish likewise Dodol made from pure coconut milk , jaggery and treacle and adding plums and Kaju ) , Kavum ( Sri Lankan Oil Cake ) , Milk Aluwa , Milk Rice.Especially , All these dishes are made from milk ,
4424-415: The incursions of Sakas , Yonas and the Pahlavas . In particular their struggles with the Western Satraps weakened them and the empire split into smaller states. The Mahameghavahanas (c. 250s BCE – 400s CE) was an ancient ruling dynasty of Kaḷinga after the decline of the Mauryan Empire. The third ruler of the dynasty, Khārabēḷa , conquered much of India in a series of campaigns at the beginning of
4503-459: The influence of Greco-Buddhist art . The Indo-Greeks ultimately disappeared as a political entity around 10 CE following the invasions of the Indo-Scythians, although pockets of Greek populations probably remained for several centuries longer under the subsequent rule of the Indo-Parthians and Kushan Empire . The Yavana or Yona people, literally " Ionian " and meaning "Western foreigner", were described as living beyond Gandhara. Yavanas, Sakas,
4582-487: The introduction of goddess Pattini to the island to Gajabahu I , a Sinhalese king who ruled Sri Lanka from 113-135. As per some historians, the Cilappatikaram mentions Gajabahu's presence at the consecration of a temple to Kannagi (identified as Pattini in this case) by the Chera king Cenkuttuvan . Pattini is honoured in annual fertility rites such as Sinhalese people believe that diseases like chickenpox and measles are punishments by God for frailty. In such events as
4661-431: The island of Ceylon came under British rule . During the career of Christopher Reynolds as a Sinhalese lecturer at the School of African and Oriental Studies, University of London , he extensively researched the Sinhalese language and its pre-1815 literature. The Sri Lankan government awarded him the Sri Lanka Ranjana medal for his work. He wrote the 377-page An anthology of Sinhalese literature up to 1815 , selected by
4740-420: The late Medieval period in the 13th century. During the 2nd century BCE, the Maurya Empire became a collage of regional powers with overlapping boundaries. The whole northwest attracted a series of invaders between 200 BCE and 300 CE. The Puranas speak of many of these tribes as foreigners and impure barbarians ( Mlecchas ). First the Satavahana dynasty and then the Gupta Empire , both successor states to
4819-408: The middle course of the Amu Darya in what is now northern Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; during the 1st century CE, they expanded their territory to include the Punjab and much of the Ganges basin, conquering a number of kingdoms across the northern part of the Indian subcontinent in the process. The Kushans conquered the central section of the main Silk Road and, therefore, had control of
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#17328521580174898-430: The middle of the 2nd century BCE to the 4th century CE . The first Saka king in India was Maues or Moga who established Saka power in Gandhara and gradually extended supremacy over north-western India. Indo-Scythian rule in India ended with the last of the Western Satraps , Rudrasimha III , in 395 CE. The invasion of India by Scythian tribes from Central Asia , often referred to as the "Indo-Scythian invasion", played
4977-499: The north. After the collapse of the Gupta Empire , the gangetic plains fractured into numerous small nations. Harsha of Kannauj was able to briefly bind them together under his rulership as the Empire of Harsha . Only a defeat at the hands of the Chalukyas ( Pulakeshin II ) prevented him from expanding his reign south of the Narmada River . This unity did not last long beyond his reign and his empire fractured soon after his death in 647 AD. The Later Gupta dynasty, also known as
5056-405: The overland trade between India, and China to the east, and the Roman Empire and Persia to the west. Emperor Kanishka was a great patron of Buddhism ; however, as Kushans expanded southward toward the Indian subcontinent the deities of their later coinage came to reflect its new Hindu majority. The rise of new Persian power, the Sasanian Empire , saw them exert their influence into
5135-497: The political entities in the Indian subcontinent from 230 BCE to 1206 CE. The period begins after the decline of the Maurya Empire and the corresponding rise of the Satavahana dynasty , starting with Simuka , from 230 BCE. The "middle" period lasted for almost 1436 years and ended in 1206 CE, with the rise of the Delhi Sultanate , founded in 1206, and the end of the Later Cholas ( Rajendra Chola III , who died in 1279 CE). This period encompasses two eras: Classical India , from
5214-441: The region. Some scholars point out that it was only following the downfall, in the 8th–10th century, of Kannauj (the regional seat-of-power, following the break-up of Harsha 's empire), that the Kacchapaghata state emerged as a principal power in the Chambal valley of present-day Madhya Pradesh . The Paramara dynasty was a Rajput dynasty in early Medieval India who ruled over Malwa region in central India. This dynasty
5293-407: The title Shah-in-shahi ( Shaonano shao ) in imitation of Achaemenid practice. The Shahis are generally split up into two eras—the Buddhist Shahis and the Hindu Shahis, with the change-over thought to have occurred sometime around 870 CE. Following the demise of the Mauryan Empire , the Satavahanas rose as the successor state to check and contend with the influx of the Central Asian tribes from
5372-463: The two centuries of their rule, the Indo-Greek kings combined the Greek and Indian languages and symbols, as seen on their coins, and blended Greek, Hindu and Buddhist religious practices, as seen in the archaeological remains of their cities and in the indications of their support of Buddhism, pointing to a rich fusion of Indian and Hellenistic influences. The diffusion of Indo-Greek culture had consequences which are still felt today, particularly through
5451-404: The west, from the days of Junaid . This was frankly recognised by the Arab writers themselves. Historians of India, since the days of Eliphinstone , has wondered at slow progress of Muslim invaders in India compared to their rapid advance in other parts of the world. Arguments of doubtful validity have often been put forward to explain this unique phenomenon. Now there can be little doubt that it
5530-406: The world. The Chauhan dynasty flourished from the 8th to 12th centuries CE. It was one of the three main Rajput dynasties of that era, the others being Pratiharas and Paramaras . Chauhan dynasties established themselves in several places in North India and in the state of Gujarat in Western India . They were also prominent at Sirohi in the southwest of Rajputana , and at Bundi and Kota in
5609-420: Was Gurjara area for centuries with capital at Bhilmal (Bhinmal or Srimal), situated nearly 50 miles to the north west of Mount Abu . The Pratihara of Bhinmal moved to Kannuaj on the Ganges at the beginning of the 9th century and transferred their capital to Kannuaj and founded an empire which at its peak was bounded on the east by Bihar , on the west by the lost river , the Hakra , and the Arabian Sea , on
5688-585: Was a major center of Indian Ocean trade, and Anhilwara was one of the largest cities in India, with population estimated at 100,000 in the year 1000. The Chaulukyas were patrons of the great seaside temple of Shiva at Somnath Patan in Kathiawar ; Bhima Dev helped rebuild the temple after it was sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026. His son, Karna , conquered the Bhil king Ashapall or Ashaval, and after his victory established
5767-526: Was a military governor of Saurashtra peninsula under Gupta Empire , who had established himself as the independent ruler of Gujarat approximately in the last quarter of the 5th century. The first two Maitraka rulers Bhatarka and Dharasena I used only the title of Senapati (general). The third ruler Dronasimha declared himself as the Maharaja . King Guhasena stopped using the term Paramabhattaraka Padanudhyata along his name like his predecessors, which denotes
5846-494: Was an ancient region in the Kabul , Peshawar , Swat , and Taxila areas of what are now northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan . It was one of 16 Mahajanapada of ancient India . The Karkota Empire was established around 625 CE. During the eighth century they consolidated their rule over Kashmir. The most illustrious ruler of the dynasty was Lalitaditya Muktapida . According to Kalhana's Rajatarangini , he defeated
5925-466: Was arranged for Demetrius with a daughter of Antiochus III the Great , who had partial Persian descent. The ethnicity of later Indo-Greek rulers is less clear. For example, Artemidoros Aniketos (80 BCE) may have been of Indo-Scythian descent. Intermarriage also occurred, as exemplified by Alexander the Great , who married Roxana of Bactria, or Seleucus I Nicator , who married Apama of Sogdia. During
6004-509: Was founded by Upendra in c. 800 CE. The most significant ruler of this dynasty was Bhoja who was a philosopher king and polymath . The seat of the Paramara kingdom was Dhara Nagari (the present day Dhar city in Madhya Pradesh state). The Chaulukyas (also called Solankis) was another Rajput dynasty In Gujarat , Anhilwara (modern Siddhpur Patan ) served as their capital. Gujarat
6083-688: Was founded when Demetrius I of Bactria invaded the Hindu Kush early in the 2nd century BCE. The Greeks in India were eventually divided from the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom centered in Bactria (now the border between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan ). The expression "Indo-Greek Kingdom" loosely describes a number of various dynastic polities. There were numerous cities, such as Taxila , Pushkalavati and Sagala in Pakistan's Punjab . These cities would house
6162-532: Was the contemporaries of the Gupta Empire and the successor state of the Satavahanas they formed the southern boundaries of the north and ruled over today's modern-day states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra during the 3rd and 5th centuries. The rock-cut Buddhist viharas and chaityas of Ajanta Caves (a UNESCO World Heritage Site ), built under the patronage of the Vakataka rulers. They were eventually overrun by
6241-531: Was the power of the Gurjara Pratihara army that effectively barred the progress of the Muslims beyond the confines of Sindh , their first conquest for nearly three hundred years. In the light of later events this might be regarded as the "chief contribution of the Gurjara Pratiharas to the history of India". The Rajput were a Hindu clan who rose to power across a region stretching from the Gangetic plains to
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