Great Kings of India

India or we better say Hindustan has had a rich and vibrant history, most of it incarnated in its many empires. Here are the most famous and most powerful Indian Kings that ruled not only India but on the Heart of its people.

MAHARAJA DHIRAJ VIKRAM ADITYA

Source: generalstudies4u.com

A less known but a very powerful king of not only India but also surrounding many masses of land, Raja Dhiraj Vikram Aditya was a very mighty ruler as well as a very generous king. He is often characterized as the Ideal King. According to famous tradition, Raja Vikramaditya began the 'Vikram Samwat' (a Sanatan Calendar used as a base to calculate months and years) era in 57 BCE after he defeated the Shakas. He had an army of 30 million soldiers, 100 million various vehicles, 25 thousand elephants, and 400 thousand ships. He ruled from 77 BCE till 15 CE.

 

Source: quora.com

He ruled an area from Persia, Turk, and Arabia in the west to the whole of China in the east. From the Himalayas in the north to Simhal(Sri Lanka) in the south. He was the one who started the 9 gems concept in the court. It is believed that once he endowed a wealth of 10 million gold coins only on Shri Krishna Mishra (an astrologer in his court) and you can yourself imagine his wealth!

He created the World's Longest Road of 1700 miles. He was an ideal king as he showed great forbearance and respect towards the religious beliefs and cultural traditions of other races. Arabs, Kurds, and Persians saw him as "the Anointed of the Lord".

Chandragupta Maurya

Source: thoughtco.com

 

Chandragupta Maurya founded the Maurya Empire, which stretched from Kashmir in the north to the Deccan Plateau in the south, Afghanistan, and Balochistan in the west to Bengal and Assam in the east. He seized the Macedonian territories and conquered the eastern territories of Alexander's general Seleucus Niketor making his areas even larger.

Chandragupta Maurya was one of the most powerful rulers in the history of India. He was the one who unified small independent states in India to form a large single kingdom under one administration. This kingdom he called the "Akhand Bharat" means "Whole India".

A young Chandragupta Maurya destroyed the Nanda dynasty, the one that ruled most of northern India. This was the valor and courage of a 20-year-old.

 

Source: learn.culturalindia.net

 

Chandragupta Maurya was born in 340 BC in Bihar and was guided by Chanakya, great Brahmin economics and political science scholar, who later became his mentor. He is said to have been born to a Namda Prince and his maidservant Mura, or that he was from the Moriya tribe of Peacock tamers.

As already established, Chandragupta Maurya conquered most of the Indian subcontinent, establishing one of the largest empires ever seen in India's history. He is known and honored for this conquest. His son Bindusara succeeded him after he abandoned his throne and converted to Jainism. It is believed that Chandragupta Maurya traveled to Shravanabelagola, a famous religious site in south India where he meditated and fasted to his death in 298 BC.

 

Chakravarti Samrat Ashoka

Source: magzter.com

 

The spread of Buddhism in the world is credited to Emperor Ashoka who was the third ruler of the Mauryan Empire. He was better known as 'Ashoka the Great' or 'Chakravarti Samrat Ashok' meaning 'the ruler of the whole world' as he ruled almost the entire Indian subcontinent. He focused mainly on expanding his empire continuously. His reign is considered one of India's most glorious periods.

Ashoka went on and on with his conquests but had a turn around after his bloodiest and most lethal one at Kalinga- it left him shattered and changed him from a fierce vengeful ruler to a peaceful and non-violent emperor. The battle of Kalinga left 100,000 soldiers and civilians dead and more than 150,000 deported.

Emperor Ashoka was born in 304 BC near Patna to the second emperor of the Mauryan Dynasty, Bindusara, and Maharani Dharma. Being born into a royal family gave him exposure to some training he wouldn't otherwise have had- he was good at fighting and hunting. He also received royal military training.

His ascension to the throne was rather gory and unconventional- he had to kill his 99 brothers to claim the throne which was fiercely contested among them when his father died.

 

Raja Prithviraj Chauhan

Statue of Prithviraj Chauhan- by आशीष भटनागर- Wikimedia Commons

 

King Prithviraj Chauhan, alias Rai Pithora, was a Rajput king and one of the last independent Hindu kings to rule the kingdom of Delhi. His father was the king of Ajmer. Prithviraj was an exceptional child- he was very brave, courageous, and intelligent. His military expertise and skills were visible even in his childhood- he could hit targets by only following their sounds!

After the death of his father in a battle in 1179, Prithviraj Chauhan succeeded the throne. He ruled over the twin capitals of Ajmer and Delhi which he had received from his grandfather. Like most rulers in India, he was keen on expanding his territories. There are some famous battles he is remembered for, such as those with Shahabuddin Muhammad Ghori. It is believed that Muhammad Ghori attacked him 21 times and 20 times Ghori was captured and released by Prithviraj Chauhan.

The story of King Prithviraj's marriage to Sanyukta, daughter of Raja Jaichand of Kannauj is told with mirth as the two eloped, right under Sanyukta's father's nose. Her father disapproved of their union since Prithviraj belonged to a rival clan. The couple went on to have several children.

The Afghan invasion brought Prithviraj Chauhan's reign to an end, he was captured by Muhammad Ghori after his loss at the Second Battle of Tarain and executed.

 

Chatrapati Shivaji Raje

Source: freepressjournal.in

 

King Shivaji was born in 1630 in a family of Maratha bureaucrats. His father was a Maratha general in the army of the Bijapur Sultanate, and Jijabai, his mother had him grow up studying religious teachings of Hindu and Sufi saints.

Dadoji Konddeo was Shivaji's administrator who played a big role in his upbringing after Shivaji's father left with his second wife. He taught him how to ride a horse, archery, marksmanship, patta, and other fighting techniques.

King Shivaji's first conquest was at age 16 where he attacked and captured Torna Fort. He captured three other Forts in succession.

Shivaji respected all religions and was unbiased towards other castes and communities. His rule saw the uprising of a strong and powerful army, including the infantry and cavalry. He trained his army in sophisticated warring methods. He also organized a commanding and disciplined navy, including 200 warships. The navy protected his empire's coastline from the Portuguese, British, Dutch, Siddis, and Mughals. This earned him the title 'Father of Indian Navy'.