India Map 1140 CE — Historical Map & Timeline

Who ruled India in 1140 CE?

In 1140 CE, power in the subcontinent was shared among 11 major states and dynasties. Dates are conventional estimates.

• Chola Empire
  Tamil Nadu, with naval reach to Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Imperial Cholas of Thanjavur, including Rajaraja I and Rajendra I. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Chola dynasty · Read: The Chola Dynasty
• Pala Empire
  Bengal and Bihar. Buddhist patrons of Nalanda and Vikramashila. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Pala dynasty
• Chandela dynasty
  Bundelkhand, central India. Builders of the Khajuraho temples. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Chandela
• Eastern Ganga dynasty
  Odisha. Builders of the Jagannath temple at Puri and the Sun Temple at Konark. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Ganga dynasty
• Paramara dynasty
  Malwa; capital Dhara. Rajput dynasty of Malwa, best known for King Bhoja. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Paramara
• Hoysala dynasty
  Karnataka. Builders of the temples of Belur and Halebidu. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Hoysala dynasty
• Chaulukya (Solanki) dynasty
  Gujarat; capital Anahilapataka (Patan). Rulers of Gujarat during Mahmud of Ghazni's raid on Somnath. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Caulukya
• Chahamanas (Chauhans) of Shakambhari
  Rajasthan and Delhi; capital Ajmer. Prithviraj Chauhan's dynasty, defeated at the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Prithviraja III
• Western Chalukyas of Kalyani
  Karnataka and the Deccan. Revived Chalukya power in the Deccan after the Rashtrakutas. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Chalukya dynasty
• Ghaznavid rule in Punjab
  Punjab; centre Lahore. Mahmud of Ghazni's successors held Punjab until the Ghurid conquest. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Ghaznavid dynasty
• Sena dynasty
  Bengal. Succeeded the Palas in Bengal. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Sena dynasty

What happened in India around 1140 CE?

• 985 CE: Rajaraja Chola begins his reign
• 11th century context: A living architectural legacy. Use the early-eleventh-century atlas as context for the first two monuments; it does not date the later Darasuram temple. Source: UNESCO — Great Living Chola Temples
• c. 1014–1044 CE: Rajendra Chola projects power across the Bay of Bengal. Rajendra Chola I extended campaigns into Sri Lanka and launched a celebrated expedition against Srivijaya’s maritime network. Naval reach served political prestige and commercial interests, not permanent occupation of Southeast Asia. Source: Britannica: Chola dynasty
• 1191 CE: First Battle of Tarain
• 1192 CE: Second Battle of Tarain
• 1206: A new ruling centre. The foundation of the Sultanate anchors this chronology while Delhi’s settlement history reaches farther back. Source: Delhi Tourism — History of Delhi