NCERT Solutions for Exploring Society: India and Beyond Chapter 2 Reshaping India's Political Map

Updated on 2026-09-05

About this chapter

The chapter calls this the latter part of the ‘medieval period’ — a European term the book uses only loosely, for the 11th to 17th centuries, warning that historians do not agree on which period it covers in India. The Delhi Sultanate (from 1206) saw five successive dynasties of Turkic–Afghan origin — Mamluks, Khiljis, Tughlaqs, Sayyids, Lodis. Almost two sultans out of three seized power by eliminating their predecessor, so the average reign was hardly more than nine years . Resistance came from many quarters: the Eastern Gangas under Narasimhadeva I, the Hoysalas , the Musunuri Nayakas , Rana Kumbha and Maharana Pratap of Mewar, Rani Durgavati , the Jat peasantry, tribal groups, the Ahoms and the Sikhs . In the south, Vijayanagara (from 1336) peaked under Krishnadevaraya , then lost the

  • Theme: Tapestry of the Past
  • Rise and Fall of the Delhi Sultanate
  • Resistance to the Delhi Sultanate
  • The Vijayanagara Empire
  • Krishnadevaraya
  • The Mughals
  • Akbar
  • Aurangzeb
  • The Ahoms
  • The Rise of the Sikhs
  1. Theme: Tapestry of the Past — The Big Questions Page 21
  2. Rise and Fall of the Delhi Sultanate — LET'S EXPLORE Page 26
  3. Rise and Fall of the Delhi Sultanate — LET'S EXPLORE Page 26
  4. Rise and Fall of the Delhi Sultanate — THINK ABOUT IT Page 28
  5. Resistance to the Delhi Sultanate — THINK ABOUT IT Page 29
  6. Resistance to the Delhi Sultanate — LET'S EXPLORE Page 31
  7. The Vijayanagara Empire — THINK ABOUT IT Page 32
  8. Krishnadevaraya — LET'S EXPLORE Page 35
  9. The Mughals — THINK ABOUT IT Page 37
  10. Akbar — THINK ABOUT IT Page 40
  11. Akbar — LET'S EXPLORE Page 41
  12. Aurangzeb — THINK ABOUT IT Page 43
  13. Aurangzeb — LET'S EXPLORE Page 45
  14. The Ahoms — LET'S EXPLORE Page 48
  15. The Ahoms — LET'S EXPLORE Page 49
  16. The Rise of the Sikhs — DON'T MISS OUT Page 51
  17. The Rise of the Sikhs — THINK ABOUT IT Page 52
  18. End of chapter — Questions and activities Page 59
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