Historical period drama films set in Asia
South Asia -- Indian subcontinent history
Table:
Sortable table

Title

Release date

Time period

Notes on setting

Rajaraja Cholan
1973
947 - 1015 AD
Tamil, About the life history of great king Raja Raja Chola

Veerapandiya Kattabomman
1959
1760 - 1799 AD
Tamil, About the life history of great king Veerapandiya Kattabomman who struggled against British people from Tamil Nadu

Veer Savarkar
2001
1897–1947 AD
about life and times of great revolutionary Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar

Siddhartha
1972
c. 563-483 BC
about the life of a boy and his search for a meaningful way of life

Khamosh Pani
2003
1979-2002
about a widowed mother and her young son set in a late 1970s village in Punjab, Pakistan which is coming under radical influence

Gautama Buddha
2007
c. 563-483 BC
about the life of Gautama Buddha

Amrapali
1966
c. 500 BC
based on the life of Ambapali in India

Sikandar
1941
326 BC
Indian-made film set in 326 BC, after Alexander the Great has conquered Persia and pertains to his conquest of the kingdoms of Pauravas (in modern Pakistan and northwest India).

Asoka
2001
273–232 BC
fictionalized account of the reign of Ashoka (r. ), of the Mauryan Empire in India

Mayura
1975
345–365
Kannada film based on the Kadamba Dynasty's King Mayurasharma set in India

Ambikapathy
1937
1083
Tamil, a love story set in India in 1083

Urumi
2011
16th century AD
Malayalam, historical fiction on Portuguese in Malabar

Mughal-e-Azam
1960
1569–1605
Bollywood film telling a story set during the Mughal Empire, depicting conflict between King Akbar and his son Crown Prince Salim over Anarkali.

Jodha-Akbar
2008
1556–1605
Bollywood film set during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605), depicts his marriage to a Hindu Rajput princess Jodhaa Bai. Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, and stars Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai in the title roles.

Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story
2005
1627-58
Directed by Akbar Khan. This movie entails the story of Shah Jahan (r. 1627-58) and his Queen Mumtaz Mahal (1593–1631). Mumtaz was the love of Shah Jahan's life, and the monument this Mughal emperor built to honour his deceased love was the Taj Mahal (constructed from 1632 to 1653).

Paradesi
2013
1930s
Directed by Bala. This movie is based on the lives affected by plantation.

The Deceivers
1988
1825
about Thugees in India in 1825

Veer
2010
1825
set during the 1825 Pindari movement of Rajasthan, when India was ruled by the British. Directed by Anil Sharma stars Salman Khan in lerole.

Shatranj Ke Khiladi
1977
1856
(The Chess Players, 1977) entailing the East India Company's annexation of the kingdom of Oudh (Awadh) from Wajid Ali Shah in 1856 on the eve of the Sepoy Mutiny.

Junoon
1978
1857
about a love story between one of the Rebels of 1857 in Rohilkhand and an Anglo-Indian woman that he has held hostage (along with her mother and grandmother).

Taking into account the following table and the context snippets listed.

Give the answer to the question: What are the setting notes of the film that was directed by Conrad Rooks ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

Rajaraja Cholan is a 1973 Tamil film about the life of the Chola king Rajaraja Chola . The high-budget film has Sivaji Ganesan playing the title role . It was the first 70 mm film to be released in Tamil . Kunnakudi Vaidhyanathan composed the music for the film . Sivaji Ganesan 's portrayal as Rajaraja Chola was critically acclaimed .
Tamil cinema is the filmmaking industry of Tamil-language motion pictures . It is based in Chennai , Tamil Nadu , India , in the Kodambakkam neighbourhood , leading to the industrys nickname Kollywood , the word being a portmanteau of Kodambakkam and Hollywood . The first Tamil silent film , Keechaka Vadham , was made by R. Nataraja Mudaliar in 1918 . The first talking motion picture , Kalidas , was a multilingual and was released on 31 October 1931 , less than seven months after India 's first talking motion picture Alam Ara . By the end of the 1930s , the legislature of the State of Madras passed the Entertainment Tax Act of 1939 . Tamil cinema later had a profound effect on other filmmaking industries of India , establishing Madras ( now Chennai ) as a secondary hub for Hindi cinema , other South Indian film industries , as well as Sri Lankan cinema . Over the last quarter of the 20th century , Tamil films from India established a global presence through distribution to an increasing number of overseas theatres in Singapore , Sri Lanka , Malaysia , Japan , the Middle East , parts of Africa , Oceania , Europe , North America and other countries . The industry also inspired independent filmmaking in Sri Lanka and Tamil diaspora populations in Malaysia , Singapore , and the Western Hemisphere .
Veerapandiya Kattabomman ( transl . Kattabomman , the Brave Warrior ) is a 1959 Indian Tamil-language biographical war film produced and directed by B. R. Panthulu . The film stars Sivaji Ganesan , Gemini Ganesan , Padmini , S. Varalakshmi , and Ragini , with V. K. Ramasamy and Javar Seetharaman in supporting roles . Its soundtrack and score were composed by G. Ramanathan . Produced and distributed by Panthulu under his banner Padmini Pictures , the film is loosely based on the story of Veerapandiya Kattabomman , the 18th-century South Indian chieftain who rebelled against the East India Company . It was an adaptation of the play of the same name by Sakthi T. K. Krishnasamy which featured Sivaji Ganesan as the title character , and premiered in August 1957 . Principal photography began in October the same year , and took place mainly in Jaipur and Madras ( now Chennai ) till late 1958 . This was the first Tamil film released in Technicolor . Veerapandiya Kattabomman premiered in London on 10 May 1959 , and was released in Tamil Nadu six days later . It was critically acclaimed ; Sivaji Ganesan 's performance as Kattabomman received widespread praise , although some film scholars considered elements in the film , particularly the portrayal of the title character , to be historically inaccurate . It was a commercial success , running for over 25 weeks in theatres and becoming a silver jubilee film . Veerapandiya Kattabomman was dubbed and released in Telugu as Veerapandiya Kattabrahmanna in the same year , and in Hindi as Amar Shaheed the following year .
Tamil Nadu ( Tamil : [ ˈt̪amiɻ ˈn̪aːɽɯ ] ( listen ) ) , is one of the 28 states of India . Its capital and largest city is Chennai . Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian subcontinent and is bordered by the union territory of Puducherry and the South Indian states of Kerala , Karnataka , and Andhra Pradesh . It is bounded by the Eastern Ghats on the north , by the Nilgiri Mountains , the Meghamalai Hills , and Kerala on the west , by the Bay of Bengal in the east , by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait on the southeast , and by the Indian Ocean on the south . The state shares a maritime border with the nation of Sri Lanka . The region was ruled by several empires , including the three great empires - Chera , Chola and Pandyan empires , which shape the region 's cuisine , culture , and architecture . The British Colonial rule during the modern period led to the emergence of Chennai , then known as Madras , as a world-class city . Modern-day Tamil Nadu was formed in 1956 after the reorganisation of states on linguistic lines . The state is home to a number of historic buildings , multi-religious pilgrimage sites , hill stations and three World Heritage sites . Tamil Nadu is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population . The economy of Tamil Nadu is the second-largest state economy in India with ₹16.64 lakh crore ( US $ 230 billion ) in gross domestic product with a per capita GDP of ₹194,000 ( US $ 2,700 ) . Tamil Nadu has the sixth highest ranking among Indian states in human development index .
Veer Savarkar is a Hindi 2001 Indian film based on the life of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar . This version was released on DVD format . This film was produced by Savarkar Darshan Prathisthan , under the president-ship of Sudhir Phadke . It premiered on 16 November 2001 , in Mumbai , New Delhi , Nagpur and six other Indian cities . Rediff.com reports a claim that it is the first movie in the world financed by public donations . On 28 May 2012 its Gujarati language version was released by the then Chief Minister of Gujarat , Narendra Modi . The film was screened retrospective on August 13th 2016 at the Independence Day Film Festival jointly presented by the Indian Directorate of Film Festivals and Ministry of Defense , commemorating 70th Indian Independence Day .
Siddhartha is a 1972 American film based on the novel of the same name by Hermann Hesse , directed by Conrad Rooks . It was shot on location in Northern India , and features work by noted cinematographer Sven Nykvist . The locations used for the film were the holy city of Rishikesh and the private estates and palaces of the Maharajah of Bharatpur .
Khamosh Pani ( Punjabi : خاموش پانی ( Shahmukhi ) , ਖਮੋਸ਼ ਪਾਨੀ ( Gurmukhi ) ; Silent Waters ) is a 2003 Indo-Pakistani film about a widowed mother and her young son living in a Punjabi village as it undergoes radical changes during the late 1970s . Shot in a Pakistani village , the film was also released in India . It won seven awards , including Golden Leopard ( Best Film ) , Best Actress , and Best Direction at the 56th Locarno International Film Festival , Switzerland .
Tathagatha Buddha : The Life & Times of Gautama Buddha ( Hindi : बुद्ध ) , also known as Gautama Buddha and as The Path Finder , is a multilingual feature film on the life and times of the Buddha directed by Allani Sridhar and is based upon the story by Sadguru Sivananda Murty . The film was released in Telugu in 2007 and in other languages in 2008 .
The Buddha ( also known as Siddhārtha Gautama ) , [ note 3 ] was a philosopher , mendicant , meditator , and spiritual teacher who lived in ancient India ( c. 5th to 4th century BCE ) . [ note 4 ] The world religion of Buddhism was founded by the efforts of him and his followers . He taught for around forty years and built a large following , both monastic and lay . His teaching is based on an insight into suffering and the end of suffering ( nirvāṇa ) . The Buddha was born in the Shakya country , to an aristocratic family . He renounced lay life and after several years of mendicancy , meditation and asceticism , he is reported to have had a spiritual awakening . He is thus known by the title Buddha which means Awakened One . The Buddha then traveled throughout the Ganges plain teaching and building a religious community . The Buddha taught a middle way between sensual indulgence and the severe asceticism found in the Indian śramaṇa movement . He taught a spiritual path that included ethical training and meditative practices such as jhana and mindfulness . The Buddha also critiqued the practices of brahmin priests , such as animal sacrifice . After his death , the Buddhist community compiled his teachings into extensive collections , the Discourses ( Suttas ) and Monastic Codes ( Vinaya ) .
Amrapali is a 1966 historical Hindi film directed by Lekh Tandon , starring Vyjayanthimala and Sunil Dutt as leads . Music of the film was by Shankar-Jaikishan . The rights to this film are owned by Shah Rukh Khan 's Red Chillies Entertainment . It was based on the life of Amrapali ( Ambapali ) , the nagarvadhu ( royal courtesan ) of Vaishali in present-day Bihar , the capital of the Licchavi republic in ancient India around 500 BC and Ajatashatru , the Haryanka dynasty king of the Magadha empire , who falls in love with her . Though he destroys Vaishali to get her , she in the meantime has been transformed by her encounter with Gautama Buddha , of whom she becomes a disciple and an Arahant herself . Her story finds mention in old Pali texts and Buddhist traditions . The film was selected as the Indian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 39th Academy Awards , but was not accepted as a nominee . Though the film was n't a commercial success , in time it started being seen as classic and is remembered not just for its dramatic cinematography of war scenes by Dwarka Divecha , and Bhanu Athaiya 's costumes for which she travelled to the Ajanta Caves , to seek references in Buddhist frescoes of the era , to create period costumes that subsequently became a template for costumes of that era , but also for the strong Anti-war sentiment the film reveals in the end .
Āmrapālī , also known as Ambapālika , Ambapali , or Amra was a celebrated nagarvadhu ( royal courtesan ) of the republic of Vaishali ( located in present-day Bihar ) in ancient India around 500 BC . Following the Buddha 's teachings , she became an arahant . She is mentioned in the old Pali texts and Buddhist traditions , particularly in conjunction with the Buddha staying at her mango grove , Ambapali vana , which she later donated to his order and wherein he preached the famous Ambapalika Sutta . The legend of Amrapali originated in the Buddhist Jataka Tales some 1500 years ago .
Sikandar or Sikander is a 1941 epic Bollywood film directed by Sohrab Modi and starring Prithviraj Kapoor as Alexander the Great .
Alexander III of Macedon ( Greek : Αλέξανδρος Γʹ ὁ Μακεδών ; 20/21 July 356 BC - 10/11 June 323 BC ) , commonly known as Alexander the Great ( Ancient Greek : Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Μέγας , romanized : Aléxandros ho Mégas ) , was a king ( basileus ) of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon [ a ] and a member of the Argead dynasty . He was born in Pella in 356 BC and succeeded his father Philip II to the throne at the age of 20 . He spent most of his ruling years on an unprecedented military campaign through Asia and northeast Africa , and by the age of thirty , he had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world , stretching from Greece to northwestern India . He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered one of history 's most successful military commanders . During his youth , Alexander was tutored by Aristotle until age 16 . After Philip 's assassination in 336 BC , he succeeded his father to the throne and inherited a strong kingdom and an experienced army . Alexander was awarded the generalship of Greece and used this authority to launch his father 's pan-Hellenic project to lead the Greeks in the conquest of Persia . In 334 BC , he invaded the Achaemenid Empire ( Persian Empire ) and began a series of campaigns that lasted 10 years . Following the conquest of Anatolia , Alexander broke the power of Persia in a series of decisive battles , most notably the battles of Issus and Gaugamela . He subsequently overthrew Persian King Darius III and conquered the Achaemenid Empire in its entirety . [ b ] At that point , his empire stretched from the Adriatic Sea to the Beas River . Alexander endeavoured to reach the ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea and invaded India in 326 BC , winning an important victory over the Pauravas at the Battle of the Hydaspes .
Iran ( Persian : ایران Irān [ ʔiːˈɾɒːn ] ( listen ) ) , also called Persia , and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran ( Persian : جمهوری اسلامی ایران Jomhuri-ye Eslāmi-ye Irān ( listen ) [ dʒomhuːˌɾije eslɒːˌmije ʔiːˈɾɒn ] ) , is a country in Western Asia . With 82 million inhabitants , Iran is the world 's 18th most populous country . Its territory spans 1,648,195 km2 ( 636,372 sq mi ) , making it the second largest country in the Middle East and the 17th largest in the world . Iran is bordered to the northwest by Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan , [ a ] to the north by the Caspian Sea , to the northeast by Turkmenistan , to the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan , to the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman , and to the west by Turkey and Iraq . Its central location in Eurasia and Western Asia , and its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz , give it geostrategic importance . Tehran is the political and economic center of Iran , and the largest and most populous city in Western Asia with more than 8.8 million residents in the city and 15 million in the larger metropolitan area . Iran is home to one of the world 's oldest civilizations , beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the fourth millennium BCE . It was first unified by the Iranian Medes in the seventh century BCE , and reached its territorial height in the sixth century BCE under Cyrus the Great , whose Achaemenid Empire stretched from Eastern Europe to the Indus Valley , one of the largest empires in history . The empire fell to Alexander the Great in the fourth century BCE and was divided into several Hellenistic states . An Iranian rebellion established the Parthian Empire in the third century BCE , which was succeeded in the third century CE by the Sasanian Empire , a leading world power for the next four centuries . Arab Muslims conquered the empire in the seventh century CE , and the subsequent Islamization of Iran led to the decline of the once dominant Zoroastrian religion . Iran 's major contributions to art , philosophy , and science spread throughout the Muslim world and beyond during the Islamic Golden Age .
Pauravas was an ancient Indian dynasty in the northwest Indian subcontinent ( present-day India and Pakistan ) .
Aśoka is a 2001 Indian epic historical drama film directed and co-written by Santosh Sivan . It is a dramatised version of the early life of emperor Asoka , of the Maurya dynasty , who ruled most of the Indian subcontinent in the 3rd century BCE . The film stars Kareena Kapoor , Shah Rukh Khan , Hrishita Bhatt , Ajith Kumar ( in his only Hindi film to date ) , and Danny Denzongpa . It was produced by Khan , Juhi Chawla and Radhika Sangoi . The screenplay was written by Santosh Sivan and Saket Chaudhary and the dialogue by Abbas Tyrewala . It was originally released as Ashoka The Great in India . The film was widely screened across the United Kingdom and North America , and was also selected for screening at the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival , where it got positive response .
Ashoka ( Brāhmi : 𑀅𑀲𑁄𑀓 , Asoka , IAST : Aśoka , English : /əˈʃoʊkə/ ) sometimes Ashoka the Great , was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty , who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from c. 268 to 232 BCE . The grandson of the founder of the Maurya Dynasty , Chandragupta Maurya , Ashoka promoted the spread of Buddhism across ancient Asia . Considered by many to be one of India 's greatest emperors , Ashoka expanded Chandragupta 's empire to reign over a realm stretching from present-day Afghanistan in the west to Bangladesh in the east . It covered the entire Indian subcontinent except for parts of present-day Tamil Nadu , Karnataka and Kerala . The empire 's capital was Pataliputra ( in Magadha , present-day Patna ) , with provincial capitals at Taxila and Ujjain . Ashoka waged a destructive war against the state of Kalinga ( modern Odisha ) , which he conquered in about 260 BCE . In about 263 BCE , he converted to Buddhism after witnessing the mass deaths of the Kalinga War , which he had waged out of a desire for conquest and which reportedly directly resulted in more than 100,000 deaths and 150,000 deportations . He is remembered for the Ashoka pillars and edicts , for sending Buddhist monks to Sri Lanka and Central Asia , and for establishing monuments marking several significant sites in the life of Gautama Buddha . Beyond the Edicts of Ashoka , biographical information about him relies on legends written centuries later , such as the 2nd-century CE Ashokavadana ( Narrative of Ashoka , a part of the Divyavadana ) , and in the Sri Lankan text Mahavamsa ( Great Chronicle ) . The emblem of the modern Republic of India is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka . His Sanskrit name Aśoka means painless , without sorrow ( the a privativum and śoka , pain , distress ) . In his edicts , he is referred to as Devānāmpriya ( Pali Devānaṃpiya or the Beloved of the Gods ) , and Priyadarśin ( Pali Piyadasī or He who regards everyone with affection ) .
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power based in Magadha and founded by Chandragupta Maurya which dominated the Indian subcontinent between 322 and 185 BCE . Comprising the majority of South Asia , the Maurya Empire was centralized by the conquest of the Indo-Gangetic Plain , and its capital city was located at Pataliputra ( modern Patna ) . The empire was the largest political entity that has ever existed in the Indian subcontinent , extending over 5 million square kilometres ( 1.9 million square miles ) at its zenith under Ashoka . Chandragupta Maurya raised an army , with the assistance of Chanakya ( also known as Kauṭilya ) , and overthrew the Nanda Empire in c. 322 BCE . Chandragupta rapidly expanded his power westwards across central and western India by conquering the satraps left by Alexander the Great , and by 317 BCE the empire had fully occupied northwestern India . The Mauryan Empire then defeated Seleucus I , a diadochus and founder of the Seleucid Empire during the Seleucid-Mauryan war , thus acquiring territory west of the Indus River . At its greatest extent , the empire stretched along the natural boundary of the Himalayas , to the east into Assam , to the west into what is present-day Balochistan , Pakistan and the Hindu Kush mountains of what is now eastern Afghanistan . The dynasty expanded into India 's southern regions by the reign of the emperor Bindusara , but it excluded Kalinga ( modern Odisha ) , until it was conquered by Ashoka . It declined for about 50 years after Ashoka 's rule , and dissolved in 185 BCE with the foundation of the Shunga dynasty in Magadha . Under Chandragupta Maurya and his successors , internal and external trade , agriculture , and economic activities all thrived and expanded across South Asia due to the creation of a single and efficient system of finance , administration , and security . The Maurya dynasty built the Grand Trunk Road , one of Asia 's oldest and longest trade networks , connecting the Indian subcontinent with Central Asia . After the Kalinga War , the Empire experienced nearly half a century of centralized rule under Ashoka .
Mayura is a 1975 Indian Kannada epic historical drama film , directed by Vijay . It is one of the most popular films of acclaimed Kannada actor Dr Rajkumar , who plays the role of Prince Mayurasharma of the Kadamba dynasty , the earliest native kingdom to rule over what is today the modern state of Karnataka . The film depicts the life of Mayura , a Brahmin youth , as he discovers his royal heritage and realizes his destiny of ascending to the throne of the then-Pallava kingdom . Based on a novel of the same name by Devudu Narasimha Sastri , the film is notable for its various scenes filmed inside and around the famous Mysore Palace . The movie was also the last movie to be shot inside the Mysore Palace . The movie saw a theatrical run of 30 weeks . It is considered by many as a symbol of Kannada pride . The movie was dubbed in Telugu as Mahaveera Mayura . K. V. Vijayendra Prasad , father of S. S. Rajamouli and the storywriter of Baahubali : The Beginning had revealed that he was inspired by this movie while writing the story for Baahubali . He had further revealed that the core story line - about the hero not knowing his birth secret that he belongs to a royal family and lives in isolation in a village - was also inspired by this movie .
Kannada cinema , also known as Sandalwood , is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language widely spoken in the state of Karnataka . The 1934 film Sati Sulochana directed by Y. V. Rao was the first talkie film in the Kannada language . It was also the first film starring Subbaiah Naidu , and was the first motion picture screened in the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom . The film was produced by Chamanlal Doongaji , who in 1932 founded South India Movietone in Bengaluru . Major literary works have been adapted to the Kannada screen such as B. V. Karanth 's Chomana Dudi ( 1975 ) , Girish Karnad 's Kaadu ( 1973 ) , Pattabhirama Reddy 's Samskara ( 1970 ) ( based on a novel by U. R. Ananthamurthy ) , which won the Bronze Leopard at Locarno International Film Festival , and T. S. Nagabharana 's Mysuru Mallige ( based on the works of acclaimed poet K. S. Narasimhaswamy ) . Kannada cinema is known for producing experimental works which received global and critical acclaim such as Girish Kasaravalli 's Ghatashraddha ( 1977 ) , which won the Ducats Award at the Manneham Film Festival Germany , Dweepa ( 2002 ) , which won Best Film at Moscow International Film Festival , Singeetam Srinivasa Rao 's silent film Pushpaka Vimana ( 1987 ) , screened at the Cannes Film Festival , Ram Gopal Varma 's docudrama Killing Veerappan ( 2016 ) , and Prashanth Neel 's Historical period drama , K.G.F : Chapter 1 ( 2018 ) , which became the first Kannada language film to have grossed ₹250 crores worldwide at the box office .
The Kadambas ( 345-525 CE ) were an ancient royal family of Karnataka , India , that ruled northern Karnataka and the Konkan from Banavasi in present-day Uttara Kannada district . The kingdom was founded by Mayurasharma in c. 345 which at later times showed the potential of developing into imperial proportions , an indication to which is provided by the titles and epithets assumed by its rulers and the marital relations they kept with other kingdoms and empires , such as the Vakatakas and Guptas of northern India . Mayurasharma defeated the armies of the Pallavas of Kanchi possibly with the help of some native tribes and claimed sovereignty . The Kadamba power reached its peak during the rule of Kakusthavarma . The Kadambas were contemporaries of the Western Ganga Dynasty and together they formed the earliest native kingdoms to rule the land with autonomy . From the mid-6th century the dynasty continued to rule as a vassal of larger Kannada empires , the Chalukya and the Rashtrakuta empires for over five hundred years during which time they branched into minor dynasties . Notable among these are the Kadambas of Goa , the Kadambas of Halasi and the Kadambas of Hangal . During the pre-Kadamba era the ruling families that controlled the Karnataka region , the Mauryas and later the Satavahanas , were not natives of the region and therefore the nucleus of power resided outside present-day Karnataka . The Kadambas were the first indigenous dynasty to use Kannada , the language of the soil at an administrative level . In the history of Karnataka , this era serves as a broad-based historical starting point in the study of the development of region as an enduring geo-political entity and Kannada as an important regional language .
Mayurasharma ( Kannada : ಮಯೂರಶರ್ಮ ) ( or Mayuravarma ( Kannada : ಮಯೂರವರ್ಮ ) ) ( r.345-365 C.E . ) , a kannada scholar and a native of Talagunda ( in modern Shimoga district ) , was the founder of the Kadamba Kingdom of Banavasi , the earliest native kingdom to rule over what is today the modern state of Karnataka , India . Before the rise of the Kadambas , the centres of power ruling the land were outside the Karnataka region ; thus the Kadambas ' ascent to power as an independent geo-political entity , with Kannada , the language of the soil as a major regional language , is a landmark event in the history of modern Karnataka with Mayurasharma as an important historical figure . The earliest Kannada language inscriptions are attributed to the Kadambas of Banavasi .
Ambikapathy ( also spelled as Ambikapathi ) is a 1937 Indian Tamil musical period film directed by American film director Ellis R. Dungan . It starred M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar , M. R. Santhanalakshmi , Serugulathur Sama , T. S. Balaiya , N. S. Krishnan , T. A. Madhuram and P. G. Venkatesan . Ambikapathy is regarded as one of the greatest hits of pre-independence Tamil cinema . Ambikapathy , along with Chintamani were the greatest hits of 1937 and made critics regard him as the first superstar of Tamil cinema . This was the first Tamil film to name a music director in its credits .
Urumi ( Malayalam : ഉറുമി ) is a 2011 Indian Malayalam-language period action film written by Shankar Ramakrishnan and directed and co-produced by Santosh Sivan . It stars Prithviraj Sukumaran , Prabhu Deva , Genelia D'Souza , Amol Gupte , Jagathy Sreekumar , Nithya Menon , and Alexx O'Nell in lead roles and features Tabu , Arya and Vidya Balan in extended cameos . The film is set in the early 16th century , when Portuguese sailors dominated the Indian Ocean . The story follows Chirakkal Kelu ( Prithviraj ) , seeking to avenge the death of his father at the hands of the sailors , and his cohorts Vavvali of Nagapattinam ( Prabhu Deva ) , princess Ayesha of Arackel ( Genelia D'Souza ) and princess Bala of Chirakkal ( Nithya Menon ) . The plot incorporates the intrigues of the Chirakkal royal house , where Kelu serves as commander-in-chief , its rivalry with the house of Arackal , and the assassination of prince Bhanu Vikraman ( Ankur Khanna ) . . The plot also incorporates such historical figures as Estêvão da Gama ( Alexx O'Nell ) , Vasco da Gama ( Alexx O'Nell & Robin Pratt ) and Chenichery Kurup ( Jagathy Sreekumar ) . The film was made on a budget of more than ₹12 crore ( US $ 1.7 million ) , making it the second-most expensive Malayalam film at the time , after Gokulam Gopalan 's Pazhassi Raja ( 2009 ) . The film also marked the debut of Prithviraj Sukumaran as producer . Urumi was released in Hindi as Ek Yodha Shoorveer , in Tamil as Urumi : Padhinaintham Nootrandu Uraivaal written by Sasikumaran and dubbed in Telugu with the same title , Urumi . The film was critically acclaimed . It won two Kerala State Film Awards , for Best Background Music ( Deepak Dev ) and for Best Sound Recordist ( M. R. Rajakrishnan ) .
Malayalam ( /ˌmələˈjɑːləm/ ; Malayalam : മലയാളം , Malayāḷam ? [ mələjaːɭəm ] ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district ) by the Malayali people . It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India spoken by nearly 2.88% of Indians . Malayalam has official language status in the state of Kerala and in the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé ) and is spoken by 37 million people worldwide . Malayalam is also spoken by linguistic minorities in the neighbouring states ; with significant number of speakers in the Nilgiris , Kanyakumari , and Coimbatore districts of Tamil Nadu , and Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka . Due to Malayali expatriates in the Persian Gulf , the language is also widely spoken in Gulf countries . The origin of Malayalam remains a matter of dispute among scholars . One view holds that Malayalam and modern Tamil are offshoots of Middle Tamil and separated from it sometime after the c. 7th century AD . A second view argues for the development of the two languages out of Proto-Dravidian or Proto-Tamil-Malayalam in the prehistoric era . Designated a Classical Language in India in 2013 , it developed into the current form mainly by the influence of the poet Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan in the 16th century . The oldest documents written purely in Malayalam and still surviving are the Vazhappalli Copper plates from 832 AD and Tharisapalli Copper plates from 849 AD . The earliest script used to write Malayalam was the Vatteluttu alphabet , and later the Kolezhuttu , which derived from it .
Mughal-e-Azam ( transl . The Great Mughal ) is a 1960 Indian epic historical drama film directed by K. Asif and produced by Shapoorji Pallonji . Starring Prithviraj Kapoor , Madhubala , Durga Khote , and Dilip Kumar , it follows the love affair between Mughal Prince Salim ( who went on to become Emperor Jahangir ) and Anarkali , a court dancer . Salim 's father , Emperor Akbar , disapproves of the relationship , which leads to a war between father and son . The development of Mughal-e-Azam began in 1944 , when Asif read a play set in the reign of Emperor Akbar ( 1556-1605 ) . Production was plagued by delays and financial uncertainty . Before its principal photography began in the early 1950s , the project had lost a financier and undergone a complete change of cast . Mughal-e-Azam cost more to produce than any previous Indian motion picture ; the budget for a single song sequence exceeded that typical for an entire film of the period . The soundtrack , inspired by Indian classical and folk music , comprises 12 songs voiced by playback singer Lata Mangeshkar along with Mohammed Rafi , Shamshad Begum and classical singer Bade Ghulam Ali Khan , and is often cited among the finest in Bollywood cinematic history . Mughal-e-Azam had the widest release of any Indian film up to that time , and patrons often queued all day for tickets . Released on 5 August 1960 , it broke box office records in India and became the highest-grossing Indian film of all time , a distinction it held for 15 years . By some accounts , Mughal-e-Azam remains the highest-grossing Indian film of all time , adjusted for inflation .
Hindi cinema , often known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema , is the Indian Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai ( formerly Bombay ) . The term is a portmanteau of Bombay and Hollywood . The industry is related to Cinema of South India and other Indian film industries , making up Indian Cinema - the world 's largest by number of feature films produced . Indian cinema has an annual output of 1,986 feature films in 2017 . Bollywood is its largest film producer , with 364 Hindi films produced in 2017 . Bollywood represents 43 percent of Indian net box-office revenue ; Tamil and Telugu cinema represent 36 percent , and the remaining regional cinema constituted 21 percent in 2014 . Bollywood is one of the largest centres of film production in the world . In 2001 ticket sales , Indian cinema ( including Bollywood ) reportedly sold an estimated 3.6 billion tickets worldwide , compared to Hollywood 's 2.6 billion tickets sold . Bollywood films tend to use a colloquial dialect of Hindi-Urdu ( or Hindustani ) , mutually intelligible by Hindi and Urdu speakers , and modern Bollywood movies increasingly incorporate elements of Hinglish . The most popular commercial genre in Bollywood since the 1970s has been the masala film , which freely mixes different genres including action , comedy , romance , drama and melodrama along with musical numbers . Masala films generally fall under the musical film genre , of which Indian cinema has been the largest producer since the 1960s when it exceeded the American film industry 's total musical output after musical films declined in the West ; the first Indian musical talkie was Alam Ara ( 1931 ) , several years after the first Hollywood musical talkie The Jazz Singer ( 1927 ) . Alongside commercial masala films , a distinctive genre of art films known as parallel cinema has also existed , presenting realistic content and avoidance of musical numbers .
The Mughal Empire or Mogul Empire , was an early-modern empire in South Asia . For some two centuries , the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus basin in the west , northern Afghanistan in the northwest , and Kashmir in the north , to the highlands of present-day Assam and Bangladesh in the east , and the uplands of the Deccan plateau in South India . The Mughal empire is conventionally said to have been founded in 1526 by Babur , a warrior chieftain from what today is Uzbekistan , who employed aid from the neighboring Safavid- and Ottoman empires , to defeat the Sultan of Delhi , Ibrahim Lodhi , in the First Battle of Panipat , and to sweep down the plains of Upper India . The Mughal imperial structure , however , is sometimes dated to 1600 , to the rule of Babur 's grandson , Akbar , This imperial structure lasted until 1720 , until shortly after the death of the last major emperor , Aurengzeb , during whose reign the empire also achieved its maximum geographical extent . Reduced subsequently , especially during the East India Company rule in India , to the region in and around Old Delhi , the empire was formally dissolved by the British Raj after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 . Although the Mughal empire was created and sustained by military warfare , it did not vigorously suppress the cultures and peoples it came to rule , but rather equalized and placated them through new administrative practices , and diverse ruling elites , leading to more efficient , centralised , and standardized rule . The base of the empire 's collective wealth was agricultural taxes , instituted by the third Mughal emperor , Akbar . These taxes , which amounted to well over half the output of a peasant cultivator , were paid in the well-regulated silver currency , and caused peasants and artisans to enter larger markets . The relative peace maintained by the empire during much of the 17th century was a factor in India 's economic expansion . Burgeoning European presence in the Indian ocean , and its increasing demand for Indian raw- and finished products , created still greater wealth in the Mughal courts . There was more conspicuous consumption among the Mughal elite , resulting in greater patronage of painting , literary forms , textiles , and architecture , especially during the reign of Shah Jahan . Among the Mughal UNESCO World Heritage Sites in South Asia are : Agra Fort , Fatehpur Sikri , Red Fort , Humayun 's Tomb , Lahore Fort and the Taj Mahal , which is described as , The jewel of Muslim art in India , and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world 's heritage .
Abu ' l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar ( Persian : ابو الفتح جلال الدين محمد اكبر ; October 1542 [ a ] - 27 October 1605 ) , popularly known as Akbar the Great , ( Akbar-i-azam اکبر اعظم ) , and also as Akbar I ( IPA : [ əkbər ] ) , was the third Mughal emperor , who reigned from 1556 to 1605 . Akbar succeeded his father , Humayun , under a regent , Bairam Khan , who helped the young emperor expand and consolidate Mughal domains in India . A strong personality and a successful general , Akbar gradually enlarged the Mughal Empire to include most of the Indian subcontinent . His power and influence , however , extended over the entire subcontinent because of Mughal military , political , cultural , and economic dominance . To unify the vast Mughal state , Akbar established a centralised system of administration throughout his empire and adopted a policy of conciliating conquered rulers through marriage and diplomacy . To preserve peace and order in a religiously and culturally diverse empire , he adopted policies that won him the support of his non-Muslim subjects . Eschewing tribal bonds and Islamic state identity , Akbar strove to unite far-flung lands of his realm through loyalty , expressed through an Indo-Persian culture , to himself as an emperor . Mughal India developed a strong and stable economy , leading to commercial expansion and greater patronage of culture . Akbar himself was a patron of art and culture . He was fond of literature , and created a library of over 24,000 volumes written in Sanskrit , Urdu , Persian , Greek , Latin , Arabic and Kashmiri , staffed by many scholars , translators , artists , calligraphers , scribes , bookbinders and readers . He did much of the cataloging himself through three main groupings . Akbar also established the library of Fatehpur Sikri exclusively for women , and he decreed that schools for the education of both Muslims and Hindus should be established throughout the realm .
Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim ( Persian : نورالدین محمد سلیم ) , known by his imperial name Jahangir ( Persian : جهانگیر ) ( 31 August 1569 - 28 October 1627 ) , was the fourth Mughal Emperor , who ruled from 1605 until his death in 1627 . His imperial name ( in Persian ) , means 'conqueror of the world ' , 'world-conqueror ' or 'world-seizer ' ( Jahan : world ; gir : the root of the Persian verb gereftan : to seize , to grab ) . The tale of his relationship with the Mughal courtesan , Anarkali , has been widely adapted into the literature , art and cinema of India .
Anarkali ( Urdu : انارکلی ) ( pomegranate blossom ) , born as Sharif un-Nissa belongs to Sheikh Family , and also known as Nadira Begum , was a courtesan from Lahore ( in modern-day Pakistan ) . According to one of the stories , Anarkali had an illicit relationship with the Crown Prince Jahangir and the Mughal Emperor Akbar had her enclosed in a wall where she died . There is no historic proof of Anarakali 's existence although her character often appears in movies , books and fictionalized versions of history . Anarkali was first mentioned in the journal of an English tourist and trader , William Finch , after he visited the Mughal Empire on 24 August , 1608 . The story was also written by Indian writer Abdul Halim Sharar and on the first page of his book , he clearly mentions it to be a work of fiction . Nevertheless , Anarkali 's story has been adapted into literature , art and cinema . [ citation needed ] She is depicted in the Bollywood movie , Mughal-e-Azam , which is set during the Mughal period . According to legend , Anarkali was ordered to be buried alive between two walls by Mughal Emperor Akbar for having an illicit relationship with the Crown-Prince Salim , later to become Mughal Emperor Jahangir . There is disagreement among scholars concerning the authenticity of Anarkali 's story . There are many supporting and opposing views such as the ones mentioned below . The earliest Western stories about the love affair between Salim and Anarkali were written by two British travellers , William Finch and Edward Terry . William Finch reached Lahore in February 1611 ( only 11 years after the supposed death of Anarkali ) , to sell indigo he had purchased at Bayana on behalf of the East India Company .
Jodhaa Akbar is a 2008 Indian historical romance film , co-written , produced and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker . It stars Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan in the lead roles , with Sonu Sood , Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Ila Arun in supporting roles . The shooting began at Karjat and the film was released on 15 February 2008 . The film centres on the romance between the Mughal Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar , played by Hrithik Roshan , and the Rajput Princess Jodhaa Bai who becomes his wife , played by Aishwarya Rai . Acclaimed composer A. R. Rahman composed the musical score . The soundtrack of the film was released on 19 January 2008 . Upon release , it was a critical and commercial success . The film won the Audience Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the São Paulo International Film Festival , two awards at the Golden Minbar International Film Festival , seven Star Screen Awards five Filmfare Awards and two National Film Awards , in addition to two nominations at the 3rd Asian Film Awards .
The Mughal Emperors , Moghul , from the early 16th century to the mid 19th century , built and ruled the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent , mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India , Pakistan , Afghanistan and Bangladesh . The Mughals emerged as a branch of the Timurid dynasty of Turco-Mongol origin from Central Asia . Their founder Babur , a Timurid prince from the Fergana Valley ( in modern Uzbekistan ) , was a direct descendant of Timur ( generally known in western nations as Tamerlane ) and also affiliated with Genghis Khan through Timur 's marriage to a Genghisid princess . Many of the later Mughal emperors had significant Indian Rajput and Persian ancestry through marriage alliances as emperors were born to Rajput and Persian princesses . Akbar , for instance , was half-Persian ( his mother was of Persian origin ) , Jahangir was half-Rajput and quarter-Persian , and Shah Jahan was three-quarters Rajput . During Aurangzeb 's Islamic sharia based government , the empire , as the world 's largest economy , worth over 25% of world GDP , controlled all of the Indian subcontinent , extending from Chittagong in the east to Kabul and Baluchistan in the west , Kashmir in the north to the Kaveri River basin in the south . Its population at the time has been estimated as between 110 and 150 million ( a quarter of the world 's population ) , over a territory of more than 4 million square kilometres ( 1.2 million square miles ) . Mughal power rapidly dwindled during the 18th century and the last emperor , Bahadur Shah II , was deposed in 1857 , with the establishment of the British Raj .
Hindus ( Hindustani : [ ˈɦɪndu ] ( listen ) ) are persons who regard themselves as culturally , ethnically , or religiously adhering to aspects of Hinduism . Historically , the term has also been used as a geographical , cultural , and later religious identifier for people living in the Indian subcontinent . The historical meaning of the term Hindu has evolved with time . Starting with the Persian and Greek references to the land of the Indus in the 1st millennium BCE through the texts of the medieval era , the term Hindu implied a geographic , ethnic or cultural identifier for people living in the Indian subcontinent around or beyond the Sindhu ( Indus ) river . By the 16th century , the term began to refer to residents of the subcontinent who were not Turkic or Muslims . [ a ] [ b ] The historical development of Hindu self-identity within the local South Asian population , in a religious or cultural sense , is unclear . Competing theories state that Hindu identity developed in the British colonial era , or that it may have developed post-8th century CE after the Islamic invasion and medieval Hindu-Muslim wars . A sense of Hindu identity and the term Hindu appears in some texts dated between the 13th and 18th century in Sanskrit and Bengali . The 14th- and 18th-century Indian poets such as Vidyapati , Kabir and Eknath used the phrase Hindu dharma ( Hinduism ) and contrasted it with Turaka dharma ( Islam ) . The Christian friar Sebastiao Manrique used the term 'Hindu ' in religious context in 1649 . In the 18th century , the European merchants and colonists began to refer to the followers of Indian religions collectively as Hindus , in contrast to Mohamedans for Mughals and Arabs following Islam . By the mid-19th century , colonial orientalist texts further distinguished Hindus from Buddhists , Sikhs and Jains , but the colonial laws continued to consider all of them to be within the scope of the term Hindu until about mid-20th century .
Rajput ( from Sanskrit raja-putra , son of a king ) is a large multi-component cluster of castes , kin bodies , and local groups , sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent . The term Rajput covers various patrilineal clans historically associated with warriorhood : several clans claim Rajput status , although not all claims are universally accepted . The term Rajput acquired its present meaning only in the 16th century , although it is also anachronistically used to describe the earlier lineages that emerged in northern India from 6th century onwards . In the 11th century , the term rajaputra appeared as a non-hereditary designation for royal officials . Gradually , the Rajputs emerged as a social class comprising people from a variety of ethnic and geographical backgrounds . During the 16th and 17th centuries , the membership of this class became largely hereditary , although new claims to Rajput status continued to be made in the later centuries . Several Rajput-ruled kingdoms played a significant role in many regions of central and northern India until the 20th century . The Rajput population and the former Rajput states are found in north , west , central and east India . These areas include Rajasthan , Gujarat , Uttar Pradesh , Himachal Pradesh , Haryana , Jammu , Uttarakhand , Bihar and Madhya Pradesh .
Ashutosh Gowariker ( born 15 February 1964 ) is an Indian film director , actor , screenwriter and producer . He is known for directing films set on a huge canvas while boasting of an opulent treatment . His works include Lagaan ( 2001 ) , Swades ( 2004 ) , Jodhaa Akbar ( 2008 ) , What 's Your Raashee ? ( 2009 ) , Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey ( 2010 ) and Mohenjo Daro ( 2016 ) . His film Lagaan was nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category in 74th Academy Awards , which makes him a voting member of the Academy Awards . He returned to acting by playing the lead role in the critically acclaimed comedy-drama Ventilator ( 2016 ) .
Hrithik Roshan ( English : /ˈrɪtɪk ˈrɒʃən/ , born 10 January 1974 ) is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films . He has portrayed a variety of characters and is known for his dancing skills . One of the highest-paid actors in India , he has won many awards , including six Filmfares , four for Best Actor and one each for Best Debut and Best Actor ( Critics ) . Starting in 2012 , he appeared in Forbes India 's Celebrity 100 based on his income and popularity . Roshan has frequently collaborated with his father . He made brief appearances as a child actor in several films in the 1980s and later worked as an assistant director on four of his father 's films . His first leading role was in the box-office success Kaho Naa . Pyaar Hai ( 2000 ) , for which he received several awards . Performances in the 2000 terrorism drama Fiza and the 2001 ensemble melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham . consolidated his reputation but were followed by several poorly received films . The 2003 science fiction film Koi . Mil Gaya , for which Roshan won two Filmfare Awards , was a turning point in his career ; he also appeared in its sequels : Krrish ( 2006 ) and Krrish 3 ( 2013 ) .
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ( born 1 November 1973 ) is an Indian actress and the winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant . Through her successful acting career , she has established herself as one of the most popular and influential celebrities in India . Rai has received numerous accolades , including two Filmfare Awards , and was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2009 and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France in 2012 . She has often been cited in the media as the most beautiful woman in the world . While in college , Rai did a few modelling jobs . Following appearances in several television commercials , she entered the Miss India pageant , in which she placed second . She was then crowned Miss World 1994 , after which she began receiving offers to act in film . She made her acting debut in Mani Ratnam 's 1997 Tamil film Iruvar and had her first Hindi film release in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya that same year . Her first commercial success was the Tamil romantic drama Jeans ( 1998 ) , following which she achieved wider success and won two Best Actress awards at Filmfare for her performances in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam ( 1999 ) and Devdas ( 2002 ) . Rai garnered critical appreciation for portraying a passionate artist in the Tamil romance Kandukondain Kandukondain ( 2000 ) , Tagore 's heroine , Binodini , in the Bengali film Chokher Bali ( 2003 ) , a depressed woman in the drama Raincoat ( 2004 ) , Kiranjit Ahluwalia in the British drama film Provoked ( 2006 ) , and a nurse in the drama Guzaarish ( 2010 ) . Rai 's greatest commercial successes have been the romance Mohabbatein ( 2000 ) , the adventure film Dhoom 2 ( 2006 ) , the historical romance Jodhaa Akbar ( 2008 ) , the science fiction film Enthiran ( 2010 ) , and the romantic drama Ae Dil Hai Mushkil ( 2016 ) . Rai married actor Abhishek Bachchan in 2007 ; the couple have one daughter .
Taj Mahal : An Eternal Love Story is a 2005 Bollywood historical drama film directed by Akbar Khan . The movie starred Kabir Bedi , Sonya Jehan , Manisha Koirala , Arbaaz Khan , Vaquar Shaikh and Pooja Batra in the title roles . The movie was released on 18 November in India . Music was composed by the legend of Indian film music Naushad Ali . This was the last work of Naushad Ali who died on 5 May 2006 . It was the most expensive Indian film at the time , surpassing the budget of Devdas ( 2002 ) and costing more than ₹500 million ( $ 11.34 million ) . The film was released in Pakistan by Eveready Pictures and did record business at the box office . However , the film was a financial failure in India , where it grossed only ₹210 million , bringing its worldwide gross to ₹311 million ( $ 7.1 million ) .
Paradesi ( transl . Vagabond ) is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language period drama film written and directed by Bala starring Atharvaa , Vedhicka and Dhansika . The film 's music was scored by G. V. Prakash Kumar . The film was based on novel Eriyum Panikadu , Tamil translation of English novel Red Tea by Paul Harris Daniel and inspired from real life incidents that took place before independence in the 1930s . It was released on 15 March 2013 . The dubbed version of Telugu was released with the same name . The film opened to positive reviews . and become an above average success .
The Deceivers is a 1988 adventure film directed by Nicholas Meyer , starring Pierce Brosnan and Saeed Jaffrey . The film is based on the 1952 John Masters novel of the same name regarding the murderous Thuggee of India .
Thuggee ( UK : /θʌˈɡiː/ , US : /ˈθʌɡi/ ) refers to the acts of Thugs , an organised gang of professional robbers and murderers . The English language word thug traces its roots to the Hindi ठग ( ṭhag ) , which means 'swindler ' or 'deceiver ' . Related words are the verb thugna ( 'to deceive ' ) , from the Sanskrit स्थग ( sthaga 'cunning , sly , fraudulent ' ) and स्थगति ( sthagati , 'he conceals ' ) . This term , describing the murder and robbery of travellers , is popular in the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent and particularly India . Thugs are said to have travelled in groups across the Indian subcontinent . There were numerous traditions about their origin . One recorded by D. F. McLeod traced it to some Muslim tribes formed from those who fled Delhi after murdering a physician . Another traced it to some great Muslim families who fled after murdering a favoured slave of Akbar . These original Muslim Thugs spread Thuggee amongst Rajputs , Hindus , Lodhis and Ahirs . According to other traditions by Thugs , they were Kanjars or descended from those who worked in the Mughal camps . Others have blamed the rise of Thugs on the disbanding of armies in employment of Indian rulers after the British conquest . Thugs are said to have operated as gangs of highway robbers , tricking and later strangling their victims .
Veer : An Epic Love Story of a Warrior ( transl . Brave ) is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language epic action film directed by Anil Sharma , and starring Salman Khan , Zareen Khan , Mithun Chakraborty , Jackie Shroff , Sohail Khan , Rishabh Jain .
Shatranj Ke Khilari ( English : The Chess Players ) is a 1977 Indian film written and directed by Satyajit Ray , based on Munshi Premchand 's short story of the same name . Amjad Khan plays the role of Wajid Ali Shah , King of Awadh , and Richard Attenborough plays the role of General James Outram . The film also features the actors Sanjeev Kumar , Saeed Jaffrey , Shabana Azmi , David Abraham , and Tom Alter , as well as Amitabh Bachchan as the narrator . This is the first Hindi feature film of filmmaker Satyajit Ray and second being 'Sadgati'- another adaptation of Premchand 's short story .
The East India Company ( EIC ) , also known as the Honourable East India Company ( HEIC ) , East India Trading Company ( EITC ) , or the British East India Company , and informally known as John Company , Company Bahadur , or simply The Company , was an English and later British joint-stock company . It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region , initially with Mughal India and the East Indies , and later with Qing China . The company ended up seizing control of large parts of the Indian subcontinent , colonised parts of Southeast Asia , and colonised Hong Kong after a war with Qing China . Originally chartered as the Governor and Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East-Indies , the company rose to account for half of the world 's trade , particularly in basic commodities including cotton , silk , indigo dye , salt , spices , saltpetre , tea , and opium . The company also ruled the beginnings of the British Empire in India . In his speech to the House of Commons in July 1833 , Lord Macaulay explained that since the beginning , the East India company had always been involved in both trade and politics , just as its French and Dutch counterparts had been . The company received a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I on 31 December 1600 , coming relatively late to trade in the Indies . Before them the Portuguese Estado da Índia had traded there for much of the 16th century and the first of half a dozen Dutch Companies sailed to trade there from 1595 . These Dutch companies amalgamated in March 1602 into the Dutch East India Company ( VOC ) , which introduced the first permanent joint stock from 1612 ( meaning investment into shares did not need to be returned , but could be traded on a stock exchange ) . By contrast , wealthy merchants and aristocrats owned the EIC 's shares . Initially the government owned no shares and had only indirect control until 1657 when permanent joint stock was established . During its first century of operation , the focus of the company was trade , not the building of an empire in India .
The Oudh State ( /ˈaʊd/ , also Kingdom of Oudh , or Awadh State ) was a princely state in the Awadh region of North India until annexation by the British in 1856 . Oudh , the now obsolete but once official English-language name of the state , also written historically as Oude , derived from the name of Ayodhya , its first capital . As the Mughal Empire declined and decentralized , local governors in Oudh began asserting greater autonomy , and eventually Oudh matured into an independent polity governing the fertile lands of the Central and Lower Doab . With the British East India Company entering Bengal and decisively defeating Oudh at the Battle of Buxar in 1764 , Oudh fell into the British orbit . The capital of Oudh was in Faizabad , but the British Agents , officially known as residents , had their seat in Lucknow . The Nawab of Oudh , one of the richest princes , paid for and erected a Residency in Lucknow as a part of a wider programme of civic improvements . Oudh joined other Indian states in an upheaval against British rule in 1858 during one of the last series of actions in the Indian rebellion of 1857 . In the course of this uprising detachments of the British Indian Army from the Bombay Presidency overcame the disunited collection of Indian states in a single rapid campaign . Determined rebels continued to wage sporadic guerrilla clashes until the spring of 1859 . This rebellion is also historically known as the Oudh campaign . After the British annexation of Oudh by the Doctrine of Lapse , the North Western Provinces became the North Western Provinces and Oudh .
Wajid Ali Shah ( Urdu : واجد علی شاہ ) ( 30 July 1822 - 1 September 1887 ) was the tenth and last Nawab of Awadh , holding the position for 9 years , from 13 February 1847 to 11 February 1856 . Nawab Wajid Ali Shah 's first wife was Alam Ara who was better known as Khas Mahal because of her exquisite beauty [ clarification needed ] . She was one of two Nikahi [ clarification needed ] wives . His kingdom , long protected by the British under treaty , was eventually annexed bloodlessly on 11 February 1856 , two days before the ninth anniversary of his coronation . The Nawab was exiled to Garden Reach in Metiabruz , then a suburb of Kolkata , where he lived out the rest of his life on a generous pension . He was a poet , playwright , dancer and great patron of the arts . He is widely credited with the revival of Kathak as a major form of classical Indian dance . He is survived by many descendants .
Junoon ( Hindi : जुनून , translation : The Obsession ) is a 1978 Indian Hindi language film produced by Shashi Kapoor and directed by Shyam Benegal . The film is based on Ruskin Bond 's fictional novella , A Flight of Pigeons , set around the Indian Rebellion of 1857 . The film 's soundtrack was composed by Vanraj Bhatia , and cinematography by Govind Nihalani . Its cast included Shashi Kapoor , his wife Jennifer Kendal , Nafisa Ali , Tom Alter , Shabana Azmi , Kulbhushan Kharbanda , Naseeruddin Shah , Deepti Naval , Pearl Padamsee and Sushma Seth . The film also featured Shashi and Jennifer 's children Karan Kapoor , Kunal Kapoor , and Sanjana Kapoor .
Rohilkhand is a region in the northwestern part of the Uttar Pradesh state of India , centered around Bareilly and Moradabad divisions . Part of the upper Ganges Plain , the region is named after the Rohilla Pashtun ( also known as Afghan or Pathan ) tribes . The region was called Madhyadesh in the Sanskrit epics Mahabharata and Ramayana .