Famous Indian Historical Personalities

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 1 
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
(Founder of the Maratha Kingdom of India)
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
82
Birthdate: February 19, 1630
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Maharashtra, India
Died: April 3, 1680

Shivaji was an Indian warrior-king. He is credited with founding the Maratha Empire, which became a force to reckon with during the 18th century. He is also credited with creating his own navy. Considered one of the most important Indian kings and a hero of the Hindus, Shivaji's life and work have inspired several works of art, including films.

 2 
Ashoka
(Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty)
Ashoka
95
Birthdate: 0304 BC
Birthplace: Pataliputra
Died: 0232 BC
Ashoka the Great of the Maurya Dynasty was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya and ruled the Indian subcontinent from c. 268 to 232 BCE. Following the death and destruction caused by the Kalinga War, which was part of his expansion plan, he converted to Buddhism and propagated the faith.
 3 
Rani Lakshmibai
(Queen of the Princely State of Jhansi & One of the Leading Figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857)
Rani Lakshmibai
38
Birthdate: November 19, 1828
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Died: June 18, 1858

Remembered for her heroics against the British, the Indian Joan of Arc Rani Lakshmibai remains an icon of the 1857 Indian Rebellion. The wife of Maharaja Gangadhar Rao, she is known for leading the fight against the British after her husband’s death. She also inspired the legendary lines Khoob Ladi Mardani.

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 4 
Chandragupta Maurya
(Emperor of India and Founder of the Mauryan Dynasty)
Chandragupta Maurya
48
Birthdate: 0340 BC
Birthplace: Pataliputra
Died: 0297 BC

Chandragupta Maurya established the Maurya Empire in India. He was mostly advised by philosopher Chanakya. He conquered the Nanda Empire and fought the Seleucid-Mauryan War, too. His reign was marked by religious tolerance, and cultural and economic prosperity. He later relinquished his throne and became a Jain monk.

 5 
Maharana Pratap
(13th Rana of Mewar Who Became a Folk Hero for His Military Resistance Against Mughal Empire Under Akbar)
Maharana Pratap
22
Birthdate: May 9, 1540
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Rajsamand District, Rajasthan, India
Died: January 19, 1597
Maharana Pratap, son of Maharana Udai Singh, ruled the Indian region of Mewar, in modern-day Rajasthan, from 1572 to 1597. Also known as “Mewari Rana,” he is best remembered for his exploits at the Battle of Haldighati, against the Mughal army of Akbar, led by Man Singh I of Amer.
 6 
Prithviraj Chauhan
(Rajput king of the Chauhan dynasty)
Prithviraj Chauhan
22
Birthdate: 1149 AD
Birthplace: Ajmer
Died: 1192 AD

A king from the Chahamana dynasty, Prithviraj Chauhan ruled Sapadalaksha in present-day north-western India. The son of king Someshvara and queen Karpuradevi, he ascended to the throne when he was just a child. As a young man, he became known as a brave warrior and an excellent military commander. Various sources differ on the exact circumstances of his death.

 7 
Razia Sultana
(First Female Sultan of Delhi)
Razia Sultana
30
Birthdate: 1205 AD
Died: October 14, 1240

Razia Sultana is known for being the only female Muslim ruler of Delhi. She ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent from 1236 to 1240. She was the daughter of Mamluk Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish. Upon her ascend to the throne, she was challenged by rival nobles, many of whom she defeated.

 8 
Raja Raja Chola I
(Chola Emperor Who was the Most Powerful King in South India During His Reign)
Raja Raja Chola I
8
Birthdate: 0947 AD
Died: 1014 AD

Raja Raja Chola I was an emperor who reigned over south India from 985 to 1014. Also known as Rajaraja the Great, the emperor was deemed the most powerful southern king. He is remembered for resuscitating the Chola power and controlling south India and Indian Ocean. He is also credited with building the Brihadisvara Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 9 
Babur
(Founder of Mughal Dyanasty)
Babur
44
Birthdate: February 14, 1483
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Andijan
Died: December 26, 1530
Babur, the first emperor of the Mughal Dynasty of India, was a descendant of Genghis Khan and Timur. He defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526 CE and then defeated Rajput ruler Rana Sanga in the Battle of Khanwa in 1527. His memoir is titled Baburnama.
 10 
Samudragupta
(Second Emperor of the Gupta Empire of Ancient India)
Samudragupta
9
Birthdate: 0318 AD
Birthplace: Indraprastha, India
Died: 0380 AD

The son of legendary Gupta emperor ruler Chandragupta I, Samudragupta ruled from 350 to 375 CE. He was part of the golden age of Hindu history and is known to have revived the horse sacrifice or Ashvamedha ritual. A devout follower of Vishnu, he had control over almost the entire Gangetic valley.

 11 
Rani Padmini
(Queen of Chittor)
Rani Padmini
22
Died: 1303 AD
Legendary Indian queen Padmini, or Padmavati, wife of 13th–14th century king Ratan Sen, was the queen of the kingdom of Mewar. Smitten by her beauty, Alauddin Khalji beseiged Chittor Fort to gain her. However, Padmini and the other women of her kingdom immolated themselves to protect their honor.
 12 
Tipu Sultan
(Ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore Based in South India)
Tipu Sultan
36
Birthdate: December 1, 1751
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Died: May 4, 1799
Tipu Sultan, or the “Tiger of Mysore,” ruled the Kingdom of Mysore from 1782 to 1799. Apart from improving his kingdom’s military arrangements, he also established a new calendar, a new land-revenue system, and a coinage system. He died while defending the fort of Seringapatam in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War.
 13 
Maharaja Ranjit Singh
(1st Maharaja of the Sikh Empire)
Maharaja Ranjit Singh
17
Birthdate: November 2, 1780
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Gujranwala, Pakistan
Died: June 27, 1839
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, also known as the "Lion of Punjab" and the “Napoleon of the East,” was a Sikh leader who reigned over the northwest Indian subcontinent in the 19th century. He fought valiantly against the Afghans and introduced many modern reforms. His Khalsa Army included people of all religions.
 14 
Akbar
(3rd Emperor of the Mughal Empire (1556 - 1605))
Akbar
72
Birthdate: October 25, 1542
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Umarkot, Pakistan
Died: October 27, 1605

Akbar, the third Mughal emperor, played an important role in inculcating Persian culture into the Indian subcontinent. Akbar is considered one of the most important rulers of the Mughal Empire, an empire that seeped foreign ideas and culture into medieval India, the effects of which are still visible in modern-day India, especially in the northern parts of the country.

 15 
Alauddin Khilji
(13th Sultan of Delhi (1926-1316))
Alauddin Khilji
42
Birthdate: 1261 AD
Birthplace: Qalāt-e Ġilzay, Afghanistan
Died: December 31, 1316
 16 
Krishnadevaraya
(Emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire)
Krishnadevaraya
12
Birthdate: February 16, 1471
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Hampi
Died: 1529 AD
Krishnadevaraya, from the Tuluva Dynasty, was the emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1509 to 1529. Named the Lord of the Kannada empire, he was one of the most influential Hindu kings of the Indian peninsula. An able military general and ruler, he also patronized art and literature.
 17 
Aurangzeb
(6th Emperor of the Mughal Empire (1658 - 1707))
Aurangzeb
49
Birthdate: November 3, 1618
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Dahod, Gujarat, India
Died: March 3, 1707

Aurangzeb reigned over most part of the Indian subcontinent for 49 years as the sixth Mughal emperor. He helped the Mughal Empire reach its greatest extent and helped India become the biggest manufacturing power and the world's largest economy. He was known for his religious piety and led a very simple life..

 18 
Shah Jahan
(Mughal Emperor)
Shah Jahan
46
Birthdate: January 5, 1592
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lahore
Died: February 1, 1666

Shah Jahan, emperor Jahangir’s son, ruled as the fifth Mughal emperor, from 1628 to 1658. He is known for commissioning the Taj Mahal for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, among other contributions to Mughal architecture. He was put under house arrest by his son, Aurangzeb, during his final years.

 19 
Porus
(King)
Porus
20
Birthplace: Punjab, India
Died: 0321 AD

Fourth century BC Indian prince Porus only finds mention in Greek texts but is said to have ruled over a vast land in what is present-day Punjab in the Indian subcontinent. He fought and lost against the legendary Macedonian ruler Alexander the Great in the Battle of the Hydaspes.

 20 
Jahangir
(Mughal Emperor)
Jahangir
36
Birthdate: August 31, 1569
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Fatehpur Sikri
Died: November 8, 1627
Prince Salim, son of Mughal emperor Akbar, ruled as Emperor Jahangir from 1605 to 1627. Jahangir was a patron of the arts and architecture, and focused on expansion through war. Fictional accounts of his relationship with a courtesan named Anarkali were later portrayed in literature and movies. 
 21 
Bindusara
(Second Maurya Emperor)
Bindusara
15
Birthdate: 0320 BC
Died: 0273 BC

Bindusara, son of Chandragupta Maurya, reigned as the second Mauryan emperor of India. He was the father of Ashoka the Great. Not much is known about his life. It is believed that much of the Deccan had been conquered by him, though there is no concrete proof of the same.

 22 
Sambhaji
(Ruler)
Sambhaji
18
Birthdate: May 14, 1657
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Purandar fort, India
Died: March 11, 1689

The Maratha Empire’s second Chhatrapati, Sambhaji Bhosale, was the eldest son of Shivaji. After losing his mother at 2, he was raised by his grandmother. A treaty made him a Mughal mansabdar. Later, following repeated clashes with the Mughals, he was eventually captured and tortured to death.

 23 
Baji Rao I
(Peshwa of Maratha Empire from 1720 to 1740)
Baji Rao I
3
Birthdate: August 18, 1700
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Sinnar, Maharashtra, India
Died: April 28, 1740

Baji Rao I was a peshwa, or chief minister, of the Maratha empire in India. His conquests led a massive blow to the Mughal Empire. In spite of being married to Kashibai, he took a second wife, half-Muslim Mastani, a story that was retold in several movies later.

 24 
Sher Shah Suri
(1st Sultan of the Suri Empire)
Sher Shah Suri
24
Birthdate: 1486 AD
Birthplace: Sasaram, India
Died: May 22, 1545
Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri, the founder of the Suri Empire, established the rupee as the Indian currency. He was initially part of Babur’s Mughal army and then became the governor of Bihar. He is also remembered for developing Humayun's Dina-panah city, reviving Pataliputra, and extending the Grand Trunk Road.
 25 
Pulakeshin II
(King)
Pulakeshin II
5
Birthplace: Veerapur, Karnataka, India
Died: 0642 AD
 26 
Humayun
(2nd Emperor of the Mughal Empire)
Humayun
31
Birthdate: March 6, 1508
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Kabul, Afghanistan
Died: January 27, 1556

Humayun was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, which ruled over South Asia for nearly two centuries. At the time of his demise, the empire spanned nearly one million square kilometers. The expansion of the empire under Humayun’s reign helped his son Akbar establish a substantial legacy of his own.

 27 
Mariam-uz-Zamani
(Akbar's Third Wife)
Mariam-uz-Zamani
19
Birthdate: 1542 AD
Birthplace: Amer, Rajstan, India
Died: May 19, 1623

Mariam-uz-Zamani, or Jodha Bai, was the wife of Mughal emperor Akbar. She was a Hindu Rajput princess and the daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amber. Mariam’s marriage to Akbar signified her father’s submission to the Mughal emperor. She was symbolic of the gradual rise of multiculturalism in the Mughal era.

 28 
Ahilyabai Holkar
(Queen)
Ahilyabai Holkar
0
Birthdate: May 31, 1725
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Jamkhed, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India
Died: August 13, 1795

Ahilyabai Holkar was the Queen of the Maratha Empire who reigned from 1767 to 1795. A great pioneer, Ahilyabai is credited with building hundreds of temples throughout India. She is best remembered for rebuilding the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple which had been plundered, desecrated, and converted into a mosque by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

 29 
Harshavardhana
(Indian emperor)
Harshavardhana
10
Birthdate: 0590 AD
Died: 0647 AD

Harshavardhana, the second son of king Prabhakaravardhana of Thanesar, became a king at 16. Also known as Harsha, he reigned over a vast region of North and Northwestern India from 606 to 647 CE. Hieun Tsang’s Harshacharita detailed how Harsha converted from Hinduism to Buddhism, banned animal slaughter, and built monasteries.

 30 
Rana Sanga
(Ruler of Mewar)
Rana Sanga
5
Birthdate: April 12, 1484
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Malwa
Died: March 17, 1527

Maharana Sangram Singh I, better known as Rana Sanga, is remembered in history as a fierce Rajput king of the Sisodia dynasty. He controlled modern-day Rajasthan, Gujarat, and MP, with Chittor as his capital. In his struggle for power, he had lost one arm and one eye, and was crippled for life.

 31 
Nur Jahan
(Empress)
Nur Jahan
6
Birthdate: May 31, 1577
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kandahar, Afghanistan
Died: December 18, 1645

Nur Jahan was the chief consort of Mughal emperor Jahangir. She reigned as Badshah Begum of the empire from 1620 to 1627. Nur Jahan is often credited with influencing Jahangir's decisions for much of his reign. She is also remembered for her strength and courage and her skills in hunting ferocious tigers. Her life has inspired many books and movies.

 32 
Balaji Baji Rao
(8th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire (1740-61))
Balaji Baji Rao
4
Birthdate: December 8, 1720
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Pune, Maharashtra, India
Died: June 23, 1761
 33 
Rajendra Chola I
3
Birthdate: 1014 AD
Birthplace: Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Died: 1044 AD

Rajendra Chola I, or Rajendra the Great, was a Tamil ruler who reigned over the mighty Chola empire. He outdid his father Rajaraja I and expanded the kingdom to areas such as Sri Lanka and the Maldives. His conquests in the North covered the Gangetic plain.

 34 
Muhammad of Ghor
(King)
Muhammad of Ghor
14
Birthdate: 1149 AD
Birthplace: Ghor, Afghanistan
Died: March 15, 1206

Muhammad of Ghor of the Ghurid Empire went down in history as the man who established Muslim rule in the Indian subcontinent and set the tone for the upcoming Mughal dynasty. He ruled over a vast area, which included India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, among others, along with his brother, Ghiyath ad-Din Muhammad.

 35 
Dalip Singh
(Sikh maharaja)
Dalip Singh
4
Birthdate: September 4, 1838
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Lahore, Pakistan
Died: October 22, 1893
 36 
Muhammad bin Tughluq
(Sultan of Delhi (1325-1351))
Muhammad bin Tughluq
29
Birthdate: 1290 AD
Birthplace: Multan, Pakistan
Died: March 20, 1351
 37 
Bahadur Shah Zafar
(Last Mughal Emperor of India)
Bahadur Shah Zafar
26
Birthdate: October 24, 1775
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Delhi, India
Died: November 7, 1862
Bahadur Shah Zafar, son of Akbar II, was the last Mughal emperor. Back then, the Mughals had been reduced to nominal rulers, and his authority extended till the walled city of Old Delhi, or Shahjahanbad. Following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, he was exiled to Rangoon by the British.
 38 
Bharata
(Monarch)
Bharata
6

Bharata finds mention in the Indian epic Mahābhārata, and was the son of Dushyanta and Shakuntala. He also appears in poet Kalidasa’s Abhijñānaśākuntalam. Though Bharata’s dynasty gave rise to the Pandavas, it is believed they were not his real descendants. Sources also mention him as an ancestor of Kurus.

 39 
Hyder Ali
(Ruler of Mysore)
Hyder Ali
16
Birthdate: 1721 AD
Birthplace: Budikote
Died: December 6, 1782
 40 
Ajatasatru
5
Birthdate: 0492 BC
Birthplace: Rajgir
Died: 0460 BC

Fifth-century BC empire of Magadha, what is now South Bihar, Ajatasatru was the son of King Bimbisara, and forcefully gained control of the kingdom by imprisoning his father. The Haryanka dynasty ruler formed the city of Pataliputra and also extended the kingdom to Kashi. He lived during the time of Buddha.

 41 
Kanishka
(King)
Kanishka
3
Birthdate: 0078 AD
Birthplace: Peshawar, Pakistan
Died: 0144 AD
 42 
Tarabai
(Regent of Maratha Empire)
Tarabai
4
Birthdate: April 14, 1675
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Satara
Died: December 9, 1761

Tarabai reigned as the Queen Regent of the famous Maratha Empire from 1700 to 1708. The queen of Rajaram Bhosle I, Tarabai played an important role in fending off the Mughal forces from the Maratha territories after the demise of her husband. Tarabai's life and heroics have inspired films like Shivrayachi Soon Tararani where she was portrayed by Nishigandha Wad.

 43 
Bimbisara
(King of Magadha)
Bimbisara
5
Birthdate: 0558 AD
Birthplace: India
Died: 0491 AD
 44 
Bahadur Shah I
(Emperor)
Bahadur Shah I
20
Birthdate: October 14, 1643
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Burhanpur, India
Died: February 27, 1712
 45 
Shah Alam II
(Emperor)
Shah Alam II
18
Birthdate: June 25, 1728
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Delhi, India
Died: November 19, 1806
 46 
Chandragupta II
(King)
Chandragupta II
4
Birthdate: 0380 AD
Birthplace: India
Died: 0410 AD
 47 
Rajaram Chhatrapati
(Ruler)
Rajaram Chhatrapati
2
Birthdate: February 24, 1670
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Raigad Fort
Died: March 2, 1700
 48 
Siraj ud-Daulah
(King)
Siraj ud-Daulah
17
Birthdate: 1733 AD
Birthplace: Murshidabad, India
Died: July 2, 1757
 49 
Rani Durgavati
(Queen)
Rani Durgavati
3
Birthdate: October 5, 1524
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Kalinjar Fort
Died: June 24, 1564

Rani Durgavati reigned as the Maharani of the Gond kingdom from 1550 to 1564. She is best remembered for defending her kingdom when it was attacked by Mughal General Asaf Khan. Although she knew that the Mughal army was superior to her army, Rani Durgavati refused to surrender and took her own life in the battlefield when defeat was imminent.

 50 
Janamejaya
(King of Kuru)
Janamejaya
5
Birthplace: India