Random List of Contemporaries

History 11 Minutes

Rajendra Chola, the chap who constructed the magnificent Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the son of Rajaraja Chola (immortalized in Ponniyan Selvan) ruled just about seventy years before Mohammed Ghori’s Somnath raids in the 12th century. I found this fact quite mind-boggling since I’ve never been able to visualize contemporaries of historic figures reigning simultaneously in different lands.

Gangaikonda Cholapuram (Image Credit)

Last week, another similar fact tickled me: When Cheraman Perumal of Kerala became the first Indian monarch to visit the Prophet in Mecca, Hiuen Tsang was roaming around in India and Harsha was reigning.

On a whim, I asked ChatGPT to generate a list of five Indian movers and shakers of each century along with their global contemporaries beginning from 200 BC until the 19th century. This is what it spat out:

500 BC – 400 BC

  • India:
    1. Gautama Buddha (c. 563–483 BC): Founder of Buddhism.
    2. Mahavira (c. 599–527 BC): Founder of Jainism.
    3. Bimbisara (c. 558–491 BC): King of Magadha, expanded the Haryanka dynasty.
    4. Ajatashatru (c. 492–460 BC): Successor of Bimbisara, known for his conflicts with the Licchavis.
    5. Panini (c. 520–460 BC): Ancient Sanskrit grammarian, author of Ashtadhyayi.
  • Global:
    1. Confucius (551–479 BC): Chinese philosopher and teacher.
    2. Socrates (c. 470–399 BC): Greek philosopher, founder of Western philosophy.
    3. Herodotus (c. 484–425 BC): Greek historian, known as the “Father of History.”
    4. Pythagoras (c. 570–495 BC): Greek mathematician and philosopher.
    5. Xerxes I (c. 519–465 BC): Persian king, known for his invasion of Greece.

400 BC – 300 BC

  • India:
    1. Chandragupta Maurya (c. 340–297 BC): Founder of the Maurya Empire.
    2. Chanakya (Kautilya) (c. 350–283 BC): Author of Arthashastra, advisor to Chandragupta Maurya.
    3. Susruta (c. 4th century BC): Ancient Indian physician, author of Susruta Samhita.
    4. Patanjali (c. 4th century BC): Compiler of the Yoga Sutras.
    5. Dhanananda (c. 329–321 BC): Last ruler of the Nanda dynasty.
  • Global:
    1. Plato (c. 428–348 BC): Greek philosopher, student of Socrates.
    2. Alexander the Great (356–323 BC): Macedonian king and conqueror.
    3. Aristotle (384–322 BC): Greek philosopher, student of Plato.
    4. Demosthenes (384–322 BC): Greek statesman and orator.
    5. Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC): Father of Alexander the Great.

300 BC – 200 BC

  • India:
    1. Ashoka the Great (c. 268–232 BC): Maurya Emperor, known for spreading Buddhism.
    2. Bindusara (c. 320–273 BC): Maurya Emperor, father of Ashoka.
    3. Bharata Muni (c. 300 BC): Author of Natya Shastra, an ancient Indian treatise on performing arts.
    4. Bhadrabahu (c. 4th century BC): Jain monk, last Jain Acharya to know the Puranas.
    5. Susima Maurya (c. 3rd century BC): Elder son of Bindusara and brother of Ashoka.
  • Global:
    1. Euclid (c. 300 BC): Greek mathematician, known as the “Father of Geometry.”
    2. Archimedes (c. 287–212 BC): Greek mathematician, engineer, and inventor.
    3. Zeno of Citium (c. 334–262 BC): Founder of Stoicism.
    4. Hannibal (247–183 BC): Carthaginian general, known for crossing the Alps to invade Italy.
    5. Epicurus (c. 341–270 BC): Greek philosopher, founder of Epicureanism.

200 BC – 100 BC

  • India:
    1. Pushyamitra Shunga (c. 185–149 BC): Founder of the Shunga dynasty.
    2. Agnimitra (c. 149–140 BC): Shunga king, son of Pushyamitra.
    3. Vasumitra (c. 2nd century BC): Shunga emperor, participated in the Fourth Buddhist Council.
    4. Karikala Chola (c. 2nd century BC): Early Chola king, known for building the Kallanai Dam.
    5. Kharavela (c. 2nd century BC): King of Kalinga, known for the Hathigumpha inscription.
  • Global:
    1. Julius Caesar (100–44 BC): Roman general and statesman.
    2. Scipio Africanus (236–183 BC): Roman general, defeated Hannibal in the Second Punic War.
    3. Polybius (c. 200–118 BC): Greek historian known for his work, The Histories.
    4. Virgil (70–19 BC): Roman poet, author of the Aeneid.
    5. Antiochus III the Great (241–187 BC): Hellenistic Greek king of the Seleucid Empire.

100 BC – 1 AD

  • India:
    1. Kharavela (c. 2nd century BC): King of Kalinga.
    2. Sātavāhana dynasty (c. 100 BC – 300 AD): Established dominance in Deccan and Central India.
    3. Gautamiputra Satakarni (c. 1st century BC): Notable ruler of the Satavahana dynasty.
    4. Simuka (c. 1st century BC): Founder of the Satavahana dynasty.
    5. Heliodorus (c. 113 BC): Greek ambassador to India, erected the Heliodorus pillar.
  • Global:
    1. Augustus (63 BC – 14 AD): First Roman Emperor.
    2. Cleopatra (69–30 BC): Last Pharaoh of Egypt.
    3. Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BC): Roman orator, statesman, and philosopher.
    4. Herod the Great (73–4 BC): King of Judea, known for his extensive building projects.
    5. Horace (65–8 BC): Roman poet, known for his odes and satires.

1 AD – 100 AD

  • India:
    1. Gautamiputra Satakarni (c. 1st century AD): Notable ruler of the Satavahana dynasty.
    2. Rudradaman I (c. 1st century AD): Saka ruler, known for the Junagadh rock inscription.
    3. Kanishka I (c. 127–150 AD): Kushan emperor, known for his patronage of Buddhism.
    4. Nagarjuna (c. 1st–2nd century AD): Indian philosopher, founder of the Madhyamaka school of Buddhism.
    5. Charaka (c. 1st century AD): Ancient Indian physician, author of the Charaka Samhita.
  • Global:
    1. Jesus Christ (c. 4 BC – 30/33 AD): Founder of Christianity.
    2. Seneca the Younger (c. 4 BC – 65 AD): Roman philosopher, statesman, and dramatist.
    3. Nero (37–68 AD): Roman Emperor known for his tyranny and extravagance.
    4. Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD): Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher.
    5. Ovid (43 BC – 17/18 AD): Roman poet, known for Metamorphoses.

100 AD – 200 AD

  • India:
    1. Kanishka I (c. 127–150 AD): Kushan emperor, known for his patronage of Buddhism.
    2. Gautamiputra Satakarni (c. 78–102 AD): Satavahana ruler, consolidated the Satavahana dynasty.
    3. Sātavāhana dynasty (c. 1st–3rd century AD): Rulers of the Deccan and Central India.
    4. Nagarjuna (c. 1st–2nd century AD): Indian philosopher, founder of the Madhyamaka school of Buddhism.
    5. Charaka (c. 1st century AD): Ancient Indian physician, author of the Charaka Samhita.
  • Global:
    1. Marcus Aurelius (121–180 AD): Roman Emperor and philosopher.
    2. Septimius Severus (145–211 AD): Roman Emperor, founder of the Severan dynasty.
    3. Ptolemy (c. 100–170 AD): Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, and geographer.
    4. Plutarch (c. 46–119 AD): Greek biographer and essayist.
    5. Juvenal (c. 55–138 AD): Roman poet, known for his satires.

200 AD – 300 AD

  • India:
    1. Samudragupta (c. 335–375 AD): Gupta emperor, known for his military conquests.
    2. Chandragupta I (c. 320–335 AD): Founder of the Gupta Empire.
    3. Rudradaman I (c. 2nd century AD): Saka ruler, known for his Sanskrit inscription.
    4. Vishnugupta (c. 3rd century AD): Last king of the Gupta Empire.
    5. Vishnu Sharma (c. 3rd century AD): Author of the Panchatantra.
  • Global:
    1. Constantine the Great (c. 272–337 AD): Roman Emperor, first to convert to Christianity.
    2. Diocletian (c. 244–311 AD): Roman Emperor, known for his administrative reforms.
    3. Plotinus (c. 204–270 AD): Greek philosopher, founder of Neoplatonism.
    4. Galen (c. 129–216 AD): Greek physician, surgeon, and philosopher.
    5. Tertullian (c. 155–240 AD): Christian theologian and writer.

300 AD – 400 AD

  • India:
    1. Chandragupta I (c. 320–335 AD): Founder of the Gupta Empire.
    2. Samudragupta (c. 335–375 AD): Gupta emperor, known for his military conquests.
    3. Chandragupta II (c. 380–415 AD): Gupta emperor, also known as Vikramaditya.
    4. Kumaragupta I (c. 415–455 AD): Gupta emperor, known for maintaining the empire.
    5. Kalidasa (c. 4th–5th century AD): Classical Sanskrit poet and dramatist.
  • Global:
    1. Constantine the Great (c. 272–337 AD): Roman Emperor, first to convert to Christianity.
    2. Saint Augustine (354–430 AD): Christian theologian, philosopher, and bishop.
    3. Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296–373 AD): Christian theologian and Church Father.
    4. Theodosius I (347–395 AD): Roman Emperor, made Christianity the state religion.
    5. Hypatia (c. 360–415 AD): Greek philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer.

400 AD – 500 AD

  • India:
    1. Kumaragupta I (c. 415–455 AD): Gupta emperor, known for maintaining the empire.
    2. Skandagupta (c. 455–467 AD): Gupta emperor, known for defending the empire against the Huns.
    3. Kalidasa (c. 4th–5th century AD): Classical Sanskrit poet and dramatist.
    4. Aryabhata (476–550 AD): Ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer.
    5. Vishnugupta (c. 3rd century AD): Last king of the Gupta Empire.
  • Global:
    1. Attila the Hun (c. 406–453 AD): Leader of the Huns, known for his invasions of Europe.
    2. Saint Patrick (c. 385–461 AD): Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland.
    3. Theodoric the Great (454–526 AD): King of the Ostrogoths and ruler of Italy.
    4. Clovis I (c. 466–511 AD): King of the Franks, founder of the Merovingian dynasty.
    5. Boethius (c. 477–524 AD): Roman philosopher, author of The Consolation of Philosophy.

500 AD – 600 AD

  • India:
    1. Harsha (590–647 AD): Indian emperor, known for uniting Northern India.
    2. Bhaskara I (c. 600–680 AD): Ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer.
    3. Varahamihira (505–587 AD): Ancient Indian astronomer and polymath.
    4. Kalidasa (c. 4th–5th century AD): Classical Sanskrit poet and dramatist.
    5. Aryabhata (476–550 AD): Ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer.
  • Global:
    1. Justinian I (c. 482–565 AD): Byzantine Emperor, known for his legal reforms.
    2. Muhammad (c. 570–632 AD): Founder of Islam.
    3. Pope Gregory I (c. 540–604 AD): Pope of the Catholic Church, known for Gregorian Chant.
    4. Saint Benedict (c. 480–543 AD): Founder of Western monasticism.
    5. Theodora (c. 500–548 AD): Byzantine Empress, wife of Justinian I.

600 AD – 700 AD

  • India:
    1. Harsha (590–647 AD): Indian emperor, known for uniting Northern India.
    2. Bhaskara I (c. 600–680 AD): Ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer.
    3. Pulakeshin II (610–642 AD): Chalukya king, known for his military conquests.
    4. Narendra Gupta (c. 7th century AD): Indian mathematician and astronomer.
    5. Hiuen Tsang (c. 602–664 AD): Chinese traveler and scholar who documented Indian history.
  • Global:
    1. Muhammad (c. 570–632 AD): Founder of Islam.
    2. Heraclius (575–641 AD): Byzantine Emperor, known for his military campaigns.
    3. Ali (601–661 AD): Fourth Caliph of Islam, cousin, and son-in-law of Muhammad.
    4. Wu Zetian (624–705 AD): Only female emperor of China.
    5. Leo III the Isaurian (685–741 AD): Byzantine Emperor, known for his military successes.

700 AD – 800 AD

  • India:
    1. Vikramaditya II (733–744 AD): Chalukya king, known for his military victories.
    2. Dantidurga (c. 735–756 AD): Founder of the Rashtrakuta dynasty.
    3. Narasimha Varma II (c. 710–735 AD): Pallava king, known for his architectural contributions.
    4. Shankaracharya (c. 788–820 AD): Indian philosopher and theologian, consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta.
    5. Dhruva Dharavarsha (c. 780–793 AD): Rashtrakuta king, known for expanding the empire.
  • Global:
    1. Charlemagne (c. 747–814 AD): King of the Franks, crowned Holy Roman Emperor.
    2. Alcuin of York (c. 735–804 AD): Scholar and advisor to Charlemagne.
    3. Harun al-Rashid (766–809 AD): Abbasid Caliph, known for his patronage of the arts and sciences.
    4. Beowulf poet (c. 8th century AD): Author of the epic poem Beowulf.
    5. Irene of Athens (c. 752–803 AD): Byzantine Empress, known for restoring the veneration of icons.

800 AD – 900 AD

  • India:
    1. Dhruva Dharavarsha (c. 780–793 AD): Rashtrakuta king, known for expanding the empire.
    2. Govinda III (793–814 AD): Rashtrakuta king, known for his conquests in South India.
    3. Amoghavarsha I (800–878 AD): Rashtrakuta king, known for his patronage of art and literature.
    4. Aditya I (c. 871–907 AD): Chola king, known for re-establishing Chola dominance.
    5. Shankaracharya (c. 788–820 AD): Indian philosopher and theologian, consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta.
  • Global:
    1. Charlemagne (c. 747–814 AD): King of the Franks, crowned Holy Roman Emperor.
    2. Harun al-Rashid (766–809 AD): Abbasid Caliph, known for his patronage of the arts and sciences.
    3. Al-Kindi (c. 801–873 AD): Arab philosopher and polymath.
    4. Al-Ma’mun (786–833 AD): Abbasid Caliph, known for his patronage of the House of Wisdom in Baghdad.
    5. Egbert of Wessex (c. 770–839 AD): First King of all England.

900 AD – 1000 AD

  • India:
    1. Rajendra Chola I (971–1044 AD): Chola king, known for his naval expeditions.
    2. Krishna III (c. 939–967 AD): Last powerful Rashtrakuta king.
    3. Raja Raja Chola I (947–1014 AD): Chola king, known for his military conquests and administrative reforms.
    4. Gopala (c. 8th century AD): Founder of the Pala Empire.
    5. Lalitaditya Muktapida (c. 724–760 AD): King of Kashmir, known for his conquests and cultural contributions.
  • Global:
    1. Otto I (912–973 AD): Holy Roman Emperor, known for his military campaigns.
    2. Hugh Capet (c. 939–996 AD): Founder of the Capetian dynasty in France.
    3. Al-Mansur (938–1002 AD): Andalusian military leader and statesman.
    4. Vladimir the Great (c. 958–1015 AD): Grand Prince of Kiev, converted Kievan Rus to Christianity.
    5. Al-Biruni (973–1048 AD): Persian scholar and polymath.

1000 AD – 1100 AD

  • India:
    1. Raja Raja Chola I (947–1014 AD): Chola king, known for his military conquests and administrative reforms.
    2. Rajendra Chola I (971–1044 AD): Chola king, known for his naval expeditions.
    3. Mahmud of Ghazni (971–1030 AD): Turkic ruler, known for his invasions of India.
    4. Jayasimha Siddharaja (c. 1092–1142 AD): Solanki king of Gujarat.
    5. Vikrama Chola (c. 1063–1135 AD): Chola king, known for his military campaigns.
  • Global:
    1. William the Conqueror (1028–1087 AD): Norman king, known for his conquest of England.
    2. Pope Urban II (c. 1035–1099 AD): Initiated the First Crusade.
    3. El Cid (c. 1043–1099 AD): Castilian knight and military leader.
    4. Ibn Sina (Avicenna) (c. 980–1037 AD): Persian polymath, known for his works in medicine and philosophy.
    5. Canute the Great (c. 995–1035 AD): King of England, Denmark, and Norway.

1100 AD – 1200 AD

  • India:
    1. Prithviraj Chauhan (c. 1149–1192 AD): Rajput king, known for his battles against Muhammad of Ghor.
    2. Raja Raja Chola II (c. 1150–1173 AD): Chola king, known for continuing the Chola Empire’s legacy.
    3. Vikramaditya VI (c. 1076–1126 AD): Western Chalukya king, known for his military conquests.
    4. Jayasimha Siddharaja (c. 1092–1142 AD): Solanki king of Gujarat.
    5. Vikrama Chola (c. 1063–1135 AD): Chola king, known for his military campaigns.
  • Global:
    1. Richard the Lionheart (1157–1199 AD): King of England, known for his role in the Third Crusade.
    2. Saladin (1137–1193 AD): Sultan of Egypt and Syria, known for his leadership during the Crusades.
    3. Eleanor of Aquitaine (c. 1122–1204 AD): Queen consort of France and England, mother of Richard the Lionheart.
    4. Frederick Barbarossa (1122–1190 AD): Holy Roman Emperor, known for his military campaigns.
    5. Maimonides (1135–1204 AD): Jewish philosopher and scholar.

1200 AD – 1300 AD

  • India:
    1. Muhammad of Ghor (c. 1149–1206 AD): Turkic ruler, established the Delhi Sultanate.
    2. Qutb al-Din Aibak (1150–1210 AD): Founder of the Mamluk Dynasty in India.
    3. Alauddin Khilji (c. 1296–1316 AD): Sultan of Delhi, known for his military conquests.
    4. Raja Raja Chola III (c. 1216–1256 AD): Chola king, known for facing internal rebellions.
    5. Razia Sultana (1205–1240 AD): The only female ruler of the Delhi Sultanate.
  • Global:
    1. Genghis Khan (c. 1162–1227 AD): Founder of the Mongol Empire.
    2. Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225–1274 AD): Italian philosopher and theologian.
    3. Marco Polo (c. 1254–1324 AD): Venetian explorer and merchant.
    4. Kublai Khan (c. 1215–1294 AD): Mongol emperor, founder of the Yuan Dynasty in China.
    5. Saint Louis IX (1214–1270 AD): King of France, known for his piety and leadership during the Crusades.

1300 AD – 1400 AD

  • India:
    1. Alauddin Khilji (c. 1296–1316 AD): Sultan of Delhi, known for his military conquests.
    2. Muhammad bin Tughlaq (c. 1325–1351 AD): Sultan of Delhi, known for his eccentric policies.
    3. Firuz Shah Tughlaq (c. 1351–1388 AD): Sultan of Delhi, known for his public works projects.
    4. Harihara I (c. 1336–1356 AD): Co-founder of the Vijayanagara Empire.
    5. Vijayanagara Empire (c. 1336–1646 AD): South Indian empire, known for its prosperity and culture.
  • Global:
    1. Dante Alighieri (c. 1265–1321 AD): Italian poet, author of The Divine Comedy.
    2. Giovanni Boccaccio (c. 1313–1375 AD): Italian writer, known for The Decameron.
    3. Ibn Battuta (c. 1304–1368 AD): Moroccan explorer, known for his extensive travels.
    4. Petrarch (1304–1374 AD): Italian scholar and poet, known as the “Father of Humanism.”
    5. Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343–1400 AD): English poet, known for The Canterbury Tales.

1400 AD – 1500 AD

  • India:
    1. Vijayanagara Empire (c. 1336–1646 AD): South Indian empire, known for its prosperity and culture.
    2. Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin (c. 1420–1470 AD): Ruler of Kashmir, known for his cultural patronage.
    3. Babur (1483–1530 AD): Founder of the Mughal Empire.
    4. Guru Nanak (c. 1469–1539 AD): Founder of Sikhism.
    5. Krishnadevaraya (c. 1471–1529 AD): Emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire, known for his military and cultural achievements.
  • Global:
    1. Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519 AD): Italian polymath, known for his art and inventions.
    2. Christopher Columbus (1451–1506 AD): Italian explorer, credited with discovering the New World.
    3. Johann Gutenberg (c. 1400–1468 AD): Inventor of the printing press.
    4. Michelangelo (1475–1564 AD): Italian sculptor, painter, and architect.
    5. Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527 AD): Italian diplomat and political philosopher.

1600 AD – 1700 AD

  • India:
    1. Shah Jahan (1592–1666 AD): Mughal Emperor, known for commissioning the Taj Mahal.
    2. Aurangzeb (1618–1707 AD): Mughal Emperor, known for his expansionist policies and religious orthodoxy.
    3. Shivaji (1630–1680 AD): Founder of the Maratha Empire, known for his guerrilla warfare tactics.
    4. Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708 AD): The 10th Sikh Guru, founder of the Khalsa.
    5. Jijabai (1598–1674 AD): Mother of Shivaji, known for her role in shaping his leadership.
  • Global:
    1. Galileo Galilei (1564–1642 AD): Italian astronomer, physicist, and mathematician, known for his contributions to the scientific revolution.
    2. Isaac Newton (1643–1727 AD): English mathematician, physicist, and astronomer, known for his laws of motion and universal gravitation.
    3. Louis XIV (1638–1715 AD): King of France, known as the Sun King, epitomized absolute monarchy.
    4. John Locke (1632–1704 AD): English philosopher, known as the “Father of Liberalism.”
    5. Rembrandt (1606–1669 AD): Dutch painter and etcher, known for his portraits and use of light and shadow.

1700 AD – 1800 AD

  • India:
    1. Nader Shah (1688–1747 AD): Persian ruler who invaded India and sacked Delhi.
    2. Tipu Sultan (1751–1799 AD): Sultan of Mysore, known for his resistance against British colonialism.
    3. Balaji Baji Rao (1720–1761 AD): Peshwa of the Maratha Empire, expanded Maratha influence in India.
    4. Hyder Ali (1720–1782 AD): Sultan of Mysore, father of Tipu Sultan, known for his military campaigns against the British.
    5. Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772–1833 AD): Indian reformer, known as the “Father of Modern India” for his efforts to abolish sati and promote education.
  • Global:
    1. George Washington (1732–1799 AD): First President of the United States, leader of the American Revolutionary War.
    2. Voltaire (1694–1778 AD): French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher, known for his advocacy of freedom of speech and religion.
    3. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778 AD): French philosopher, known for his influence on the French Revolution and modern political thought.
    4. Catherine the Great (1729–1796 AD): Empress of Russia, expanded the Russian Empire and reformed its administration.
    5. Mozart (1756–1791 AD): Austrian composer, known for his prolific output and influence on Western music.

1800 AD – 1900 AD

  • India:
    1. Rani Lakshmibai (1828–1858 AD): Queen of Jhansi, a key figure in the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
    2. Mahatma Jyotirao Phule (1827–1890 AD): Social reformer, champion of education for women and lower castes.
    3. Dadabhai Naoroji (1825–1917 AD): Indian nationalist leader, known as the “Grand Old Man of India,” and the first Indian to be elected to the British Parliament.
    4. Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902 AD): Hindu monk, known for his role in the revival of Hinduism and introducing Indian philosophies to the Western world.
    5. Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941 AD): Poet, writer, and philosopher, the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
  • Global:
    1. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821 AD): French military and political leader, Emperor of the French.
    2. Charles Darwin (1809–1882 AD): English naturalist, known for his theory of evolution by natural selection.
    3. Karl Marx (1818–1883 AD): German philosopher, economist, and revolutionary socialist, co-author of The Communist Manifesto.
    4. Queen Victoria (1819–1901 AD): Queen of the United Kingdom, oversaw the expansion of the British Empire.
    5. Thomas Edison (1847–1931 AD): American inventor, known for developing the electric light bulb and many other innovations

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