INDEXVajrabodhi (Buddhist monk) 148
Vakatakas (dynasty) 84–5, 97
Valabhi 122
Vallabha (Brahmin) 140
Vallalasena (king of Bengal) 112
Varanasi 157, 218, 243, 245, 335
in ancient empires 49–50, 54, 75–6, 81
in early middle ages 109, 121, 128, 131
freedom movement and 262
university at 245, 269
Varendra 112, 173
varnas (estates) 39
Varuna (god) 32, 119
Vasco da Gama 100, 198
Vashishka (king of Kushanas) 77–8
Vasishthiputra (king of Shatavahanas) 96
Vasudeva (Brahmin minister) 69
Vasudeva (god) 80
Vasudeva (king of Kushanas) 79
Vasugupta (teacher) 140
Vatapi 11, 113
Vatsa 49–50, 54
Vatsaraja (king of Gurjara Pratiharas) 107
Vedanta 131, 260; freedom movement and
261–2
Vedas (texts) 31, 52, 131, 141; mirror of
historical experience 33–7
Velamas (dynasty) 178
Venetians 199–200, 202
Vengi 11, 82, 105, 109, 115
viceroys 65, 68–9, 71, 75–6, 105, 157, 192,
207
British 239, 254, 256, 273, 279, 288, 291
see also individual people
Victoria (queen of England) 239, 253
Vidarbha 9
Videgha-Mathava (prince) 48–9
Videha 48
Vidyaranya (Hindu ascetic) 176–7
Vietnam war see Indochina/Vietnam wars
Vijayalakshmi Pandit 319
Vijayanagar empire 9, 106, 131, 192, 210; in
late middle ages 165–6, 170–2, 174, 176–
83
Vijayasena (king of Bengal) 112
Vikrama era of 58 BC 73, 77
Vikramaditya (alias Chandragupta II) 87
Vikramaditya (alias Hemu) 187
Vikramaditya I (king of Chalukyas) 105
Vikramaditya II (king of Chalukyas) 113
Vikramaditya (king of Malwa) 73
Vikramaditya (king of Ujjain) 87
Vikramashila university 112
Vikramorvashiya (poem) 87
village gods 88, 134, 136–8
Vima Kadphises (king of Kushanas) 75, 77,
80
Vindhya mountains 14, 66, 83–5, 91, 95, 104
Vindhyashakti (king of Vakatakas) 85
Vira Shaiva 141
Virudhaka (king of Koshala) 54, 56
Virupaksha (god) 176
Virupaksha II (ruler of Vijayanagar) 178
Vishayapatis (district leaders) 89, 121
Vishnu (god) 5, 88, 118, 133, 139; Bhakti
and 134–6
Vishnu (general) 173
Vishnu Purana (text) 88
Vishnu-Jagannath (god) 175
Vishnu-Trivikrama (god) 113
Vishnu-Vasudeva (god) 80
Vishnugopa (king of Kanchipuram) 82, 98
Vithoba (god) 136
Vivekananda, Swami 261
Vratyas 47
Vrijis (tribal confederation) 50, 54Walpole, Robert 207
Wandiwash, battle of 215, 219
Warangal 160, 164–5, 170, 176, 178
Wardak monastery 78
wars
Afghan 250
European 198, 210, 212–17
First World 254, 263–5
Second World 278–81, 285, 300
Korean 320
Vietnam 320, 328–9
see also armies; military fiefs; weapons
Wavell, Lord (viceroy) 280, 286–91, 296
weapons 12
cavalry and elephants 7–8, 11–12, 56–61,
96, 104, 109, 119, 127, 155, 159–60,
180–2, 185, 189, 193, 196, 210–13, 217,
222
chariots 7–8, 30, 34, 40, 42, 54, 56
in early civilisations 30, 34, 38, 40, 42, 55
firearms and light artillery 182, 184–7,
195, 211, 214–15, 222, 238, 310
iron 38, 55
under Mughals 184–7, 189, 193, 195–6,
210–15, 217, 222
see also armies; wars
Wellesley, Lord (governor general) 221, 231
Wellington, Duke of 221
West
in ancient empires: Persian control of
53–4; see also Shakas
in early civilisations see Indus civilisation
see also Gujarat; Northwest; Pakistan
wheat see grain
Wheeler, Sir Mortimer 101
Wilson, Harold 323
Wilson College 235
World Bank 313–14
Wynad 221