Following is the list of historical novels which are set up on the history of India. This includes the history of the Indian subcontinent, which comprises present-day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Anguriyo Binimoy | Bhudev Mukhopadhyay | 1862 | Bengali | First known historical novel of India. | |
Doorgeshnondini | Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay | 1865 | Bengali | First part of first trilogy in historical novels of India. Set in the backdrop of Pathan-Mughal conflicts in south-western region Paschimbanga during the reign of Akbar. | |
Kapalkundala | Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay | 1866 | Bengali | ||
Karan Ghelo | Nandshankar Mehta | 1866 | Gujarati | First Gujarati novel. Depicts story of Karna, the last ruler of the Vaghela dynasty who was defeated by Alauddin Khalji in 1298. | |
Mrinalini | Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay | 1869 | Bengali | ||
Maharastra Jibanprabhat | Romesh Chandra Datta | 1871 | Bengali | ||
Mochangad | Ramchandra Bhikaji Gunjikar | 1871 | Marathi | First Marathi historical novel. Set in the time of Shivaji's era, it is based on fictitious characters in a fort in Deccan area.[1] [2] | |
Hambirrav Ani Putalabai | Vishnu Janardan Patvardhan | 1873 | Marathi | ||
Bangabijeta | Romesh Chandra Datta | 1874 | Bengali | ||
Chandrashekar | Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay | 1875 | Bengali | ||
Dip Nirban | Swarnakumari Debi | 1876 | Bengali | ||
Madhabi Kankan | Romesh Chandra Datta | 1877 | Bengali | ||
Rajput Jiban Sandhya | Romesh Chandra Datta | 1879 | Bengali | ||
Vanaraj Chavdo | Mahipatiram Nilkanth | 1881 | Gujarati | ||
Anandamath | Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay | 1882 | Bengali | Set in the background of Sannyasi rebellion in the late 18th Century. | |
Rajsingha | Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay | 1882 | Bengali | ||
Bouthakuranir Hath | Rabindranath Tagore | 1883 | Bengali | ||
Debi Chaudhurani | Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay | 1884 | Bengali | ||
Sitaram | Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay | 1887 | Bengali | ||
Suratni Sivaji Ni Loot | Suryaram Desai | 1888 | Gujarati | ||
Padmamali | Umesh Chandra Sarkar | 1888 | Oriya | ||
Malik-ul-Aziz Varjina | Abdul Halim Sharar | 1888 | Urdu | ||
Tipu Sultan | Suryaram Desai | 1889 | Gujarati | ||
Hasan Aur Anjalina | Abdul Halim Sharar | 1889 | Urdu | ||
Mansur Mohana | Abdul Halim Sharar | 1890 | Urdu | ||
Marthandavarma | C. V. Raman Pillai | 1891 | Malayalam | About the final years of Rama Varma of Venad and successive rule by Marthanda Varma based in circa 1727 – 1732 in Venad kingdom. | |
Maisuracha Wagh | Hari Narayan Apte | 1891 | Marathi | Based on Tipu Sultan.[3] | |
Suryakantha | Lakshman Rao Gadagkar | 1892 | Kannada | ||
Mohanangi | T. T. Saravanamuthu Pillai | 1895 | Tamil | ||
Sadhara Jesang | Mahipatiram Nilkanth | 1896 | Gujarati | ||
Hemalata | Chilakamarti Lakshmi Narasimham | 1896 | Telugu | ||
Lakshmi Sundara Vijayamu | Khandavalli Ramachandrarudre | 1896 | Telugu | ||
Prataparudriyam | Vedam Venkataraya Shastri | 1896 | Telugu | ||
Ushakal | Hari Narayan Apte | 1897 | Marathi | ||
Ahalyabhai | Chilakamarti Lakshmi Narasimham | 1897 | Telugu | Based on Ahilyabai Holkar. | |
Sundari | Bhai Vir Singh | 1898 | Punjabi | ||
Indira Bhai | Gulvadi Venkat Rao | 1899 | Kannada | ||
Gad Ala Pan Sinha Gela | Hari Narayan Apte | 1899 | Marathi | Based on Tanaji Malusare's role in the Battle of Sinhagad of 1670.[4] | |
Flora Florinda | Abdul Halim Sharar | 1899 | Urdu | ||
Umrao Jaan Ada | Mirza Muhammad Hadi Ruswa | 1899 | Urdu | ||
Manomati | Rajnikanta Bardoloi | 1900 | Assamese | ||
Bijay Singh | Bhai Vir Singh | 1900 | Punjabi | ||
Satvant Kaur | Bhai Vir Singh | 1900 | Punjabi | ||
Sanjogita | K K Sinha | 1901 | English | ||
Anarkali | Baldev Prasad Misra | 1902 | Hindi | ||
Nurjahan | Ganga Prasad Gupta | 1902 | Hindi | ||
Padmini | T. Ramakrishna | 1903 | English | ||
Prithviraj Chauhan | Baldev Prasad Misra | 1903 | Hindi | ||
Mangammal | S. Koodalingam Pillai | 1903 | Tamil | ||
The Princess Kamala | M. V. Naidu | 1904 | English | ||
Raziya Begam | Kishorilal Goswami | 1904 | Hindi | ||
Suryoday | Hari Narayan Apte | 1906 | Marathi | ||
Sivajino Vaghanakha | Hari Narayan Apte | 1907 | Marathi | ||
Suryagrahan | Hari Narayan Apte | 1909 | Marathi | ||
Sathiyavalli | Kuzhandaiswamy Pillai | 1910 | Tamil | ||
Patan trilogy | Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi | 1916–1922 | Gujarati | deals with the Solanki rule in Gujarat | |
Kaler Mandira | Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay | 1951 | Bengali | Based on Hun invasion during Skandagupta's era | |
GaurMallar | Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay | 1954 | Bengali | Set in late 7th century Bengal | |
Ponniyin Selvan | Kalki Krishnamurthy | 1955 | Tamil | On the early days of Rajaraja I | |
Tumi Sandhyar Megh | Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay | 1958 | Bengali | Set in 11th century India. Based on conflict between Pala Empire and Lakshmikarna | |
Aag Ka Darya | Qurratulain Hyder | 1959 | Urdu | Indian history from Chandargupta Maurya (4th century BC) to the post-Independence period in India and Pakistan. | |
Raj Kahini | Abanindranath Tagore | 1963 | Bengali | Set in Rajputana | |
Kumarsambhaber Kabi | Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay | 1963 | Bengali | Based on Kalidasa | |
Tungabhadrar Teere | Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay | 1965 | Bengali | Set in Vijaynagar Empire | |
The Devil's Wind | Manohar Malgonkar | 1972 | English | On Nana Saheb | |
Sei Samay | Sunil Gangopadhyay | 1981 | Bengali | Set in Kolkata from 1840 to 1870. Mainly on Kaliprasanna Singha. | |
Jolodassu | Sunil Gangopadhyay | 1982 | Bengali | On Portuguese invasion in Bengal during Aurangzeb's reign | |
Adhar Rater Atithi | Sunil Gangopadhyay | 1983 | Bengali | Sequel to Jolodassu | |
Poorba- Pashchim | Sunil Gangopadhyay | 1988 | Bengali | On Partition of Bengal of 1947 | |
Shahjada Darasukoh | Shyamal Gangapadhyay | 1991 | Bengali | On the life of Dara Shukoh | |
Prothom Alo | Sunil Gangopadhyay | 1996 | Bengali | On Bengal Renaissance during the second half of 19th century. Mainly on the early years of Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda. | |
Maitreya Jatak | Bani Basu | 1999 | Bengali | On the life and times of Buddha and Bimbisar | |
Vanga Danar Pakhi | Suchitra Bhattacharya | 1999 | Bengali | Set in the background of the rise of the Sena dynasty in Bengal | |
Moner Manush | Sunil Gangopadhyay | 2008 | Bengali | On Lalon | |
Velpari | S. Venkatesan | 2018 | Tamil | On Vēl Pāri |