Medieval India is a historical concept, a periodization model that defines the long phase of post-classical history in the Indian subcontinent, situated between the ancient and modern eras. It is generally regarded as running from the decline of the Gupta Empire in the 6th century CE up to the beginning of the Mughal Empire in 1526, or sometimes extending to the 18th century with the start of colonial domination.
The period is conventionally divided into the Early Medieval Period (c. 6th to 13th century) and the Late Medieval Period (c. 13th to 16th century). The Early Medieval era was characterized by political decentralization, with over 40 different states and the rise of regional powers like the Pala Empire, Cholas, and Rajput clans, alongside the development of feudal structures based on land grants. The Late Medieval era began with the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate by Qutb ud-Din Aibak and the subsequent consolidation of Islamic political power in North India.
This era is connected to the rise of major institutions like the Delhi Sultanate and the Vijayanagara Empire in the South, and significant cultural shifts, including the decline of Buddhism, the development of modern Hinduism, and the emergence of Indo-Islamic art and architecture.
The concept has changed significantly in modern historiography; the traditional periodization by British historians like James Mill into "Hindu" and "Muslim" periods is widely criticized for its colonial bias and oversimplification. Contemporary historians prefer to focus on socio-economic changes and regional developments, and the use of the Eurocentric term "medieval" is becoming rarer in scholarly discourse.