Goswami Tulsidas, a contemporary of Akbar, wrote the Ramcharitmanas, an epic poem in the Awadhi language retelling the Ramayana.

Rani Padmini was the queen of Rana Ratnasimha of Chittor (Mewar), famous for the Jauhar during Alauddin Khilji's siege.

Bairam Khan was the faithful tutor and regent who managed the empire for the young Akbar and won the Second Battle of Panipat in 1556.

Marco Polo, the Venetian merchant who visited South India (Kakatiya and Pandya kingdoms) in the 13th century, is often called the Prince of Medieval Travelers.

Chand Bardai was the court poet and friend of Prithviraj Chauhan. His epic poem 'Prithviraj Raso' describes the king's life and battles.

Shivaji Maharaj carved out an independent Maratha kingdom from the declining Adil Shahi sultanate of Bijapur and challenged the Mughal Empire.

Rajendra Chola I assumed this title after his successful military expedition to the Ganges river in North India and built a new capital 'Gangaikonda Cholapuram'.

Moinuddin Chishti established the Chishti order in India and settled in Ajmer, Rajasthan. His shrine (Dargah) is a major pilgrimage site.

Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan, was a scholar who translated 50 Upanishads into Persian to find common ground between Hinduism and Islam.

Mian Tansen, the legendary musician in Akbar's court, was born in Gwalior. His original name was Ramtanu Pande.