New invasions changed power in parts of northern India. Elsewhere, rulers such as the Cholas, Hoysalas and Kakatiyas built strong kingdoms. The same century could bring war to one place and new temples, irrigation or learning to another.

We study destruction and violence honestly, alongside creativity and exchange. Actions of a medieval ruler or army do not make a whole religion, or people living today, responsible. Dates and places help us avoid such unfair generalisations.

As Pala power declined, the Senas became strong in Bengal, with Nadiya as an important centre. They supported Hindu literature and thought; Jayadeva’s Gitagovinda is a notable work associated with their court. Relations with neighbours included both cooperation and conflict.

The Eastern Gangas ruled in Kalinga, largely in present-day Odisha. Their links with the Cholas included marriages and wars. They began the great Jagannatha temple at Puri. Konark’s Sun Temple belongs to the 13th century—a later continuation, not an 11th-century building.

Bhoja ruled the Paramara kingdom in the 11th century, with Dhara as its capital. He fought neighbouring powers and supported scholars. His name is associated with large water works and the unfinished Bhojeshwar temple. A modern statue remembers him; it is not a contemporary portrait.

Works attributed to Bhoja discuss architecture, planning, literature, governance and other fields. Patronage made Dhara an important learning centre. Stories about his wisdom later grew into legend, so historians compare literary claims with inscriptions and material evidence.

Angkor Wat in Cambodia was built under the Khmer king Suryavarman II in the 12th century. Originally dedicated to Vishnu, it later became a Buddhist place of worship. Its reliefs and inscriptions show links with Indian traditions, alongside Khmer skill and choices.

Stories, languages and religious ideas travelled through trade, teachers and other contacts. Local people adapted them. A shared story on a temple does not prove that an Indian ruler governed the country where the temple stands.