12 series and shows that bring Indian empires to life on screen

Flipping through the pages of Indian history was probably one of the most boring things to do in school, until the world of OTT brought these familiar characters out of the pages and on the screen. While one could see the practical tactics employed in Shivaji’s guerrilla warfare, one could also gauge the intensity of personal rifts between gather and sons in the Mughal Kingdom. Different centuries, different era, different kingdoms and different characters come alive on screen through these 12 web series.

Focusing on 17^th century Bundelkhand and helmed by Jitin Gulati, Ashutosh Rana and Neena Gupta, the series follows Maharaja Chhatrasal who rose up against Aurangzeb to establish the independent kingdom of Bundelkhand. Streaming on Amazon MX Plqyer

Starring Faisal Khan, Kartikey Malviya, Tarun Khanna and Sourabh Raaj Jain, it chronicles around the Mauryan empire following Chandragupt and his mentor Chanakya as they navigate to overthrow the Nanda dynasty to establish a new Gupta empire in Magadha. Streaming on Amazon MX Player

Starring Kunal Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Drashti Dhami and Dino Morea in lead roles, the series is an adaptation of Alex Rutherford’s fiction narrating the journey of a young Babur in establishing the Mughal empire in India. Streaming on JioHotstar

This series chronicles the life and times of Maharani Tarabai who took charge of the Maratha empire after the death of her husband Rajaram I. The drama is set up in 17^th and 18^th century India. It is one of the few series which talks about how women broke the glass ceiling, moved from behind the veils, and took charge of a kingdom, politically, socially and culturally against politically volatile situations. Streaming on SonyLiv

Focusing on 16th-century Mewar, Rajasthan, the series is about Maharana Pratap the Sisodia ruler of Mewar and his resistance towards the Mughal Empire. The highlight of the show is the historic battle of Haldighati and his loyal companion Chetak. Streaming on SonyLiv

Another series focused on the Mughal Empire, but this time it is during the reign of Akbar. Starring Naseeruddin Shah, Aashim Gulati, Aditi Rao Hydari, Rahul Bose, and Sandhya Mridul, it explores Akbar’s rivalry with his sons and navigates through personal and political rifts to see how power dynamics become bigger than emotions. Streaming on Zee5

While a lot is spoken about Shivaji Maharaj, this web series highlights the life of his mother Jijabai, and shows her contribution towards the empire and in making the man who single-handedly expanded the empire to new heights. The series is set in the 17th-century Maratha Kingdom. Streaming on SonyLiv

The series traces the journey of Ahilyabai Holkar, her childhood, marriage and rise to one of the most loved leaders of the 18^th century  Holkar Kingdom of Malwa. She is remembered today for her governance, philanthrophy, temple and infrastructure project ad more. Streaming on SonyLIV

Focussing on the Mauryan empire, it stars Siddharth Nigam, Mohit Raina and Manoj Joshi in lead roles. It follows the the life of Ashoka, his childhood, inheritance, and the journey of becoming one of the most influenctial Kings of all time. The highlight of the series is his transformation after the Kalinga war. Streaming on JioHotstar

This 2025 drama traces the life of one of the greatest Rajput rulers- Prithviraj Chauhan. From his childhood, to becoming a just King and defeating Mohammed Ghori in the most unusual way, it chronicles around the Chauhan and Ghori dynasties of Ajmer and Delhi in the 12^th century AD. Streaming on SonyLiv

Set against the Maratha kingdom of 17^th century, his historical drama tells the story of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Shivaji ans his struggle to keep the Maratha empire floating admist political resistance, internal struggles and inheritance. Streaming on ZEE5

It cannot be that while people have explored multiple facets of the Maratha empire, Shivaji has not been portrayed. Tracing his fantastic journey from childhood to the powerful military leader, Veer Shivaji explores the Maratha dynasty, its origins, the Deccan forts, and administrative and military strategies. Streaming on JioHotstar

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