Wikipedia
Mahavidyas (Great Wisdoms) or Dasha-Mahavidyas are a group of ten aspects of Adi Parashakti in Hinduism. The 10 Mahavidyas are Wisdom Goddesses, represents a spectrum of feminine divinity, from horrific goddesses at one end, to the gentle at the other.
The development of Mahavidyas represents an important turning point in the history of Shaktism as it marks the rise of Bhakti aspect in Shaktism, which reached its zenith in 1700 CE. First sprung forth in the post- Puranic age, around 6th century C.E., it was a new theistic movement in which the supreme being was envisioned as female. A fact epitomized by texts like Devi-Bhagavata Purana, especially its last nine chapters (31-40) of the seventh skandha, which are known as the Devi Gita, and soon became central texts of Shaktism.