This is a timeline of Indian history. It includes the history of South Asia (Indian subcontinent), especially the history of the regions now known India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Stone age
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Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (9000-7000 BC)
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The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka are in the foothills of the Vindhyan Mountains on the southern edge of the central Indian plateau. Within massive sandstone outcrops, above comparatively dense forest, are five clusters of natural rock shelters, displaying paintings that appear to date from the Mesolithic Period right through to the historical period. The site is a U.N world heritage site.1
Mehrgarh Culture (7000-3300 BC)
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- 7000 BC: Mehrgarh Culture (Period I) begins, which was one of the world's earliest Neolithic cultures
- 5500 BC: Period II of Mehrgarh begins
- 4800 BC: Period III of Mehrgarh begins
- 3500 BC: Period IV of Mehrgarh begins
- 3300 BC: Period IV of Mehrgarh ends
Bronze age
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Indus Valley Civilization (3300-1900 BC)
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Vedic Era (1500-500 BC)
Iron age
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Main article: Vedic period
Ancient India (500 BC - 550 AD)
This animation shows pre-colonial states that covered more than a quarter of the Indian subcontinent
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- 333 BC: Persian rule in the northwest ends after Darius III is defeated by Alexander the Great, who establishes the Macedonian Empire after inheriting the Persian Achaemenid Empire.
- 326 BC: Ambhi king of Taxila surrenders to Alexander.
- 321 BC: Mauryan Empire is founded by Chandragupta Maurya in Magadha after he defeats the Nanda dynasty and Macedonian Seleucid Empire. Mauryan capital city is Patliputra [Modern Patna in Bihar)
- 305 BC: Chandragupta Maurya defeats Seleucus Nicator of the Seleucid Empire.
- 304 BC: Seleucus gives up his territories in the subcontinent (Afghanistan/Baluchistan) to Chandragupta in exchange for 500 elephants. Seleucus offers his daughter in marriage to Chandragupta to seal their friendship.
- 273 BC: Ashoka the Great regarded as the greatest ancient Indian emperor, grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, ascends as emperor of the Mauryan Empire.
- 266 BC: Ashoka conquers and unifies most of South Asia, along with Afghanistan and eastern Iran.
- 265 BC: Kalinga War takes place between Ashoka and the kingdom of Kalinga.
- After conquering Kalinga, Ashoka reportedly regrets what he had done, leading him to adopt Buddhism, which then became the quasi-official state religion of the Mauryan Empire.
- 260s: Ashoka begins displaying religious tolerance, grants animal rights, builds hospitals for people and animals, treats his subjects as equals regardless of caste or creed, and promotes non-violence and republicanism.
- 232 BC: Ashoka dies and is succeeded by Dasaratha.
- 230 BC:Simuka declares independence from Mauryan rule and establishes the Satavahana Empire.
- 200 BC: Kuninda Kingdom established.
- 200-100 BC: Tholkappiyam describes the grammar and morphology of Tamil; it is the oldest existing Tamil grammar (dates vary between 200 BCE and 100 CE).
- 184 BC: The Mauryan Empire, which shrunk considerably, collapsed after its emperor Brihadrata was assassinated by his Brahmin general Pusyamitra Sunga who then established the Sunga dynasty.
- 180 BC: Establishment of the Indo-Greek kingdom.
- 80 BC: Establishment of the Indo-Scythian kingdom.
- 65 BC: The Pandyan king sends ambassadors to the Greek and Roman lands.
- 10: Establishment of the Indo-Parthian kingdom.
- 68: Establishment of the Kushan empire by Kujula Kadphises.
- 78: Gautamiputra Satkarni becomes Satavahana emperor and starts Shalivahana era calendar after defeating Scythian king Vikramaditya.
- 35: Western Satraps formed.
- 240: Sri-Gupta starts the Gupta Empire in Magadha, with its capital in Patliputra
- 320: Chandragupta I ascends to the Gupta throne.
- 335: Samudragupta ascends the Gupta throne and expands the empire.
- 380: Chandragupta II, Samudragupta's son becomes the Gupta Emperor.
- 450: Invasions by the Huna.
Medieval India (550-1526 AD)
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Post-Medieval Era (1526-1818)
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- 1526: Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, of the Delhi Sultanate, angers local nobles, who respond by inviting Babur, the Mughal ruler of Kabul, to invade Delhi and Agra. The local population, plus the possession of artillery, assists Babur in killing the Sultan (whose soldiers desert him) at the Battle of Panipat.
- 1527 Babur makes secret pact with Mewar general Silhadi that he will give Silhadi a kingdom, if Silhadi betrays Mewar King Rana Sanga in Battle of Khanwa, thus leading to the annexation of Mewar.
- 1530 Babur completes his Baburnama, reflecting on society, politics, economics, history, geography, nature, flora and fauna, which to this day is a standard textbook in 25 countries. Babur dies, and is succeeded by his son Humayun.
- 1556 Humayun converts from Sunni Islam to Shia Islam, to gain the alliance of the Shah of Persia. Humayun dies, and is succeeded by his son Akbar.
- 1572 Akbar annexes Gujarat.
- 1574 Akbar annexes Bengal.
- 1586 Akbar annexes Kashmir.
- 1600 East India company is formed in England. Gets exclusive trading rights with India.
- 1605 Akbar dies, and is succeeded by his son Jehangir.
- 1628 Jehangir announces "Chain of Justice" outside his palace that anyone can ring the bell and get a personal hearing with the emperor. Jehangir dies, and is succeeded by his son Shah Jahan.
- 1630 Birth of Shivaji.
- 1644 Shivaji takes oath of Independence at Raireshwar.
- 1658 Shah Jahan completes Taj Mahal, Jama Masjid, and Red Fort. Imperial treasuries drained by architectural and military overexpenditures. Shah Jahan dies, and is succeeded by his son Aurangzeb.
- 1659 Shivaji's ill-equipped and small Maratha army defeat mighty Adilshahi troops at the Battle of Pratapgarh in a major upset in Indian history. Shivaji personally kills Adilshahi commander Afzal Khan (general).
- 1674 Forces led by Shivaji defeat Aurangzeb's troops, and establishes Maratha Empire.
- 1675 Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru of Sikhs is executed in Delhi by the order of Aurangzeb for his support for the Kashmiri Hindus to practice their religion.
- 1680 Shivaji dies of fever at Raigad.
- 1681 Aurangzeb invades the Deccan
- 1699 Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of Sikhs creates KHALSA, the saint-soldier at Anandpur Sahib, Punjab.
- 1705 Mughal army besiege Sikhs at Anandpur Sahib fort, Guru's family is separated, two sons die in battle, two younger sons buried alive in a wall by the order of Mughal ruler of Sirhind
- 1707 Aurangzeb dies, and is succeeded by son Bahadur Shah I.
- 1707 Civil war breaks in Maharashtra between Maharani Tarabai and Shahu, Maratha Empire breaks into two divisions.
- 1708 Guru Gobind Singh survives an assasination attempt by Mughal assasins at Nanded, Maharashtra. Guru instruct Banda Singh to take charge of Khalsa army and liberate people. Guru Gobind Singh appoints Adi Granth as the eternal Guru of Sikhs before his death.
- 1710 Banda Singh Bahadur emerges in Punjab and sacks the Mughal establishments of Sirhind, Samana, Sadhaura, Kaithal, Sonepat, and Haryana
- 1715 Mughal army captures Banda Singh Bahadur. The Sikhs are brought to Delhi and executed after public torture.
- 1717 Pamheiba decrees Vaishnavism as the state religion of Manipur
- 1719 Bajirao I is appointed the Peshwa by Maratha Emperor Shahu.
- 1734 Pamheiba invades Tripura
- 1735 Annexation of Rajputana by Peshwa Bajirao
- 1737 Bajirao I conquers Delhi, Mughal Emperor is spared and kept as titular head.
- 1740 Bajirao I annexes Bengal and Orissa.
- 1740 Bajirao I dies, with the distinction of winning every battle he fought. He is succeeded by Balaji Bajirao
- 1746 First massacre of Sikhs by Mughal army led by Diwan Lakhpat Rai of Lahore
- 1757 The British East India Company's private army under Robert Clive annexes Bengal for the company in the Battle of Plassey. Edmund Burke has Robert Clive arrested for the act.
- 1760 Marathas comprehensively defeat the Nizam, Maratha Empire reaches its zenith.
- 1761 The Marathas are defeated in the Third battle of Panipat bringing an end to their expansion.
- 1761 Sikhs attack Afghan army of Ahmad Shah Abdali carrying exploits of Panipat and rescue 20,000 Indian women, mostly Maratha.
- 1762 Second massacre of Sikhs by Ahmad Shah Abdali of Afghanistan.
- 1766 Sikhs defeat Afghans army of Ahmad Shah Abdali and establish Sikh rule in Punjab.
- 1766 First Anglo-Mysore War begins.
- 1768 Ching-Thang Khomba and Suramphaa invade Manipur.
- 1769 First Anglo-Mysore War ends.
- 1772 Young Madhavrao Peshwa dies of tuberculosis.
- 1773 Narayanrao Peshwa is murdered by his uncle Raghunathrao's wife in front of Raghunathrao.
- 1774 Chief Justice of the Maratha Empire, Ram Shastri passes death sentence against the ruling Peshwa Raghunathrao for murdering his nephew.
- 1777 First Anglo-Maratha War begins.
- 1779 Maratha sardar Mahadji Shinde routs the British army at the Battle of Wadgaon.
- 1782 First Anglo-Maratha War ends with the restoration of status quo as per Treaty of Salbai.
- 1780 Second Anglo-Mysore War begins.
- 1784 Second Anglo-Mysore War ends with the Treaty of Mangalore.
- 1789 Third Anglo-Mysore War begins.
- 1790 The Marathas under Holkar and General de Boigne comprehensively defeat the Rajputs of Jaipur and their Mughal allies at the Battle of Patan, where 3000+ Rajput cavalry is killed and the entire Mughal unit vanquished. The defeat crushes Rajput hope of independence from external influence
- 1792 Third Anglo-Mysore War ends.
- 1796 Ching-Thang Khomba moves Manipur's capital to Kangla
- 1798 Fourth Anglo-Mysore War begins.
- 1799 Fourth Anglo-Mysore War ends with the death of Tipu Sultan and the restoration of the Wodeyar dynasty.
- 1801 Maharaja Ranjit Singh establishes Khalsa rule of Punjab from Lahore. Khalsa army liberates Kashmiri Pundits and invades Afghanistan through Khyber Pass, first time an Indian army goes west to conquer.
- 1803 Second Anglo-Maratha War begins
- 1805 Second Anglo-Maratha War ends
- 1807 East India Company signs treaty of Amritsar with Maharaja Ranjit Singh
- 1817 Third Anglo-Maratha War begins
- 1818 Third Anglo-Maratha War ends with the defeat of Bajirao II and the end of the Maratha Empire leaving the British with control of almost the whole of India
Colonial Era (1818-1947)
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Main article: British India
Post-Partition (1947 - Present)
Republic of India
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Pakistan
References
Further reading
- Sengupta, P.C. "Ancient Indian Chronology". Calcutta: University of Calcutta Press. 1947.
External links
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