Timeline of India: from Stone age to Freedom- Prelims

Timeline of India: from Stone age to Freedom- Prelims

Very helpful in general studies prelim questions for UPSC civil service exam.
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TIME LINE

FROM STONE AGE TO MODERN India

Stone age
Stone Age	70,000–3300 BCE
• Mehrgarh Culture	• 7000–3300 BCE
Indus Valley Civilization	3300–1700 BCE
Late Harappan Culture	1700–1300 BCE
Iron Age	1200–1 BCE
• Maha Janapadas	• 700–300 BCE
• Magadha Empire	• 545–550 BCE
• Maurya Empire	• 321–184 BCE
• Chera Empire	• 300 BCE–1200 CE
• Chola Empire	• 300 BCE–1279 CE
• Pandyan Empire	• 250 BCE–1345 CE
• Satavahana	• 230 BCE–220 CE
Middle Kingdoms	1CE–1279 CE
• Kushan Empire	• 60–240 CE
• Gupta Empire	• 280–550
• Pala Empire	• 750–1174
• Chalukya Dynasty	• 543–753
• Rashtrakuta	• 753–982
• Western Chalukya Empire	• 973–1189
• Yadava Empire	• 850–1334
Hoysala Empire	1040–1346
Kakatiya Empire	1083–1323
Islamic Sultanates	1206–1596
• Delhi Sultanate	• 1206–1526
• Deccan Sultanates	• 1490–1596
Ahom Kingdom	1228–1826
Vijayanagara Empire	1336–1646
Mughal Empire	1526–1858
Maratha Empire	1674–1818
Sikh Confederacy	1716–1799
Sikh Empire	1799–1849
Company rule in India	1757–1858
British Raj	1858–1947
Partition of British India	1947

Mehrgarh Culture (7000-3300 BC)
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
Indus Valley Civilization (2800-1900 BC)
3300 BC	antecedents of the Indus Valley Civilization begin with the Ravi phase, eventually becoming one of the world's three earliest urban civilizations, contemporary to Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt.
2800 BC	Kot Diji phase of the Indus Valley Civilization begins. The civilization used an early form of the Indus signs, the so-called Indus script.
2600 BC	Mature Harappan phase of the Indus Valley Civilization begins. The cities of Harappa, Lothal, Kalibangan and Mohenjo-daro become large metropolises and the civilization expands to over 2,500 cities and settlements across what is now Pakistan, much of northwestern and western India, and parts of Afghanistan and Iran. It covered a region of around one million square miles, which was larger than the land area of its contemporaries Egypt and Mesopotamia combined; it also had superior urban planning and sewage systems. The civilization began using the mature Indus script.
1900 BC	Late Harappan Phase of the Indus Valley Civilization begins.
1700 BC	Indus Valley Civilization comes to an end but is continued by the Cemetery H culture and other cultures.
Vedic Era (1500-500 BC)
2200-1600 BCE	Rigveda
1500-1000 BC	early Vedic period
1300 BC	Cemetery H culture comes to an end
Iron age
1000 BC	Iron Age India
600 BC	Sixteen Maha Janapadas ("Great Realms" or "Great Kingdoms") emerge. A number of these Maha Janapadas are semi-democratic "republics", rather than oligarchies.
600 BC	Vedic Civilization comes to an end after the Historical Vedic religion evolves into early classical Hinduism.
599 BC	Mahavira, 24th Tirthankar of Jainism is born.
563 BC	Siddhartha Gautama, founder of Buddhism is born as a prince of the Shakya tribe, which ruled parts of what is now Northern Bihar and Southern Nepal in Ancient India.
538 BC	Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Achaemenid Empire conquers northwestern parts of the Indian Subcontinent.
350 BC	Panini describes the grammar and morphology of Sanskrit in the text Ashtadhyayi. Panini's standardized Sanskrit is known as Classical Sanskrit.
Ancient India (500 BC - 550 AD)
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. o Porus who ruled parts of the Punjab, fought Alexander at the Battle of the Hydaspes River.
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. o 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.Ashoka inscribes the Edicts of Ashoka, written down using Brahmi script.
232 BC	Ashoka dies and is succeeded by Kunala.
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)
606	Harshavardhana crowned king.
637	Badami Chalukya power at its peak. Pulakesi II pushes north up to the Narmada and defeats the invading Harshavardhana of Kanauj
761	First Muslim, Md. Bin Qasim defeats King Dahir
788	Adi Shankara born in Kalady, in central Kerala
814	Nripatunga Amoghavarsha I becomes Rashtrakuta king. Kannada literature flourishes.
1000	Invasion of Mahmud of Ghazni
1021	Mahmud Ghazni defeats Tarnochalpal and annexes Punjab
1030	Alberuni arrivies in India; blah of Ghazni
1058	Sumra Dynasty ends the Arab domination and establishes its own rule over Sindh.
1120	Kalyani Chalukya power at its peak. Vikramaditya VI ushers in Vikrama Chalukya era.
1134-1196	Life of Basaveshwara, Philosopher and social reformer.
1157	The Kalachuris under Bijjala II capture Kalyani
1191	"Victory of Prithviraj Chauhan". First battle of Tarain between Mohammed Ghori and Prithviraj III and Ghauri is defeated by Prithivi Raj Chauhan III.
1192	"Victory of Mohammed Ghauri". Second battle of Tarain fought between Ghauri and Prithivi Raj Chauhan III and Ghauri. Prithvi Raj Chauhan III is defeated by Mhammed Ghori.
1194	Battle of Chandawar fought between Ghauri and Jayachandra and Ghauri defeated Jayachandra and killed him.
1206	Gakhars kill Muhammad Ghori during a raid on his camp on the Jhelum River
1221	Genghis Khan invades Punjab
1310	Ala-ud-din Khalji's army under Malik Kafur occupies Devagiri ending the Seuna Yadava Kingdom
1323	Ulugh Khan defeats Prataparudra ending the Kakatiya dynasty
1336	Vijayanagara Empire established by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I
1343	Veera Ballala III killed at the Battle of Madurai.
1347	Governor Hasan Gangu revolts against Muhammad bin Tughluq founding the Bahmani Sultanate
1351	Samma Dynasty assumes rule over Sindh
1370	Bukka, the Vijayanagara ruler and his son Kumara Kamapna capture the entire Tamil speaking parts.
1398	Timur plunders Lahore
1401	Dilawar Khan establishes the Malwa Sultanate in present-day northern India
1407	Zafar Khan
1414	Khizr Khan, deputized by Timur to be the governor of Multan takes over Delhi founding the Sayyid dynasty
1424	Deva Raya II succeeded his father Veera Vijaya Bukka Raya as monarch of the Vijayanagara Empire
1443	Abdur Razzaq visits India
1446	Mallikarjuna Raya succeeds his father Deva Raya II
1451	Bahlul Khan Lodhi ascends the throne of the Delhi sultanate starting the Lodhi dynasty
1469	Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism is born
1485	Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya drives out Praudha Raya ending the Sangama Dynasty
1486	Sher Shah Suri (original name Farid Khan) born in Sasaram
1490	, Ahmadnagar declares independence, followed by Bijapur and Berar in the same year thus breaking up the Bahmani Sultanate.
1497–1499	Vasco da Gama's first voyage from Europe to India and back
1503	Kingdom of Kochi is taken over by the Portuguese creating the first European settlement in India..
1508	The Christian-Islamic power struggle, in Europe and the Middle East,spills over into the Indian Ocean as Battle of Chaul during the Portuguese-Mamluk War
1509	Battle of Diu marks the beginning of the dominance of the Europeans in the Asian naval theater.
1522	Portuguese land on the Coromandal coast
Post-Medieval Era (1526-1818)
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.
1565	Battle of Talikota results in the rout of Vijayanagara empire.
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
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 India
Portuguese India		1510–1961
Dutch India		1605–1825
Danish India		1696–1869
French India		1759–1954
British Empire in India
East India Company			1612–1757
Company rule in India			1757–1857
British Raj			1757–1947
British rule in Burma			1826–1948
British India			1612–1947
Princely states			1765–1947
Partition of British India			1947