A time-line of ancient IndiaWorld News | Politics | History | Editor(Copyright © 1999 Piero Scaruffi) |
|
See a timeline of the Near East 5000 BC: the Kurgan culture in the steppes west of the Ural Mountains (Indo-Aryans) 3120 BC: mythical Indian war of the Mahabarata 3000 BC: the proto-indo-european language develops in Central Asia 3000 BC: Dravidian speaking people develop the civilization of the Indus Valley TM, ®, Copyright © 2005 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved. 2500 BC: the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley 2000 BC: the civilization of the Indus Valley declines 2000 BC: the Kurgan culture spreads to eastern Europe and northern Iran 1700 BC: Indo-Iranians separate from the other Indo-European tribes and migrate eastward to settle in Iran 1600 BC: Indo-Aryans invade India from the west and expel the Dravidians 1500 BC: religious texts are written in Vedic, an Indo-European language 1100 BC: the Indo-Aryans use iron tools 1000 BC: the Rig-Veda are composed 900 BC: Indo-Aryans discover iron and invade the Ganges Valley 876 BC: Hindus invent the zero 750 BC: Indo-Aryans rule over 16 mahajanapadas ("great states") in northern India, from the Indus to the Ganges 700 BC: the caste system emerges, with the Brahman priests at the top 600 BC: the Upanishads are composed in Sanskrit 543 BC: Bimbisara of Bihar conquers the Magadha region in the northeast and moves the capital to Rajagriha 521 BC: Darius of Persia expands the Persian empire beyond the Indus River (Punjab and Sind) 500 BC: the ascetic prince Mahavira founds Jainism in northern India 493 BC: Bimbisara dies and is succeeded by Ajatashatru 461 BC: Ajatashatru dies after expanding the Magadha territory 400 BC: Panini's grammar (sutra) formalizes Sanskrit, an evolution of Vedic 327 BC: Alexander of Macedonia invades the Indus valley 323 BC: at the death of Alexander, Seleucus obtains India (Punjab) 304 BC: the Magadha king Chandragupta Maurya buys the Indus valley for 500 elephants from Seleucus, and thus founds the Maurya dynasty with capital in Patna (Pataliputra) 300 BC: the Ramayama is composed 300 BC: the Chola dynasty rules over southern India with capital in Thanjavur 290 BC: the Mauryan king Bindusara, son of Chandragupta, extends the empire to the Deccan 259 BC: the Mauryan king Ashoka, grandson of Chandragupta, converts to Buddhism and sends out Buddhist missionaries to nearby states 251 BC: Ashoka's son Mahinda introduces Buddhism to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 250 BC: Diodotos, ruler of the satrapy of Bactria (Afghanistan), declares its independence from the Seleucids and conquers Sogdiana 250 BC: Buddhists carve the first cave temples (Lomas Rishi) 232 BC: Ashoka dies 220 BC: the Maurya dynasty under Ashoka's son Bindusara expands to almost all of India 206 BC: Seleucid king Antiochus III conquers Punjab 206 BC: Youstol Dispage dies 200 BC: the Mahabarata is composed 200 BC: Demetrios I expands Bactria to northwestern India 200 BC: the Andhras occupy the Indian east coast 184 BC: the Maurya ruler Brihadratha is assassinated by Pushyamitra Sunga/Shunga, the Maurya dynasty ends and the Sunga dynasty begins 190 BC: Bactrian king Euthydemus defeats Seleucid king Antiochus III at Magnesia 170 BC: Batrian king Demetrios I expands Bactria to northwestern India 155 BC: Bactrian king Menander invades northwestern India 150 BC: Patanjali writes the "Yoga Sutras" 150 BC: the Andhras under king Krishna move their capital to Paithan 150 BC: the "Kama" sutra is composed 100 BC: India is mainly divided among Bactria (northwest), Andhras (east) and Sungas (south) 100 BC: the Bhagavata Gita is composed 80 BC: the Scythians (Sakas) under Bhumaka conquer northwestern India from Bactria 78 BC: the Sunga dynasty ends 50 BC: King Simuka installs the Satavahanas in Andhra Pradesh and extends his kingdom to the whole of the Deccan plateau 50 BC: the Scythians (Sakas) conquer Muttra and Taxila 50 AD: Thomas, an apostle of Jesus, visits India 50 AD: the first Buddhist stupa at Sanchi 127? AD: Kanishka, king of the Kushan, enlarges the kingdom from Bactria into Uzbekistan, Kashmir, Punjab, moves the capital to Peshawar and promotes Buddhism 162: Kushan king Kanishka dies 200: the Manu code prescribes the rules of everyday life and divides Hindus into four castes (Brahmins, warriors, farmers/traders, non-Aryans) 233: Ardashir I Sassanid conquers the Kushan empire 250: the Satavahanas disintegrate 300: the Pallava dynasty is founded in Kanchi 318: Chandra Gupta founds the Gupta kingom in Magadha and extends its domains throughout northern India with capital at Patna 350: Samudra Gupta extends the Gupta kingdom to Assam, Deccan, Malwa 350: the Kadambas of Karnataka rule from Banavasi 350: the Sangam is compiled in the Tamil language in the kingdom of Madurai 350: the Puranas are composed (a compendium of Hindu mythology) 380: Buddhist monks carve two giant Buddha statues in the rock at Bamiya, Bactria (Afghanistan) 390: Chandra Gupta II extends the Gupta kingdom to Gujarat 400: the Shakas kingdom in Gujarat and Sindh dissolves 400: the Licchavi family unites Nepal 450: the Gupta king Kumargupta builds the monastic university of Nalanda (near Patna) 455: the Huns raid the Gupta empire (Punjab and Kashmir) 465: king Harisena of the Vakataka dynasty begins work at the Ajanta caves 499: the Hindu mathematician Aryabhata writes the "Aryabhatiya", the first book on Algebra 500: bhakti cult in Tamil Nadu 510: Huns led by Mihiragula conquer Punjab, Gujarat and Malwa from the Gupta 528: the Gupta empire collapses under continuous barbaric invasions 535: cave-temple of Elephanta Island (Bombay) 550: the Chalukyan kingdom is established in central India with capital in Badami 578: Badami shrines in Karnataka 600: shakti cult (mother-goddess) 600: the Pallava dynasty dominates southern India from Kanchi 606: Harsha Vardhana, a Buddhist, builds the kingdom of Thanesar in north India and Nepal with capital at Kanauij in the Punjab 625: Pulikesin extends the Chalukyan empire in central India 629: the Chinese monk Xuanzang (Huang Tsang) travels to India 630: Songzen Gampo introduces Buddhism to Bhutan 647: Thanesar king Harsha Vardhana is defeated by the Chalukyas (based in Karnataka) at Malwa (central India) 650: Ellora caves 650: the Pallavas rule from their capital at Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) are defeated by the Chalukyas 670: the Pallavas build a new city at Mamallapuram 700: the Mahavamsa is composed in the Pali language in Ceylon 700: the Shore temple at Mamallapuram 700: the Pallavas rule southern India from their capital Kanchipuram 711: the Arabs conquer Sindh and Multan (Pakistan) 723: Kathmandu is founded in Nepal 730: King Lalitaditya rules in Kashmir 750: temples of Bhubaneshwar and Puri 750: the Gurjara-Pratiharas rule the north of India 750: the Palas rule eastern India 753: the Rashtrakutas, a Chalukya dynasty, expand from the Deccan into south and central India 757: the capital of the Chalukyan kingdom is moved from Badami to Pattadakal 757: the Kailasa temple at Ellora TM, ®, Copyright © 2005 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved. 775: the Rashtrakutas are defeated by the Chalukyas, who move the capital at Kalyani (Mysore) 775: Krishna I of the Rashtrakuta dynasty builds the rock-cut Kailasha Temple at Ellora 784: the Pratihara king Nagabhata II conquers the sacred capital of the north, Kanyakubja 800: kingdoms are created in central India and in Rajastan by Rajputs (warlords) 800: Shankar (Samkara) Acharya founds the Hinduist monastery of Sringeri 846: the Cholas regain independence from the Pallavas 871: Sindh and Multan (Pakistan) are de facto independent from the Baghdad caliphate 885: the Pratihara empire reaches its peak under Adivaraha Mihira Bhoja I, extending from Punjab to Gujarat to Central India 888: the Pallava dynasty ends 890: first Hindu temples at Khajuraho 900: the Bhagavata Purana is composed in Sanskrit 950: the Tomara Rajputs gain independence from the Gurjara-Pratihara empire and found their capital at Delhi 950: the Chandellas gain independence from the Gurjara-Pratihara empire and found their capital at Khajuraho (Madhya Pradresh) 977: Sebaktigin, a slave general, founds the Ghaznavid dynasty in Afghanistan, northern India and Central Asia 985: Rajaraja Chola I extends the Chola empire to all of south India and builds the temple of Thanjavur 997: Mahmud of Ghazni raids northern India 998: Mahmud of Ghazni conquers Punjab 1000: the tribal chieftain Nripa Kama conquers the area between the Cholas (south) and the Badami Chalukyas (north) and founds the Hoysala dynasty 1000: Lingaraja and Rajarani temples at Bhubaneshwar (Orissa) 1000: the Shahi state is annexed to the Ghaznavid empire 1000: the Chola king Rajaraja builds the Brihadeshvara Temple in Thanjavur (Tanjore) 1014: Rajendra Chola I becomes the Chola ruler of the south and defeats the Palas in Bengal 1017: the Cholas conquer Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1019: Mahmud Ghaznavid raids north India and destroys Kanauj, capital of the Gurjara-Pratihara empire 1030: the Ghaznavid empire conquers Punjab 1030: the Solanki kings build the Jain temples at Mount Abu 1050: the Chola empire conquers Srivijaya, Malaya and the Maldives 1070: Vijayabahu I of Rohanna expels the Cholas from Ceylon and moves the capital to Polonnaruva 1084: Mahipala brings the Palas to the peak of their power 1084: Youstol Dispage dies 1150: the Senas conquer the Palas 1153: Parakramabahu I of Ceylon moves the capital to Polonnaruva and builds the gigantic artificial lake of Parakrama Samudra 1175: Ghurid Turks defeat the Ghazni Turks in the Punjab and the Ghaznavid state is absorbed into the Ghurid empire 1189: the Yadava dynasty adopts Marathi as the court language 1190: the Chalukya empire is split among Hoysalas (south), Yadavas and Kakatiyas 1192: Turkic-speaking chieftains from Afghanistans led by Muhammad of Ghor defeat Prithvi Raj, capture Delhi and establish a Muslim sultanate at Delhi 1197: the Ghuris destroy the Hindu monasteries at Nalanda and Vikramashila 1211: Iltutmish Shams becomes the sultan of Delhi 1206: The Ghurid prince Qutb al-Din Aybak becomes the first sultan of Delhi (Delhi Sultanate) 1225: Qutb al-Din Aybak builds the Qutb Minar in Delhi, the tallest minaret in the world 1250: the Urdu language develops by absorbing elements of Persian, Arabic and Indian dialects 1250: a temple to the Sun in the form of a giant chariot is built at Konarak 1250: end of the Chola dynasty 1266: one of Iltutmish's slaves, Baban, seizes power of the Delhi sultanate, and welcomes Islamic refugees fleeing the Mongol hordes the Delhi sultanate 1288: the Italian explorer Marco Polo visits India 1290: Jalal al-Din Firuz founds the Khalji sultanate 1298: the Muslims of Delhi capture Cambay in Gujarat 1300: the Tamil establish a kingdom in Ceylon 1303: Jalal al-Din Firuz rebuilds Delhi 1304: Mongols under Ali Beg invade India but are repelled by the Delhi sultanate 1321: Jordanus, a Dominican monk, is the first Christian missionary in India 1325: Muhammad ibn Tughluq becomes sultan of Delhi 1327: sultan Muhammad ibn Tughluq moves his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (Deogiri) in the Deccan 1328: the Mongols invade India but are repelled by the Delhi sultanate 1333: the Muslim explorer Ibn Battuta travels to India 1336: the southernmost province of the Delhi sultanate declares independence 1341: Bengal (under Fakhruddin Mubarak) declares its independence from the Delhi sultanate 1343: the southern kingdom builds its capital at Vijayanagar (Hampi) 1345: Muslim nobles revolt against Muhammad ibn Tughluq, declare their independence from the Delhi sultanate, and found the Bahmani dynasty in the Deccan 1346: the Vijayanagar kingdom conquers the Hoysalas 1346: the Hoysala dynasty disintegrates 1347: Turkish governor Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah rebels against the Sultan of Delhi and founds the Bahmani Sultanate in Bijapur 1349: Muslims raid Kathmandu in Nepal 1350: the Kadambas empire disintegrates into the dynasties of Goa, Hanagal and Chandavar 1370: the Vijayanagar kingdom conquers the Muslim sultanate of Madura (Tamil Nadu) 1382: Jaya Sthiti of the Malla dynasty seizes power in Nepal 1387: the Kalan Masjid is built in Delhi 1398: Timur invades India and sacks Delhi, causing demise of the Delhi Sultinate 1490: Guru Nanak Dev founds Sikhism and the city of Amritsar 1490: the Adil Shahi sultan conquers Bijapur 1497: Babur, a descendant of both Genghis Khan and Timur, becomes the ruler of Ferghana and founds the Mughal (Mogul) dynasty 1498: the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama reaches India 1499: Guru Nanak founds the Sikh religion 1505: Portugal lands in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1507: the Qutb Shahi dynasty seizes power in Hyderabad 1508: the Portuguese found Bom Bahia (Bombay/Mumbai) in territory held by the sultan of Gujarat 1509: Portugal conquers Diu and Goa in India 1509: the Vijayanagar kingdom reaches its zenith under Krishna Raja 1526: Babur captures Delhi from Ibrahim, the sultan of Delhi, and founds the Mogul empire in India 1530: Babur dies and his son Humayun succeeds him 1534: Portugal acquires Bom Bahia/Bombay/Mumbai from Gujarat 1539: Viswanatha founds the Nayak dynasty with capital in Madurai (south India) 1540: Babur's son Humayun loses the empire to Afghan Leader Sher Shah and goes into exile in Persia 1550: the Jain complex at Palitana 1555: the Mogul king Humayun reconquers India 1556: the Mogul king Humayun dies and his son Akbar becomes the ruler of India 1562: Akbar marries Padmini, a Hindu princess of the Rajaputana kingdom 1565: four Muslim kingdoms ally to destroy the Vijyanagar kingdom at the battle of Talikota 1565: Mysore, a former Vijayanagar principality, becomes independent under the Wodeyars 1568: Muslim invaders destroy the Sun Temple at Konark 1600: The British East India Company is established. 1605: Akbar dies and is succeeded by his son Jahangir 1617: Jahangir's son, prince Khurram, pacifies the southern states and receives the title of Shah Jahan 1623: Thirumala Nayakan brings Madurai to its maximum glory 1627: Shivaji (Sivaji) founds the Maratha kingdom 1627: Jahangir dies and Shah Jahan succeeds him 1631: Shah Jahan builds the Taj Mahal 1638: Holland intervenes in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to defend the king of Kandy, Raja Singa, against Portugal 1639: Britain acquires Madras from the raja of Chandragiri 1640: the British found Madras/Chennai 1640: Holland and Portugal sign a treaty leaving most of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to Holland 1649: the Vijayanagar empire dissolves 1658: Shah Jahan's son Aurangajeb overthrows the government and seizes power 1656: Holland captures Colombo and takes control of Portuguese Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1665: Britian acquires Bombay from Portugal 1668: the British acquire Bombay from Portugal as marriage dowry from Catherine of Braganza 1672: France settles Pondicherry 1686: Mogul emperor Aurangzeb conquers Bijapur, ending the Adil Shahi dynasty 1688: the Moguls complete the conquest of India 1690: the British found Calcutta 1699: Guru Gobind Singh creates the Sikh armed wing of the Akalis 1707: Aurangjeb dies, destabalizing the Mogul Empire TM, ®, Copyright © 2005 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved. 1710: from the Mogul empire a number of kingdoms arise: Sikhs (Punjab), Rajputs (Rajasthan), and Marathas (West India) 1713: the prime minister (peshwa) of Maratha, Balaji Vaishvanath, becomes the real ruler of the Maratha kingdom and the peshwa becomes a hereditary title 1724: the Mogul governor Nizam-ul-Mulk founds the Asaf Jahi dynasty (the Nazims) in Hyderabad 1736: the Nayak dynasty ends in south India (Madurai is bought by the British) 1738: Persian general Nader Shah invades India and captures Delhi 1747: Nader Shah is assassinated and the Afghans regain their independence 1747: Ahmad Shah Abdali Durrani creates an Afghani empire from Central Asia to Delhi to the Arabian sea 1751: by capturing the town of Arcot from the French, Britain becomes the leading colonial power in India 1757: at the battle of Plassey the East India company defeats France and gains access to Bengal 1758: the Marathas conquer Punjab 1761: the Marathas rule over most of northern India 1761: Afghani invaders led by Ahmad Durani defeat the Marathas at Panipat, thus starting the decline of the Maratha empire 1764: Britain expands to Bengal and Bihar 1769: a famine kills ten million people in Bengal 1772: Britain chooses Calcutta as the capital of India 1773: Warren Hastings, governor of Bengal (India), establishes a monopoly on the sale of opium 1776: the Marathas conquer Mysore 1783: Oman acquires the port of Gwadar 1794: the Marathas conquer Delhi 1796: Holland cedes Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to Britain TM, ®, Copyright © 2005 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved. See a timeline of modern India See also a timeline of Buddhism See also a timeline of Tibet |
MAURYAChandragupta (322-301) Bindusara (301-269) Ashoka (269-232) Kunala (232-225) Dasaratha (232-225) Samprati (225-215) Salisuka (215-202) Devadharma (202-195) Satamdhanu (195-187) Brihadratha (187-185) SAKAS/PARTHIANSMaues ( ) Vonones (30 BC) Azes I ( ) Azes II ( ) Gudnaphar (19-45 AD) KUSHANSKujula Kadphises (20BC-30AD) Wima (30-80) Welma Kadphises (80-103) Kanishka I (103-127) Vasishka I (127-131) Huvishka I (130-162) Vasudeva I (162-200) Kanishka II (200-220) Vasishka II (220-230) Kanishka III (230-240) Vasudeva II (240-260) Vasu ( ) Chhu ( ) Shaka ( ) Kipanada ( ) GUPTAGupta (275-300) Ghatotkacha (300-320) Chandra Gupta I (320-335) Samudra Gupta (335-370) Rama Gupta (370-375) Chandra Gupta II (375-415) Kumara Gupta I (415-455) Skanda Gupta (455-467) Kumara Gupta II (467-477) Budha Gupta (477-496) Chandra Gupta III (496-500) Vainya Gupta (500-515) Narasimha Gupta (510-530) Kumara Gupta III (530-540) Vishnu Gupta (540-550) DELHIArm (1210-1211) Iltutmish Shams (1211-1236) Firuz I (1236) Radiyya Begum (1236-1240) Bahram (1240-1242) Mas'ud (1242-1246) Mahmud I (1246-1266) Balban Ulugh (1266-1287) Kay Qubadh (1287-1290) Kayumarth (1290) Firuz II Khalji (1290-1296) Ibrahim I Qadir (1296) Muhammad I Ali (1296-1316) Umar (1316) Mubarak (1316-1320) Khusraw Barwari (1320) Tughluq I (1320-1325) Muhammad II (1325-1351) Firuz III (1351-1388) Tughluq II (1388-1389) Abu Bakr (1389-1391) Muhammad III (1389-1394) Sikandar I (1394) Mahmud II (1394-1395) Nusrat (1395-1399) Mahmud II (1401-1412) Dawlat Lodi (1412-1414) Khidr (1414-1421) Mubarak II (1421-1434) Muhammad IV (1434-1443) Alam (1443-1451) Bahlul Lod (1451-1489) Sikandar II Nizam (1489-1517) Ibrahim II (1517-1526) MOGHULBabur (1526-1530) Humayun (1530-1555) Akbar I (1556-1605) Jahangir (1605-1627) Dawar Bakhsh (1627-1628) Jahan I Khusraw (1628-1657) Awrangzib Alamgir I (1658-1707) Alam I Bahadur (1707-1712) Jahandar Mu'izz (1712-1713) Farrukh-siyar (1713-1719) Muhammad Nasir (1719-1748) Ahmad Bahadur I (1748-1754) Aziz Alamgir II (1754-1759) Jahan III (1759) Alam II (1759-1806) Mu'in Akbar II (1806-1837) Siraj Bahadur II (1837-1858) SIKHNanak (1469-1539) An.gad (1539-1552) Amar Das (1552-1574) Ram Das Sod.hi (1574-1581) Arjun Mal (1581-1606) Hargobind (1606-1644) Har Rai (1644-1661) Hari Krishen (1661-1664) Tegh Bahadur (1664-1675) Gobind Rai Singh (1675-1708) BENGALMurshid Quli Ala' (1704-1725) Shuja' Shuja' (1725-1739) Sarfaraz Ala' (1739-1740) Aliwirdi Hashim (1740-1756) Mirza Mahmud Siraj (1756-1757) Mir Ja'far Muhammad Hashim (1757-1760) Mir Qasim Ali (1760-1763) Mir Ja'far Muhammad Hashim (1763-1765) OUDHSa'adat Burhan alMulk (1722-1739) Abu Mans.ur Safdar Jang (1739-1754) Haydar Shuja' (1754-1775) Asaf (1775-1797) Wazir Ali (1797-1798) Sa'adat Ali (1798-1814) Haydar I Ghazi (1814-1827) Haydar II Sulayman Jah (1827-1837) Muhammad Ali Mu'in (1837-1842) Amjad Ali Thurayya Jah (1842-1847) Wajid Ali (1847-1856) HYDERABAdChin Qilich Nizam : 1720-1748) Nasir Jang: 1748-1751) Muzaffar Jang: 1751-1752) Salabat Jang: 1752-1762) Nizam Ali : 1762-1803) Farkhanda Ali Nasir : 1829-1857) Mir Mahbub Ali I Afdal : 1857-1869) Mir Mahbub Ali II: 1869-1911) Mir Uthman Ali Bahadur (1911-1948) |
| (Copyright © 1999 Piero Scaruffi) |