India Timeline

Indian timeline takes us on a journey of the history of the subcontinent. Right from the ancient India, which included

Bangladesh and Pakistan, to the free and divided India, this time line covers each and every aspect related to the past as well

as present of the country. Read on further to explore the timeline of India:

Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (9000 BC to 7000 BC)

The earliest records of the Indian history exist in the form of the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka. These shelters are situated on the

southern edge of the central Indian plateau, in the foothills of the Vindhyan Mountains. There are five groups of rock shelters,

each of them adorned with paintings that are believed to date from the Mesolithic Period right through to the historical period.

Mehrgarh Culture (7000 BC to 3300 BC)

Mehrgarh is one of the most significant sites belonging to the Neolithic Age. At the same time, it is one of the oldest sites that

indicate the introduction of the concept of farming and herding. Situated on the Kachi plain of Baluchistan (Pakistan), it lies to

the west of the Indus River valley. The site of Mehrgarh, spread over an area of 495-acre, was discovered in the year 1974.

Indus Valley Civilization (3300 BC to 1700 BC)

The Indus Valley Civilization was discovered in the 1920s. The major events in the timeline of the Indus Valley are given

below:

Early Harappan Phase (3300 BC to 2600 BC)

The early Harappan Phase lasted for approximately 700 years, starting with the Ravi Phase. It is one of the three earliest urban

civilizations and made use of an early form of the Indus script, known as Harappan script, for writing purposes. Around 2800

BC, the Kot Diji phase of the Indus Valley Civilization started.

Mature Harappan Phase (2600 BC to 1700 BC)

The Mature Harappan Phase started around 2600 BC. Large cities and urban areas started emerging and the civilization

expanded to over 2,500 cities and settlements. Urban planning, excellent sewage and drainage system, system of uniform

weights and measures, knowledge of proto-dentistry, etc are some of the other elements that characterize the mature phase.

Late Harappan Phase (1700 BC to 1300 BC)

The Late Harappan Phase began around 1700 BC and came to an end around 1300 BC. However, one can find many

elements of the Indus Valley Civilization in later cultures.

Vedic Period/Age (1700 BC to 500 BC)

The Vedic Period or the Vedic Age refers to the time of the compilation of the sacred Vedic Sanskrit texts in India. Situated on

the Indo-Gangetic Plain, the Vedic Civilization formed the basis of Hinduism and the sIndian culture. The Vedic Period can be

divided into the following two phases:

Early Vedic/Rig Vedic Period (1700 BC to 1000 BC)

Early Vedic Period represents the time period when the Rig Veda was compiled. During this period, the king was believed to be

the protector of the people, who took an active part in the government. The caste system started becoming rigid and the

families started becoming patriarchal. The major events of this time are:

1700 BC - Late Harappan and Early Vedic period coincide

1300 BC - The end of Cemetery H culture

1000 BC - Iron Age of India

Later Vedic Age (1000 BC to 500 BC)

The emergence of the later Vedic period was marked with agriculture becoming the dominant economic activity and a decline in

the significance of cattle rearing. The political organization changed completely, with the reduction in the involvement of people

in the administration. The major events are:

600 BC - The formation of Sixteen Maha Janapadas (Great Kingdoms)

599 BC - The birth of Mahavira, founder of Jainism

563 BC - The birth of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha), founder of Buddhism

538 BC - Cyrus the Great conquered parts of Pakistan

500 BC - Earliest written records in Brahmi

500 BC - Panini standardized grammar and morphology of Sanskrit, converting it

into Classical Sanskrit. With this, the Vedic Civilization came to an end.

Ancient India (500 BCE - 550 AD)

Rise of Jainism and Buddhism

Jainism or Jain Dharma is the religious philosophy that originated in the Ancient India. The religion is based on the teachings of

the Tirthankaras. The 24th Tirthankara, Lord Mahavira, is credited with propagating the religion in the various parts of the world.

Buddhism is based on the teachings of Lord Buddha, who was born as Prince Siddhartha Gautama. After attaining

Enlightenment, Lord Buddha set on a task of teaching others how to achieve nirvana. His teachings were later propagated

throughout the world by Emperor Asoka. The other major events of the Ancient Indian period are:

333 BC - Darius III was defeated by Alexander the Great. The Macedonian Empire was established

326 BC - Ambhi, King of Taxila surrendered to Alexander, Battle of the Hydaspes River

321 BC - Chandra Gupta Maurya established the Maurya Empire

273 BC - Emperor Ashoka took over the Maurya Empire

266 BC - Ashoka conquered most of South Asia, Afghanistan and Iran

265 BC - The battle of Kalinga, after which Emperor Ashoka embraced Buddhism

232 BC: Ashoka died and was succeeded by Dasaratha

230 BC - Satavahana Empire was established

200 to 100 BC - Tholkappiyam standardized grammar and morphology of Tamil

184 BC - Collapse of Maurya Empire with the assassination of Emperor Brihadrata, Establishment of the Sunga dynasty

180 BC - Establishment of the Indo-Greek kingdom

80 BC - Establishment of the Indo-Scythian kingdom

10 BC - Establishment of the Indo-Parthian kingdom

68 AD - Establishment of the Kushan Empire by Kujula Kadphises

78 AD - Gautamiputra Satkarni took over Satavahana Empire and defeated Scythian king Vikramaditya

240 AD - Establishment of the Gupta Empire by Sri-Gupta

320 AD - Chandragupta I took over the Gupta Empire

335 AD - Samudragupta took over the Gupta Empire and started expanding it

350 AD - Establishment of the Pallava Empire

380 AD - Chandragupta II took over the Gupta Empire

399 to 414 AD - Chinese scholar Fa-Hien traveled to India