The history of India includes the prehistoric settlements and societies in the I

ndian subcontinent; the blending of the Indus Valley Civilization and Indo-Aryan
[citation needed] culture into the Vedic Civilization;[1] the development of Hin
duism as a synthesis of various Indian cultures and traditions; the rise of the
Srama?a movement; the decline of Srauta sacrifices and the birth of the initiato
ry traditions of Jainism, Buddhism, Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism;[2][3] th
e onset of a succession of powerful dynasties and empires for more than two mill
ennia throughout various geographic areas of the subcontinent, including the gro
wth of Muslim dynasties during the Medieval period intertwined with Hindu powers
; the advent of European traders resulting in the establishment of the British r
ule; and the subsequent independence movement that led to the Partition of India
and the creation of the Republic of India.[4]
Evidence of anatomically modern humans in the Indian subcontinent is recorded as
long as 75,000 years ago, or with earlier hominids including Homo erectus from
about 500,000 years ago.[5] Considered a cradle of civilization,[6] the Indus Va
lley Civilization, which spread and flourished in the northwestern part of the I
ndian subcontinent from 3300 to 1300 BCE, was the first major civilization in So
uth Asia.[7] A sophisticated and technologically advanced urban culture develope
d in the Mature Harappan period, from 2600 to 1900 BCE.[8] This civilization col
lapsed at the start of the second millennium BCE and was later followed by the I
ron Age Vedic Civilization, which extended over much of the Indo-Gangetic plain
and which witnessed the rise of major polities known as the Mahajanapadas. In on
e of these kingdoms, Magadha, Mahavira and Gautama Buddha propagated their Shram
anic philosophies during the fifth and sixth century BCE.
Most of the subcontinent was conquered by the Maurya Empire during the 4th and 3
rd centuries BCE. From the 3rd century BC onwards Prakrit and Pali literature in
the north and the Sangam literature in southern India started to flourish.[9][1
0] Wootz steel originated in south India in the 3rd century BC and was exported
to foreign countries.[11][12][13] Various parts of India were ruled by numerous
dynasties for the next 1,500 years, among which the Gupta Empire stands out. Thi
s period, witnessing a Hindu religious and intellectual resurgence, is known as
the classical or "Golden Age of India". During this period, aspects of Indian ci
vilization, administration, culture, and religion (Hinduism and Buddhism) spread
to much of Asia, while kingdoms in southern India had maritime business links w
ith the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Indian cultural influence spread over
many parts of Southeast Asia which led to the establishment of Indianized kingd
oms in Southeast Asia (Greater India).[14][15]
The most significant event between the 7th and 11th century was the Tripartite s
truggle centered on Kannauj that lasted for more than two centuries between the
Pala Empire, Rashtrakuta Empire, and Gurjara Pratihara Empire. Southern India sa
w the rise of multiple imperial powers from the middle of the fifth century, mos
t notable being the Chalukya, Chola, Pallava, Chera, Pandyan, and Western Chaluk
ya Empires. The Chola dynasty conquered southern India and successfully invaded
parts of Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bengal[16] in the 11th century.
[17][18] The early medieval period Indian mathematics influenced the development
of mathematics and astronomy in the Arab world and the Hindu numerals were intr
oduced.[19]
Muslim rule started in parts of north India in the 13th century when the Delhi S
ultanate was founded in 1206 CE by the Central Asian Turks;[20] though earlier M
uslim conquests made limited inroads into modern Afghanistan and Pakistan as ear
ly as the 8th century.[21] The Delhi Sultanate ruled the major part of northern
India in the early 14th century, but declined in the late 14th century when seve
ral powerful Hindu states such as the Vijayanagara Empire, Gajapati Kingdom, Aho
m Kingdom, as well as Rajput dynasties and states, such as Mewar dynasty, emerge
d. The 15th century saw the emergence of Sikhism. In the 16th century, Mughals c
ame from Central Asia and gradually covered most of India. The Mughal Empire suf

fered a gradual decline in the early 18th century, which provided opportunities
for the Maratha Empire, Sikh Empire and Mysore Kingdom to exercise control over
large areas of the subcontinent.[22][23]
From the late 18th century to the mid-19th century, large areas of India were an
nexed by the British East India Company of British Empire. Dissatisfaction with
Company rule led to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, after which the British provin
ces of India were directly administered by the British Crown and witnessed a per
iod of both rapid development of infrastructure and economic stagnation. During
the first half of the 20th century, a nationwide struggle for independence was l
aunched with the leading party involved being the Indian National Congress which
was later joined by other organizations. The subcontinent gained independence f
rom the United Kingdom in 1947, after the British provinces were partitioned int
o the dominions of India and Pakistan and the princely states all acceded to one
of the new states.