Indian History Timeline

The history of India begins with evidence of human activity of Anatomically modern
humans, as long as 75,000 years ago, or with earlier hominids including Homo
erectus from about 500,000 years ago.

Outline by Dynasty
Ancient India
Prehistoric India and Vedic India
Mahajanapadas
Mauryan Period
Spread of Buddhism,
Satavahana Empire

The Golden Age

Ramayana, Mahabharata

Medieval India
The Classical Age
Pala Empire
Rashtrakuta Empire
Islam in India
Delhi Sultanate, Vijayanagara Empire,
Guru Nanak
Mughal India
Maratha Confederacy

Modern India
Company Rule
Zamindari system, Warren Hastings,
Mangal Pandey, 1857
British Indian Empire
Hindu reforms, Bengal Renaissance,
Independence struggle, Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose
Post Modern Democratic India

Extended Timeline

Prehistoric Era
Stone Age
Somewhere between 500,000 and 200,000 years ago. Based around Paleolithic
hominid site in the Soan River valley. Soanian sites are found in the Sivalik region
across what are now India, Pakistan, and Nepal.

Bhimbetka rock painting, Madhya Pradesh, India (c. 30,000 years old)
Stone age (5000 BCE) writings of Edakkal Caves in Kerala, India.

Indus Valley Civilization

The Bronze Age in the Indian subcontinent began around 3300 BCE with the early
Indus Valley Civilisation, the Harappan people. It was centred on the Indus River and
its tributaries which extended into the Ghaggar-Hakra River valley, the GangesYamuna Doab, Gujarat, and southeastern Afghanistan.

Vedic period
The Vedic period is characterised by Indo-Aryan culture associated with the texts of
Vedas, sacred to Hindus, which were orally composed in Vedic Sanskrit. The Vedas
are some of the oldest extant texts in India. The Vedic period, lasted from about
1750 to 500 BCE.

Kuru and Panchal kingdoms

Ramayan and Mahabharat
Sanskritization
2

"Second urbanisation" (500200 BCE)

During the time between 800 and 200 BCE the Shramana-movement formed, from
which originated Jainism and Buddhism. In the same period the first Upanishads
were written. After 500 BCE, the so-called "Second urbanisation" started, with new
urban settlements arising at the Ganges plain, especially the Central Ganges plain.
Persian and Greek conquests

Achaemenid Empire
Alexander of Mesopotamia
Nanda Empire

Magadh
Maurya Empire (322185 BCE)
Mahajanapadas (600300 BCE)
Chanakya

Classical period (c. 200 BCE-1100 CE)

The time between 200 BCE and ca. 1100 CE is the "Classical Age" of India. The
Gupta Empire (4th6th century) is regarded as the "Golden Age" of Hinduism.
Early Classical Period (ca. 200 BCE650 CE)

Sunga Empire
Satavahana Dynasty
Sangam Period
Kharavela Empire (Jainism)
Northwestern kingdoms and hybrid cultures
Indo-Greek Kingdom
Indo-Scythian Kingdom
Indo-Parthians Kingdom
Kushan Empire (Now Afghanistan)
Vakataka Dynasty
White Huns
Empire of Harsh (Vardhan)

Late-Classical period (c. 6501100 CE)

Chalukya Empire
Rashtrakuta Empire (8th10th century)
Pala Empire (8th12th century)
3

Chola Empire (9th13th century)

Early Islamic intrusions into South Asia (8th12th Century)

Umayyad Caliphate
Delhi Sultanate (12061526)
Vijayanagara Empire (14th16th century)
Mughal Empire (1526 1857)
Maratha Empire (16741818)
Sikh Empire (North-west)

Western explorers and traders (c.15001750)

1498, Portuguese, Vasco da Gama

British East India Company rule in India (17571857) (Jahengir yes, Siraj Ud
Daulah no)
The rebellion of 1857 and its consequences (Sepoy Mutiny)
British Raj (18581947)
The Indian independence movement/ Independence and Partition
Democracy and Political System/ Modern Era