A Timeline of Indian History and Important events in Indian History

 

Indian History Timeline

 

Ancient India

Period: Prehistoric to 700 A.D

v The first inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent might have been tribal:

Ø  Nagas in North-East

Ø  Santhals in East-India

Ø  Bhils in Central India

Ø  Gonds in Central India

Ø  Todas in South India

 

Palaeolithic Period (2 million B.C – 10,000 B.C)

 

Mesolithic Period (10,000 B.C – 8,000 B.C)

 

Neolithic Period (8000 B.C – 2000 B.C)

 

Indus Valley Civilization (2700 B.C – 1900 B.C)

 

Indus Valley Civilization (4000 B.C – 1500 B.C)

 

Iron Age (1500 B.C – 200 B.C)

 

Mauryan Empire (324 B.C – 187 B.C)

v Mauryan Kingdoms was succeeded by

Ø  Sunga (181-71 B.C)

Ø  Kanva (71-27 B.C)

Ø  Satavahanas (235-100 B.C)

Ø  Indo-Greeks, Parthians (180BC-45 A.D)

Ø  Sakas (90BC-150 A.D)

Ø  Kushanas (78 A.D)

 

Sangam Age (300 B.C – 300 A.D)

v Chola

v Cheras

v Pandyas

 

Gupta Empire (300 A.D – 800 A.D)

v Guptas were succeeded by

Ø  Vardhana Dynasty

Ø  Mukharis

Ø  Hunas

Ø  Pushyabhutis

Ø  Gaudas

Ø  Varman

Ø  Maitrakas

v Also, Rajputs, Senas and Chauhans succeeded later.

 

Medieval India (700 A.D – 1857 A.D)

 

Delhi Sultanate (1206 A.D – 1526 A.D)

v Slave Dynasty

v Khilji Dynasty

v Tuglaq Dynasty

v Sayyid Dynasty

v Lodi Dynasty

 

Mughals (1526 A.D – 1857 A.D)

v Mughals

v Later Mughals

v Arrival of Europeans

 

Modern India (1857 A.D – 1991 A.D)

v 1857 - First War of Indian Independence

v 1885 - Formation of Indian National Congress

v 1906 - Formation of Muslim League

v 1920 - Non-Cooperation Movement

v 1930 - Civil Disobedience Movement

v 1942 - Quit India Movement

v 1947 - Partition of India

v 1946 - 1950 Constitutional Development of India

v 1962 - India- China war

v 1965 - India-Pakistan war

v 1971 - Formation of Bangladesh

v 1991 - New Economic Policy

 

 

Important events in Indian History (Till the end of the Medieval Period)

 

BC

 

v Before 10,000 BC Paleolithic Ages characterised by use of tools like hand axe, cleavers, found in Soan (now in Pak) Belan Valley (in Mirzapur, UP); stone tools like scrappers, borers, blades, burins, etc., made with flakes found in Soan, Narmada and Tungabhadra rivers and Andhra, Maharashtra, Bhopal and Chotanagpur Plateau.

 

v Before 6000 BC Mesolithic tools found in Chotanagpur, Vindhyas, Birbhanpur in West Bengal, Tirunelvelly in Tamil Nadu, Belan in MP, Bagor, Telure, Langhnejgunj, and Sarai Nahar Rai.

 

v 3000 - 2600 BC - Harappa Civilisation

 

v 1200 - 500 BC - Vedic Era

 

v 550 BC - Birth of Mahavira-Jainism founded.

 

v 563 BC - 483- Sidhartha Gautama, the Buddha

 

v 483 BC First Buddhist Council held at Sattaparni (Rajgriha)

 

v 383 BC Second Buddhist Council at Vaishali.

 

v 336-323 BC Alexander the Great’s conquest of Asia-moved to India.

 

v 326 BC - The Conquests of Alexander The Great

 

v 324 BC - Mauryan empire established by Chandragupta Maurya including Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia.

 

v 323 BC - Alexander the Great, dies.

 

v 321 BC - Rise of the Mauryas, Chandragupta Maurya in Magadha after defeating Nanda Dynasty and Seleucid Empire.

 

v 303-305 BC Chandragupta Maurya defeated Seleukos Nikator and the trans-Indus region transferred to the Mauryas.

 

v 298 BC - Bindusara coronated

 

v 272 BC - Ashoka the Great, grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, ascends as emperor of the Mauryan Empire.

 

v 266 BC Ashoka conquers and unifies most of South Asia, including Afghanistan

 

v 265 BC Kalinga War takes place.

 

v 232 BC Ashoka dies

 

v 180 BC - Fall of the Mauryas & Rise of the Sungas under Pusyamitra Sunga

 

v 30 BC - Rise of the Satvahana Dynasty

 

AD

 

v 40 AD The Sakas or Scythians in power in the Indus Valley and Western India.

 

v 50 AD - The Kushans and Kanishkas

 

v 52 AD Parthian King Gondopharnes in NW India. St.Thomas begins preaching Christianity India.

 

v 78 AD Gautamiputra Satakarni becomes Satavahana emperor

 

v 98-117 AD Kanishka, the Kushan King.

 

v 320 AD Chandragupta I establishes the Gupta dynasty-Gupta Era begins.

 

v 360 AD Samudra Gupta conquers the whole of northern India and much of the Deccan.

 

v 380-413 AD Chandragupta-ll, Samudragupta’s son becomes the Gupta Emperor (Chandragupta Vikramaditya) – The golden age of the Guptas-Literary Renaissance-Kalidasa and other poets.

 

v 415 AD - Accession of Kumara Gupta I

 

v 467 AD - Skanda Gupta assumes power.

 

v 606 AD Accession of Harsha Vardhana.

 

v 609 AD Rise of the Chalukyas.

 

v 622 AD Era of the Hejira begins.

 

v 711 AD Invasion of Sind by Muhammad-bin- Qasim (Kassim).

 

v 753 AD Rise of the Rashtrakuta Empire.

 

v 892 AD Rise of the Eastern Chalukyas.

 

v 985 AD The Chola Dynasty-Rajaraja reigns.

 

v 1026 AD Ransack of Somnath by Mahmud of Ghazni (mounted 17 plundering expedition into North India between 1000-1027AD)

 

v 1191 AD Prithvi Raj Chauhan, King of Delhi, routs Muhammad Ghori - the First Battle of Tarain.

 

v 1192 AD Muhammad Ghori defeats Prithvi Raj - Second Battle of Tarain.

 

v 1206 AD Qutbuddin Aibak establishes in Delhi the Slave dynasty (1206-1290: Kings - Qutub-ud-din Aibak, Shamas-ud-din Iltutmish, Rukn-ud-din, Razia Sultana, Bahram Shah, Massud Shah, Nasir-ud-din Mohammed, Balban, Kaiqubad).

 

v 1221 AD India threatened by Mongol invasion under Chenghis Khan.

 

v 1232 AD Foundation of the Qutub Minar.

 

v 1236-1239 AD Razia Sultana, daughter of lltutmish - the first and the only Muslim lady to rule Delhi

 

v 1266 AD - Balban made King after King Nasir-ud-din's death.

 

v 1290 AD Jalaludin Firuz Khalji establishes in Delhi the Khalji dynasty (1290-1320: Kings - Jalal-ud-din Firoz Khalji, Ala-ud-din Khalji, Kafur, Mubarak Khan, Khusrau Khan).

 

v 1298 AD Marco Polo visits India.

 

v 1320 AD Ghiyasuddin Tughluk in Delhi founds the Tughluk dynasty (1320 - 1414 Kings - Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq, Firoz Shah Tughlaq, Nasir-ud-din Tughlaq).

 

v 1325 AD - Accession of Muhammad-bin-Tughluk.

 

v 1333 AD Ibn Batutah arrives in India.

 

v 1336 AD Founding of Vijayanagar (Deccan).

 

v 1347 AD Rise of the Bahmani dynasty (Deccan).

 

v 1398 AD Timur invades India. Decline of Delhi Sultanate.

 

v 1414-1451 AD The Sayyid Dynasty (Kings - Khizr Khan, Mubarak Shah, Muhammad Shah, Alam Shah)

 

v 1451 AD The Lodhi dynasty (1451-1526) - Bahlul Lodhi ascends the throne of Delhi. (Kings- Bahlul Lodhi, Sikander Lodhi, Ibrahim Lodhi)

 

v 1469 AD The birth of Guru Nanak Dev.

 

v 1489 AD Adil Shah dynasty at Bijapur

 

v 1490 AD Nizam Shahi dynasty at Ahmadnagar.

 

v 1498 AD First voyage of Vasco da Gama, the first European explorer via Cape of Good Hope, arrives at Calicut on May 27th.

 

v 1504 AD Babur establishes rule in Kabul, later became the first Mughal ruler.

 

v 1510 AD Vasco da Gama was succeeded by Captain General Alfonso de Albuquerque (a Portuguese), who captured Goa-Albuquerque becomes the Governor.

 

v 1526 AD First Battle of Panipat-Babur defeats the Lodhis-establishes of the Mughal dynasty.

 

v 1530 AD Humayun succeeds Babur. (1526-1530 - Reign of Babur)

 

v 1539 AD Death of Guru Nanak Dev; Sher Shah Suri defeats Humayun and becomes emperor of Delhi.

 

v 1553 AD The Jesuits of Goa publish the first book in India.

 

v 1555 AD Humayun recovers the Delhi throne from Aslam Shah, successor of Sher Shah.

 

v 1556 AD Death of Humayun; Accession of Jalal-ud-din Akbar. Second Battle of Panipat - Akbar defeats Hemu.

 

v 1564 AD Akbar abolishes 'Jiziya' or poll tax on Hindus.

 

v 1565 AD Battle of Talikota - An alliance of Muslim rulers in Deccan defeats and destroys Vijayanagar Empire.

 

v 1568 AD Fall of Chittorgarh.

 

v 1571 AD Foundation of Fatehpur Sikri by Akbar.

 

v 1576 AD Battle of Haldighati; Akbar defeats Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar.

 

v 1577 AD Akbar troops invade Khandesh (completes his conquests in 1597).

 

v 1582 AD Akbar proclaims Din Ilahi or Divine Faith - an attempt at synthesising Hinduism and Islam.

 

v 1595 AD The first fleet of the Dutch reach India.

 

v 1597 AD Akbar completes his conquests. Death of Rana Pratap.

 

v 1600 AD English East India Company constituted through a charter, signed by Queen Elizabeth I.

 

v 1602 AD Dutch East India Company formed.

 

v 1604 AD Compilation of "Adi Granth" the Holy Book of Sikhs.

 

v 1605 AD Death of Akbar and the accession of Jahangir; Dutch establish their first factory in Masulipatanam.

 

v 1606 AD Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev.

 

v 1608 AD Captain Hawkins visit to Jahangir's court to secure trading rights for the British fails.

 

v 1609 AD The Dutch open a factory at Pulicat.

 

v 1613 AD Sir Thomas Roe's visit yields permission to set up their factory in Surat. Gradually trading centres are extended to Bombay, Calcutta and Madras.

 

v 1616 AD East India Company of Denmark reaches Indian coasts.

 

v 1619 AD Jehangir grants permission to the Dutch to trade in his territories.

 

v 1620 AD Capture of Kangra Fort; Danish traders settle in Tranqubar in Tamil Nadu and Serampore in Bengal (1676).

 

v 1627 AD Death of Jehangir; Accession of Shah Jahan; Birth of Shivaji Bhonsle.

 

v 1628 AD Shah Jahan proclaimed Emperor.

 

v 1631 AD Death of Shah Jehan's wife Mumtaz Mahal - The building of the Taj Mahal.

 

v 1636 AD Aurangzeb appointed Viceroy of Deccan.

 

v 1639 AD Fort St. George built in Madras by the English.

 

v 1646 AD Shivaji captures Torna.

 

v 1658 AD Aurangzeb becomes Emperor of Delhi.

 

v 1664 AD Shivaji assumes royal title; Compagine des Indes Orientales (The French East India Co.) establishes trading centres near Madras and Chandernagore on Hoogly.

 

v 1666 AD Birth of Guru Gobind Singh; Death of Shah Jahan.

 

v 1675 AD Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

 

v 1684 AD East India Co. sets up a primary press in Bombay.

 

v 1689 AD Execution of Sambhaji.

 

v 1699 AD Guru Gobind Singh creates 'Khalsa'.

 

v 1707 AD Death of Aurangzeb.

 

v 1708 AD Guru Gobind Singh dies.

 

v 1720 AD Accession of Baji Rao Peshwa at Poona.

 

v 1738 AD Malwa ceded to Marathas.

 

v 1739 AD Nadir Shah of Persia conquers Delhi: lose Kabul.

 

v 1742 AD Marathas invade Bengal; Dupleix, French Governor of Pondicherry.

 

v 1746 AD The First Carnatic War (First Anglo-French war) - The French and British companies clash at Carnatic and the French capture Madras.

 

v 1748 AD First Anglo-French war ends with the treaty of Aix La Chappelle, in Europe.

 

v 1750 AD War of the Deccan; Death of Nasir Jang; 1750-04 Second Anglo-French War (unofficial).

 

v 1754 AD Mughal king Ahmad Shah deposed; Dupleix returns to France and General GO-deheu signs the Treaty of Pondicherry with the British.

 

v 1756 AD Alivardi Khan, Nawab of Bengal dies; Siraj-ud-daulah succeeds after capturing Calcutta; Ahmad Shah Abdali in Delhi. Jun. 20. Black Hole Tragedy - where of the 146 English prisoners held by Mughals in a small chamber, 123 prisoners die of suffocation (figures disputed).

 

v 1757 AD Jun. 23. Battle of Plassey: Robert Clive an agent of the British East India Company defeats Siraj-ud-daulah through a conspiracy with Mir Jafar. Mir Jafar made Nawab of Bengal. (1757-60 Clive's first Governorship).

 

v 1758-63 AD Third Anglo-French War; 1758- Marathas occupy the Punjab.

 

v 1760 AD Battle of Wandiwash - The English defeat the French, where Sir Eyre Coote defeats Count Lally, sealing the fate of the French in India.

 

v 1761 AD Third Battle of Panipat; Ahmed Shah Abdali, the ruler of Afghanistan defeats the Marathas; Maratha imperialism checked; Hyder Ali usurps power in Mysore (rules till '82); Fall of Pondicherry.

 

v 1764 AD Oct. 23. Battle of Buxar- the English defeat Mir Kasim who instigated war with the help of Nawab Shuja-ud-daula of Awadh and Shah Alam II (Mughal).

 

v 1765 AD The English get Diwani Rights in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa; Clive, Governor in Bengal for the second time.

 

v 1766 AD The English secure Northern Circars in the Carnatic.

 

v 1767-69 AD First Mysore war-the British suffer a humiliating peace with Hyder Ali of Mysore.

 

v 1769 AD The French East India Co. dissolved.

 

v 1772 AD Warren Hastings appointed Governor of Bengal; Return of Shah Alam to Delhi.

 

v 1773 AD The Regulating Act passed by the British Parliament to curb the company trader's unrestrained commercial activities and better territorial control.

 

v 1774 AD Warren Hastings appointed the first Governor-General of India by East India Co. Calcutta made the administrative headquarters of the Company.

 

v 1775-82 AD First Anglo-Maratha War: The Treaty of Salbai ends the war.

 

v 1780 AD Birth: Maharaja Ranjit Singh; James August Hickey starts a weekly paper called Bengal Gazette (also called Calcutta General Advertiser).

 

v 1780-84 AD The Second Mysore War. The English defeat Hyder Ali. Tipu Sultan succeeds Hyder Ali.

 

v 1784 AD Pitt's India Act passed; Calcutta Gazette published; Foundation of Asiatic Society of Bengal with the help of William Jones.

 

v 1785 AD The Bengal Journal published.

 

v 1788 AD Bombay Herald published; Blinding of Shah Alam.

 

v 1790-92 AD Third Mysore War between the English and Tipu-Treaty of Seringapatam.

 

v 1791 AD Sanskrit College in Benaras opened by Jonathan Duncan.

 

v 1796 AD Marquess of Wellesley Governor General.

 

v 1799 AD Fourth Mysore War - The English defeat Tipu; Death of Tipu - Partition of Mysore; William Carey at Serampore.

 

v 1800 AD Fort Williams College at Calcutta started by Lord Wellesley: Death of Nana Fadnavis.

 

v 1801 AD The English annex the Carnatic and part of Oudh.

 

v 1802 AD Treaty of Bessein with Peshwa Baji Rao which helped in flushing out Holkar from Poona.

 

v 1803-1805 AD Second Anglo-Maratha War. British under Sir Arthur Wellesley inflict a crushing defeat on the Marathas; Occupation of Delhi by Lord Lake.

 

v 1806 AD The Vellore Mutiny.

 

v 1809 AD First Treaty of Amritsar- between Ranjit Singh and East India Company regarding rights over Satluj area; The Second Treaty of Amritsar helps English restrict Russian advance through Punjab by annexing Khyber valley and defeating Afghan ruler Dost Muhammad.

 

v 1813 AD Charter Act renewed for free-trade.

 

v 1815-30 AD Activities of Ram Mohan Roy and the Serampore missionaries alongside William Carey.

 

v 1816 AD Hindu College, Calcutta founded.

 

v 1817-19 AD Mill's History of India published; Marathas finally crushed.

 

v 1818-19 AD Sikh conquest of Multan and Kashmir.

 

v 1823 AD The Licensing Regulations (Adams Regulation) directed against vernacular newspapers.

 

v 1828 AD Lord William Bentinck becomes Governor General; Suppression of Thugs (1837).

 

v 1829 AD Brahmo Samaj founded; Era of social reforms-Prohibition of Sati.

 

v 1831 AD Rise of the Sikhs under Ranjit Singh.

 

v 1835 AD English, made the court language.

 

v 1837-38 AD Famine in North India.

 

v 1838 AD Tripartite Treaty.

 

v 1839 AD Maharaja Ranjit Singh dies. First Afghan War begins.

 

v 1845-46 AD First Anglo-Sikh War: Sikhs defeated and Treaty of Lahore signed resulting in reducing Sikh army's size to below that of the British.

 

v 1848 AD Lord Dalhousie Governor General.

 

v 1848-49 AD Second Anglo-Sikh War-Sikhs defeated (1848). The British annexed Punjab into British Empire.

 

v 1853 AD First Indian Railway - Bombay to Thane; Annexation of Nagpur, Renewal of the Charter Act; Telegraph, started from Calcutta to Agra.

 

v 1854 AD Rise of Jute industry.

 

v 1857 AD Universities of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras set up: First War of Indian Independence (The Sepoy Mutiny).

 

Tags:

#Neolithic Period,Iron Age,Sangam Age,History,Mesolithic Period,Prehistoric Period,India,Indus Valley Civilization,Medieval India,Palaeolithic Period,Mauryan Empire,Ancient India,Gupta Empire,

 

 

Post a Comment

0 Comments