Ancient India History

Ancient India, one of the great civilizations of world history emerged. This period of ancient Indian history is known as the Vedic age, as it was depicted in the earliest Indian writings, called the Vedas. It is also the formative period in which most of the basic features of traditional Indian civilization were laid down. Indus Valley Civilization was an ancient civilization that thrived in the Indus and Ghaggar-Hakra river valleys.

Ancient India Timeline

3000 BC: Beginning of the Indus Valley Civilization

2500 BC: Establishment of the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley

2000 BC: Decline of the Indus Valley Civilization

1600 BC: India is invaded by the Aryans from the west who drive away the Dravidians

1100 BC: With the discovery of iron, Indo-Aryans start using iron tools

1000 BC: One of the earliest Holy Scripture, Rig-Veda is composed

750 BC: Indo-Aryans rule over 16 Mahajanapadas (16 Great States) in northern India, from the Indus to the Ganges

700 BC: Beginning of the caste system, with the Brahmans taking the highest class

600 BC: The Upanishads are composed in Sanskrit

543 BC: Bimbisara of Bihar conquers the Magadha region in the northeast

527 BC: Prince Siddhartha Gautama attains enlightenment and becomes the Buddha

500 BC: The ascetic prince Mahavira establishes Jainism in northern India

493 BC: Bimbisara dies and is succeeded by Ajatashatru

461 BC: Ajatashatru expands the Magadha territory and dies shortly afterwards

327 BC: Alexander the Great of Macedonia invades the Indus valley, fights the famous battle with Porus

304 BC: Magadha king Chandragupta Maurya buys the Indus valley and establishes the Maurya dynasty with Pataliputra as the capital

300 BC: Ramayana, a famous epic is composed

300 BC: Chola dynasty establishes his kingdom over southern India with capital in Thanjavur

290 BC: Chandragupta's son Bindusara, extends the empire to the Deccan region

259 BC: Mauryan emperor Ashoka converts to Buddhism and sends out Buddhist missionaries to nearby regions

220 BC: Maurya dynasty expands to almost all of India 200 BC: Mahabharata, another famous epic is composed

200 BC: Andhras occupy the east coast of India 184 BC: Maurya dynasty ends and marks the beginning of Sunga dynasty

150 BC: Patanjali writes the "Yoga Sutras"

100 BC: Bhagavata Gita is composed

78 BC: End of Sunga dynasty

50 AD: Thomas, an apostle of Jesus, visits India

50 AD: The first Buddhist stupa is constructed at Sanchi

200 AD: The Manu code puts down the rules of everyday life and divides Hindus into four major castes (Brahmins, warriors, farmers/traders, non-Aryans)

300 AD: The Pallava dynasty is established in Kanchi

350 AD: The Sangam is compiled in the Tamil language in the kingdom of Madurai and the Puranas are composed

380 AD: Two giant Buddha statues are carved Buddhist monks in the rock at Afghanistan

390 AD: Chandra Gupta II extends the Gupta kingdom to Gujarat

450 AD: Kumaragupta builds the monastic university of Nalanda

499 AD: Hindu mathematician Aryabhatta writes the "Aryabhattiyam", the first book on Algebra

500 AD: Beginning of Bhakti cult in Tamil Nadu

528 AD: Gupta Empire sees a downfall due to continuous barbaric invasions

550 AD: Chalukyan kingdom is established in central India with capital in Badami

600 AD: Pallava dynasty governs southern India from Kanchi

606 AD: Harsha Vardhana, a Buddhist king builds the kingdom of Thanesar in north India and Nepal with capital at Kannauj in the Punjab

625 AD: Pulikesin extends the Chalukyan Empire in central India

647 AD: King Harsha Vardhana is defeated by the Chalukyas at Malwa

650 AD: Pallavas of Kanchipuram are defeated by the Chalukyas

670 AD: Pallavas establish themselves at a new city at Mamallapuram

750 AD: Gurjara - Pratiharas rule the north of India and the Palas establish themselves in eastern India

753 AD: Rashtrakutas, a Chalukya dynasty, expands from the Deccan into south and central India

775 AD: Chalukyas defeat the Rashtrakutas and move the capital at Kalyani

800 AD: Many kingdoms are created in central India and in Rajastan by Rajputs

846 AD: Cholas get back their independence from the Pallavas

885 AD: Pratihara Empire reaches its peak and extends its empire from Punjab to Gujarat to Central India

888 AD: End of the Pallava dynasty

985 AD: Rajaraja Chola extends the Chola Empire to all of south India and constructs the temple of Thanjavur

997 AD: Mahmud of Ghazni raids northern India

998 AD: Mahmud of Ghazni conquers the area of Punjab

1000 AD: Chola king Rajaraja builds the Brihadeshvara Temple in Thanjavur

1019 AD: Mahmud Ghazni attacks north India and destroys Kannauj, which is the capital of the Gurjara-Pratihara Empire

1050 AD: Chola Empire conquers Srivijaya, Malaya and the Maldives

1084 AD: Mahipala raises the Palas to the peak of their power

1190 AD: Chalukya Empire is split among Hoysalas, Yadavas and Kakatiyas