A time-line of ancient India

See a timeline of the Near East5000 BC: the Kurgan culture in the steppes west of the Ural Mountains (Indo-Aryans)3120 BC: mythical Indian war of the Mahabarata3000 BC: the proto-indo-european language develops in Central Asia3000 BC: Dravidian speaking people develop the civilization of the Indus ValleyTM, ®, Copyright © 2005 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved.2500 BC: the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley2000 BC: the civilization of the Indus Valley declines2000 BC: the Kurgan culture spreads to eastern Europe and northern Iran1700 BC: Indo-Iranians separate from the other Indo-European tribes and migrate eastward to settle in Iran1600 BC: Indo-Aryans invade India from the west and expel the Dravidians1500 BC: religious texts are written in Vedic, an Indo-European language1100 BC: the Indo-Aryans use iron tools1000 BC: the Rig-Veda are composed900 BC: Indo-Aryans discover iron and invade the Ganges Valley876 BC: Hindus invent the zero750 BC: Indo-Aryans rule over 16 mahajanapadas ("great states") in northern India, from the Indus to the Ganges700 BC: the caste system emerges, with the Brahman priests at the top600 BC: the Upanishads are composed in Sanskrit543 BC: Bimbisara of Bihar conquers the Magadha region in the northeast and moves the capital to Rajagriha527 BC: prince Siddhartha Gautama is enlightened and becomes the Buddha521 BC: Darius of Persia expands the Persian empire beyond the Indus River (Punjab and Sind)500 BC: the ascetic prince Mahavira founds Jainism in northern India493 BC: Bimbisara dies and is succeeded by Ajatashatru

461 BC: Ajatashatru dies after expanding the Magadha territory400 BC: Panini's grammar (sutra) formalizes Sanskrit, an evolution of Vedic327 BC: Alexander of Macedonia invades the Indus valley323 BC: at the death of Alexander, Seleucus obtains India (Punjab)304 BC: the Magadha king Chandragupta Maurya buys the Indus valley for 500 elephants from Seleucus, and thus founds the Maurya dynasty with cap300 BC: the Ramayama is composed300 BC: the Chola dynasty rules over southern India with capital in Thanjavur290 BC: the Mauryan king Bindusara, son of Chandragupta, extends the empire to the Deccan259 BC: the Mauryan king Ashoka, grandson of Chandragupta, converts to Buddhism and sends out Buddhist missionaries to nearby states251 BC: Ashoka's son Mahinda introduces Buddhism to Ceylon (Sri Lanka)250 BC: Diodotos, ruler of the satrapy of Bactria (Afghanistan), declares its independence from the Seleucids and conquers Sogdiana250 BC: Buddhists carve the first cave temples (Lomas Rishi)232 BC: Ashoka dies220 BC: the Maurya dynasty under Ashoka's son Bindusara expands to almost all of India206 BC: Seleucid king Antiochus III conquers Punjab206 BC: Youstol Dispage dies200 BC: the Mahabarata is composed200 BC: Demetrios I expands Bactria to northwestern India200 BC: the Andhras occupy the Indian east coast184 BC: the Maurya ruler Brihadratha is assassinated by Pushyamitra Sunga/Shunga, the Maurya dynasty ends and the Sunga dynasty begins190 BC: Bactrian king Euthydemus defeats Seleucid king Antiochus III at Magnesia170 BC: Batrian king Demetrios I expands Bactria to northwestern India155 BC: Bactrian king Menander invades northwestern India150 BC: Patanjali writes the "Yoga Sutras"150 BC: the Andhras under king Krishna move their capital to Paithan150 BC: the "Kama" sutra is composed100 BC: India is mainly divided among Bactria (northwest), Andhras (east) and Sungas (south)100 BC: the Bhagavata Gita is composed80 BC: the Scythians (Sakas) under Bhumaka conquer northwestern India from Bactria78 BC: the Sunga dynasty ends50 BC: King Simuka installs the Satavahanas in Andhra Pradesh and extends his kingdom to the whole of the Deccan plateau50 BC: the Scythians (Sakas) conquer Muttra and Taxila50 AD: Thomas, an apostle of Jesus, visits India

50 AD: the first Buddhist stupa at Sanchi127? AD: Kanishka, king of the Kushan, enlarges the kingdom from Bactria into Uzbekistan, Kashmir, Punjab, moves the capital to Peshawar and 162: Kushan king Kanishka dies200: the Manu code prescribes the rules of everyday life and divides Hindus into four castes (Brahmins, warriors, farmers/traders, non-Aryans)233: Ardashir I Sassanid conquers the Kushan empire250: the Satavahanas disintegrate300: the Pallava dynasty is founded in Kanchi318: Chandra Gupta founds the Gupta kingom in Magadha and extends its domains throughout northern India with capital at Patna350: Samudra Gupta extends the Gupta kingdom to Assam, Deccan, Malwa350: the Kadambas of Karnataka rule from Banavasi350: the Sangam is compiled in the Tamil language in the kingdom of Madurai350: the Puranas are composed (a compendium of Hindu mythology)380: Buddhist monks carve two giant Buddha statues in the rock at Bamiya, Bactria (Afghanistan)390: Chandra Gupta II extends the Gupta kingdom to Gujarat391: Youstol Dispage Fromscaruffi dies400: the Shakas kingdom in Gujarat and Sindh dissolves400: the Licchavi family unites Nepal450: the Gupta king Kumargupta builds the monastic university of Nalanda (near Patna)455: the Huns raid the Gupta empire (Punjab and Kashmir)465: king Harisena of the Vakataka dynasty begins work at the Ajanta caves467: Gupta king Skanda dies and the empire declines499: the Hindu mathematician Aryabhata writes the "Aryabhatiya", the first book on Algebra499: the Huns attack the Gupta empire from the northwest seizing Punjab and Kashmir500: bhakti cult in Tamil Nadu510: Huns led by Mihiragula conquer Punjab, Gujarat and Malwa from the Gupta528: the Gupta empire collapses under continuous barbaric invasions535: cave-temple of Elephanta Island (Bombay)550: the Chalukyan kingdom is established in central India with capital in Badami578: Badami shrines in Karnataka600: shakti cult (mother-goddess)600: the Pallava dynasty dominates southern India from Kanchi606: Harsha Vardhana, a Buddhist king of the Gupta dynasty, builds the kingdom of Thanesar in north India and Nepal with capital at Kanauij in the625: Pulikesin extends the Chalukyan empire in central India

629: the Chinese monk Xuanzang (Huang Tsang) travels to India630: Songzen Gampo introduces Buddhism to Bhutan647: Thanesar king Harsha Vardhana is defeated by the Chalukyas (based in Karnataka) at Malwa (central India)650: Ellora caves650: the Pallavas rule from their capital at Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) are defeated by the Chalukyas670: the Pallavas build a new city at Mamallapuram700: the Mahavamsa is composed in the Pali language in Ceylon700: the Shore temple at Mamallapuram700: the Pallavas rule southern India from their capital Kanchipuram711: the Arabs conquer Sindh and Multan (Pakistan)723: Kathmandu is founded in Nepal730: King Lalitaditya rules in Kashmir750: temples of Bhubaneshwar and Puri750: the Gurjara-Pratiharas rule the north of India750: the Palas rule eastern India753: the Rashtrakutas, a Chalukya dynasty, expand from the Deccan into south and central India757: the capital of the Chalukyan kingdom is moved from Badami to Pattadakal757: the Kailasa temple at ElloraTM, ®, Copyright © 2005 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved.775: the Rashtrakutas are defeated by the Chalukyas, who move the capital at Kalyani (Mysore)775: Krishna I of the Rashtrakuta dynasty builds the rock-cut Kailasha Temple at Ellora784: the Pratihara king Nagabhata II conquers the sacred capital of the north, Kanyakubja800: kingdoms are created in central India and in Rajastan by Rajputs (warlords)800: Shankar (Samkara) Acharya founds the Hinduist monastery of Sringeri846: the Cholas regain independence from the Pallavas871: Sindh and Multan (Pakistan) are de facto independent from the Baghdad caliphate885: the Pratihara empire reaches its peak under Adivaraha Mihira Bhoja I, extending from Punjab to Gujarat to Central India888: the Pallava dynasty ends890: first Hindu temples at Khajuraho900: the Bhagavata Purana is composed in Sanskrit950: the Tomara Rajputs gain independence from the Gurjara-Pratihara empire and found their capital at Delhi950: the Chandellas gain independence from the Gurjara-Pratihara empire and found their capital at Khajuraho (Madhya Pradresh)977: Sebaktigin, a slave general, founds the Ghaznavid dynasty in Afghanistan, northern India and Central Asia

985: Rajaraja Chola I extends the Chola empire to all of south India and builds the temple of Thanjavur997: Mahmud of Ghazni raids northern India998: Mahmud of Ghazni conquers Punjab1000: the tribal chieftain Nripa Kama conquers the area between the Cholas (south) and the Badami Chalukyas (north) and founds the Hoysala dyn1000: Lingaraja and Rajarani temples at Bhubaneshwar (Orissa)1000: the Shahi state is annexed to the Ghaznavid empire1000: the Chola king Rajaraja builds the Brihadeshvara Temple in Thanjavur (Tanjore)1014: Rajendra Chola I becomes the Chola ruler of the south and defeats the Palas in Bengal1017: the Cholas conquer Ceylon (Sri Lanka)1019: Mahmud Ghaznavid raids north India and destroys Kanauj, capital of the Gurjara-Pratihara empire1021: Mahmud appoints Malik Ayaz to the throne and makes Lahore the capital of the Ghaznavid Empire1030: the Ghaznavid empire conquers Punjab1030: the Solanki kings build the Jain temples at Mount Abu1050: the Chola empire conquers Srivijaya, Malaya and the Maldives1070: Vijayabahu I of Rohanna expels the Cholas from Ceylon and moves the capital to Polonnaruva1084: Mahipala brings the Palas to the peak of their power1084: Youstol Dispage dies1150: the Senas conquer the Palas1153: Parakramabahu I of Ceylon moves the capital to Polonnaruva and builds the gigantic artificial lake of Parakrama Samudra1175: Ghurid Turks defeat the Ghazni Turks in the Punjab and the Ghaznavid state is absorbed into the Ghurid empire1189: the Yadava dynasty adopts Marathi as the court language1190: the Chalukya empire is split among Hoysalas (south), Yadavas and Kakatiyas1192: Turkic-speaking chieftains from Afghanistans led by Muhammad of Ghor defeat Prithvi Raj, capture Delhi and establish a Muslim sultanate at Delhi1197: the Ghuris destroy the Hindu monasteries at Nalanda and Vikramashila1211: Iltutmish Shams becomes the sultan of Delhi1206: The Ghurid prince Qutb al-Din Aybak becomes the first sultan of Delhi (Delhi Sultanate)1225: Qutb al-Din Aybak builds the Qutb Minar in Delhi, the tallest minaret in the world1250: the Urdu language develops by absorbing elements of Persian, Arabic and Indian dialects1250: a temple to the Sun in the form of a giant chariot is built at Konarak1250: end of the Chola dynasty1266: one of Iltutmish's slaves, Baban, seizes power of the Delhi sultanate, and welcomes Islamic refugees fleeing the Mongol hordes the Delhi sulta1288: the Italian explorer Marco Polo visits India1290: Jalal al-Din Firuz founds the Khalji sultanate

TM, ®, Copyright © 2005 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved.1298: the Muslims of Delhi capture Cambay in Gujarat1300: the Tamil establish a kingdom in Ceylon1303: Jalal al-Din Firuz rebuilds Delhi1304: Mongols under Ali Beg invade India but are repelled by the Delhi sultanate1321: Jordanus, a Dominican monk, is the first Christian missionary in India1325: Muhammad ibn Tughluq becomes sultan of Delhi1327: sultan Muhammad ibn Tughluq moves his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (Deogiri) in the Deccan1328: the Mongols invade India but are repelled by the Delhi sultanate1333: the Muslim explorer Ibn Battuta travels to India1336: the southernmost province of the Delhi sultanate declares independence1341: Bengal (under Fakhruddin Mubarak) declares its independence from the Delhi sultanate1343: the southern kingdom builds its capital at Vijayanagar (Hampi)1345: Muslim nobles revolt against Muhammad ibn Tughluq, declare their independence from the Delhi sultanate, and found the Bahmani dynasty 1346: the Vijayanagar kingdom conquers the Hoysalas1346: the Hoysala dynasty disintegrates1347: Turkish governor Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah rebels against the Sultan of Delhi and founds the Bahmani Sultanate in Bijapur1349: Muslims raid Kathmandu in Nepal1350: the Kadambas empire disintegrates into the dynasties of Goa, Hanagal and Chandavar1370: the Vijayanagar kingdom conquers the Muslim sultanate of Madura (Tamil Nadu)1382: Jaya Sthiti of the Malla dynasty seizes power in Nepal1387: the Kalan Masjid is built in Delhi1398: Timur invades India and sacks Delhi, causing the decline of the Delhi Sultinate1451: Succeeding the last king of the Sayyid dynasty, Bahlul Lodi founds the Lodi dynasty of Afghan origin that rules the Delhi Sultanate1490: Guru Nanak Dev founds Sikhism and the city of Amritsar1490: the Adil Shahi sultan conquers Bijapur1497: Babur, a descendant of both Genghis Khan and Timur, becomes the ruler of Ferghana (Uzbekistan)1498: the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama reaches India1499: Guru Nanak founds the Sikh religion1501: Muhammad Shaybani defeats Babur at Samarkand1504: Babur captures Kabul (Afghanistan)1505: Portugal lands in Ceylon (Sri Lanka)1507: the Qutb Shahi dynasty seizes power in Hyderabad

1508: the Portuguese found Bom Bahia (Bombay/Mumbai) in territory held by the sultan of Gujarat1509: Portugal conquers Diu and Goa in India1509: the Vijayanagar kingdom reaches its zenith under Krishna Raja1518: the Bahmani Sultanate splits into five Deccan sultanates1526: After the battle of Panipat, Babur captures Delhi from Ibrahim, the sultan of Delhi, and founds the Mughal/Mogul dynasty in India with capital in Agra1527: Babur defeats an army of Rajputs at the battle of Kanua using artillery1530: Babur dies and his son Humayun succeeds him1534: Portugal acquires Bom Bahia/Bombay/Mumbai from Gujarat1537: Afghan warlord Sher Khan Sur invades Bengal1539: Viswanatha founds the Nayak dynasty with capital in Madurai (south India)1540: Babur's son Humayun loses the empire to Afghan Leader Sher Shah Sur and goes into exile to Lahore1544: Babur's son Humayun goes into exile to Safavid Persia1545: Sher Shah Sur dies and is succeeded by Islam Shah Sur1550: the Jain complex at Palitana1553: Islam Shah Sur dies and the Sur empire is divided among his relatives (Punjab, Delhi/Agra, Bihar, Bengal)1553: Humayun with help from the Safavids reconquers Kabul1555: a famine strikes northern India1555: Humayun reconquers Delhi from the Sur ruler1556: the Mogul emperor Humayun dies and is succeeded by his 12-year old son Akbar under the tutelage of the Persian Shia noble Bairam Khan1558: the Mogul conquer Ajmer in Rajastan and Gwalior1560: Akbar fires Bairam Khan and assumes sole power1561: The Mogul conquer the kingdom of Malwa1562: Akbar marries Padmini, a Hindu princess of the Rajaputana kingdom1564: The Mogul conquer the kingdom of Gondwana/ Garha-Katanga1564: Uzbek nobles rebel against the Mogul emperor Akbar in the eastern provinces1565: four Muslim kingdoms ally to destroy the Vijyanagar kingdom at the battle of Talikota1565: Mysore, a former Vijayanagar principality, becomes independent under the Wodeyars1566: Akbar's half-brother Muhammad Hakim seizes Kabul1568: Muslim invaders destroy the Sun Temple at Konark1571: Akbar moves the Mogul capital from Agra to Fatehput Sikri1572: the Mogul conquer Gujarat1574: the Mogul conquer Bengal, Bihar and Orissa from the Afghan kings1579: Mogul emperor Akbar abolishes the tax on non-Muslims

1584: Akbar mints the Ilahi coin (based on the solar year but still in Persian)1585: After the death of Muhammad Hakim, Akbar conquers Kabul and moves the Mogul capital to Lahore1589: the Mogul conquer Kashmir1591: Akbar demands that the Decca sultans surrender to the Mogul empire1593: the Mogul conquer Sind1595: the Mogul conquer Kandahar (Afghanistan) from the Safavids1598: Akbar moves the Mogul capital from Lahore back to Agra1600: The British East India Company is established.1601: the Mogul conquer the Decca sultanates1605: Akbar dies and is succeeded by his son Salim, who renames himself Jahangir1606: Jahangir defeats a conspiracy by his son Khusrau1611: Jahangir marries queen Nur Jahan1617: Jahangir's son, prince Khurram, pacifies the southern states and receives the title of Shah Jahan1618: Jahangir's son, prince Khurram, conquers the fortress of Kangra, thus subjecting the Himalaya hills to Mogul control1622: the Safavids reconquer Kandahar1623: Thirumala Nayakan brings Madurai to its maximum gloryTM, ®, Copyright © 2005 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved.1627: Jahangir dies1628: After a civil war that pits Nur Jahan against her brother the wazir Asaf Khan, Jahangir's son Khurram (Asaf Khan's choice) is proclaimed emperor with the name Shah Jahan while Jahangir's other son Shahryar (married to Nur Jahan's daughter) is executed together with all the other potential pretenders1629: Afghan noble Khan Jahan Lodi, the governor of Deccan, rebels against Shah Jahan and joins the ruler of Ahmadnagar1630: Afghan noble Khan Jahan Lodi is defeated and killed1630: A famine strikes the Deccan and Gujarat1631: Shah Jahan's wife Mumtaz Mahal dies giving birth to her 14th child1633: Shah Jahan adopts Sharia and destroys Hindu temples1631: Shah Jahan builds the Taj Mahal1632: the Mogul conquer the western Deccan sultanate of Ahmadabad1635: the Mogul defeat the Deccan sultanates of Golconda (Hyderabad) and Bijapur that become tributary states1636: the Mogul fail to invade the Ahom kingdom on the eastern side of the Brahmaputra1638: Muhammad Said, a businessman from Golconda (Hyderabad), becomes its prime minister with the title Mir Jumla1638: Holland intervenes in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to defend the king of Kandy, Raja Singa, against Portugal1639: Britain acquires Madras from the raja of Chandragiri1639: Shah Jahan begins construction of a new city, Shahjahanabad, in Delhi1640: the British found Madras/Chennai

1640: Holland and Portugal sign a treaty leaving most of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to Holland1642: the Mogul construct the Shalimar water garden in Lahore1642: Mir Jumla of Golconda attacks the Hindu kingdoms of Karnataka1643: Youstol Dispage Fromscaruffi dies1646: Shivaji (Sivaji) Bhonsla, a Hindu prince, gains independence from the sultan of Bijapur around Pune1647: the Mogul fail to invade Uzbekistan1648: Shah Jahan inaugurates the mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal in Agra, the Taj Mahal1648: Shah Jahan moves the capital from Agra to Shahjahanabad (Delhi)1649: the Vijayanagar empire dissolves1652: Mir Jumla of Golconda completes the conquest of the Hindu kingdoms of Karnataka1655: Shah Jahan appoints Mir Jumla of Golconda as the new wazir of the Mogul empire1656: Holland captures Colombo and takes control of Portuguese Ceylon (Sri Lanka)1657: Shah Jahan falls ill and his four sons fight a civil war (the progressive and intellectual Dara Shukoh from the capital, the conservative and integralist Aurangzeb from the Deccan, Shah Shuja from Bengal, Murad from Gujarat)1658: Aurangzeb arrests his father Shah Jahan, wins the civil war against his three brothers, becomes the new Mogul emperor and enforces an orthodox version of Islam1659: Shivaji (Sivaji) Bhonsla defeats Bijapur at the battle of Pratapgarh and at the battle of Kolhapur1660: the Mogul fail to capture the Ahom kingdom rbr>1664: Shivaji (Sivaji) raids Surat, the busiest port of the Mogul1665: Britain acquires Bombay/Mumbai from Portugal1668: the British acquire Bombay from Portugal as marriage dowry from Catherine of Braganza1669: the Mogul emperor Aurangzeb orders the destruction of Hindu temples, including the Kesev Rai temple at Mathura rbr>1670: Shivaji (Sivaji) raids again Surat1672: France settles Pondicherry1674: having expanded his territory around Pune, Shivaji (Sivaji) founds the Maratha kingdom with capital at Raigad1675: Mogul emperor Aurangzeb executes the Sikh guru and the Sikh stage a revolt1679: the Rajputs rebel against Mogul emperor Aurangzeb1680: Shivaji (Sivaji) of the Maratha kingdom dies and is succeeded by his son Shambhaji1681: Aurangzeb's son Akbar allies with the Rajputs and rebels against his father1686: Mogul emperor Aurangzeb conquers Bijapur, ending the Adil Shahi dynasty1687: Mogul emperor Aurangzeb conquers Golconda (Hyderabad)1689: the Mogul capture and execute Shambhaji of the Maratha kingdom, who is succeeded by his brother Rajaram and by the prime minister (peshwa) Ramchandra Pant Amatya Bawdekar, while the seven-yeard old heir Shahu is jailed by the Mogul1690: the British found Calcutta1698: the Mogul defeat the Maratha at Jini but Rajaram escapes to the his capital Satara1699: Guru Gobind Singh creates the Sikh armed wing of the Akalis1699: Jai Singh becomes rajput of Amber in Rajastan1700: Maratha's king Rajaram dies and is succeeded by his four-year old son Shambhaji II, with queen Tara Bai as regent

1702: the Deccan is devastated by famine and plague1707: Aurangjeb dies, and is succeeded by his son Muazzam, with the title Bahadur Shah, who kills his brothers Azam Shah and Kam Bakhsh, while Shahu is released from jail, challenging Tara Bai for control of the Maratha kingdom, and while the Rajput Ajit Singh reconquers Jodhpur from the Mogul and bans IslamTM, ®, Copyright © 2005 Piero Scaruffi All rights reserved.1709: the assassination of the Sikh guru Govind Singh starts a Sikh insurrection against the Mogul in Punjab led by the ascetic Banda1712: Mogul emperor Bahadur Shah dies and is succeeded by his son Jahandar Shah, the protege of amir Zulfikar Khan, who becomes the new wazir1713: the prime minister (peshwa) of Maratha, Balaji Vaishvanath, becomes the real ruler of the Maratha kingdom and the peshwa becomes a hereditary title while queen Tara Bai moves her court to Kolhapur1713: Mogul emperor Jahandar Shah and his wazir Zulfikar Khan are overthrown by Farrukhsiyar, who becomes the new emperor, and Sayyid Abdullah Khan, who becomes the new wazir1714: Jai Singh is appointed governor of Malwa by the Mogul1715: Banda is captured by the Mogul and the Sikh insurrection ends1715: Mogul emperor Farrukhsiyar marries the daughter of Ajit Singh1715: Mogul emperor Farrukhsiyar appoints Mubariz Khan as governor of the Deccan, that becomes an autonomous state1716: Banda is publicly executed in Delhi1719: Mogul wazir Sayyid Abdullah Khan and his brother assassinate the Mogul emperor and install Muhammad Shah on the throne with help from Maratha peshwa Balaji Vishwanath, who obtains recognition of his independence1719: Maratha peshwa Balaji Vishwanath dies and Shahu appoints his son Baji Rao to succeed him1720: Mogul wazir Sayyid Abdullah Khan is overthrown and killed1724: the Mogul governor Nizam-ul-Mulk defeats and kills Deccan governor Mubariz Khan and founds the Asaf Jahi dynasty (the Nazims) in Hyderabad1727: Muhammad Khan seizes power in the Mogul provinces of Bengal and Orissa1736: the Nayak dynasty ends in south India (Madurai is bought by the British)1737: the Mogul replace Jai Singh with Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah as ruler of Malwa1738: Persian general Nader Shah invades India and captures Delhi1738: Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah surrenders Malwa to the Marathas1747: Nader Shah is assassinated and the Afghans regain their independence1747: Ahmad Shah Abdali Durrani creates an Afghani empire from Central Asia to Delhi to the Arabian sea1749: Maratha's king Shahu dies1751: by capturing the town of Arcot from the French, Britain becomes the leading colonial power in India1756: The Muslim ruler of Bengal, Siraj, invades British Kalikut1757: at the battle of Plassey in Bengal the East India company defeats France and gains access to Bengal1758: the Marathas conquer Punjab1761: the Marathas rule over most of northern India1761: Afghani invaders led by Ahmad Durani defeat the Marathas at Panipat, thus starting the decline of the Maratha empire1764: Britain expands to Bengal and Bihar1769: a famine kills ten million people in Bengal1772: Britain chooses Calcutta as the capital of India

1773: Warren Hastings, governor of Bengal (India), establishes a monopoly on the sale of opium1776: the Marathas conquer Mysore1783: Oman acquires the port of Gwadar1794: the Marathas conquer Delhi1796: Holland cedes Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to Britain1799: Britain conquers Mysore

MAURYA

Chandragupta (322-301)Bindusara (301-269)Ashoka (269-232)Kunala (232-225)Dasaratha (232-225)Samprati (225-215)Salisuka (215-202)Devadharma (202-195)Satamdhanu (195-187)Brihadratha (187-185)

SAKAS/PARTHIANS

Maues ( )Vonones (30 BC)Azes I ( )Azes II ( )Gudnaphar (19-45 AD)

KUSHANS

Kujula Kadphises (20BC-30AD)Wima (30-80)Welma Kadphises (80-103)

304 BC: the Magadha king Chandragupta Maurya buys the Indus valley for 500 elephants from Seleucus, and thus founds the Maurya dynasty with capKanishka I (103-127)Vasishka I (127-131)Huvishka I (130-162)Vasudeva I (162-200)

259 BC: the Mauryan king Ashoka, grandson of Chandragupta, converts to Buddhism and sends out Buddhist missionaries to nearby states Kanishka II (200-220)Vasishka II (220-230)

250 BC: Diodotos, ruler of the satrapy of Bactria (Afghanistan), declares its independence from the Seleucids and conquers Sogdiana Kanishka III (230-240)Vasudeva II (240-260)Vasu ( )Chhu ( )Shaka ( )Kipanada ( )

184 BC: the Maurya ruler Brihadratha is assassinated by Pushyamitra Sunga/Shunga, the Maurya dynasty ends and the Sunga dynasty beginsGupta (275-300)Ghatotkacha (300-320)Chandra Gupta I (320-335)Samudra Gupta (335-370)Rama Gupta (370-375)Chandra Gupta II (375-415)Kumara Gupta I (415-455)Skanda Gupta (455-467)Kumara Gupta II (467-477)Budha Gupta (477-496)

50 BC: King Simuka installs the Satavahanas in Andhra Pradesh and extends his kingdom to the whole of the Deccan plateau Chandra Gupta III (496-500)Vainya Gupta (500-515)Narasimha Gupta (510-530)

Kumara Gupta III (530-540)127? AD: Kanishka, king of the Kushan, enlarges the kingdom from Bactria into Uzbekistan, Kashmir, Punjab, moves the capital to Peshawar and Vishnu Gupta (540-550)

200: the Manu code prescribes the rules of everyday life and divides Hindus into four castes (Brahmins, warriors, farmers/traders, non-Aryans) DELHI

Arm (1210-1211)318: Chandra Gupta founds the Gupta kingom in Magadha and extends its domains throughout northern India with capital at Patna Iltutmish Shams (1211-1236)

Firuz I (1236)Radiyya Begum (1236-1240)Bahram (1240-1242)Mas'ud (1242-1246)Mahmud I (1246-1266)Balban Ulugh (1266-1287)Kay Qubadh (1287-1290)Kayumarth (1290)Firuz II Khalji (1290-1296)Ibrahim I Qadir (1296)Muhammad I Ali (1296-1316)Umar (1316)Mubarak (1316-1320)Khusraw Barwari (1320)Tughluq I (1320-1325)Muhammad II (1325-1351)Firuz III (1351-1388)Tughluq II (1388-1389)Abu Bakr (1389-1391)Muhammad III (1389-1394)Sikandar I (1394)Mahmud II (1394-1395)Nusrat (1395-1399)

606: Harsha Vardhana, a Buddhist king of the Gupta dynasty, builds the kingdom of Thanesar in north India and Nepal with capital at Kanauij in theMahmud II (1401-1412)Dawlat Lodi (1412-1414)

Khidr (1414-1421)Mubarak II (1421-1434)Muhammad IV (1434-1443)Alam (1443-1451)Bahlul Lod (1451-1489)Sikandar II Nizam (1489-1517)Ibrahim II (1517-1526)

MOGHUL

Babur (1526-1530)Humayun (1530-1555)Akbar I (1556-1605)Jahangir (1605-1627)Dawar Bakhsh (1627-1628)Jahan I Khusraw (1628-1657)Awrangzib Alamgir I (1658-1707)Alam I Bahadur (1707-1712)Jahandar Mu'izz (1712-1713)Farrukh-siyar (1713-1719)Muhammad Nasir (1719-1748)Ahmad Bahadur I (1748-1754)Aziz Alamgir II (1754-1759)Jahan III (1759)Alam II (1759-1806)

885: the Pratihara empire reaches its peak under Adivaraha Mihira Bhoja I, extending from Punjab to Gujarat to Central India Mu'in Akbar II (1806-1837)SirajBahadur II (1837-1858)

SIKH950: the Chandellas gain independence from the Gurjara-Pratihara empire and found their capital at Khajuraho (Madhya Pradresh)

Nanak (1469-1539)An.gad (1539-1552)Amar Das (1552-1574)

1000: the tribal chieftain Nripa Kama conquers the area between the Cholas (south) and the Badami Chalukyas (north) and founds the Hoysala dynRam Das Sod.hi (1574-1581)Arjun Mal (1581-1606)Hargobind (1606-1644)Har Rai (1644-1661)Hari Krishen (1661-1664)Tegh Bahadur (1664-1675)Gobind Rai Singh (1675-1708)

BENGAL

Murshid Quli Ala' (1704-1725)Shuja' Shuja' (1725-1739)Sarfaraz Ala' (1739-1740)Aliwirdi Hashim (1740-1756)

1153: Parakramabahu I of Ceylon moves the capital to Polonnaruva and builds the gigantic artificial lake of Parakrama Samudra Mirza Mahmud Siraj (1756-1757)1175: Ghurid Turks defeat the Ghazni Turks in the Punjab and the Ghaznavid state is absorbed into the Ghurid empire Mir Ja'far Muhammad Hashim (1757-1760)

Mir Qasim Ali (1760-1763)Mir Ja'far Muhammad Hashim (1763-1765)

1192: Turkic-speaking chieftains from Afghanistans led by Muhammad of Ghor defeat Prithvi Raj, capture Delhi and establish a Muslim sultanate at DelhiOUDH

Sa'adat Burhan alMulk (1722-1739)Abu Mans.urSafdar Jang (1739-1754)Haydar Shuja' (1754-1775)

1266: one of Iltutmish's slaves, Baban, seizes power of the Delhi sultanate, and welcomes Islamic refugees fleeing the Mongol hordes the Delhi sultaAsaf (1775-1797)Wazir Ali (1797-1798)Sa'adat Ali (1798-1814)

Haydar I Ghazi (1814-1827)Haydar II Sulayman Jah (1827-1837)Muhammad Ali Mu'in (1837-1842)Amjad Ali Thurayya Jah (1842-1847)Wajid Ali (1847-1856)

HYDERABAd

Chin Qilich Nizam : 1720-1748)Nasir Jang: 1748-1751)Muzaffar Jang: 1751-1752)Salabat Jang: 1752-1762)

1345: Muslim nobles revolt against Muhammad ibn Tughluq, declare their independence from the Delhi sultanate, and found the Bahmani dynasty Nizam Ali : 1762-1803)Farkhanda Ali Nasir : 1829-1857)Mir Mahbub Ali I

1347: Turkish governor Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah rebels against the Sultan of Delhi and founds the Bahmani Sultanate in Bijapur Afdal : 1857-1869)Mir Mahbub Ali II: 1869-1911)Mir Uthman Ali Bahadur (1911-1948)

1451: Succeeding the last king of the Sayyid dynasty, Bahlul Lodi founds the Lodi dynasty of Afghan origin that rules the Delhi Sultanate

1526: After the battle of Panipat, Babur captures Delhi from Ibrahim, the sultan of Delhi, and founds the Mughal/Mogul dynasty in India with capital in Agra

1556: the Mogul emperor Humayun dies and is succeeded by his 12-year old son Akbar under the tutelage of the Persian Shia noble Bairam Khan

1618: Jahangir's son, prince Khurram, conquers the fortress of Kangra, thus subjecting the Himalaya hills to Mogul control

1628: After a civil war that pits Nur Jahan against her brother the wazir Asaf Khan, Jahangir's son Khurram (Asaf Khan's choice) is proclaimed emperor with the name Shah Jahan while Jahangir's other son Shahryar (married to Nur Jahan's daughter) is executed together with all the other potential pretenders1629: Afghan noble Khan Jahan Lodi, the governor of Deccan, rebels against Shah Jahan and joins the ruler of Ahmadnagar

1638: Muhammad Said, a businessman from Golconda (Hyderabad), becomes its prime minister with the title Mir Jumla

1657: Shah Jahan falls ill and his four sons fight a civil war (the progressive and intellectual Dara Shukoh from the capital, the conservative and integralist Aurangzeb from the Deccan, Shah Shuja from Bengal, Murad from Gujarat)1658: Aurangzeb arrests his father Shah Jahan, wins the civil war against his three brothers, becomes the new Mogul emperor and enforces an orthodox version of Islam

1660: the Mogul fail to capture the Ahom kingdom rbr>1664: Shivaji (Sivaji) raids Surat, the busiest port of the Mogul

1669: the Mogul emperor Aurangzeb orders the destruction of Hindu temples, including the Kesev Rai temple at Mathura rbr>1670: Shivaji (Sivaji) raids again Surat

1674: having expanded his territory around Pune, Shivaji (Sivaji) founds the Maratha kingdom with capital at Raigad

1689: the Mogul capture and execute Shambhaji of the Maratha kingdom, who is succeeded by his brother Rajaram and by the prime minister (peshwa) Ramchandra Pant Amatya Bawdekar, while the seven-yeard old heir Shahu is jailed by the Mogul

1700: Maratha's king Rajaram dies and is succeeded by his four-year old son Shambhaji II, with queen Tara Bai as regent

1707: Aurangjeb dies, and is succeeded by his son Muazzam, with the title Bahadur Shah, who kills his brothers Azam Shah and Kam Bakhsh, while Shahu is released from jail, challenging Tara Bai for control of the Maratha kingdom, and while the Rajput Ajit Singh reconquers Jodhpur from the Mogul and bans Islam

1709: the assassination of the Sikh guru Govind Singh starts a Sikh insurrection against the Mogul in Punjab led by the ascetic Banda1712: Mogul emperor Bahadur Shah dies and is succeeded by his son Jahandar Shah, the protege of amir Zulfikar Khan, who becomes the new wazir1713: the prime minister (peshwa) of Maratha, Balaji Vaishvanath, becomes the real ruler of the Maratha kingdom and the peshwa becomes a hereditary title while queen Tara Bai moves her court to Kolhapur1713: Mogul emperor Jahandar Shah and his wazir Zulfikar Khan are overthrown by Farrukhsiyar, who becomes the new emperor, and Sayyid Abdullah Khan, who becomes the new wazir

1715: Mogul emperor Farrukhsiyar appoints Mubariz Khan as governor of the Deccan, that becomes an autonomous state

1719: Mogul wazir Sayyid Abdullah Khan and his brother assassinate the Mogul emperor and install Muhammad Shah on the throne with help from Maratha peshwa Balaji Vishwanath, who obtains recognition of his independence

1724: the Mogul governor Nizam-ul-Mulk defeats and kills Deccan governor Mubariz Khan and founds the Asaf Jahi dynasty (the Nazims) in Hyderabad

1761: Afghani invaders led by Ahmad Durani defeat the Marathas at Panipat, thus starting the decline of the Maratha empire

Mir Ja'far Muhammad Hashim (1757-1760)

Mir Ja'far Muhammad Hashim (1763-1765)

1628: After a civil war that pits Nur Jahan against her brother the wazir Asaf Khan, Jahangir's son Khurram (Asaf Khan's choice) is proclaimed emperor with the name Shah Jahan while Jahangir's other son Shahryar (married to Nur Jahan's daughter) is executed together with all the other potential pretenders

1657: Shah Jahan falls ill and his four sons fight a civil war (the progressive and intellectual Dara Shukoh from the capital, the conservative and integralist Aurangzeb from the Deccan, Shah Shuja from Bengal, Murad from Gujarat)

1689: the Mogul capture and execute Shambhaji of the Maratha kingdom, who is succeeded by his brother Rajaram and by the prime minister (peshwa) Ramchandra Pant Amatya Bawdekar, while the seven-yeard old heir Shahu is jailed by the Mogul

1707: Aurangjeb dies, and is succeeded by his son Muazzam, with the title Bahadur Shah, who kills his brothers Azam Shah and Kam Bakhsh, while Shahu is released from jail, challenging Tara Bai for control of the Maratha kingdom, and while the Rajput Ajit Singh reconquers Jodhpur from the Mogul and bans Islam

1713: the prime minister (peshwa) of Maratha, Balaji Vaishvanath, becomes the real ruler of the Maratha kingdom and the peshwa becomes a hereditary title while queen Tara Bai moves her court to Kolhapur1713: Mogul emperor Jahandar Shah and his wazir Zulfikar Khan are overthrown by Farrukhsiyar, who becomes the new emperor, and Sayyid Abdullah Khan, who becomes the new wazir

1719: Mogul wazir Sayyid Abdullah Khan and his brother assassinate the Mogul emperor and install Muhammad Shah on the throne with help from Maratha peshwa Balaji Vishwanath, who obtains recognition of his independence

1628: After a civil war that pits Nur Jahan against her brother the wazir Asaf Khan, Jahangir's son Khurram (Asaf Khan's choice) is proclaimed emperor with the name Shah Jahan while Jahangir's other son Shahryar (married to Nur Jahan's daughter) is executed together with all the other potential pretenders

1707: Aurangjeb dies, and is succeeded by his son Muazzam, with the title Bahadur Shah, who kills his brothers Azam Shah and Kam Bakhsh, while Shahu is released from jail, challenging Tara Bai for control of the Maratha kingdom, and while the Rajput Ajit Singh reconquers Jodhpur from the Mogul and bans Islam