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
Extent of the IVC
·
Centered
along the Indus
·
Extended
into Ghaggar-Hakra and Ganga-Yamuna river valleys
·
Encompassed
almost entire Pakistan, western India, southeastern Afghanistan and eastern
Iran
·
Isolated
colonies as far away as Turkmenistan
·
Coastal
sites: Sutkagan Dor (Baluchistan), Lothal (Gujarat)
·
Easternmost
site: Alamgirpur (near Delhi)
·
Island
site: Dholavira
·
Over 500
sites found in the Ghaggar-Hakra river bed, around 100 along the Indus
·
First
discovery (accidental): village called Brahminabad between Karachi and Lahore
(1856)
·
First excavated site: Harappa, by Sir J.H. Marshall
(1921-22)
·
Latest discovery: Sep 2009, rock engravings
indicating Indus Valley culture found in Edakkal caves in Wayanad district of
Kerala
·
On July 11,2010 heavy floods hit Haryana
in India
and damaged the archaeological site of Jognakhera,
where ancient copper smelting were found dating back almost 5,000 years.
·
The Indus Valley
Civilization site was hit by almost 10 feet of water as the Sutlej Yamuna link canal overflowed.
The conquest and settlement of northern India by Indo-Europeans began c. 1500 b.c.e. The event marked the end of the Indus civilization and altered the civilization of the subcontinent.
In ancient times semi nomadic peoples lived in the steppe lands of Eurasia between the Caspian and Black Seas. They were light skinned and spoke languages that belong to the Indo-European or Indo-Aryan family. They were organized into patrilineal tribes, herded cattle, knew farming, tamed horses and harnessed them to chariots, and used bronze weapons. For reasons that are not clear, the tribes split up and began massive movements westward, southward, and southeastward to new lands around 2000 b.c.e., conquering, ruling over, and in time assimilating with the local populations. Those who settled in Europe became the ancestors of the Greeks, Latins, Celts, and Teutons. Others settled in Anatolia and became known as the Hittites. Another group settled in Iran (Iran is a cognate form of the English word Aryan). The most easterly group crossed the mountain passes of the Hindu Kush into the Indus River valley on the Indian subcontinent.
Many tribes who called themselves Aryas (anglicized to Aryans) moved into India over several centuries. While there are several theories on the decline and fall of the Indus civilization, there is no doubt that the Indus cities were destroyed or abandoned around 1500 b.c.e., at about the same time that the newcomers began to settle in the Indus region. These newcomers lived in villages in houses that did not endure. Thus, there are few archaeological remains in India of the protohistoric age between 1500–500 b.c.e. Historians must therefore rely in part on the literary traditions of the early Aryans for knowledge on the era. The earliest oral literature of the Aryans were hymns and poems composed by priests to celebrate their gods and heroes and used in religious rites and sacrifices. They were finally written down c. 600 b.c.e., when writing was created.
This great collection of poems is called the Rig-Veda, and it is written in Sanskrit, an Indo-European language. Although primarily focused on religion, there are references in the Rig-Veda to social matters and epic battles that the invaders fought and won. Some of the gods might also be deified heroes. The Rig-Veda and other later Vedas remain part of the living Hindu tradition of India.
The Aryans were initially confined to the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent but gradually spread across the north Indian plains to the Ganges River basin. By approximately 500 b.c.e. the entire northern part of the subcontinent had become part of the Aryan homeland, and Aryans dominated the earlier population.
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
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