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Indus Valley Civilization |
2500 – 1500 BCE |
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Composition of the Vedas |
1500 – 900 BCE |
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Birth of the Buddha (founder of Buddhism) and Mahavira (founder of Jainism) |
c. 600 BCE |
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Alexander the Great reaches modern-day Pakistan and north India |
c. 300 BCE |
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Ashoka rules the Mauryan Empire |
c. 250 BCE |
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Invasions from Persia and Central Asia |
200 BCE – 100 CE |
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Golden Age of Sanskritic literature and learning under the Gupta Empire |
300 – 500 CE |
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Several minor kingdoms rule northern India |
600 – 900 CE |
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Sankara, the Hindu philosopher, writes commentaries on Sanskrit religious texts |
c. 800 CE |
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Devotional movement in South Indian literature and religion |
600 – 1000 CE |
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Cholas rule in South India |
900 – 1200 CE |
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Turkish Muslims invade Pakistan and north India |
1000 – 1200 CE |
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Islamic rule consolidated in north India |
1200 – 1400 CE |
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Marco Polo visits India |
1288 CE |
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Vijayanagar Empire rules in South India |
1350 – 1700 CE |
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Vasco Da Gama reaches India |
1498 CE |
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Portuguese set up trading posts in India |
c. 1500 CE |
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Islamic Mughal Empire in north India |
1525 – 1750 CE |
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Taj Mahal built by emperor Shah Jahan |
1632 CE |
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British, Dutch and French trading companies established |
1600 – 1650 CE |
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British India placed under crown rule. British rule most of Indian subcontinent |
1858 |
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British defeated in British-Afghan wars |
1875 – 1900 |
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Life of “Mahatma” Gandhi |
1869 – 1948 |
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Indian and Pakistani independence and partition |
1947 |
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Jawaharlal Nehru is Prime Minister of India |
1947 – 1964 |
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Indira Gandhi, Nehru’s daughter is Prime Minister of India |
1966-1977 1980-1984 |
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Independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan |
1971 |
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Ceylon becomes Sri Lanka |
1972 |
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Emergency in India |
1975-1976 |
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Soviet occupation of Afghanistan |
1979-1989 |