Milestones in Indian History

• BC 6000 - beginnings of Neolithic settlements - Sumeria, Egypt, and INDUS VALLEY - sun-dried brick houses - domestication of cattle - agriculture - copper known.
• BC 4000 - invention of the potters’ wheel.
  
• BC 2500 - beginnings of astronomical observations.
  
• BC 1500 - Aryan immigration into India - iron arrives - Vedic Age - composition of the Rig Veda.
  
• BC 1000 - Aryan expansion - Gangetic plains - composition of the Brahmanas.
  
• BC 900-800 - Epic Age - creation of Ramayana & Mahabharata.
  
• BC 599-527 - Lord Mahavira - last of Tirthankaras - Jainism.
  
• BC 563-483 - Lord Buddha (Gautama) - founder of Buddhism.
• BC 550 - composition of the Upanishads.
  
• BC 518 - Persian conquest/rule in North-Western India.
  
• BC 326 - Alexander the Great invades India - retreats - death in BC 323.
  
• BC 321 - Mauryan Dynasty begins in Pataliputra - composition of Arthashastra by Kautilya - treaties on Governance.
  
• BC 274-232 - reign of Ashoka the Great - Golden Period - embraces Buddhism - spread of Buddhism across India, China, Japan & Far East.
  
• BC 185 - Mauryans overthrown - Sunga Dynasty founded.
  
• BC 145 - Chola King Erata of Southern India conquers Ceylon.
  
• BC 58 - the Krita-Malava-Vikrama Era.
  
• BC 30 Satvahana Dynasty in Deccan - Pandyan Empire in Southern India.
  
• BC 26 - Pandyan king sends ambassador to Rome.
  
• AD 40 - Sakas (Scythians) in power in the Indus Valley and North-Western India.
  
• AD 52 - Christianity arrives - St. Thomas begins preaching in India.
  
• AD 78 - the Saka Era begins.
  
• AD 98-117 - Kanishka - the Kushan King.
  
• AD 320 - Chandragupta I - Gupta Dynasty established in Pataliputra.
  
• AD 360 - conquests of Samudragupta - Gupta Empire expands to whole of North India and much of Deccan.
  
• AD 380-413 - Chandragupta Vikramaditya - Golden age of the Gupta period - Literary Renaissance - Kalidasa and other poets - revival of Hinduism.
  
• AD 606 - accession of Harsha Vardhana.
  
• AD 609 - rise of the Chalukyas.
  
• AD 622 - Era of the Hejira begins.
  
• AD 711 - invasion of Sind by Muhammad-bin Kassim.
  
• AD 753 - rise of the Rashtrakuta Empire.
  
• AD 892 - rise of Eastern Chalukyas.
  
• AD 985 - South India - the Chola Dynasty - Rajaraja the Great.
  
• AD 10th -12th centuries - Deccan - the Chandellas - famous rock temples at Khajuraho.
• AD 1026 - Somnath Temple sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni.
  
• AD 1191-92 - Two battles of Tarain - Muhammad Ghori finally defeats Prithviraj Chauhan, king of Delhi.
• AD 1206 - Slave Dynasty established at Delhi.
• AD 1221 - Mongol invasion under Genghis Khan.
  
• AD 1290 - Khilji Dynasty established at Delhi.
  
• AD 1298 - Marco Polo visits India.
  
• AD 1320 - Tughlak Dynasty established at Delhi.
• AD 1333 - Ibn Batutah arrives in India.
  
• AD 1336 - Vijaynagar Empire founded in Deccan.
  
• AD 1398 - Timurlane invades India.
  
• AD 1424 - rise of Bahmani Dynasty in Deccan.
  
• AD 1451 - Lodhi Dynasty establised at Delhi.
  
• AD 1469 - birth of Guru Nank Dev - first Sikh Guru.
  
• AD 1489 - Adil Shah Dynasty at Bijapur (Deccan).
  
• AD 1490 - Nizam Shahi Dynasty at Ahmadnagar.
  
• AD 1498 - Vasco da Gama lands at Calicut.
  
• AD 1510 - Portuguese capture Goa.
  
• AD 1518 - Kutab Shahi Dynasty at Golconda.

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