Chronology of Important Events in Indian History: Indian History is a topic of interest to many including foreigners because of the cultures and civilizations that existed in this sub-continent. The history of India can be studied under political, cultural, religious or economic heads. Chronologically, Indian History can be classified into three periods – Ancient India, Medieval India and Modern India.
Here, we are giving the complete study material of ‘Chronology of Important Events in Indian History’ that will ease the journey of aspirants to crack the competitive examinations like BPSC and other state-level examinations.
Chronology of Important Events in Indian History
Ancient India
Year Event Importance 2 Million BC to 10,00 BC2 Million BC to 50,000 BC50,000 BC to 40,000 BC40,000 BC to 10,000 BC Palaeolithic PeriodLower PalaeolithicMiddle PalaeolithicUpper Palaeolithic Fire was discoveredTools made of limestones were used. They are found in Chotanagpur plateau and Kurnool district From 10,000 BC The Mesolithic Age Hunters and HerdersMicrolith tools were used 7000 BC The Neolithic age Food producersUse of polished tools Pre-Harappan Phase – 3000 BC Chalcolithic Age Use of Copper – first metal 2500 BC Harappan Phase Bronze age civilization, development of Urban culture 1500 BC-1000 BC Early Vedic period Rig Veda period 1000BC-500BC Later Vedic period Growth of 2nd Urban phase with the establishment of Mahajanapadhas 600 BC – 325 BC Mahajanapadhas 16 kingdoms with certain republics established 544 BC – 412 BC Haryanka Dynasty Bimbisara, Ajatshatru and Udayin 412 BC – 342 BC Shisunga Dynasty Shisunga and Kalashoka 344BC – 323 BC Nanda Dynasty Mahapadmananda 563 BC Birth of Gautama Buddha Buddhism established 540 BC Birth of Mahavira 24th Tirthankara of Jainism 518 BC Persian Invasion Darius 483 BC 1st Buddhist council Rajgir 383 BC 2nd Buddhist Council Vaishali 326 BC Macedonian Invasion Direct contact between Greek and India 250 BC 3rd Buddhist council Pataliputra 322 BC – 185 BC322 BC – 298 BC298 BC – 273 BC273 BC – 232 BC232 BC – 185 BC Mauryan PeriodChandragupta MauryaBindusaraAshokaLater Mauryans The political unification of India, Dhamma policy of Ashoka, the growth of art and architecture 185 BC – 73 BC Sunga Dynasty Pushyamitra Sunga 73 BC – 28 BC Kanva dynasty Vasudeva founded the dynasty 60 BC – 225 AD Sathavahana dynasty Capital at Paithan, MH 2nd BC Indo-Greeks Menander(165-145AD) 1st BC – 4th AD The Shakas Rudradaman (130 AD – 150 AD) 1st BC – 1st AD The Parthians St Thomas arrived in India during the reign of Gondophernes 1st AD -4th AD The Kushans Kanishka (78 AD – 101 AD) 72 AD 4th Buddhist Council Kashmir 3rd BC – 3rd AD Sangam age Convene of Sangam Commune, Rule of Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas 319 AD – 540 AD319 – 334 AD335 – 380 AD380 – 414 AD415 – 455 AD455 – 467 AD The Gupta AgeChandragupta ISamudraguptaChandragupta IIKumaraguptaSkandagupta 319 AD – Gupta AgeThe golden age of IndiaDevelopment of numerous art and literature.Nagara style of Temple Building 550 AD – 647 AD Vardhana Dynasty Harsha (606-647 AD)Kannauj assembly and Prayag assembly heldHuan-Tsang visited Harsha’s assembly 543 – 755 AD Chalukyas of Vatapi Development of Vesera style 575 – 897 AD Pallavas of Kanchi Structural temples in Dravida style started to develop
Medieval India
Early Medieval Period (650 – 1206 AD) Year Event Importance 750 – 1150 AD Rule of the Palas Capital at Munger, Bihar 752 – 973 AD The Rasthrakutas Capital at Malkhed 730 – 1036 AD The Pratiharas Ruled western India 712 AD First Muslim Invasion Mahmud Bin Qasim invaded India 850 – 1279 AD The Cholas Capital at Tanjore, epitome moment for Dravidian Architecture 998 – 1030 AD First Turk invasion Mahmud of Ghazni 1175 – 1206 AD Second Turk invasion Mahmud of Ghori 1178 – 1192 AD Prithviraj Chauhan The first battle of Tarain in 1191 between Prithviraj and Mahmud of Ghori1192, Second battle of Tarain
The Sultanate Period (1206 – 1526 AD) Signup for Free Mock Test
The Slave Dynasty Year Event Importance 1206 – 1210 AD Qutbuddin Aibak Known as Lal Bakhsh, began the construction of Qutb Minar 1211 – 1236 AD Shamsuddin Iltumish The real founder of Delhi sultanate 1236 – 1240 AD Razia Sultana First and only Muslim lady who ever ruled India 1240 – 1266 AD Weak successors 1266 – 1287 AD Ghiyasuddin Balban Established Diwan-i-Arz
The Khalji Dynasty Year Events Importance 1290 – 1296 AD Jalaluddin Khalji Founder of Khalji dynasty 1296 – 1316 AD Allaudin Khalji Did many administrative reforms, introduced the Dagh and Chehra system
The Tuglaq dynasty Year Events Importance 1320 – 1325 AD Ghiyasuddin Tuglaq Founder 1325 – 1351 AD Mohammed-Bin-Tuglaq Introduction of administrative reforms and certain ambitious projects 1351 – 1388 AD Firoz Shah Tuglaq Built great cities 1398 – 1399 AD Taimur Invasion Taimur, the descendant of Chengiz Khan, invaded during the reign of Muhammad Shah Tuglaq
The Sayyid dynasty 1414 – 1451 AD
The Lodhi Dynasty (1451 – 1526 AD) Year Events Importance 1451 – 1488 AD Bahlol Lodhi Founder of Lodhi dynasty 1489 – 1517 AD Sikander Lodhi Founded the city of Agra 1517 – 1526 AD Ibrahim Lodhi Babur defeated Lodhi in the first battle of Panipat
Vijaynagar and Bahmani Kingdoms
Vijaynagar Kingdom Year Events Importance 1336 – 1485 AD Sangama Dynasty Founded by Harihara and Bukka 1485 – 1505 AD Saluva Dynasty Saluva Narasimha 1505 – 1570 AD Tuluva Dynasty Veer Narashima 1509 – 1529 AD Krishna Deva Raya A gifted Scholar, contemporary of Babur 1570 – 1650 AD Aravidu Dynasty Founded by Tirumala
Bahmani Kingdom Year Events Importance 1347 – 1358 AD Alaudin Hasan Bahman Shah Founded the Bahmani Kingdom at Gulbarga 1397 – 1422 AD Tajuddin Firoz Shah 1422 – 1435 AD Ahmad Shah Wali
Mughal Empire
Yera Event Importance 1526 – 1530 AD Babur Founder of Mughal empire after the 1st Battle of Panipat 1530 – 1540 AD1555 – 1556 AD Humayun He was defeated by Sher Shah 1540 – 1555 AD Sur Empire Sher Shah defeated Humayun and ruled from 1540-45 AD 1556 2nd Battle of Panipat Akbar Vs. Hemu 1556 – 1605 AD Akbar Established Din-i-illahi, expanded Mughal empire 1605 – 1627 AD Jehangir Captain William Hawkins and Sir Thomas Roe visited the Mughal court 1628 -1658 AD Shahjahan The pinnacle of Mughal empire and art and architecture 1658 – 1707 AD Aurangazeb Beginning of the decline of Mughal empire 1707 – 1857 AD Later Mughals Decline and disintegration of Mughal empire with gaining strength of the British
Maratha State and Maratha Confederacy
Maratha state 1674 – 1720 AD Year Events Importance 1674 – 1680 AD Shivaji Contemporary of Aurangazeb and the biggest challenge for the Mughals in Deccan 1680 – 1689 AD Sambhaji 1689 – 1700 AD Rajaram 1700 – 1707 AD Tarabai 1707 – 1749 AD Shahu The rise of Peshwas 1713 – 1720 AD Balaji Vishwanath The first Peshwa
Maratha Confederacy 1720 – 1818 AD
Year Event Importance 1720 – 1740 AD Baji Rao I 1740 – 1761 AD Balaji Baji Rao 1761 AD The third battle of Panipat The defeat of Marathas by Ahmad Shah Abdali 1761 – 1818 AD Later successors
Anglo Maratha Wars
Year Event Importance 1775 – 1782 AD 1st Anglo Maratha War British were defeated 1803 – 1806 AD 2nd War Marathas were defeated and they signed the Subsidiary Alliance 1817 – 1818 AD 3rd War Marathas were decisively defeated
Modern India Bengal Year Events Importance 1717 – 1727 AD Murshid Quli Khan Capital of Bengal transferred to Murshidabad 1727 – 1739 AD Shujauddin 1739 – 1740 AD Sarfaraj khan 1740 – 1756 AD Alivardi Khan 1756 – 1757 AD Sirajuddaulah Battle of Plassey 1757 – 1760 AD Mir Jafar 1760 – 1764 AD Mir Qasim Battle of Buxar
Mysore Year Events Importance 1761 – 1782 AD Haider Ali Establishment of Modern Mysore state 1766 – 1769 AD 1st Anglo – Mysore war Haider Ali defeated the British 1780 – 1784 AD 2nd Anglo – Mysore war Haider Ali was defeated by Sir Eyrecoot 1782 – 1799 AD Tippu Sultan Continued the 2nd war 1790 – 1792 AD 3rd Anglo – Mysore war Tipu ceded half of his territory 1799 4th Anglo – Mysore war Tipu sultan died
Punjab 1792 – 1839 AD Maharaja Ranjit Singh Founder of Sikh rule 1845 – 1846 AD 1st Anglo – Sikh war Sikhs were defeated 1848 – 1849 AD 2nd Anglo – Sikh war Dalhousie annexed Punjab
The advent of Europeans in India
Year Company 1498 Portuguese East India company Headquarters at Cochin and Goa 1600 English East India company Madras, Calcutta and Bombay 1602 Dutch East India company Pulicat, Nagapattinam 1616 Danish East India company Serampore 1664 French East India company Pondicherry
Carnatic wars
1746-48 1st Anglo-French war Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle 1749-54 2nd Anglo-French war Treaty of Pondicherry 1758-63 3rd Anglo-French war Treaty of Paris
Freedom Struggle
Year Event 1857 The First war of Indian independence Revolt due to socio-religious and economic causes 1885 Formation of Indian National Congress A.O. Hume 1885 – 1905 Moderate phase Dominated by Dadabai Naoroji, Surendranath Banerjea 1905 – 1917 Extremists Phase Dominated by Lal-Bal-Pal and Aurobindo Ghosh 1905 Bengal Partition Curzon announced the partition 1905 – 1908 Swadeshi movement Boycott of foreign products 1906 Muslim league formation 1906 Calcutta Session of INC Swaraj as the goal 1907 Surat split Question on extending the movement to the rest of India 1909 Morley – Minto reforms The separate electorate for Muslims 1915 – 1916 Home rule movement BG Tilak and Annie Besant 1916 Lucknow Pact The pact between Congress and League 1916 Lucknow session Extremists admitted in Congress
Gandhian Era
Early life 1893 – 1914 Gandhi in South Africa Foundation of Natal Indian Congress, Sathyagraha and CDM against British excesses 1915 – 1948 Gandhi in India 1915 Arrived in Bombay. First two years to tour India and not to participate in any political movement 1917 Champaran Campaign Against the Indigo cultivators 1918 Ahmedabad First hunger strike 1918 Kheda First non-cooperation movement 1919 Rowlatt Sathyagraha Against the Rowlatt act and Jallianwala massacre 1920-22 Non-cooperation and Khilafat movement 1924 Belgaum session Gandhi elected as Congress president 1930 -34 Civil disobedience movement Dandi MarchGandhi – Irwin Pact2nd Roundtable conferenceResuming the Civil disobedience movement 1940-41 Individual satyagraha 1942 Quit India movement Do or die
Important Events during this period
Year Event 1919 Rowlatt act Gandhi gave a call for Rowlatt satyagraha 1919 Jallianwala Massacre 1920-22 Khilafat and Non-cooperation movement Hindu Muslim unity 1922 Chauri Chaura incident Gandhi called off NCM 1923 Congress Khilafat Swaraj Party Enter legislative councils 1927 Simon commission All white commission to review the 1919 act 1928 Nehru committee report To determine the principles of the constitution 1929 Jinnah’s 14 points 1929 Lahore session Purna Swaraj 1930 Civil disobedience movement Dandi March 1931 Gandhi Irwin Pact To ask Gandhi to participate in the 2nd RTC 1931 2nd RTC held in London 1932 Communal award 1932 Poona Pact 1935 Government of India act Provisional autonomy 1937 18 months rule of Congress begins 1939-45 World War II begins 1939 Congress ministries resign 1940 August offer Linlithgow proposed to seek India’s cooperation in the World War 1941 Individual Satyagraha 1942 Cripps mission 1942 Quit India movement 1943 Gandhi’s 21 days fast 1944 C R Formula 1945 Wavell Plan and Shimla Conference 1945 INA Trails 1946 RIN Ratings Mutiny 1946 Cabinet mission plan 1946 Formation of Interim government 1946 Formation of the constituent assembly 1947 Atlee’s announcement 1947 Mountbatten Plan 1947 Indian independence act, 1947
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