|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Archaeological excavations have brought to light the remains of a highly developed urban civilisation in
ancient India, that stretched across approximately 1520 kilometres, extending from the
area on the upper Sutlaj in contemporary Punjab to Lothal in Gujarat. Historians are of
the view that this civilisation flourished in the third millennium before the birth of
Christ.
It is known by the name of the two of its great cities - Harappa and Mohenjodaro situated on the left and the right bank respectively of the river Ravi in Punjab. The two cities were built on a similar plan - houses constructed with standard burnt bricks arranged in squares, along roads intersecting at right angles.
The houses varied in size but were all based on the
same plan - a small courtyard surrounded by rooms with entrances in side alleys, often
multistoried with no windows opening out to the street. The houses had bathrooms and the
drains flowing out were connected to covered sewers with soak-pits. This unique sewage
system is amongst the most impressive achievements of the Indus people and sets them apart
from all other ancient civilisations.
By about 1500 B.C. an important change began to
occur in the northern half of the Indian sub-continent. The Harappa culture in the Indus
Valley had declined by about 1750 B.C, and the stage was being set for a second and more
continuous urbanisation in the Ganges Valley.
The earliest literary source that sheds light on
India's past is the Rig Veda. It is difficult to date this work with any accuracy on the
basis of tradition and ambiguous astronomical information contained in the hymns. It is
most likely that Rig Veda was composed between 1,500 B.C. and 1,000 B.C.
The people who composed these evocative hymns to
nature and celebrated life exuberantly referred to themselves as Aryas usually anglicised
as Aryan meaning 'superior'.
The 6th Century B.C. was a period of great ferment
in India. The kingdom of Magadh -one of the 16 great janapadas - polities - had
established paramountcy over other kingdoms of the Ganges Valley. This was the time when
Buddhism and Jainism emerged as popular protestant movements to pose a serious challenge
to Brahmanic orthodoxy. The fluid political situation, made it possible for Chandragupta
Maurya (reign - 322 - 298 B.C.) to oust the oppressive ruler of Magadh and found his own
dynasty.
The most famous of the Mauryas is Ashoka the Great (reign - 273 - 232 B.C.). He extended the
boundaries of his empire considerably - stretching from Kashmir and Peshawar in the North
and Northwest to Mysore in the South and Orissa in the East - but his fame rests not so
much on military conquests as on his celebrated renunciation of war. After witnessing the
carnage at the battle field of Kalinga (269 B.C.) in Orissa, Ashoka resolved to dedicate
himself to Dhamma - or righteousness.
Ashoka died around 232 B.C. and the empire began to
disintegrate under weak successors. Pushyamitra Shunga, a Brahmin general usurped the
throne after slaying the last Maurya king and presided over a loosely federal polity. In
subsequent centuries India suffered a series of invasions, and in the absence of a strong
central authority, often fell under the spell of foreign rulers - Indo Bactrians, the
Sakas and others.
For the next four hundred years, India remained
politically disunited and weak. It was repeatedly raided and plundered by foreigners.
Stability was restored by the Guptas. Exploits of Samudra Gupta
(reign - 335 - 380 A.D.) - an illustrious ruler of this line - are recorded on a stone
inscription at Allahabad.
It was Chandra Gupta II
(reign - 380 - 412 A.D.) - Samudra Gupta's successor - who finally defeated the Sakas
and re-established a strong central authority. His reign registered the high watermark in
Indian culture. His accomplishments in war and peace were glorious enough for him to claim
the title Vikramaditya - the resplendent, great and good king of legends. Fa-hien, a
Chinese traveller who was in India from 399 - 414 A.D. has left an interesting account of
contemporary India. This age of peace and prosperity witnessed an unprecedented flowering
of art, literature and the sciences.
Kalidas, the famous Sanskrit poet and dramatist,
author of Abhijnana Shankuntalam, Kumarsambhavam and Meghadutam is believed to have
adorned the Gupta court. Mathematicians like Aryabhatta and astronomers like Varahmihir
lived during this period. The dazzling wall paintings of Ajanta too are traced back to
this era. This period also saw the beginning of Hindu temple architecture.
The twilight of the Gupta Empire saw the setting in
of decay. Powerful feudal governors in the provinces declared their independence. Trade
and commerce suffered and social evils crept in. There was only a brief afterglow in the
time of Harshavardhan (reign - 604 - 647 A.D.) - of Kannauj - who is famous for his
philanthrophy and patronage of Buddhism. Himself an accomplished writer, he encouraged
eminent dramatists like Bana. A Chinese traveller Huen-tsang visited India from (629 - 645
A.D.) during the rule of Harshavardhan. His account gives us an opportunity to note the
changes that had taken place in the lives of the Indian people since the days of the
Guptas.
In the Deccan, the Cholas ruled over what today are
the districts of Thanjavur and Tiruchirapally. In the 2nd Century B.C. a Chola prince
conquered Sri Lanka. The Pandyas reigned around present day Tirunelvelli and Madurai. A
Pandyan king sent an ambassador to the court of the Roman emperor Augustus in first
Century B.C. The territory under the Cheras was what constitutes the present day central
and northern Kerala.
Pallavas of Kanchi rose to prominence in the 4th
Century A.D. and ruled unchallenged for about four hundred years. The Nayanar and Alvar
saint poets belong to this period. The gemlike shore temples at Mahabalipuram date to this
period.
The Cholas overthrew the Pallavas in the 9th Century
and regained political primacy in south India. The exquisitely crafted Chola bronzes - the
resplendent Natraja - the Dancing Shiva - have introduced the world to the glory of the
Cholas. The tide of political fortunes turned once again in the 13th Century to make the
Pandyas dominant. Their kingdom became a great centre of international trade. Art,
literature and culture flourished under generous patronage. The 15th Century saw the
decline of the Pandyas.
Foreign invasions had little impact on the life in
southern India and this region remained unaffected by political upheavals that convulsed
the north.
iNDIA 400,000 BC to 2003
Prehistoric Period: ca. 400,000 BC - 3000 BC
- 400,000 - 200,000 BC: Interglacial period : Soan Valley and in south India, chiefly around Madras
- 200,000 - 8,000 BC: Late ICE Age, which lasted till 8000 BC
- 8,000 BC - 4,000 BC: the end of the Ice Age, began an intermediate stage called as Mesolithic Age [Late Stone Age] which lasted up to 4000 B.C.
- 4,000 BC - 3,000 BC: Neolithic Age [New Stone Age] which lasted from 4000 B.C. to 3000 B.C was the last phase of the Stone Age
Indus / Saraswathi Valley Civilisation: ca. 3000-1200 BC
ca. 3000-2600: Indus Valley civilization: Harappan civilization
ca. 1200-500 BC: Vedic Era
ca. 550-100 BC: Rivals to Hinduism
ca. 322-185 BC: Mauryan Empire
ca. AD 320-540: Gupta Era
- ca. 320-335: Chandragupta I
- ca. 335-376: Samudragupta
- ca. 376-415: Chandragupta II
- ca. 454-500: Hun Invasions
- ca. 540: End of Gupta Dynasty
ca. AD 500-1001: Era of Political instability
- ca. 540: Rise of Chalukyas at Vatapi
- ca. 606-646: Harsha of Kanauj
- ca. 700-800: Buddhism spreads to Tibet and Nepal
- 711: Arabs invade Sind
- ca. 750: Rise of imperial Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas
- 760: Palas in Bengal
- ca. 846: Rise of Cholas and defeat of Pallavis
- ca. 970: Revival of Chalukyas and defeat of Rashtrakutas
1000-1750: Period of Muslim dominance
- 1001: Raids by Mahmud of Ghanzi
- 1206-1290: Slave Dynasty and Beginning of Delhi Sultanate
- 1290-1320: Khalji Sultanate
- 1320-1413: Tughlug Sultanate
- 1414-1451: Sayyid Sultanate
- 1451-1526: Lodi Sultanate
- 1498: Vasco da Gama arrives in India
- 1483-1757: The Mughal Empire
- 1526-1530: Reign of Babur
- 1556-1605: Reign of Akbar
- 1600: British East India Company is chartered
- 1605-1627: Reign of Jahangir
- 1628-1658: Reign of Shah Jahan
- 1658-1707: Reign of Aurangzeb
- 1744-1748: War between French and British
Disclaimer: We've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information like visas, health and safety, customs, and transportation) with the relevant authorities before you travel.
|
|
STATES
Union Territories
|
