Chronology of Important Events in Indian History

By Sudheer Kumar K|Updated : February 7th, 2020

Hello aspirants,

This article is about Chronology of Important Events in Indian History is important in Civil Services Examination. This article will help the aspirants to memorize important facts and use them during answer writing.

Chronology of Important Events in Indian History

Ancient India

Year

Event

Importance

2 Million BC to 10,00 BC

2 Million BC to 50,000 BC

50,000 BC to 40,000 BC

40,000 BC to 10,000 BC

Palaeolithic Period

Lower Palaeolithic

Middle Palaeolithic

Upper Palaeolithic

Fire was discovered

Tools made of limestones were used. They are found in Chotanagpur plateau and Kurnool district

 

From 10,000 BC

The Mesolithic Age

Hunters and Herders

Microlith tools were used

 

7000 BC

The Neolithic age

Food producers

Use 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

Shisunaga Dynasty

Shisunaga 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 BC

322 BC – 298 BC

298 BC – 273 BC

273 BC – 232 BC

232 BC – 185 BC

Mauryan Period

Chandragupta Maurya

Bindusara

Ashoka

Later Mauryans

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 AD

319 – 334 AD

335 – 380 AD

380 – 414 AD

415 – 455 AD

455 – 467 AD

The Gupta Age

Chandragupta I

Samudragupta

Chandragupta II

Kumaragupta

Skandagupta

319 AD – Gupta Age

The golden age of India

Development 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 held

Huan-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

First battle of Tarain in 1191 between Prithviraj and Mahmud of Ghori

1192, Second battle of Tarain

The Sultanate Period (1206 – 1526 AD)

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

Real founder of Delhi sultanate

1236 – 1240 AD

Razia Sultana

First and only Muslim lady whoever 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

1526 – 1530 AD

Babur

Founder of Mughal empire after the 1st Battle of Panipat

1530 – 1540 AD

1555 – 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 the Mughal empire

1707 – 1857 AD

Later Mughals

Decline and disintegration of the 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

1720 – 1740 AD

Baji Rao I

 

1740 – 1761 AD

Balaji Baji Rao

 

1761 AD

Third battle of Panipat

Defeat of Marathas by Ahmad Shah Abdali

1761 – 1818 AD

Later successors

 

Anglo Maratha Wars

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

Advent of Europeans in India

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

1857

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

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 March

Gandhi – Irwin Pact

2nd Roundtable conference

Resuming the Civil disobedience movement

1940-41

Individual satyagraha

 

1942

Quit India movement

Do or die

Important Events during this period

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

 

 

IAS 2021: A comprehensive course for Prelims (English)

IAS 2021 comprehensive course for CSAT

UPSC EPFO 2020- A Comprehensive Course

To boost the preparation of all our users, we have come up with some free video (Live Class) series.

Here are the links:

Daily Current Affairs

Daily Editorial Analysis

IAS 2021 Ranker's Series- Complete Roadmap for Prelims & Main

Lakshya EPFO 2020

Gist of Rajya Sabha TV for UPSC Exams

Daily PIB Summary for UPSC Exams

More from us

Get Unlimited access to Structured Live Courses and Mock Tests- Online Classroom Program

Get Unlimited access to 60+ Mock Tests-BYJU'S Exam Prep Test Series

Comments

write a comment

Follow us for latest updates