ANCIENT INDIA EVENT (CHRONOLOGY)
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS – ANCIENT INDIA
BC
6000 Neolithic settlements in Baluchistan
4000-3000 Settlements in the Indus valley
3000-1500 Broad period of Indus civilisation
3000-2500 Beginning/Early phase of Indus civilisation
2700 Date of Indus seals found at Kish in Mesopotamia
2500-1750 Mature phase of Indus civilisation; civilisation of the great cities in the Indus valley (Mohenjodaro and Harappa), in the Punjab (Kalibangan) and Gujarat (Lothal).
1750-1500 Later phase/Decline of Indus civilisation; Immigration of the Vedic Aryans
1500-1000 Early/Rig Vedic Period; Settlement of the Aryans in the Punjab and the western Ganga-Yamuna Doab
1000 Iron in India
1000-600 Later Vedic Period; Settlement of the Aryans in the central and eastern Gangetic plains; emergence of janapadas or territorial kingdoms; Painted Grey Ware (PGW) in the areas of Aryan settlement
817 Traditional date of the birth of Parsvanatha, the 23rd tirthankara
600 Beginning of Second Urbanisation in India (eastern Gangetic valley); Rise of 16 mahajanapadas
563-483 Hitherto accepted date of Buddha
542-413 Haryankas of Magadha
540-468 Hitherto accepted date of Mahavira
518 Gandhara and Sind satrapies of the Persian empire; Behistun inscription of Darius
413 364 Sisunagas of Magadha
364 321 Nandas of Magadha
327-325 Alexander’s Invasion of India
326 Battle of Hydaspes (Jhelum) and defeat of Porus (Purushottam) bAlexander
321-184 Maurya Empire
305-303 Chandragupta Maurya’s war with Seleucus Nikator
272-268 War of succession between Asoka and his brothers
268-232 Asoka’s reign
260 Asoka’s conquest of Kalinga
257 Asoka’s conversion to Buddhism by Upagupta
250 Third Buddhist council at Pataliputra; Buddhist missions in South Asia and the Hellenistic World
248 Independence of the Greeks in Bactria
232-184 Later Mauryas
184-75 Sungas (Pushyamitra-founder, Devabhumi-last Sunga)
182 Foundation of the Indo-Greek empire by Demetrius
166-150 Menander, the most important of the Indo-Greeks
141 Sakas conquer Bactria
94 Maues, Saka king in north-western India
75-28 Kanvas (Vasudeva-founder, Suserman-last Kanva)
58 Beginning of Vikrama samvat (era) by Vikramaditya of Ujjain;Azes I, the second Saka ruler in north-western India
50 Emergence of Satavahanas in Deccan;King Kharavela of Kalinga (Hathigumpha inscription)
2 Despatch of Buddhist missionaries from the Bactrian court to the Chinese emperor
AD
20-46 Gondophernes, the greatest Indo-Parthian king in Taxila; St Thomas in India
45 Invasion of north-western India by the Yuechis under Kujula Kadphises, who united the Yuechi tribes and established the Kushan emoire
46 Discovery of monsoon winds by Hippalus, a Greek sailor
64 Chinese emperor Mingti sent agents to India for Buddhist texts
66 Arrival of Indian Buddhist monks, Kasyapa Matanga and Gobharana, in China
77 Pliny’s Natural History
78 Commencement of the Saka era by Kanishka
78-100 Reign of Kanishka; Heyday of the Kushana empire
80-128 Resurgence of Satavahanas under Gautamiputra Satakarni and Vasishtiputra Pulamayi
130-150 Rudradaman I, the greatest Sakasatrap in western India
226 Establishment of Sassanian dynasty in Persia
250 Disintegration of the Satavahana kingdom
320 Beginning of Gupta era by Chandra-gupta !
320-335 Reign of Chandragupta I
335–375 Reign of Samudragupta, known as Indian Napoleon for his military conquests
360 Ceylonese embassy to Samudra gupta’s court
375-413 Reign of Chandragupta II, westward expansion of the Guptas and peak of Sanskrit literature
405-411 Fahien in India
413-455 Reign of Kumaragupta 1; foundation of the Nalanda University
455-467 Reign of Skandagupta; first attack of the Hunas
467-540 Decline of the Gupta dynasty
500-527 Rule of the Hunas over north India under Toramana and Mihirakula
527 Defeat of Mihirakula by Yasodharman
543–755 Chalukyas of Badami (Early Chaluk-yas)
547 Indikopleustes of Kosmas (Indicopleustes of Cosmas)
560-903 Great Pallavas of Kanchipuram
606-647 Harshavardhana’s reign
622 Commencement of hijra (Muslim) era
625 The embassy of Pulakesin II to the Persian king, Khusrau II
630 Harsha’s clash with Pulakesin II on the banks of the Narmada
630-643 Hiuen Tsang in India
630-1070 Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi
634 Aihole inscription of Pulakesin II
642 Conquest of Badami by Narasimhavarman I of Kanchi
643 Harsha’s quinquennial assembly at Prayag
648 Bhaskaravarman (king of Kamarupa) helped Wang Hiuen Tse (Chinese ambassador) in restoring the successor of Harsha on the throne of Kanauj
675-685 Itsing at Nalanda University
700-728 Reign of Narasimhavarman II of Kanchi; peak of prosperity and cultural activities
712 Arab conquest of Sind
743-789 Santarakshita and Padmasambhava (Buddhist monks) in Tibet.