Chronology of Important Events

CHRONOLOGY OF PRINCIPLE EVENTS

BC

2800-2000	Harappan culture
From 1500	Coming of the Aryans
1200-800 & later	Expansion of the Aryans in the Ganga Valley
600	Age of the 16 Mahajanapadas of northern India
563-483	Gautama Buddha
540-468	Mahavira
542-493	Bimbisara rules Magadha
493-461	Ajatshtru rules Magadha
413-362	Shishunaga dynasty
362-321	Nanda dynasty
327-326	Alexander’s invasion
321	Chandragupta Maurya established the Mauryan empire
315	Visit of Megasthenes to India
268-232	Asoka’s reign
185	Fall of the Mauryan empire

AD

1st century	Bactrian rule in the north west
1st century	Rise of the Satavahanas
58	Beginning of the Vikram era
1st century	Shakas in western India
1st century	Sangam period in the south
78	Kanishka’s accession & the beginning of the Shaka era
3rd century	Decline of the Kushans
3rd century	Decline of Satavahanas
319-320	Accession of Chandragupta I and establishment of the Gupta dynasty
335-375	Samudragupta
375-415	Chandragupta II
405-411	Visit of Fa-Hien
450	The first Huna attack on the Gupta empire
560-903	The Pallavas establish their kingdom
543-755	The rise of the Chalukyas of Vatapi
606-647	Reign of Harshavardhana
630-643	Hieun Tsang in India
609-642	Reign of Pulakesin II, the Chalukya king
622	Beginning of the Hijri Sind
712	Arab conquest of Sind
750	Pala dynasty founded by Gopala in eastern India
753	Rise of the Rashtrakuta empire
800	Shankaracharya
840	Rise of the Pratiharas under Bhoja
907	Parantaka I establishes Chola power in south India
973-1192	Foundation of the kingdom of the later Chalukyas is laid
985-1014	Reign of Rajaraja Chola
1014-1044	Reign of Rajendra Chola
1000-1027	Invasions of Mahmud of Ghazni
1030	Alberuni in India; Death of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni
1191	1st Battle of Tarain
1192	2nd Battle of Tarain; defeat of Prithviraj III by Muhammad Ghori
1206	Death of Muhammad Ghori
1206	Qutub-ud-din Aibak founds the Slave dynasty
1210	Death of Qutub-ud-din Aibak
1210	Accession of Iltumish
1236	Death of Iltumish & accession of Raziya
1265-85	Reign of Balban
1288-1295	Marco Polo visits south India
1290	Khilji dynasty founded
1296-1316	Reign of Ala-ud-din Khilji
1302-1311	Malik Kafur’s campaign in south India
1320	Tughlaq dynasty founded
1325-1351	Reign of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq; Ibn Batuta in India
1336	Foundation of the Vijaynagar kingdom is laid
1347	Foundation of Bahamani kingdom is laid
1351-1358	Reign of Firoz Shah Tughlaq
1398	Timur’s invasion
1414-1451	Reign of the Sayyid dynasty
1451-1526	Reign of Lodhi dynasty
1440-1518	Kabir
1469-15139	Guru Nanak
1482-1518	Dissolution of the Bahamani emergence of five new kingdoms – Bijapur; Golconda; Ahmednagar; Bidar & Berar
1498	Arrival of Vasco de Gama
1509-1530	Reign of Krishnadevaraya
1526	First Battle of Panipat, Babar defeats Ibrahim Lodi; Mughal empire founded in India
1527	Battle of Khanwa, Babar defeats Rana Sanga
1530	Death of Babar & accession of Humayun
1539	Sher Shah defeats Humayun at Chausa
1545	Death of Sher Shah
1556	Death of Humayun & accession of Akbar; second Battle of Panipat; Akbar defeats Hemu
1565	Battle of Talikota
1568-95	Akbar captures Chittor, Ranthmbor, Gujarat, Bengal, Kashmir, Sind, Orissa, central India & Qandhar
1600	Queen Elizabeth grants Charter to the company of merchants in London to trade with east
1605	Death of Akbar & accession of Jahangir
1616	Sir Thomas Roe received by Jahangir
1627	Death of Jahangir
1627	Birth of Shivaji
1628	Shah Jahan proclaimed emperor
1630	Annexation of Ahmednagar
1658	Accession of Aurangzeb
1674	Shivaji assumes royal title
1680	Death of Shivaji
1686	Annexation of Golconda
1707	Death of Aurangzeb
1707-12	Reign of Bahadurshah
1717	Farrukhsiyar grants firman to the EIC exempting their trade in Bengal from payment of duties in return for lump sum payment of Rs. 3000 per annum
1739	Nadir Shah occupies Delhi
1744-48	First Anglo-French Carnatic war
1748-54	Second Anglo-French Carnatic war
1757-63	Third Anglo-French Carnatic war
1747-61	Invasion of Ahmad Shah Abdali
1757	Battle of Plassey. The British control over the rich provinces of Bihar, Bengal & Orissa
1760	Battle of Wandiwash. French dream of an empire in India comes to an end
1761	Third Battle of Panipat; Ahmed Shah Abdali defeats Marathas
1764-69	The Battle of Buxar. Introduction of dual system of Government in Bengal
1767-69	First Anglo-Mysore war
1770	The great famine of Bengal
1772	End of dual government in Bengal. The Company starts direct administration of Bengal. Warren Hastings assumes office as governor
1773	The Regulating Act
1775-82	First Anglo-Maratha war
1780-84	Second Anglo-Maratha war
1784	Pitt’s India Act
1790	Third Anglo-Mysore war
1793	Permanent settlement introduced in Bengal
1798-1805	Wellesley is governor general of Bengal
1799	Fourth Anglo-Mysore war. Death of Tipu Sultan. Ranjit Singh captures Lahore
1803-05	Second Anglo-Maratha war
1813	Charter Act
1814-16	Anglo-Nepal war
1817-18	Third Anglo-Maratha war. Marathas decisively defeated.
1829	Prohibition of Sati
1833	Renewal of company’s Charter & abolition of trading rights
1839	Death of Ranjit Singh. New treaty forced on the Amirs of Sind
1843	British annex Sind
1845-46	Second Anglo-Sikh war & annexation of Punjab
1853	First railway line in India from Bombay to Thana is opened. First Telegraph line from Calcutta to Agra. Renewal of company’s charter
1854	Charles Wood’s dispatch on Indian education
1857	Outbreak of vast revolt. Establishment of Universities at Bombay, Calcutta & Madras
1858	British govt. takes over administration of British India from the EIC. Queen Victoria’s proclamation
1861	The Indian Councils Act. Enactment of the Indian Civil & Criminal Code
1865	Telegraphic communication with Europe opens
1869	Opening of the Suez Canal
1876-77	Delhi Durbar. The queen of England proclaimed Empress of India
1883	Ilbert Bill
1885	The Indian National Congress is founded
1892	Indian Councils Act
1905	Partition of Bengal announced
1906	Muslim League formed at Dacca
1909	Morley-Minto reforms
1911	King George V visits India. A durbar held at Delhi. The capital of India is transferred from Calcutta to Delhi. Partition of Bengal is annulled
1914	Outbreak of WWI
1916	Foundation of the Banaras Hindu University is laid. Home Rule League founded. The Indian National Congress & Muslim League sign Lucknow pact
1917, April	Gandhi launches Champaran campaign in Bihar to focus attention on grievances of Indigo-planters. Montague’s announcement regarding introduction of a responsible govt. in India
1918	Trade union movement begins in India. All India Depressed Classes League formed
1919, April 6	Call for all India hartal against Rowlett Bills
1919 April 9	Deportation of Dr. Satyapal & Dr. Kitchlew. Trouble begins in Amritsar
1919 April 13	Jallianwala Bagh tragedy at Amritsar. Govt. of India Act 1919 passed
1920	First meeting of the All India Trade Union Congress. Foundation of Aligarh Muslim University. Hunter Commission Report on Jallianwala Bagh massacre published. First Non-cooperation movement launched by Gandhi
1922, February	Violent incidents at Chauri Chaura. Gandhi calls of Non-cooperation movement
1925	Communist party of India organised at Kanpur
1927	Appointment of Simon Commission
1928	Nehru Report
1929 February 14	Congress passes Civil Dis-obedience Movement resolution
1929 March 12	Gandhi begins Dandi march to manufacture illegal salt. First RTC held in London
1931	Gandhi-Irwin pact. Civil Disobedience movement suspended. Second RTC
1932	Ramsay MacDonald announces communal award (modified by the Poona Pact, September 24)
1935	Govt. of India Act
1937	Congress ministries formed in provinces
1938	All India Kisan Sabha
1939	Subhash Chandra Bose resigns as president of the Congress. WWII begins. Resignation of congress ministries in provinces
1940	Muslim League adopts the Pakistan resolution. Congress starts individual Satyagraha
1941	Death of Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)
1942, February	Japanese bombardment of Rangoon Singapore falls
March-April	Cripps Mission visits India
August-September	Quit India Movement launched
1945	Shimla conference held
26th July	Labor govt. comes into power in Britain
December-January	General Elections in India
1946, February	Mutiny of naval rating of Bombay & Karachi
March	A three member cabinet Mission comes to India
16th May	Cabinet Mission announces its constitutional scheme
July	Elections held in the provinces. Congress wins massively in the general constituencies. Leagues access in the Muslim seats is equally spectacular
August	The Muslim League decides to ‘Direct action for winning Pakistan’
16 August	Violence breaks out between Hindus-Sikhs & Muslims in Calcutta & Noakhali
2 September	Congress forms Interim Govt. with Nehru as Vice-President
13 October	Muslim League decides to join the Interim Govt.
1946 3-6 December	British PM Atlee meets some Indian Leaders; talks fail
9 December	Constituent Assembly begins its session
29 January 1947	Muslim League demands the dissolution of constituent assembly
20 February	Atlee announces in British Parliament the decision to quit India by June 3oth 1948
March	Lord Mountbatten announces transfer of power in August 1947
July 16	Last meeting of the interim govt.
July	India Independence Act passed. India is to be partitioned
1947, August 11	Jinnah is elected as the President of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan
August 14	Pakistan Independence; celebration in Karachi
August 14-15	At midnight India celebrates Independence. Mahatma Gandhi tours Noakhali in East Bengal to restore communal harmony Lord Mountbatten was sworn as the Governor General. Who in turn swore JL Nehru as the PM of free India
1948 January	Gandhi undertakes his last fast in Delhi
January 30	Gandhi falls prey to Nathuram Godse’s bullets
20 June 1948	C.Rajgopalachari is sworn in as the first Governor General of Independent India
26 November 1949	Constitution comes into force. India becomes a republic. Dr. Rajendra Prasad becomes its first President & JL Nehru the first PM
January 1950	The Election Commission of India is set up
October 1951-February 1952	First general election is held in India in 1952. India gets its first Parliament