Ancient India

rise of India

3500 BCE

India originated from the Indus valley river, and many small civilisations were created and buildings were constructed using kiln fired mud bricks. The Indus river allowed the people who lived there to survive in the way that the nile helped the egyptians. The Indus valley river civilization is one of the earliest known civilisations.

The Indian civilisation started to form

3500 BCE

We have evidence to suggest trade between India and Mesopotamia as early as 3200 BCE which suggests that there was a civilisation at this time.

Indian cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro thrive

2500 BCE

These two cities were thriving in the period before the Aryans came and invaded. They were thriving because of their jobs that they provided. There were 35,000 people working in Mohenjo-Daro.

The indian civilisation mostly ended

1700 BCE

At 1700 BCE the Harappan Colony (which is one of the colonies making up the Indus Valley River civilisation) declined dramatically in population.

Ayrans invade northern India

1500 BCE

It is a myth that this invasion truly occurred and we don’t have enough evidence to support either side of the argument. The decline in population of the Indus Valley Civilisation happened at the same time in history in which the Indo-Aryan invasion probably took place.

Ayrans start to work with iron

1100 BCE

Aryans began using iron during the beginning of the Indian Iron Age. It was associated with the eastward expansion of the Aryans after the invasion of the Indus Valley River Civilisation.

Ayrans expand their influence

800 BCE

Ayrans expand their influence, pushing south and east towards the Ganges in ancient india.

The caste system was put in place

700 BCE

The Caste System is a system that means that you cannot move up or down in the social classes. This means that if you are born in poverty, there is no way out of it.

Prince Siddhartha Gautama becomes the Buddha

537 BCE

Born into a royal life, Siddhartha Gautama lived an unseen life until age 29, when he left the palace that he lived in and saw poverty, sickness and death for the first time.

Mahavira creates the religion Jainism

500 BCE

Jainism was created to bring harmlessness and equality to everyone. Jains believe that every plant and animal has a soul that should be treated with equality.

Alexander the Great crosses Indus River intent on invading

327 BCE

The Indian campaign of Alexander the Great began in 326 BCE. After conquering the Achaemenid Empire of Persia, the Macedonian king (and now the great king of the Persian Empire) Alexander launched a campaign into India. He had to cross the Indus valley river in order to invade the civilisations as they were all east of the river.

The Mauryan Dynasty is started

304 BCE

The Maurya Empire was a Iron Age created by Chandragupta Maurya which ruled ancient India between 322 BCE and 187 BCE.

The story Ramayana is written

300 BCE

The story of Ramayana is a very old story, dating back around 2,500 years. It is an ancient indian epic poem which tells a story about the struggle of the divine prince Rama to rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana. The story has 24,000 verses and is written in Sanskrit.

Mauryan emperor Ashoka converts to Buddhism

259 BCE

The warrior Asoka became emperor of the Mauryan dynasty when he converted to Buddhism. He began his reign by expanding the empire his grandfather had created.

Mauryan Dynasty ends

184 BCE

when the Mauryan Dynasty ended it marked the start of a 500-year period of small kingdoms.

First Buddhist stupa is built (at Sanchi)

50

The shape of the first Buddhist stupa represents the Buddha, His crown is at the top of the spire, his head is the square at the bottom, his body is the vase shape, his legs are the four steps of the lower part and the base is his throne.

Start of the Gupta Dynasty

320

The Gupta Empire stretched across northern, central and parts of southern India.

Two statues of Buddha are carved into a mountain

380

The Buddhas of Bamyan were statues carved into the side of a cliff in a valley in the modern Afghanistan, the statues represented the ancient style of Indian art. They were later blown up buy a new ruler.

Aryabhatta writes the first book on algebra

499

Aryabhata was one of the first mathematicians from the classical age and is said to be the father of algebra.

Gupta Empire is weakened and overthrown

528

Gupta Empire is weakened and overthrown by barbarian invaders, chiefly Huns. The most important reason that the downfall of the Gupta Empire occurred was the conflict and disagreement that was happening in the royal family, after the death of Kumar Gupta, his sons turned on each other and battled for the throne.