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Period: 2300 BCE to 1750 BCE
Indus River Civilization
Development of urban grain-growing civilization on the Indus River;
Two main cities: Harappa and Mohenjo-daro;
Undeciphered proto-Dravidian script;
Destroyed by climate, invasion of non-Indus peoples -
Period: 2100 BCE to 2600 BCE
Xia (Hsia) Dynasty
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Period: 1750 BCE to 1000 BCE
Aryan Migration
Migration into northwest India of nomadic herding tribes from Iranian plateau;
Indo-European language;
Oral religious traditions preserved in Vedas, oldest of which, the Rig Veda, predates migration -
Period: 1600 BCE to 1050 BCE
Shang Dynasty
Capitals: near present-day Zhengzhou and Anyang -
Period: 1046 BCE to 256 BCE
Zhou (Chou) Dynasty
Capitals: Hao (near present-day Xi'an) and Luoyang -
Period: 1046 BCE to 771 BCE
Western Zhou
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Period: 900 BCE to 900 BCE
Brahmanism
Early Hinduism characterized by rituals belief in reincarnation, dharma, karma and division of society into four classes (varnas) -
Period: 771 BCE to 256 BCE
Eastern Zhou
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Period: 770 BCE to 475 BCE
Spring and Autumn Period
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Period: 551 BCE to 479 BCE
Confucius
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Period: 500 BCE to 500 BCE
Buddhism; Jainism
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Period: 475 BCE to 221 BCE
Warring States Period
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Period: 326 BCE to 326 BCE
Invasion of Alexander the Great
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Period: 324 BCE to 200 BCE
Mauryan Empire
Domination of North India by Chandragupta, extended to south by grandson, Ashoka. -
Period: 320 BCE to 500
Gupta Empire
Guptas dominate North India at beginning of 'classical' period. -
Period: 250 BCE to 250 BCE
Development/Diffusion of Sanskritic culture
Major texts of Hindu tradition take shape: Mahabharata, Ramayana, codification of laws, grammar, science, arts;
Gods Shiva, Vishnu major figures;
Spread of Sanskritic culture to South India -
Period: 221 BCE to 206 BCE
Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty
Capital: Chang'an, present-day Xi'an
Qin Shihuangdi dies, 210 BCE -
Period: 206 BCE to 220
Han Dynasty
206 BCE-220 CE -
Period: 206 BCE to 9
Western/Former Han
Capital: Chang'an -
Period: 200 BCE to 200 BCE
Invasions of North India
Invasions by Central Asian tribes: Bactrian Greeks; Sakas; Kushans, who establish a dynasty, ca.78 BCE-200 CE -
Period: 141 BCE to 86 BCE
Confucianism officially established as basis for Chinese state by Han Wudi
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Period: 25 BCE to 220
Eastern/Later Han
Capital: Luoyang -
Period: 220 to 589
Six Dynasties Period
Period of disunity and instability following the fall of the Han; Buddhism introduced to China -
Period: 220 to 265
Three Kingdoms
Cao Wei, Shu Han, Dong Wu -
Period: 265 to 420
Jin Dynasty
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Period: 386 to 589
Period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties
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Period: 455 to 528
Invasion of Huns
Successive invasions of Huns and other Central Asian tribes destroy Gupta empire. -
Period: 581 to Jan 1, 618
Sui Dynasty
Capital: Chang'an -
Period: Apr 11, 618 to Apr 12, 906
Tang (T'ang) Dynasty
Capitals: Chang'an and Luoyang -
Period: Apr 11, 650 to Apr 12, 1335
Rajput Dynasties (North India); Regional Dynasties (South India)
Warlike clans appear in Rajasthan -
Period: Apr 11, 711 to Apr 12, 711
Arabs take Sind
Pallava dynasty dominates south; continuing conflict with Cholas, with Cheras, Pandyas -
Period: Apr 11, 906 to Apr 12, 1279
Song (Sung) Dynasty
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Period: Apr 11, 907 to Apr 12, 960
Five Dynasties Period
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Period: Apr 11, 960 to Apr 12, 1127
Northern Song
Capital: Bianjing (present-day Kaifeng) -
Period: Apr 11, 997 to Apr 12, 1027
Raids of Mahmud of Ghazni
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Period: Apr 11, 1127 to Apr 12, 1279
Southern Song
Capital: Lin'an (present-day Hangzhou) -
Period: Apr 11, 1192 to Apr 12, 1526
Delhi Sultanate
Delhi Sultanate -
Period: Apr 11, 1279 to Apr 12, 1368
Yuan Dynasty
The reign of the Mongol empire; Capital: Dadu (present-day Beijing) -
Period: Apr 11, 1336 to
Vijayanagar Empire
Vijayanagar Empire -
Period: Apr 11, 1368 to
Ming Dynasty
Re-establishment of rule by Han ruling house; Capitals: Nanjing and Beijing -
Period: Apr 11, 1498 to Apr 12, 1498
Portuguese traders in India
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Period: Apr 11, 1526 to
Mughal Empire
Mughal empire unifies North and parts of South India under its rule;
Amalgam of Persian and Indian culture created in its courts and territories. -
Period: to
Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty
Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty -
Period: to
European traders in India
European traders in India -
Period: to
British India
Political dominance of British introduces Western culture, language, methods of government, technology into urban administrative centers. -
Period: to
Battle of Plassey
Victory over Nawab of Bengal gives East India company control of Bengal and begins expansion of British power in India. -
Period: to
Republic Period
Capitals: Beijing, Wuhan, and Nanjing -
Period: to
Bangladesh
War between East and West Pakistan results in separation of Pakistan into two states: Pakistan and Bangladesh -
Period: to
Partition: India and Pakistan
Independence from British rule and Partition of British India into modern countries of India and Pakistan (East and West) -
Period: to
People's Republic of China
Capital: Beijing