Important Dates Indian History

Periods Events/Significance
BC
300-
5000
Indus Valley Civilization
563 Birth of Gautama Buddha (or 576 BC in some sources)
527-540 Birth of Mahavir; Nirvana
327-326
Alexander's invasion of India. It opened a land route
between India and Europe
313
Accession of Chandragupta Maurya, according to Jain
traditions.
305 Defeat of Seleucus at tde hands of Chandragupta Maurya
273-232 Ashoka's reign
261 Conquest of Kalinga
145-101 Reign of Elara, the Chola king of Sri Lanka
58 Beginning of Vikrami Era
AD
78 Beginning of Saka Era
120 Accession of Kanishka
320 Commencement of Gupta Era, the golden age of Hindu India
380 Accession of Vikramaditya
405-411 Visit of Chinese traveller Fahien
415 Accession of Kumara Gupta I
455 Accession of Skanda Gupta
606-647 Harshavardhan's reign
712 First invasion in Sindh by Arabs
836 Accession of King Bhoja of Kannauj
985 Accession of Rajaraja tde Chola ruler
998 Accession of Sultan Mahmud
1001
First invasion of India by Mahmud Ghazni who defeated
Jaipal, ruler of Punjab.
1025 Destruction of Somnath Temple by Mahmud Ghazni
1191 First Battle of Tarain
1192 Second Battle of Tarain
1206 Accession of Qutub-ud-Din Aibak to tde throne of Delhi
1210 Death of Qutub-ud-Din Aibak
1221 Changez Khan invaded India (Mongol invasion)
1236 Accession of Razia Sultan to the throne of Delhi
1240 Death of Razia Sultan
1296 Accession of Ala-ud-Din Khilji
1316 Death of Ala-ud-Din Khilji
1325 Accession of Muhammad-bin Tughlaq
1327
Shifting of Capital from Delhi to Daulatabad in Deccan by
the Tughlaqs
1336 Foundation of Vijayanagar empire in South
1351 Accession of Feroze Shah
1398 Invasion of India by Taimur
1469 Birth of Guru Nank
1494 Accession of Babur in Farghana
1497-98
First Voyage of Vasco de Gama to India (discovery of sea
route to India via Cape of Good Hope) I
1526
First Battle of Panipat; Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodhi;
foundation of Mughal dynasty by Babur
1527 Battle of Kanwaha-Babur defeated Rana Sanga
1530 Death of Babur and Accession of Humayun
1539
Sher Shah Suri defeated Humayun and became India's
empreor
1555 Humayun recaptured the throne of Delhi
1556 Second battle of Panipat
1565 Battle of Talikota
1576 Battle of Haldighati - Rana Pratap
1582 Din-e-IIahi founded by Akbar
1600 East India Company established
1605 Death of Akbar and accession of Jehangir
1606 Execution of Guru Arjun Dev
1611 Jehangir marries Nur Jahan
1616 Sir Thomas Roe visits Jehangir
1627 Birth of Raja Shivaji and death of Jehangir
1628 Shah Jahan becomes emperor of India
1631 Death of Mumtaz Mahal
1634 The English permitted to trade in India (in Bengal)
1659 Accession of Aurangzeb, Shahjahan imprisoned
1665 Raja Shivaji imprisoned, by Aurangzeb
1666 Death of Shah Jahan
1675 Execution of Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Guru of Sikhs
1680 Death of Raja Shivaji
1707 Death of Aurangzeb
1708 Death of Guru Gobind Singh
1739 Nadir Shah Invades India
1757
Battle of Plassey, establishment of British political
rule in India at the hands of Lord Clive
1761
Third Battle of Panipat; Shah Alam II becomes India's
emperor
1764 Battle of Buxer
1765 Clive appointed Company's Governor of India
1767-69 First Mysore War
1780 Birth of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
1780-84 Second Mysore War
1784 Pitt's India Act
1790-92 Third Mysore War
1793 The Permanent Settlement of Bengal
1799 Fourth Mysore War - Death of Tipu Sultan
1802 Treaty of Bassein
1809 Treaty of Amritsar
1829 Practice of Sati Prohibited
1830 Raja Ram Mohan Roy visits England
1833 Death of Raja Ram Mohan Roy
1839 Death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
1839-42 First Afghan War
1845-46 First Anglo-Sikh War
1852 Second Anglo-Burmese War
1853
First Railway line opened between Bombay and Thane and a
Telegraph line in Calcutta
1857 The Sepoy Mutiny of First War of Independence
1861 Birth of Rabindranath Tagore
1869 Birth of Mahatma Gandhi
1885 Foundation of Indian National Congress
1889 Birth of Jawaharlal Nehru
1897 Birth of Subhash Chandra Bose
1904 Tibet Expedition
1905 First Battle of Bengal under Lord Curzon
1906 Foundation of Muslim League
1911
Delhi Darbar; King and Queen visit India; Delhi becomes
the Capital of India
1914 World War I begins
1916 Lucknow Pact Signed by Muslim League and Congress
1918 World War I ends
1919
Montague-Chemsford Reforms introduced; Jallianwala Bagh
Massacre at Amritsar
1920 Khilafat Movement launched
1927
Boycott of Simon Commission; broadcasting started in
India
1928 Death of Lala Lajpat Rai
1929
Lord Irwain's Pact; resolution of complete independence
passed at Lahore Congress
1930 Civil disobedience movement launched; Dandi March by
Mahatma Gandhi (6 April, 1930)
1931 Gandhi Irwin Pact
1935 Government of India Act enacted
1937 Provincial Autonomy; Congress forms ministries
1939 Word War II begins (September 1)
1941
Escape of Subhash Chandra Bose from India and death of
Rabindranath Tagore
1942
Arrival of Cripps Mission in India; Quit India Movement
launched (August 8)
1943-
1944
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose forms provisional Azad Hind
Fauj and Indian National Army; Bengal Famine
1945
Trial of Indian National Army at Red Fort; Shimla
Conference; World War II ends
1946
British Cabinet Mission visits India; Interim government
formed at centre
1947
Division of India; Indian and Pakistan seperate
independent dimensions
1948
Mahatma Gandhi assassinated (Jannuary 30); integration of
princely states














Important events Indian Freedom Struggle 1857 to 1947
The term Indian Independence Movement encompasses a wide range of
areas like political organisations, philosophies and movements
which had the common aim to ending the company rule (East India
Company) , and then British imperial authority, in parts of South
Asia. The independence movement saw various national and regional
campaigns, agitations and efforts, some nonviolent and others not
so.


Year Indian Freedom Struggle: Important Events
1857 Mutiny against the British
1858 Government Of India Act 1858
1861 Indian Council Act 1861
1885 Indian National Congress is founded by A.O. Hume
1905 Partition of Bengal announced
1906
Muslim League was founded at Decca on 31st
December.
1907 Seditious meeting act 1907
1908 Khudiram Bose was executed on 30th April.
1908
Tilak was sentenced to six years on charges of
sedition on 22nd July.
1909
Minto-Morley Reforms of Indian Councils Act 21st
May
1910 Indian press act 1910
1911
Delhi durbar held. Partition of Bengal is
cancelled.
1911 New Delhi established as the new capital of India
1912
A Bomb was thrown on Lord Hardinge on his state
entry into Delhi on 23rd December.
1914
The Ghadar Party was formed at San Francisco on 1st
November
1914 Tilak was released from jail on 16th June.
1914 Outbreak of the 1st World War 4th August
1914
Komagatamaru ship reaches Budge Budge (Calcutta
port) on 29the September.
1915 Mahatma Gandhi arrived in India on 9th Jan
1915 Gopal Krishna Gokhale died on 19th February.
1916
Tilak founded Indian Home Rule League with its
headquarters at Poona on 28th April.
1916
Annie Besant started another Home Rule League on
25th September.
1917
Mahatma Gandhi launches the Champaran campaign in
Bihar to focus attention on the grievances of
indigo planters in April
1917
The Secretary of State for India, Montague,
declares that the goal of the British government in
India is introduction of Responsible Government on
20th August.
1918 Beginning of trade union movement in India.
1919 Rowlatt Bill introduced on Feb 16, 1919.
1919
The Jallianwala Bagh tragedy took place on 13th
April in Amritsar.
1919
The House of Commons passes the Montague Chelmsford
Reforms or the Government of India Act, 1919 on 5th
December. The new reforms under this Act came into
operation in 1921.
1920
First meeting of the All India Trade Union
Congress, (under Narain Malhar Joshi).
1920
The Indian National Congress (INC) adopts the Non-
Co-operation Resolution in December.
1920-22
Mahatma Gandhi suspends Non-Co-operation Movement
on Feb 12 after the violent incidents at Chauri
Chaura.
1922 Moplah rebellion on the Malabar coast in August.
1923
Swaraj Party was formed by Motilal Nehru and others
on 1st January.
1924
The Communist Party of India starts its activities
at Kanpur.
1925 The Kakori Train Conspiracy case in August
1927
The British Prime Minister appoints Simon
Commission to suggest future constitutional reforms
in India.
1928
Simon Commission arrives in Bombay on Feb 3. An
all-India hartal is called. Lala Lajpat Rai
assaulted by police at Lahore.
1928
Nehru Report recommends principles for the new
Constitution of India. All parties conference
considers the Nehru Report, Aug 28-31, 1928.
1928
Lala Lajpat Rai died on 17th November due to
injuries.
1929
Sarda Act passed: prohibs marriage of girls below
14 and boys below 18 years of age.
1929
All Parties Muslim Conference formulates the
'Fourteen Points' under the leadership of Jinnah on
9th March.
1929
Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwari Dutt throw a bomb in
the Central Legislative Assen on 8th April.
1929
Lord Irwin's announced that the goal of British
policy in India was the grant of the Dominion
status on 31st October.
1929
The Lahore session of the INC adopts the goal of
complete independence (poorna swarajya) for India;
Jawaharlal Nehru hoists the tricolour on the banks
of the Ravi at Lahore on 31st December.
1930 First Independence Day observed on 26th January.
1930
The Working Committee of the INC meets at Sabarmati
and passes the Civil Disobedience resolution on
14th February.
1930
Mahatma Gandhi launches the Civil Disobedience
movement with his epic Dandi Mar (Mar 12 to Apr 6).
First phase of the Civil Disobedience movement: Mar
12, 1930 to Mar 5, 1931.
1930
First Round Table Conference begins in London to
consider the report of the Simon Commission on 30th
November.
1931
On 5th March, the Gandhi lrwin pact was signed and
the Civil Disobedience movement was suspended.
1931
Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev and Rajguru were executed on
23rd March.
1931
Second Round Table Conference took place on 7th
September.
1931
Gandhiji returns from London after the deadlock in
llnd RTC on 28th December. Launches Civil
Disobedience Movement. The INC declared illegal.
1932
Gandhiji was arrested and imprisoned without trial
on 4th January.
1932
British Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald announced
the infamous "Communal Award" on 16th August.
1932
Gandhiji in jail, begins his epic "fast unto death"
against the Communal Award on 20th September and
ends the fast on 26th of the same month after the
Poona Pact.
1932
The Third Round Table Conference begins in London
(Nov 17 to Dec 24)
1933
Gandhiji released from prison as he begins fast for
self-purification on 9th May. INC suspends Civil
Disobedience movement but authorizes Satyagraha by
individuals.
1934
Gandhiji withdraws from active politics and devotes
himself to constructive programmes (1934-39).
1935
The Government of India Act 1935 was passed on 4th
August
1937
Elections held in India under the Act of 1935 (Feb
1937). The INC contests election and forms
ministries in several provinces (Jul 1937)
1937 Wardha scheme of basic education
1938
Haripura session of INC was held on 19th February.
Subhash Chandra Boss was elected Congress president
on the 20th of February.
1939
Tripuri session of the INC was conducted from the
10th to the 12th of March.
1939
Subhash Chandra Bose resigns as the president of
the INC in April.
1939
Second World War (Sep 1). Great Britain declares
war on Germany on 3rd September; the Viceroy
declares that India too is at war.
1939
Between 27th October to 5th November, the Congress
ministries in the provinces resign in protest
against the war policy of the British government.
1939
The Muslim League observes the resignation of the
Congress ministries as Deliverance Day on 22nd
December.
1940
Lahore session of ihe Muslim League passes the
Pakistan Resolution in March
1940
Viceroy Linlithgow announces-August Offer on 10th
of August.
1940
Congress Working Committee rejects the 'August
Offer' between 18th to the 22nd of August.
1940
Congress launches Individual Satyagraha movement on
17th October.
1941
Subhash Chandra Bose escapes from India on 17
January; arrives in Berlin (Mar 28).
1942
Churchill announces the Cripps Mission on 11th of
March
1942
The INC meets in Bombay; adopts 'Quit India'
resolution on 7th & 8th August.
1942
Gandhiji and other Congress leaders were arrested
on 9th August
1942
Quit India movement begins on 11th of August; the
Great Aug Uprising.
1942
Subhash Chandra Bose established the Indian
National Army 'Azad Hind Fauj' on 1st September.
1943
Subhash Chandra Bose proclaims the formation of the
Provisional Government of Free India on 21st
October.
1943
Karachi session of the Muslim League adopts the
slogan Divide arc in December.
1944
Wavell calls Simla Conference in a bid to form the
Executive Council at Indian political leaders on
25th January.
1946 Mutiny of the Indian naval ratings in Bombay.
1946
Cabinet Mission arrives in New Delhi (Mar
14);British Prime Minister Attlee announces Cabinet
Mission ro propose new solution to the Indian
deadlock on 15th March; ; issues proposal (May 16).
1946
Jawaharlal Nehru takes over as Congress president
on 6th July.
1946
Wavell invites Nehru to form an interim government
on 6th August; Interim Government takes office (Sep
2).
1946
First session of the Constituent Assembly of India
starts on 9th December. Muslim League boycotts it.
1947
On 20th February, British Prime Minister Attlee
declares that the British government would leave
India not later than Jun 1948.
1947
Lord Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy and
Governor General of India, sworn in on 24th March
1947
Mountbatten Plan was made on 3rd June for the
partition of India and the announcement was made on
June 4th that transfer to power will take place on
August 15th


The 1857 Revolt
Causes:
Doctrine of Lapse
Grievances of Sepoy
1. Discrimination in payments
2. General Service Enlistment Act
3. Enfield rifles,bullet of which was said to be filled
with meat of cow and Pig.
Religious Region
1. Aboilation of Sati 1829
2. Widow Remarriage 1856
3. Religious Disabilities Act of 1856
Beginning:
10th May 1857 3rd cavalry at meerut which is joined by 11th
and 20th native infantries and together murdered some english
officers
Important center
Center Revolted Supression
Delhi
bahadur shah II
,General Bakhat
Khan
recaputured by general John
Nicholson in sep 1857,Bahadur
Shah deported to Rangoon
Kanpur
Nana Saheb,Rao
Sahib,Tantia
Tope,Azimullah
Sir Hugh Wheeler,General Neill
and Sir Colin Campbell
Lucknow
begam of Awadh
Hazrat Mahal and
Maulvi
Ahmadullah
Sir Henry
Lawrence,Havelock,Outram,Neil
Jhansi Rani Laxmibai Sir Huge Rose
Bareilly Khan Bahadur khan Campbell
Arrah
Kunwar Singh and
Amar Singh
William Taylor and Vincent Eyre




Result:
Company rule ended and india came directly under british
crown rule

Government Of India Act 1858
Rule of Company ended
System of dual government ended means court of directors and
board of control abolished and substituted with Secretary of
State
Governor General received title of Viceroy.

Indian Council Act 1861
Fifth member added in Viceory's executive council which is
jurist.
Portfolio system is introduced in 1859 by canning and
legalised in this Act.
Viceory now can issue ordinances in case of emergency.
6-12 additional member added in executive council for
legislation purpose.

Morley Minto Reforms of Indian Councils Act 1909
1. The strength of both the Central Legislative Council and
Provincial Legislative Council was considerably increased. The
number of members were increased from 16 to 60 in the Central
Legislative Council whereas in the Provincial Legislative Council
the strength of the members was not constant. The strength of the
non official members in provincial legislative councils was
allowed to exceed the strength of the official members however in
the Central Legislative Councils official members majority was
maintained.
2. Members of Councils at both levels were allowed to discuss and
move resolutions to the budget and ask supplementary questions to
the members of the Executive Council of the Viceroy.
3. Below members were given separate representation -
Universities
Chambers of Commerce
Zamindars
PresidencyCorporations


4. As already discussed above separate electorate for Muslim
voters was introduced through these reforms. After this Act Lord
Minto famously came to be called as FATHER OF COMMUNAL ELECTORATE.
5. For the first time Indians were given the chance to be a member
of the Executive Council of the Viceroy and the Governor. The very
first Indian to join the Executive Council of the Viceroy of India
was Satyendra Prasad Sinha who was appointed as a Law Member of
the Executive Council of the Viceroy.