Period

ANCIENT EMPIRES

Description Indus Valley culture. Migrations of Aryan-speaking tribes; the Vedic Age. Settlement of Bengal by Dravidian-speaking peoples. Mauryan Empire; reign of Ashoka (269-232 B.C.); spread of Buddhism. Shaka dynasties in Indus Valley. Gupta Empire; classical age in North India. North Indian empire of Harsha. Arab invaders conquer Sindh, establish Islamic presence in India. Pala Dynasty. Sena Dynasty.

ca. 2500-1600 B.C. ca. 1500-500 B.C. ca. 1000 B.C.

ca. 563-ca. 483 B.C. Life of Siddartha Gautama--the Buddha; founding of Buddhism. ca. 326-184 B.C. ca. 180 B.C.-A.D. 150 ca. A.D. 320-550 606-47 711 750-1150 1150-1202 GROWTH OF ISLAM 997-1027 1202 1206-1398 1398 1414-50 1451-1526 THE MUGHAL PERIOD 1526 1556-1605 1605-27 1628-58 1658-1707 1707-1858 BRITISH PERIOD 1757 1835 1857-58 1858 1885 1905 1906 Battle of Plassey--British victory over Mughal forces in Bengal; British rule in India begins. Institution of British education and other reform measures. Revolt of Indian sepoys (soldiers) against East India Company. East India Company dissolved; rule of India under the British crown--the British Raj--begins with Government of India Act; formal end of Mughal Empire. Indian National Congress (Congress) formed. Partition of Bengal into separate provinces of Eastern Bengal and Assam, West Bengal. All-India Muslim League (Muslim League) founded. Babur lays foundation of Mughal Empire; wins First Battle of Panipat. Akbar expands and reforms the empire; Mughals win Second Battle of Panipat. Reign of Jahangir; in 1612 East India Company opens first trading post (factory). Reign of Shah Jahan. Reign of Aurangzeb, last great Mughal ruler. Lesser emperors; decline of the Mughal Empire. Mahmud of Ghazni raids Indian subcontinent from Afghanistan. Turkish conquerors defeat Sena Dynasty and overrun Bengal. Delhi Sultanate. Timur sacks Delhi. Sayyid Dynasty; renewal of Delhi Sultanate. Lodi Dynasty.

1909 1912 1916 1919 1935 1940 August 16, 1946 INDEPENDENT INDIA

Morley-Minto Reforms; separate electorates for Muslims. Partition of Bengal annulled; new province of Bihar and Orissa formed; plans to move capital from Calcutta to Delhi announced. Congress-League Scheme of Reforms (often referred to as Lucknow Pact) signed. Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms; Government of India Act. Government of India Act of 1935. Muslim League adopts Lahore Resolution; "Two Nations" theory articulated by Muslim League leader Mohammad Ali Jinnah and others. "Direct Action Day" of Muslim League.

August 15, 1947

Partition of British India; India achieves independence and incorporates West Bengal and Assam; Jawaharlal Nehru becomes prime minister of India. Pakistan is created and incorporates East Bengal (the East Wing, or East Pakistan) and territory in the northwest (the West Wing, or West Pakistan); Jinnah becomes governor general of Pakistan. Jawaharlal Nehru serves as prime minister and leader of Congress-controlled government. Undeclared war with Pakistan; ends with United Nationsarranged ceasefire. Mahatma Gandhi assassinated in New Delhi.

August 15, 1947May 27, 1964 October 22, 1947January 1, 1949 January 30, 1948

October 20Border war with China. November 21, 1962 June 9, 1964January 11, 1966 Lal Bhadur Shastri serves as prime minister of Congress-led government.

August 5-September Second war with Pakistan. 23, 1965 January 24, 1966March 24, 1977 December 3-16, 1971 June 25, 1975January 18, 1977 Indira Gandhi serves as prime minister for first time, head of government initially led by Congress, later Congress (R). Third war with Pakistan; Bangladesh becomes independent following Indian invasion of East Pakistan. State of Emergency proclaimed by Indira Gandhi.

March 24, 1977-July Morarji Desai serves as prime minister as head of a multiparty 28, 1979 front, Janata Party, India's first non-Congress government. July 28, 1979Chaudhury Charan Singh serves as prime minister as head of a January 14, 1980 Janata-led coalition government. January 14, 1980October 31, 1984 October 31, 1984 October 31, 1984December 2, 1989 December 2, 1989November 7, 1990 Indira Ganhdi serves as prime minister for second time, head of Congress (I) government. Indira Gandhi assassinated in New Delhi. Rajiv Gandhi serves as prime minister of Congress (I)-led government. Vishwanath Pratap Singh serves as prime minister of National Front-led coalition government.

November 10, 1990- Chandra Shekhar serves as prime minister, heading Samajwadi June 20, 1991 Janata Party government. May 21, 1991 Rajiv Gandhi assassinated near Madras.

June 20, 1991-May 15, 1996 December 6, 1992

P.V. Narasimha Rao serves as prime minister of Congress (I)-led government. Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, destroyed by Hindu activists.

Communal violence in wake of Babri Masjid destruction wracks January-March 1993 Indian cities, especially Bombay, which suffered from a series of bomb blasts in March. May 1995 April 27-May 7, 1996 May 15-28, 1996 June 1, 1996 Unpopular Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act of 1985 allowed to lapse General elections for Lok Sabha oust Congress (I) government of P.V. Narasimha Rao. Minority Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee resigns after thirteen days. Haradanahalli (H.D.) Deve Gowda, head of thirteen-party United Front, sworn in as India's eleventh prime minister.