ca. 2500 BCE                 Emergence of an advanced urban civilization based in the valley of the river Indus.

ca. 1500 - 600 BCE        The rise of the Aryas, a pastoral nomadic people who spoke the Sanskrit language and were to have a profound influence in shaping “Indic” cultures and religion.
 

ca. 600 - 200 BCE          The emergence of earliest territorial states, evolving into empires. The Mauryan empire came close to covering most of India.
 

ca. 200 BCE - 700 CE    The age of empires. The Gupta empire often spoken of as representing the “Classical Age” of Indian history. Classical texts attributed to earlier periods were written up in this period, which also saw the efflorescence of new Sanskrit prose, poetry and drama.
 

Cultural and Regional Diversity
 

ca. 600 - 1200 CE            The era of regional powers. Rajput lineages control the north and Cholas the south. The beginning of an Indo-Islamic world with a Muslim-ruled state established in Sind ca. 700. Raids by central Asian Muslim invaders begin ca. 1000.
 

1206 to 1526                    Era of the Delhi Sultanate. Muslim ruling dynasties establish their home base in the Indian subcontinent and make the city of Delhi their capital.
 

1526 to 1857                    Mughal India. Babur defeats the last of the Delhi Sultans in 1526 to found the Mughal dynasty. Mughal political authority declines at the expense of regional powers after 1707, with the death of emperor Aurangzeb. A titular Mughal emperor survives till 1857.
 

Coming of the Europeans
 

1498                                Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer “discovers” the sea route to India.
 

1510                                Portuguese conquer Goa and establish enclaves along western of coast of India
 

1600                                 East India Company (EIC) is founded in London.
 

1664-1706                        French East India Company established and makes gains under the leadership of Francois Martin.
 

1757                                Battle of Plassey, armies of the English EIC defeat those of the Nawab of Bengal.
 

1760                                Anglo French Wars in India, the English defeat the French.
 

1764                                Battle of Buxar. English EIC armies defeat the combined forces of the Nawab of Awadh, the Nawab of Bengal, and the titular Mughal emperor ruling in Delhi.
 

1765                                The English EIC acquires rights of civil administration over Bengal, including the right to levy and collect taxes from agriculture.
 

1770                                Great Bengal Famine. One-third of Bengal’s population perishes in a famine which was the direct result of EIC’s rapacious tax policies.
 

1793                                The EIC introduces the Permanent Settlement in Bengal - effectively creating private property in land.
 

1799                                The defeat of Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore, by the EIC armies thus ending the last real military threat to their domination.
 

1818                                British victory over the Marathas, the last of the successor states of the Mughals with the potential to challenge them.
 

1843-56                            Final phase of conquest and consolidation with conquests of Sind and Punjab and the annexation of Awadh.
 

Resistance to British Rule and Emergence of the Indian National Movements
 
 

1857                                A massive revolt against British authority led by soldiers, peasants, small landlords and deposed rulers. The revolt is quelled with great difficulty and brutality. India is brought under the direct authority of the British Crown and Parliament.
 

1885                                Creation of the Indian National Congress (henceforth, the INC)
 

1905-07                        “Swadeshi” or self sufficiency movement and calls for boycott of British goods. Emergence of nationalist terrorist organizations.
 

1906                            Formation of the Muslim League.
 

1909                            Indian Councils Act (Morley-Minto Reforms). Limited political reforms granting separate representation to Muslims, landholders, and other special interest groups.
 

1914-1918 World War I
 

1915                            Home Rule Leagues formed and Gandhi returns to India.
 

1917                            Gandhi's first "satyagrahas" in Champaran, Kheda, and Ahmedabad.
 

1919                            Government of India Act (the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms) gives limited power to elected assemblies. Rowlatt Act extends martial law. General Dyer massacres a peaceful gathering of Indians protesting the Act at Jallianwalla Bagh in Amritsar.
 

1921                            Non-cooperation and Khilafat Movement. The latter takes up Indian Muslims’ concern with the abolition of the Turkish Caliphate. Gandhi’s first and most successful all-India movement.
 

1922                            Peasants burn a police station at Chauri-Chaura and Gandhi calls off the Non Cooperation Movement.
 

1928-1931                Growth of revolutionary terrorism. Bhagat Singh becomes a folk hero.
 

1929-30                    The Purna Swaraj or Complete Independence resolution passed by Congress in Lahore.
 

1930                            The Salt Satyagraha, and the First Civil Disobedience Movement.
 

1932                            “Communal Award” gives separate representation to India’s “untouchable” castes. Gandhi threatens a fast unto death.
 

1935                            Government of India Act allows greater power to elected bodies. INC first rejects then participates in elections held under the Act.
 

1937                            Elections which the INC wins handsomely. Muslim League fares disastrously.
 

1939                            INC resigns from all provincial legislatures after Britain’s unilateral announcement of India's participation in World War II. Muslim League celebrates a “day of deliverance.”
 

1940                            The "Lahore Declaration" of the Muslim League, outlining their demand for a separate Muslim homeland.
 

1941                        Subhas Chandra Bose escapes to Japan, and forms the Indian National Army (INA).
 

1942                        Quit India movement launched and repressed. A British mission to negotiate terms between INC and Muslim League fails.
 

1943-44                    A famine in Bengal kills over 3.5 million people even as food is exported from India.
 

1945                        Simla Conference. Unsuccessful attempts by Viceroy Wavell to have the League and INC share power in an independent India.
 

1945-46                    Elections to Center and Provinces. INC gets all the general seats and the Muslim League wins all Muslim seats.
 

1945-46                    Popular uprisings over the trials of the INA soldiers. The Royal Indian Naval ratings revolt in Bombay.
 

1946                        Cabinet Mission proposes a plan for a united India. League rejects the plan and calls for "Direct Action" to secure Pakistan. Major riots between Hindus and Muslims result.
 

1947                        Partition and Independence under the Mountbatten plan. Nehru is India’s first Prime Minister, and Jinnah the leader of Pakistan.
 

India Since Independence
 

1948                        Gandhi is assassinated by Hindu right wing extremist. Conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.
 

1950                        Constitution of independent India.
 

1952                        First General Elections under the new Constitution and the INC wins a thumping majority.
 

1962                        War with China over border disputes.
 

1964                        Death of Jawaharlal Nehru. Lal Bahadur Shastri becomes Prime Minister.
 

1965                        War with Pakistan over Kashmir, ends with a cease fire agreement. Shastri dies, Nehru’s daughter, Indira Gandhi become Prime Minister.
 

1971                        War with Pakistan, East Pakistan secedes to create the new nation of Bangladesh.
 

1975-77                    Indira Gandhi declares a state of Emergency, suspending civil liberties. She calls national elections in 1977 and is defeated. INC’s first loss in a national election since independence.
 

1984                        Assassination of Indira Gandhi by extremists demanding a separate state for Sikhs in northern India. Her son, Rajiv, becomes Prime Minister.
 

1991                        Rajiv Gandhi assassinated.
 

1998-2004                A coalition led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party is elected to lead the country in 1998. India immediately conducts tests of nuclear weapons, and Pakistan retaliates with its own nuclear tests.

2004-09                    A coalition led by the Indian National Congress comes to power, and wins the election in 2009 to continue governance.