India
 
 
A general survey of empires spanning much, if not all, of the subcontinent of southern Asia. Local states will be found below, in their own section.
 
     3300 BC - 1700 BC      Indus Valley Civilization.
     1700 BC - 1300 BC      Late Harappan Culture.
     1500 BC - 500 BC       Vedic Civilization..
     1200 BC - 316 BC       Kuru dynasty.
               1000 BC      Aryans expand into the Ganga valley.
               900 BC       Mahabharata War.
               800 BC       Aryans expand into Bengal. Beginning of the Epic Age:
                            Mahabharata composed. First version of Ramayana.
      700 BC - 321 BC       Maha Janapadas
      684 BC - 321 BC       Madadha Empire
               550 BC       Composition of the Upanishads
               544 BC       Buddha's Nirvana
               327 BC       Alexander's Invasion
               325 BC       Alexander marches ahead till Multan
               324 BC       Chandragupta Maurya defeats Seleacus Nicator
               322 BC       Rise of the Mauryas: Chandragupta establishes first Indian
                            Empire
      321 BC - 180 BC       Mauryan Empire
               298 BC       Bindusara Coronated
               272 BC       Ashoka begins regin
               180 BC       Fall of the Mauryas. Rise of the Sungas by Pushyamatra Sunga
 
Between about 1400 BCE and around 800 BCE, the Indian subcontinent saw a succession of invasive waves of Aryan peoples, migrating southeast out of Central Asia. No single, all-encompassing empire took shape immediately, but as the earlier inhabitants of the region (the Dravidians) were pushed ever southward, numerous states emerged from the Indus Valley to the Ganges and Brahmaputra River systems, and extending south into the Deccan Plateau. Among these states were Gandhara, Kurut, Kosala, Magadha, Avanti, Bhoja, and Andhra, among many others. One of the smaller states, located north of the Ganges and approaching the Himalayas (the modern India/Nepal frontier) was Sakya, the homeland of Gautama Buddha. Eventually, large empires did emerge, the first to do so was the Mauryan Empire.
  • MAURYA

  • The Empire was founded in 322 BC by Chandragupta Maurya, who had overthrown the Nanda Dynasty when he was only about 20 years old and rapidly expanded his power westwards across Northern, Central and Eastern parts of India along with parts of Afghanistan and Baluchistan. He took advantage of the disruptions of local powers in the wake of the withdrawal westward by Alexander the Great's Greek and Persian armies. By 320 BC the empire had fully occupied Northwestern India, defeating and conquering the Macedonian satraps, among them was Seleucus I Nicator left by Alexander. Chandragupta established centralized rule throughout South Asia with capital at Pataliputra (mordern-day Patna). Silver punch mark coin of the Maurya empire, with symbols of wheel and elephant are known.

  • Chandragupta Maurya...................................c. 320 - c. 300 BC
  • Bindusara S/o Chandragupta............................c. 300 - c. 273
  • He had two sons, Sumana and Ashoka, who were the viceroys of Taxila and Ujjain respectively. Bindusara extended this empire to the southern part of India, as far as what is now known as Karnataka. He brought sixteen states under the Mauryan Empire and thus conquered almost all of the Indian peninsula (he is said to have conquered the 'land between the two seas' - the peninsular region between the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea). Bindusara didn't conquer the friendly Dravidian kingdoms of the Cholas, Pandyas, and Cheras. Apart from these southern states, Kalinga (the modern Orissa) was the only kingdom in India that didn't form the part of Bindusara's empire. It was later conquered by his son Ashoka, who served as the viceroy of Ujjaini during his father's reign.
  • Ashoka Vardhana S/o Bindusara.........................c. 273 - c. 232
  • His empire stretched from present-day Pakistan, Afghanistan in the west, to the present-day Bangladesh and the Indian state of Assam in the east, and as far south as northern Kerala and Andhra except Tamil Nadu. He conquered the kingdom named Kalinga, which no one in his dynasty had conquered before. He ruled almost 40 years and died at the age of 72 years. After two thousand years, the influence of Ashoka is seen in Asia and especially the Indian subcontinent. An emblem excavated from his empire is today the national Emblem of India. His twin sibling; son Mahindra (known to be a Buddhist monk) and daughter Sanghamitta are depicted in Buddhist sources as bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
  • Kunala (in the West) S/o Ashoka Vardhana..............c. 232 - c. 225 with...
  • Tishyaraksha was one of the wives of emperor Ashoka. Around the year 300 BC, she managed to blind Kunala who was the son of Ashoka by another wife, at a young age in jealousy. For this Ashoka ordered that Tishyaraksha be killed.
  • Dasaratha (in the East)...............................c. 232 - c. 225
  • He succeeded his grandfather Ashoka the Great at the age of twenty after his uncle Kunala became blind, which made him unfit to rule.
  • Samprati S/o Kunala...................................c. 225 - c. 215
  • According to Jaina tradition, King Samprati had no children. He considered it the consequence of earlier Karma and observed the religious customs more scrupulously.
  • Salisuka..............................................c. 215 - c. 202
  • Devadharma [Devavarman]...............................c. 202 - c. 195
  • Satamdhanu [Satadhanvan]..............................c. 195 - c. 187
  • Brihadratha...........................................c. 187 - c. 180
  • Mauryan territories during his reign just centered around the capital of Pataliputra and had shrunk considerably. He was killed in 180 BCE and power usurped by his commander-in-chief, the Brahmin general Pusyamitra Sunga, who then took over the throne and established the Sunga dynasty. Also in 180 BCE, northwestern India (parts of modern day Afghanistan and Pakistan) were attacked by the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius I and established his rule in the Kabul Valley and parts of the Punjab in modern-day Pakistan.

Silver Punchmarked Karshapana. Weight: 3.15g (32 rattis). Diameter: 12.5 mm x 14.0 mm.

5th to 2nd century BCE coin.

Silver Punchmarked Karshapana. Weight: 3.37g (32 rattis). Diameter: 14.5 mm x 15.0 mm. Reverse: Snake sitting. Various natural green and red patina marks on punched designed shown on both sides on the coin.

Ruler: probably Asoka Vardhana (c.273 - c.232 BCE).

Silver Punchmarked Karshapana. Weight: 3.13g (32 rattis). Diameter: 14.0 mm. Obverse: Three human figure standing + various punched marked above. Reverse: Bird sitting.

Ruler: probably Asoka Vardhana (c.273 - c.232 BCE).
 
The Mauryan state swiftly lost cohesion, and was replaced by lesser territories. Two of the largest and most stable were the core of the Mauryan Empire, Magadha, located in the central Ganges plain, and Satavahana, in the central Deccan in the south. But by the 1st century BCE, the Indian subcontinent was a mass of lesser states with no pretensions to Imperial status. Not until the 3rd century CE did another large state emerge - like the Mauryans, from Magadha. At its greatest extent, the Gupta Empire covered all of Northern India, from the Indus to the Bengal Delta, but it could not subdue the Deccan or lands farther south.
 
   c. 187 BC - c. 75 BC     Sunga dynasty (in Magadha)
               145 BC       Chola King Erata conquers Ceylon (now Srilanka)
    c. 75 BC - c. 30 BC     Kanva dynasty
               58 BC        Epoch of the Krita-Malava-Vikram Era
               30 BC        Rise of the Satvahana Dynasty in the Deccan
               40 CE        Sakas in power in Indus Valley and Western India
               50           The Kushans and Kanishkas
               78           Saka Era begins
      c. 275 - 550 CE       Gupta dynasty
               320          Chandragupta I properly establishes the Gupta dynasty
               360          Samudragupta conquers the North and most of the Deccan
               380          Chandragupta II comes to power. Golden Age of Gupta Literary
                            Renaissance.
               405          Fa-hein begins his travels through the Gupta Empire
               415          Accession of Kumara Gupta I
               455          Skanda Gupta assumes power
               476          Birth of astronomer Aryabhatta
               606          Accession of Harshavardhana
               622          Era of Hejira begins
               711          Invasion of Sind by Muhammad Bin Qasim
               892          Rise of the Eastern Chalukyas
               622          Era of Hejira begins
         848 - 1279         Chola Empire (in the south)
               985          The Chola Dynasty: Accession of Rajaraja I Dev the Great
               1001         Defeat of Rajyapala of Pratihara by Sultan Mahumd Ghazni
        1022 - 1346         Hoysala Empire (in the south)
               1026         Mahmud Ghazni sacks Somnath Temple
 
  • GUPTA
  • An ancient Indian empire Founded by Maharaja Sri-Gupta, which existed approximately from 275 to 550 CE and covered much of the Indian Subcontinent with capital at was Pataliputra (present day Patna, in the north Indian state of Bihar).
  • Gupta.................................................c. 275 - c. 300
  • At the beginning of the 5th century the Maharaja Sri-Gupta, established and ruled a few small Hindu kingdoms in Magadha and around modern-day Bihar.
  • Ghatotkacha S/o Gupta.................................c. 300 - c. 320
  • Chandragupta I S/o Ghatotkacha........................c. 320 - c. 350
  • In a breakthrough deal, Chandra Gupta was married to Kumardevi, a Lichchhavi princess; the main power in Magadha. With a dowry of the kingdom of Magadha (capital Pataliputra) and an alliance with the Lichchhavis, Chandra Gupta set about expanding his power, conquering much of Magadha, Prayaga and Saketa. He established a realm stretching from the Ganga River (Ganges River) to Prayaga (modern-day Allahabad) by 321 CE. He assumed the imperial title of “Maharajadhiraja”.
  • Samudragupta S/o Chandragupta.........................c. 350 - c. 370
  • Samudragupta succeeded his father. He took the kingdoms of Shichchhatra and Padmavati early in his reign. He then attacked the Malwas, the Yaudheyas, the Arjunayanas, the Maduras and the Abhiras, all of which were tribes in the area. By his death, he had incorporated over twenty kingdoms into his realm and his rule extended from the Himalayas to the river Narmada and from the Brahmaputra to the Yamuna. He gave himself the titles King of Kings and World Monarch. He is considered the Napoleon of north India. He performed Ashwamedha yajna (horse sacrifice) to underline the importance of his conquest. Much is known about Samudragupta through coins issued by him. These were of eight different types and all made of pure gold. His conquests brought him the gold and also the coin-making expertise from his acquaintance with the Kushana.
  • Ramagupta S/o Samudragupta............................c. 370 - c. 376
  • Samudragupta was succeeded by his elder son Ram Gupta , a weak king, he agreed to surrender his wife Dhruvadevi to the Saka Chief Rudrasimha II.
  • Chandragupta II S/o Samudragupta......................c. 376 - c. 415
  • Ram Gupta’s younger brother Chandra Gupta II went to the Saka camp disguised as the queen and assassinated the Saka Chief. After this he killed his brother Ram Gupta, married Dhruvadevi and ascended to the throne. He became known as the Sun of Power (Vikramaditya). He also married to a Kadamba princess of Kuntala region and a Nag princess, Kubernag. His daughter Prabhavatigupta from this Nag wife was married to Rudrasena II, the Vakataka king of Deccan (this daughter was forced to be married by the father). Only marginally less successful than his father, Chandra Gupta II expanded his realm westwards, defeating the Saka Western Kshatrapas of Malwa, Gujarat and Saurashtra in a campaign lasting until 409, but with his main opponent Rudrasimha III defeated by 395, and crushing the Bengal (Vanga) chiefdoms. This extended his control from coast-to-coast, established a second (trading) capital at Ujjain and was the high point of the empire.
  • Kumaragupta I S/o Chandragupta II.....................c. 415 - c. 455
  • He is known as the Mahendraditya. Towards the end of his reign a tribe in the Narmada valley, the Pushyamitras, rose in power to threaten the empire. The Pushyamitras were a tribe of foreigners who were settled in Central India. However, Kumaragupta was successful in defeating the invaders and performed Ashvamedha Yajna (horse sacrifice) to celebrate his victory. He issued new coins with images of Lord Kartikeya.
  • Skandagupta S/o Kumaragupta I ........................c. 455 - c. 467
  • He was also faced with invading Indo-Hephthalites or "White Huns", known in India as Hunas, from the northwest. Skandagupta had warred against the Huns during the reign of his father, and was celebrated throughout the empire as a great warrior. He crushed the Huna invasion in 455, and managed to keep them at bay; however, the expense of the wars drained the empire's resources and contributed to its decline. After his death, the Gupta empire began to decline rapdily. Some historian believe that Purugupta and Skandagupta were the same person.
  • Kumaragupta II........................................c. 467 - c. 477
  • Budhagupta............................................c. 477 - c. 495
  • In the 480's the Hephthalite King Oprah broke through the Gupta defenses in the northwest, and much of the empire was overrun by the Huna by 500. The empire disintegrated under the attacks of Toramana and his successor Mihirakula. Budhagupta had close ties with the rulers of Kannauj kingdom. He asked help of Kannauj ruler Yashovarman and together with Narasimhagupta Baladitya, they sought to rule the Huns out of the fertile plains of Northern India.
  • Chandragupta III......................................c. 495 - c. 500
  • Vainyagupta...........................................c. 500 - c. 510
  • Narasimhagupta Baladitya S/o Skandagupta..............c. 510 - c. 540
  • Kumaragupta III.......................................c. 540 - c. 550
  • Vishnugupta...........................................c. 550 - ?
  • Bhanugupta
  • The Indian numerals which is the first positional base 10 numeral systems in the world have originated from Gupta India. Kama Sutra the ancient Gupta text is widely considered to be the standard work on human sexual behavior in Sanskrit literature written by the Indian scholar Vatsyayana. These ideas spread throughout the world through trade. The Gupta reign was certainly the "Golden Age" of north India. Scholars of this period include Aryabhatta, who is believed to be the first to come up with the concept of zero, postulated the theory that the Earth moves round the Sun, and studied solar and lunar eclipses. Kalidasa, who was a great playwright, who wrote plays such as Shakuntala, which is said to have inspired Goethe, and marked the highest point of Sanskrit literature is also said to have belonged to this period.
  • PUSHPABHUTI
  • Naravardhana..........................................c. 500 - ?
  • Rajyavardhana I
  • Adityavardhana
  • Prabhakaravardhana....................................c. 580 - c. 605
  • Rajyavardhana II S/o Prabhakaravardhana...............c. 605 - c. 606
  • Harshavardhana S/o Prabhakaravardhana.................c. 606 - 647
  • He was a Hindu in earlier life, became a Buddhist later, emperor who ruled Northern India for forty one years. He was the son of Prabhakar Vardhan and younger brother of Rajyavardhan, a king of Thanesar. At the height of his power his kingdom spanned the Punjab, Gujarat, Bengal, Orissa and the entire Indo-Gangetic plain North of the Narmada River. After the downfall of the Gupta Empire in the middle of the sixth century C.E., North India reverted to small republics and small monarchical states. Harsha united the small republics from Punjab to Central India, and they, at an assembly, crowned Harsha king in April 606 AD when he was just very young. Nagabhata I replaced Harshavardhana as king when The Pratiharas (also called the Gurjara-Pratiharas) took over western India from the Pushpabhuti empire. The Pratiharas were an Indian dynasty who ruled kingdoms in Rajasthan and northern India from the sixth to the eleventh centuries.
Once more, the Empire crumbled, and was replaced by lesser states. The era between about 500 CE and about 1200 CE is dominated by three contending powers, the Pratiharas (west), the Rastrakutas (east), and the Palas (south). Around these, a host of minor states arose, endured for a time and faded.
  • PRATIHARA
  • The Pratiharas came to power in western India and, from their capital at Kannauj, dominated western and northern India for centuries, before being overwhelmed in turn by the Ghurids of central Asia.
  • Nagabhata I...........................................c. 750 - ?
  • Devaraja
  • Vatsaraja.............................................c. 783 - c. 815
  • Nagabhata II..........................................c. 815 - c. 833
  • Ramabhadra............................................c. 833 - c. 836
  • Bhoja I...............................................c. 836 - c. 893
  • Mahendrapala I........................................c. 893 - c. 914
  • Mahipala..............................................c. 914 - ?
  • Bhoja II
  • Vinayakapala
  • Mahendrapala II.......................................c. 946 - c. 948
  • Devapala..............................................c. 948 - c. 960
  • Vijayapala............................................c. 960 - ?
  • Rajyapala
  • Trilochanapala.......................................c. 1018 - 1030
 
Important events in Indian history:
 
        1191  Prithviraj Chauhan routs Muhammad Ghori: The first battle of Tarain
        1192  Ghori defeats Prithviraj Chauhan: The second battle of Tarain
        1206  Qutb Al-Din establishes the Slave Dynasty in North India
        1221  Mongol invasion under Genghis Khan
        1232  Foundation of the Qutub Minar
        1288  Marco Polo visits India
        1290  Jalal ud-Din Firuz Shah Khalji established the Khalji dynasty
        1320  Ghayas Al-Din Tughluq founds the Tughluq dynasty
        1325  Accession of Muhammad bin Tughluq
        1336  Foundation of Vijayanagar (Deccan) in south till 23 Jan 1565
 1347 - 1518  Bahmani Sultanate (in the south)
        1398  Timur invades India
        1424  Rise of the Bahmani Dynasty (Deccan)
 19 Apr 1451  The Lodi dynasty established in Delhi
        1469  Guru Nanak born in Taiwandi (Nankana Shib, Distt. Sheikhupura)
        1485  Chetnia born in Bengal, who later started Bhagti movement for Sikhs
        1489  Adil Shah dynasty at Bijapur
        1490  Nizam Shahi dynasty at Ahmednagar
        1498  Portuguese first voyage lead by Vasco da Gama
        1510  Portuguese Capture Goa
        1518  Kutub Shahi dynasty establishes at Golconda
 21 Apr 1526  Establishment of the Mughal Dynasty: First Battle of Panipat.
              Babur defeats Lodis.
 27 May 1526  Babur founds Empire of Hind, usually known by Historian as Mughal Empire
 1526 - 1530  Reign of Babur
 28 Dec 1530  Humayun succeeds Babur
 22 Sep 1539  Death of Guru Nanak
 17 May 1540  The Mughal rulers are expelled and superseded by the Afghan Suri dynasty
 23 Jul 1555  Empire of Hind under the Mughal rulers restored
 27 Jan 1556  Death of Humayun, Accession of Akbar
        1559  Akbar captures Ranthambore Fort in Rajasthan
        1562  Akbar abolishes poll tax on Hindus. Tax imposed again 1575-1580
 26 Jan 1565  Battle of Talikota, Muslim rulers in Deccan destroys Vijaynagar Empire
        1568  Akbar captures Chittor in Rajasthan
        1571  Foundation of Fatehpur Sikri as capital by Akbar
        1572  Akbar annexes Gujarat
 07 Aug 1574  Akbar captures Patna
 02 Sep 1573  Surat surrenders to Akbar
 03 Mar 1575  Battle of Tukaroi. Akbar's victory over Sultanate of Bangala and Bihar
 21 Jun 1576  Battle of Haldighati, Akbar defeats Maharana Pratap Singh of Mewar
    Jul 1576  Battle of Rajmahal. Subjugation of Bengal
        1577  Akbar troops invade Khandesh ruled by the Faruqi dynasty
        1580  Accession of Ibrahim Adil Shah II in Bengal, Rebellion in Bihar and Bengal
 10 Aug 1581  Akbar's march against Muhammad Hakim of Kabul and reconciliation with him
        1582  Divine Faith (Din-i-Ilahi) promulgated
 16 Feb 1583  Akbar's court wit Raja Birbal dies during expedition to Swat and Bajaur
 11 Mar 1584  Nauruz festival introduced the Divine Era after Akbar's accession 
 22 Feb 1586  Akbar's annexation of Kashmir due to Bhagwan Das submission
        1585  Akbar moved his capital from Fatehpur Sikri to Lahore
        1591  Mughal conquest of Sind
        1592  Annexation of Orissa
    Nov 1595  Akbar invaded Ahmednagar, Annexation of Baluchistan
        1597  Akbar's son Murad dies in Ahmednagar
        1599  Finally Akbar captures Ahmednagar
 31 Dec 1600  Charter to the English East India Company by Elizabeth I
 17 Jan 1601  Akbar’s army occupied Burhanpur and Khandesh become part of Mughal Empire
 20 Mar 1602  Formation of the United East India Company of Netherlands
 27 Oct 1605  Death of Akbar and Accession of Jahangir [Salim]
 06 Apr 1606  Rebellion of Khusrau Mirza S/o Jahangir
 30 May 1606  Execution of the Fifth Sikh Guru Arjan by Jahangir for supporting Khusrau
 30 May 1607  Ali Quli Khan Istaju Sher Afghan, first husband of Nur Jahan killed
        1608  Malik Ambar takes Ahmednagar
        1609  The Dutch open a factory at Pulicat
        1611  The English establish a factory at Masulipatnam
        1612  The Mughal Governor of Bengal defeats the rebellious Afghans
        1612  Mughuls annex Koch Hajo from Parikshit Narayan
        1615  Submission of Mewar to the Mughuls. Arrival of Sir Thomas Roe in India
        1616  The Dutch establish a factory at Surat
        1622  Capture of Kangra Fort after a siege of fourteen months by Jahangir's troop
        1622  Malik Ambar revolts in the Deccan
        1622  Shah Abbas I of Persia beseiges and takes Qandahar from Jahangir
        1623  Shah Jahan revolts against Jahangir
        1624  Suppression of Shah Jahan's rebellion
        1626  100 days rebellion of Mughal general Mahabat Khan against Jahangir
 08 Nov 1627  Death of Jahangir. Accession of Shah Jahan
 25 Jan 1628  Shah Jahan proclaimed Emperor
 17 Jun 1631  Death of Shah Jahan's wife Mumtaz Mahal. The construction of Taj Mahal
        1632  Mughal invasion of Bijapur. Grant of the "Golden Firman" of the English
              Company by the Sultan of Golkunda
        1633  End of Ahmednagar Dynasty. After the death of Malik Ambar in May 1626, his
              son Fath Khan surrendered Ahmadnagar to the Mughals
 14 Jul 1636  Aurangzeb appointed Viceroy of Deccan and re-appointed in 1652
        1639  Foundation of Fort St. George at Madras by the English
        1645  16 year old Shivaji Bhosle captures Torna Fort of the Bijapur kingdom
        1656  The Mughal attacks Hyderabad and Golkunda. Annexation of Javli by Shivaji
        1657  Invasion of Bijapur by Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb captures Bidar and Kalyani
 31 Jul 1658  Aurangzeb deposed Shah Jehan in coup d'etat. Coronation of Aurangzeb
        1659  Battles of Khajwah and Deorai
        1661  Mughul capture of Cooch Bihar
        1664  Shivaji sacks and looted Surat and assumes royal title
 18 Feb 1665  Bombay (Mumbai) ceded to England by Portugal
 22 Jan 1666  Death of Shah Jahan after 8 years imprisoned in Octagonal Tower of Agra Fort
        1666  Shivaji's visit to Agra and escape
 06 Jun 1674  Shivaji assumes the title of Chhatrapati
        1678  Marwar occupies by the Mughuls
 03 Apr 1680  Death of Shivaji
        1680  Rebellion of Prince Akbar
        1686  English war with the Mughuls. Fall of Bijapur and Adil Shahi dynasty ends
 11 Mar 1689  Execution of Sambhaji, elder son of Shivaji at Tulapur, near Pune.
     c. 1690  Calcutta founded by England
        1690  Peace between the Mughuls and the English
        1691  Aurangzeb at the zenith of his power
        1698  The new English company trading to the East Indies
        1699  First Maratha raid on Malwa
 30 Mar 1699  Khalsa: a military order of "saint-soldiers" established by 10th Sikh Guru,
              Gobind Singh
 02 Mar 1700  Death of Rajaram at Sinhagad and regency of his widow Tara Bai
        1702  Amalgamation of English and the London East India Companies
 03 Mar 1707  Death of Aurangzeb. Battle of Jajau and rise of Churaman Jat of Bharatpur
        1714  Husain Ali appointed Viceroy of the Deccan
        1714  The treaty of the Marathas with Husain Ali
        1720  Accession of Baji Rao Peshwa at Poona (Pune) under Emperor Shahu
 17 Feb 1739  Battle of Karnal - Nadir Shah defeats Mughals and conquers Delhi
        1739  The Marathas capture Salsette and Bassein
 28 Apr 1740  Death of Balaji Rao Peshwa. The Marathas invade Arcot
        1742  Marathas invade Bengal
 18 Oct 1748  First Anglo-French war (Austrian Succession) ends
        1750  War of the Deccan and Carnatic Succession
 16 Dec 1750  Death of Nasir Jang, ruler of Hyderabad (02 Jun 1748 - 16 Dec 1750)
        1751  Treaty of Alivadi with the Marathas
    Jun 1756  Siraj-ud-daulah captures Calcutta (renamed as Alinagar)
 23 Jun 1757  Battle of Plassey: The British defeat Siraj ud-Daulah and French Army
 22 Jan 1760  Battle of Wandiwash (Third Carnatic War): The British defeat the French
 14 Jan 1761  Third battle of Panipat: Ahmad Shah Abdali defeats the Marathas
 16 Jan 1761  French restricted to Pondicherry and they surrendered to British
        1761  Surrender of Khande Rao and rise of Hyder Ali at Mysore
 23 Jun 1761  Accession of Madhava Rao as fourth Peshwa of the Maratha Empire
        1762  Hyder Ali's first war with the Marathas and captures Sira
        1762  Hyder Ali captures Ikkeri and ends Keladi Nayaka Kingdom (Bednore)
 22 Oct 1764  Battle of Buxar: The British defeat Mir Kasim (Nawab of Bengal),
              Shuja-ud-Daula (Nawab of Oudh) and Shah Alam II (Mughal Emperor)
 12 Aug 1765  British take over administration of Bengal as East India Company rule.
 16 Aug 1765  Lord Clive for the British get Diwani Rights in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa
              from Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II as Treaty of Allahabad
 03 Sep 1767  First Mysore War starts: The British had to conclude a humiliating peace
              pact with with Hyder Ali at Madras on 29 March 1769
        1770  Bengal famine of 1770 (1769-1773) decreased 1/3 population in Bengal
              (10 million deaths)
        1773  Warren Hastings appointed as Governor of Bengal
        1773  The Regulating Act passed by the British Parliament to have some
              administrative control over East India Company
 1773 - 1774  First Rohilla War; Shuja-ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh was supported by British
              East India Company against the Rohillas
 07 Oct 1774  A Rohilla state under British protection was set up in Rampur
        1774  Warren Hastings appointed as Governor-General
 20 Oct 1774  Union of all East India Company Settlements
 1775 - 1782  The First Anglo-Maratha war at Pune
 17 May 1782  Treaty of Salbai between British East India Company and Marathas
 1783 - 1784  Chalisa famine in Central India
 1780 - 1784  Second Mysore War between British and Hyder Ali
 11 Mar 1784  Treaty of Mangalore was signed between Tipu Sultan and British East India 
              Company to end Second Mysore War
        1784  Pitt's India Act - British East India Company under the control of the
              British Government
 1789 - 1792  Doji bara famine (Skull famine) killed 11 million
 1790 - 1792  Third Mysore War between the British and Tipu Sultan
 19 Mar 1792  Treaty of Seringapatam - Tipu Sultan lost half of its territories to
              Travancore , Nizam of Hyderabad and Marathas. 
        1793  Permanent Settlement of Bengal (Cornwallis Code)
 12 Feb 1794  Death of Mahadaji Sindhia; Maratha ruler of the state of Gwalior
        1794  Jaipur came under British protection
        1795  Travancore came under British protection
        1795  Cochin become semi-protected States under British
        1796  British occupies Andaman Islands and coastal area of Ceylon from Dutch
        1798  Nizam of Hyderabad becomes first State to sign Subsidiary alliance
        1799  Fourth Mysore War: The British defeat Tipu. Partition of Mysore.
 04 May 1799  Tipu Sultan dies in the Battle of Seringapatam (05 April – 04 May 1799)
 31 Dec 1802  Treaty of Bassein between British and Baji Rao II, Maratha peshwa of Pune
 13 May 1803  Baji Rao II was restored to Peshwarship under the protection of the East
              India Company. This was not acceptable to all Marathas chieftains
 1803 - 1805  The Second Anglo-Maratha war: The British defeat the Marathas
 10 Jul 1806  Vellore Mutiny (Indian sepoys against the British East India Company)
 1814 - 1816  The Anglo-Gurkha war (Anglo–Nepalese War). Nepal lost 1/3 territory.
        1817  States of Rajputana accept British suzerainty
 1817 - 1818  The Pindari war
        1818  Kutch accepts British suzerainty
 1817 - 1819  The last Anglo-Maratha war: Marathas finally crushed by the British
        1819  Gaikwads of Baroda accept British suzerainty
 1824 - 1826  The First Burmese war (05 Mar 1824 – 24 Feb 1826). Treaty of Yandabo.
              Annexation of Assam, Manipur, Arakan, and Tenasserim from Burma
 04 Dec 1829  Prohibition of Sati
 1829 - 1837  Suppression of Thuggee
        1831  Mysore State goes under British administration till 1881
        1833  Renewal of Company's Charter; Abolition of Company's trading rights
        1833  Bahawalpur accepts British Suzerainty
        1834  Coorg annexed by British
        1835  Education Resolution
        1836  North-Western Provinces established
        1837  Post Offices were established
 1837 - 1838  Agra famine - approximately 800,000 people had died of starvation
    Jun 1838  Tripartite treaty between Shah Shuja, Ranjit Singh and the British
 19 Jan 1839  port of Aden in Yemen is captured by the British East India Company
 1839 - 1842  First Anglo-Afghan War
    Jan 1842  Massacre of Elphinstone's army led by Akbar Khan of Afghanistan
        1843  British annexation of Sindh. Abolition of slavery in British India
    Dec 1843  Gwalior war between British and Marathan forces
 1845 - 1846  First Anglo-Sikh war
 09 Mar 1846  Treaty of Lahore - Sikhs cede Jullundur Doab, Hazara, and Kashmir to British
 16 Mar 1846  Treaty of Amritsar - settle Kashmir dispute after the First Sikh War
              British sold Kashmir to Raja of Jammu, Gulab Singh for 7.5 million rupees
 12 Jan 1848  Lord Dalhousie becomes the Governor-General
 1848 - 1849  Second Anglo-Sikh war: (Rise of Sikh Power) British annex Punjab as 
              Sikhs are defeated.
        1848  British took over Satara using Doctrine of Lapse
        1849  British annexation of Punjab and North-West Frontier Province.
              British took over Jaipur and Sambalpur using Doctrine of Lapse
        1850  Construction begins on Indian Railways
        1851  First telegraph line laid in India
        1852  Second Anglo-Burmese war (05 Apr 1852 – 20 Jan 1853).
 16 Apr 1853  Railway opened from Bombay to Thane
        1853  Telegraph line from Calcutta to Agra. British annexation of Berar
        1854  Postage Stamps for India were introduced. Great Ganges Canal opened.
              British took over Nagpur and Jhansi using Doctrine of Lapse.
              British creates Central India Agency
        1855  Public Telegram services starts operation
 25 Jul 1856  Hindu Widows Remarriage Act
        1856  British took over Awadh with the reason: ruler was not ruling properly
Jan-Sep 1857  First Indian universities founded
 10 May 1857  First War of Indian Independence and the Sepoy Mutiny till 20 Jun 1858
 29 Mar 1858  The last Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar is deposed
        1858  Liquidation of the English East India Company under Government of India Act
        1858  British Crown takes over the Indian Government
 02 Aug 1858  British Act of Parliament annexes the Empire, creating British India
 01 Nov 1858  British India starts effectively
        1861  Indian Councils Act. Indian High Courts Acts
        1862  Indian Penal Code came into force, drafted in 1860
        1868  Punjab Tenancy Act. Railway opened from Ambala to Delhi
 1871 - 1872  India Census was carried out in some provinces and areas
 1873 - 1874  The Bihar Famine in Bihar, Bengal and United Provinces
 01 Jan 1877  Delhi Durbar: The Queen of England proclaimed Empress of India, proclamation
              on 28 Apr 1876 
        1878  Vernacular Press Act, repealed on 07 Dec 1881
        1881  Factory Act. Rendition of Mysore
        1885  First meeting of the Indian National Congress. Bengal Tenancy Act.
        1891  Indian Factory Act. Census covering India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Burma
        1892  Indian Councils Act to regulate Indian administration
        1897  Plague in Bombay. Famine Commission
 09 Dec 1898  The Bombay City Improvement Trust
 06 Jan 1899  Lord George Curzon becomes Governor-General and Viceroy
 16 Oct 1905  The First Partition of Bengal, announced on 20 July 1905
        1906  Congress declaration regarding Swaraj
        1906  Jugantar Patrika was a Bengali revolutionary newspaper founded in Calcutta
 30 Dec 1906  Formation of All-India Muslim League
    Jun 1908  Newspaper Act
        1911  Delhi Durbar: Partition of Bengal modified to create Presidency of Bengal
        1912  The Imperial capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi
        1913  Education Resolution of the Government of India
        1915  Defense of Indian Act
        1916  Home Rule League founded. Foundation of Woman's University at Poona
    Mar 1919  Rowlatt Act evokes protests
              The Montague Chelmsford Reforms offer limited autonomy.
 10 Apr 1919  Protest in Amritsar for releasing Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchlew
 13 Apr 1919  Martial law in Punjab. Amritsar massacre (Jallianwala Bagh massacre)
        1920  The Khilafat Movement started. Mahatma Gandhi leads the Congress.
              Non-co-operational Movement lasted till 10 Mar 1922
    Aug 1921  Moplah (Muslim) rebellion in Malabar. Census of India.
        1922  Civil Disobedience Movement. Chauri-Chaura violence leads to Gandhi
              suspending movement in Feb 1922.
        1923  Swarajists in Indian Councils. Certification of Salt Tax.
              Hindu-Muslim riots
        1925  Reforms Enquiry committee Report
        1926  Royal Commission on Agriculture. Factories Act
        1927  Indian Navy Act. Simon Commission Appointed.
        1928  Simon Commission comes to India; Bombay on 03 Feb and Lahore on 30 Oct.
              Boycott by all parties. All Parties Conference.
        1929  Lord Irwin promises Dominion Status for India. Trade Union split.
 12 Mar 1930  Civil Disobedience movement continues. 
              Salt Satyagraha: Ghandiji's Dandi March.
 05 Mar 1931  Irwin-Gandhi Pact
 12 Nov 1930  First Round Table Conference; ends on 19 Jan 1931
        1931  Census of India
 07 Sep 1931  Second Round Table Conference; ends in Dec 1931
        1932  Suppression of the Congress movement
 04 Aug 1932  The Communal Award - to grant separate electorates to minority communities
 24 Sep 1932  Poona Pact at Yerawada Jail between lower (Dalits) and upper caste Hindus
 17 Nov 1932  Third Round Table Conference starts; ends on 25 Dec 1932
        1933  Publication of White Paper on Indian reforms
 15 Jan 1934  Bihar Earthquake
        1934  Civil Disobedience Movement called off
    Aug 1935  Government of India Act
        1937  Inauguration of Provincial Autonomy. Congress ministries formed in a 
              majority of Indian provinces.
        1939  Political deadlock in India as Congress ministries resign
 23 Mar 1940  All-India Muslim League demanded a separate sovereign state for Muslims in
              Lahore Resolution.
        1942  Japanese occupy Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Mar 1942 to Aug 1945)
    Mar 1942  Cripps Mission to India
    Apr 1942  Subhash Chandra Bose forms Indian National Army
 14 Jul 1942  Congress adopts Quit India Resolution and later Congress leaders arrested
 21 Oct 1943  Provisional Government of Free India proclaimed (Arzi Hukumate-e-Azad Hind)
              at Singapore (administering the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Dec 1943 to
              18 Aug 1945)
    Sep 1944  Gandhi-Jinnah Talks break down on Pakistan issue
        1945  First trial of the Indian Army men opened
 25 Jun 1945  Simla Conference - Wavell Plan for Indian self-government; ended 14 Jul.
 18 Feb 1946  Mutiny in Royal Indian Navy
 16 May 1946  Cabinet Mission's plan announced.
              Muslim League decides to participate in the Interim Government.
 25 Aug 1946  India granted limited self rule
 02 Sep 1946  Interim Government formed. Constitutional Assembly's first meeting
 16 Aug 1946  Direct Action Day (Great Calcutta Killing)
 03 Jun 1947  Announcement of Lord Mountbatten's plan for partition of India
 08 Aug 1947  Sir Cyril Radcliffe's Award on Boundary Commission announced
 15 Aug 1947  Partition of India and Independence completed
 
Coins of India can be viewed by clicking on the links below, sorted yearly according to respective ruler and state.
 
  • Sultanate of Delhi [21 coins]...........................1206 - 21 Apr 1526 with...
  • This era saw the emergence of Muslim influence in India, extending into the region from beyond the Indus River. The next large state to hold sway was, in fact, a Muslim one: the Sultanate of Delhi in the north. The Sultanate of Delhi consists of Ghulyam (Slaves) or also known as Mumluk Dynasty: 1206-1290, Khalji (Gharzai Dynasty): 1290-1320, Tughluqid: 1320-1414, Sayyid: 1414-1451 and Lodi: 1451-1526.
  • Southern Indian Empires [01 coin].....................c. 315 - c. 1660
  • This era consists of Pallava Empire c.315-897, Chola Empire c.846-c.1279 and Vijayanagar Empire 1336-c.1660.
  • Mughal Empire....................................27 May 1526 - 17 May 1539
  • Suri [07 coins]..................................17 May 1539 - 1555
  • Mughal Empire (restored) [23 coins]..............22 Feb 1555 - 29 Mar 1858 with...
  • East India Company [39 coins]....................16 Aug 1765 - 30 Sep 1858
  • The British defeat Mir Kasim (Nawab of Bengal), Shuja-ud-Daula (Nawab of Oudh) and Shah Alam II (Mughal Emperor) at the Battle of Buxar. Later Lord Clive for the British get Diwani Rights in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa from Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II as Treaty of Allahabad.
 
BRITISH INDIA
  • HANOVER (WELF)
  • Victoria (female)[67 coins]......................01 Nov 1858 - 22 Jan 1901
  • Full name: Alexandrina Victoria. On 02 Aug 1858 U.K. Act of Parliament annexes the Empire, creating British India (effective 01 Nov 1858). On 28 Apr 1876 U.K. proclamation, the Queen takes the style "Empress of India" (proclaimed in India on 01 Jan 1877).
  • WITTIN or SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA (WINDSON after 1917)
  • Edward VII [33 coins]............................22 Jan 1901 - 06 May 1910
  • Full name: Albert Edward.
  • George V [95 coins]..............................06 May 1910 - 20 Jan 1936
  • Full name: George Frederick Ernest Albert.
  • Edward VIII......................................20 Jan 1936 - 12 Dec 1936
  • Full name: Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David Windsor.
  • George VI [80 coins].............................12 Dec 1936 - 15 Aug 1947
  • Full name: Albert George Frederick Arthur George Windsor. George VI remain the Head of State until 26 Jan 1950 when India became Republic without the titular as "emperor".
 
For earlier coinage of India, refer to the links below on various princely states, having coins in my collection.

 

  • STATES
  • Andhra Pradesh
    • Hyderabad 1724-1950 [15 coin displayed]
    • Golkonda 1489-1687
  • Arunachal Pradesh
  • Assam
  • Bihar
  • Chhattisgarh
  • Goa
  • Gujarat
    • Baroda 1731-1949
    • Gujarat  (including Maitraka: c.475-767 and Zafarid: 1391-1583)
    • Junagadh 1748-1948
    • Kutch 1147-1948 [18 coin displayed]
    • Nawanagar 1540-1948
    • Porbandar 1193-1948
  • Haryana
  • Himachal Pradesh
  • Jammu and Kashmir
    • Jammu bf. 1000 BCE - 1846 [01 coin displayed]
    • Kashmir bf. 1000 BCE - 1948 [05 coins displayed]
  • Jharkand
  • Karnataka
    • Deccan - Bahmanid 1347-1527 [it covered almost all Maharashtra, parts of Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh]
    • Mahisur (Mysore) bf. 1350-1949
  • Kerala
  • Madhya Pradesh
    • Bhopal 1723-1949
    • Dewas Senior Branch 1728-1948
    • Gwalior c. 900-1948
    • Indore 1731-1948
    • Malwa 1392-1436
    • Narwar 1761-1805 [taken into Gwalior State in 1805]
    • Ratlam 1651-1948
    • Sailana 1736-1948
  • Maharashtra
  • Manipur
  • Meghalaya
  • Mizoram
  • Nagaland
  • Orissa
  • Punjab
  • Rajasthan
    • Alwar 1775-1949 [02 coins displayed]
    • Bikanir 1465-1949
    • Bundi 1342-1949
    • Jaipur 1093-1949
    • Jaisalmer bf. 800-1949
    • Jodhpur c. 1250-1949
    • Kishangarh 1611-1949
    • Mewar (Udaipur) c.530-1949
    • Tonk 1818-1949 [some exclaves in Madhya Pradesh]
  • Sikkim
  • Tamil Nadu
    • Pudukkottai c.1350-1947
  • Tripura
  • Uttaranchal
  • Uttar Pradesh
    • Awadh (oudh) 1720-1857
    • Jaunpur 1394-1483
    • Rampur 1719-1949
  • West Bengal

 

  • UNION TERRITORIES
  • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
  • Chandigarh (capital of Haryana and Punjab States)
  • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
  • Daman and Diu
  • Lakshadweep
  • National Capital Territory of Delhi
  • Pondicherry (Karaikal, Pondicherry, Mahne, Yanam)
 
 15 Aug 1947  British India, together with acceded states, is partitioned
              into Dominion of India and Dominion of Pakistan; style
              "Emperor of India" is abandoned (retroactive proclamation
              that is dated 22 Jun 1948).
 21 Oct 1947  India-Pakistan War of 1947-48 starts; ends 31 Dec 1948.
 27 Oct 1947  Jammu and Kashmir accede to India.
 17 Sep 1948  Hyderabad annexed by India.
 26 Jan 1950  Republic of India, styled "India, that is Bharat."
 01 Nov 1954  French India incorporated into India.
 01 Nov 1956  States Reorganization Act implemented.
 26 Jan 1957  The incorporation of Jammu and Kashmir is declared completed.
 19 Sep 1960  "Indus Waters Treaty" is signed with Pakistan at Karachi.
 19 Dec 1961  Goa, Damão, and Diu under Portugal were occupied by India.
 16 Mar 1962  Goa annexed by India.
 21 Nov 1962  China occupies Aksai Chin region of Kashmir. Sino-Indian War ends.
 20 Mar 1965  India-Pakistan War of 1965 starts; ends 23 Sep 1965.
 03 Dec 1971  India-Pakistan War of 1971 starts; ends 16 Dec 1971.
 02 Jul 1972  "Line of Control" signed with Pakistan at Simla.
 31 Dec 1974  Goa annexation recognized by Portugal.
 26 Apr 1975  Annexation of Sikkim.
 25 Jun 1975  The Indian Emergency; ends 21 Mar 1977.
 13 Apr 1984  Siachen Conflict with Pakistan; ends 03 Jan 1987.
 26 May 1999  Kargil conflict with Pakistan; ends 11 Jul 1999.
 
  • Independence - Governor-General (representing the British monarch as head of state)
  • Louis Francis Mountbatten........................15 Aug 1947 - 21 Jun 1948
    •
  • He is also known as Earl Mountbatten of Burma.
  • Chakravarti Rajagopalachari......................21 Jun 1948 - 26 Jan 1950
  • He was an Indian lawyer, freedom-fighter, politician, writer, statesman and leader of the Indian National Congress who served as the last Governor-General of India. He served as the Chief Minister or Premier of the Madras Presidency, Governor of West Bengal, Minister for Home Affairs of the Indian Union and Chief Minister of Madras state. He was the founder of the Swatantra Party and the first recipient of India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.
  • President
  • Rajendra Prasad..................................26 Jan 1950
    • - 13 May 1962
  • India became as Republic on 26 Jan 1950.
  • Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.........................13 May 1962 - 13 May 1967
  • Zakir Hussain....................................13 May 1967 - 03 May 1969
  • Varahagiri Venkata Giri (1st time - acting)......03 May 1969 - 20 Jul 1969
  • Muhammad Hidayatullah (acting)...................20 Jul 1969 - 24 Aug 1969
  • Varahagiri Venkata Giri (2nd time)...............24 Aug 1969 - 24 Aug 1974
    •
  • Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed.............................24 Aug 1974 - 11 Feb 1977
  • Basappa Danappa Jatti (acting)...................11 Feb 1977 - 25 Jul 1977
  • Neelam Sanjiva Reddy.............................25 Jul 1977 - 25 Jul 1982
  • Giani Zail Singh.................................25 Jul 1982 - 25 Jul 1987
  • Ramaswamy Venkataraman...........................25 Jul 1987 - 25 Jul 1992
  • Shankar Dayal Sharma.............................25 Jul 1992 - 25 Jul 1997
  • Kocheril Raman Narayanan.........................25 Jul 1997 - 25 Jul 2002
  • Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam..............25 Jul 2002 - 25 Jul 2007
  • Pratibha Devisingh Patil (female)................25 Jul 2007 - date
 
Indian Coins literature and references:
  • Brown C. J. – Catalogue of Coins in the Provincial Museum Lucknow / The Mughal Emperors – Vol. I-II, Oxford, 1920 (reprinted 1985).
  • Goron, Stan / Goenka, J.P - The Coins of the Indian Sultanates - Munshiram Manoharlal Pub Pvt Ltd, 2001.
  • Krause C. and Mishler C. – Standard Catalog of World Coins 1601-1700 – Krause Publications, 3rd Edition, USA, 2003.
  • Lane-Poole Stanley – The Coinage of the Moghul Emperors of Hindustan in the British Museum – London, 1892 (reprinted 1983).
  • Manik Jain – Couplets on Mughal Coins of India – Calcutta, India, 1998.
  • Michael Mitchiner - Oriental Coins and their values - The World of Islam. Hawkins publication 1977 London.
  • Plant R. J. – Arab Coins and how to read them – Spink and Son Ltd., London, 1973, 1980 (revised), reprinted 2000.
  • Rajgor, Dilip - Standard Catalogue of Sultanate Coins of India - Amrapali Pub., First Edition, Bombay, 1991.
  • Rajgor, Dilip – Collector's Guide to Mughal Coins – University of Mumbai, India, 2002.
  • Whitehead R. B. – Catalogue of Coins in the Panjab Museum, Lahore / The Mughal Emperors – Vol. II, Oxford, 1914 (reprinted 1977).
  • Wright H. N. – Catalogue of the Coins in the Indian Museum, Calcutta / The Mughal Emperors – Vol. III, Oxford, 1908 (reprinted 1972).
 
 
 
 
Countries / Territories
 
Chiefa Coins