India History
| India Wiki Topics |
|
| India Beginning Research |
| Record Types |
|
| India Background |
| India Genealogical Word Lists |
| Cultural Groups |
| Local Research Resources |
In other languages:  |
Resources[edit | edit source]
Online Resources[edit | edit source]
- India Office - catalogues of private papers, prints etc.
- Ancient History, Culture, and Heritage
- Culture of India
- India: Maps, History, Culture, Government
- Ancient India: Ancient History Encyclopedia
Print Publications[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world, dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated onto Indian lands about 1500 BC; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkish in the 12th were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late 15th century.
By the mid- to late 18th century, Britain's Honourable East India Company had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. The Honourable East India Company controlled virtually all trade with India and performed all the functions of government until the Government of India Act of 1858, when full control was assumed by Queen Victoria as Empress of India.
Indian armed forces in the British army played a vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism led to independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan.
A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. Despite impressive gains in economic investment and output, India faces pressing problems such as the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife. [1]
Significant Events in the 19th & 20th Centuries[edit | edit source]
1846 - 1885 Historians consider India's modern age to have begun sometime during this time period
1917 - Approximately one million Indians served in World War I
1947 - Mountbatten Plan partitions the British Indian Empire into the states of India and Pakistan
1950 - Vital to India's self-image as an independent nation was its constitution which put in place a secular and democratic republic
1971 - A third war between India and Pakistan results in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh
Ancient Empires[edit | edit source]
| Years | Event |
|---|---|
| 2500 -1600 BC | Indus Valley Culture |
| 1500 -500 BC | Migrations of Aryan-speaking tribes; The Vedic Age |
| 1000 BC | Settlement of Bengal by Davidian-speaking peoples |
| 600 BC | Territorial states emerge: Magadha, Kosala, Kuru, and Gandhara |
| 500 BC | Most of northern India inhabited |
| 563 -483 BC | Life of Siddartha Gautama - the Buddha; founding of Buddhism |
| 320 BC −550 AD | Gupta Empire: Classical Age of a united India (confined mostly to the north) |
| 326 BC | Alexander the Great's Indus Campaign, fusing several Indo-Greek elements |
| 326 -184 BC | Mauryan Empire; reign of Ashoka (269-232 BC); spread of Buddhism: First Indian imperial power |
| 180 BC -150 AD | Shaka dynastics in Indus Valley |
| 100 BC −300 AD | Deccan Indian Kingdoms: Power decentralized in the hands of local chieftains |
| 606 -47 | North Indian empire of Harsha |
| 711 | Arab invaders conquer Sindh, establish Islamic presence in India |
| 750 -1150 | Pala Dynasty |
| 1150 -1202 | Sena Dynasty |
Growth of Islam[edit | edit source]
| Years | Event |
|---|---|
| 997 -1027 | Mahmud of Ghazni raids Indian subcontinent from Afghanistan |
| 1202 | Turkish conquerors defeat Sena Dynasty and overrun Bengal |
| 1206 -1398 | Delhi Sultanate |
| 1336 −1527 | Southern Dynasties in India establish rule |
| 1398 | Timur sacks Delhi |
| 1414 -1450 | Sayyid Dynasty; renewal of Delhi Sultanate |
| 1451 -1526 | Lodi Dynasty |
The Mughal Period[edit | edit source]
| Years | Event |
|---|---|
| 1526 | Babur lays foundation of Mughal Empire; wins First Battle of Panipat |
| 1556 -1605 | Akbar expands and reforms the empire; Mughals win Second Battle of Panipat |
| 1600 | East India Company granted British Crown charter with exclusive rights to India |
| 1605 -1627 | Reign of Jahangir; in 1612 East India Company opens first trading post (factory) |
| 1619 | English East India Company establishes outpost at Surat on the northwestern coast |
| 1628 -1658 | Reign of Shah Jahan |
| 1658 -1707 | Reign of Aurangzeb, last great Mughal ruler |
| 1707 -1858 | Lesser emperors; decline of the Mughal Empire |
British Period[edit | edit source]
- Map British Conquest of India 1753 to 1890 at Princeton University
| Years | Event |
|---|---|
| 1757 | Battle of Plassey - British victory of Mughal forces in Bengal; British rule in India begins |
| 1835 | Institution of British education and other reform measures |
| 1857-1858 | Revolt of Indian sepoys (soldiers) against East India Company |
| 1858 | East India Company abolished and Queen Victoria becomes Empress of India (the British Raj); begins with Government of India Act; formal end of Mughal Empire |
| 1869 | The creation of the Suez canal radically reduces journey time from India |
| 1885 | Indian National Congress formed |
| 1892 | Dadabhai Naoroji first Indian to win a Parliamentary seat in England |
| 1897 | Ayah's Home established in Aldgate, London |
| 1916 | Congress-League Scheme of Reforms (Lucknow Pact) signed |
| 1935 | Government of India Act of 1935 |
Independent India[edit | edit source]
| Years | Event |
|---|---|
| 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 and territory in the northwest. |
| 1962 | Commonwealth Immigrants Act limits the migration of South Asians to England |
| 1968 | "Rivers of Blood" Speech: Enoch Powell calls for forced return of immigrants settled in England |
Strategy[edit | edit source]
Why use histories in your research?
- Learn why on the History Wiki page