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52-History-India-In a Nutshell

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Indian History in a Nutshell

India has a continuous civilization since 2500 BC. During the 2nd millennium, Aryan speaking tribes migrated from northwest into the subcontinent.

 c 1500 - 800 BC
Aryans began to penetrate eastward, clearing forests and establishing tribal settlements along Gangaa and Ymunaa rivers.

600 BC
By 600 BC, 16 such territorial powers including Magadh, Koshal, Kuru, and Gaandhaar stretched across the north Indian plains from modern day Afghanistan to Bangla Desh. The right of a king to his throne, no matter how it was gained, was usually celebrated through elaborate sacrificial rituals

500 BC
By 500 BC, most of northern India was inhabited and brought under cultivation. Gangaa River became center of trade. The political map of ancient and medieval India was of small kingdoms of fluctuating boundaries.

100 BC (2,700 years of Kali Yug had passed)
Maybe Bhavishya Puraan 3/30 events took place at this time. Because it shows that Buddhism had settled very well by then. The second important thing it mentions that by then almost 2,700 years of Kali Yug had passed. The third important thing it mentions that Buddha was not an Avataar of Vishnu as Bhaagvat, or Vishnu Puraan say, but was Maya named Asur who was sent by king Bali.

GUPTAA EMPIRE
In the 4th and 5th centuries India was unified under the Gupta Empire. 

VARDHAN DYNASTY

Prabhaakarvardhan (  -606) - After the downfall of Gupta Empire in the middle of the 6th century, Hoon came to rule in Panjaab. The northern and western India was passed on to many state kings. One of them was Prabhaakarvardhan. He was the first king of Vardhan dynasty. His capital was Thanesar (or Thaaneshwar, located in the vicinity of Kurukshetra) in Panjaab. He died in 606.

Raajyavardhan (606-606) - After the death of Prabhaakarvardhan in 606, his eldest son Raajyavardhan ascended the throne. He was killed in a battle with Devagupta. Devagupta had killed the husband of Raajyavardhan's sister Raajyashree - Grihvarman.

Harshvardhan (606-647) - First rescued his sister as she was going to be Satee. He defeated Shashaank of Bengal, Dhruvsen of Gujaraat. He was stopped by Pulakeshee II (the Chaalukya king of Vaataapi in Northern Mysore). He had no son so his Empire died with him. He was the last Empire builder of ancient India. He wrote three well known plays - Naagnand, Ratnaavalee, and Priyadarshikaa.

After Harshvardhan, the succeeding period is very obscure and badly documented.

ISLAM - 
Islam spread in India over a period of 500 years. In the 10th and 11th centuries Turk and Afghan invaded and established their Sultanat in Delhi.

700-1200
Chauhaan Vansh is said to rule in Raajsthaan, near Ajmer. Prithveeraaj Chauhaan, the most famous ruler of Chauhaan Vansh ruled from 1180-1192. His father's name was Someshwar (died in 1179) and his mother's name was Karpooree Devee. He was the last Hindoo ruler of India. He did Sanyogitaa Haran, as Sanyogitaa (daughter of Jayachand) wanted to marry Prithveeraaj. When her Swayamvar was taking place, she put her Jayamaalaa in the neck of Prithveeraaj Chauhaan's statue in the absence of Prithveeraaj. "Prithveeraaj Vijaya" of Jayanak; and "Prithveeraaj Raaso" of Chand Bardaayee have immortalized the deeds of Prithveeraaj. He was the last Hindoo king.

After Prithveeraaj Chauhaan, came Kutubuddeen Aibak in India and troubled kings here.

1398-1518 (120 years) - Kabir Daas
Kabeer Daas, Raidaas, Raamaanand, Shankaraachaarya, Sadan Kasaaee, Narasee Mehtaa, Guru Naanak, Nityaanand Jee, Naam Dev, Raankaa-Baankaa were all in same time.

Raamaanand's disciples were - Kabeer, Raankaa, Narasee Mehtaa, Guru Naanak, Raidaas (He defeated Kabeer, but got defeated from Shankaraachaarya), Tulasee Daas (Akbar's time)
(9Bhavishya Puraan, 3/28)

14th Century - Chaitanya Mahaaprabhu
He also has a long list of disciples - Eeshwarpuree, Shreedhar, Raam Sharmaa, Jeevaanand, Roopaanand, Vishnu Swaamee, Maadhavaachaarya, Varaahmiri (one of nine gems of Vikramaaditya's court)
(9Bhavishya Puraan, 3/29)

When Sikandar was ruling in India - Naamdev was there. Sikandar gave him 50 Lakh coins. (Bhavishya, 3/27)

11th to 15th CENTURIES
Southern India was dominated by Hindoo Chole and Vijayanagar dynasties.

MUGAL DYNASTY - 1526-1707
In early 16th century Genghis Khan (Changez Khaan) came through Khaibar pass and established Mogul Dynasty which lasted for 200 years. 

Shershaah

Humaayun

Akbar (ruled 1605- 1655, 50 yrs)

Saleem (Jahaangeer - 1655-1705, 50 yrs)

Khurram (Shaajahaan - ruled 1705-1715, 10 yrs)
The eldest son of Shaahjahaan, Daaraa Shikoh finished in 1657.

Aurangzeb (ruled  1658-1707, 49 yrs) --
When Shaajahaan got ill in 1658, his all four sons claimed the throne. (1) Daaraa Shikoh (1615-1659) (2) Aurangzeb ruled in Deccan (3) Shujaa (4) Muraad. Aurangzeb defeated Daaraa Shikoh and imprisoned his own father Shaah Jahaan in Agra fort. Daaraa was condemned to death by Aurangzeb on the night of 30th August 1659. He was mainly opposed by Maraathaa born Shivaajee (died in the age of 53, in 1680). Aurangzeb's full name was "Abu Muzaffar Muhiuddin Muhammad Auranzeb Alamgeer". He was a Persian.

Akbar (was exiled to Persia by his father and never returned

Bahaadurshaah Zafar (5 yrs).

When Shershaah came, Chaitanya Mahaaprabhu was also there. There is a difference of 300 years between the times of Chaitanya and Aurangzeb.

Naadir Shaah came from Persia and went back to Eeraan

Maadhav took kingdom after killing Aalomaa and ruled for 10 years. After that 30 years passed, there was no one king.

BRITISH RAAJ (1619-1947)
1 - First British outpost was established at Soorat, on the northwestern coast in 1619. Later in the century it opened permanent trading stations at Madras, Bombay and Calcutta each under the protection of native rulers.

2 - By 1850s they controlled most of present India - India, Pakistan, Banglaa Desh.

3 - In 1857, a rebellion (Mangal Paandey) in north India led by mutinous Indian soldiers caused the British Parliament to transfer all political power from the East India Company to the crown

4 - Beginning in 1920, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi transformed the Indian National Congress as a political party into a mass movement to campaign against British rule. The Party used both parliamentary and nonviolent resistance and non-cooperation to achieve independence.

INDIA AFTER INDEPENDENCE
1 - 15 August 1947, India got her independence and became a dominion of Commonwealth. Enmity between Hindoo and Muslims led the British to partition British India creating East and West Pakistan from it. India became Republic within the Commonwealth after promulgating its constitution on 26 January 1950.

2 - Jawahar Lal Nehru (1950-1964) - After Independence, Congress Party, Jawahar Lal Nehru ruled India (1950-1964). He died in office

3 - Lal Bahadur Shastri - He also died in office

4 - Indira Gandhi (1966-1977) - Then came his daughter Indira Gandhi, who also died in office.

5 - Morarji Desai - (1977-1979)

6 - Charan Singh - Interim Government

7 - Indira Gandhi (Jan 1980- 31 Oct 1984) - She was assassinated.

5.  Rajiv Gandhi ruled as Prime Ministers till 1987 - Assassinated on May 27,  1991. 

9 - Followed by VP Singh and Chandra Shekhar

                                       

 

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Created and Maintained by Sushma Gupta
Created on 03/15/2006 and Updated on 01/12/2008
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