Timeline
• 3300 BCE - 2600 BCE → Early Harappa
• 2600 BCE - 1900 BCE → Mature Harappa (Civilisation)
• 1900 BCE - 1300 BCE → Late Harappa
• 1500 - 1000 BCE → Rigveda Compiled
• 1200 - 700 BCE → First Phase of B.B. Lal Excavation (2nd Level)
• 1000 BCE → Mantra to Produce Fine Sons Inserted in Rigveda
• 1000 BCE Onwards → Practice of Yatra
• 1000 BCE - 500 BCE → Practice of Sacrifice
• 600 BCE → Use of Plough in Agriculture
• 6th Century BCE Onwards → Composition of Upanishads
• 6th Century BCE → Chhandogya Upanishad
• 6th Century BCE - 4th Century BCE → Early History (Cunningham's Interest)
• 600 - 400 BCE → Magadha Becomes Most Powerful Mahajanapada
• 500 BCE Onwards → Compilation of Mahabharata
• 500 BCE Onwards → Brahmanas Commit to Writing Mahabharata
• 400 BCE → Capital Shift from Rajgir to Pataliputra
• 321 BCE → Chandragupta Maurya Founds Mauryan Empire
• 272/268 - 231 BCE → Ashokan Inscriptions
• 3rd Century BCE → Creation of Artificial Caves for Ajivika Sect by Ashoka
• 3rd Century BCE → Entrance to a Cave at Barabar, Bihar
• 2nd Century BCE → Indo-Greeks Establish Kingdom in Northwest (Taxila & Peshawar)
• 200 BCE - 200 CE → Satavahanas Rule in Deccan & Western India
• 200 BCE - 200 CE → Manusmriti Compiled
• 200 BCE - 200 CE → Another Phase of Mahabharata Composition (Growing Worship of
Vishnu)
• 200 BCE → Satavahana Ruler & Wife’s Donation Sculpture
• 200 BCE → Finding of Short Votive Inscriptions Composed
• 200 - 100 BCE → Indo-Greek Rule Over Northwest India
• 100 BCE - 100 CE → Kushanas Rule from Central Asia to Northwest India
• 100 CE → Periplus of the Erythraean Sea by Greek Sailor
• 100 CE → Purananuru, Tamil Sangam Literature
• 200 CE → Chief & Follower Stone Sculpture in Amaravati
• 200 CE → Rock Inscription of Shaka Ruler Rudradaman on Sudarshan Lake Repair
• 200 - 400 CE → Didactic Section Added to Mahabharata
• 3rd Century CE → Image of Tirthankara from Mathura
• 3rd Century CE → Woman Water Carrier Statue in Mathura
• 3rd Century CE → Sculpture in Amaravati Depicting Buddha’s Departure from Palace
• 3rd Century CE → Mrichchhakatika by Shudraka
• 375 - 415 CE → Chandragupta II (Gupta Empire)
• 400 CE → Gupta Empire Flourishes
• 400 CE → Silver Coin of Shaka Ruler with Image
• 500 CE → Gupta Dynasty Repairs Sudarshan Lake Again
• 500 CE → Stone Sculpture of Silk Weavers in Mandasor, MP
• 500 CE → Kshatriya-Vaishya Brothers Donate to Build Shaivite Temple
• 500 CE → Scene from Mahabharata, Terracotta Sculpture from Ahichchhatra, UP
• 5th - 6th Century CE → Temple in Deogarh (UP) (Vishnu on Serpent)
• 6th Century CE → Copper Plate Inscription from Karnataka
• 6th Century CE → Birth of Vardhamana Mahavira
• 6th Century CE → Varaha (Boar) Avatar of Vishnu Rescuing Earth Goddess (Aihole,
Karnataka)
• 6th Century CE → Image of Durga, Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu)
• 600 CE → Gold Coin Production Declines
• 7th Century CE → Harshacharita Composed
• 7th Century CE Onwards → Grant Inscriptions in Sanskrit & Local Languages (Tamil, Telugu)
• 7th Century CE → Xuan Zang Visits Pataliputra
• 8th Century CE → Kailashnath Temple Carved
• 12th Century CE → Buddhist Manuscript in Sanskrit
• 14th Century CE → Jaina Manuscript Page
• 1740-50 CE → Persian Translation of Mahabharata
• 1796 CE → Local Raja Uses Amaravati Stupa Remains for Temple Construction
• 1800 CE → Painting of Krishna Advising Arjuna on Battlefield
• 1818 CE → Sanchi Stupa Discovered
• 1830s CE → Major Developments in Epigraphy
• 1838 CE → Ashokan Brahmi Script Deciphered by James Prinsep
• 1850s CE → Slabs from Amaravati Moved
• 1854 CE → Walter Elliot, Commissioner of Guntur, Visits Amaravati
• 1868 - 1901 CE → Reign of Shah Jahan Begum
• 1876 CE → H.D. Barstow Translates Taj-ul-Iqbal Tarikh Bhopal to A History of Bhopal
• 1900s CE → European Interest in Sanchi Stupa Increases
• 1924 CE → John Marshall Appointed ASI Director General
• 1931 CE → John Marshall Publishes Mohenjodaro and the Indus Civilisation
• 1944 CE → R.E.M. Wheeler Becomes ASI Director General
• 1947 CE → R.E.M. Wheeler Publishes Ancient India
• 1948 CE → Earnest Mackay Publishes Early Indus Civilisation
• 1951-52 CE → B.B. Lal Excavation
• 1960s CE → Evidence of Massacre at Mohenjodaro Suggested
• 1964 CE → G.F. Dales Publishes The Mythical Massacre at Mohenjodaro
• 1976 CE → R.E.M. Wheeler Publishes My Archaeological Mission to India and Pakistan
• 1980s CE → Growing International Interest in Harappan Archaeology
