History of India

India is a land of ancient civilization. India's social, economic, and cultural configurations are
the products of a long process of regional expansion. Indian history begins with the birth of the
Indus Valley Civilization and the coming of the Aryans. These two phases are usually described
as the pre-Vedic and Vedic age. Hinduism arose in the Vedic period.

The fifth century saw the unification of India under Ashoka, who had converted to Buddhism,
and it is in his reign that Buddhism spread in many parts of Asia. In the eighth century Islam
came to India for the first time and by the eleventh century had firmly established itself in India
as a political force. It resulted into the formation of the Delhi Sultanate, which was finally
succeeded by the Mughal Empire, under which India once again achieved a large measure of
political unity.

It was in the 17th century that the Europeans came to India. This coincided with the
disintegration of the Mughal Empire, paving the way for regional states. In the contest for
supremacy, the English emerged 'victors'. The Rebellion of 1857-58, which sought to restore
Indian supremacy, was crushed; and with the subsequent crowning of Victoria as Empress of
India, the incorporation of India into the empire was complete. It was followed by India's
struggle for independence, which we got in the year 1947.

India Timeline
Indian timeline takes us on a journey of the history of the subcontinent. Right from the ancient
India, which included Bangladesh and Pakistan, to the free and divided India, this time line
covers each and every aspect related to the past as well as present of the country. Read on
further to explore the timeline of India.

Economic History of India

Indus valley civilization, which flourished between 2800 BC and 1800 BC, had an advanced
and flourishing economic system. The Indus valley people practiced agriculture, domesticated
animals, made tools and weapons from copper, bronze and tin and even traded with some
Middle East countries.

Medieval Indian History

After the death of Harsha the Rajputs came into prominence on the political horizons of North
India. The Rajputs were known for their bravery and chivalry but family feuds and strong
notions of personal pride often resulted into conflicts. The Rajputs weakened each other by
constant wrangling.

Akbar
Emperor Akbar, also known as Akbar the Great or Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, was the third
emperor of the Mughal Empire, after Babur and Humayun. He was the son of Nasiruddin
Humayun and succeeded him as the emperor in the year 1556, when he was only 13 years old.

Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan, also known as Shahbuddin Mohammed Shah Jahan, was a Mughal Emperor who
ruled in the Indian Subcontinent from 1628 to 1658. He was the fifth Mughal ruler, after Babur,
Humayun, Akbar and Jahangir. Shah Jahan succeeded the throne after revolting against his
father, Jahangir.
Chhatrapati Shivaji
Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was the founder of the Maratha Empire in western India. He is
considered to be one of the greatest warriors of his time and even today, stories of his exploits
are narrated as a part of the folklore. King Shivaji used the guerrilla tactics to capture a part of,
the then, dominant Mughal empire.

Ancient India
The History of India begins with the Indus Valley Civilization and the coming of the Aryans.
These two phases are generally described as the pre-Vedic and Vedic periods. The earliest
literary source that sheds light on India's past is the Rig Veda. It is difficult to date this work
with any accuracy on the basis of tradition and ambiguous astronomical information contained
in the hymns.

Modern Indian History

During the late 16th and the 17th Centuries, the European trading companies in India competed
with each other ferociously. By the last quarter of the 18th Century the English had outdone all
others and established themselves as the dominant power in India. The British administered
India for a period of about two centuries and brought about revolutionary changes in the social,
political and the economic life of the country.

Rise of Delhi Sultanate

Muhammad Ghori defeated Prithviraj Chauhan in the Second Battle of Tarain (1192) and laid
the foundations of Muslim rule in India. After establishing his empire Ghori returned to
Afghanistan, leaving Delhi in the hands of his trusted slave general, Qutub-ud-din Aibak.
(During Ghori's period, slaves occupied all high positions of the administration and loved his
slaves like his sons) Upon the death of Ghori in 1206, leaving no son, Qutub-ud-din proclaimed
himself as the Sultan of Delhi and this marked the beginning of Delhi Sultanate.

The period between 1206-1526 in India's history is known as the Delhi Sultanate. During this
period of over 320 years, five Muslim dynasties ruled in Delhi. These were: the Slave dynasty
(1206-1290), the Khilji dynasty (1290-1320), the Tughlaq dynasty (1320-1414), the Sayyid
dynasty (1414-1451) and the Lodi dynasty (1451-1526). The official language of the Delhi
Sultanate was Persian. Amir Khusro, the Persian poet (1253-1325) has adorned the royal
courts of more than seven rulers of Delhi Sultanate.

The Slave Dynasty (1206-1290):

The first Muslim dynasty that ruled India. The slave dynasty was founded in 1206 by Qutub-
ud-din Aibak (1206-1210). He established his capital in Lahore. Aibak had to face many
revolts from Rajputs and other Indian chiefs. He strengthened his position by matrimonial
alliances with the powerful Muslim chiefs. He laid the foundation of Qutab Minar in Delhi in
honor of the Sufi Saint Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiar Kaki. He also constructed two mosques: Quwal-
ul-lslam at Delhi and Adhai din ka Jhopra at Ajmer. He was very kind and generous to his
people and for his generosity, he was given the title of 'Lakh Baksh', meaning giver of lakhs.
He ruled only for four years as he died of injuries received in a fall from his horse while playing
Polo in 1210. He was succeeded by his son Aram Shah, who proved to be an incapable ruler.
Shams-ud-din Iltutmish, a slave and son-in-law of Qutub-ud-din, defeated Aram Shah with the
support of the Turkish nobles and ascended the throne in 1211.

Shams-ud-din Iltutmish (1211-1236) is regarded as the real founder of the Delhi Sultanate.
He shifted his capital from Lahore to Delhi. On his accession, Iltutmish faced a number of
challenges. Other slaves of Muhammad Ghori like Tajuddin Yaldauz, Nasir-ud-Din Qubacha
(the Governor of Uch and Multan) and Ali Mardan (the Governor of Bengal) rose into power.
He defeated Yaldauz in 1215 and drove away Qabacha from Punjab in 1217.

In 1221, the Mongols appeared for the first time on the banks of the river Indus under their
famous leader Chengiz Khan. By his diplomatic skills, he saved the kingdom from the attack
of Chengiz Khan He refused giving shelter to Jalal-ud-din, whom Changiz Khan was chasing.
Iltutmish's eldest son, Nasir-ud-din defeated Ghias-ud-din, the son of Ali Mardan and
reconquered Bengal in 1227. Iltutmish also reconquered Bihar, Gwalior, Ranathambhor. Jalor,
Ajmer, Kalinjar and Mandor from the Rajputs.

Group of Forty: Iltutmush introduced reforms in civil administration and set up an official
nobility of slaves known as Turkan-i-Chahalgani or Chalisa (a group of forty). These were
Turkish nobles who advised and helped the Sultan in administering the Sultanate. After the
death of Iltutmish, this group assumed great power in its hands. For a few years they decided
on the selection of Sultans one after the other. The group was finally eliminated by Balban.

He initiated an Iqta system, in which lands were assigned to the nobles and officers in lieu of
salary. He introduced silver tankas and copper jital, the two basic coins of the Sultanate period.
Iltutmish completed the construction of Qutub Minar which was started by Qutub-ud-din
Aibak. Sultan Ghari, the first Islamic Mausoleum in Delhi, was constructed by Iltutmush in
memory of his eldest son Nasir-ud-din Mahmud who had died in 1229 while governing
Bengal.

Jalalat al-Din Radiyya (Raziyya) (1236-1240): Please read: Raziyya: The Slave Empress
of India

Bahram Shah's reign was followed by Ala-ud-din Masud Shah (1242-1246) and Nasir-ud-din
Mahmud (1246-1266), who were weak rulers. Balban became the de-facto ruler of the
Sultanate during the reign of Nasir-ud-din.

Ghias-ud-din Balban (1266-1286) was a slave of Iltutmush. After the death of Nasir-ud-din,
Balban became the Sultan of Delhi in 1266. Balban was one of the ablest kings of the Delhi
Sultanate. He broke the power of Chalisa and reorganized the administration. He established
the military department Diwan-i-Arz and maintained an efficient spy system. The Persian court
model influenced Balbans conception of kingship and he took up the title of Zil-i-Ilahi.
(shadow of God) He introduced Sijda (prostration before the monarch) and Paibos (kissing the
feet of monarch) as the normal forms of salutation. He also destroyed the rebellious people of
Mewat. He introduced the celebration of the Persian new year Nao-roz in India. His son Prince
Muhammad was killed in one of the battles against the Mongols in 1285, which was a smashing
blow to Balban. He never recovered from the death of his dearest son and died in 1287. Balban
was succeeded by his grandson Kaiqubad, who was a weak and incompetent
ruler. Kaiqubad was replaced by his son Kayumars who ruled for three months. Kayumars was
murdered by Jalal-ud-din Khilji and thus came to an end of the powerful Slave dynasty.
The Khilji Dynasty (1290-1320):

After defeating Kayumars, Jalal-ud-din Khilji (1290-1296) established the Khilji dynasty in
1290. He was an old an of seventy when he took over the throne. Jalal-ud-din tried to win the
goodwill of the nobility by a policy of tolerance. He believed that the states in India could not
be a truly Islamic state since the large majority of the people in India were Hindus. Jalal-ud-
din was assassinated by his nephew and son-in-law, Ali Gurshasp, who proclaimed as the
Sultan with the title of Ala-ud-din Khilji in 1296.

Ala-ud-din Khilji (1296-1316) was the first Muslim ruler whose empire covered almost the
whole of India up to its extreme south. His reign was considered as the golden period of the
Khilji dynasty. He conquered Gujarat (1297), Ranthambhor (1301), Mewar (1303), Malwa
(1305), Marwar, Siwana (1308) and Jalore (1311). His general, Malik Kafur defeated the
Yadavas of Devagiri, Kakatiyas of Warrangal, Hoysalas of Dwarsamudra and the Pandyas of
Madurai. To curb any revolt from his followers, he reorganized the spy system and prohibited
the use of wine. The nobles were ordered not to have social gatherings or inter-marriages
without his permission. He established a huge permanent, standing army to protect the country
from Mongol invasion. Ala-ud-din also lowered and fixed the price of the commodities of daily
use. Mongol attacks increased during the reign of Ala-ud-din and he built the Siri fort in Delhi
to defend the city from Mongol invasions. In 1316, after death of Alauddin, Malik Kafur placed
Ala-ud-din's 6 year old prince Shahab-ud-din Umar on the throne and himself became his
regent. Soon Malik Kafur was murdered and another son of Ala-ud-din, Qutub-ud-din
Mubarak (1316-1320) proclaimed himself as the new Sultan. He was a weakest ruler and he
abolished all taxes and penalties and all prisoners were released. Mubarak was murdered by
Khusrau Khan, his Commander-in-Chief and a Hindu slave, in 1320. Khusrau Khan (1320)
replaced the Muslim officers with Hindu officers and they dishonored the Mosques and insulted
Muslims. The Muslims could not tolerate this and they invited Ghazi Malik, a Tughlaq noble
to attack Khusrau. Khusrau was killed in the battle and this marked the end of the Khilji
dynasty.

Please read: Ala-ud-din's Conquest of Mewar

The Tughlaq Dynasty (1320-1412):

Ghazi Malik ascended the throne as Ghias-ud-din Tughlaq (1320-1325) and founded the
Tughlaq dynasty in 1320. Ghias-ud-din was an efficient ruler and administrator. He built the
city of Tughlaqabad near Delhi. He died in 1325 from the collapse of a wooden structure built
by his son Jauna.

Mohammad-bin-Tughlaq (Fakhr-ud-din Jauna 1325-1351) succeeded his father in 1325. He

started a new department for the development of Agriculture called Diwan-i Kohi. He
introduced many experiments like increasing the rate of taxation in Doab and introduction of
token currency using copper coins; but none of them was successful. He first shifted his capital
from Delhi to Devagiri (which he renamed as Daulatabad) in Deccan and then again to Delhi
caused heavy financial loss and great hardship to the people: The two places are six hundred
miles apart. The unfortunate people were compelled to obey and thousands including women,
children and aged persons died by the way. He frequently punished the slightest offences with
death, and often without examining the accused. Thus he lost support of the nobles resulting in
revolts in many parts of his empire and breaking up of the provinces. The whole of South India
became independent during his reign and two new kingdoms: the Vijayanagara and the
Bahmani Kingdoms were emerged in the south. Mohammad-bin-Tughlaq died while
campaigning against Taghi, a Turkish slave in Sindh.

Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq was succeeded by his cousin Feroz Shah Tughlaq (1351-1388) in

1351. He constructed canals for the promotion of Agriculture and also established four new
towns: Firozabad, Jaunpur, Fathehabad and Hissar Firuza. He also repaired the top two stories
of the Qutub Minar, which were damaged by lightning in 1368. He was intolerant towards
Hindus and imposed the Jizya tax on the Brahmins. Hindu temples and idols were destroyed.
After the death of Feroz in 1388, Malwa, Gujarat and Jaunpur Kingdoms broke away from the
Sultanate and the Tughlaq dynasty virtually came to an end.

Timur's Invasion - 1398: Please read: Timur's Invasion of India

The Sayyid Dynasty (1414-1451):

Timur appointed Khizr Khan (1414-1421) as the Governor of Punjab before he left to
Samarkand. Khizr Khan took Delhi from Daulat Khan Lodi and established the Sayyid
dynasty. He did not take up the title of Sultan but continued to be a vassal of the Timurids.
Khizr Khan claimed to be a Sayyid or descendant of Prophet Mohammed. During his reign, a
number of provinces of Delhi declared their independence and the whole of his period was
spent in trying to suppress those revolts. After Khizr Khan's death, Mubarak Shah (1421-1434)
and Mohammad Shah (1434-1443) ascended the throne one after another. Mohammad Shah's
son Alam Shah (1443-1451) was a weakest ruler and he handed over the rule to Bahlol Lodi,
the Governor of Punjab, and thus the Lodis came to power in 1451.

Lodi Dynasty, the First Afghan Empire of India (1451-1526):

Bahlol Khan Lodi (1451-1488) established the first Afghan Empire in India known as the
Lodi dynasty. After continuous war for 26 years, he succeeded in extending his authority over
Jaunpur, Rewail, Itawah, Mewar, Sambhal and Gwalior. He was succeeded by his
son Sikander Lodi (Nizam Shah 1489-1517), who conquered Bihar and Bengal. He founded
the city of Agra in 1504 and shifted his capital from Delhi to Agra. Ibrahim Lodi (1517-1526),
succeeded his father Sikander Lodi in 1517. Ibrahim Lodhi asserted the absolute power of the
Sultan and he used to insult his nobles. He replaced old and senior officers with young ones
who were loyal to him. The nobles who revolted were put to death. He murdered his own
brother Jalal Khan. At last, Daulat Khan Lodi, the governor of Punjab and Alam Khan, an uncle
of Ibrahim Lodi, invited the Timurid Prince Babur to crush Ibrahim Lodi.

Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur defeated Sultan Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat in
1526 and became the ruler of Delhi and Agra. With this the Delhi sultanate came to an end and
began the era of the Mighty Mughals in India.

Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya: A Forgotten King

:In Mughal Empire , Sur Dynasty
Not many people have heard of Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya popularly known as
Hemu, who was the last Hindu ruler of Delhi (1556). Let's go through a brief history of
Delhi: Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated in the Second Battle of Tarain (1192) by Muhammad
Ghori and the Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526) was established. Zahir ud-din Muhammad Babur
defeated Sultan Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat and founded the Mughal Empire in
India (1526). The Mughal Rule was interrupted briefly; when Sher Shah Suri defeated
Babur's son Humayun and established the Second Afghan Empire in India, known as the Sur
Dynasty (1540-1555). Humayun had to leave India and took refugee in Persia (Iran).
Hemu was born in a Hindu Brahmin family at Rewari (in Haryana) in 1501. He was
originally a shop keeper who supplied cereals and saltpeter to Sher Shah's army. Sher Shah
Suri was succeeded by his second son Jalal Khan on 25 May, 1545, under the title of Salim
Shah Suri (also known as Islam Shah). From Bengal to the Indus he built an intermediate
Sarai between each of those which his father had erected. He shifted the capital from Delhi to
Gwalior (in Madhya Pradesh), considering it to be a safer place. Salim Shah made Hemu
Superintendent of the Markets. Salim Shah was succeeded by his twelve year old son son
Firuz Shah Suri who was assassinated by Sher Shah's nephew Mubariz Khan. Mubariz Khan
then ascended the throne under the title of Adil Shah Suri (1554-1555).
Rise of Hemu: Adil Shah was an indolent pleasure-seeker and a drunkard. He made Hemu his
Vizier and entrusted the whole administration to him. After his victory over the rebel
governor Junaid Khan, Hemu's power increased greatly. Due to Adil Shah's ill-treatment
towards the nobles, many Afghan chiefs rebelled against him and the Sur Empire was broken
up. Adil Shah shifted his capital to Chunar (in Uttar Pradesh) and sent Hemu to crush the
rebellions. Ibrahim Suri, the governor of Agra, defeated Adil Shah and captured Agra and
Delhi (1555). Thus only Agra to Malwa was left under Adil Shah. Sikandar Suri, the
governor of Lahore, defeated Ibrahim and occupied both Delhi and Agra in addition to
Punjab (1555). When Ibrahim marched to Kalpi against Adil Shah, he sent a large force
under Hemu. Ibrahim was defeated twice. (Later, Ibrahim took refuge in Orissa, where he
died in 1567) Hemu also defeated and killed Muhammad Suri, the governor of Bengal, in a
battle at Chaparghatha in Dec 1555. It was during this time that Humayun returned to
Hindustan and captured Delhi after defeating Sikandar Suri. Adil Shah was preparing more
troops to carry on the war against Humayun, but then he received the news of the death of
Humayun. (Adil was finally defeated and killed by Muhammad Suri's son, Khizr Khan, the
ruler of Bengal, in 1557)
Humayun's Death: After wandering through the deserts of Rajputana and Sind, Humayun
finally had to seek hospitality in Persia (1544). In Persia, Humayun was welcomed by Shah
Tahmasp on a condition that he must accept Shia faith. Shah provided him financial aid and
troops to regain his Empire. Humayun captured Kandahar and Kabul from his disloyal
brothers (1545). Taking advantage of the civil war among the Suris, he marched towards
India along with his trusted general Bairam Khan and captured Lahore (Feb 1555). After
defeating Sikandar Suri, he regained control over Punjab, Delhi and Agra after a gap of 15
years (July 1555). His son Akbar was made the governor of Punjab. Humayun died on 24 Jan
1556, due to an accidental fall from the stairs of his library (Sher Mandal library at Purana
Qila) in Delhi. At the time of Humayun's death, Akbar was in Punjab with his guardian
Bairam Khan, where he was engaged in operations against Sikandar Suri. Akbar (1556-1605)
was coronated in Kalanur (in Punjab) on Feb 14, 1556, at the age of thirteen and Bairam
Khan became his Regent. Humayun's tomb, located in Delhi is one of the UNESCO World
Heritage Sites in India. It was built in 1565, by his widow Bega Begum.
Hemu Ascends the Throne of Delhi: Upon hearing the news of Humayun's death, Adil Shah
sent Hemu with a large army to capture Delhi and Agra. After winning Agra, Hemu
proceeded towards Delhi. Tardi Beg Khan, the governor of Delhi, was defeated after a day's
battle and Hemu successfully occupied Delhi. (Tardi Beg was later put to death by Bairam
Khan.) When he got possession of so much plunder of the Mughal army, he began to
entertain ambitious ideas, "Adil Shah is helpless. Although he possessed a valiant army, he
could do nothing when Ibrahim and Sikandar rebelled. Now all his elephants and soldiers are
with me". He distributed all the spoil, with the exception of the elephants, among the Afghans
who accompanied him and gained them over to his own side. Hemu ascended the throne of
Delhi on 7 Oct 1556, assuming the title of Vikramaditya and re-established the Hindu rule
after 350 years of Muslim rule. After that he sent word to Adil Shah, "Your slave, by the
royal fortune, has routed the Mughal army, which was firm as an iron wall; but I hear that
Humayun's son commands a numerous force, and is advancing against Dehli. For this reason
I have kept the horses and elephants of the Mughals, in order that I may be able to face the
valiant enemy, and not allow them to reach Dehli".
Hemu had fought twenty two battles with the opponents of Adil Shah and was victorious in
all of them. At that time the Afghans considered themselves natives of the country while the
Mughals were considered as foreigners. Hemu's army composed of Afghans as well as
Hindus. He had a large army with 1,500 war elephants which no ruler of Hindustan had at
that time. Bairam Khan insisted on fighting with Hemu in order to regain control of Delhi. He
sent the Khan Zaman towards Delhi and himself followed with the young Akbar.
Historic Battles of Panipat: The Second BattleBetween Hemu and Akbar (5th Nov
1556):
The Second Battle of Panipat was fought between Hemu and the Mughal forces of Akbar
lead by the Khan Zaman Ali Quli Khan on 5 Nov 1556. Hemu himself commanded his army.
The warriors of that time wore amour that covered their entire body, except their eyes. Hemu
was sitting in a howda on his elephant 'Hawai'. Initially his forces were winning, but suddenly
an arrow hit Hemu in the eye and he fell unconscious. According to Ferishta, "Raising
himself again, Hemu drew the arrow and with it the eye out of the socket, which he wrapped
in his handkerchief, and in spite of his painful situation, he continued to fight with unabated
courage, endeavouring, with the few men who remained about his person, to force his retreat
through the enemy's line". At that time Shah Quli Khan attacked Hemu's elephant driver. The
elephant driver in order to save his own life, pointed to his master. Hemu was captured and
brought before Akbar. Bairam Khan requested Akbar to behead Hemu to earn the title of
Ghazi (Warrior of the Faith) but since Akbar refused to kill a dying enemy, Bairam Khan
beheaded Hemu at a single blow. After Hemu's death, a massacre of Hemu's followers was
ordered by Bairam Khan. On his refusal to convert to Islam, Hemu's father was executed.
Thus the Second Battle of Panipat resulted in the re-establishment of Mughals under Jalal-ud-
din Muhammad Akbar.