c. 1.5 million years ago
Attirampakkam, Tamil Nadu
Acheulian stone tools (hand-axes and cleavers) — among the oldest evidence of early humans in South Asia.
✓ Shanti Pappu et al., Science (2011) ↗🏺 Era · Bharatavarsha
Ancient India
7,000 BCE – 550 CE
From the first farming villages at Mehrgarh and the planned cities of the Harappan civilization, through the Vedic age and the Mahajanapadas, to the Mauryan and Gupta empires.
Open the map in: 🗺 2,500 BCE Harappan cities🗺 500 BCE Mahajanapadas🗺 250 BCE Ashoka🗺 150 CE Kushans & Satavahanas🗺 400 CE Guptas
Polities
33
Rulers
63
Events
103
Personalities
24
Sites
30
Quiz questions
2,137
🪨 Before the timeline: the Stone Age
The timeline starts at 7000 BCE. Humans lived in the subcontinent for well over a million years before that — these are some of the key discoveries.
c. 385,000–172,000 years ago
Attirampakkam, Tamil Nadu
An early Middle Palaeolithic culture of smaller, prepared-core tools — much earlier than once thought.
✓ Kumar Akhilesh et al., Nature (2018) ↗Mesolithic to historical period
Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh
Natural rock shelters in the Vindhyan foothills with paintings that appear to date from the Mesolithic right through to the historical period.
✓ UNESCO World Heritage Site (2003) ↗from c. 7000 BCE
Mehrgarh, Balochistan
One of the earliest farming villages in the subcontinent: wheat, barley and cattle — where this site’s timeline begins.
🗺 Open the map in 7000 BCEPeriods of this era
Move along the chart to see which periods overlapped in any year; click a bar for the period, or empty space to open the map.
Early Agricultural Cultures
c. 7,000–2,600 BCE
Farming villages from Mehrgarh to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic cultures of Kashmir, the Deccan and the south.
Indus / Harappan Civilization
c. 2,600–1,900 BCE
The mature urban phase: planned cities, standardised weights, seals and long-distance trade.
Late Harappan Cultures
c. 1,900–1,500 BCE
De-urbanisation and regional Late Harappan cultures, alongside the Chalcolithic cultures of central India.
Vedic Period Polities
c. 1,500–600 BCE
Early Vedic communities of the Sapta Sindhu, then the Later Vedic kingdoms of the Ganga-Yamuna doab.
Mahajanapadas
c. 600–321 BCE
Sixteen great realms and many republics (gana-sanghas); Magadha gradually absorbs its rivals.
Mauryan Empire
c. 321–185 BCE
The first empire to span most of the subcontinent, under Chandragupta, Bindusara and Ashoka.
Post-Mauryan Powers
c. 200 BCE – c. 300 CE
No single power: Shungas, Satavahanas, Indo-Greeks, Sakas, Kushans and the Sangam-era Tamil kingdoms.
Kushan Empire
c. 30 CE – c. 300 CE
A Central Asian empire ruling the northwest and Gangetic plain; Kanishka's era of Gandhara and Mathura art.
Gupta Empire & Regional Powers
c. 275 CE – c. 550 CE
The Guptas in the north with the Vakatakas, Pallavas and Kadambas as major contemporaries.
Great powers
Mehrgarh Cultural Tradition 7,000–2,600 BCE Indus / Harappan Civilization 3,300–1,300 BCE Early Vedic Communities 1,500–1,000 BCE Magadha 700–321 BCE Anuradhapura Kingdom 437 BCE – 1017 Mauryan Empire 321–185 BCE Satavahana Empire 200 BCE – 225 CE Kushan Empire 30 CE – 375 CE Gupta Empire 240 CE – 550 CE
📘 NCERT study guide
NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part I ↗ — free official textbook; each chapter links to the periods it covers on this site.
Chapter 2
Kings, Farmers and Towns
Early states and economies, c. 600 BCE – 600 CE
📄 Read the chapter (PDF) ↗
Chapter 4
Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings
Cultural developments, c. 600 BCE – 600 CE
📄 Read the chapter (PDF) ↗
Turning points
- c. 7,000 BCE Farming begins at Mehrgarh · Mehrgarh Cultural Tradition
- c. 3,300 BCE Early Harappan phase begins · Early Harappan Cultures
- c. 2,600 BCE Mature Harappan urban phase begins · Indus / Harappan Civilization
- c. 1,900 BCE Decline of the Harappan cities · Indus / Harappan Civilization
- c. 600 BCE Rise of the sixteen Mahajanapadas
- c. 563 BCE Birth of Siddhartha Gautama at Lumbini · Shakya
- c. 483 BCE Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha · Malla
- 326 BCE Battle of the Hydaspes
- c. 321 BCE Chandragupta Maurya overthrows the Nandas · Mauryan Empire
- c. 261 BCE Kalinga War · Mauryan Empire
- c. 257 BCE Ashoka's Major Rock Edicts inscribed · Mauryan Empire
- c. 247 BCE Mahinda brings Buddhism to Sri Lanka · Anuradhapura Kingdom
- c. 185 BCE Pushyamitra Shunga assassinates Brihadratha · Shunga Dynasty
- c. 127 CE Kanishka's accession · Kushan Empire
- c. 319 CE Gupta era begins · Gupta Empire
- c. 427 CE Nalanda Mahavihara founded · Gupta Empire
- c. 477 CE Kashyapa I builds Sigiriya · Anuradhapura Kingdom
- 499 CE Aryabhata writes the Aryabhatiya · Gupta Empire
- c. 550 CE Fall of the imperial Guptas · Gupta Empire
🧭 Through the eyes of travellers
Visitors from other lands who wrote about India in this era — a favourite exam topic.
Faxian
c. 337 CE – c. 422 CE
Chinese Buddhist pilgrim who travelled through Gupta India
🗺 India in their time Personalities
Vardhamana Mahavira
c. 599–527 BCE
24th Tirthankara of Jainism
Gautama Buddhac. 563–483 BCE
Founder of Buddhism
Makkhali Gosalaactive c. 500 BCE
Founder of the Ajivika sect
Paniniactive c. 400 BCE
Author of the Ashtadhyayi, the classic Sanskrit grammar
Seleucus I Nicatorc. 358–281 BCE
Hellenistic king who ceded the northwest to Chandragupta Maurya
Alexander the Great356–323 BCE
Macedonian king who invaded the northwest in 326 BCE
Porusactive c. 326 BCE
King who fought Alexander at the Hydaspes
Chanakya (Kautilya)active c. 320 BCE
Author of the Arthashastra and adviser to Chandragupta Maurya
Megasthenesactive c. 300 BCE
Greek envoy to Pataliputra who wrote the Indica
Mahinda (Thera)active c. 250 BCE
Ashoka's son who took Buddhism to Sri Lanka
Sanghamittaactive c. 240 BCE
Brought a sapling of the Bodhi tree to Sri Lanka
Patanjaliactive c. 150 BCE
Grammarian who wrote the Mahabhashya on Panini
All 24 personalities of this era →
🏛 Sites & monuments
| Site | Type | From |
|---|---|---|
| Mehrgarh Neolithic farming village in Balochistan. |
Archaeological site | c. 7,000 BCE |
| Harappa Type site of the civilization, on the Ravi. |
Archaeological site | c. 3,300 BCE |
| Rakhigarhi One of the largest Harappan sites. |
Archaeological site | c. 3,300 BCE |
| Kalibangan Ploughed field and fire altars. |
Archaeological site | c. 3,300 BCE |
| Burzahom Neolithic pit dwellings. |
Archaeological site | c. 3,000 BCE |
| Dholavira Water reservoirs and signboard; UNESCO site. |
Archaeological site | c. 3,000 BCE |
| Ahar Type site of the Ahar-Banas culture. |
Archaeological site | c. 3,000 BCE |
| Mohenjo-daro Great Bath and planned grid. |
Archaeological site | c. 2,600 BCE |
| Ganweriwala Large site in Cholistan. |
Archaeological site | c. 2,600 BCE |
| Lothal Dockyard and bead factory. |
Port | c. 2,400 BCE |
| Inamgaon Large Jorwe settlement. |
Archaeological site | c. 1,600 BCE |
| Taxila Centre of learning in Gandhara. |
Capital / fort | c. 1,000 BCE |
| Pataliputra Capital of Magadha, the Mauryas and the Guptas. |
Capital / fort | c. 490 BCE |
| Mahasthangarh Ancient Pundranagara. |
Capital / fort | c. 300 BCE |
| Dhauli Rock Edicts Kalinga edicts of Ashoka. |
Inscription / edict | c. 260 BCE |
| Girnar Rock Edicts Edicts of Ashoka, later Rudradaman's inscription. |
Inscription / edict | c. 257 BCE |
| Kalsi Rock Edict | Inscription / edict | c. 257 BCE |
| Sanchi Stupa Stupa commissioned by Ashoka; gateways from the Satavahana period. |
Religious monument | c. 250 BCE |
| Sarnath Site of the Buddha's first sermon; Lion Capital. |
Religious monument | c. 250 BCE |
| Bodh Gaya Site of the Buddha's enlightenment. |
Religious monument | c. 250 BCE |
| Lumbini (Ashoka pillar) Birthplace of the Buddha; Ashoka's pillar inscription. |
Religious monument | c. 249 BCE |
| Mihintale | Religious monument | c. 247 BCE |
| Amaravati Stupa | Religious monument | c. 200 BCE |
| Ajanta Caves Buddhist cave murals. |
Religious monument | c. 200 BCE |
| Ruwanwelisaya, Anuradhapura | Religious monument | c. 140 BCE |
| Takht-i-Bahi | Religious monument | c. 46 CE |
| Nalanda Great Buddhist monastic university. |
Religious monument | c. 427 CE |
| Swayambhunath | Religious monument | c. 450 CE |
| Sigiriya Rock fortress of Kashyapa I. |
Capital / fort | c. 477 CE |
| Bamiyan Buddhas Destroyed in 2001. |
Religious monument | c. 550 CE |
📚 Recommended reading for this era
Textbook
India's Ancient Past
The expanded version of the classic old-NCERT ancient India text; clear and exam-friendly.
Reference
A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India
The most complete modern textbook on ancient India, rich in sources, maps and archaeology.
Reference
Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300
An authoritative, interpretive history of early Indian society and states.
Reference
The Wonder That Was India
A timeless, beautifully written survey of ancient Indian civilisation.
We may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. See all recommended books →
📄 Research papers
Paper
🇮🇳 Indian scholarship
An Ancient Harappan Genome Lacks Ancestry from Steppe Pastoralists or Iranian Farmers
DNA from a woman buried at Rakhigarhi (Haryana): the first genome from a Harappan individual.
Paper🏛 Library access
The formation of human populations in South and Central Asia
Ancient DNA from 523 individuals tracing how the peoples of the subcontinent formed.
Paper🔓 Free to read
Fluvial landscapes of the Harappan civilization
Rivers, monsoon and the rise and decline of Harappan cities; widely cited in the Saraswati–Ghaggar debate.
Paper🏛 Library access
Abrupt weakening of the summer monsoon in northwest India ~4100 yr ago
Lake sediments from Haryana showing a sharp drying around 2100 BCE, linked to Harappan de-urbanisation.
Paper🔓 Free to read
🇮🇳 Indian scholarship
Oxygen isotope in archaeological bioapatites from India: Implications to climate change and decline of Bronze Age Harappan civilization
Isotopes in animal bones and teeth from Bhirrana suggest farming continued as the monsoon weakened.
Paper🏛 Library access
Revolution in the Urban Revolution: The Emergence of Indus Urbanization
A classic review of how Early Harappan villages became the Mature Harappan cities.