Events

Battles, foundings, treaties and turning points. Click a year to open the map at that moment.

15th century CE286 events by century — click a bar to jump there21st century CE

15th century CE · 1

1498	Vasco da Gama reaches Calicut Political Opening of the sea route from Europe to India. The direct sea route from Europe to India was opened.	Kozhikode	Zamorins of Calicut

16th century CE · 32

1504	Sikandar Lodi founds Agra Founding / accession Agra became the Lodi and later Mughal capital.	Agra	Lodi Dynasty
1505	Portuguese reach Sri Lanka Political	Colombo	Kingdom of Kotte
1509	Krishnadevaraya's accession Founding / accession	Hampi	Tuluva Dynasty
1509	Battle of Diu Battle Portuguese naval victory over a Gujarati-Mamluk fleet. Portuguese naval supremacy in the Arabian Sea was established.	Diu	Portuguese Estado da Índia
1510	Portuguese capture Goa Conquest / annexation Afonso de Albuquerque takes Goa from Bijapur. Goa became the capital of the Portuguese Estado da Índia until 1961.	Goa	Portuguese Estado da Índia
1520	Krishnadevaraya takes Raichur Battle Vijayanagara won the Raichur doab from Bijapur.	Raichur	Tuluva Dynasty
1526	First Battle of Panipat Battle Babur defeats Ibrahim Lodi; the Mughal Empire begins. Ibrahim Lodi was killed and Babur founded the Mughal Empire.	Panipat	Mughal Empire
1527	Battle of Khanwa Battle Babur defeats Rana Sanga. Babur defeated Rana Sanga's Rajput confederacy, securing Mughal rule in the north.	Khanwa	Mughal Empire
1529	Battle of the Ghaghra Battle Babur defeated the Afghan chiefs of the east.	Ghaghra river	Mughal Empire
1530	Death of Babur; Humayun succeeds Political	Agra	Mughal Empire
1535	Humayun takes Mandu and Champaner Conquest / annexation	Champaner	Mughal Empire
1539	Battle of Chausa Battle Sher Shah defeats Humayun. Humayun was defeated and escaped by swimming the Ganga.	Chausa	Sur Empire
1540	Battle of Kannauj Battle Sher Shah Suri defeats Humayun, who goes into exile. Humayun fled into exile and Sher Shah founded the Sur Empire.	Kannauj	Sur Empire
1541	Rohtas Fort begun by Sher Shah Cultural / religious	Rohtas	Sur Empire
1545	Death of Sher Shah at Kalinjar Decline / collapse	Kalinjar	Sur Empire
1555	Humayun recovers Delhi (Battle of Sirhind) Battle Humayun regained his throne from the Surs.	Sirhind	Mughal Empire
1556	Second Battle of Panipat Battle Akbar's forces defeat Hemu. Hemu was captured and killed, securing Akbar's throne.	Panipat	Mughal Empire
1558	Portuguese occupy Malé Conquest / annexation	Malé	Portuguese Malé
1559	Drabya Shah founds the Gorkha kingdom Founding / accession	Gorkha	Gorkha Kingdom
1564	Akbar abolishes the jizya Political Part of Akbar's policy of Sulh-i-kul (peace with all).	Agra	Mughal Empire
1565	Battle of Talikota Battle Deccan Sultanates defeat Vijayanagara; Hampi sacked. Vijayanagara's army was routed and its capital Hampi was sacked.	Talikota	Tuluva Dynasty
1568	Akbar takes Chittorgarh Battle Chittor fell and Rana Udai Singh moved his capital to Udaipur.	Chittorgarh	Mughal Empire
1571	Fatehpur Sikri founded Founding / accession	Fatehpur Sikri	Mughal Empire
1573	Akbar conquers Gujarat Conquest / annexation	Ahmedabad	Mughal Empire
1573	Muhammad Thakurufaanu frees the Maldives Political The Portuguese were expelled after fifteen years.	Malé	Sultanate of the Maldives
1576	Battle of Haldighati Battle Maharana Pratap against Akbar's army under Man Singh. The Mughals held the field but Maharana Pratap escaped to continue resisting.	Haldighati	Mewar (Sisodia)
1576	Battle of Rajmahal: Mughals take Bengal Battle Daud Khan Karrani was killed and Bengal became a Mughal province.	Rajmahal	Mughal Empire
1580	Akbar organises the empire into subahs Political The empire was divided into twelve provinces with uniform administration.	Fatehpur Sikri	Mughal Empire
1582	Akbar's Din-i-Ilahi Cultural / religious	Fatehpur Sikri	Mughal Empire
1586	Mughals annex Kashmir Conquest / annexation	Srinagar	Mughal Empire
1591	Charminar built Cultural / religious	Hyderabad	Golconda Sultanate (Qutb Shahi)
1600	East India Company chartered Founding / accession Royal charter granted in London on 31 December 1600.		British East India Company

17th century CE · 33

1601	Asirgarh falls to Akbar Conquest / annexation	Asirgarh	Mughal Empire
1602	Dutch East India Company (VOC) founded Founding / accession		Dutch East India Company (VOC) in India
1604	Adi Granth installed at Harmandir Sahib Cultural / religious	Amritsar
1605	Death of Akbar Political	Agra	Mughal Empire
1606	Execution of Guru Arjan Dev Political Sikhism began to take on a militant character under Guru Hargobind.	Lahore	Mughal Empire
1611	English factory at Masulipatnam Founding / accession The Company's first factory on the east coast.	Machilipatnam	British East India Company
1612	Battle of Swally Battle English defeat the Portuguese; Surat factory follows. The English defeated the Portuguese and won trading rights at Surat.	Suvali near Surat	British East India Company
1615	Sir Thomas Roe at Jahangir's court Political	Ajmer	Mughal Empire
1616	Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal arrives in Bhutan Founding / accession	Punakha	Bhutan under the Zhabdrung (Druk Desi)
1628	Shah Jahan becomes emperor Founding / accession	Agra	Mughal Empire
1632	Taj Mahal construction begins Cultural / religious	Agra	Mughal Empire
1639	Fort St George founded at Madras Founding / accession	Chennai	Fort St George, Madras
1646	Last Vijayanagara stronghold falls Decline / collapse	Chandragiri	Aravidu Dynasty
1648	Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) inaugurated Founding / accession	Delhi	Mughal Empire
1653	Taj Mahal completed Cultural / religious	Agra	Mughal Empire
1656	Dutch take Colombo from the Portuguese Conquest / annexation Portuguese rule in Sri Lanka ended by 1658.	Colombo	Dutch Ceylon
1658	Aurangzeb becomes emperor Political	Delhi	Mughal Empire
1659	Shivaji kills Afzal Khan at Pratapgad Battle Bijapur's army was routed and Shivaji's power grew.	Pratapgad
1661	Bombay passes to England Treaty Part of Catherine of Braganza's dowry.	Mumbai	Portuguese Bassein & Bombay
1664	Shivaji sacks Surat Battle	Surat
1665	Treaty of Purandar Treaty Shivaji ceded 23 forts to the Mughals and agreed to attend Aurangzeb's court.	Purandar
1666	Shivaji escapes from Agra Political	Agra
1671	Battle of Saraighat Battle Lachit Borphukan's Ahom forces defeat the Mughal fleet on the Brahmaputra. The Ahoms defeated the Mughals, keeping Assam independent.	Saraighat, Guwahati	Ahom Kingdom
1674	Shivaji crowned Chhatrapati Founding / accession	Raigad	Maratha Empire
1675	Execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur Political	Delhi	Mughal Empire
1679	Aurangzeb reimposes the jizya Political Alienated many Rajput and other subjects.	Delhi	Mughal Empire
1680	Death of Shivaji Decline / collapse His son Sambhaji succeeded him.	Raigad	Maratha Empire
1681	Aurangzeb moves to the Deccan Political	Aurangabad	Mughal Empire
1686	Mughals annex Bijapur Conquest / annexation The Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur ended.	Bijapur	Mughal Empire
1687	Mughals annex Golconda Conquest / annexation The Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda ended.	Golconda	Mughal Empire
1689	Execution of Sambhaji Political	Tulapur	Maratha Empire
1690	Job Charnock founds Calcutta Founding / accession Calcutta grew into the capital of British India.	Sutanuti	British East India Company
1699	Guru Gobind Singh founds the Khalsa Cultural / religious	Anandpur Sahib

18th century CE · 38

1707	Death of Aurangzeb Political Beginning of rapid Mughal decline.	Ahmednagar	Mughal Empire
1708	Death of Guru Gobind Singh Decline / collapse He declared the Guru Granth Sahib the eternal Guru.	Nanded
1709	Mirwais Hotak's revolt at Kandahar Founding / accession	Kandahar	Hotak Dynasty
1713	Balaji Vishwanath becomes Peshwa Political	Satara	Maratha Empire
1716	Execution of Banda Singh Bahadur Political	Delhi	Mughal Empire
1717	Farrukhsiyar's farman to the East India Company Treaty	Delhi	Mughal Empire
1720	Baji Rao I becomes Peshwa Political	Pune	Maratha Empire
1724	Battle of Shakar Kheda: Hyderabad State founded Battle Nizam-ul-Mulk defeated the Mughal governor and founded Hyderabad State.	Shakar Kheda	Hyderabad State (Nizams)
1737	Baji Rao raids Delhi Battle	Delhi	Maratha Empire
1739	Nadir Shah sacks Delhi Battle Peacock Throne and Koh-i-Noor carried off. Delhi was plundered and the Peacock Throne and Koh-i-Noor taken to Persia.	Karnal / Delhi	Mughal Empire
1741	Battle of Colachel Battle Travancore defeats the Dutch East India Company. Travancore defeated the Dutch, ending Dutch ambitions in Kerala.	Colachel	Travancore
1742	Maratha (Bargi) raids on Bengal Battle	Murshidabad	Nawabs of Bengal
1746	French capture Madras (First Carnatic War) Battle	Chennai	French India
1747	Ahmad Shah Durrani founds the Durrani Empire Founding / accession	Kandahar	Durrani Empire
1749	Battle of Ambur Battle Anwaruddin Khan was killed; Chanda Sahib, backed by the French, took Arcot.	Ambur	Carnatic (Nawabs of Arcot)
1751	Siege of Arcot Battle Clive's defence of Arcot turned the Second Carnatic War in Britain's favour.	Arcot	Carnatic (Nawabs of Arcot)
1757	Battle of Plassey Battle Clive defeats Siraj ud-Daulah; Company rule begins in Bengal. Siraj ud-Daulah was defeated and Mir Jafar became a Company-backed nawab.	Palashi	British East India Company
1760	Battle of Wandiwash Battle British defeat the French. French power in India was broken.	Vandavasi	British East India Company
1761	Third Battle of Panipat Battle Ahmad Shah Durrani defeats the Marathas. The Marathas were crushed by Ahmad Shah Durrani and their northward expansion checked.	Panipat	Maratha Empire
1764	Battle of Buxar Battle Company defeats Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daula and Shah Alam II. The Company defeated Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daula and Shah Alam II together.	Buxar	British East India Company
1765	Diwani of Bengal granted Treaty Treaty of Allahabad gives the Company revenue rights over Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. The Company won the right to collect revenue in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.	Allahabad	British East India Company
1767	First Anglo-Mysore War Battle	Mysore	Kingdom of Mysore
1768	Prithvi Narayan Shah conquers Kathmandu Conquest / annexation Birth of modern Nepal. Kathmandu became the capital of a unified Nepal.	Kathmandu	Kingdom of Nepal — expansion era
1769	Treaty of Madras Treaty Ended the First Anglo-Mysore War with mutual restitution of conquests.	Chennai	Kingdom of Mysore
1770	Great Bengal Famine Decline / collapse Perhaps a third of Bengal's population died.	Bengal	British East India Company
1773	Regulating Act; Warren Hastings Governor-General Political	Kolkata	British East India Company
1775	First Anglo-Maratha War begins Battle	Pune	Maratha Empire
1780	Battle of Pollilur Battle Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan destroyed a Company force under Colonel Baillie.	Pollilur	Kingdom of Mysore
1782	Treaty of Salbai Treaty The First Anglo-Maratha War ended with a return to the status quo.	Salbai	Scindia State (Gwalior)
1784	Asiatic Society founded Cultural / religious	Kolkata	British East India Company
1784	Treaty of Mangalore Treaty Ended the Second Anglo-Mysore War on the basis of mutual restitution.	Mangaluru	Kingdom of Mysore
1792	Treaty of Seringapatam Treaty Tipu Sultan ceded half his kingdom and gave two sons as hostages.	Srirangapatna	Kingdom of Mysore
1793	Permanent Settlement of Bengal Political	Kolkata	British East India Company
1795	Battle of Kharda Battle Last joint Maratha victory, over Hyderabad. The Marathas defeated the Nizam of Hyderabad.	Kharda	Maratha Empire
1796	British take coastal Ceylon from the Dutch Conquest / annexation Coastal Sri Lanka passed to Britain, confirmed by the Treaty of Amiens.	Colombo	British Ceylon
1798	Hyderabad accepts the Subsidiary Alliance Treaty The Nizam became the first ruler to accept Wellesley's system.	Hyderabad	Hyderabad State (Nizams)
1799	Fall of Srirangapatna Battle Tipu Sultan killed in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War. Tipu Sultan was killed and the Wodeyars were restored as Company allies.	Srirangapatna	Kingdom of Mysore
1799	Ranjit Singh takes Lahore Founding / accession	Lahore	Sikh Empire

19th century CE · 46

1802	Treaty of Bassein Treaty Peshwa Baji Rao II accepted the Subsidiary Alliance.	Vasai	Maratha Empire
1803	Battle of Assaye Battle Second Anglo-Maratha War. Arthur Wellesley defeated the combined Scindia and Bhonsle armies.	Assaye	British East India Company
1803	British capture Delhi Conquest / annexation The Mughal emperor came under British protection.	Delhi	British East India Company
1806	Vellore mutiny Political	Vellore	British East India Company
1809	Treaty of Amritsar fixes the Sutlej frontier Treaty Ranjit Singh agreed not to expand south of the Sutlej.	Amritsar	Sikh Empire
1814	Anglo-Nepal War: siege of Nalapani Battle The Gorkha garrison under Balbhadra Kunwar held out before withdrawing.	Nalapani, Dehradun	Kingdom of Nepal — expansion era
1815	Kandyan Convention Treaty The whole of Sri Lanka passes to British rule. The Kandyan kingdom ended and all Sri Lanka came under British rule.	Kandy	Kingdom of Kandy
1816	Treaty of Sugauli Treaty Fixes most of Nepal's modern borders. Nepal ceded Kumaon, Garhwal and the Terai and accepted a British resident.	Sugauli	Kingdom of Nepal
1817	Battle of Khadki Battle The Peshwa's army was defeated near Pune.	Khadki	Maratha Empire
1818	Third Anglo-Maratha War ends Decline / collapse Peshwa deposed; the Company becomes paramount. The Peshwa's territories were annexed and the Company became the paramount power.	Pune	Maratha Empire
1824	Kittur revolt against the Company Battle Rani Chennamma won an early victory but was captured in a second assault.	Kittur
1826	Treaty of Yandabo Treaty Assam passes to the British after the Burmese occupation. Burma ceded Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim to the Company.	Assam	Ahom Kingdom
1828	Brahmo Samaj founded Cultural / religious	Kolkata	British East India Company
1829	Sati abolished Political	Kolkata	British East India Company
1835	English Education Act Political	Kolkata	British East India Company
1839	Death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Decline / collapse	Lahore	Sikh Empire
1839	First Anglo-Afghan War begins Battle Shah Shuja was installed in Kabul, but British forces were destroyed in 1842.	Kabul	Emirate of Afghanistan
1842	British retreat from Kabul Battle Almost the entire retreating British column was annihilated.	Gandamak	Emirate of Afghanistan
1843	Annexation of Sindh Conquest / annexation Sindh was annexed after the Battle of Miani.	Hyderabad (Sindh)	British East India Company
1845	First Anglo-Sikh War Battle The Sikhs ceded the Jullundur Doab and paid an indemnity.	Ferozeshah	Sikh Empire
1846	Jammu & Kashmir granted to Gulab Singh Treaty The Dogra-ruled princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was created.	Amritsar
1846	Kot massacre; Rana rule begins in Nepal Political Jung Bahadur Rana seized power and Rana prime ministers ruled for 104 years.	Kathmandu	Kingdom of Nepal
1848	Doctrine of Lapse applied to Satara Political Satara was annexed because its ruler died without a natural heir.	Satara	British East India Company
1849	Punjab annexed Conquest / annexation After the Second Anglo-Sikh War. The Sikh Empire ended and Maharaja Duleep Singh was pensioned off.	Lahore	British East India Company
1853	First passenger railway: Bombay to Thane Cultural / religious	Mumbai	British East India Company
1855	Santhal Hul (rebellion) Political Led by Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu. Suppressed in 1856; the Santhal Parganas district was created.	Santhal Pargana	British East India Company
1856	Awadh annexed Conquest / annexation Wajid Ali Shah was deposed on the charge of misgovernance.	Lucknow	British East India Company
1856	Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act Political Remarriage of Hindu widows was legalised.	Kolkata	British East India Company
1857	Revolt of 1857 begins at Meerut Political Spreads to Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi and beyond. The revolt was suppressed by 1858 and Company rule was ended.	Meerut
1857	Mangal Pandey's attack at Barrackpore Political Mangal Pandey was hanged; his regiment was disbanded.	Barrackpore	British East India Company
1857	Rebels proclaim Bahadur Shah Zafar emperor Political Delhi became the centre of the revolt until retaken in September 1857.	Delhi
1858	Government of India Act — Crown rule begins Political Company rule ends; Queen's Proclamation. The Crown took over India, governed by a Viceroy and a Secretary of State.		British Raj (Crown Rule)
1858	Rani Lakshmibai falls at Gwalior Battle	Gwalior
1859	Indigo revolt in Bengal Political The Indigo Commission of 1860 ended forced indigo cultivation.	Nadia	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1869	Birth of Mahatma Gandhi Cultural / religious	Porbandar
1872	First census of British India Political		British Raj (Crown Rule)
1875	Arya Samaj and Aligarh (MAO) College founded Cultural / religious	Aligarh	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1876	Indian Association founded Political	Kolkata	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1877	Delhi Durbar: Victoria proclaimed Empress of India Political	Delhi	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1878	Second Anglo-Afghan War Battle	Kabul	Emirate of Afghanistan
1878	Vernacular Press Act Political Indian-language newspapers were curbed; repealed in 1881.		British Raj (Crown Rule)
1883	Ilbert Bill controversy Political European opposition forced the bill to be diluted, stirring Indian nationalism.	Kolkata	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1885	Indian National Congress founded Political It became the principal organisation of the freedom movement.	Mumbai	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1887	Maldives becomes a British protectorate Treaty	Malé	Sultanate of the Maldives
1893	Durand Line agreed Treaty Boundary between British India and Afghanistan. The frontier between British India and Afghanistan was fixed.	Khyber Pass	Emirate of Afghanistan
1899	Birsa Munda's Ulgulan Political Birsa died in custody in 1900; the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act followed in 1908.	Ranchi	British Raj (Crown Rule)

20th century CE · 114

1905	Partition of Bengal Political Triggers the Swadeshi movement; reversed in 1911. It triggered the Swadeshi movement and was annulled in 1911.	Kolkata	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1905	Swadeshi movement launched Political Boycott of British goods and promotion of Indian industry.	Kolkata	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1906	All-India Muslim League founded Political	Dhaka	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1907	Ugyen Wangchuck becomes first King of Bhutan Founding / accession	Punakha	Kingdom of Bhutan
1907	Surat split of the Congress Political The Congress divided into Moderates and Extremists.	Surat	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1908	Khudiram Bose executed Political	Muzaffarpur	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1909	Morley-Minto Reforms Political Separate electorates for Muslims were introduced.		British Raj (Crown Rule)
1911	Capital moved from Calcutta to Delhi Political	Delhi	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1911	Delhi Durbar annuls the Partition of Bengal Political Bengal was reunited and the capital moved to Delhi.	Delhi	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1913	Rabindranath Tagore wins the Nobel Prize Cultural / religious	Santiniketan	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1913	Ghadar Party founded Political Founded in San Francisco by Indian emigrants.
1915	Gandhi returns to India Political	Mumbai	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1916	Lucknow Pact Treaty The Congress and the Muslim League agreed on joint constitutional demands.	Lucknow	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1916	Home Rule Leagues launched Political Led by Tilak and Annie Besant.	Pune	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1917	Champaran Satyagraha Political	Champaran	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1918	Kheda Satyagraha Political Revenue collection was suspended for the poorest farmers.	Kheda	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1918	Ahmedabad mill strike Political Gandhi's fast won the workers a 35 per cent wage increase.	Ahmedabad	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1919	Jallianwala Bagh massacre Political Nationwide outrage followed and Tagore renounced his knighthood.	Amritsar	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1919	Third Anglo-Afghan War; Afghan independence Political The Treaty of Rawalpindi recognised Afghanistan's control of its foreign affairs.	Kabul	Emirate of Afghanistan
1919	Rowlatt Act Political Allowed detention without trial. Gandhi called a nationwide Rowlatt Satyagraha.		British Raj (Crown Rule)
1919	Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms Political Dyarchy was introduced in the provinces.		British Raj (Crown Rule)
1920	Non-Cooperation Movement Political		British Raj (Crown Rule)
1920	Khilafat Movement Political Joined with Non-Cooperation in a united Hindu-Muslim struggle.		British Raj (Crown Rule)
1922	Chauri Chaura incident Political	Chauri Chaura	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1923	Swaraj Party founded Political Nationalists contested legislative elections to wreck them from within.	Allahabad	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1925	Kakori train action Political Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri and Roshan Singh were hanged.	Kakori	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1928	Simon Commission boycotted Political The all-British commission met with 'Simon Go Back' protests. Lala Lajpat Rai died after a police lathi-charge.	Lahore	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1928	Nehru Report Political Proposed dominion status; rejected by the Muslim League.		British Raj (Crown Rule)
1928	Bardoli Satyagraha Political The revenue hike was rolled back and Vallabhbhai Patel was hailed as 'Sardar'.	Bardoli	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1929	Purna Swaraj resolution at Lahore Political	Lahore	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1929	Central Legislative Assembly bombing Political Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt courted arrest.	Delhi	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1930	Salt March to Dandi Political Civil Disobedience movement begins. Gandhi broke the salt law, launching the Civil Disobedience Movement.	Dandi	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1930	Chittagong armoury raid Political Led by Surya Sen.	Chittagong	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1931	Gandhi-Irwin Pact Treaty	Delhi	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1931	Execution of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru Political	Lahore	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1931	Karachi Congress resolution on Fundamental Rights Political	Karachi	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1932	Poona Pact Treaty	Pune	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1932	Communal Award Political Gandhi's fast against separate electorates for Depressed Classes led to the Poona Pact.		British Raj (Crown Rule)
1935	Government of India Act 1935 Political		British Raj (Crown Rule)
1937	Provincial elections under the 1935 Act Political The Congress formed ministries in most provinces.		British Raj (Crown Rule)
1939	Congress ministries resign Political Protest at India being declared at war without consultation.		British Raj (Crown Rule)
1940	Lahore Resolution Political	Lahore	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1942	Quit India Movement Political Congress leaders were jailed, but the movement showed British rule was untenable.	Mumbai	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1942	Cripps Mission Political Its offer of post-war dominion status was rejected.	Delhi	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1943	Bengal famine Decline / collapse	Bengal	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1944	Battles of Imphal and Kohima Battle The INA fought alongside Japanese forces. Allied victory; the Japanese and INA were forced to retreat.	Kohima	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1945	INA trials at the Red Fort Political Public outrage led to the sentences being remitted.	Delhi	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1945	Simla Conference Political Failed over the League's claim to nominate all Muslim members.	Shimla	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1946	Royal Indian Navy mutiny Political	Mumbai	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1946	Direct Action Day riots Political	Kolkata	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1946	Cabinet Mission Political Proposed a three-tier federation that ultimately failed.	Delhi	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1946	Constituent Assembly first meets Political Sachchidananda Sinha presided; Rajendra Prasad was elected permanent chairman.	New Delhi	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1947	Independence and Partition Founding / accession India becomes independent on 15 August 1947. India and Pakistan became independent dominions amid mass migration and violence.	New Delhi	Dominion of India
1947	Pakistan comes into being Founding / accession 14 August 1947.	Karachi	Pakistan (West & East)
1947	First Kashmir war Battle	Srinagar
1947	Mountbatten Plan Political Announced on 3 June 1947. British India was to be partitioned into India and Pakistan.	New Delhi	British Raj (Crown Rule)
1948	Hyderabad integrated (Operation Polo) Political The Nizam surrendered and Hyderabad joined the Indian Union.	Hyderabad	Dominion of India
1948	Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi Political	Delhi	Dominion of India
1948	Ceylon becomes independent Founding / accession	Colombo	Dominion of Ceylon
1949	Constitution of India adopted Political 26 November 1949.	New Delhi	Dominion of India
1950	Constitution comes into force Founding / accession India becomes a Republic on 26 January 1950. India became a republic with Rajendra Prasad as its first President.	New Delhi	Republic of India
1951	Democracy restored in Nepal Political	Kathmandu	Kingdom of Nepal
1951	India's first general election (1951–52) Political	New Delhi	Republic of India
1952	Bengali Language Movement Political	Dhaka	Pakistan (West & East)
1953	First ascent of Everest Cultural / religious Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary.	Mount Everest	Kingdom of Nepal
1953	Andhra State formed Political It became the first state formed on a linguistic basis.	Kurnool	Republic of India
1954	French settlements transferred to India Political	Puducherry	Republic of India
1954	Panchsheel agreement with China Treaty		Republic of India
1956	States Reorganisation Act Political States reorganised on linguistic lines. States were reorganised largely on linguistic lines into 14 states and 6 union territories.		Republic of India
1956	Pakistan becomes an Islamic Republic Political	Karachi	Pakistan (West & East)
1956	Sinhala Only Act Political	Colombo	Dominion of Ceylon
1958	Ayub Khan's coup Political	Karachi	Pakistan (West & East)
1959	The Dalai Lama takes refuge in India Political	Tawang	Republic of India
1960	Indus Waters Treaty Treaty	Karachi
1960	Bombay State split into Maharashtra and Gujarat Political	Mumbai	Republic of India
1961	Goa liberated Political End of Portuguese rule in India. Portuguese rule ended and Goa, Daman and Diu joined India.	Goa	Republic of India
1962	Sino-Indian War Battle China declared a ceasefire after advancing in the east and in Aksai Chin.	Tawang	Republic of India
1964	Death of Jawaharlal Nehru Political	New Delhi	Republic of India
1965	Maldives becomes independent Founding / accession	Malé	Sultanate of the Maldives
1965	Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Battle The war ended in a UN-backed ceasefire.	Lahore sector	Republic of India
1966	Tashkent Declaration Treaty India and Pakistan withdrew to pre-war positions.		Republic of India
1967	Naxalbari uprising Political	Naxalbari	Republic of India
1968	Maldives becomes a republic Founding / accession	Malé	Republic of Maldives
1969	ISRO founded Cultural / religious	Bengaluru	Republic of India
1969	Nationalisation of 14 major banks Political		Republic of India
1971	Bangladesh Liberation War Battle Bangladesh became an independent nation.	Eastern front	Republic of India
1971	Independence of Bangladesh Founding / accession	Dhaka	People's Republic of Bangladesh
1971	Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Battle Pakistan's Eastern Command surrendered on 16 December 1971.	Dhaka	Republic of India
1972	Simla Agreement Treaty India and Pakistan agreed to settle disputes bilaterally and respect the Line of Control.	Shimla	Republic of India
1972	Ceylon becomes the Republic of Sri Lanka Political	Colombo	Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
1973	Afghan monarchy ends Political	Kabul	Afghanistan
1974	Smiling Buddha nuclear test Political	Pokhran	Republic of India
1975	Sikkim becomes a state of India Political The Chogyal monarchy was abolished after a referendum.	Gangtok	Republic of India
1975	The Emergency declared in India Political	New Delhi	Republic of India
1977	Emergency lifted; Janata Party wins Political Morarji Desai became the first non-Congress Prime Minister.	New Delhi	Republic of India
1979	Soviet intervention in Afghanistan Battle	Kabul	Afghanistan
1983	Sri Lankan civil war begins Battle	Jaffna	Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
1984	Bhopal gas tragedy Decline / collapse	Bhopal	Republic of India
1984	Operation Blue Star Battle	Amritsar	Republic of India
1984	Assassination of Indira Gandhi Political Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister.	New Delhi	Republic of India
1984	Rakesh Sharma flies to space Cultural / religious		Republic of India
1985	SAARC founded at Dhaka Founding / accession Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka; Afghanistan joined in 2007.	Dhaka
1987	Indo-Sri Lanka Accord Treaty The IPKF was sent to Sri Lanka and provincial councils were created.	Colombo	Republic of India
1988	Benazir Bhutto becomes Prime Minister Political	Islamabad	Islamic Republic of Pakistan
1989	Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan Political	Kabul	Afghanistan
1990	Jana Andolan restores democracy in Nepal Political	Kathmandu	Kingdom of Nepal
1991	Economic liberalisation Political The licence raj was dismantled and India opened to foreign investment.		Republic of India
1991	Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi Political	Sriperumbudur	Republic of India
1992	Panchayati Raj amendments (73rd and 74th) Political Constitutional status for panchayats and municipalities.		Republic of India
1996	Civil war begins in Nepal Battle	Rolpa	Kingdom of Nepal
1998	Pokhran-II nuclear tests Political India declared itself a nuclear-weapons state.	Pokhran	Republic of India
1998	Chagai nuclear tests Political	Chagai	Islamic Republic of Pakistan
1999	Kargil War Battle India recaptured the heights that had been occupied.	Kargil	Republic of India
2000	Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand created Political		Republic of India

21st century CE · 22

2001	Bamiyan Buddhas destroyed Decline / collapse	Bamiyan	Afghanistan
2001	Attack on the Indian Parliament Political	New Delhi	Republic of India
2004	Indian Ocean tsunami Decline / collapse Devastated coasts of Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives.	Galle
2005	Right to Information Act Political		Republic of India
2006	Comprehensive Peace Accord in Nepal Treaty	Kathmandu	Kingdom of Nepal
2007	Afghanistan joins SAARC Political	New Delhi	Afghanistan
2008	Bhutan becomes a constitutional monarchy Political	Thimphu	Kingdom of Bhutan
2008	Nepal becomes a republic Founding / accession	Kathmandu	Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
2008	Mumbai terror attacks Political	Mumbai	Republic of India
2008	Chandrayaan-1 launched Cultural / religious It helped confirm water molecules on the Moon.	Sriharikota	Republic of India
2009	End of the Sri Lankan civil war Treaty The LTTE was militarily defeated.	Mullaitivu	Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
2014	Mangalyaan reaches Mars orbit Cultural / religious	Bengaluru	Republic of India
2014	Telangana becomes India's 29th state Political	Hyderabad	Republic of India
2015	Gorkha earthquake Decline / collapse	Gorkha	Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
2016	Demonetisation of 500 and 1000 rupee notes Political		Republic of India
2017	Goods and Services Tax introduced Political		Republic of India
2019	Article 370 revoked Political	Srinagar	Republic of India
2021	Taliban take control of Kabul Political	Kabul	Afghanistan
2022	Sri Lankan economic crisis and Aragalaya protests Political	Colombo	Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
2023	Chandrayaan-3 lands near the lunar south pole Cultural / religious India became the first country to land near the Moon's south pole.	Sriharikota (launch)	Republic of India
2023	G20 summit in New Delhi Political The African Union became a permanent G20 member.	New Delhi	Republic of India
2024	Student-led uprising; Sheikh Hasina resigns Political	Dhaka	People's Republic of Bangladesh