Reference
A History of Nepal
A concise, reliable history of Nepal from the Gorkha unification to the republic.
From Babur's victory at Panipat to the deposition of Bahadur Shah II.
Move along the chart to see which powers existed in any year; click a bar for its page, or empty space to open the map.
| Name | Type | Span | Region | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of Kandy ★ | Kingdom | c. 1469 – 1815 | Sri Lanka | Senkadagala (Kandy) |
| Mughal Empire ★ | Empire | 1526 – 1857 | North | Agra / Fatehpur Sikri / Delhi (Shahjahanabad) |
| Koch Kingdom (Kamata / Cooch Behar) | Kingdom | 1515 – 1949 | Northeast | Kamatapur / Cooch Behar |
| Madurai Nayaks | Kingdom | 1529 – 1736 | South | Madurai / Tiruchirappalli |
| Gorkha Kingdom | Kingdom | 1559 – 1768 | Himalaya | Gorkha |
| Bhutan under the Zhabdrung (Druk Desi) | Theocratic state | 1616 – 1907 | Himalaya | Punakha |
| Kingdom of Cochin | Kingdom | c. 1102 – 1949 | South | Kochi / Thrissur |
| Chaubisi & Baisi Principalities | Chiefdoms | c. 1400 – 1786 | Himalaya | |
| Bikaner State | Kingdom | 1465 – 1949 | West | Bikaner |
| Kantipur (Kathmandu) | Kingdom | 1482 – 1769 | Himalaya | Kantipur (Kathmandu) |
| Lalitpur (Patan) | Kingdom | 1482 – 1769 | Himalaya | Lalitpur (Patan) |
| Bhaktapur | Kingdom | 1482 – 1769 | Himalaya | Bhaktapur |
| Keladi Nayakas (Ikkeri) | Kingdom | 1499 – 1763 | South | Ikkeri / Bednur |
| Safavid Empire (eastern provinces) | Foreign / northwestern kingdom | 1501 – 1736 | Northwest | Herat |
| Kingdom of Sitawaka | Kingdom | 1521 – 1594 | Sri Lanka | Sitawaka |
| Thanjavur Nayaks | Kingdom | 1532 – 1673 | South | Thanjavur |
| Kingdom of Sikkim | Kingdom | 1642 – 1975 | Northeast | Yuksom, later Gangtok |
| Year | Event | Polity |
|---|---|---|
| 1526 | First Battle of Panipat Ibrahim Lodi was killed and Babur founded the Mughal Empire. |
Mughal Empire |
| 1527 | Battle of Khanwa Babur defeated Rana Sanga's Rajput confederacy, securing Mughal rule in the north. |
Mughal Empire |
| 1529 | Battle of the Ghaghra Babur defeated the Afghan chiefs of the east. |
Mughal Empire |
| 1530 | Death of Babur; Humayun succeeds | Mughal Empire |
| 1535 | Humayun takes Mandu and Champaner | Mughal Empire |
| 1539 | Battle of Chausa Humayun was defeated and escaped by swimming the Ganga. |
Sur Empire |
| 1540 | Battle of Kannauj Humayun fled into exile and Sher Shah founded the Sur Empire. |
Sur Empire |
| 1541 | Rohtas Fort begun by Sher Shah | Sur Empire |
| 1545 | Death of Sher Shah at Kalinjar | Sur Empire |
| 1555 | Humayun recovers Delhi (Battle of Sirhind) Humayun regained his throne from the Surs. |
Mughal Empire |
| 1556 | Second Battle of Panipat Hemu was captured and killed, securing Akbar's throne. |
Mughal Empire |
| 1558 | Portuguese occupy Malé | Portuguese Malé |
| 1559 | Drabya Shah founds the Gorkha kingdom | Gorkha Kingdom |
| 1564 | Akbar abolishes the jizya | Mughal Empire |
| 1565 | Battle of Talikota Vijayanagara's army was routed and its capital Hampi was sacked. |
Tuluva Dynasty |
| 1568 | Akbar takes Chittorgarh Chittor fell and Rana Udai Singh moved his capital to Udaipur. |
Mughal Empire |
| 1571 | Fatehpur Sikri founded | Mughal Empire |
| 1573 | Akbar conquers Gujarat | Mughal Empire |
| 1573 | Muhammad Thakurufaanu frees the Maldives The Portuguese were expelled after fifteen years. |
Sultanate of the Maldives |
| 1576 | Battle of Haldighati The Mughals held the field but Maharana Pratap escaped to continue resisting. |
Mewar (Sisodia) |
| 1576 | Battle of Rajmahal: Mughals take Bengal Daud Khan Karrani was killed and Bengal became a Mughal province. |
Mughal Empire |
| 1580 | Akbar organises the empire into subahs The empire was divided into twelve provinces with uniform administration. |
Mughal Empire |
| 1582 | Akbar's Din-i-Ilahi | Mughal Empire |
| 1586 | Mughals annex Kashmir | Mughal Empire |
| 1591 | Charminar built | Golconda Sultanate (Qutb Shahi) |
| 1600 | East India Company chartered | British East India Company |
| 1601 | Asirgarh falls to Akbar | Mughal Empire |
| 1602 | Dutch East India Company (VOC) founded | Dutch East India Company (VOC) in India |
| 1604 | Adi Granth installed at Harmandir Sahib | |
| 1605 | Death of Akbar | Mughal Empire |
| 1606 | Execution of Guru Arjan Dev Sikhism began to take on a militant character under Guru Hargobind. |
Mughal Empire |
| 1611 | English factory at Masulipatnam | British East India Company |
| 1612 | Battle of Swally The English defeated the Portuguese and won trading rights at Surat. |
British East India Company |
| 1615 | Sir Thomas Roe at Jahangir's court | Mughal Empire |
| 1616 | Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal arrives in Bhutan | Bhutan under the Zhabdrung (Druk Desi) |
| 1628 | Shah Jahan becomes emperor | Mughal Empire |
| 1632 | Taj Mahal construction begins | Mughal Empire |
| 1639 | Fort St George founded at Madras | Fort St George, Madras |
| 1646 | Last Vijayanagara stronghold falls | Aravidu Dynasty |
| 1648 | Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) inaugurated | Mughal Empire |
| 1653 | Taj Mahal completed | Mughal Empire |
| 1656 | Dutch take Colombo from the Portuguese Portuguese rule in Sri Lanka ended by 1658. |
Dutch Ceylon |
| 1658 | Aurangzeb becomes emperor | Mughal Empire |
| 1659 | Shivaji kills Afzal Khan at Pratapgad Bijapur's army was routed and Shivaji's power grew. |
|
| 1661 | Bombay passes to England | Portuguese Bassein & Bombay |
| 1664 | Shivaji sacks Surat | |
| 1665 | Treaty of Purandar Shivaji ceded 23 forts to the Mughals and agreed to attend Aurangzeb's court. |
|
| 1666 | Shivaji escapes from Agra | |
| 1671 | Battle of Saraighat The Ahoms defeated the Mughals, keeping Assam independent. |
Ahom Kingdom |
| 1674 | Shivaji crowned Chhatrapati | Maratha Empire |
| 1675 | Execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur | Mughal Empire |
| 1679 | Aurangzeb reimposes the jizya Alienated many Rajput and other subjects. |
Mughal Empire |
| 1680 | Death of Shivaji His son Sambhaji succeeded him. |
Maratha Empire |
| 1681 | Aurangzeb moves to the Deccan | Mughal Empire |
| 1686 | Mughals annex Bijapur The Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur ended. |
Mughal Empire |
| 1687 | Mughals annex Golconda The Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda ended. |
Mughal Empire |
| 1689 | Execution of Sambhaji | Maratha Empire |
| 1690 | Job Charnock founds Calcutta Calcutta grew into the capital of British India. |
British East India Company |
| 1699 | Guru Gobind Singh founds the Khalsa | |
| 1707 | Death of Aurangzeb | Mughal Empire |
| 1708 | Death of Guru Gobind Singh He declared the Guru Granth Sahib the eternal Guru. |
|
| 1709 | Mirwais Hotak's revolt at Kandahar | Hotak Dynasty |
| 1713 | Balaji Vishwanath becomes Peshwa | Maratha Empire |
| 1716 | Execution of Banda Singh Bahadur | Mughal Empire |
| 1717 | Farrukhsiyar's farman to the East India Company | Mughal Empire |
| 1720 | Baji Rao I becomes Peshwa | Maratha Empire |
| 1724 | Battle of Shakar Kheda: Hyderabad State founded Nizam-ul-Mulk defeated the Mughal governor and founded Hyderabad State. |
Hyderabad State (Nizams) |
| 1737 | Baji Rao raids Delhi | Maratha Empire |
| 1739 | Nadir Shah sacks Delhi Delhi was plundered and the Peacock Throne and Koh-i-Noor taken to Persia. |
Mughal Empire |
| 1741 | Battle of Colachel Travancore defeated the Dutch, ending Dutch ambitions in Kerala. |
Travancore |
| 1742 | Maratha (Bargi) raids on Bengal | Nawabs of Bengal |
| 1746 | French capture Madras (First Carnatic War) | French India |
| 1747 | Ahmad Shah Durrani founds the Durrani Empire | Durrani Empire |
| 1749 | Battle of Ambur Anwaruddin Khan was killed; Chanda Sahib, backed by the French, took Arcot. |
Carnatic (Nawabs of Arcot) |
| 1751 | Siege of Arcot Clive's defence of Arcot turned the Second Carnatic War in Britain's favour. |
Carnatic (Nawabs of Arcot) |
| 1757 | Battle of Plassey Siraj ud-Daulah was defeated and Mir Jafar became a Company-backed nawab. |
British East India Company |
| 1760 | Battle of Wandiwash French power in India was broken. |
British East India Company |
| 1761 | Third Battle of Panipat The Marathas were crushed by Ahmad Shah Durrani and their northward expansion checked. |
Maratha Empire |
| 1764 | Battle of Buxar The Company defeated Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daula and Shah Alam II together. |
British East India Company |
| 1765 | Diwani of Bengal granted The Company won the right to collect revenue in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. |
British East India Company |
| 1767 | First Anglo-Mysore War | Kingdom of Mysore |
| 1768 | Prithvi Narayan Shah conquers Kathmandu Kathmandu became the capital of a unified Nepal. |
Kingdom of Nepal — expansion era |
| 1769 | Treaty of Madras Ended the First Anglo-Mysore War with mutual restitution of conquests. |
Kingdom of Mysore |
| 1770 | Great Bengal Famine | British East India Company |
| 1773 | Regulating Act; Warren Hastings Governor-General | British East India Company |
| 1775 | First Anglo-Maratha War begins | Maratha Empire |
| 1780 | Battle of Pollilur Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan destroyed a Company force under Colonel Baillie. |
Kingdom of Mysore |
| 1782 | Treaty of Salbai The First Anglo-Maratha War ended with a return to the status quo. |
Scindia State (Gwalior) |
| 1784 | Asiatic Society founded | British East India Company |
| 1784 | Treaty of Mangalore Ended the Second Anglo-Mysore War on the basis of mutual restitution. |
Kingdom of Mysore |
| 1792 | Treaty of Seringapatam Tipu Sultan ceded half his kingdom and gave two sons as hostages. |
Kingdom of Mysore |
| 1793 | Permanent Settlement of Bengal | British East India Company |
| 1795 | Battle of Kharda The Marathas defeated the Nizam of Hyderabad. |
Maratha Empire |
| 1796 | British take coastal Ceylon from the Dutch Coastal Sri Lanka passed to Britain, confirmed by the Treaty of Amiens. |
British Ceylon |
| 1798 | Hyderabad accepts the Subsidiary Alliance The Nizam became the first ruler to accept Wellesley's system. |
Hyderabad State (Nizams) |
| 1799 | Fall of Srirangapatna Tipu Sultan was killed and the Wodeyars were restored as Company allies. |
Kingdom of Mysore |
| 1799 | Ranjit Singh takes Lahore | Sikh Empire |
| 1802 | Treaty of Bassein Peshwa Baji Rao II accepted the Subsidiary Alliance. |
Maratha Empire |
| 1803 | British capture Delhi The Mughal emperor came under British protection. |
British East India Company |
| 1803 | Battle of Assaye Arthur Wellesley defeated the combined Scindia and Bhonsle armies. |
British East India Company |
| 1806 | Vellore mutiny | British East India Company |
| 1809 | Treaty of Amritsar fixes the Sutlej frontier Ranjit Singh agreed not to expand south of the Sutlej. |
Sikh Empire |
| 1814 | Anglo-Nepal War: siege of Nalapani The Gorkha garrison under Balbhadra Kunwar held out before withdrawing. |
Kingdom of Nepal — expansion era |
| 1815 | Kandyan Convention The Kandyan kingdom ended and all Sri Lanka came under British rule. |
Kingdom of Kandy |
| 1816 | Treaty of Sugauli Nepal ceded Kumaon, Garhwal and the Terai and accepted a British resident. |
Kingdom of Nepal |
| 1817 | Battle of Khadki The Peshwa's army was defeated near Pune. |
Maratha Empire |
| 1818 | Third Anglo-Maratha War ends The Peshwa's territories were annexed and the Company became the paramount power. |
Maratha Empire |
| 1824 | Kittur revolt against the Company Rani Chennamma won an early victory but was captured in a second assault. |
|
| 1826 | Treaty of Yandabo Burma ceded Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim to the Company. |
Ahom Kingdom |
| 1828 | Brahmo Samaj founded | British East India Company |
| 1829 | Sati abolished | British East India Company |
| 1835 | English Education Act | British East India Company |
| 1839 | Death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh | Sikh Empire |
| 1839 | First Anglo-Afghan War begins Shah Shuja was installed in Kabul, but British forces were destroyed in 1842. |
Emirate of Afghanistan |
| 1842 | British retreat from Kabul Almost the entire retreating British column was annihilated. |
Emirate of Afghanistan |
| 1843 | Annexation of Sindh Sindh was annexed after the Battle of Miani. |
British East India Company |
| 1845 | First Anglo-Sikh War The Sikhs ceded the Jullundur Doab and paid an indemnity. |
Sikh Empire |
| 1846 | Jammu & Kashmir granted to Gulab Singh The Dogra-ruled princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was created. |
|
| 1846 | Kot massacre; Rana rule begins in Nepal Jung Bahadur Rana seized power and Rana prime ministers ruled for 104 years. |
Kingdom of Nepal |
| 1848 | Doctrine of Lapse applied to Satara Satara was annexed because its ruler died without a natural heir. |
British East India Company |
| 1849 | Punjab annexed The Sikh Empire ended and Maharaja Duleep Singh was pensioned off. |
British East India Company |
| 1853 | First passenger railway: Bombay to Thane | British East India Company |
| 1855 | Santhal Hul (rebellion) Suppressed in 1856; the Santhal Parganas district was created. |
British East India Company |
| 1856 | Awadh annexed Wajid Ali Shah was deposed on the charge of misgovernance. |
British East India Company |
| 1856 | Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act Remarriage of Hindu widows was legalised. |
British East India Company |
| 1857 | Revolt of 1857 begins at Meerut The revolt was suppressed by 1858 and Company rule was ended. |
|
| 1857 | Mangal Pandey's attack at Barrackpore Mangal Pandey was hanged; his regiment was disbanded. |
British East India Company |
| 1857 | Rebels proclaim Bahadur Shah Zafar emperor Delhi became the centre of the revolt until retaken in September 1857. |
A concise, reliable history of Nepal from the Gorkha unification to the republic.
Source-based chapters on Harappa, Vijayanagara, the Mughal court and 1857 — essential for UPSC.
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