Post-Mauryan Powers

c. 200 BCE – c. 300 CE

Map layer: Regional Kingdoms & Invaders

No single power: Shungas, Satavahanas, Indo-Greeks, Sakas, Kushans and the Sangam-era Tamil kingdoms.

🗺 Map at start (200 BCE) Map at midpoint (50 CE) Zoomed timeline

Main polities of this period

Name	Type	Span	Region	Capital
Anuradhapura Kingdom ★	Kingdom	c. 437 BCE – c. 1017	Sri Lanka	Anuradhapura
Satavahana Empire ★	Empire	c. 200 BCE – c. 225 CE	Deccan	Pratishthana / Amaravati
Early Pandyas (Sangam era)	Kingdom	c. 400 BCE – c. 300 CE	South	Madurai / Korkai
Early Cholas (Sangam era)	Kingdom	c. 300 BCE – c. 300 CE	South	Uraiyur / Puhar
Early Cheras (Sangam era)	Kingdom	c. 300 BCE – c. 300 CE	South	Vanchi (Karur / Muziris)
Mahameghavahana (Chedi) of Kalinga	Dynasty	c. 200 BCE – c. 50 CE	East	Kalinganagari
Indo-Greek Kingdoms	Foreign / northwestern kingdom	c. 200 BCE – c. 10 CE	Northwest	Sagala / Taxila
Shunga Dynasty	Dynasty	c. 185–73 BCE	Gangetic Plain	Pataliputra / Vidisha
Indo-Scythian (Saka) Kingdoms	Foreign / northwestern kingdom	c. 110 BCE – c. 80 CE	Northwest	Taxila / Mathura
Kanva Dynasty	Dynasty	c. 73–28 BCE	East	Pataliputra
Indo-Parthian Kingdom	Foreign / northwestern kingdom	c. 19 CE – c. 100 CE	Northwest	Taxila
Western Kshatrapas	Dynasty	c. 35 CE – c. 415 CE	West	Ujjain / Bharukaccha
Ikshvakus of Vijayapuri	Dynasty	c. 225 CE – c. 340 CE	Deccan	Vijayapuri (Nagarjunakonda)
Kalabhra Interregnum	Dynasty	c. 250 CE – c. 600 CE	South
Sangam-era Tamil Chieftaincies (Velir)	Chiefdoms	c. 300 BCE – c. 300 CE	South
Yaudheya Republic	Gana-sangha (republic)	c. 200 BCE – c. 350 CE	North	Rohitaka
Principality of Ruhuna	Kingdom	c. 200 BCE – c. 1070	Sri Lanka	Mahagama (Tissamaharama)

Also existing during this period

Vakataka Dynasty

Deccan · c. 250 CE – c. 500 CE

Gupta Empire

Gangetic Plain · c. 240 CE – c. 550 CE

Greco-Bactrian Kingdom

Northwest · c. 256–125 BCE

Kushan Empire

Northwest · c. 30 CE – c. 375 CE

Mauryan Empire

Pan-Indian · c. 321–185 BCE

Pallava Dynasty

South · c. 275 CE – c. 897 CE

Events

Year	Event	Polity
c. 185 BCE	Pushyamitra Shunga assassinates Brihadratha The Mauryan dynasty ended and the Shunga dynasty began.	Shunga Dynasty
c. 180 BCE	Demetrius I invades northwest India Founded Indo-Greek rule south of the Hindu Kush.	Indo-Greek Kingdoms
c. 161 BCE	Dutugemunu unites Sri Lanka	Anuradhapura Kingdom
c. 150 BCE	Kharavela's Hathigumpha inscription	Mahameghavahana (Chedi) of Kalinga
c. 150 BCE	Menander's reign; Milindapanha dialogues	Indo-Greek Kingdoms
c. 150 BCE	Bharhut stupa railings carved	Shunga Dynasty
c. 113 BCE	Heliodorus Pillar at Vidisha	Indo-Greek Kingdoms
57 BCE	Vikram Samvat era begins
c. 50 BCE	Sanchi gateways carved	Satavahana Empire
c. 29 BCE	Pali Canon written down at Aluvihare	Anuradhapura Kingdom
c. 28 BCE	Satavahanas end the Kanva dynasty The Kanva dynasty ended.	Satavahana Empire
c. 30 CE	Kujula Kadphises unites the Kushans The five Yuezhi tribes were united under one ruler.	Kushan Empire
c. 46 CE	Takht-i-Bahi monastery founded	Indo-Parthian Kingdom
c. 50 CE	Roman trade at Arikamedu and Muziris	Early Cholas (Sangam era)
c. 52 CE	St Thomas traditionally lands at Muziris	Early Cheras (Sangam era)
78 CE	Saka era begins	Western Kshatrapas
c. 100 CE	Chaitya halls at Karla and Nashik	Satavahana Empire
c. 124 CE	Gautamiputra Satakarni defeats Nahapana The Satavahanas recovered the western Deccan from the Kshaharatas.	Satavahana Empire
c. 127 CE	Kanishka's accession	Kushan Empire
c. 150 CE	Rudradaman's Junagadh inscription	Western Kshatrapas
c. 230 CE	Sasanian conquest of the western Kushan lands Kushanshah governors ruled Bactria as Sasanian vassals.	Kushan Empire
c. 240 CE	Sri Gupta founds the Gupta line	Gupta Empire
c. 250 CE	Nagarjunakonda flourishes under the Ikshvakus	Ikshvakus of Vijayapuri
c. 275 CE	Pallava rule begins at Kanchi	Pallava Dynasty