Textbook
Our Pasts I, II & III (Classes 6–8)
The simplest possible start: short, illustrated and the base of countless exam questions.
Banda Singh Bahadur
General / commander
1670 – 1716
Sikh commander who abolished zamindari in the lands he conquered.
Their world
Move along the chart to see their age in any year, who ruled and what happened; click anything to open it.
The map shows their realm around their lifetime and where the events of their lifetime took place.
Hover a dot for the event; click it to open the full map in that year.
Rulers of the time
Kujula Kadphises
Emperor, Kushan Empire · c. 30 CE – c. 80 CE
Vima Taktu
Emperor, Kushan Empire · c. 80 CE – c. 95 CE
Huvishka
Emperor, Kushan Empire · c. 150 CE – c. 190 CE
Yajna Sri Satakarni
King, Satavahana Empire · c. 170 CE – c. 199 CE
Vasudeva I
Emperor, Kushan Empire · c. 190 CE – c. 230 CE
Sri Gupta
Maharaja, Gupta Empire · c. 240 CE – c. 280 CE
Mahasena
King, Anuradhapura Kingdom · c. 274 CE – c. 301 CE
Ghatotkacha
Maharaja, Gupta Empire · c. 280 CE – c. 319 CE
Chandragupta I
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 319 CE – c. 335 CE
Samudragupta
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 335 CE – c. 375 CE
Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya)
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 375 CE – c. 415 CE
Kumaragupta I
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 415 CE – c. 455 CE
Skandagupta
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 455 CE – c. 467 CE
Dhatusena
King, Anuradhapura Kingdom · c. 455 CE – c. 473 CE
Budhagupta
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 477 CE – c. 495 CE
Kashyapa I
King, Anuradhapura Kingdom · c. 477 CE – c. 495 CE
Pulakeshin I
King, Chalukyas of Badami · c. 543 CE – c. 566 CE
Kirtivarman I
King, Chalukyas of Badami · c. 566 CE – c. 597 CE
Simhavishnu
King, Pallava Dynasty · c. 575 CE – c. 600 CE
Prabhakaravardhana
King, Pushyabhuti (Vardhana) Dynasty · c. 580 CE – c. 605 CE
Mangalesha
King, Chalukyas of Badami · c. 597 CE – c. 609 CE
Mahendravarman I
King, Pallava Dynasty · c. 600 CE – c. 630 CE
Rajyavardhana
King, Pushyabhuti (Vardhana) Dynasty · 605 CE – 606 CE
Harshavardhana
Emperor, Pushyabhuti (Vardhana) Dynasty · 606 CE – 647 CE
Events in their lifetime
| 1671 | Battle of Saraighat The Ahoms defeated the Mughals, keeping Assam independent. |
| 1674 | Shivaji crowned Chhatrapati |
| 1675 | Execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur |
| 1679 | Aurangzeb reimposes the jizya Alienated many Rajput and other subjects. |
| 1680 | Death of Shivaji His son Sambhaji succeeded him. |
| 1681 | Aurangzeb moves to the Deccan |
| 1686 | Mughals annex Bijapur The Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur ended. |
| 1687 | Mughals annex Golconda The Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda ended. |
| 1689 | Execution of Sambhaji |
| 1690 | Job Charnock founds Calcutta Calcutta grew into the capital of British India. |
| 1699 | Guru Gobind Singh founds the Khalsa |
| 1707 | Death of Aurangzeb |
| 1708 | Death of Guru Gobind Singh He declared the Guru Granth Sahib the eternal Guru. |
| 1709 | Mirwais Hotak's revolt at Kandahar |
| 1713 | Balaji Vishwanath becomes Peshwa |
| 1716 | Execution of Banda Singh Bahadur |
Contemporaries
Sorted by how long their lives overlapped. The bar shows when, within Banda Singh Bahadur’s life.
Niccolao Manucci
Traveller / envoy · c. 1638 – c. 1717
Venetian adventurer who wrote the Storia do Mogor
Overlap: 46 years
Guru Gobind Singh
Saint / religious leader · 1666 – 1708
Tenth Sikh Guru who founded the Khalsa
Overlap: 38 years
Nadir Shah
Invader / conqueror · 1688 – 1747
Persian ruler who sacked Delhi in 1739
Overlap: 28 years
Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
Traveller / envoy · 1605 – 1689
French gem merchant who described the diamonds of Golconda
Overlap: 19 years
François Bernier
Traveller / envoy · 1620 – 1688
French physician who wrote Travels in the Mogul Empire
Overlap: 18 years
Samarth Ramdas
Saint / religious leader · 1608 – 1681
Saint who wrote the Dasbodh
Overlap: 11 years
Jahanara Begum
Queen / royal · 1614 – 1681
Shah Jahan's eldest daughter and Padshah Begum
Overlap: 11 years
📚 Recommended reading
Textbook
Themes in Indian History, Parts I–III (Class 12)
Source-based chapters on Harappa, Vijayanagara, the Mughal court and 1857 — essential for UPSC.
Textbook
An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I (Class 11)
The standard base for art and architecture questions — stupas, temples and sculpture.
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