Textbook
Our Pasts I, II & III (Classes 6–8)
The simplest possible start: short, illustrated and the base of countless exam questions.
Panini
Scholar / historian
Gandhara
active c. 400 BCE
Author of the Ashtadhyayi, the classic Sanskrit grammar.
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 Gandhara 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
Bimbisara
King, Haryanka Dynasty · c. 544–492 BCE
Ajatashatru
King, Haryanka Dynasty · c. 492–460 BCE
Udayin
King, Haryanka Dynasty · c. 460–444 BCE
Events in their lifetime
| c. 413 BCE | Shishunaga dynasty replaces the Haryankas Shishunaga later annexed Avanti. |
| c. 400 BCE | Panini composes the Ashtadhyayi Sanskrit grammar was fixed in about 4,000 sutras. |
| c. 383 BCE | Second Buddhist Council at Vaishali |
📚 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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