Textbook
Our Pasts I, II & III (Classes 6–8)
The simplest possible start: short, illustrated and the base of countless exam questions.
Alexander the Great
Invader / conqueror
356–323 BCE
Macedonian king who invaded the northwest in 326 BCE.
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
Pandukabhaya
King, Anuradhapura Kingdom · c. 437–367 BCE
Bimbisara
King, Haryanka Dynasty · c. 544–492 BCE
Ajatashatru
King, Haryanka Dynasty · c. 492–460 BCE
Udayin
King, Haryanka Dynasty · c. 460–444 BCE
Shishunaga
King, Shishunaga Dynasty · c. 413–395 BCE
Kalashoka
King, Shishunaga Dynasty · c. 395–367 BCE
Events in their lifetime
| c. 345 BCE | Mahapadma Nanda founds the Nanda dynasty |
| 327 BCE | Alexander crosses the Hindu Kush into Gandhara |
| 326 BCE | Battle of the Hydaspes Alexander won but restored Porus as a vassal king. |
| 326 BCE | Alexander's army mutinies at the Beas Alexander turned back and left India in 325 BCE. |
| 325 BCE | Alexander's army sails down the Indus |
Contemporaries
Sorted by how long their lives overlapped. The bar shows when, within Alexander the Great’s life.
Porus
General / commander · active c. 326 BCE
King who fought Alexander at the Hydaspes
Overlap: 33 years
Seleucus I Nicator
Invader / conqueror · c. 358–281 BCE
Hellenistic king who ceded the northwest to Chandragupta Maurya
Overlap: 33 years
Chanakya (Kautilya)
Scholar / historian · active c. 320 BCE
Author of the Arthashastra and adviser to Chandragupta Maurya
Overlap: 27 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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