Timeline
Every bar is a polity. Read vertically at any point to see who existed at the same time — the subcontinent was almost never ruled by a single power.The scale is compressed in deep time so the densely documented centuries stay readable.
⤢ Reset zoom
Tip: drag across the chart to zoom in; click empty space to open the map.
7,000 BCE
6,000 BCE
5,000 BCE
4,000 BCE
3,000 BCE
2,000 BCE
1,000 BCE
1 CE
Early Agricultural Cultures
Indus / Harappan Civilization
Late Harappan Cultures
Vedic Period Polities
Mahajanapadas
Mauryan Empire
Post-Mauryan Powers
Kushan Empire
Gupta Empire & Regional Powers
Post-Gupta / Early Medieval
Pan-Indian · 1
Northwest · 14
North · 4
Himalaya · 1
Gangetic Plain · 10
East · 8
Northeast · 1
Central · 3
West · 3
Deccan · 5
South · 8
Sri Lanka · 1