history of India

The history of India includes the prehistoric settlements and societies in the Indian
subcontinent; the blending of the Indus Valley Civilization and Indo-Aryan culture into
the Vedic Civilization;[1] the development of Hinduism as a synthesis of various Indian
cultures and traditions; the rise of the ramaa movement; the decline of rauta sacrifices
and the birth of the initiatory traditions
of Jainism,Buddhism, Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism;[2][3] the onset of a succession
of powerful dynasties and empires for more than two millennia throughout various
geographic areas of the subcontinent, including the growth of Muslim dynasties during the
Medieval period intertwined with Hindu powers; the advent of European traders resulting in
the establishment of the British rule; and the subsequent independence movement that led
to the Partition of India and the creation of the Republic of India.[4]
Evidence of anatomically modern humans in the Indian subcontinent is recorded as long as
75,000 years ago, or with earlier hominids including Homo erectus from about 500,000
years ago.[5] The Indus Valley Civilization which spread and flourished in the northwestern
part of the Indian subcontinent from 3300 to 1300 BCE, was the first major civilization
in South Asia.[6] A sophisticated and technologically advanced urban culture developed in
the Mature Harappan period, from 2600 to 1900 BCE.[7] This civilization collapsed at the
start of the second millennium BCE and was later followed by the Iron Age Vedic
Civilization, which extended over much of the Indo-Gangetic plain and which witnessed the
rise of major polities known as the Mahajanapadas. In one of these
kingdoms, Magadha, Mahavira and Gautama Buddha propagated
their Shramanic philosophies during the fifth and sixth century BCE.
Most of the subcontinent was conquered by the Maurya Empire during the 4th and 3rd
centuries BCE. From the 3rd century BC onwards Prakrit and Pali literature in the north and
the Sangam literature in southern India started to flourish.[8][9] Wootz steeloriginated in south
India in the 3rd century BC and was exported to foreign countries. [10][11][12] Various parts of
India were ruled by numerous dynasties for the next 1,500 years, among which the Gupta
Empire stands out. This period, witnessing a Hindu religious and intellectual resurgence, is
known as the classical or "Golden Age of India". During this period, aspects of Indian
civilization, administration, culture, and religion (Hinduism and Buddhism) spread to much

of Asia, while kingdoms in southern India had maritime business links with the Middle
East and the Mediterranean. Indian cultural influence spread over many parts of Southeast
Asia which led to the establishment of Indianized kingdoms in Southeast Asia (Greater
India).[13][14]
The most significant event between the 7th and 11th century was the Tripartite
struggle centered on Kannauj that lasted for more than two centuries between the Pala
Empire, Rashtrakuta Empire, and Gurjara Pratihara Empire. While Southern India saw the
rise of multiple imperial powers from the middle of the fifth century, most notable being
the Chalukya, Chola, Pallava, Chera, Pandyan, andWestern Chalukya Empires. The
seventh century also saw the advent of Islam as a political power, though as a fringe, in the
western part of the subcontinent, in modern-day Pakistan.[15] The Chola dynasty conquered
southern India and successfully invaded parts of Southeast Asia, Sri
Lanka, Maldives and Bengal[16] in the 11th century.[17][18] The early medieval period Indian
mathematicsinfluenced the development of mathematics and astronomy in the Arab world
and the Hindu numerals were introduced.[19]
Muslim rule started in parts of north India in the 13th century when the Delhi Sultanate was
founded in 1206 CE by the Central Asian Turks.[20] The Delhi Sultanate ruled the major part
of northern India in the early 14th century, but declined in the late 14th century when several
powerful Hindu states such as the Vijayanagara Empire, Gajapati Kingdom, Ahom
Kingdom, as well as Rajput dynasties and states, such as Mewar dynasty, emerged. The
15th century saw the emergence of Sikhism. In the 16th century, Mughals came from
Central Asia and gradually covered most of India. The Mughal Empire suffered a gradual
decline in the early 18th century, which provided opportunities for the Maratha Empire, Sikh
Empire and Mysore Kingdom to exercise control over large areas of the subcontinent. [21][22]
From the late 18th century to the mid-19th century, large areas of India were annexed by
the British East India Company of British Empire. Dissatisfaction with Company rule led to
the Indian Rebellion of 1857, after which the British provinces of India were directly
administered by the British Crown and witnessed a period of both rapid development of
infrastructure and economic stagnation. During the first half of the 20th century, a
nationwide struggle for independence was launched with the leading party involved being
theIndian National Congress which was later joined by other organizations. The
subcontinent gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, after the British

provinces were partitioned into the dominions of India and Pakistan and the princely
states all acceded to one of the new states.