Background Centuries prior to the advent of the Gupta empire, the Maurya empire had arisen in 3rd century BCE. This was a huge state, covering the majority of the Indian subcontinent. For several centuries after it had vanished no empire arose in India to take its place. Indeed, whilst the Maurya empire fragmented into several […]
Hinduism
Ancient India: Civilization and Society
The history and civilization of Ancient India, including timeline and overview
The Classical Era of Ancient India
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The Classical Age of Ancient India was the time and place in world history where three major religions – Classical Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism – originated
The Mughal Empire
A Historical overview of the Mughal Empire Babur In 1525, a minor Afghan chieftain called Babur, invaded northwest India. The ruler of the Delhi sultanate, the large state which covered much of northern India at that time, moved up to meet him. The two sides met at the Battle of Panipat, in April 1526. There, […]
The History of the Deccan Empires of Ancient and Medieval India
Historical overview The Satavahana Satavahana was the first large kingdom of central India. It probably came to power at the end of the third or beginning of the second century BCE (it’s not known exactly when), as one of the major successor states to the great Mauryan empire. It was based in the great plateau of […]
The Gandhara Culture of Ancient India
The Gandhara culture of northern India was a fascinating episode in world history. Here was a location in space and time where two civilizations met: Ancient Greek and Ancient Indian. The result was a rich fusion of elements, which went on the have an impact right across Asia. Contents Introduction Historical overview Government and Administration […]
India: the Medieval Era
Medieval India saw the high point of Hindu civilization in the Indian sub-continent, followed by a succession of Muslim conquests.
The Delhi Sultanate
Islam comes to South Asia The first major incursion of Islam into the Indian subcontinent came in the early 8th century, when armies of the Muslim Caliphate occupied Makhran, Sindh and Multan, all in what is now Pakistan. Islam thus established a firm foothold in South Asia, but attempts to make further advances at this […]
The Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient India
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Civilization Overview: Indus Valley Civilization
The first great chapter in the history of ancient India was the Indus Valley civilization
The Vedic Age of Ancient India
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Civilization overview and history: The Vedic Age of Ancient India
The Vedic Age of Indian history was the period in which ancient Indian civilization emerged