Indian History Timeline - Quick Revision
Indian History Timeline – 60-Second Cheat Sheet
Key Points (One-Liners)
- 2500-1900 BCE: Mature Harappan phase; granaries at Mohenjo-daro & dock at Lothal
- 1500 BCE: Rig-Veda compiled; Aryans enter via Khyber & Bolan passes
- 6th cent. BCE: 2nd Urbanisation begins; birth of Jainism (Mahavira 599 BCE) & Buddhism (Gautam 563 BCE)
- 516 BCE: Persian emperor Darius annexes Gandhara (1st foreign inscription at Persepolis)
- 326 BCE: Alexander crosses Indus; Battle of Hydaspes vs. Porus
- 261 BCE: Ashoka wins Kalinga war; adopts Dhamma policy & starts pillar/fabulous lion capitals
- 78 CE: Saka era starts (Kanishka) – basis of Indian national calendar
- 320 CE: Chandragupta-I starts Gupta era – “Golden Age” of Sanskrit & decimal numeral
- 606 CE: Harshavardhana shifts capital Kannauj; Chinese pilgrim Hiuen-Tsang visits
- 711 CE: Muhammad-bin-Qasim captures Sind – 1st Islamic foothold
- 1192: 2nd Battle of Tarain – Prithviraj III loses to Muhammad Ghori; Delhi Sultanate begins
- 1526: Babur beats Ibrahim Lodi at Panipat-I; establishes Mughal rule
- 1600: Queen Elizabeth grants East India Company Royal Charter
- 1757: Plassey victory gives EIC Diwani of Bengal; British rule clock starts
- 1857: Sepoy Mutiny/1st War of Independence; Queen’s Proclamation (1858) ends Company rule
- 1885: Indian National Congress founded at Gokuldas Tejpal (Mumbai) by A.O. Hume
- 1905: Lord Curzon partitions Bengal – Swadeshi & Boycott movements start
- 1919: Rowlatt Act & Jallianwala Bagh massacre (13 April) – Gandhi launches Non-Cooperation
- 1930: Dandi March (12 Mar-6 Apr) – Salt Law broken; launch of Civil Disobedience
- 1946: Naval Mutiny & INA trials – final push; 15 Aug 1947 Independence, 26 Jan 1950 Republic
| Formula/Rule |
Application |
| Nanda dynasty (345-321 BCE) + 21 yrs = Maurya rise |
Quick Maurya start year |
| Gupta king no. × 40 + 320 ≈ accession year (rough) |
Remember Chandragupta-II 375 CE |
| 100 yr gap rule: Panipat battles (1526, 1556, 1761) |
Fill blanks: 1st-2nd gap 30 yr, 2nd-3rd 205 yr |
| “Battle year = ruler age” trick: Plassey 1757 ≈ Siraj-ud-Daulah age 23 |
Recall young Nawab |
| 1905 Bengal partition + 6 yrs = Delhi Durbar 1911 (reversal) |
Sequence national events |
| 1857 Revolt + 90 yrs = INA trials 1946 (both militaristic) |
Link two soldier uprisings |
| “Add 50” rule: Quit India 1942 + 5 = Independence 1947 |
Remember 5-yr gap |
| Charter to Crown: EIC 1600 + 258 = Crown rule 1858 |
Company–Crown switch |
| “Minus 1000” Harappan: 2500 BCE – 1000 = Rig-Vedic start 1500 BCE |
Vedic begins after decline |
| “Odd-11” Saka: 78 CE Kanishka; 11×7=77≈78 |
Kanishka year |
Memory Tricks
- “H-G-M-A-S” – Harappan ⇢ Gupta ⇢ Maurya ⇢ Mughal ⇢ British (chronological mega-empires)
- “Two-Battle-P” – Panipat (1526, 1556, 1761) & Plassey (1757) = “PP” for Power-shift to British
- “G-AND-H” – Gandhi (1915 return) AND Hume (1885) make Congress = “GANDH”
- “7-11” foreign entry – 711 Sind (Qasim) & 1757 Plassey (Clive) both end with “11” – Islamic & British beach-heads
- “Salt-30” – Salt March 1930; Civil Disobedience peaks 1930-34; 30 = “thirty-thirti” Gandhi
Common Mistakes
| Mistake |
Correct Approach |
| Clubbing Buddha & Mahavira birth yr |
Buddha 563 BCE, Mahavira 599 BCE (36 yr gap) |
| Saying Akbar started Din-i-Ilahi in 1580 |
Actually 1582; remember “2” for “Ilahi” |
| Treating 1857 as 1st national war immediately |
It was 1st large revolt; national consciousness grows later |
| Plassey vs. Buxar confusion |
Plassey 1757 (Bengal), Buxar 1764 (All-India Diwani) |
| Counting 26 Jan 1950 as Independence Day |
15 Aug 1947 = Independence; 26 Jan 1950 = Republic |
Last-Minute Tips
- Timeline Q often pair event-year; first eliminate ±50 yrs options fast.
- Map 6th BCE–6th CE: Vedic → Mahajanapadas → Maurya → Shung-Kanishka → Gupta to frame sequence.
- Revolt-era: remember 1857-58-60 (Revolt-Proclamation-Indigo) – three “0/7/8” yrs.
- National movement: 1885 (INC) → 1905 (Partition) → 1919 (Rowlatt/Jall.) → 1942 (Quit) → 1947 (Free) – 5/5/14/23/5 yrs gaps.
- If two years look close, pick the one matching century-end (e.g., 1600 Charter, 1700 no big event).
Quick Practice (5 MCQs)
1. Which among the following came immediately after the decline of the Harappan civilisation?
A. Mauryan empire B. Rig-Vedic period C. Buddhist councils D. Nanda dynasty
**Answer: B. Rig-Vedic period**
2. The Saka era that begins in 78 CE was started by which ruler?
A. Kanishka B. Rudradaman C. Ashoka D. Chandragupta-II
**Answer: A. Kanishka**
3. Match Battles to Years: (1) Panipat-I, (2) Plassey, (3) Buxar
A. 1526, 1757, 1764 B. 1556, 1757, 1761 C. 1526, 1764, 1757 D. 1761, 1757, 1565
**Answer: A. 1526, 1757, 1764**
4. Who was the Viceroy during the partition of Bengal (1905)?
A. Lord Curzon B. Lord Minto C. Lord Ripon D. Lord Lansdowne
**Answer: A. Lord Curzon**
5. The Royal Charter to the English East India Company was granted in the reign of which English monarch?
A. James-I B. Elizabeth-I C. Charles-II D. George-III
**Answer: B. Elizabeth-I**
BETA
