History of India

Nearly five thousand years back flourished India's first major civilization along the Indus River valley.

Two cities of Mohenjodaro and Harappa now in Pakistan were ruled by priests and held the rudiments of Hinduism.

It existed at the same time as the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Sumer but far outlasted them. Surviving for nearly a thousand years the Indus valley civilization fell to tectonic upheavals in about 1700 BC, which caused a series of floods

The coming of the Aryans around 1500 BC, gave the final blow to the collapsing Indus Valley civilisation. At the dawn of Vedic ages the Aryans came in from the North and spread through large parts of India bringing with them their culture and religious beliefs. The Four Vedas or the important books of Hinduism were compiled in this period.

567 B.C.

The founder of the Buddhist Religion Gautama Buddha was born. During this time lived Mahavira, who founded the Jain Religion.

4th century B.C

Two hundred years later, in the 4th century B.C., Emperor Ashoka, one of the greatest King of Indian histories, led the Mauryan Empire to take over almost all of what is now modern India.

The Ashoka pillar at Sarnath has been adopted by India as its national emblem and the Dharma Chakra on the Ashoka Pillar adorns the National Flag.

52 A.D.

Christianinty entered India at about the same time from Europe. Legend has it that St. Thomas the Apostle arrived in India in 52 A.D. Even earlier than that people of the Jewish religion arrived on India's shores.

7th century A.D

In approximately the 7th century A.D. a group of Zoroastrians, or Parsees, landed in Gujarat and became a part of the large mix of religions in India today, each of which adds its important and distinctive flavor.

15th century

In the 15th century Guru Nanak laid the foundation of the Sikh religion in Punjab.

1192

In 1192, Mohammed of Ghori, a ruler from Afghanistan, came into India and captured several places in the north including Delhi.

1336

In the meantime south, in 1336, the Hindu Vijayanagar Empire was set up and became very strong

1600s

The Europeans - Portuguese, French, Dutch, Danish and British - started arriving in the early 1600s.

1947

India got its independence from Britain in 1947 after a long struggle led mostly by Mahatma Gandhi. In the process of becoming independent, India became, two countries instead of one