Ancient India facts for kids

Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE, Musée Guimet.

Ancient India had a long-lived civilization and culture. It covered several countries including modern-day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The Indus Valley Civilization flourished from about 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE. It marked the beginning of the urban civilization on the subcontinent. It was centred on the Indus River and its tributaries. The civilization is famous for its cities that were built of brick, had a road-side drainage system and multi-storied houses.

During the Maurya Empire, founded in 321 BCE, most of the Indian subcontinent was united under a single government for the first time. Ashoka the Great who in the beginning sought to expand his kingdom, then followed a policy of ahimsa (non-violence) after converting to Buddhism. The Edicts of Ashoka are the oldest preserved historical documents of India, and under Ashoka Buddhist ideals spread across the whole of East Asia and South-East Asia.

Gupta, an important ruler during the Gupta period, was known as a wise and noble person.

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Main events

Chronology

Map showing the largest extent of the Mauryan Empire in dark blue.

1500 BC – 600 BC: Composition of the Vedas and the Brahmana
700 BC – 300 BC: Composition of the Upanishads
527 or 526 BC: Death of Mahavira, the historical founder of Jainism
Late 6th century: Darius (King of summoners rift), the Persian king, conquers parts of Ancient Pakistan
486 BC: Death of Buddha; Chinese tradition records 483 BC
400 BC: Panini composes first Sanskrit grammar
4th century BC – 4th century BC: Composition of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata
327 BC – 25 BC: Alexander the Great invades Indus valley region (now Pakistan).
321 BC – 181 BC: Chandragupta Maurya founded Maurya Empire
300 BC: Megasthenes (Greek) visits the Maurya king
300 BC: Composition of the Arthashastra, though some scholars date the work to 100 AD
268 BC – 233: BC Reign of Ashoka the Great
185 BC – 75 BC: Sunga dynasty reigns over central Republic of India
2nd century BC – 3rd century BC: Buddhism and Jainism influences in India at its peak
1st Century BC – 1st century AD: Shakas, Parthians and Kushana invade Indus valley region
1st Century BC – 2nd Century AD: Satavahana rule
58 BC – 57 BC: Vikrama Samvat era begins
Chera, Chola & Pandiya Kingdoms in South
78 AD: Beginning of the Shaka era
1st – 3rd century: Reign of the Kushan dynasty; first depiction of Jaina tirthankara and muti-armed Hindu deities
4th-5th century: Vaktaka rule over central India and the Deccan
4th - 6th century: Gupta period in most part and central modern present Republic of India (never included the Pakistan regions), however this was the Golden Age of India era of the Gangetic valley
500 AD: Ajanta completed
5th – 7th century: Spread of Vaishnavism, especially Krishan cult; emergence of worship of local deities; emergence of Tantrism
5th – 6th century: Invasion of Huns in ancient Pakistan regions
6th - 17th century: Rule of the Rajputs in different regions of West India.
6th century: Kalachuri dynasty rules the western coast of modern India
6th - 8th century: Pallava dynasty in southern India; rock-cut architecture begins in the south; temple building flourishes at Mamallapurama and Kanchipuram
6th-10th century: Tamil devotional poetry
7th – 8th century: Decline of Buddhism in ancient Pakistan and the northern Republic of India; revival of Hinduism
7th – 10th century: Rashtrakuta dynasty rules over northern part of the Deccan
Early 8th century: Arab merchants settle on the coast of Sindh (now a part of Pakistan) and the Indian state of Gujarat
8th – 12th century: Pala dynasty rules in Bihar, Bengal and large part of eastern India
10th - 17th century: Rule of the Rajputs in different regions of West India.
788 – 820 AD: Life of Adi Shankaracharya
1018 AD : First Muslim ruler - Mahmud Ghazni raids India.
1947 - The Dominion of India becomes independent
1950 - The modern Republic of India is established

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Dholavira, a city of Indus Valley Civilisation, with stepwell steps to reach the water level in artificially constructed reservoirs.
An early 19th century manuscript in the Devanagari script of the Rigveda, originally transmitted orally with fidelity
Late Vedic era map showing the boundaries of Āryāvarta with Janapadas in northern India, beginning of Iron Age kingdoms in India – Kuru, Panchala, Kosala, Videha.
City of Kushinagar in the 5th century BCE according to a 1st-century BCE frieze in Sanchi Stupa 1 Southern Gate.
Manuscript illustration of the Battle of Kurukshetra.
The Mahajanapadas were the sixteen most powerful and vast kingdoms and republics of the era, located mainly across the Indo-Gangetic plains.
The Mauryan carved door of Lomas Rishi, one of the Barabar Caves, c. 250 BCE.
Silk Road and Spice trade, ancient trade routes that linked India with the Old World; carried goods and ideas between the ancient civilisations of the Old World and India. The land routes are red, and the water routes are blue.
Copper Plate Seal of Kamarupa Kings at Madan Kamdev ruins.
Kadamba shikara (tower) with Kalasa (pinnacle) on top, Doddagaddavalli.
Coin of Emperor Harsha, c. 606–647 CE.
Ambassador from Central India (中天竺 Zhong Tianzhu) to the court of the Tang dynasty. The Gathering of Kings (王会图), circa 650 CE
Excavated ruins of Nalanda, a centre of Buddhist learning from 450 to 1193 CE.
The Dasam Granth (above) was composed by Sikh Guru Gobind Singh.
Literacy in India grew very slowly until independence in 1947. An acceleration in the rate of literacy growth occurred in the 1991–2001 period.
Ancient India during the rise of the Shungas from the North, Satavahanas from the Deccan, and Pandyas and Cholas from the southern tip of India.
The Great Chaitya in the Karla Caves. The shrines were developed over the period from 2nd century BCE to the 5th century CE.
Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves is home to the Hathigumpha inscription, which was inscribed under Kharavela, the then Emperor of Kalinga of the Mahameghavahana dynasty.
Relief of a multi-storied temple, 2nd century CE, Ghantasala Stupa.
The Ajanta Caves are 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monument built under the Vakatakas.
Buddhist monks praying in front of the Dagoba of Chaitya Cave 26 of the Ajanta Caves.
Buddhist "Chaitya Griha" or prayer hall, with a seated Buddha, Cave 26 of the Ajanta Caves.
Many foreign ambassadors, representatives, and travelers are included as devotees attending the Buddha's descent from Trayastrimsa Heaven; painting from Cave 17 of the Ajanta Caves.
Martand Sun Temple Central shrine, dedicated to the deity Surya, and built by the third ruler of the Karkota dynasty, Lalitaditya Muktapida, in the 8th century CE.
Kandariya Mahadeva Temple in the Khajuraho complex was built by the Chandelas.
Galaganatha Temple at Pattadakal complex (UNESCO World Heritage) is an example of Badami Chalukya architecture.
Bhutanatha temple complex at Badami, next to a waterfall, during the monsoon.
Vishnu image inside the Badami Cave Temple Complex. The complex is an example of Indian rock-cut architecture.
8th century Durga temple exterior view at Aihole complex. Aihole complex includes Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples and monuments.
Kailasa temple, is one of the largest rock-cut ancient Hindu temples located in Ellora.
Shikhara of Indra Sabha at Ellora Caves.
Statue of the Buddha seated. A part of the Carpenter's cave (Buddhist Cave 10).
Jain Tirthankara Mahavira with Yaksha Matanga and Yakshi Siddhaiki at Ellora Caves.
One of the four entrances of the Teli ka Mandir. This Hindu temple was built by the Pratihara emperor Mihira Bhoja.
Sculptures near Teli ka Mandir, Gwalior Fort.
Jainism-related cave monuments and statues carved into the rock face inside Siddhachal Caves, Gwalior Fort.
Ghateshwara Mahadeva temple at Baroli Temples complex. The complex of eight temples, built by the Gurjara-Pratiharas, is situated within a walled enclosure.
The granite gopuram (tower) of Brihadeeswarar Temple, 1010 CE.
Chariot detail at Airavatesvara Temple built by Rajaraja Chola II in the 12th century CE.
Brihadeeswara Temple Entrance Gopurams at Thanjavur.
Shrine outer wall and Dravida style superstructure (shikhara) at Siddhesvara Temple at Haveri.
Ornate entrance to the closed hall from the south at Kalleshvara Temple at Bagali.
Shrine wall relief, molding frieze and miniature decorative tower in Mallikarjuna Temple at Kuruvatti.
Rear view showing lateral entrances of the Mahadeva Temple at Itagi.
n 1868 photograph of the ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Gajashaala or elephant's stable, built by the Vijayanagar rulers for their war elephants.
Stone temple car in Vitthala Temple at Hampi.
Temple inside Chittorgarh fort
The Man Singh (Manasimha) palace at the Gwalior fort
Mahmud Gawan Madrasa was built by Mahmud Gawan, the Wazir of the Bahmani Sultanate as the centre of religious as well as secular education.
Rang Ghar, built by Pramatta Singha in Ahom Kingdom's capital Rongpur, is one of the earliest pavilions of outdoor stadia in the Indian subcontinent.
[Chittor Fort]] is the largest fort on the Indian subcontinent; it is one of the six Hill Forts of Rajasthan.
Ranakpur Jain temple was built in the 15th century with the support of the Rajput state of Mewar.
Gol Gumbaz built by the Bijapur Sultanate, has the second largest pre-modern dome in the world after the Byzantine Hagia Sophia.
The Agra Fort showing the river Yamuna and the Taj Mahal in the background
Fatehpur Sikri, near Agra, showing Buland Darwaza, the complex built by Akbar, the third Mughal emperor.
Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, built in 1570 CE.
The Red Fort, Delhi, its construction begun in 1639 CE, and ended in 1648 CE.
Warren Hastings, the first governor-general of Fort William (Bengal) who oversaw the company's territories in India.
Gold coin, minted 1835, with obverse showing the bust of William IV, king of United Kingdom from 21 August 1765 to 20 June 1837, and reverse marked "Two mohurs" in English (do ashrafi in Urdu) issued during Company rule in India
Photograph (1855) showing the construction of the Bhor Ghaut incline bridge, Bombay; the incline was conceived by George Clark, the Chief Engineer in the East India Company's Government of Bombay.
Charles Canning, the Governor-General of India during the rebellion.
Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856, who devised the Doctrine of Lapse.
Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi, one of the principal leaders of the rebellion who earlier had lost her kingdom as a result of the Doctrine of Lapse.
Bahadur Shah Zafar the last Mughal Emperor, crowned Emperor of India by the rebels, he was deposed by the British, and died in exile in Burma
Two silver rupee coins issued by the British Raj in 1862 and 1886 respectively, the first in obverse showing a bust of Victoria, Queen, the second of Victoria, Empress. Victoria became Empress of India in 1876.
[Ronald Ross]], left, at Cunningham's laboratory of Presidency Hospital in Calcutta, where the transmission of malaria by mosquitoes was discovered, winning Ross the second Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1902.
[Darjeeling Himalayan Railway]] train shown in 1870. The railway became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
A second-day cancellation of the stamps issued in February 1931 to commemorate the inauguration of New Delhi as the capital of the British Indian Empire. Between 1858 and 1911, Calcutta had been the capital of the Raj
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817–1898), the author of Causes of the Indian Mutiny, was the founder of Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, later the Aligarh Muslim University.
Pandita Ramabai (1858–1922) was a social reformer, and a pioneer in the education and emancipation of women in India.
Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) was a Bengali language poet, short-story writer, and playwright, and in addition a music composer and painter, who won the Nobel prize for Literature in 1913.
Map of famines in India 1800–1885
Engraving from The Graphic, October 1877, showing the plight of animals as well as humans in Bellary district, Madras Presidency, British India during the Great Famine of 1876–78.
Government famine relief, Ahmedabad, India, during the Indian famine of 1899–1900.
A picture of orphans who survived the Bengal famine of 1943
Indian Cavalry on the Western front 1914.
Indian cavalry from the Deccan Horse during the Battle of Bazentin Ridge in 1916.
Indian Army gunners (probably 39th Battery) with 3.7 inch Mountain Howitzers, Jerusalem 1917.
India Gate is a memorial to 70,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who died in the period 1914–21 in the First World War.
General Claude Auchinleck (right), Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, with the then Viceroy Wavell (centre) and General Montgomery (left)
Indian infantrymen of the 7th Rajput Regiment about to go on patrol on the Arakan front in Burma, 1944.
The stamp series "Victory" issued by the Government of British India to commemorate allied victory in World War II.
The first session of the Indian National Congress in 1885. A. O. Hume, the founder, is shown in the middle (third row from the front). The Congress was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Empire in Asia and Africa.
Surya Sen, leader of the Chittagong armoury raid, an raid on 18 April 1930 on the armoury of police and auxiliary forces in Chittagong, Bengal, now Bangladesh
From the late 19th century, and especially after 1920, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi (right), the Congress became the principal leader of the Indian independence movement. Gandhi is shown here with Jawaharlal Nehru, later the first prime minister of India.
A map of the prevailing religions of the British Indian empire based on district-wise majorities based on the Indian census of 1909, and published in the Imperial Gazetteer of India. The partition of the Punjab and Bengal was based on such majorities.
Gandhi touring Bela, Bihar, a village struck by religious rioting in March 1947. On the right is Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan.
Jawaharlal Nehru being sworn in as the first prime minister of independent India by viceroy Lord Louis Mountbatten at 8:30 AM 15 August 1947.

Ancient India facts for kids

Contents

Main events

Chronology

Images for kids

See also