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c. 3500 bc |
Civilization sprang up in the Indus River valley.
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c. 1700 bc |
Aryan peoples migrated to north-western India and settled mainly in the Punjab region of India. Their arrival set off a series of wars.
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326 bc |
Alexander the Great began to conquer India before his own troops forced him to turn back.
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c. ad 150-450
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Sanskrit culture thrived under the Kushan Empire, and later under the Gupta Empire. Trade with the Middle East and the Roman Empire greatly enriched India.
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520
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Invading Huns under Mihirakula destroyed Gupta power in India.
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1192
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Islamic Turkish invaders from Afghanistan overran much of northern India. They founded the Delhi Sultanate.
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1398
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The Mongol conqueror Tamerlane sacked Delhi. The Delhi Sultanate split into small warring kingdoms.
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1498
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The Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama arrived at Kozhikode. Portugal soon dominated Indian Ocean trade.
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1600
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The British East India Company was founded.
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1757
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British East India Company forces under Robert Clive won control of Bengal at the Battle of Plassey. The company soon began expanding its control.
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1857
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The Sepoy Mutiny erupted. Indian forces massacred British residents at Delhi, Lucknow, and many other places. The revolt was later crushed by British forces, and the British government assumed full control of India.
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1885
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The Indian National Congress was founded.
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1919
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British forces killed more than 400 Indians and wounded over 1,200 in the Amritsar Massacre.
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1920-1921
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Mohandas Gandhi introduced non-violent tactics that transformed the Indian independence movement into a popular campaign.
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1947
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British India was divided into the independent states of India and Pakistan. Thousands died in Hindu-Muslim violence during massive population transfer between the two new states. Jawaharlal Nehru became India's first prime minister. First Indo-Pakistan war fought over Kashmir.
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1948
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Mohandas Gandhi assassinated.
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1950
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India became a republic on January 26.
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1962
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Sino-Indian war.
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1964
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Death of Nehru. Lal Bahadur Shastri became prime minister.
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1965
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Second Indo-Pakistan war.
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1967
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Indira Gandhi, daughter of Nehru, became prime minister.
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1971
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India entered Pakistani civil war in support of East Pakistan, which achieved autonomy as Bangladesh.
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1974
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India exploded a nuclear device.
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1975
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India annexed Sikkim as 22nd state. Indira Gandhi imposed state of emergency, which was to last until elections of 1977, which she lost.
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1980-1983
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Indira Gandhi returned to power in 1980. Increasing tension with armed Sikh separatists, centred on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, brought Punjab under direct rule.
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1984
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Indian troops stormed the Golden Temple in June. Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Sikh members of her security guard in October, followed by widespread mob violence against Sikhs. Rajiv Gandhi became prime minister.
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1987
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Bofors scandal erupted, involving allegations of bribery and corruption related to the arms agreement signed between Rajiv Gandhi's government and the Swedish company AB Bofors in 1986.
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1990s
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Tensions increased between India and Pakistan over the continuing conflict in the Kashmir region.
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1991
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Indira Gandhi's son Rajiv assassinated by Tamil separatists while campaigning in a general election won by his Congress (I) Party.
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1993
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Destruction of 16th-century Babri Masjid mosque in Ayodhya by Hindu militants was followed by widespread communal violence.
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1996
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An inconclusive general election in April and May brought an end to the political dominance of the Congress (I) Party.
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1997
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India celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence. The United Front Government collapsed.
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1998
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The Hindu nationalist party, the BJP, under A. B. Vajpayee, headed the new coalition government. India detonated five nuclear devices in May.
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1999
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India mounted major military campaign against Islamic insurgents in Kargil, Kashmir. The BJP coalition collapsed. New coalition government elected, again headed by A. B. Vajpayee.
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2000
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India saw the birth of its billionth citizen.
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2001
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Earthquake in Gujarat left an estimated 20,000 people dead. Vajpayee and Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf met at a summit conference to discuss the disputed territory of Kashmir. US sanctions lifted. Fighting between India and Pakistan on the dividing line of control in India. New Delhi parliament attacked by gunmen in December; militant Islamic groups thought to be responsible.
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2002
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Sectarian violence erupted in Gujurat in March, and led to up to 2,000 deaths. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was elected president in July.
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2003
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A ceasefire was declared with Pakistan over Kashmir.
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2004
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In May's general election, Congress Party won the most seats and Manmohan Singh became the country's first Sikh prime minister. In December the former prime minister P. V. Narasimha Rao died. The same month, India was hit hard by the devastating tsunami that killed thousands across the Indian Ocean region. An estimated 15,000 people died, with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands being especially badly affected.
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2005
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More than 1,000 Indians killed in the Kashmiri earthquake in October.
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2007
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Pratibha Patil became India's first woman president.
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