History of India

Stone Age rock shelters with paintings at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh are the earliest known traces of human life in present day India. The first known permanent settlements appeared over 9,000 years ago, and gradually developed into the Indus Valley Civilization, which began from around 3300 BC and peaked between 2600 BC and 1900 BC. It was followed by the Vedic Civilisation. From around 550 BC onwards, many independent kingdoms came into being.

In the north, the Maurya dynasty, which included Asoka The Great, contributed greatly to India’s cultural landscape. From 180 BC, a series of invasions from Central Asia followed. This led to the establishment of the Kushan Empire, as well as several Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian and Indo-Parthian kingdoms in quick succession in the northern Indian subcontinent. From the 3rd century AD onwards, the Gupta dynasty oversaw the period referred to as ancient India’s “Golden Age”.

In the south, several dynasties, including the Chalukyas, Cheras, Cholas, Kadambas, Pallavas and Pandyas prevailed during different periods.

Science, art, literature, mathematics, astronomy, engineering, religion and philosophy flourished under the patronage of these kings. Following the Islamic invasions from Central Asia and Persia in the beginning of the second millennium AD, much of north and central India came under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate, and later the Mughal dynasty, who gradually expanded their reign to include much of the Indian subcontinent. Nevertheless, several indigenous kingdoms flourished, especially in the relatively sheltered south. The Vijayanagara Empire was notable among such kingdoms.

During the middle of the second millennium AD, several European countries, including the Portuguese, Dutch, French and the British, who were initially interested in trade with India, took advantage of the fractured kingdoms fighting amongst each other, to establish colonies in the country.

After a failed insurrection in 1857 against the British East India Company, known locally as the First War of Indian Independence (known variously as the Indian Mutiny, Sepoy Mutiny or Sepoy Rebellion in British and some Western literature), much of India came under the direct administrative control of the crown of the British Empire.