Timeline of South Asian history explained

Below is a timeline of South Asian history.

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South Asia Timetable
Timeline and
cultural period
WestcoastNorthwestern Sub-continent
(West Punjab-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
Indo-Gangetic PlainCentral India
Deccan Plateau
Southern India
Western Gangetic Plain
(Kurukshetra)
Northern India
(Central Gangetic Plain)
Northeastern India
(Bengal)
South Asian Stone Age (until c. 3300 BCE)South Asian Stone Age (until c. 1100 BCE)
CulturePaleolithicum (until 10,000 BCE)
70,000 - 10,000 BCESanghao CavesBhimbetka rock shelters
(30,000-15,000 BCE)
CultureMesolithicum (c. 10,000-7,000 BCE)Mesolithicum (c. 10,000-3,000 BCE)
c. 10,000-7,000 BCE
CultureNeolithicum (c. 7000-3300 BCE)Mesolithicum (c. 10,000-3000 BCE)
c. 7,000-3,300 BCEMehrgarh
BRONZE AGE (c. 3300-1100 BCE)NEOLITHIC (c. 3000-1400 BCE)
CultureEarly Harappan
3300-2600 BCEEarly Harappan
CultureIntegration Era
2600-1900 BCEIndus Valley civilizationIndus Valley civilizationIndus Valley civilization
CultureLocalisation Era/Late Harappan
OCP/Cemetery H
1900-1500 BCEEarliest known rice cultivation
CultureLocalisation Era/Late Harappan
OCPCemetery HEarly Vedic periodGandhara grave culture
Megalithic
(c. 1400-1100 BCE)
1500-1300 BCEIndo-Aryan migration
1300-1100 BCEWandering Vedic Aryans
IRON AGE (c. 1100-300 BCE)
CultureMiddle Vedic Period
Gandhara grave cultureBlack and red ware culture
1100-800 BCEVedic settlements
Gandhara
Vedic settlements
Kuru
CultureLate Vedic Period
Gandhara grave culture(Brahmin ideology) • early UpanishadsPainted Grey Ware culture(Kshatriya/Shramanic culture) • Northern Black Polished Ware
800-600 BCEGandharaKuru-PancalaKosala-Videha
CultureLate Vedic Period
Mahajanapada
Gandhara grave culture(Brahmin ideology) • early UpanishadsPainted Grey Ware culture(Kshatriya/Shramanic culture) • Northern Black Polished Ware
 6th century BCEGandharaKuru-PanchalaKosala
Magadha
Anga
Adivasi (tribes)
CulturePersian-Greek influences"Second Urbanisation"
Later UpanishadsRise of Shramana movements
Jainism - Buddhism - Ājīvika - Yoga
Later Upanishads
 5th century BCE(Persian rule)Shishunaga dynastyAdivasi (tribes)
 4th century BCE(Greek conquests)Nanda empire
Kalinga
HISTORICAL AGE (after 300 BCE)
CultureSpread of BuddhismPre-historySangam period
(300 BCE – 200 CE)
 3rd century BCEMaurya EmpireEarly Cholas
Early Pandyan Kingdom
Satavahana dynasty
Cheras
CulturePreclassical Hinduism - "Hindu Synthesis" (c. 200 BCE-300 CE)
Epics - Puranas - Ramayana - Mahabharata - Bhagavad Gita - Brahma Sutras - Smarta Tradition
Mahayana Buddhism
Sangam period
(continued)
(300 BCE – 200 CE)
 2nd century BCEIndo-Greek KingdomShunga EmpireAdivasi (tribes)Early Cholas
Early Pandyan Kingdom
Satavahana dynasty
Cheras
 1st century BCEYonaMaha-Meghavahana Dynasty
 1st century CEIndo-Scythians
Indo-Parthians
Kuninda Kingdom
 2nd centuryPahlavaVarman dynasty
 3rd centuryKushan EmpireWestern SatrapsKamarupa kingdomKalabhra dynasty
Culture"Golden Age of Hinduism"(c. 320-650 CE)
Puranas
Co-existence of Hinduism and Buddhism
 4th centuryGupta EmpireKadamba Dynasty
Western Ganga Dynasty
 5th centuryVishnukundina
 6th centuryMaitrakaAdivasi (tribes)
CultureLate-Classical Hinduism (c. 650-1100 CE)
Advaita Vedanta - Tantra
Decline of Buddhism in India
 7th centuryMaitrakaIndo-SassanidsVakataka dynasty
Empire of Harsha
Mlechchha dynastyAdivasi (tribes)Pallava
 8th centuryKidarite KingdomKalachuri
 9th centuryIndo-Hephthalites (Huna)Gurjara-PratiharaChalukya
10th centuryPala dynasty
Kamboja-Pala dynasty
Rashtrakuta
CultureIslamic rule and "Sects of Hinduism" (c. 1100-1850 CE) - Medieval and Late Puranic Period (500–1500 CE)
11th centuryWestern Chalukyas(Islamic conquests)
Kabul Shahi
(Islamic Empire)
RajputsPala Empire
Paramara dynasty
Chaulukya dynasty
Eastern Ganga dynasty
Sena dynastyAdivasi (tribes)Chola Empire
Yadava dynasty
Western Chalukyas
Eastern Chalukyas
Kakatiya dynasty
Hoysala Empire
12th centuryWestern ChalukyasRajputsParamara dynasty
Chaulukya dynasty
Eastern Ganga dynasty
Chola Empire
Yadava dynasty
Western Chalukyas
Eastern Chalukyas
Kakatiya dynasty
Hoysala Empire
13th centuryDelhi SultanateChola Empire
14th centuryDelhi SultanateVijayanagara Empire
15th centuryDelhi Sultanate
16th centuryMughal Empire
17th centuryMughal EmpireMaratha Empire
CultureMaratha Empire and British Colonisation - Company rule in India
18th centuryMaratha EmpireMaratha EmpireBritishMaratha Empire/British
CultureBritish Colonisation - British Raj
19th centurySikh Empire
CultureBritish Raj - Independence struggle - Pakistan - India - Bangladesh
20th centuryPakistanIndiaBangladeshIndia
21st century