|
Ancient India History - 2,500 BC to 1527. The Indus Valley Civilization - the Aryans - Alexander the Great - the Maurya Empire -
the Imperial Gupta dynasty - the Muslim Kings
India HistoryIndia history and culture stretch back to the beginning of human civilization. Ancient India history is a constant integration of migrating peoples. Situated in the centre of Asia, India is the crossroads of cultures from China to Europe. India history is more than just a set of unique developments in a definable process; it is a microcosm of human history itself. Ancient India History can be traced back to at least 2500 BC. The first known civilization settled along the Indus River in what is now Pakistan. India history is defined by the conquering armies that swept over the country in successive waves interspersed with periods of peace and prosperity. India History - The AryansThe first group to invade India were the Aryans; they came out of the north in about 1500 BC. The Aryans were warriors and conquerors and brought with them strong cultural traditions that still survive. They spoke and wrote in Sanskrit. The Aryans established the caste system and the basis for the Indian religions. They successfully inhabited the northern regions for about 700 years, gradually spreading further south and east. They were the first to use iron tools and weapons. The next great invasion into India occurred around 500 BC. Ancient India history records that the Persian kings pushed their empire eastward into northern India and conquered the ever-prized Indus Valley. They were over-run 200 years later by the Greeks under Alexander the Great, who swept through the country-defeating king Porus and his army of 200 elephants in 326 BC. While the Greeks subdued the Indus Valley and the northwest, the Aryan-based kingdoms continued developing in the East. In the 5th century BC, Siddhartha Gautama founded the religion of Buddhism. His profoundly influential work of human thought is still highly regarded today. As the over extended Greek empire declined the Maurya conquered it in its turn. India history records that this was the beginning of one India's greatest dynasties, which conquered almost all the subcontinent. The final battle of Orissa was so bloody that the shocked king gave up warfare forever and converted to Buddhism. Anoka’s rule marked the height of the Maurya Empire, which collapsed within the next century. India History - The Imperial GuptasIndia history shows that the country fragmented into a mosaic of kingdoms and smaller dynasties. The kingdoms enjoyed relative autonomy for the next few hundred years, occasionally fighting (and often losing to) invaders from the north and China, who seemed to come and go like the monsoons. In AD 319, Chandragupta II founded the Imperial Guptas dynasty. He conquered and consolidated the entire north and extended as far south as the Vindya Mountains. The golden age that followed lasted many hundred years. During this time some of the most incredible temples in India were constructed in Bhubaneshwar, Konarak, and Khahurajo. It was a time of stability and cultural development and it lasted until the dawn of the Muslim era. In 1192 Mohammed of Ghor swept down through the Khyber Pass with his armies and subjugated all the powerful Hindu kingdoms along the Ganges, lying waste the Buddhist temples of Bihar. India History 1193 to 1610 India History - 1610 to post Independence> |