India: timeline and key events

Indus Valley Civilisation, Mohenjo-daro and Harappa

The Indus Valley Civilisation reaches its peak with planned cities such as Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, equipped with sewage systems, public baths and an undeciphered script, among the earliest urbanisations in history.

Maurya Empire, Chandragupta unifies North India

Chandragupta Maurya founds the first great Indian empire by unifying the northern subcontinent after Alexander the Great's departure, creating a centralised administration that will serve as a model for all subsequent Indian empires.

Muslim conquest, Delhi Sultanate

Muhammad of Ghor defeats the Hindu king Prithviraj III at the Battle of Tarain, opening the way for Muslim domination of northern India with the Delhi Sultanate, which introduces Islam and transforms Indian culture.

Foundation of the Mughal Empire by Babur

Babur, a descendant of Tamerlane and Genghis Khan, wins the First Battle of Panipat and founds the Mughal Empire, which will govern most of India for more than three centuries and create an exceptional cultural legacy.

Reign of Akbar the Great, Mughal apex

Emperor Akbar extends the Mughal Empire to almost the entire subcontinent, advocates religious tolerance, develops the arts and administration, and makes the Mughal court a culturally radiant centre on a global scale.

Creation of the British East India Company

Queen Elizabeth I grants a royal charter to the East India Company, which starts with trade and ends up exercising political and military sovereignty over much of India.

Battle of Plassey, beginning of British domination

Robert Clive wins the Battle of Plassey thanks to the treachery of an Indian general, allowing the East India Company to take control of Bengal and laying the foundations for British colonial domination over India.

Sepoy Mutiny, first independence uprising

Indian soldiers (sepoys) in the British army revolt, triggering a national insurrection that spreads throughout northern India; its bloody suppression by the British lastingly marks memories and accentuates nationalist sentiment.

Birth of Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is born in Porbandar (Gujarat); he will become the father of political non-violence (ahimsa) and the spiritual guide of the Indian independence movement, changing the course of world history.

Amritsar Massacre, turning point in the independence struggle

British soldiers fire on thousands of protesters gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, killing at least 379 people; this event radicalises the nationalist movement and pushes Gandhi to fully commit to the independence struggle.

Proclamation of the Republic of India

The Indian Constitution comes into force on 26 January, making India the world's largest democracy; this visionary document guarantees fundamental rights and equality to 350 million citizens, despite the legacy of the caste system.

India's first nuclear test (Smiling Buddha)

India detonates its first underground nuclear device in the Rajasthan desert, becoming the world's sixth nuclear power and asserting its strategic independence from the great powers in a Cold War context.

Economic reforms, liberalisation of India

Faced with a severe balance of payments crisis, Narasimha Rao's government undertakes radical reforms: opening to foreign investment, privatisations and the end of the licence system, triggering three decades of strong economic growth.