India History

India history begins more than 4500 years ago.

India’s history begins more than 4500 years ago (some say much earlier) with the Indus Valley civilisations. Two of these great city-civilisations were Mohenjodaro and Harappa. Religion, especially Hinduism has always played an important part in India’s history. It was in this period also that Hinduism finds its roots.

With the invasions of the Aryans, between 1500 and 200 BC, starts another decisive period of India’s history. These Aryans pushed the original population, the Dravidians, further south. Dravidians still are the majority of the population of a number of southern states. Around 500 BC both Jainism and Buddhism arose and influenced Indian society profoundly.

In 321 BC, Chandragupta Maurya established a powerful Empire. Later Emperor Ashoka conquered a large part of the Subcontinent. In 1192 started Muslim presence. From 1527 to 1757 the famous Mughals ruled. In the 17^th century the British established a number of trading posts and by the 19^th century the country was under their control. Independence was brought about by people like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and others : 14^th of August 1947 is one of the most important days in India’s recent history.

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