-
Period: 563 BCE to 483 BCE
Life of Siddhartha Gautma
In 534, he decided to live the ascetic life of a holy man, searching for spiritual enlightenment and an explanation for suffering. One day, he decided to sit under a bo tree until he understood the problem of suffering and received enlightenment after 49 days, becoming the Buddha ("the enlightened one") -
Period: 540 BCE to 468 BCE
Life of Vardhamana Mahavria
At age 30 he sought salvation by escaping the cycle of incarnation. For 12 years he lead an ascetic life wandering throughout the Ganges valley then gained enlightenment. He abandoned all worldly goods and taught an ascetic doctrine of detachment from the world. For the next 30 years until his death he taught this to a group of disciples who formed a monastic order to perpetuate and spread his message. Mahavria was referred to as Jina ("the conqueror") and his followers called the jains -
500 BCE
The kingdom of Magadha emerges as the most important state in northeastern India
Alexander the Great created a political vacuum after destroying all existing states in northwestern India and then withdrawing his forces. The withdrawal from Punjab left the kingdom of Magadha with a rare oppurtunity to expand, and by about 500 BCE they emerged as the most important state in northeastern India, conquering neighboring states and gaining control of Indian commerce passing through the Ganges valley as well as overseas trade between India and Burma, as well as filling the vacuum. -
320 BCE
Chandragupta Maurya exploited the expansion opportunity and laid the foundation for the Mauryan empire
During the late 320's BCE, Chandragupta Maurya exploited the expansion opportunity and laid the foundation for the Mauryan empire, the first state to bring a centralized and unified government to most of the Indian subcontinent. -
260 BCE
Ashoka brings Kalinga under Mauryan control
Ashoka's first major undertaking as emperor was to conquer Kalinga and bring it under Mauryan control, which he did in a bloody campaign in 260 BCE. By his estimate, 100,000 Kalingans died in the fighting, 150,000 were driven from their homes, and untold numbers of others perished in the ruined land. -
260 BCE
Ashoka adopts Buddhism
After the war against Kalinga, he was saddened by the violence and suffering, so he decided to pursue his aims henceforth by means of virtue, benevolence, and humanity rather than arms. -
232 BCE
Ashoka dies and decline sets in
Ashoka's policies did not survive his rule, nor did his empire. After he died, decline set in almost immediately. The Mauryan empire faced both financial and economical difficulties. Th empire depended on a strong army and a large corps of officials to administer imperial policy. Salaries for both were expensive, and eventually the costs outstripped the revenues that flowed into the central treasury. The later Mauryan emperors resorted to debasing their currency. -
185 BCE
Mauryan empire disappears
Because of their financial difficulties, they were unable to hold the realm together. They maintained control of the Ganges river for some 50 years after Ashoka's death, but eventually lost their grip on even this heartland of the Mauryan empire -
Period: 185 BCE to 1 CE
Bactrian rule
For almost 2 centuries after the fall of the Mauryan empire, northwestern India fell under the rule of the Greek-speaking conquerors from Bactria- Alexander of Macedon's imperial heirs who had mingled with local populations since establishing an independent Bactrian kingdom. Bactria was a thriving commercial center linking lands from China to the Mediterranean basin, so they had the effect of promoting cross-cultural interaction and exchange in India. Large volumes of trade provided revenue -
Period: 1 CE to 300
Kushan Empire
The Kushans facilitated commerce between India and lands to the north. They played a crucial role in the silk roads network by pacifying much of the large region between Persia and China, making it possible for merchants to travel safely across long distances -
Period: 320 to 415
Gupta Dynasty
The Gupta dynasty was founded by Chandra Gupta in 320 CE.
It was smaller and more decentralized than the Mauryan empire, and unlike Ashoka, they left local government and administration in the hands of their allies in the various regions of their empire. The invasion of White Huns weakened the empire. After the fifth century C.E., the Gupta dynasty continued in name only. Large regional kingdoms dominated political life in India in the millenium between the Gupta and Mughal dynasties -
1000
Buddhism enters a noticeable decline
As Hinduism became more popular, it gradually displaced Buddhism as the most popular religion