Politics and Traditions Timeline

By jjernigan
  • Period: 900 BCE to 600 BCE

    Ideologies: Anonymous Writers of Upanishads

    The Upanishads were another body of sacred texts that were mystical and highly philosophical works that sought to probe the inner meaning of the sacrifices prescribed in the Vedas.
  • Period: 800 BCE to 400 BCE

    Religion: Upanishads Composed

    The Upanishads were composed over the centuries to define the ideas of Hinduism. This religion was never a single tradition, but it dissolved into a vast diversity of gods, spirits, beliefs, practices, rituals, and philosophies.
  • 600 BCE

    Ideologies: The Vedas

    Ideologies: The Vedas
    The Vedas were condensed into writing by the brahmins after being orally transmitted for centuries.
  • 600 BCE

    Dynasties: Second Wave

    The second-wave civilizations of South Asia had begun to take shape across northern India.
    Fragmented towns and cities, an astonishing range of ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity and distinctive religious tradition gave the Indian civilization a recognized identity.
  • 600 BCE

    Life of Buddha, Laozi and Confucius

    Life of Buddha, Laozi and Confucius
    These three teachers would shape the traditions of Asia (China specifically). Buddha, founder of the (at first) Indian religion of Buddhism taught that suffering comes from bad desires and attachment.
  • Period: 566 BCE to 486 BCE

    Life of Siddharta Gautama

    Siddharta Gautama, later known as The Buddha, founded the religion of Buddhism and taught that suffering is caused by desire/attachment. According to him, an end of suffering can be done through a modest and moral living and meditation practices.
  • 518 BCE

    Invasion of the Indus Valley

    For a brief time, Northwestern India was conquered and ruled by the Persian/Achaemenid Empire. Later, when Alexander the Great conquered this Empire, new greek and Persian influences helped stimulate the Mauryan Empire.
  • Period: 326 BCE to 184 BCE

    Politics: India’s Mauryan Dynasty Empire

    The Mauryan Empire had a large military and a civil bureaucracy,
    many ministries to govern and spies to report to the government.
    Its political structure was similar to the Persian, Chinese and Roman Empires. Well knows is this dynasty for its emperor Ashoka, who ruled over the 50 Million people in his kingdom.
    Famous treatise: Arthashastra (The Science of Worldly Wealth)
  • 268 BCE

    Ashoka's Rule

    Ashoka's Rule
    After his father dies (273 B.C.E.), Ashoka inherits the throne and proves to be a good leader by crushing many revolts that were against him and was able to introduce buddhism to India. Because of Ashoka’s conversion to Buddhism and his moralistic approach to it which helped make him such a good leader compared to other emperors.
  • 262 BCE

    The Mauryan Empire

    The Mauryan Empire
    The Mauryan Empire encompassed all but the southern tip of the subcontinent.
  • Period: 320 to 550

    Politics: India’s Gupta Dynasty Empire

    Art, literature, architecture and science flourished in this era, much of it was supported by India's rulers. A frequently vibrant economy was able to create a focal point for trade (f.e. with China).
    This Empire stood out through its cultural diversity, relatively peaceful/tolerant rule, achievements like free hospitals and its caste system.
  • 420

    The Gupta Empire

    The Gupta Empire
    The Gupta Empire around 420 CE.