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Period: 130 BCE to 1453
Silk Route Trade
The Silk Road was a network of trade routes connecting China and the Far East with the Middle East and Europe. Established when the Han Dynasty in china officially opened trade with the West in 130 B.C., the Routes remained in use until 1453 A.D., when the Ottoman Empire boycotted trade with China and closed them. Although it's been nearly 600 years since the Silk Road has been used for international trade, the routes had a lasting impact on commerce, culture and history that resonates today. -
1275
Marco Polo
Marco Polo returned to Venice, again via the Silk Road routes, in 1295, just as the Mongolian Empire was in decline. His journeys across the silk Road became the basis for his book, The Travels of Marco Polo, which gave Europeans a better understanding of Asian commerce and culture. -
May 29, 1453
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire by an invading Ottoman army on May 29th 1453. The capture of the city marked the end of the Byzantine Empire. The conquest of the city of Constantinople and the end of the Byzantine Empire was a key event in the Late Middle Ages. -
1497
Vasco di Gama
He was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea. Da Gama's discovery of the sea route to India was significant
and opened the way for an age of global imperialism. For his contributions, in 1524 da Gama was appointed Governor with India. -
British East India Company receives charter
The East India Company was the company that took control of India, after being given a royal charter. The company formed for the exploitation of trade with East and Southeast Asia and India. Incorporated by royal charter on December 31, 1600, it was started as a monopolistic trading body so that England could participate in the East Indian spice trade. -
Bengal Sati Regulation
The Bengal Sati Regulation made, under East India Company rule, the practice of sati (also known as suttee) illegal, and made participants in suttee subject to prosecution. -
Sepoy Mutiny
Sepoys were Indian soldiers who fought in the British Army. Before inserting a cartridge into the rifle, a soldier had to bite off the ammunition cartridge, which was greased with pork and beef fat. This offended both Muslim Sepoys, who did not eat pork, and hindu sepoys, who did not eat beef. -
Period: to
Indian Civil Service
The Indian Civil Service, also known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the elite higher civil service of the British Empire in British India. They ruled for almost a century, and ruled over 300 million people. They oversaw all government activity while they were in power. -
Formation of Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress was formed when 72 delegates from all the presidencies and provinces of India met at Bombay from 28 to 30 December 1885. Allan Octavian Hume played a lead role in the formation of the Congress. The Congress would meet every year during December. Eventually, it became the representative organization of the people of the country. -
Lucknow Pact
The Lucknow Pact was an agreement by the Muslim League and Indian National Congress. The pact agreed to allow overrepresentation to religious minorities. Muhammad Ali Jinnah wanted to diplomatically attempt to pressure the British government into giving the Indians more political power. -
Indian Home Rule movement begins
This movement, lasting about two years, is believed to have set the stage for the Indian independence movement. Founded by Annie Besant, this movement is regarded as having a very large impact in the independence movement. Attached picture is their flag, which was designed to be aesthetic while also giving fear anyone who disagrees. -
Khilafat Movement begins
The Khilafat Movement was a pan-Islamist political protest campaign launched by Muslims of British India in the years followed World war I. The Movement lasted for about 5 years, and was led by Shaukat Ali, Mohammad Ali Jauhar and Abul Kalam Azad. Their main goal was to restore the caliph of the Ottoman Caliphate. -
Massacre at Jallianwala Bagh
During the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, troops of the British Indian Army, led by Colonel Reginald Dyer, fired their weapons into a crowd full of Indians who has gathered in Jallianwala Bagh. This massacre is also known as The Amritsar Massacre. The Indians originally met to protest the British government's heavy taxes and conscription of Indian soldiers. -
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Gandhi's Salt March
Led by Mohandas Gandhi, the 24-day march served as a direct campaign of tax resistance. The marchers were protesting against the British Salt monopoly. Using the non-violence protest, the march gained worldwide attention and started the nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement. -
Jawaharlal Nehru
He was the prime minister that led India through the early difficult years of independence. He worked to increase the legal rights of women, to improve lives of poor, and to prevent discrimination based on caste. Under his leadership, India utilized modern science and technology to improve its industry and agriculture. He led the developing nations in practicing Non-alignment. -
Period: to
World War II (global)
World War II broke out in 1939, and lasted for about 5 years. This was a major war that did not specifically involve India, but has major influences on the entire world during that time and led to many changes afterwords. -
Quit India Speech
A speech given by Mohandas Gandhi, the Quit India Speech was one which demanded full independence from the British. The speech was launched at the Bombay session of the All-India Congress Committee. -
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the separation into India and Pakistan. This split was supported by Gandhi, which some people very much disagreed with. The split displaced about 14 million people, along religious lines, and on top of that, some Hindus felt that Gandhi had given too much land to the Muslims, and that he was turning on them in a way. -
Muslim League
Muhammad Ali Jinnah led the muslim league, an organization that worked for the interests of India's muslims. It created a partition, which separates Muslim and Hindu countries. August 1947 is when the two new nations were created: Muslim East and West Pakistan and Hindu India. -
India gains independence from Britain
On August 15, 1947, India officially gained it's independence from Britain. Jawaharlal Nehru became the first prime minister of India as he addressed the nation with a new Declaration of Independence. -
War Over Kashmir
One major point of conflict was region of Kashmir, near the northern border of India and Pakistan. Soon after partition, India and Pakistan began to fight over the control of Kashmir. A cease-fire divided the region into two parts, one controlled by India and the other by Pakistan. Kashmir was the site of frequent conflicts between India and Pakistan. -
Gandhi Assassinated
Gandhi was killed by, surprisingly, a Hindu, as he thought Gandhi had given up too much land to the Muslims, and felt as if Gandhi was turning his back on his own. The man who killed him was a radical Hindu by the same of Nathuram Godse. Gandhi was 78 years old when he died. -
Six-Day War
It was a brief but bloody conflict between Israel and the Arab states of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. Following years of diplomatic friction and skirmishes between Israel and its neighbors, Israel Defense Forces launched preemptive air strikes that crippled the air forces of Egypt and its allies. -
Attack on Sikhs
A small group of Sikhs occupied the Golden Temple. The daughter of Ghandi ordered the Indian troops to drive these militants out of the temple. The violent attack outraged many Sikhs. The Sikhs body guards of the daughter of Ghandi ended up assassinating her. This killing touched off a wave of anti-Sikh violence in India.
