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General history of ancient India

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{{Short description|1=Overview of and topical guide to ancient India}}
{{see also|Outline of South Asian history|History of India}}
The following [[Outline (list)|outline]] is provided as an overview of and topical guide to ancient India:

'''Ancient India''' is the [[Indian subcontinent]] from prehistoric times to the start of [[Medieval India]], which is typically dated (when the term is still used) to the end of the [[Gupta Empire]].{{sfn|Stein|2010|p=38}} Ancient India was composed of the modern-day countries of [[Afghanistan]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Bhutan]], [[Myanmar]], [[India]], [[Nepal]] and [[Pakistan]].

[[File:South Asia (orthographic projection) without national boundaries.svg|thumb|South Asia]]

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== General history of ancient India ==
{{main|History of India}}

=== Periodisation of Indian history ===

An elaborate periodisation may be as follows:{{sfn|Michaels|2004}}

* Indian Pre-history Age (c. 10,000–3300 BCE)
* Indian Civilizations on peak [[Indus Valley Civilisation]] & "First Urbanization " (c. 3300–1750 BCE);
* [[Iron Age in India|Iron age]] including [[Vedic period]] (c. 1750–600 BCE);
* "Second Urbanisation" (c. 600–200 BCE);
* [[Classical Period]] (c. 200 BCE–1200 CE);{{refn|group=note|Different periods are designated as "classical Hinduism":

* Smart calls the period between 1000 BCE and 100 CE "pre-classical". It is the formative period for the Upanishads and Brahmanism{{refn|group=subnote|Smart distinguishes "Brahmanism" from the Vedic religion, connecting "Brahmanism" with the Upanishads.{{sfn|Smart|2003|p=52, 83-86}}}} Jainism and Buddhism. For Smart, the "classical period" lasts from 100 to 1000 CE, and coincides with the flowering of "classical Hinduism" and the flowering and deterioration of Mahayana-buddhism in India.{{sfn|Smart|2003|p=52}}

* For Michaels, the period between 500 BCE and 200 BCE is a time of "Ascetic reformism",{{sfn|Michaels|2004|p=36}} whereas the period between 200 BCE and 1100 CE is the time of "classical Hinduism", since there is "a turning point between the Vedic religion and Hindu religions".{{sfn|Michaels|2004|p=38}}

* Muesse discerns a longer period of change, namely between 800 BCE and 200 BCE, which he calls the "Classical Period". According to Muesse, some of the fundamental concepts of Hinduism, namely karma, reincarnation and "personal enlightenment and transformation", which did not exist in the Vedic religion, developed in this time.{{sfn|Muesse|2003|p=14}}}}

:* Pre-Classical period (c. 200 BCE–320 CE);
:* "Golden Age" ([[Gupta Empire]]) (c. 320–550 CE);
:* Late-Classical period (c. 550–1200 CE);
* [[Medieval Period]] (c. 1200–1500 CE);
* Early Modern Period (c. 1500–1850 CE);
* Modern Period ([[British Raj]] and [[Indian independence movement]]) (c. 1850–1947 CE).

===Indian pre-history===

*Neolithic Age India

** [[Bhirrana|Bhirrana Culture]]   (7570 – 6200 BCE)
** [[Mehrgarh]] culture (c. 7000 – 2500 BCE)
*Bronze Age India
**[[Indus valley civilization]] (c. 3300 – 1300 BCE)
**[[Ahar-Banas culture]] (c. 3000 – 1500 BCE)

===Iron Age (c. 1200 – 272 BCE)===

*[[Iron Age India]] (c. 1200 – 272 BCE)
**[[Vedic civilization]] (c. 1500 – 500 BCE)
***[[Black and red ware culture]] (c. 1300 – 1000 BCE) (c. 1200 – 600 BCE)
***[[Northern Black Polished Ware]] (c. 700 – 200 BCE)
**[[Mahajanapadas|Indian Iron Age kingdoms]] (c. 700 – 300 BCE)
**[[Early Pandyan Kingdom|Pandyan Kingdom]] (600 BCE - 1650 CE)

===Second Urbanisation===

*[[Nanda Empire]] (425–321 BCE)
*[[Maurya Empire]] (321–184 BCE)
*[[Sangam Period]] (c. 300 BCE – 300 CE)
**[[Pandyan dynasty|Pandyan Kingdom]] (c. 600 BCE – 1650 CE)
**[[Chera dynasty|Chera Kingdom]] (c. 300 BCE – 1102 CE)
**[[Chola Kingdom]] (c. 300 BCE – 1279 CE)
*[[Pallava Kingdom]] (250 BCE – 800 CE)
*[[Maha-Meghavahana Dynasty|Maha-Megha-Vahana Empire]] (250s BCE – 5th century CE)
*[[Satavahana dynasty|Satavahana Empire]] (230 BCE – 220 CE)
*[[Indo-Scythians|Indo-Scythian Kingdom]] (200 BCE – 400 CE)
*[[Kuninda Kingdom]] (3rd century BCE – 4th century CE)
*[[Shunga Empire]] (185–73 BCE)
*[[Indo-Greek Kingdom]] (180 BCE – 10 CE)
*[[Kanva dynasty|Kanva empire]] (75–26 BCE)
*[[Kushan Empire]] (30–375 CE)

===Classical Age===

* ([[Middle kingdoms of India]])
*[[Gurjara-Pratihara|Gurjara-Pratihara Empire]]
*[[Vakataka dynasty|Vakataka Empire]]
*[[Chola Empire]]
*[[Pala Empire]]
*[[Gupta Empire]] (240–590 CE)
*[[Kadamba dynasty]] (345–1000 CE)
**[[Banavasi]]
**[[Halasi]]
**[[Hangal]]
*[[Western Ganga dynasty]](350-1000 CE)
**[[Kolar]]
**[[Talakadu]]

===Middle Ages (c. 500 – 1500)===

*[[Badami Chalukyas]] (547–742)
**[[Badami Chalukya architecture]]
**[[Aihole]]
**[[Badami]]
**[[Pattadakal]]
**[[Mahakuta]]
*[[Rashtrakuta Empire]] (742–982)
**[[Ellora]]
**[[Ellora Kailasanathar Temple|Kailash Temple]]
*[[Eastern Chalukyas]]
*[[Western Chalukyas]] (983–1185)
**[[Western Chalukya architecture]]
**[[Mahadeva Temple, Itagi|Mahadeva Temple at Itagi]]
**[[Lakkundi]]
**[[Chaudayyadanapura]]
**[[Annigeri]]
*[[Chaulukya dynasty|Chaulukya]] (c. 944 - 1244)
*[[Kakatiya dynasty|Kakatiyas]]
*[[Kalachuris of Kalyani]]
*[[Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri]]
*[[Hoysala Empire]] (1114–1342)
**[[Belur, Karnataka|Belur]]
**[[Halebidu]]
**Somanathapura
*[[Vijayanagara Empire]] (1336–1565)
**[[Hampi]]

== Culture in ancient India ==

=== Art in ancient India ===
* [[Music in ancient India]]
** [[Carnatic music]]
** [[Hindustani classical music|Hindustani music]]

=== Language in ancient India ===
* [[Vedic Sanskrit]]
* [[Proto-Dravidian language|Proto-Dravidian]]
* (Scripts)
** [[Tamil Brahmi]]
** [[Pallava Script]]
** [[Gupta script]]
** [[Kadamba script]]

=== Religion in ancient India ===
* [[History of Jainism]]
* [[History of Hinduism]]
** [[Exotic tribes of ancient India]]
** [[Historical Vedic religion]]
*** [[Vedas]]
*** [[Vedic mythology]]
*** [[Vedic priesthood]]
* [[History of Buddhism in India|History of Buddhism]]

== Science and technology in ancient India ==
*[[Science and technology in ancient India]]
**[[Indian mathematics]]
**[[Indian astronomy]]
**[[List of Indian inventions]]
*[[Indian martial arts]]
**[[Malla-yuddha]]
**[[Kalaripayattu]]
* Ancient Indian medicine
** [[Siddha medicine]]
** [[Ayurveda]]
*[[Sthapatya Veda|Architecture]]
**[[Dravidian architecture]]
*[[Epic India|Indian in Sanskrit epics]]

== Organizations concerned with ancient India ==

=== Museums with ancient Indian exhibits ===
* India (clockwise)
** [[National Museum, New Delhi]]
** [[Patna Museum]]
** [[Indian Museum, Kolkata]]
** [[Government Museum, Bangalore]]
** [[Goa State Museum]]
** [[Kutch Museum]], [[Bhuj]], [[Gujarat]]

* United Kingdom
** [[British Museum]], London

== See also ==
*{{commonscatinline|Ancient India}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note|2}}

''Subnotes''
{{reflist|group=subnote}}

==References==
{{reflist|25em}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Citation | last =Flood | first =Gavin D. | year =1996 | title =An Introduction to Hinduism | publisher =Cambridge University Press}}
* {{Citation | last =Khanna | first =Meenakshi | year = 2007 | title =Cultural History Of Medieval India | publisher =Berghahn Books}}
* {{Citation | last1 =Kulke | first1 =Hermann | last2 =Rothermund | first2 =Dietmar | year =2004 | title =A History of India | publisher =Routledge}}
* {{Citation | last =Michaels | first =Axel | year =2004 | title =Hinduism. Past and present | place =Princeton, New Jersey | publisher =Princeton University Press}}
* {{Citation | last =Misra | first =Amalendu | year =2004 | title =Identity and Religion: Foundations of Anti-Islamism in India | publisher =SAGE}}
* {{Citation | last =Muesse | first =Mark William | year =2003 | title =Great World Religions: Hinduism | url =http://www.docshut.com/rquv/lectures-on-great-world-religions-hinduism.html}}
* {{Citation | last =Muesse | first =Mark W. | year =2011 | title =The Hindu Traditions: A Concise Introduction | publisher =Fortress Press}}
* {{Citation | last =Smart | first =Ninian | year =2003 | title =Godsdiensten van de wereld (The World's religions) | place =Kampen | publisher =Uitgeverij Kok}}
* {{Citation | last =Stein | first =Burton | year =2010 | title =A History of India | publisher =John Wiley & Sons | isbn =9781444323511 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=QY4zdTDwMAQC&dq=history+of+india}}
* {{Citation | last =Thapar | first =Romila | year =1978 | title =Ancient Indian Social History: Some Interpretations | publisher =Orient Blackswan | url =http://www.philoshistorydepartment.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/8/7/12870319/ancient_indian_social_history_some_interpretation_by_romila_thapar.pdf}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{sisterlinks|Ancient India}}

* [http://www.ancientindia.co.uk/ Ancient India - The British Museum]
* [https://www.worldhistory.org/india/ Ancient India - World History Encyclopedia]
* [http://www.timemaps.com/civilization-ancient-india TimeMaps Civilization: Ancient India]

{{Outline footer}}

[[Category:Ancient India| ]]
[[Category:Outlines of geography and places|India]]
[[Category:Bharatpedia outlines|India]]

Outline of ancient India - Revision history

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>GX5 Wiki: /* General history of ancient India */