History of India

A Brief History of India

Professor Akira ShimadaNew Paltz

Department of History and Asian StudiesScholar Escort, Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad

Indus Valley Civilization or Harappa Culture

• Harappan (7000-3500 BCE)

• Early Harappan (3500-2600 BCE)

• Mature Harappan (2600-1900 BCE)– Mohenjodaro and Harappa

• Late Harappan (1900-1700 BCE)

Mohenjo-daro

Sarnath (first sermon and monastary)

Ashokan Pillar CapitalSarnath

The Kushana-Satavahanas (1st AD-3rd CE)

The Gupta Dynasty(310-550 CE)

Ajanta Caves1st century BCE and 5th century CE

Ajanta Cave II (Queen’s Cave)

Ceiling Painting

Ellora 16 (Kailasanatha Temple)Rāshrakuta Period (8-9th century)

Slave Dynasty (1206-1290)

Alai Darwaza and Qutb MinarDelhi, ca. 1200

Mughal Empire(1526-1857)

Taj Mahal, c. 1630

British Expansion into India•1611: First English trading station (factory) was set up at Masulipatan, S. E. India

•1613: Set up factory at Surat (Mughal port)

•1615: Ambassador Thomas Roe visited Mughal court and got permission to set factories inland (e.g. Agra)

•1623: Amboina Massacre

EIC Expansion

•1611: First English trading station (factory) at Masulipatan (S. E. India)

•1613: Factory at Surat (W. India

•1615: Ambassador Thomas Roe visited Mughal court

•1661: British acquisition of Bombay

•1640: Set St. George Fort at Madras

•1702: Built St. Williams Fort at Calcutta

British India(mid 19th century)

• EIC territory– Bengal Presidency

(North and Central India)

– Bombay Presidency (Konkan, West Deccan and Sind)

– Madras (Carnatic and Malabar)

1857 Revolt

• Sepoy Mutiny or first war of Independence occurred at N. India

• Started May 10 1857 and continued until September (even after outside Delhi)

• Result– Mughal-s officially ended– India became the official

territory of the British empire