What are some things every Indian should know about Indian history? Balaji Viswanathan Quora.com/Balaji-Viswanathan-2 Text content in: some-things-every-Indian-should-know-about- Indian-history

A short story of a land with a million colors

We weren’t always poor – For most of recorded history India led the world in GDP

“India, that is Bharat, shall be a union of states…” – starts Indian constitution Official name in Indian languages is Bharat – after the mythological emperor of Bharatha Vedas use the term Bharatavarsa & Aryavrata Japanese called us Tenjiku, Chinese called us Tianzhu: both meaning heaven The name Indu was created by Greeks who associated us with the river Sindu Persians & Arabs called us – Hindustan – from the root Indu

7000 BCE – Mehrgarh Civilization: Start of farming & herding

3000 BC – Start of Indus Valley Civilization: World’s most planned cities and sanitation systems

2500 BC – Massive cities & invention of toilets & bathrooms

1500 BCE – Start of Vedic Age – world’s oldest surviving literature 1.Rig Veda 2.Sama Veda 3.Yajur Veda 4.Atharvana Veda

800 BC-800 AD: Magadha kingdoms – Birth of Indian religions – Buddhism & Jainism

500 BC: Takshashila (Taxila) University – Cambridge of India The world’s one of the first universities housed 100s of great scholars, including the master of strategy: Chanakya, Charaka – the master of Ayurvedic medicine and Panini - master of grammar. All of their works are still used in India. It is near the modern city of Islamabad, Pakistan.

BC: Nanda Empire – Consolidation of India begins

328 BC: The unstoppable Alexander is finally stopped in Battle of Hydaspes by a local Indian ruler - King Purushothama (Porus) who ruled Purushapura (Peshawar). Although he was defeated in the closely fought war, Alexander considered him an equal.

320 BC: Shamed by the lack of support for Porus from other Indian kings, Kautliya leaves his professor job at Taxila to become a king maker. His book Arthasastra is a landmark work in business & military strategy

320 BC: Chandragupta Maurya: The first Indian emperor & a disciple of Kautilya

269 BC: Rise of Emperor Ashoka – the greatest of Indian kings Fights a nasty war with Kalinga. The colossal destruction moves him & becomes a pacifist. He spread Buddhism throughout Asia (including China and Sri Lanka). Gave India its current emblem & the wheel in the flag.

Ashoka’s Rule: Period of bliss and a full unification of India

70 BC: Jews fleeing persecution were welcomed. India was the only major region where Jews faced no anti-semitism. 52 AD: Early Christians were provided asylum. Later Zorastrians fled Persia in 10 th century AD. In modern days, Dalai Lama & Tibetan Buddhists escaped China in First civilization to accept in all cases.

AD: Gupta Age: Golden Age of India India produced some of the greatest thinkers in this period: 1.Aryabhata (left) – Used decimal system, approximated pi, built trignometry 2.Kalidasa – master of drama & theater 3.Vatsayana – wrote Kamasutra 4.Varamihira – a great astronomer who built important works in trignometry

6 th -13 th Century AD: Nalanda University (modern Bihar) A great center of learning for the ancients that attracted students from Greece, Persia and China.

3 rd century BC – 13 th century AD: Chola dynasty of South. Built stunning temples. Most temples survive intact for1000+ years

Rajendra Chola (1014 AD): Ruled South east Asia from South India. Trade & art flourished. Indian culture spread.

12 th -15 th Century AD: Sultanates: Dark ages in Indian history. Nation begins its long decline

AD: Vijayanagara Empire. Rebuilt South India after foreign invasions that destroyed most native temples South languages – especially Telugu and Kannada flourished during their period and Hinduism had its renaissance. They are famous for the ruins in Hampi.

Mughal empire: AD. Period of great Islamic architecture

Extent of Mughal Empire. By 1707, most of India came under their rule.

1616 AD: East India Company is allowed to operate in India. Began as traders. First megacorporation of the world.

1680 AD: Death of the last great Indian king – Shivaji. India was ripe to be conquered now.

1757: Turning point in battle of Plassey due to betrayal by local general. East India company now rules India

1857: Indians start fighting back. Triggered by a suspicious coating of gun cartridges. First war of Independence

Between : 24 major famines attack India. Massive neglect kill millions. Indians get dirt poor and hungry.

1885: Indian national congress formed. First little step towards peaceful freedom struggle.

1919: Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. Turning point in Indian freedom struggle.

1930: Gandhi begins the landmark Dandi March and used simple salt to shake British Empire. India now sees hope. People come in droves.

1947: India gets its freedom. The nation is broken into India (1947), Pakistan (1947), and Bangladesh (1971)

Summary: A short history of Indian dynasties

We don’t need to be poor. We just need to discover our glorious past.