History of India

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      Part of a series on the
      History of India
      Chronology of Indian history
      Ancient India
      Prehistoric India and Vedic India
      Religion, Society, Mahajanapadas

      Mauryan Period
      Economy, Spread of Buddhism,
      Chanakya, Hellenic Contacts

      The Golden Age
      Discoveries, Aryabhata,
      Ramayana, Mahabharata

      Medieval India
      The Classical Age
      Art, Philosophy, Literature

      Islam in India
      Delhi Sultanate, Advent of Sufism,
      Hindustani Music, Guru Nanak

      Mughal India
      Architecture,
      Maratha Confederacy

      Modern India
      Company Rule
      Zamindari system, Warren Hastings,
      Post & Telegraph, 1857

      British Raj
      Hindu reforms, Famines,
      Independence struggle, Gandhi

  This article is about the history of the Indian Subcontinent prior to the
  Partition of India in 1947. For the history of the modern Republic of India,
  see History of the Republic of India. For the histories of Pakistan and
  Bangladesh see History of Pakistan and History of Bangladesh. Also for South
  India see History of South India.
The known history of India begins with the Indus Valley Civilization, which
spread and flourished in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent, from
c. 3300 to 1300 BCE. Its Mature Harappan period lasted from 2600-1900 BCE. This
Bronze Age civilization collapsed at the beginning of the second millennium BCE
and was followed by the Iron Age Vedic period, which extended over much of the
Indo-Gangetic plains and which witnessed the rise of major kingdoms known as the
Mahajanapadas. In one of these kingdoms Magadha, Mahavira and Gautama Buddha
were born in the 6th century BCE, who propagated their Shramanic philosophies
among the masses.
Later,... [continues]

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