History Quick Revision
Important Dates in Indian History
A chronological revision list of major dates, battles, dynasties, acts and national movements from Ancient, Medieval and Modern Indian History.
High-yield chronology
326 BCE
Alexander's invasion
261 BCE
Kalinga War
712 CE
Arab conquest of Sindh
1192
Second Battle of Tarain
1526
First Battle of Panipat
1757
Battle of Plassey
Important Ancient History Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c. 2600–1900 BCE | Mature Harappan Civilisation |
| c. 1500 BCE | Beginning of the Early Vedic phase |
| c. 600 BCE | Rise of the Mahajanapadas |
| 6th century BCE | Rise of Buddhism and Jainism |
| c. 563 BCE | Traditional date associated with birth of Gautama Buddha |
| c. 599 BCE | Traditional date associated with birth of Mahavira |
| 326 BCE | Alexander invaded north-western India; Battle of Hydaspes |
| c. 322 BCE | Chandragupta Maurya established Mauryan rule |
| c. 268 BCE | Ashoka became Mauryan emperor |
| c. 261 BCE | Kalinga War |
| c. 185 BCE | End of Mauryan Empire; rise of Shunga dynasty |
| 78 CE | Beginning of the Shaka Era |
| c. 320 CE | Beginning of Gupta imperial power under Chandragupta I |
| 399–414 CE | Fa-Hien's travels in India |
| 606 CE | Harshavardhana became ruler |
| 629–645 CE | Xuanzang's travels in India |
Important Medieval History Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 712 | Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh |
| 1001 | Mahmud of Ghazni defeated Jayapala |
| 1025 | Mahmud of Ghazni's raid on Somnath |
| 1191 | First Battle of Tarain |
| 1192 | Second Battle of Tarain |
| 1206 | Beginning of Delhi Sultanate under Qutb-ud-din Aibak |
| 1290 | Khalji dynasty established |
| 1320 | Tughlaq dynasty established |
| 1336 | Foundation of Vijayanagara Empire |
| 1347 | Foundation of Bahmani Sultanate |
| 1398 | Timur invaded India and attacked Delhi |
| 1451 | Lodi dynasty established |
| 1498 | Vasco da Gama reached Calicut |
| 1526 | First Battle of Panipat — Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi |
| 1527 | Battle of Khanwa |
| 1529 | Battle of Ghaghra |
| 1539 | Battle of Chausa |
| 1540 | Battle of Kannauj; Humayun lost the Mughal throne |
| 1555 | Humayun restored Mughal rule in Delhi |
| 1556 | Second Battle of Panipat |
| 1576 | Battle of Haldighati |
| 1600 | English East India Company received royal charter |
| 1605 | Death of Akbar; Jahangir became emperor |
| 1628 | Shah Jahan became Mughal emperor |
| 1658 | Aurangzeb secured the Mughal throne |
| 1674 | Coronation of Shivaji at Raigad |
| 1707 | Death of Aurangzeb |
Important Modern History Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1757 | Battle of Plassey |
| 1764 | Battle of Buxar |
| 1765 | East India Company obtained Diwani rights of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa |
| 1773 | Regulating Act |
| 1784 | Pitt's India Act |
| 1793 | Permanent Settlement introduced in Bengal |
| 1799 | Fourth Anglo-Mysore War; death of Tipu Sultan |
| 1802 | Treaty of Bassein |
| 1813 | Charter Act of 1813 |
| 1829 | Sati prohibited by Governor-General William Bentinck |
| 1833 | Charter Act of 1833 |
| 1853 | First passenger railway in India between Bombay and Thane |
| 1857 | Revolt of 1857 |
| 1858 | Government of India Act; Crown assumed direct rule |
| 1861 | Indian Councils Act |
| 1875 | Arya Samaj founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati |
| 1877 | Queen Victoria proclaimed Empress of India |
| 1885 | Indian National Congress founded |
| 1892 | Indian Councils Act |
| 1905 | Partition of Bengal |
| 1906 | All-India Muslim League founded at Dacca |
| 1907 | Surat Split in the Indian National Congress |
| 1909 | Indian Councils Act — Morley-Minto Reforms |
| 1911 | Partition of Bengal annulled; capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi |
| 1915 | Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa |
| 1916 | Lucknow Pact and Home Rule movement |
| 1917 | Champaran Satyagraha |
| 1918 | Ahmedabad Mill Strike and Kheda Satyagraha |
| 1919 | Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh massacre |
| 1919 | Government of India Act, 1919 |
| 1920 | Non-Cooperation Movement launched |
| 1922 | Chauri Chaura incident; Non-Cooperation Movement withdrawn |
| 1927 | Simon Commission appointed |
| 1928 | Simon Commission arrived in India; Nehru Report |
| 1929 | Lahore Session of Congress adopted Purna Swaraj |
| 26 January 1930 | Independence Day observed by the Congress |
| 12 March 1930 | Gandhi began the Dandi March |
| 6 April 1930 | Salt law broken at Dandi |
| 1931 | Gandhi-Irwin Pact |
| 1932 | Communal Award and Poona Pact |
| 1935 | Government of India Act, 1935 |
| 1937 | Provincial elections under Government of India Act, 1935 |
| 1939 | Congress ministries resigned after India entered World War II |
| 1940 | Lahore Resolution of the Muslim League |
| 1940 | August Offer |
| 1942 | Cripps Mission |
| 8 August 1942 | Quit India Resolution adopted at Bombay |
| 1945 | Wavell Plan and Shimla Conference |
| 1946 | Cabinet Mission arrived in India |
| 16 August 1946 | Direct Action Day |
| 9 December 1946 | First meeting of the Constituent Assembly |
| 3 June 1947 | Mountbatten Plan announced |
| 18 July 1947 | Indian Independence Act received royal assent |
| 15 August 1947 | India became independent |
Important Post-Independence Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 26 November 1949 | Constitution of India adopted |
| 26 January 1950 | Constitution came into force; India became a Republic |
| 1951–52 | First general elections in independent India |
| 1956 | States Reorganisation Act |
| 1962 | India-China War |
| 1965 | India-Pakistan War |
| 1971 | India-Pakistan War; creation of Bangladesh |
| 1974 | Pokhran-I nuclear test |
| 1975–77 | National Emergency |
| 1984 | Operation Blue Star; assassination of Indira Gandhi |
| 1991 | Major economic reforms and liberalisation |
| 1998 | Pokhran-II nuclear tests |
| 1999 | Kargil War |
Most important sequence to remember
1757 — Plassey
Beginning of decisive Company political influence in Bengal.
1764 — Buxar
Company defeated the combined forces of Mir Qasim,
Shuja-ud-Daulah and Shah Alam II.
1765 — Diwani
Company obtained revenue-collection rights in Bengal,
Bihar and Orissa.
1857 — Revolt
Major uprising against Company rule.
1858 — Crown Rule
Company rule ended.
1885 — INC
Indian National Congress founded.
1905 — Bengal Partition
Swadeshi and boycott movements gained momentum.
1919 — Jallianwala Bagh
Major turning point in the national movement.
1920 — Non-Cooperation
First major nationwide Gandhian mass movement.
1930 — Civil Disobedience
Dandi March and Salt Satyagraha.
1942 — Quit India
"Do or Die" phase of the national movement.
1947 — Independence
End of British colonial rule.
Dates you should not confuse
- 1191 — First Battle of Tarain
- 1192 — Second Battle of Tarain
- 1526 — First Battle of Panipat
- 1556 — Second Battle of Panipat
- 1764 — Battle of Buxar
- 1765 — Diwani rights
- 1905 — Partition of Bengal
- 1911 — Partition annulled
- 1919 — Rowlatt Act + Jallianwala Bagh
- 1920 — Non-Cooperation Movement
- 1930 — Civil Disobedience Movement
- 1942 — Quit India Movement
- 26 November 1949 — Constitution adopted
- 26 January 1950 — Constitution came into force
How UPSC and UPPCS use dates
- Arrange events in chronological order.
- Match battles with rulers.
- Match Acts with their years.
- Identify events occurring in the same year.
- Compare movements launched under Gandhi.
- Sequence constitutional developments.
- Connect dynasties with foundation and decline.