THE HISTORY OF INDIA

The Harappan Civilization

• The Harappan people were one of the first sophisticated societies in India.
• They had their own writing system, advanced social and economic systems, and impressive urban cities and architecture.
• The Harappan civilization collapsed around 1500 BC, possibly due to natural disasters or invaders.

The Vedic Aryans

• The Vedic Aryans were migrants who spoke an early form of Sanskrit and were determined to stay true to their tribal identity.
• The Vedas, or four sacred texts, offer a glimpse into the civilization’s lives and beliefs.
• The Vedic Aryans spread their culture and societal system across a large portion of India, which was made up of three tiers: Brahman (priest), Kashtriya (warrior), and Vaishia (commoner).

The Mauryan Empire

• Chandragupta Maurya founded the Mauryan Empire in the 4th century BC, which is believed to be the first Indian imperial power.
• The empire established its capital in Battali Putra near modern-day Patna and constructed extraordinary temples, libraries, palaces, and even a university.
• The empire’s trade success was impressive, and it maintained a remarkable governmental system and strong army.
• The Mauryan Empire eventually dissolved in the 2nd century BC after the last line of the Maurya line, Brihadratha, was murdered by his commander-in-chief who would later found the Shanga dynasty in 185 BC.

The Gupta Empire

• The Gupta Empire became the face of northern India during the classical age.
• The reign of the Gupta Empire is regarded as a time of law and order as well as cultural flourishing.
• The empire reached a point of decline between the 5th and 6th centuries as invading Huns from central Asia began to annex and take over the formerly dominant empire’s land.

The Delhi Sultanate

• Muslim invaders began to send missions to India in the century following the death of the Prophet Muhammad.
• A series of Muslim sultans began to lead expeditions into India, claiming places such as Sindh, Multan, and Samnath.
• The era of the Delhi Sultanate arose in the 13th century, and several dynasties controlled the sultanate until the Mughal Empire took over in 1526.

The Mughal Empire

• The Mughal Empire ruled a vast majority of India for over two centuries and brought about significant cultural growth and architectural achievements, including the great Taj Mahal.
• The Mughal Empire began its decline around the start of the 18th century as revolt after revolt began to shake the foundations of the widespread power alongside threats from the Marathas and the British.

The Indian Mutiny of 1857

• The British East India Company had already been in the region for some time, but the situation with the British started to escalate.
• In response to the mutiny, on November 1, 1858, Britain’s Queen Victoria declared that India would be ruled in the name of the British crown from that point on.

Nationalist Movements in India

The Indian nationalist sentiments and movements were far from extinguished. The next major move towards independence came when Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress decided to withdraw all cooperation with the British government, beginning the Noncooperation Movement.

Following the end of World War I, when this strategy did not bring the wanted results, Gandhi adopted a new technique in the form of the Civil Disobedience Movement in December of 1929. Essentially, the movement was made up of the declaration of an Indian Independence Day that would be celebrated on January 16th, and complete disobedience of any orders by the British government.

Again, Gandhi’s strategy failed, and this time he was even arrested while many other rebels were murdered. Still, the British were eventually pushed into the Round Table Conferences beginning in November of 1930, the second of which Gandhi attended. The conferences marked another failure, and civil disobedience reignited.

Gandhi’s next attempt, the Quit India Movement, again made no drastic progress. World War II brought about new issues as India was forced into war by the British, but at the conflict’s conclusion, a new Labour Party came into power in India and showed sympathy towards the fight for independence. Finally, as August 14th turned to 15th in 1947, India became an independent nation.