what are some things every indian should know

7/30/2019 What Are Some Things Every Indian Should Know

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What are some things every Indian

should know about Indian history?

Balaji ViswanathanQuora.com/Balaji-Viswanathan-2

Text content in:

https://www.quora.com/India/What-are-

some-things-every-Indian-should-know-about-

Indian-history


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A short story of a land with a million colors


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We werent always poor For most of

recorded history India led the world in GDP


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India, that is Bharat, shall be a union

of states starts Indian constitution

Official name in Indian languages is Bharatafter the mythological emperor of Bharatha

Vedas use the term Bharatavarsa & Aryavrata

Japanese called us Tenjiku, Chinese called usTianzhu: 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


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7000 BCE Mehrgarh Civilization: Start

of farming & herding


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3000 BCStart of Indus Valley Civilization: Worlds

most planned cities and sanitation systems


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2500 BC Massive cities & invention

of toilets & bathrooms


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1500 BCE Start of Vedic Ageworlds

oldest surviving literature

1. Rig Veda

2. Sama Veda

3. Yajur Veda

4. Atharvana

Veda


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800 BC-800 AD: Magadha kingdoms Birth

of Indian religions Buddhism & Jainism


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500 BC: Takshashila (Taxila) University

Cambridge of India

The worlds one of the first universities housed 100s of great scholars, including the

master of strategy: Chanakya, Charakathe 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.


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500-300 BC: Nanda Empire

Consolidation of India begins


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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 theclosely fought war,

Alexander considered

him an equal.


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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


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320 BC: Chandragupta Maurya: The first

Indian emperor & a disciple of Kautilya


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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. Hespread Buddhism throughout Asia (including China

and Sri Lanka).

Gave India its current emblem & the wheel in the flag.


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Ashokas Rule: Period of bliss and a full

unification of India


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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 10th century AD. In modern days, Dalai Lama & Tibetan

Buddhists escaped China in 1959. First civilization to accept in all cases.


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320-550 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


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6th-13th Century AD: Nalanda

University (modern Bihar)

A great center

of learning for

the ancientsthat attracted

students from

Greece, Persia

and China.


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3rd century BC

13th century AD:

Chola dynasty of

South. Builtstunning temples.

Most temples

survive intactfor1000+ years


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Rajendra Chola (1014 AD): Ruled South east Asia from

South India. Trade & art flourished. Indian culture spread.


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12th-15th

Century AD:Sultanates: Dark

ages in Indian

history. Nationbegins its long

decline


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1336-1646 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.


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Mughal empire: 1526-1757 AD. Period

of great Islamic architecture


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Extent of Mughal Empire. By 1707,

most of India came under their rule.

1616 AD E t I di C i ll d t


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1616 AD: East India Company is allowed to

operate in India. Began as traders. First

megacorporation of the world.


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1680 AD: Death of the last great Indian

king Shivaji. India was ripe to be

conquered now.

1757 T i i t i b ttl f Pl d


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1757: Turning point in battle of Plassey due

to betrayal by local general. East India

company now rules India

1857 I di t t fi hti b k T i d


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1857: Indians start fighting back. Triggered

by a suspicious coating of gun cartridges.

First war of Independence


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Between 1850-1900: 24 major famines attack India. Massive

neglect kill millions. Indians get dirt poor and hungry.


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1885: Indian national congress formed. First

little step towards peaceful freedom struggle.


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1919: Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. Turning

point in Indian freedom struggle.

1930 G dhi b i th l d k D di M h


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1930: Gandhi begins the landmark Dandi March

and used simple salt to shake British Empire.

India now sees hope. People come in droves.

1947 I di i f d Th i i b k


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1947: India gets its freedom. The nation is broken

into India (1947), Pakistan (1947), and Bangladesh

(1971)


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Summary: A short history of Indian

dynasties


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We dont need to be poor. We just

need to discover our glorious past.

what are some things every indian should know

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