hinduism / timeline
Timeline of Hinduism
Below is a timeline providing an overview of Hindu history. For more detail, see History of Hinduism.
| 2800-2000 BCE | Indus Valley civilization. |
| 1200 BCE | Aryans migrate into southern Asia. |
| 1200-900 BCE | Early Vedic Period - earliest Vedas are compiled. |
| 900-600 BCE | Late Vedic period - Brahmanical religion develops, emphasizing ritual and social obligation. |
| 800-300 BCE | The 11 major Upanishads are written, which include the ideas of reincarnation and karma. |
| 500 BCE-1000 CE | Epics and Puranas are written, reflecting the rise of devotional movements dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Devi. |
| 5th cent. BCE | Buddhism and Jainism founded in India. |
| c. 320-185 BCE | Mauryan Dynasty founded by Chandragupta. |
| c. 320-500 CE | Gupta empire. |
| c. 500-650 CE | Gupta empire divides into several kingdoms. |
| c. 600-1600 CE | Rise of devotional movements, puja (worship) rituals, and idea of equality of devotees. |
| 7th-11th cent. | Esoteric movements based on Tantras develop. |
| c. 870-1280 | Cholas dynasty. Hinduism arises in the south. |
| 1498 | European presence in southern Asia begins with the arrival of Vasco de Gama. |
| 1540s | Portugese missionaries arrive in India. |
| 17th-19th cent. | Hindu Renaissance. |
| c. 1700 | British East India Company formed. |
| 1720 | Collapse of the Mughal empire; British begin to take power. |
| 1857 | National War of Independence against the British is sparked by the British use of cow fat in guns. |
| 1876 | Queen Victoria becomes Empress of India. |
| 1895 | Vedanta Society founded by Vivekananda. Promotes Hinduism as a world religion and India as a single nation. |
| 1915 | Gandhi joins the nationalist movement. |
| 1947 | India regains independence, but its partitioning leads to conflicts between Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs. |
| 1948 | Assassination of Gandhi. |
| 1950 | Constitution of the Republic of India. |
Source
- John Bowker, ed., Cambridge History of Religions, p. 312.
