Outline of ancient India

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File:Indian Subcontinent (orthographic projection).png

The Indian subcontinent

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to ancient India:

Ancient India is the Indian subcontinent from prehistoric times to the start of Medieval India, which is typically dated (when the term is still used) to the end of the Gupta Empire around 500 CE.Template:Sfn However, the term India in ancient references usually refers to modern-day Pakistan. Template:TOC limit

General history of Ancient IndiaEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} An elaborate periodisation may be as follows:Template:Sfn

Pre-history (Neolithic Age) (c. 8000–3500 BCE)Edit

Indian Pre-history Age (Template:Circa–3300 BCE)
Bhirrana culture (7570–6200 BCE)
Mehrgarh culture (Template:Circa)

Proto-history (Bronze Age) (c. 3500–1800 BCE)Edit

File:World in 2000 BC.svg

Map of the world in 2000 BCE showing the Indus Valley Civilisation

Indus Valley Civilisation (Template:Circa), including the "first urbanisation"
Ahar–Banas culture (Template:Circa)
Ochre Coloured Pottery culture (Template:Circa–1200 BCE)<ref>Civilsdaily, (August 15, 2017). "Case study | Pottery – Evolution and significance".</ref>
Cemetery H culture (Template:Circa–1300 BCE)<ref>M Rafiq Mughal Lahore Museum Bulletin, off Print, vol.III, No.2, Jul-Dec. 1990 [1] Template:Webarchive</ref>

Iron Age (c. 1800–200 BCE)Edit

File:East-Hem 1300bc.jpg

The Indo-Aryan Vedic civilization and main polities in Eurasia around 1300 BCE

Iron Age India (Template:Circa)
- Vedic civilization (Template:Circa)
  - Black and red ware culture (Template:Circa–700 BCE) in Western Ganges plain<ref>Franklin Southworth, Linguistic Archaeology of South Asia (Routledge, 2005), p. 177</ref>
  - Northern Black Polished Ware (Template:Circa–500 BCE)<ref name="Strickland, K. M.">Strickland, K. M., R. A. E. Coningham, et al., (2016). "Ancient Lumminigame: A Preliminary Report on Recent Archaeological Investigations at Lumbini's Village Mound", in Ancient Nepal, Number 190, April 2016, p. 10.</ref>
  - Painted Grey Ware culture (Template:Circa or 700–300 BCE)<ref name="cambridge.org">Neogi, Sayantani, Charles A. I. French, Julie A. Durcan, Rabindra N. Singh, and Cameron A. Petrie, (2019). "Geoarchaeological insights into the location of Indus settlements on the plains of northwest India", in Quaternary Research, Volume 94, March 2020, p. 140.</ref>
- Brihadratha dynasty (Template:Circa)
- Gandhara Kingdom (Template:Circa)
- Kuru Kingdom (Template:Circa)
- Indian Iron Age kingdoms (Template:Circa)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Pandyan Kingdom (Template:Circa)<ref name="pandyan_capital">Template:Cite book</ref>

Pre-Classical Period (c. 600 BCE–200 CE)Edit

File:East-Hem 200bc.jpg

The Maurya Empire and main polities in Eurasia around 200 BCE

File:Asia 100bc.jpg

Map of the world in 100 BCE showing the Indo-Greek Kingdoms

Pradyota dynasty (Template:Circa–544 BCE)
Haryanka dynasty (Template:Circa–413 BCE)
Shaishunaga dynasty (Template:Circa–345 BCE)
Nanda Empire (Template:Circa)
Maurya Empire (Template:Circa–185 BCE)
Sangam period (Template:Circa)
- Pandyan Kingdom (Template:Circa–1650 CE)
- Chera Kingdom (Template:Circa–1102 CE)
- Chola Kingdom (Template:Circa–1279 CE)
Kalinga Empire (until 250 BCE)
Maha-Megha-Vahana Empire (Template:Circa–300 CE)
Satavahana Empire (230 BCE–220 CE)
Kuninda Kingdom (Template:Circa–350 CE)
Shunga Empire (Template:Circa–73 BCE)
Kanva dynasty (Template:Circa–26 BCE)
Indo-Greek Kingdom (180 BCE–10 CE)
Kanva Empire (75–26 BCE)
Kushan Empire (30–375 CE)
Indo-Scythian Kingdom ( Template:Circa–395 CE)

Classical Period (c. 200–550 CE)Edit

File:East-Hem 500ad.jpg

The Gupta Empire and main polities in Eurasia around 500 CE

There are varying definitions of this period.Template:Refn {{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}