CHRONOLOGYAD
c. 20–46 Gondopharnes, Indo-Parthian king in Taxila
early 1st century Kujala Kadphises unites the Yüe-chi tribes and establishes the
Kushana empire
1st century Intensive trade connections with the Roman empire
78 Shaka era
between 78 Kanishka’s accession to the throne; heyday of the Kushana
and 144 empire
after 125 Resurgence of the Shatavahanas under Gautamiputra and
Vasishtiputra
150 Rudradaman Shaka Kshatrapa in western India
c. 250 Disintegration of the Shatavahana kingdom
320 Ch andragupta I establishes the Gupta dynasty
335–75 Samudragupta, expansion of the Gupta kingdom throughout
North India and temporarily to South India
375–413/5 Chandragupta II; Gupta empire at the peak of its power,
conquest of the Shaka kingdom in the West and marriage
alliance with the Vakatakas of Central India; a new climax of
Sanskrit poetry (Kalidasa)
405–11 Fa-hsien (Faxian) in India
415–55 Period of peace and cultural expansion under Kumaragupta
455–67 Skandagupta; first attack of the Huns
467–97 Budhagupta, last important Gupta ruler
c. 500–27 Huns rule over North India under Toramana and Mihirakula;
decline of the classical urban culture of the North
543–66 Pulakeshin I, rise of the Chalukyas of Badami in Central India
c. 574 Simhavishnu, rise of the Pallavas of Kanchipuram in South India
606–47 Harsha of Kanauj
609–42 Pulakeshin II of Badami; hegemony of the Chalukyas over
Central India
c. 630 Pulakeshin defeats Harsha of Kanauj; end of North India’s
hegemony
630–43 Hsiuen-tsang (Xuanzang) in India
680–720 Zenith of the Pallava kingdom under Narasimhavarman II
(shore temple at Mahabalipuram)
711 Arabs conquer Sind
752–6 Dantidurga overthrows the Chalukyas and establishes the
Rashtrakuta dynasty
770–821 Go pala establishes the Pala dynasty of Bihar and Bengal, under
his successor Dharmapala hegemony over eastern India
788–820 Shankara
783 Vatsaraja establishes the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty of Rajasthan
late 8th century Beginning of the great interregional conflicts
836–85 Gurjara-Pratiharas become the most powerful dynasty of India
under Bhoja
860 King Balaputra of Sumatra establishes a monastery at Nalanda
871–907 Aditya I overthrows the Pallavas and establishes the Chola
dynasty
939–68 Rashtrakutas become the most powerful dynasty under Krishna
III; defeat of the Cholas
973 Taila overthrows the Rashtrakutas and establishes the Chalukya
dynasty of Kalyani