History of South Asia History of India
Stone Age	before 3300 BCE
- Mehrgarh Culture	7000–3300 BCE
Indus Valley Civilization	3300–1700 BCE
- Late Harappan Culture	1700–1300 BCE
Iron Age 1200–180 BCE Vedic Civilization 1500–500 BCE Maha Janapadas • 700–300 BCE Magadha Empire • 684–424 BCE Nanda Empire • 424-321 BCE Chera Empire • 300 BCE–1200 CE Chola Empire • 300 BCE–1279 CE Pandyan Empire • 300 BCE–1345 CE Maurya Empire • 321–184 BCE Pallava Empire • 250 BCE–800 CE Sunga Empire • 185-73 BCE Kanva Empire • 75-26 BCE Kharavela Empire • 209–170 BCE Kuninda Kingdom • 200s BCE–300s CE Indo-Scythian Kingdom • 200 BC–400 CE Satavahana Empire • 230 BCE–220 CE Indo-Greek Kingdom • 180 BCE–10 CE
Middle Kingdoms 1CE–1279 CE Indo-Parthian Kingdom • 21–130s CE Western Satrap Empire • 35–405 CE Kushan Empire • 60–240 CE Indo-Sassanid Kingdom • 230–360 CE Vakataka Empire • 250–500 CE Kalabhras Kingdom • 250–600 CE Gupta Empire • 280–550 CE Kadamba Empire • 345–525 CE Western Ganga Kingdom • 350–1000 CE Vishnukundina Empire • 420-624 CE Huna Kingdom • 475-576 CE Rai Kingdom • 489–632 CE Chalukya Empire • 543–753 CE Harsha Empire • 590-647 CE Shahi Kingdom • 565-670 CE Eastern Chalukya Kingdom • 624-1075 CE Pratihara Empire • 650–1036 CE Pala Empire • 750–1174 CE Rashtrakuta Empire • 753–982 CE Paramara Kingdom • 800–1327 CE Yadava Empire • 850–1334 CE Solanki Kingdom • 942–1244 CE Western Chalukya Empire • 973–1189 CE Hoysala Empire • 1040–1346 CE Sena Empire • 1070–1230 CE Eastern Ganga Empire • 1078–1434 CE Kakatiya Kingdom • 1083–1323 CE Kalachuri Empire • 1130–1184 CE
Islamic Rulers	1206–1707 CE
- Delhi Sultanate	1206–1526 CE
- Deccan Sultanates	1490–1596 CE
Vijayanagara Empire	1336–1646 CE
Mughal Empire	1526–1707 CE
Maratha Empire	1674–1818 CE
Durrani Empire	1747–1823 CE
Sikh Empire	1799–1849 CE
Regional Kingdoms 1100–1800 CE Cochin Kingdom 1102–1949 CE Travancore Kingdom 1102–1949 CE Ahom Kingdom 1228–1826 CE Chitradurga Kingdom 1300–1779 CE Garhwal Kingdom 1358–1803 CE Mysore Kingdom 1399–1947 CE Keladi Kingdom 1499–1763 CE Thondaiman Kingdom 1650–1948 CE Madurai Kingdom 1559–1736 CE Thanjavur Kingdom 1572–1918 CE Marava Kingdom 1600–1750 CE
Company rule in India	1757–1858 CE
British India	1858–1947 CE
Partition of India	1947 CE
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The South Asian Stone Age covers the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods in South Asia. In Mehrgarh, in what is today western Pakistan, the Neolithic begins ca. 7000 and lasts until 3300 BCE and the first beginnings of the Bronze Age. In South India, the Mesolithic lasts until 3000 BCE, and the Neolithic until 1400 BCE, followed by a Megalithic transitional period mostly skipping the Bronze Age. The Iron Age begins roughly simultaneously in North and South India, around 1200 to 1000 BCE (Painted Grey Ware culture, Hallur).

Contents 1 Homo erectus 2 The coming of Homo sapiens 3 Neolithic 4 Notes 5 References 6 See also 7 External links

[edit] Homo erectus

Homo erectus lived on the Pothohar Plateau, in upper Punjab, Pakistan along the Soan River (nearby Rawalpindi) during the Pleistocene Epoch. Biface handaxe and cleaver traditions may have originated in the middle Pleistocene.^[1] The beginning of the use of Acheulian and chopper-chopping tools of lower paleolithic may be dated to approximately the middle Pleistocene.^[2]

[edit] The coming of Homo sapiens

Analysis of mtDNA dates the immigration of Homo sapiens to South Asia to 70,000 to 50,000 years ago.^[3] An analysis of Y chromosome haplogroups found one man in a village west of Madurai to be a direct descendant of these migrators.^[4] These populations spread further to Southeast Asia, reaching Australia by 40,000 years ago. Cave sites in Sri Lanka have yielded the earliest record of modern homo sapiens in South Asia. They were dated to 34,000 years ago. (Kennedy 2000: 180). For finds from the Belan in southern Uttar Pradesh radio carbon data have indicated an age of 18-17kya. Palaeolithic rock art is also well-known.

At the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka humans lived throughout the Upper Paleolithic (10th to 8th millennia BC), revealing cave paintings dating to ca. 7000 BC; the Sivaliks and the Potwar (Pakistan) region also exhibit many vertebrate fossil remains and paleolithic tools. Chert, jasper and quartzite were often used by humans during this period.

[edit] Neolithic

The aceramic Neolithic (Mehrgarh I,Baluchistan, Pakistan, also dubbed "Early Food Producing Era") lasts ca. 7000 - 5500 BC. The ceramic Neolithic lasts up to 3300 BC, blending into the Early Harappan (Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age) period. One of the earliest Neolithic sites in India is Lahuradewa, at Middle Ganges region, C14 dated around 7th millennium BC.^[5]. Recently another site near the confluence of Ganges and Yamuna rivers called Jhusi yielded a C14 dating of 7100 BC for its Neolithic levels.^[6]

In South India the Neolithic began by 3000 BC and lasted until around 1400 BC.South Indian Neolithic is characterized by Ashmounds since 2500 BC in Karnataka region, expanded later to Tamil Nadu. Comparative excavations carried out in Adichanallur in Thirunelveli District and in Northern India have provided evidence of a southward migration of the Megalithic culture^[7] The earliest clear evidence of the presence of the megalithic urn burials are those dating from around 1000 BC, which have been discovered at various places in Tamil Nadu, notably at Adichanallur, 24 km from Tirunelveli, where archaeologists from the Archaeological Survey of India unearthed 12 urns with Tamil Brahmi script on them containing human skulls, skeletons and bones, plus husks, grains of rice, charred rice and Neolithic celts, giving evidence confirming it of the Neolithic period 2800 years ago. This proved that Tirunelveli area has been the abode for human habituation since the Neolithic period about 3,000 years ago. Adhichanallur has been announced as an archaeological site for further excavation and studies.^[8][9]

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• History of India
• History of Pakistan

[edit] External links

• Introducing Indian Prehistory
• Modern Humans Arrival In South Asia May Have Led To Demise Of Indigenous Populations (ScienceDaily 2005)
• The Contribution of South Asia to the Peopling of Australasia