Period of Indian history characterized by European colonial rule
Colonial India
Imperial entities of India
Austrian India
1778–1785
Swedish India
1731–1813
Dutch India
1605–1825
Danish India
1620–1869
French India
1668–1954
Portuguese India (1505–1961)
Casa da Índia
1434–1833
Portuguese East India Company
1628–1633
British India (1600–1947)
EIC in India
1600–1757
Company rule in India
1757–1858
British rule in Portuguese India
1797–1813
British Raj
1858–1947
British rule in Burma
1824–1948
Princely states
1721–1949
Partition of India
1947
v
t
e
History of South Asia
Outline
Palaeolithic (2,500,000–250,000 BC)
Madrasian culture
Soanian culture
Neolithic (10,800–3300 BC)
Bhirrana culture
(7570–6200 BC)
Mehrgarh culture
(7000–3300 BC)
Edakkal culture
(5000–3000 BC)
Chalcolithic (3500–1500 BC)
Anarta tradition
(c. 3950–1900 BC)
Ahar-Banas culture
(3000–1500 BC)
Pandu culture
(1600–1500 BC)
Malwa culture
(1600–1300 BC)
Jorwe culture
(1400–700 BC)
Bronze Age (3300–1300 BC)
Indus Valley Civilisation
(3300–1300 BC)
– Early Harappan culture
(3300–2600 BC)
– Mature Harappan culture
(2600–1900 BC)
– Late Harappan culture
(1900–1300 BC)
Vedic Civilisation
(2000–500 BC)
– Ochre Coloured Pottery culture
(2000–1600 BC)
– Swat culture
(1600–500 BC)
Iron Age (1500–200 BC)
Vedic Civilisation
(1500–500 BC)
– Janapadas
(1500–600 BC)
– Black and Red ware culture
(1300–1000 BC)
– Painted Grey Ware culture
(1200–600 BC)
– Northern Black Polished Ware
(700–200 BC)
Pradyota dynasty
(799–684 BC)
Haryanka dynasty
(684–424 BC)
Three Crowned Kingdoms
(c. 600 BC – AD 1600)
Maha Janapadas
(c. 600–300 BC)
Achaemenid Empire
(550–330 BC)
Ror Dynasty
(450 BC – AD 489)
Shaishunaga dynasty
(424–345 BC)
Nanda Empire
(380–321 BC)
Macedonian Empire
(330–323 BC)
Maurya Empire
(321–184 BC)
Seleucid India
(312–303 BC)
Sangam literatureSangam period
(c. 300 BC – c. 300 AD)
Pandya Empire
(c. 300 BC – AD 1345)
Chera Kingdom
(c. 300 BC – AD 1102)
Chola Empire
(c. 300 BC – AD 1279)
Pallava Empire
(c. 250 AD – AD 800)
Maha-Megha-Vahana Empire
(c. 250 BC – c. AD 500)
Parthian Empire
(247 BC – AD 224)
Middle Kingdoms (230 BC – AD 1206)
Satavahana Empire
(230 BC – AD 220)
Kuninda Kingdom
(200 BC – AD 300)
Mitra Dynasty
(c. 150 – c. 50 BC)
Shunga Empire
(185–73 BC)
Indo-Greek Kingdom
(180 BC – AD 10)
Kanva Empire
(75–26 BC)
Indo-Scythian Kingdom
(50 BC – AD 400)
Indo-Parthian Kingdom
(AD 21 – c. 130)
Western Satrap Empire
(AD 35–405 )
Kushan Empire
(AD 60–240)
Bharshiva Dynasty
(170–350)
Nagas of Padmavati
(210–340)
Sasanian Empire
(224–651)
Indo-Sassanid Kingdom
(230–360)
Vakataka Empire
(c. 250 – c. 500)
Kalabhras Empire
(c. 250 – c. 600)
Gupta Empire
(280–550)
Kadamba Empire
(345–525)
Western Ganga Kingdom
(350–1000)
Kamarupa Kingdom
(350–1100)
Vishnukundina Empire
(420–624)
Maitraka Empire
(475–767)
Huna Kingdom
(475–576)
Rai Kingdom
(489–632)
Kabul Shahi Empire
(c. 500 – 1026)
Chalukya Empire
(543–753)
Maukhari Empire
(c. 550 – c. 700)
Harsha Empire
(606–647)
Tibetan Empire
(618–841)
Eastern Chalukya Kingdom
(624–1075)
Rashidun Caliphate
(632–661)
Gurjara-Pratihara Empire
(650–1036)
Umayyad Caliphate
(661–750)
Mallabhum kingdom
(694-1947)
Bhauma-Kara Kingdom
(736-916)
Pala Empire
(750–1174)
Rashtrakuta Empire
(753–982)
Paramara Kingdom
(800–1327)
Yadava Empire
(850–1334)
Somavamshi Kingdom
(882–1110)
Chaulukya Kingdom
(942–1244)
Western Chalukya Empire
(973–1189)
Lohara Kingdom
(1003–1320)
Hoysala Empire
(1040–1347)
Sena Empire
(1070–1230)
Eastern Ganga Empire
(1078–1434)
Kakatiya Kingdom
(1083–1323)
Zamorin Kingdom
(1102–1766)
Kalachuris of Tripuri
(675-1210)
Kalachuris of Kalyani
(1156–1184)
Chutiya Kingdom
(1187–1673)
Deva Kingdom
(c. 1200 – c. 1300)
Late medieval period (1206–1526)
Ghaznavid Dynasty
(977–1186)
Ghurid Dynasty
(1170–1206)
Delhi Sultanate
(1206–1526)
– Mamluk Sultanate
(1206–1290)
– Khalji Sultanate
(1290–1320)
– Tughlaq Sultanate
(1320–1414)
– Sayyid Sultanate
(1414–1451)
– Lodi Sultanate
(1451–1526)
Ahom Kingdom
(1228–1826)
Chitradurga Kingdom
(1300–1779)
Reddy Kingdom
(1325–1448)
Vijayanagara Empire
(1336–1646)
Bengal Sultanate
(1352–1576)
Garhwal Kingdom
(1358–1803)
Mysore Kingdom
(1399–1947)
Gajapati Empire
(1434–1541)
Ladakh Kingdom
(1470–1842)
Deccan Sultanates
(1490–1596)
– Ahmadnagar Sultanate
(1490–1636)
– Berar Sultanate
(1490–1574)
– Bidar Sultanate
(1492–1619)
– Bijapur Sultanate
(1492–1686)
– Golkonda Sultanate
(1518–1687)
Keladi Kingdom
(1499–1763)
Koch Kingdom
(1515–1947)
Early modern period (1526–1858)
Mughal Empire
(1526–1858)
Sur Empire
(1540–1556)
Madurai Kingdom
(1529–1736)
Thanjavur Kingdom
(1532–1673)
Bhoi dynasty
(1541–1804)
Bengal Subah
(1576–1757)
Marava Kingdom
(1600–1750)
Sikkim Kingdom
(1642–1975)
Thondaiman Kingdom
(1650–1948)
Maratha Empire
(1674–1818)
Sikh Confederacy
(1707–1799)
Travancore Kingdom
(1729–1947)
Sikh Empire
(1799–1849)
Colonial states (1510–1961)
Portuguese India
(1510–1961)
Dutch India
(1605–1825)
Danish India
(1620–1869)
French India
(1759–1954)
Company Raj
(1757–1858)
British Raj
(1858–1947)
National histories
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
India
Maldives
Nepal
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Regional histories
Assam
Balochistan
Bengal
Bihar
Gujarat
Himachal Pradesh
Kabul
Karnataka
Kashmir
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Rajasthan
Maharashtra
Uttar Pradesh
Punjab
Odisha
Sindh
South India
Tamil Nadu
Tibet
Specialised histories
Agriculture
Architecture
Coinage
Demographics
Dynasties
Economy
Education
Indology
Influence on Southeast Asia
Language
Literature
Maritime
Metallurgy
Military
Partition of India
Pakistan studies
Philosophy
Religion
Science and technology
Timeline
v
t
e
Colonial India was the part of the Indian subcontinent that was occupied by European colonial powers during the Age of Discovery. European power was exerted both by conquest and trade, especially in spices.[1][2]
The search for the wealth and prosperity of India led to the colonisation of the Americas after Christopher Columbus went to the Americas in 1492. Only a few years later, near the end of the 15th century, Portuguese sailor Vasco da Gama became the first European to re-establish direct trade links with India by being the first to arrive by circumnavigating Africa (c. 1497–1499). Having arrived in Calicut, which by then was one of the major trading ports of the eastern world,[3] he obtained permission to trade in the city from the Saamoothiri Rajah. The next to arrive were the Dutch, with their main base in Ceylon. Their expansion into India was halted after their defeat in the Battle of Colachel to the Kingdom of Travancore, during the Travancore–Dutch War.
Trading rivalries among the seafaring European powers brought other coastal powers from the empires of Europe to India. The Dutch Republic, England, France, and Denmark–Norway all established trading posts in India in the early 17th century. As the Mughal Empire disintegrated in the early 18th century, and then as the Maratha Empire became weakened after the third battle of Panipat, many relatively weak and unstable Indian states which emerged were increasingly open to manipulation by the Europeans, through dependent Indian rulers.
In the later 18th century, Great Britain and France struggled for dominance, partly through proxy Indian rulers but also by direct military intervention. The defeat of the formidable Indian ruler Tipu Sultan in 1799 marginalised the French influence. This was followed by a rapid expansion of British power through the greater part of the Indian subcontinent in the early 19th century. By the middle of the century, the British had already gained direct or indirect control over almost all parts of India. British India, consisting of the directly ruled British presidencies and provinces, contained the most populous and valuable parts of the British Empire and thus became known as "the jewel in the British crown".
India, during its colonial era, was a founding member of the League of Nations, a participating nation in the Summer Olympics in 1900, 1920, 1928, 1932, and 1936, and a founding member of the United Nations in San Francisco in 1945.[4] In 1947, India gained its independence and was partitioned into the Dominion of India and the Dominion of Pakistan, the latter of which was created as a homeland for colonial India's Muslims.[5][6][7]
^Corn, Charles (1998). The Scents of Eden: A Narrative of the Spice Trade. Kodansha. pp. xxi–xxii. ISBN 978-1-56836-202-1. The ultimate goal of the Portuguese, as with the nations that followed them, was to reach the source of the fabled holy trinity of spices ... while seizing the vital centers of international trade routes, thus destroying the long-standing Muslim control of the spice trade. European colonisation of Asia was ancillary to this purpose.
^Donkin, Robin A. (2003). Between East and West: The Moluccas and the Traffic in Spices Up to the Arrival of Europeans. Diane Publishing Company. pp. xvii–xviii. ISBN 978-0-87169-248-1. What drove men to such extraordinary feats ... gold and silver in easy abundance ... and, perhaps more especially, merchandise that was altogether unavailable in Europe—strange jewels, orient pearls, rich textiles, and animal and vegetable products of equatorial provenance ... The ultimate goal was to obtain supplies of spices at source and then to meet demand from whatever quarter.
^"The Land That Lost Its History". Time. 20 August 2001. Archived from the original on 13 September 2001.
^Mansergh, Nicholas (1974), Constitutional relations between Britain and India, London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, p. xxx, ISBN 9780115800160, retrieved 19 September 2013 Quote: "India Executive Council: Sir Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar, Sir Firoz Khan Noon and Sir V. T. Krishnamachari served as India's delegates to the London Commonwealth Meeting, April 1945, and the U.N. San Francisco Conference on International Organisation, April–June 1945."
^Fernandes, Leela (2014). Routledge Handbook of Gender in South Asia. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-90707-7. Partition of colonial India in 1947 – forming two nation-states, India and Pakistan, at the time of its independence from almost two centuries of British rule – was a deeply violent and gendered experience.
^Trivedi, Harish; Allen, Richard (2000). Literature and Nation. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-21207-6. In this introductory section I want to touch briefly on four aspects of this social and historic context for a reading of Sunlight on a Broken Column: the struggle for independence; communalism and the partition of colonial India into independent India and East and West Pakistan; the social structure of India; and the specific situation of women.
^Gort, Jerald D.; Jansen, Henry; Vroom, Hendrik M. (2002). Religion, Conflict and Reconciliation: Multifaith Ideals and Realities. Rodopi. ISBN 978-90-420-1166-3. Partition was intended to create a homeland for Indian Muslims, but this was far from the case; Indian Muslims are not only divided into three separate sections, but the number of Muslims in India--for whom the Muslim homeland was meant--still remains the highest of all three sections.
ColonialIndia was the part of the Indian subcontinent that was occupied by European colonial powers during the Age of Discovery. European power was exerted...
prostitution in colonialIndia was influenced by the policies of British rule in India. During the 19th and 20th centuries the colonial government facilitated...
of European colonial rule in India, Europeans in India typically regarded many aspects Indian culture with disdain and supported colonial rule as a beneficial...
during the collapse of the Mughal era and the rise of the British colonial government in India. The British Raj furthered this development, making rigid caste...
India List of wars involving India List of battles of Rajasthan List of riots in India 1925 Indian riots List of riots in Mumbai Terrorism in India List...
their colonisers. British Empire portal India portal Pakistan portal Bangladesh portal ColonialIndia Direct colonial rule Glossary of the British Raj (Hindi-Urdu...
Viceroyalty of India (the Crown ruled India directly through a Viceroy after the Indian Rebellion), while the role of the Colonial Office in the affairs of the...
coming of the Europeans later brought western education to colonialIndia. Early education in India commenced under the supervision of a guru or prabhu. The...
a colonial possession of the United Kingdom, and India was officially known after 1876 as the Indian Empire. India was divided into British India, regions...
The State Emblem of India is the national emblem of the Republic of India and is used by the union government, many state governments, and other government...
saw increasing poverty in India during the colonial era. Over this period, the colonial government de-industrialized India by reducing garments and other...
Cannabis in India has been known to be used at least as early as 2000 BCE. In Indian society, common terms for cannabis preparations include charas (resin)...
Cricket, a British sport introduced into India during the colonial era, has emerged as a major aspect of modern-day India, with success in World Cups and the...
(2004). Confronting the Body: The Politics of Physicality in Colonial and Post-colonialIndia. Anthem Press. ISBN 978-1-84331-033-4. Brunner, Michael Philipp...
Government of India Act refers to the series of Acts passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom to regulate the government of ColonialIndia, in particular:...
Honourable East India Company British Imperial Lifeline Lascar Carnatic Wars Commercial Revolution Political warfare in British colonialIndia Trade between...
junction separating two routes, one going Karjat and other Kasara. In ColonialIndia, the British Raj called the city Kallian, Cullian, or Calliannee. A...
of India. New Delhi: Atlantic. ISBN 81-7156-059-8 Shaikh, Farzana. 1989. Community and Consensus in Islam: Muslim Representation in ColonialIndia, 1860–1947...
aimed for Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim unity against the British. In colonialIndia, the All India Conference of Indian Christians (AICIC), which was founded in...
Constitution of India stated that unlike Europe, “[colonial] India had achieved a basic ethnic and cultural unity.” (the boundaries of colonialIndia include...
Disappearing from the Roundabouts in Delhi: British symbols of power in post-colonialIndia". Modern Asian Studies. 49 (3): 787–831. doi:10.1017/s0026749x14000080...
Due to its ancient history as a trading zone and later its colonial status, colonialIndia remained economically integrated with the world, with high...
by exacting excess revenue." Information on famines from ancient India up to colonial times is found in five primary sources: Legendary accounts passed...
Hindoostanee or Grand Popular Language of India (improperly Called Moors). Urdu was then promoted in colonialIndia by British policies to counter the previous...
forming part of the Danish overseas colonies. Denmark–Norway held colonial possessions in India for more than 200 years, including the town of Tharangambadi...