This article is about the historical context of Indian languages. For the modern overview, see Languages of India.
Not to be confused with Linguistic Survey of India.
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Language families in the Indian subcontinent.
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
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Since the Iron Age in India, the native languages of the Indian subcontinent are divided into various language families, of which the Indo-Aryan and the Dravidian are the most widely spoken. There are also many languages belonging to unrelated language families such as Munda (from Austroasiatic family) and Tibeto-Burman (from Trans-Himalayan family), spoken by smaller groups.
and 27 Related for: Linguistic history of India information
Meenakshisundaran, TP (1965). A historyof Tamil language. Poona: Linguistic Society ofIndia. Monius, Anne E. (November 2002). "Kavya in South India: Old Tamil Cankam...
The Linguistic Survey ofIndia (LSI) is a comprehensive survey of the languages of British India, describing 364 languages and dialects. The Survey was...
Linguistic Survey ofIndia, India has the second highest number of languages (780), after Papua New Guinea (840). Ethnologue lists a lower number of 456...
language of South Asia alongside Sanskrit due to this role. LinguistichistoryofIndia Hindustani etymology List of Hindi-language authors List of Urdu-language...
maritime historyLinguistichistoryofIndia Military historyofIndia Outline of ancient India Taxation in medieval India The Cambridge HistoryofIndia Timeline...
Indus Civilization: ultraconserved Dravidian tooth-word reveals deep linguistic ancestry and supports genetics". Humanities and Social Sciences Communications...
are living in India. They represent over 0.1% of the total population ofIndia. Overall, only the continent of Africa exceeds the linguistic, genetic and...
Hindustani Wasey, Akhtarul (16 July 2014). "50th Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India (July 2012 to June 2013)" (PDF). Archived from the...
Indian title meaning ‘Charan of the Era’ for poets and litterateurs whose vivacious writings voice the nationalistic aspirations of the country. It may refer...
the megalithic graffiti symbols of southern and central India and Sri Lanka, which probably do not constitute a linguistic script but may have some overlap...
Tribes of Southern India, Volume I of VII. Library of Alexandria. ISBN 9781465582362. Gerritsen, Anne; Cleetus, Burton (12 January 2023). Historiesof Health...
Mistry, is a term for a master-craftsman, foreman or supervisor of manual workers in India. Mistri is being replaced with "supervisor" and other terms, as...
Seventeenth Century Chronicles of Mārvāṛa: A Study in the Evolution and Use of Oral Traditions in Western India". History in Africa. 3: 127–153. doi:10...
(2000). A Social HistoryofIndia. APH Publishing. p. 81. ISBN 9788176481700. Sen, Sailendra Nath (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. New...
undeciphered markings with symbol systems that may or may not contain linguistic information, there is substantially older epigraphy in the Indus script...
pronunciations. The separation of Proto-Indo-Iranian language into Proto-Iranian and Proto-Indo-Aryan is estimated, on linguistic grounds, to have occurred...
number oflinguistic features which are alien to most other Indo-European languages. Prominent examples include: phonologically, the introduction of retroflexes...
languages Anga Region Olivelle, Patrick (2006). Between the empires: society in India 300 BCE to 400 CE. Oxford University: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-530532-9...
(2009). Language Policy and Linguistic Minorities in India: An Appraisal of the Linguistic Rights of Minorities in India. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 134....
Indian States of West Bengal, Bihar, Assam and Orissa, which are in the same cultural region of the subcontinent and shares common linguistic origins. Kaviraj...
"arising from that") is the Sanskrit word for one of three etymological classes defined by native grammarians of Middle Indo-Aryan languages, alongside tatsama...
irrespective of religion, ethnicity or linguistic affiliation. The above laws are also not applicable to Muslims throughout India who had civil marriages under...
abugida, was a mixture of Nagari, used in Malwa, particularly Ujjain, and Siddha Matrika or the Siddham script, a variant of the Sharada script used...
Department ofHistory & Indian Culture, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, India p.97 Sastri, Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta (1988). Age of the Nandas...
rest of southern India, with them being princely states. After Indian independence, southern India was linguistically divided into the states of Andhra...
literature List of State Protected Monuments in Karnataka Kannada-Telugu script Linguistichistoryof the Indian subcontinent#Historyof Kannada List of museums...
are of non-Indo-European origin, mostly borrowed from Dravidian languages and Munda languages, the languages which are currently native to South India and...
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