Timeline

NOTE: Because of the difficulty of assigning dates to early works and events, some dates are approximate.

6500–2500 BCE	Mehrgarh culture (Baluchistan). Farming of barley, wheat, jujubes, grapes, pulses, dates; domestication of sheep, goats and cattle
3000–c. 1500 BCE	Indus Valley civilization. Urban civilization based on agriculture and trade. Main crops are wheat and barley. Diet includes chickpeas, lentils, meat, fish, buffalo milk, turmeric, black pepper and ginger
1700–1300 BCE	Indo-Aryan tribes migrate into Indo-Gangetic plain with their cows. Dietary staple is barley; later wheat and millet. Vedas are composed. Division of society into four castes
700–600 BCE	Ayurveda physician Susruta teaches in Benares
6th century BCE	Formation of sixteen mahajanapadas. Buddha (563–483 BCE) and Mahavira (540–468 BCE) establish Buddhism and Jainism, advocating non-violence (ahimsa) and abstinence from meat
c. 500 BCE	Dharmasutras composed
327 BCE	Alexander the Great invades India
316 BCE	Chandragupta founds Maurya dynasty
304–232 BCE	Emperor Ashoka advocates vegetarianism
300 BCE–100 CE	India, the wealthiest country in the world, exports pepper, spices and luxury goods to Rome, the Middle East and China
300 BCE–300 CE	Composition of Mahabharata
200–78 BCE	Invasion of North India by Central Asians, Bactrians and Greeks
200 BCE–200 CE	Composition of Ramayana; Code of Manu codifies behaviour, including dietary rules
200 BCE–400 CE	Indo-Scythian kingdom
180 BCE–10 CE	Indo-Greek kingdoms flourish
52 CE	St Thomas is martyred in South India
2nd century CE (est.)	Caraka writes treatise on Ayurveda
324–550 CE	Gupta Empire rules northern India; India’s ‘Golden Age’
c. 650 CE	Rajput dynasties emerge in Rajasthan; Parsis settle on west coast of India
712 CE	Muslim Arabs conquer Sindh
c. 400 BCE–1279 CE	South Indian dynasties
c. 400 BCE–1314 CE	Cheras
275–882 CE	Pallavas
543–1156 CE	Chalukyas
301 BCE–1279 CE	Cholas
756–1174 CE	Pala dynasty rules northern and northeastern India
c. 1017–25	Alberuni visits India
c. 1025	Composition of Lokopakara
1126–38	Reign of Somesvara III, author of Manasolassa
1206–1526	Central Asian dynasties establish Delhi sultanate. Introduce pulao, biryani, kebabs, samosas, halwa and other foods
1292	Marco Polo lands on Coromandel Coast
1336–1565	Vijayanagar Empire
1347–1527	Bahmani sultanate
1398	Timur (Tamerlane) invades northern India
1495–1505	Ni’matnama written at the court of the sultans of Mandu
1498	Vasco da Gama lands on west coast of India
16th century	Portuguese establish trading ports, capture Goa and establish Indian empire. Introduce tomatoes, potatoes, chillies, peanuts, pineapples, cashews and other New World plants
1526–1857	Mughal dynasty rules India. Court cuisine reaches new heights, although emperors are semi-vegetarian
1563	Garcia de Orta writes Colloquies on the Simples and Drugs of India
c. 1590	Abu’l-Fazl writes A’in-i-Akbari
31 December 1600	East India Company is chartered by Elizabeth 1
1674–1817	Maratha Empire
17th century	Netherlands, Great Britain and France establish trading posts in India
1724	Nizam of Hyderabad declares independence from Delhi
1753–1856	Lucknow is culinary and cultural centre
1830–50	British establish tea plantations in Assam and Darjeeling and coffee plantations in South India. British returning home from India create curry powder and Worcester sauce
1857	First War of Independence (also known as the Indian Mutiny)
1858	Last Mughal emperor exiled. India comes under direct rule of the British Crown
1877	Queen Victoria named empress of India
1885	Indian National Congress formed
1890	Mahatma Gandhi joins London Vegetarian Society
1920–22	Mahatma Gandhi leads anti-British civil disobedience campaign
1947	Partition of India, independence from British rule as a dominion and creation of Pakistan. Tandoori chicken invented in Delhi
1966–77	Green Revolution boosts Indian agricultural production
1996	McDonald’s opens its first restaurant in India
May 2000	India marks the birth of its billionth citizen