Ancient
c. 2600 BCE to c. 1200 CE
From Indus drainage systems to Ashoka's confession, Gupta astronomy and the scholars of Nalanda.
History isn't behind us.
Indian history, told well. From the Indus Valley to the Republic.
Well-sourced articles on the people, places, ideas and turning points that shaped India, from Harappa and the Mauryas to Partition and the Constitution. Each one comes with a short quiz. Read for its own sake.
- Ancient, c. 2600 BCE to c. 1200 CE
- Medieval, c. 1200 to the 1750s
- Colonial & Freedom, 1757 to 1947
- Modern, 1947 to today
Choose an era of Indian history.
Ancient, medieval, colonial and modern India, each with its own hub of articles and quizzes.
Medieval
c. 1200 to the 1750s
Sultans, Chola village assemblies, devotional movements, and a Deccan kingdom built on forts.
Colonial & Freedom
1757 to 1947
A trading company becomes a ruler, and a mass movement answers it.
Modern
1947 to today
Partition, a written constitution, the first vote, and the fields of Punjab.
New to Indian history? Start here.
Six places to begin, each about as long as a coffee.
Ancient, 6 min read
Ashoka's Edicts and the Spread of Buddhism
What does Rock Edict XIII actually say? A rare royal confession after the Kalinga War, plus the civic code and missionaries that followed.
Ancient, 6 min readThe Indus Valley Civilization
A script that has never been deciphered.
Medieval, 5 min readThe Chola Dynasty
Early village self-government, and South India's finest bronze art.
Colonial & Freedom, 5 min readMahatma Gandhi and the Non-Cooperation Movement
A mass movement that ended with a single incident.
Modern, 4 min readPartition and Independence (1947)
The death toll is still disputed, from 200,000 to nearly three million.
Modern, 4 min readThe Green Revolution
It ended food dependency, at a real ecological price.