A story thousands of years old
Scroll through some of the chapters that shaped the subcontinent.
- c. 2600 BCE
Indus Valley Civilisation
Planned cities such as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro flourish across the Indus plains, in what is now Pakistan and north-western India.
- c. 321 BCE
The Maurya Empire
Chandragupta Maurya unites much of the subcontinent. Ashoka later embraces Buddhism and spreads its message of peace across Asia.
- c. 320 CE
The Gupta era
A golden age of mathematics, astronomy, literature and art, including the concept of zero in the decimal system.
- 1526
The Mughal Empire
A blend of Persian, Central Asian and Indian traditions gives rise to new architecture, cuisine, painting and the Urdu language. The Taj Mahal is built.
- 1857 – 1858
The British Raj
After the uprising of 1857, the British Crown rules a vast territory called British India. It covers today's India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and, until 1937, Myanmar.
- 15 August 1947
Independence and Partition
India gains freedom, led by Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Ambedkar and countless others. The subcontinent is divided into India and Pakistan.
- 1971
Bangladesh is born
East Pakistan becomes the independent nation of Bangladesh after the Liberation War.