The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the history of South Asia. History of Bharat – Bharat refers to the broader region in and around the historical Indian subcontinent, which includes the contemporary geopolitical entities of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and the island countries of Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Chronology

James Mill (1773–1836), in his The History of British India (1817), distinguished three phases in the history of India, namely Hindu, Muslim, and British civilisations. This periodisation has been influential, but has also been criticised for the misconceptions it gave rise to. Another influential periodisation is the division into "ancient, classical, medieval and modern periods", although this periodisation has also been criticised. Romila Thapar notes that the division into Hindu-Muslim-British periods of Indian history gives too much weight to "ruling dynasties and foreign invasions", neglecting the social-economic history which often showed a strong continuity. The division into Ancient-Medieval-Modern periods overlooks the fact that the Muslim conquests occurred gradually during which time many things came and went off, while the south was never completely conquered. According to Thapar, a periodisation could also be based on "significant social and economic changes", which are not strictly related to the change of ruling powers.

By period

Paleolithic and Mesolithic age

(c. 500,000–125,000 BCE)

Neolithic age

Bronze Age

Bronze Age India (3500–1500 BCE)

Iron Age and Vedic period

Middle kingdoms

Late medieval period

Late medieval period (1206–1596)

Early modern period

Early modern period (1526–1858)

European colonial period

Colonial period (1510–1961 CE)

Kingdoms of Sri Lanka

History of South Asia, by region

By South Asian subregion

By country and national subdivision

History of South Asia, by subject

History of architecture in South Asia

Citations

Sources