|
Date, Time, Era |
Category |
Notes |
|
3000-1500 BC |
South Asia |
One of the most fascinating yet mysterious
cultures of the ancient world is the Harappan
civilization. This culture existed along the Indus River in present day
Pakistan. It was named after the city of Harappa which it was centered
around. Harappa and the city of Mohenjo-Daro were the greatest
achievements of the Indus valley civilization. These cities are well known for their
impressive, organized and regular layout. Over one hundred other towns and villages
also existed in this region. The Harappan people were literate and used the
Dravidian language. The Harappan civilization experienced its height
around 2500 BC and began to decline about 2000 BC. The causes of its downfall
are not certain. One theory suggests that the Aryan
people migrated into this area. Aryan religious texts and human remains
in Mohenjo-Daro suggest that the Aryans may have violently entered the area,
killing its inhabitants and burning the cities. The Indus
Valley (or Harappan) Civilization was the largest civilization in the
world during its reign from 3000 to 1500 BC. This culture was unique in that
its cities were extraordinarily similar throughout a geographically
widespread area, yet there is no physical evidence of a central unifying
government. Regardless, the civilization appears to have been very peaceful,
with an emphasis on trade rather than agriculture or war. |
|
1500-1200 BC |
|
Aryan Migrations |
|
563-483 BC |
Buddhism |
The Buddha |
|
483 BC |
Buddhism / Sri Lanka |
King Vijaya lands in Sri Lanka The Buddha
passes away. |
|
322-185 BC |
Buddhism |
King Asoka, of India. These words were spoken by Asoka, the third
emperor of the Mauryan
dynasty of India and the best known ancient ruler of India. |
|
200 BC |
Sri Lanka |
Greek geographer Eratosthenes,
in his map of the world (200 BC) called Sri Lanka "the southern
limit of the known world" by the Greek word "Taprobane". |
|
161 –137 BC |
Sri Lanka |
Sinhalese prince
Dutthagamini (161-137 BC) over Ellalan (205-161 BC), the Tamil king. |
|
4 AD |
Sri Lanka |
Dipavamsa was the
oldest Buddhist chronicle written in the Pali language, and is said to have
been compiled around the 4th Century AD. The contents are based on stories
and fables narrated by people. |
|
6 AD |
Sri Lanka |
This was followed by Mahavamsa,
which was based on the Dipavamsa, written by Mahanama, a Buddhist monk in the
6th Century AD, another Pali rendition |
|
150 AD |
|
Ptolemy's map of 150
AD |
|
1153 – 1186 AD |
Sri Lanka |
Parakrama Bahu I
(1153-1186) |
|
1411 – 1466 AD |
Sri Lanka |
Bhuvaneka Bahu, an
adopted son of Parakramaa Bahu VI (1411-1466). |
|
1505 AD |
Sri Lanka |
A Portuguese fleet
under the command of Don Lourenco de Almedia, forced by winds and waves, was
tossed into Galle, the harbor located on the southern coast of the island. |
|
1469 - 1511 |
Sri Lanka |
When the Portuguese
arrived in Ceylon, Vira Parakrama Bahu (1484-1509) was the king of Kotte,
Senasammata Vikrama Bahu (1469-1511) was the king of the Hill country
and Pararajasekeran (1469-1511) was the king of the Tamil kingdom.
|
|
1638 |
|
In 1638, the Dutch
came to Ceylon at the invitation of Rajasingha II (1635-1687), the king of
the hill country called the Kingdom of Kandy, and entered into an accord with
the monarch. The Dutch agreed to drive the Portuguese out of the maritime
provinces of the island. They first captured Batticaloa, and in 1639 they
captured the harbor city of Trincomalee. The Dutch carried on their war and
utterly destroyed the power of Portuguese in Ceylon by capturing Colombo in
1656 and finally the Tamil kingdom in 1658, thus bringing the entire littoral
areas of the country under their domination. |
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