Archaeology in India is mainly done under the supervision of

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...

History

12th century Indian scholar Kalhana's writings involved recording of local traditions, examining manuscripts, inscriptions, coins and architectures, which is described as one of the earliest traces of archaeology. One of his notable work is called ''Rajatarangini'' which was completed in c.1150 and is described as one of the first history books of India.

Origin of modern archaeology

One of the earliest non-Indian scholars to take an interest in the archaeology of the Indian subcontinent were Western European travelers in the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries. The earliest European written accounts of India's ancient monuments and

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...

s were produced by sailors and travelers in the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries CE. Some of these accounts included ground plans and drawings of the buildings, however they lacked any historical discussion of their origins, with the exception of several references to

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...

, the Macedonian emperor, who tried and failed to conquer India in the fourth century BCE. Some notable archaeological sites in India include Rakhigarhi, an archaeological site located in the state of Haryana, India. Mohenjo-Daro and

Harappa Harappa (; Urdu/ pnb, ) is an archaeological site in Punjab, Pakistan, about west of Sahiwal. The Bronze Age Harappan civilisation, now more often called the Indus Valley Civilisation, is named after the site, which takes its name from a mode ...

are also ancient archaeological sites that were once a part of India, but now lie within the borders of Pakistan. The Harappan civilization was also called the Indus River Valley Civilization.

Alexander Cunningham and Archaeological Survey of India

Scholarly investigation into Indian archaeology was largely influenced by

Alexander Cunningham Major General Sir Alexander Cunningham (23 January 1814 – 28 November 1893) was a British Army engineer with the Bengal Engineer Group who later took an interest in the history and archaeology of India. In 1861, he was appointed to the newly ...

, who became the first director of the

, which was established in 1861. Cunningham along with various assistants visited many sites and monuments of archaeological importance in India. Their trips ranged from simply visiting sites to study and report on to excavations as well. Rakhigarhi Harappan civilization

Paleolithic archaeological sites (2,500,000–250,000 BC)

Palaeolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...

sites in India are characterised by the

Madrasian culture The Madrasian culture is a prehistoric archaeological culture of the Indian subcontinent, dated to the Lower Paleolithic, the earliest subdivision of the Stone Age. It belongs to the Acheulian industry, and some scholars consider the distinction b ...

and Soanian culture. Bhimbetka rock shelters is also a paleolithic (Old Stone Age) and mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) site.

Mesolithic sites (250,000 BC–10,000 BC)

Anangpur caves ( Faridabad) and Mangar Bani Caves ( Gurugram) in Delhi NCR, Bhimbetka rock shelters (

Bhopal Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...

) and

Pahargarh caves The Pahargarh caves are a cave complex containing prehistoric paintings in Madhya Pradesh, India, near the village of Pahargarh 58 km southwest of Morena. The most prominent of the caves is known locally as Likhichhaj. The paintings were discover ...

(

Morena Morena is the headquarter city of Morena district, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is governed by a municipality corporation. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Chambal division. It is from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. G ...

) IN

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...

have continuity of paleolithic to

mesolithic The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...

phase.

Neolithic sites (10,800–3300 BC)

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...

sites in India are characterised by the Bhirrana culture (7570–6200 BC), Mehrgarh culture (7000–3300 BC) and Edakkal culture (5000–3000 BC).

Sanganakallu Sanganakallu () is an ancient archaeological site from the Neolithic period (circa 3000 BC). It is approximately 8 km from Bellary in eastern Karnataka. It is a group of hills south of a horseshoe shaped valley, with Kupgal to the north. I ...

Kupgal petroglyphs The Kupgal petroglyphs are works of rock art found at Kupgal in Bellary district of Karnataka, India. Thousands of petroglyphs have been found at Kupgal, which date to the neolithic or even the old stone age. The site, which includes examples ...

, Sonda rock art, dwellings of

Anegundi Anegundi previously called Kishkindha is a village in the Gangavathi taluk, Koppal district in the Indian state of Karnataka, It is older than Hampi, situated on the northern bank of the Tungabhadra River. Huchappayana matha temple (with bla ...

are neolithic sites.

Brahmagiri archaeological site Brahmagiri is an archaeological site located in the Chitradurga district of the state of Karnataka, India. Legend has it that this is the site where sage Gautama Maharishi (also spelt Gauthama Maharshi) and his wife Ahalya lived. He was one amon ...

has neolithic and mesolithic phases.

Chalcolithic (Copper age) archaeological sites (3500–1500 BC)

Chalcolithic cultures

Chalcolithic The Copper Age, also called the Chalcolithic (; from grc-gre, χαλκός ''khalkós'', "copper" and ''líthos'', "stone") or (A)eneolithic (from Latin '' aeneus'' "of copper"), is an archaeological period characterized by regular ...

sites in India are characterised by the following cultures. * Anarta tradition (c. 3950–1900 BC) * Ahar-Banas culture (3000–1500 BC) * Pandu culture (1600–1500 BC) *

Malwa culture The Malwa culture was a Chalcolithic archaeological culture which existed in the Malwa region of Central India and parts of Maharashtra in the Deccan Peninsula. It is mainly dated to BCE, but calibrated radiocarbon dates have suggested that the ...

(1600–1300 BC) *

Jorwe culture The Jorwe culture was a Chalcolithic archaeological culture which existed in large areas of what is now Maharashtra state in Western India, and also reached north into the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. It is named after the type site of Jorwe. ...

(1400–700 BC)

Megalithic archaeological sites of India

Megalith of India date back to 5000 BC in southern India, before 3000 BC in upper Indus valley in northern India, and megaliths in eastern India are of much later date.

Types of megaliths

''Megaliths'', made of large stones, are man-made structures. Based on the ''"structural design"'' megaliths are classified as either monolith or polylithic.: * ''Monolithic structures'': are single large stones standing vertically, which have following 2 sub-types. ** '' Menhir'': are vertically standing stone, usually found across all continents. ** Stone circles: are vertically standing several stones, standing separate from each other with no physical contact with each other, to form circle, semi circle or ellipse. * ''Polylithic structures'' are made of several large stones in physical contact with each other, these are of following 3 sub-types: ** ''

Dolmen A dolmen () or portal tomb is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the early Neolithic (40003000 BCE) and were somet ...

'': megalith which is made in single chamber tomb, usually consisting of three or more upright stones supporting a large flat horizontal capstone. ** ''

Cairn A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehis ...

'': a man-made pile of stones, often in conical form, raised either as sepulchral monuments or for astronomical use, these range from simple small piles of loose stones to architecturally complex arrangements. ** '' Cist'': encasements for dead bodies, in which presence of ornaments shows the wealth or importance of the dead, usually found in groups or close to cairns. Based on the ''"usage type"'' megaliths are classified as * ''Non-sepulchral'': not-used for burial, but have ceremonial usage such as worship. * ''Sepulchral'': used for burial. Many of these sites are associated with burial or post burial rituals which may have been connected with ancestor worship, including memorials for those whose remains may or may not be available. There is another distinct class of megaliths that are not associated with burials.

List of megalithic sites in India

In India, megaliths of all kinds are noted; these vary from chamber tomb, stone alignment and anthropomorphic figures as well as the following: * dolmens in India * Menhirs in India, * Indian rock-cut architecture burial sites.

Megalithic monuments by states

Megaliths are found across whole of India, but there are found in higher numbers in central, southern and eastern India. Man-made

Megalith A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...

ic monuments in India include

, Byse rock art, Chovvanur burial cave, Hirapur dolmen,

Hire Benakal Hirebenakal or Hirébeṇakal or Hirébeṇakallu (ಹಿರೇಬೆಣಕಲ್ಲು in Kannada) is a megalithic site in the state of Karnataka, India. It is among the few megalithic sites in India that can be dated to the 800 BCE to 200 ...

, Kudakkallu Parambu,

Sidlaphadi ''Sidlaphadi'' near Badami in Karnataka, is a natural rock bridge and prehistoric rock shelter. It is located at about four km. in the middle of a shrub jungle near the historic town of Badami. A bridle and kutcha path through sandstone hills ...

= Maharashtra

= In Maharashtra, megaliths are found in Vidharba and south Maharashtra. The megaliths found in south Maharashtra are of varied types, such as head stones alone, or rock chambers and even dolmen. Megaliths in

Vidarbha Vidarbha (Pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, �id̪əɾbʱə is a geographical region in the east of the Indian state of Maharashtra and a Proposed states and union territories of India#Maharashtra, proposed state of central India, comprising th ...

regions are burial sites marked by stone circles.Sati may have existed among megalithic people
DNA India, accessed 10 July 2021. Important megalithic sites of Vidarbha are Hirapur dolmens,

Stone circles of Junapani The stone circles of Junapani are prehistoric megalithic circles in Junapani, near Nagpur in the Indian state of Maharashtra. There are about 300 such stone circles noted around Junapani. They were first excavated by J. H. Rivett-Carnac in 18 ...

sepulchral megaliths of basalt rocks with remains of the dead northwest of Nagpur, Mahurjhari Stone Circles with are 200 megalithic stone circles northwest of Nagpur, Naikund with evidence of iron smelting north of Nagpur, and Takalghat Khapa south of Nagpur. In Vidharba, the Naikund, Mahurjhari, Borgaon southwest of Nagpur and Khairwada west of Nagpur megalithic sites have been excavated.Oishi Roy, 2019
Man and Environment
, Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quatemary Studies,vol XLIV, pp. 12-20. Gorewada Stone Circles in Nagpur, connected to both Junapani and Mahurzari civilisation, are India's largest stone circle and it has the highest number of circular stones in India. Kherwadi in Wardha district has 1500 cairns burials, which are connected to Gorewada burial ground. Pottery found at these sites belongs to Black and red ware (BRW) (10,800–3300 BC).MEGALITHIC CULTURE
accessed 10 July 2021. In the Western

Ganges The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...

plain (western

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

) it is dated to c. 1450–1200 BCE, and is succeeded by the

Painted Grey Ware culture The Painted Grey Ware culture (PGW) is an Iron Age Indian culture of the western Gangetic plain and the Ghaggar-Hakra valley in the Indian subcontinent, conventionally dated 1200 to 600–500 BCE, or from 1300 to 500–300 BCE It is a successo ...

; whereas in the Central and Eastern Ganges plain (eastern Uttar Pradesh,

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...

, and

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

) and Central India (

) the BRW appears during the same period but continues for longer, until c. 700–500 BCE, when it is succeeded by the Northern Black Polished Ware culture.

Bronze Age archaeological sites (3300–1300 BC)

Bronze Age India in the Indian subcontinent begins around 3000 BCE, and it was succeeded by the Iron Age in India beginning in around 1400 BCE. Bronze Age sites include

Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC)

In the prehistory of the Indian subcontinent, the Iron Age in India cultures are the

(1300 to 300 BCE) and the Northern Black Polished Ware (700 to 200 BCE), the later corresponds to the transition of the

Vedic period The Vedic period, or the Vedic age (), is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature, including the Vedas (ca. 1300–900 BCE), was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent, betw ...

Janapada The Janapadas () (c. 1500–600 BCE) were the realms, republics (ganapada) and kingdoms (saamarajya) of the Vedic period on the Indian subcontinent. The Vedic period reaches from the late Bronze Age into the Iron Age: from about 1500 BCE to th ...

principalities to the sixteen

Mahajanapadas The Mahājanapadas ( sa, great realm, from ''maha'', "great", and '' janapada'' "foothold of a people") were sixteen kingdoms or oligarchic republics that existed in ancient India from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE during the second urban ...

region-states of the early historic period, culminating in the emergence of the

Maurya Empire The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 1 ...

towards the end of the period.

Phases of IVC

Phases of IVC * Early Harappan culture (3300–2600 BC) * Mature Harappan culture (2600–1900 BC) * Late Harappan culture (1900–1300 BC)

IVC burial sites

More than 50 IVC burial sites have been found, among those main sites in India are

Rakhigarhi Rakhigarhi or Rakhi Garhi is a village and an archaeological site belonging to the Indus Valley civilisation in Hisar District of the northern Indian state of Haryana, situated about 150 km northwest of Delhi. It was part of the mature pha ...

(first site with genetic testing) and Farmana in Haryana, Sanauli in Uttar Pradesh,

Kalibangan Kalibangān is a town located at on the left or southern banks of the Ghaggar (Ghaggar-Hakra River) in Tehsil Pilibangān, between Suratgarh and Hanumangarh in Hanumangarh District, Rajasthan, India 205 km. from Bikaner. It is also identifi ...

in Rajasthan, Lothal and

Dholavira Dholavira ( gu, ધોળાવીરા) is an archaeological site at Khadirbet in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District, in the state of Gujarat in western India, which has taken its name from a modern-day village south of it. This village is f ...

in Gujarat. Other IVC burial sites outside India have been found in Pakistan in

Mehrgarh Mehrgarh (; ur, ) is a Neolithic archaeological site (dated ) situated on the Kacchi Plain of Balochistan in Pakistan. It is located near the Bolan Pass, to the west of the Indus River and between the modern-day Pakistani cities of Quetta, Ka ...

, and Mohenjo-daro.Astha Dibyopama, Yong Jun Kim, Chang Seok Oh, Dong Hoon Shin , Vasant Shinde, 201

Korean Journal of Physical Anthropology, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 1-9.

Main IVC sites

=Rakhigarhi

= In 1963,

(ASI) began excavations at this site, and, though little has been published about the excavations. Quote: "Rakhigarhi will be discussed briefly in view of the limited published material" (p 107) Quote: "Excavations have also occurred at Rakhigarhi, but only brief notes have been published, and little information is currently available on its form and organization. (page 325)" Further excavations were conducted the ASI headed by the archaeologist
Amarendra Nath
between 1997 and 2000.Amarendra Nath was late

for forging bills during the excavation at Rakhigarhi. The more recent excavations have been performed by Vasant Shinde, an archaeologist from the Deccan College. Analysis and mapping of this site has shown it to be even larger than Mohenjo Daro. Radiocarbon dating was used at this site to analyze soil samples. The results showed that the soil samples were dated back to the millennium of 2000 years BC.Vahia, Mayank N., Pankaj Kumar, Abhijeet Bhogale, D. C. Kothari, Sundeep Chopra, Vasant Shinde, Nilesh Jadhav, and Ranvir Shastri. "Radiocarbon Dating of Charcoal Samples from Rakhigarhi, Haryana, India Using Accelerator Mass Spectrometer." ''Current Science'' 111, no. 1 (2016): 27-28. Accessed August 2, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24910004.

Bronze Age: Vedic Civilisation (2000–1500 BC)

Early Vedic Civilisation, which falls in the Bronze Age, is characterised to the following cultures: * Copper Hoard culture (2500–1600 BC) * Swat culture (1600–500 BC)

Iron Age archaeological sites (1500–200 BC)

Iron Age north India: Vedic Civilisation (1500–500 BC)

Vedic Civilisation which originated in Bronze Age, evolved through the following stages in the Iron Age: *

Janapadas The Janapadas () (c. 1500–600 BCE) were the realms, republics (ganapada) and kingdoms (saamarajya) of the Vedic period on the Indian subcontinent. The Vedic period reaches from the late Bronze Age into the Iron Age: from about 1500 BCE to th ...

(1500–600 BC) *

Black and Red ware culture Black and red ware (BRW) is a South Asian earthenware, associated with the neolithic phase, Harappa, Bronze Age India, Iron Age India, the megalithic and the early historical period. Although it is sometimes called an archaeological culture, the ...

(1300–1000 BC) *

(1200–600 BC) * Northern Black Polished Ware (700–200 BC) * Pradyota Dynasty (799–684 BC) *

Haryanka Dynasty The Haryanka dynasty was the third ruling dynasty of Magadha, an empire of ancient India, which succeeded the Pradyota dynasty and Barhadratha dynasty. Initially, the capital was Rajagriha. Later, it was shifted to Pataliputra, near the pres ...

(684–424 BC) * Three Crowned Kingdoms (c. 600 BC – AD 1600) * Maha Janapadas (c. 600–300 BC)

Iron Age south India

Iron Age sites in south India are Adichanallur in Tamil Nadu, Hallur in Haveri district of Karnataka, etc.

Early to mid Middle Ages archaeological sites (500 BC – 1,000)

Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Based in Western Asia, it was contemporarily the largest em ...

(550–330 BC) * Ror Dynasty (450 BC – AD 489) *

Nanda Empire The Nanda dynasty ruled in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent during the fourth century BCE, and possibly during the fifth century BCE. The Nandas overthrew the Shaishunaga dynasty in the Magadha region of eastern India, and expanded ...

(380–321 BC) *

Macedonian Empire Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by ...

(330–323 BC) *

(321–184 BC)

Middle Kingdoms archaeological sites (230 BC – AD 1206)

Following were either largest in area and/or longest reigning or had watershed moment impact: * Satavahana Empire (230 BC – AD 220) *

Shunga Empire The Shunga Empire (IAST: ') was an ancient Indian dynasty from Magadha that controlled areas of the most of the northern Indian subcontinent from around 185 to 73 BCE. The dynasty was established by Pushyamitra Shunga, Pushyamitra, after taking ...

(185–73 BC) * Indo-Greek Kingdom (180 BC – AD 10) * Indo-Scythian Kingdom (50 BC – AD 400) * Indo-Parthian Kingdom (AD 21 – c. 130) *

Kushan Empire The Kushan Empire ( grc, Βασιλεία Κοσσανῶν; xbc, Κυϸανο, ; sa, कुषाण वंश; Brahmi: , '; BHS: ; xpr, 𐭊𐭅𐭔𐭍 𐭇𐭔𐭕𐭓, ; zh, 貴霜 ) was a syncretic empire, formed by the Yuezhi, i ...

(AD 60–240) * Vakataka Empire (c. 250 – c. 500) * Kalabhras Empire (c. 250 – c. 600) *

Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gol ...

(280–550) * Western Ganga Kingdom (350–1000) * Kamarupa Kingdom (350–1100) * Maitraka Empire (475–767) * Kabul Shahi Empire (c. 500 – 1026) *

Harsha Empire Harshavardhana (IAST Harṣa-vardhana; c. 590–647 CE) was a Pushyabhuti emperor who ruled northern India from 606 to 647 CE. He was the son of Prabhakaravardhana who had defeated the Alchon Huna invaders, and the younger brother of Rajyava ...

(606–647) *

Chalukya Empire The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynas ...

(543–753, 942–1244) * Western Chalukya Empire (973–1189) *

Eastern Chalukya Kingdom Eastern Chalukyas, also known as the Chalukyas of Vengi, were a dynasty that ruled parts of South India between the 7th and 12th centuries. They started out as governors of the Chalukyas of Badami in the Deccan region. Subsequently, they became ...

(624–1075) *

Gurjara-Pratihara Empire The Gurjara-Pratihara was a dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the mid-8th to the 11th century. They ruled first at Ujjain and later at Kannauj. The Gurjara-Pratiharas were instrumental in containing Arab armies moving east of the ...

(550–1036) *

Guhila Gahlot is a clan of Rajputs Guhilot Rajputs ruled number of Kingdom's including Mewar, Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh, Shahpura, Bhavnagar, Palitana, Lathi and Vala, The variations of the name include Gehlot, Guhila, Gohil or Guhilot. Hi ...

dynasty (551-1947) * Pala Empire (750–1174) *

Rashtrakuta Empire Rashtrakuta (IAST: ') (r. 753-982 CE) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the sixth and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their ...

(753–982) *

Paramara Kingdom The Paramara dynasty (IAST: Paramāra) was an Indian dynasty that ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India between 9th and 14th centuries. They belonged to the Parmara clan of the Rajputs. The dynasty was established in either th ...

(800–1327) *

Yadava Empire The Seuna, Sevuna, or Yadavas of Devagiri (IAST: Seuṇa, –1317) was a Medieval Indian dynasty, which at its peak ruled a kingdom stretching from the Narmada river in the north to the Tungabhadra river in the south, in the western part of t ...

(850–1334) *

Kachhwaha The Kachhwaha or Kachawa is a Rajput clan found primarily in India. Sometimes families within the clan ruled a number of kingdoms and princely states, such as Jaipur State, Jaipur, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Alwar State, Alwar and M ...

dynasty (947-1947) * Lohara Kingdom (1003–1320) *

Eastern Ganga Empire The Eastern Ganga dynasty also known as Purba Gangas, Rudhi Gangas or Prachya Gangas were a large medieval era Indian royal dynasty that reigned from Kalinga from as early as the 5th century to the mid 20th century. Eastern Gangas ruled much of ...

(1078–1434) * Zamorin Kingdom (1102–1766) * Kalachuris of Tripuri (675-1210) *

Chutiya Kingdom The Chutia Kingdom (also Sadiya) was a late medieval state that developed around Sadiya in present Assam and adjoining areas in Arunachal Pradesh."(T)he Chutiyas seem to have assumed political power in Sadiya and contiguous areas falling ...

(1187–1673)

Late medieval archaeological sites (1206–1526)

The sites related to the following: *

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).

(1206–1526) * Ahom kingdom (1228–1826) * Chitradurga Kingdom (1300–1779) *

Reddy Kingdom The Reddi kingdom or Kondavidu Reddi kingdom (1325–1448 CE) was established in South India, southern India by Prolaya Vema Reddi. Most of the region that was ruled by the Reddi dynasty is now part of modern-day coastal Andhra, coastal and ...

(1325–1448) *

Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hinduism, Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana an ...

(1336–1646)

Early modern archaeological sites (1526–1858)

Some of the main sites are related to the *

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

(1526–1858) * Madurai Kingdom (1559–1736) * Thanjavur Kingdom (1532–1673) * Sikkim Kingdom (1642–1975) *

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shi ...

(1674–1818) *

Misl The Misls (derived from an Arabic word wikt:مثل#Etymology_3, مِثْل meaning 'equal') were the twelve sovereign states of the Sikh Confederacy, which rose during the 18th century in the Punjab region in the northern part of the Indian ...

(1707–1799) * Sikh Empire (1799–1849) *

Travancore Kingdom The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...

(1729–1947)

Colonial archaeological sites (1510–1961)

The sites are related to the following colonial rulers: *

Portuguese India The State of India ( pt, Estado da Índia), also referred as the Portuguese State of India (''Estado Português da Índia'', EPI) or simply Portuguese India (), was a state of the Portuguese Empire founded six years after the discovery of a se ...

(1510–1961) *

Dutch India Dutch India consisted of the settlements and trading posts of the Dutch East India Company on the Indian subcontinent. It is only used as a geographical definition, as there was never a political authority ruling all Dutch India. Instead, Dutc ...

(1605–1825) *

Danish India Danish India () was the name given to the colonies of Denmark (Denmark–Norway before 1814) in the Indian subcontinent, forming part of the Danish colonial empire. Denmark–Norway held colonial possessions in India for more than 200 years, i ...

(1620–1869) *

French India French India, formally the ( en, French Settlements in India), was a French colony comprising five geographically separated enclaves on the Indian Subcontinent that had initially been factories of the French East India Company. They were ''de ...

(1759–1954) *

Company Raj Company rule in India (sometimes, Company ''Raj'', from hi, rāj, lit=rule) refers to the rule of the British East India Company on the Indian subcontinent. This is variously taken to have commenced in 1757, after the Battle of Plassey, when ...

(1757–1858) *

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

(1858–1947)