Asian Timeline

Asia

Asian History Timeline

Dates are B.C.E. unless noted * mya=million years ago c.5000-3000 Yangshao culture in China

c.5000 Mangoes cultivated in SE Asia

c.3750 First evidence of cotton weaving. Mohenjo-Daro, India.

c.3500-2500 Longshan culture in China

c.3400 First evidence of wheel-made pottery. Sumeria.

c.3200-1600 Indus Valley civilization

c.3200-2340 Cities in Mesopotamia

c.3200 Wheeled transport develops in Mesopotamia.

c.3200 Lunar calendar in Mesopotamia

c.3200 Cuneiform in Sumeria.

c.3000-2000 Anthropomorphic religion in Mesopotamia

3000 Silk manufacturing. China.

c.2500-1500 Indus Civilization in India

2334-c.2200 Akkadian Empire

c. 2200-1750 Hsia (Xia) Dynasty in China

c.2000-1800 Mathematical advances in Old Babylonia

c.2000-1600 Old Babylonian Empire

c.2000 Horse introduced to W. Asia

c.2000 "Personal" religion develops in Mesopotamia

c.1900 Epic of Gilgamesh in Mesopotamia.

c.1790 Code of Hammurabi

c.1750-1100 Shang Dynasty in China

c.1700-1500 Evidence of ideographic script in China

c.1600-1200 Hittite Empire in Asia Minor (Anatolia)

c.1600 Invention of alphabet (consonants only). Syria

c.1550 Kassites overthrow Babylonians

c.1523-1027 Shang dynasty and invention of writing

c.1500-500 Arrival of the Aryans and development of Vedic society (India)

c.1400 Development of alphabet by Phoenicians

c.1250 Moses unites Hebrews in worship of Yahweh

c.1200s Moses leads Hebrews from Egypt to Palestine

c.1200-1025 Hebrew occupation of Canaan

c.1250 Trojan War

c.1200-800 Vedas in India

c.1100-250 Zhou (Chou) Dynasty in China

c.1027-771 Western Zhou (Chou) Dynasty in China

c.1025-933 Unified Hebrew monarchy, Saul, David, and Solomon

c.1000 Rise of caste system in India

933-722 Kingdom of Israel

933-586 Kingdom of Judah

c.800-600 Upanishads in India

771-c.250 Eastern Zhou (Chou)

c.750-612 Height of Assyrian Empire

c.750-550 Hebrew prophetic revolution

c.750-400 Astronomical observation and record-keeping by New Babylonians

c.625 Zoroaster formulates religion in Persia

612-539 New Babylonian Empire

c.600 Deuteronomic code

586 Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem

c.563-483 Life of Gautama, the Buddha

c.551-479 Confucius

c.550 Laozi

c.540-468 Life of Mahavira, founder of Jainism in India

c.563-483 Life of Gautama, the Buddha

c.540-468 Life of Mahavira, founder of Jainism in India

539 Conquest of Babylon by Persians

525 Cambyses, the Persian ruler, conquers Egypt

c.513 Persian conquest of northwestern India and Indus Valley

c.500 Crop cultivation in rows in China

c.500 Iron plow in China

c.500 Royal Road of Persians

490-479 Greco-Persian War

c.450 Hebrew Song of Songs

c.400 Book of Job

c.400 Coinage in China

c.400 Trace harness in China

c.400 Zhuangzi (Chuang-tzu)

c.400-200 Mahabharata and Ramayana reach final form in India

c.400 B.C.E.-70C.E. Hebrew prophetic revolution

c.373-288 Mencius

334-323 Conquests of Alexander the Great

323 Death of Alexander, division of his empire

c.322-183 Maurya dynasty in India

c.300 Wrought iron in China

c.300 Emergence of Mithraism

300-237 Xunzi (Hsün-tzu)

c.273-232 Reign of Emporer Ashoka in India

c.261 Ashoka conquers Kalinga, leading to spread of Buddhism in India

c.250-208 Han Fei-tzu and Li Ssu--development of Legalism in China

221-206 Unification of China under Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty

221-206 Destruction of Confucian literature under Legalist regime

221-206 Standardization of weights and measures, coinage, writing system under Legalist regime

206B.C.E.-220C.E. Han Dynasty in China

c.200 Use of the seed drill in China

c.183-145 Greek Invasion of India

c.179-104 Dong Zhongsho (Tung Chung-shu)

c.141-87 Emporer Han Wudi (Wu Ti) in China

c.140 First Chinese ambassadors to India

c. 145-86 Sima Qian (Ssu-ma Ch'ien)

111 Chinese expansion to S. China Sea and Vietnam

c. 100 Beginning of Japanese state

c. 100 Invention of the Rudder in China

END B.C.E. BEGIN C.E.

206 B.C.E.-220 C.E. Han Dynasty in China

c.0-100 Shaka and Kushan invasions in northern India

c.25-300 Kushan rule in northwestern India

c.78 Kushan emporer Kanishka promotes Buddhism in India

220-589 Buddhism reaches China

221-280 Three Kingdoms Era

c.200 Porcelain in China

c.200-300 Creation of the Yamato state in Japan

c.300-800 Classical age of Hindu culture in India

c.300-500 Barbarian invasions of China

320-467 Gupta dynasty in India

c.380-450 Kalidasa, India's greatest poet

c.405 Adoption of Chinese writing in Japan

500 Manufacture of glass and magnetic compass in China

c.550-1250 Great stone temple architecture in India

c.552 Spread of Buddhism in Japan

c.570-632 Muhammad

589-618 Sui dynasty in China

c.600-1000 Sanskrit drama in India

604 Shotoku's Seventeen Article Constitution in Japan

c.606-648 King Harsha in India

610 Muhammad preaches reform, monotheism in Arabia

618-907 Tang Dynasty in China

622 Muhammad's Hijrah

632 Muhammad dies

632-661 Caliphate emerges as an institution

636-651 Muslims conquer Syria, Persia and Egypt

645 Taika Reform Edict

651 Publication of the Qu'ran, sacred book of Islam

c.656 Split in Islam between Shiites and Sunnites

661-750 The Umayyads dynasty (Islamic kingdom)

661 Umayyads move Muslim capital from Medina to Damascus

c.700-1300 Height of Islamic commerce and industry

710 Nara establised as Japan's first capitol (and first city)

750-1258 The Abbasid dynasty (Islamic dynasty)

751 Battle at Talas River ends Islamic penetration of Central Asia

762 Abbasids move Muslim capital from Damascus to Baghdad

794-1185 Heian era and literary flowering in Japan

c.900 Woodblock printing of books in China, Japan, and Korea

907-960 The Era of the Five Dynasties in China--warfare

945 Buyids occupy Baghdad

c.950 Death of Al-Farabi

960-1279 Song dynasty in China

1000-1500 Muslim invasions of India

1000-1200 Development of neo-Confucianism

1037 Death of Avicenna

1021-1086 Wang An-shih, political reformer and author in China

1055 Baghdad falls to the Seljuk Turks

1095-1099 First Crusade

c.1120 Rubaiyat of Umar Khayyam

1141-1279 Height of landscape painting in China

c.1150 Explosive powder used in weapons in China

c.1162-1227 Genghis Khan

1185-1333 Kamakura Shogunate and Japanese feudalism

1187 Crusaders lose Jerusalem to Saladin

1192 Establishment of Shogunate in Japan

1192 Destruction of Buddhism in India

c.1200 Zen Buddhism in Japan

c.1200 Innoculation for smallpox in China

1206-1526 Turkish Sultanate at Delhi

c.1235 Development of Chinese drama

c.1250 Poetry of Sadi

1258 Mongols destroy Baghdad and kill the last Abbasid Caliph

1274 Mongols unsuccessful attempt to invade Japan

1279-1368 Mongol (Yüan) dynasty in China

1281 Mongols unsuccessful attempt to invade Japan

1290-1320 Sultanate of Delhi

1291 Fall of last Christian outposts in the Holy Land

1300-1500 Rise of the daimyo in Japan

c.1300 Marco Polo travels in China

1368-1644 Ming dynasty in China

c.1370 Persian poetry of Hafiz

1398 Sack of Delhi by Timur the Lame (Tamerlane)

c.1500 Founding of Sikh religious sect

1549-1551 Introduction of Christianity to Japan

1582-1610 Matteo Ricci in China

c.1591 Decline of Songhay afer defeat by Moroccans

1453 Heavy artillery (cannons) helps Turks capture Constantinople and end Hundred Years War