HinduismHistory and Sources |
Were there ever Hindu kingdoms outside of India? |
Hindu kingdoms, mostly Shaivite in orientation, had significant influence on parts of southeast Asia, giving rise to the names Indo-China and Indonesia. The kingdom of Champa held sway over most of Vietnam from 150 to 1471 C.E., while several other dynasties arose in Cambodia in the second century and expanded their control over Laos and Thailand from 800 to 1200 C.E. During that same period, Hindu monarchies took root in Java and Sumatra, the principal islands of Indonesia, as well as in Malaysia. For nearly two centuries, Hinduism was a major influence throughout Indonesia, until its political patrons succumbed to Muslim invasions in the early sixteenth century.
The remnants of the southeast Asian Hindu kingdoms took refuge on the island of Bali, where many still practice Hinduism.
| Date | Event |
| 5500-2500 B.C.E. | Growth of civilization in the Indus Valley |
| 1700-1100 B.C.E. | Composition of the Vedic Samhitas |
| 900-500 B.C.E. | Composition of later parts of the Samhitas, of the Brahmanas and early Upanishads |
| 500-200 B.C.E. | Epic poems: Mahabharata (Bhagavad Gita), Ramayana |
| 327-325 B.C.E. | Alexander the Great invades India |
| 322 B.C.E. | Chandragupta founds Mauryan Empire |
| 100-100 C.E. | Rise of bhakti literature |
| 300-600 C.E. | Composition of some Puranas in their present form |
| 647 C.E. | Fall of Gupta Empire |
| 680 C.E. | Flourishing of Tamil bhakti movement |
| 788-820 C.E. | Shankara, theology of non-duality (advaita) |
| 1017-1138 C.E. | Ramanuja, theology of qualified non-duality (vishisht-advaita) |
| 1175 C.E. | First Muslim empire in India |
| 1486-1533 C.E. | Chaitanya, saint of Krishna-bhakti |
| 1498 C.E. | Vasco da Gama visits India |
| 1526 C.E. | Rise of Muslim Mughal Dynasty |
| 1653 C.E. | Taj Mahal completed by Mughal Shah Jahan |
| 1657 C.E. | Muslim Dara Shikoh translates Upanishads into Persian |
| 1690 C.E. | British found Calcutta, East India Company |
| 1707 C.E. | Mughal power into decline |
| 1836-1886 C.E. | Ramakrishna, “All religions can lead to God” realization |
| 1857 C.E. | British put down rebellion, inaugurate British Raj |
| 1869-1948 C.E. | Mohandas Karmachand “Mahatma” Gandhi |
| 1885 C.E. | Indian National Congress |
| 1947 C.E. | Indian Independence, partition of West and East Pakistan |
| 1971 C.E. | Separation of Bangladesh from Pakistan, both Muslim states |
Champa kingdom ruins in Vietnam showing linga-yoni in foreground, indicating that the complex was dedicated to Shiva.