Civilisation in the Indian sub-continent is many millennia old, but it's first appearance on the world stage was the incursion of Alexander the Great 326 BC. Although he didn't stay, the Greek influence did.
The first coin-issuing empire was that of the Mauryans (320 - 200 BC), the most famous ruler being Ashoka (272 - 232 BC). Today, Afghanistan is not considered part of India, but in ancient times it was not only a route into India, but often the centre of empires which stretched from central Asia right down into India. Indo-Greek and Indo-Scythian kingdoms were based there and in northern India. Likewise, the Kushans (c. 1 - 380 AD) started off there. Between 300 to 500 AD, the Guptas were the dominant empire. After that, various states came and went. Arab expansion in the 7th Century AD, brought them as far as present-day Afghanistan and Sind in the extreme north-west of the Indian sub-continent. In 962 a new Muslim dynasty was founded at Ghazna in Afghanistan. The most famous ruler, Mahmud I (999 - 1030), ruled a vast empire including most of Iran and north-west India. He also made yearly raids deep into India, mainly for booty. In 1150, 'Ala'-ud-Din Husayn of Ghur, in central Afghanistan, sacked Ghazna and drove out the Ghaznavid dynasty. His nephew, Mu'izz-ud-Din Muhammad, known as Muhammad of Ghur, invaded India in 1175. After his death in 1206, his general, Qutb-ud-Din Aybak, became the sultan of Delhi. Several separate Islamic states followed. In 1526, Babar founded the Mughal empire, incorporating all the Islamic states of India. |
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