Important Battles of Indian History Timeline (Ancient–1857) Complete List

Important Battles of Indian History – Complete Timeline (Ancient to 1857)

India’s history is filled with decisive battles that shaped kingdoms, empires, and political power across centuries. From ancient invasions to colonial conflicts, these wars influenced territorial boundaries, administration, diplomacy, and cultural evolution. Below is a structured, SEO-optimized table timeline of the most important battles in Indian history for students, competitive exams, and history enthusiasts.

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Ancient Period Battles Timeline

Year	Battle / Event	Key Participants	Outcome
327–326 BCE	Battle of Hydaspes	Alexander the Great vs Porus	Alexander won but reinstated Porus as ruler
305 BCE	Maurya–Seleucid War	Chandragupta Maurya vs Seleucus I Nicator	Chandragupta victorious
261 BCE	Kalinga War	Ashoka vs Kalinga	Ashoka won; later adopted Buddhism
155 BCE	Indo-Greek Invasion	Menander I	Expansion into northwest India
90 BCE	Saka Invasion	Sakas	Established rule in western India

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Early Medieval Period Invasions

Year	Event	Invader	Result
454 CE	First Huna Invasion	Hunas	Partial success
495 CE	Second Huna Invasion	Hunas	Continued pressure on Gupta Empire
711–712 CE	Arab Invasion of Sind	Muhammad bin Qasim	Arab control of Sind

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Medieval Period Battles

Year	Battle	Participants	Outcome
1000–1027	Raids on India	Mahmud of Ghazni	Repeated successful invasions
1191	First Battle of Tarain	Prithviraj Chauhan vs Muhammad Ghori	Prithviraj won
1192	Second Battle of Tarain	Same	Ghori won
1194	Battle of Chandawar	Ghori vs Jayachandra	Ghori victorious

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Delhi Sultanate & Early Mughal Era

Year	Battle/Event	Participants	Result
1294	Devagiri Campaign	Alauddin Khalji	Yadavas defeated
1398	Sack of Delhi	Timur vs Mahmud Shah Tughlaq	Delhi plundered
1526	First Battle of Panipat	Babur vs Ibrahim Lodi	Mughal Empire founded
1539	Battle of Chausa	Sher Shah Suri vs Humayun	Sher Shah won
1556	Second Panipat	Akbar vs Hemu	Akbar victorious

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Deccan & Rajput Battles

Year	Battle	Participants	Result
1565	Talikota	Vijayanagar vs Deccan Sultanates	Vijayanagar defeated
1576	Haldighati	Akbar vs Maharana Pratap	Mughal tactical win

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Mughal Decline Conflicts

Year	Battle	Key Leaders	Outcome
1632–33	Ahmadnagar Campaign	Shah Jahan	Mughal victory
1658	Dharmat & Samugarh	Aurangzeb vs Dara Shikoh	Aurangzeb victorious
1665	Treaty of Purandhar	Shivaji vs Jai Singh I	Treaty signed

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Later Invasions & Carnatic Wars

Year	War	Forces	Result
1739	Invasion of India	Nadir Shah	Delhi looted
1746–48	First Carnatic War	British vs French	Stalemate
1748–54	Second Carnatic War	British vs French	British advantage
1756–63	Third Carnatic War	British vs French	British supremacy

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Major Battles (1757–1857)

Year	Battle	Leaders	Outcome
1757	Plassey	Siraj ud Daulah vs Robert Clive	British victory
1760	Wandiwash	Eyre Coote vs Thomas Lally	British victory
1761	Third Panipat	Marathas vs Ahmad Shah Abdali	Marathas defeated
1764	Buxar	Hector Munro vs Mir Qasim	British victory
1799	Fourth Mysore War	Tipu Sultan vs British	Tipu killed
1817–18	Third Maratha War	Marathas vs British	British supremacy
1845–46	First Sikh War	Sikhs vs British	British victory
1848–49	Second Sikh War	Sikhs vs British	Punjab annexed
1857	Revolt of 1857	Indian rebels vs British	Revolt suppressed

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Historical Significance of These Battles

Impact Area	Historical Effect
Political	Rise and fall of empires
Military	Development of warfare tactics
Cultural	Spread of religions and traditions
Economic	Trade control and taxation systems
Colonial Rule	Establishment of British dominance

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Conclusion - The chronology of India’s battles reflects a continuous struggle for power, sovereignty, and identity. Each war marked a turning point—from the arrival of foreign invaders to the rise of powerful dynasties and ultimately the establishment of colonial rule. Understanding these battles provides deep insight into how India’s political map and civilization evolved across millennia.