India`s history and culture is dynamic and mysterious in its own unique way, spanning back to the beginning of human civilisation. The general conception was that it all began with a mysterious culture along the Indus River and in the southern parts of India. But an archaeological excavation made all the difference of viewing India from a different perspective. The ancient history of India goes way beyond the Indus Valley Civilization and find itself among the oldest civilizations of the world like that of Egyptian, Chinese, Sumerian civilization. Indian history might almost seem like a labyrinth like one of those confusing Tower of Babel paintings. This is because each region in India was pretty much doing its own thing and creating a history of its own. It is also evident that the pre-history of Indian civilisation has little mention in printed pages of records. The reason behind this is perhaps as old as the country itself. The country has a tradition of verbal history. Back then people believed in the power of the spoken word. They thought that words or syllables when pronounced just-so created magic.

Indian History, like the history of every other ancient culture in the world, is broadly divided into four periods like Pre-history, Ancient history, Medieval history and Modern history. Pre-history mainly caters with Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Vedic Periods. Technically speaking prehistory includes everything that happened before the Word happened. In India, Ancient history begins from the Indus Valley Civilization which was around 3000 B.C. Medieval history starts from 800 B.C. to mid-18th century A.D. that is until the arrival of the British. Modern history deals with the time from mid-18th century to the Independence of India.

According to the emergence of the periods and dynasties ancient history of India can be divided under following sections:

Stone Age
The ruins of Homo erectus in Hathnora in the Narmada Valley, in Central India indicate the presence of inhabit at during the Middle Pleistocene era between 200,000 to 500,000 years ago. Staring around 30,000 years ago the Mesolithic period in the Indian subcontinent covered a time span of around 25,000 years. In modern Madhya Pradesh, the first permanent settlements appeared almost 9,000 years ago in the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka. There are also traces of Neolithic culture have been found submerged in the Gulf of Khambat in India, radiocarbon dated to 7500 B.C. Late Neolithic cultures sprang up in the Indus Valley region between 6000 and 2000 BCE and in southern India between 2800 and 1200 B.C. Village life began with the Neolithic site of Mehrgarh, while the first urban civilization of the region began with the Indus Valley Civilization.

Bronze Age
The Bronze Age in the Indian subcontinent began around 3300 B.C. with the beginning of the Indus Valley Civilization. The civilization is mainly located in modern day India (Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan provinces) and Pakistan (Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan provinces). It is one of the world`s earliest urban civilizations along with Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. The Indus valley civilization was basically an urban civilization and the people lived in well-planned and well-built towns, which were also the centres for trade. The ruins of Mohenjodaro and Harappa show that these were magnificent merchant cities-well planned, scientifically laid, and well looked after.

Vedic Period
The Vedic period lasted from about 1500 B.C. to 500 B.C. that laid the foundations of Hinduism and other cultural aspects of early Indian society. It is characterized by Indo-Aryan culture associated with the texts of Vedas, which were orally composed in Vedic Sanskrit. The Aryans established Vedic civilization all over North India and in the Gangetic Plain. After the Rig Veda, Aryan society became increasingly agricultural, and was socially organized around the four Varnas. In addition to the principal texts of Hinduism, the Vedas, the core themes of the Sanskrit epics Ramayana and Mahabharata are said to have their ultimate origins during this period. The later part of this period corresponds with an increasing movement away from the prevalent tribal system towards establishment of kingdoms, called Mahajanapadas.

Sisunga Dynasty
The first important Magadhan king who emerges into the limelight was Bimbisara (544-491 B.C.) of the Sisunga dynasty. He was an extremely polished diplomat and crafty statesman. It was Bimbisara who consolidated and increased that power and really gave it the identity of a kingdom. Through some martial policies he pushed the frontiers of Magadha over eighty thousand villages. Bimbisara was a contemporary of the Buddha and later converted himself to Buddhism.

Nanda Dynasty
The Nanda Dynasty originated from the kingdom of Magadha in Ancient India during the 5th and 4th centuries B.C. At its pinnacle the Nandas extended from Bengal in the east, Punjab in the west and as far south as the Vindhya Range. The Nanda Empire was later conquered by Chandragupta Maurya, who founded the Maurya Empire.

Mauryan Dynasty
The Mauryan Dynasty was the first real dynasty of Indian history which was established in Magadha by Chandragupta and Chanakya together. They both made a formidable team and stayed together till the end of Chandragupta`s reign, when Chanakya lived to see the early half of his successor Bindusara`s (298-273 B.C.) reign. After Magadha was taken, Chanakya and Chandragupta had most of their allies summarily disposed off and integrated their kingdoms into one strong Maurya empire. Ashoka was the first emperor of Indian history. Under him, for the first time, almost the entire regions of present-day India were united under one central authority.

Kanva Dynasty
The Kanva Dynasty ruled in the eastern part of India from 75 B.C. to 26 B.C. and replaced the Sunga Dynasty in Magadha. The last ruler of the Sunga dynasty was overthrown by Vasudeva of the Kanva dynasty in 75 B.C. Magadha was ruled by four Kanva rulers. There is nor much information about the Kanvas; however, their dynasty was brought to an end by the Satavahanas of the south.

Satavahanas or the Andhras
The death of Ashoka removed the strong hand that held together the various parts of Mauryan Empire. It is believed that Ashoka`s descendants lost control over parts of South India. In the 1st century B.C. the Satavahanas rose to prominence on the ruins of the Maurya Empire in Deccan. For three centuries the Satavahanas exercised their sway over the region. They continued the political tradition of the Mauryas in many respects. IN more senses than one the Satavahana Dynasty in the heir of the Mauryan Empire in Deccan. The Satavahana Empire was the product of the general Jain and Hindu reaction to the Buddhist state of Ashoka.

Kushana Dynasty
The next important dynasty to step into the scene were the Kushanas, about whom not much is known, even over the date of accession of their most important king Kanishka.

Most probably he ruled sometime in the first century AD. Kanishka has been greatly associated with Buddhism and his reign made the religion popular again. Much artistic, cultural, spiritual and literary activity was encouraged by him to promote the religion. It was in his reign that Buddhism split into two sects, Hinayana (the older simpler religion when Buddha was not considered God) and Mahayana Buddhism (the more ritualistic Buddhist sect, which worships the Buddha

Gupta Dynasty
India saw political unity only under the second great dynasty of ancient Indian history after the Mauryas, was the Guptas. The imperial Guptas were great conquerors, efficient administrators and renowned patrons of the arts, science and culture. Their reign is called the Golden Age of ancient Indian history. It is in this era also that it can be seen, the beautifully simple and free-spirited Aryan philosophy settling down into a more rigid mould of a religion that is referred to as Hinduism. The Gupta Empire in India has produced many great rulers like Chandra Gupta I (320-335AD), Samudra Gupta (335-375AD), Rama Gupta (375-380AD), Chandra Gupta Vikramaditya (380-413AD), Kumara Gupta (413-455AD) and Skanda Gupta (455-468AD).

Vardhana Dynasty
The final important ruler of Ancient Indian history was Harsha Vardhana (606-646AD), who ruled not from Magadha but Thanesar (in modern Haryana area) of the Vardhana dynasty. He was a Buddhist and convened many Buddhist assemblies. The second Chinese traveller to come to India, Huien Tsang, arrived during his reign. By all accounts Harsha was all the usual things that one associates with a good king.

However, a number of smaller dynasties like the Maukharis and the Vakatakas had started springing up all over the place during this time. The south presented a medley of dynasties around the time of Harsha Vardhana. There were the Pandyas (in regions of Mudurai, Travancore and Tinnevelly), the Chalukyas (in present Maharashtra region) and Pallavas (in modern Tamil Nadu region), who had this terrific battle of supremacy going constantly. Pulakesan II (610-642AD) was the ablest of the Chalukyan kings and for a time managed to keep the Chalukyan flag flying above the others. This was also the time (around 650AD) when the Rajputs suddenly appeared on the scene out of nowhere. Another major dynasty called Rashtrakutas, which had been around during the days of the Gupta`s too, suddenly saw an upsurge in power in 750BC in the present Karnataka region. Their dynasty spills over to very early medieval period and then fizzles out.

Besides these, Chahamanas Dynasty, the Parmaras and Kadamba Dynasty contributed immensely in shaping the ancient Indian history. In fact, the dynasties of ancient India showcase the reasons and aspects of political and cultural diversity that is truly delved in the minds of the Indians. The different regional differences and there varied cultural backgrounds are inter-related and has been carried through the passage of time.