| empire | period | founder | capital | extent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mauryan empire | 322 - 185 bce | chandragupta maurya | pataliputra | north and central india |
| gupta empire | 320 - 550 ce | chandragupta i | pataliputra | north and central india |
| chola empire | 850 - 1270 ce | vijayalaya chola | thanjavur | south india and maritime regions |
| vijayanagara empire | 1336 - 1646 ce | harihara and bukka | vijayanagara | south india |
| mughal empire | 1526 - 1857 ce | babur | delhi, agra | most of india |
founded by chandragupta maurya with help of kautilya. capital at pataliputra. major rulers: chandragupta, bindusara, ashoka. ashoka converted to buddhism and spread dharma through rock edicts. extensive military campaigns brought large territory under control.
called the golden age of india. founded by chandragupta i. major rulers: samudragupta, chandragupta ii. period of remarkable cultural and scientific advancement. advances in mathematics including zero and decimal system. classical sanskrit literature including kalidasa's works. aryabhata's astronomical calculations.
founded by babur who defeated ibrahim lodi. indo-islamic dynasty. major rulers: akbar, shah jahan, aurangzeb. reached peak under akbar with religious tolerance and administrative reforms. shah jahan commissioned taj mahal. mughal architecture blended islamic and hindu styles. extensive control over most of india.
maritime and military power in south india. founded by vijayalaya chola. major rulers: raja raja chola i, rajendra chola i. controlled spice trade routes and established trading posts in southeast asia. famous for temple construction.