Appendix I: Timeline of Key Historical Events

---

Appendix I: Timeline of Key Historical Events

This appendix presents a chronological overview of important events that have shaped the history, culture, and development of Himachal Pradesh.

Year / Period	Event	Description
Ancient Times	Prehistoric settlements	Archaeological evidence from Bangana and Nalagarh shows early human activity.
Circa 500 BCE	Mention in Vedic texts	The region finds mention as part of Trigarta and Kuluta in ancient Hindu scriptures.
4th Century CE	Gupta Empire influence	Area came under Gupta control, fostering growth of art and architecture.
7th–10th Century CE	Rise of regional kingdoms	Establishment of princely states like Chamba, Mandi, and Kullu.
1009 CE	Mahmud of Ghazni's invasion	Raids led to plunder of temples and political disturbance.
18th Century	Gorkha invasion	Gorkhas from Nepal occupied parts of Sirmaur and Shimla.
1815–1816	Anglo-Gorkha War	British East India Company defeats Gorkhas and takes control.
Mid-19th Century	British hill stations	Shimla becomes the summer capital of British India.
1947	Independence of India	Hill states accede to the Indian Union.
15 April 1948	Formation of Chief Commissioner's Province	28 princely states merged into a single administrative unit.
1 November 1956	Becomes Union Territory	Himachal is restructured under the States Reorganization Act.
25 January 1971	Statehood granted	Himachal Pradesh becomes the 18th state of the Indian Union.
1985–2000	Infrastructure and tourism growth	Focus on roads, hydro-power, and eco-tourism.
2014	Great Himalayan National Park gains UNESCO World Heritage status	Recognition of biodiversity and conservation efforts.
Present	Green energy and cultural revival	Emphasis on sustainability, heritage tourism, and youth empowerment.

---