Medieval India: The Grand Timeline (711-1526 CE)

1. Early Medieval (711 - 1200 CE)

711 CE	Muhammad bin Qasim conquers Sindh; first organized Arab contact.
753 CE	Dantidurga founds Rashtrakuta Empire; fall of Badami Chalukyas.
780-900 CE	Tripartite Struggle for Kannauj between Palas, Pratiharas, and Rashtrakutas.
985 CE	Raja Raja Chola I ascends; begins maritime dominance of Cholas.
1000-1027 CE	Mahmud of Ghazni's 17 raids for plunder.
1191-1192 CE	Battles of Tarain; Muizzuddin Ghori defeats Prithviraj Chauhan in 2nd battle. Opened Indo-Gangetic plains to sedentary Turkish rule.

2. The Delhi Sultanate (1206 - 1526 CE)

1206 CE	Qutbuddin Aibak founds Slave Dynasty; start of Mamluk era.
1211-1236 CE	Iltutmish consolidates power; introduces silver Tanka and copper Jital.
1236 CE	Razia Sultan; first female sovereign of Delhi.
1266-1287 CE	Balban; "Blood and Iron" policy restoring royal prestige.
1296-1316 CE	Alauddin Khalji; market reforms, standing army, Southern expeditions by Malik Kafur.
1325-1351 CE	Muhammad bin Tughlaq; capital transfer (1327) and token currency experiment (1329).
1336 & 1347 CE	Vijayanagara Empire founded in 1336. Bahmani Sultanate founded in 1347.
1398 & 1451 CE	Timur's Invasion in 1398. Bahlul Lodi establishes first Afghan dynasty in 1451.

3. The Transition Era (1498 - 1526 CE)

1498 CE	Vasco da Gama reaches Calicut; start of direct European maritime contact.
1509-1529 CE	Krishnadeva Raya's golden age of Vijayanagara.
1510 CE	Portuguese occupy Goa under Albuquerque.
1526 CE	1st Battle of Panipat; Babur uses artillery and Tulughma to defeat Ibrahim Lodi.

4. Top UPSC Traps & Revision Points

Delhi's Foundation	Delhi first established by Tomar Rajputs (Dhillika) in 8th century (not Turks).
Medieval Technology Timeline	Paper introduced in 13th century; gunpowder in 14th century (widely used by Babur in 16th century).
Bhakti/Sufi Parallelism	Bhakti and Sufi movements developed alongside Sultanate political growth (not after its decline).