This is a historical overview of armed conflicts involving India since Indian independence.
Main article: Military history of India |
The following is an exhaustive list of wars and conflicts that were fought in the historic Indian subcontinent. The wars listed below involve three of the prominent empires to rule over the subcontinent — The Mauryas, Mughals and the Marathas. The Company rule in India is also included.
Start | Finish | Name of Conflict | Belligerents | Outcome | |
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Allies | Opponent(s) | ||||
321 BCE | 320 BCE | Conquest of the Nanda Empire | Maurya Empire | Nanda Empire | Nanda Dynasty falls; start of Maurya Empire. |
305 BCE | 303 BCE | Seleucid–Mauryan war | Maurya Empire | Seleucid Empire | Chandragupta Maurya conquers all of the Macedonian Satrapies in the Indus River Valley. |
262 BCE | 261 BCE | Kalinga War | Maurya Empire | Kalinga | Asoka conquers Kalinga. |
Start | Finish | Name of Conflict | Belligerents | Outcome | |
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Allies | Opponent(s) | ||||
1525 | Mughal-Rajput War (1525) | Mughal Empire | Rajputs | Mughal expansion to Punjab | |
1615 | 1682 | Ahom–Mughal War | Mughal Empire | ![]() |
Ahom influence extended to the Manas river. |
1622 | 1623 | First Mughal–Persian War | Mughal Empire | ![]() |
Kandahar falls to Safavid. |
1649 | 1653 | Second Mughal–Persian War | Mughal Empire | ![]() |
Safavids recapture Kandahar. |
1679 | 1684 | Tibetan-Ladakh War | Ladakh Mughal Empire |
Tibet Zungar Empire |
Mughal victory, withdrawal after signing a treaty with the Ladakhis.
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1681 | 1707 | Deccan Wars | Mughal Empire | ![]() |
Permanent end to Mughal expansion in Deccan/Peninsular India. |
1686 | 1690 | Child's War | Mughal Empire | ![]() |
The English were obliged to conclude peace with the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1689. |
1738 | 1739 | Third Mughal–Persian War | Mughal Empire | ![]() |
Takeover of Delhi. |
1739 | February 13, 1739 | Battle of Karnal | Mughal Empire | ![]() |
Mughal Defeat |
1741 | Siege of Trichinopoly | Mughal Empire | ![]() |
Maratha takeover of Tiruchirappalli. | |
1741 | 1748 | Expeditions in Bengal | Mughal Empire | ![]() |
Nawab of Bengal ceded territory up to the river Suvarnarekha to the Marathas. |
1754 | 1763 | Seven Years' War | ![]()
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Status quo ante in Europe. Transfer of colonial possessions between Great Britain, France, and Spain.
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1857 | 1858 | Indian Rebellion of 1857 | Mughal Empire![]() |
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Rebellions suppressed, end of Mughal, Company and Maratha rule, formation of the Empire of India. |
Following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the rule of the three major powers, the Mughals, Marathas and the British East India company came to end and the British crown now began to rule over India directly as per the Government of India Act 1858. India was now a single empire comprising British India and the Princely states. The Empire of India was officially created by British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli for Queen Victoria in 1876 and she was crowned Empress of India.
Start | Finish | Name of Conflict | Belligerents | Outcome | |
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Allies | Opponent(s) | ||||
1856 | 1860 | Second Opium War | ![]() |
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Victory |
1863 | 1864 | Ambela Campaign | ![]() |
Afghan Pashtuns Yusufzai tribes |
Victory
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1864 | 1865 | Bhutan War | ![]() |
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Victory
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1867 | 1868 | British Expedition to Abyssinia | ![]() |
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Victory
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1878 | 1880 | Second Anglo-Afghan War | ![]() |
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Victory
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1881 | 1899 | Mahdist War | ![]() |
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Victory
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1882 | Anglo-Egyptian War | ![]() |
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Victory
| |
1885 | Third Anglo-Burmese War | ![]() |
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Victory
| |
1888 | Third Black Mountain Expedition | ![]() |
Hassanzai and Akazai tribes. | Victory
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1888 | Sikkim Expedition | ![]() |
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Victory
| |
1891 | Hunza-Nagar Campaign | ![]() |
Hunza Nagar |
Victory | |
1895 | Chitral Expedition | ![]() |
Chitralis Bajouri and Afghan Tribesmen | Victory
| |
1896 | Anglo-Zanzibar War | ![]() |
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Victory
| |
1896 | Tochi Expedition | ![]() |
Waziris | Victory
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1897 | Siege of Malakand | ![]() |
پشتون Pashtun tribes | Victory
| |
1897 | 1898 | First Mohmand Campaign | ![]() |
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Victory
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1897 | 1898 | Tirah Campaign | ![]() |
Afridis Orakzais Chamkanis |
Victory
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1899 | 1901 | Boxer Rebellion | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Victory
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1899 | 1902 | Second Boer War | ![]() |
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Victory
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1903 | 1904 | British expedition to Tibet | ![]() |
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Victory
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1906 | Bambatha Rebellion | ![]() |
Zulu people | Victory
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1914 | 1918 | World War I | ![]() ![]()
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Victory
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1918 | 1920 | Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War | ![]() ![]()
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Withdrawal
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1919 | 1923 | Turkish War of Independence | ![]() |
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Armistice
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1919 | Third Anglo-Afghan War | ![]() |
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Armistice
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1919 | First Waziristan Campaign | ![]() |
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Victory
| |
1919 | 1920 | Kuwait–Najd War | ![]() |
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Victory
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1920 | Iraqi revolt | ![]() |
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Victory
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1921 | Malabar rebellion | ![]() |
Mappila Muslims | Victory
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1925 | Pink's War | ![]() |
Mahsud tribesmen | Victory
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1935 | Second Mohmand Campaign | ![]() |
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Victory
| |
1936 | 1939 | Second Waziristan Campaign | ![]() |
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Victory
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1939 | 1945 | World War II | ![]() ![]()
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Victory
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1945 | 1947 | Indonesian National Revolution | ![]() ![]() |
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Withdrawal
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1945 | 1946 | Operation Masterdom | ![]() |
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Withdrawal
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Following Indian independence, merger of princely states and provinces remained a major question. The partition resulted in a hostile neighbor Pakistan and the two have fought four wars since then.
Start | Finish | Name of Conflict | Belligerents | Outcome | |
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Allies | Opponent(s) | ||||
1947 | 1948 | First Indo-Pakistani War | ![]() |
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Ceasefire
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1947 | Indian integration of Junagadh | ![]() |
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Victory
| |
1948 | Operation Polo | ![]() |
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Victory
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India has fought many wars and minor conflicts during its period as a republic.