# List of Hindu empires and dynasties

The following list enumerates Hindu monarchies in chronological order of establishment dates. These monarchies were widespread in South Asia since about 1500 BC, went into slow decline in the medieval times, with most gone by the end of the 17th century, although the last one, the Kingdom of Nepal, dissolved only in the 2008.

## Debate about early Indian history

The history of India up to (and including) the times of the Buddha, with his life generally placed into the 6th or 5th century BCE, is a subject of a major scholarly debate. The vast majority of historians in the Western world accept the theory of Aryan Migration with c. 1500-1200 BCE dates for the displacement of Indus civilization by Aryans and the earliest texts of the Rigveda. The Indian scholars, on the other hand, are mostly supporters of the Indigenous Aryanism that declares the indigenous nature of the Indian civilization and the c. 4000 BCE date for the earliest Rigvedas.
Early Indian history does not have an equivalent of chronicles like the ones established in the West by Herodotus in the 5th century BC or Kojiki / Nihongi in Japan. "With the single exception of Rajatarangini (History of Kashmir), there is no historical text in Sanskrit dealing with the whole or even parts of India" (R. C. Majumdar). While there are texts in Sanskrit, the Puranas, that profess to include the early Indian history, the Western scholars assume them to be compiled by brahmins in the 1st millennium CE, thus only being contemporary with the described facts from the time of the Guptas (3rd century CE). These texts are considered by Western scholars to be legendary, corresponding kingdoms are listed separately in the Puranic kings section.

## Ancient dynasties

| Empire or Dynasty | Established | Disestablished | Capital(s) | Language(s) | Today part of |
| Kuru Kingdom | 1900 BCE | 380 BCE | Āsandīvat, Hastinapura, Indraprastha | Vedic Sanskrit, Sanskrit | India |
| Brihadratha dynasty | 1700 BCE | 682 BCE | Girivraja | Vedic Sanskrit | India |
| Gopala Dynasty | 1400 BCE | 841 BCE | Pashupatinath Temple, Gaushala, Kathmandu | Sanskrit | Nepal |
| Pundravardhana Kingdom | 1280 BCE | 345 BCE | Mahasthangarh | Pali, Sanskrit | Bangladesh India |
| Anga Kingdom | 1100 BCE | 530 BCE | Champa | Prakrit, Sanskrit | India |
| Vidarbha Kingdom | 1100 BCE | 500 BCE | Kaundinyapur | Sanskrit | India |
| Khasa Kingdom | 1100 BCE | 500 BCE | Kedarnath ('Kedare-Khasa-Mandale') | Sanskrit, Prakrit, Khas language | Nepal India |
| Panchala Kingdom | 1100 BCE | 350 CE | Ahichatra, Kampila | Sanskrit | India Nepal |
| Mahisapala dynasty | 841 BCE | 679 BCE | Kathmandu | Sanskrit | Nepal India |
| Gandhara Kingdom | 800 BCE | 535 BCE | Puṣkalavati, Takṣaśilā, Puruṣapura | Sanskrit | Afghanistan Pakistan |
| Kingdom of Kosala | 700 BCE | 345 BCE | Shravasti, Ayodhya | Sanskrit | India Nepal |
| Vajjika League | c. 6th century BCE | c. 468 BCE | Vaishali | Sanskrit | India Nepal |
| Matsya Kingdom | 700 BCE | 345 BCE | ViratNagar | Sanskrit | India |
| Surasena Kingdom | 700 BCE | 345 BCE | Mathura | Sanskrit | India |
| Avanti Kingdom | 700 BCE | 300 BCE | Ujjayini | Sanskrit | India |
| Asmaka Kingdom | 700 BCE | 300 BCE | Potali | Sanskrit | India |
| Kingdom of Vatsa | 700 BCE | 345 BCE | Kauśāmbī | Sanskrit | India |
| Kingdom of Kashi | 700 BCE | 345 BCE | Banaras | Sanskrit | India |
| Chedi Kingdom | 700 BCE | 345 BCE | Suktimati | Sanskrit | India |
| Pradyota dynasty | 682 BCE | 544 BCE | Rajagriha | Prakrit, Sanskrit | India Nepal |
| Pandyan dynasty | 600 BCE | 1759 CE | Korkai, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Vizhinjam | Tamil | India |
| Chera Dynasty | 600 BCE | 1753 CE | Karur, Kodungallur, Kollam | Tamil | India |
| Haryanka Dynasty | 554 BCE | 413 BCE | Rajagriha, Pataliputra | Prakrit, Sanskrit | India Nepal |
| Shishunaga dynasty | 413 BCE | 345 BCE | Rajgir, Vaishali, Pataliputra | Prakrit, Sanskrit | India Nepal |
| Paurava dynasty | 400 BCE | 301 BCE | Sagala, Mathura | Sanskrit | India Pakistan |
| Chola dynasty | 400 BCE | 1540 CE | Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Pazhaiyaarai | Tamil | India |
| Malavas | 350 BCE | 650 CE | Vidisha | Sanskrit | India |

## Middle Kingdoms (c. 200s BCE – 500s CE)

| Empire or Dynasty | Established | Disestablished | Capital(s) | Language(s) | Today part of |
| Kuninda Kingdom | 2nd century BCE | 3rd century CE | southern areas of modern Himachal Pradesh | Prakrit, Sanskrit | India |
| Shunga Empire | 185 BCE | 75 BCE | Pataliputra, Vidisha | Prakrit, Sanskrit | India Bangladesh Nepal Bhutan |
| Deva Dynasty of Saketa | 150 BCE | 10 BCE | Ayodhya | Sanskrit | India |
| Satavahana Empire | 100 BCE | 225 CE | Pratishthana, Amaravati | Prakrit, Sanskrit | India |
| Kanva Dynasty | 75 BCE | 30 BCE | Pataliputra or Vidisha | Sanskrit | India |
| Northern Satrap Dynasty | 60 BCE | 150 CE | Sagala, Mathura | Prakrit, Sanskrit | India Pakistan |
| Chutu dynasty | 30 BCE | 280 CE | Banavasi | Prakrit | India |
| Kushan Empire | 30 CE | 375 CE | Puruṣapura, Takṣaśilā, Mathura | Greek, Bactrian, Gandhari Prakrit, Hybrid Sanskrit | India  Pakistan Afghanistan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Uzbekistan Iran |
| Western Satraps | 35 CE | 405 CE | Ujjain, Barygaza | Pali, Prakrit, Sanskrit | India Pakistan |
| Funan Empire | 50 CE | 550 CE | Vyadhapura | Khmer, Sanskrit | Laos Cambodia Thailand Vietnam Myanmar |
| Nagvanshi Dynasty | 94 CE | 1952 CE | Khukhragarh, Navratangarh | Prakrit, Nagpuri | India |
| Parataraja Kingdom | 125 CE | 300 CE | Loralai | Pali, Prakrit, Sanskrit, Scythian | Pakistan Afghanistan |
| Langkasuka Kingdom | 150 CE | 1475 CE | - | Malay | Malaysia Thailand |
| Kingdom of Gangga Negara | 150 CE | 1025 CE | Beruas | Malay | Malaysia |
| Kingdom of Champa | 192 CE | 1832 CE | Indrapura, Vijaya, Panduranga | Chamic languages, Sanskrit | Vietnam Laos Cambodia |
| Andhra Ikshvaku Dynasty | 200 CE | 275 CE | Vijayapuri (Nagarjunakonda) | Prakrit, Sanskrit, Telugu | India |
| Abhira dynasty | 203 CE | 370 CE | Anjaneri, Thalner, Prakashe, Bhamer, Asirgarh | Ahirani, Apabhraṃśa Sanskrit | India |
| Bharashiva Dynasty | 205 CE | 335 CE | Padmavati | Prakrit, Sanskrit | India |
| Soma Dynasty | 205 CE | 305 CE | Kathmandu | Sanskrit | Nepal |
| Gupta Empire | 240 CE | 550 CE | Pataliputra | Prakrit, Sanskrit | India Bangladesh Pakistan Nepal Afghanistan |
| Paurava Dynasty (reinstated) | c. 4th century CE | c. 7th century CE | Brahmapur | Sanskrit | India |
| Pallava Empire | 275 CE | 897 CE | Kanchipuram | Tamil, Prakrit, Sanskrit | India |
| Licchavi dynasty | 305 CE | 1200 CE | Kathmandu | Bajjika, Sanskrit | Nepal India Bhutan |
| Kataha | 330 CE | 1136 CE | Kataha | Old Malay, Sanskrit | Malaysia |
| Kadamba Dynasty | 345 CE | 525 CE | Banavasi | Kannada, Sanskrit | India |
| Kingdom of Malwa (350–545) | 350 CE | 550 CE | Mandsaur | Sanskrit | India |
| Kamarupa Kingdom | 350 CE | 1140 CE | Pragjyotishpura, Haruppeswara, Durjaya | Assamese, Prakrit, Sanskrit | India Bhutan Bangladesh Myanmar |
| Tarumanagara Kingdom | 358 CE | 669 CE | Sundapura | Sundanese, Sanskrit | Indonesia |
| Kutai Martadipura | 399 CE | 1635 CE | Muara Kaman | Sanskrit, probably old version of Kutainese language | Indonesia |
| Vishnukundina Dynasty | 420 CE | 624 CE | Nalgonda, Eluru, Amaravati | Sanskrit, Prakrit, Telugu | India |
| Sharabhapuriya Dynasty | 465 CE | 590 CE | Sharabhapura | Sanskrit | India |
| Kingdom of Valabhi | 475 CE | 776 CE | Vallabhi | Apabhramsa, Prakrit, Sanskrit, Sauraseni | India |

## Early Medieval Period (c. 500s CE – c. 1200s CE)

| Empire or Dynasty | Established | Disestablished | Capital(s) | Language(s) | Today part of |
| Kingdom of Thanesar | 500 | 606 | Thanesar Kannauj | Sanskrit | India Pakistan |
| Nala Kingdom | 515 | 585 | Pushkari | Sanskrit | India |
| Rai Dynasty | 524 | 632 | Aror | Sanskrit | Pakistan |
| Chalukya Dynasty | 543 | 753 | Badami | Kannada, Sanskrit | India |
| Kalachuri Dynasty | 550 | 620 | Mahishmati | Sanskrit | India |
| Chenla Empire | 550 | 802 | Shrestapura, Bhavapura, Isanapura, Shambhupura | Khmer, Sanskrit | Cambodia Thailand Laos Vietnam |
| Chahamana Dynasty | 550 | 1194 | Shakambhari | Prakrit, Sanskrit | India |
| Kalingga Kingdom | 550 | 650 | - | Old Javanese, Sanskrit | Indonesia |
| Gauda Kingdom | 590 | 626 | Karnasuvarna | - | India Bangladesh |
| Panduvamshi Dynasty | 600 | 790 | Shripura | Sanskrit | India |
| Eastern Chalukya Empire | 624 | 1189 | Vengi, Rajahmundry | Sanskrit, Telugu | India |
| Karkota Empire | 625 | 885 | Srinagar, Parihaspore | Sanskrit | India Pakistan |
| Brahman Dynasty of Sindh | 632 | 724 | Aror | Sanskrit | India  Pakistan |
| Srivijaya Empire | 650 | 1377 | Palembang, Chaiya, Jambi | Old Malay, Sanskrit | Indonesia Malaysia Singapore Thailand Cambodia Philippines Vietnam Brunei Taiwan |
| Galuh Kingdom | 669 | 1482 | Kawali | Sundanese, Sanskrit | Indonesia |
| Sunda Kingdom | 669 | 1579 | Kawali, Pakuan Pajajaran | Sundanese, Sanskrit | Indonesia |
| Kalachuri Tripuri Dynasty | 675 | 1212 | Tripuri | Prakrit, Sanskrit | India |
| Garhwal Kingdom | 688 CE | 1949 CE | Srinagar, Uttarakhand Tehri Narendranagar | Garhwali, Jaunsari, Sanskrit | India |
| Chavda Dynasty | 690 | 942 | Panchasar, Aṇahilaváḍa | Prakrit | India |
| Mallabhum Kingdom | 694 | 1800 | Laugram, Pradyumnapur, Bishnupur | Sanskrit, Prakrit | India Bangladesh |
| Katyuri kings (Karttikeyapur) | 700 CE | 1065 CE | Joshimath later shifted to Baijnath, Uttarakhand | Khas, Sanskrit, Prakrit | India Nepal |
| Chand kings | 700 CE | 1790 CE | Champawat | Kumaoni, Dotyali, Nepali | India Nepal Tibet |
| Limbuwan | 7th Century CE | 1774 | Morang, Bijaypur | Limbu, Lepcha | Nepal India Bhutan |
| Gurjaratra | 730 | 816 | Kannauj | Prakrit, Sanskrit | India Afghanistan Pakistan |
| Mataram Kingdom | 732 | 1006 | Mamratipura | Old Javanese, Sanskrit | Indonesia |
| Saindhava Dynasty | 735 | 920 | Bhutamabilika | Prakrit, Sanskrit | India |
| Tomara Dynasty | 736 | 1151 | Delhi | Prakrit, Sanskrit | India |
| Rashtrakuta Empire | 753 | 982 | Manyakheta | Kannada, Sanskrit | India |
| Khmer Empire | 802 | 1431 | Mahendraparvata, Hariharalaya, Koh Ker, Yasodharapura | Khmer, Sanskrit | Cambodia Laos Myanmar Thailand Vietnam |
| Chudasama Dynasty | 825 | 1472 | Vamanasthali, Junagadh | Old Gujarati, Prakrit | India |
| Later Chola Empire | 848 | 1279 | Pazhaiyaarai, Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram | Tamil | India Bangladesh Sri Lanka Maldives Indonesia Singapore Malaysia Thailand Myanmar |
| Somavamshi Dynasty | 850 | 1150 | Yayatinagara | Sanskrit | India |
| Yadava Dynasty | 850 | 1334 | Devagiri | Kannada, Marathi, Sanskrit | India |
| Utpala Dynasty | 855 | 1003 | Avantipur | Sanskrit | India Afghanistan Pakistan |
| Hindu Shahi Dynasty | 879 | 1026 | Kabul | Sanskrit | Pakistan Afghanistan India |
| Kingdom of Malwa | 900 | 1305 | Dhar | Prakrit, Sanskrit | India |
| Bali Kingdom | 914 | 1908 | Bedulu, Samprangan, Gelgel, Klungkung | Kawi, Balinese | Indonesia |
| Pagan Empire | 940 | 1297 | Pagan | Burmese, Mon, Pyu | Myanmar |
| Khasa Malla kingdom | 954 | 1450 | Sinja Valley, Nepal | Khas, Sanskrit, Dotyali | Nepal India Tibet |
| Western Chalukya Empire | 973 | 1189 | Manyakheta, Basavakalyan | Kannada, Sanskrit | India |
| Rajahnate of Butuan | 1001 | 1756 | Butuan | Butuanon, Old Malay | Philippines |
| Lohara Dynasty | 1003 | 1320 | Srinagar | Sanskrit | India Afghanistan Pakistan |
| Kingdom of Polonnaruwa | 1017 | 1310 | Polonnaruwa | Pali, Sanskrit | India |
| Kahuripan Kingdom | 1019 | 1045 | Kahuripan | Old Javanese, Sanskrit | Indonesia |
| Hoysala Empire | 1026 | 1343 | Halebidu, Belur | Kannada, Sanskrit | India |
| Janggala Kingdom | 1045 | 1136 | Hujung Galuh | Old Javanese, Sanskrit | Indonesia |
| Kediri Kingdom | 1045 | 1221 | Kadiri | Old Javanese, Sanskrit | Indonesia |
| Eastern Ganga Empire | 1078 | 1434 | Dantapura, Kalinganagara, Kataka | Sanskrit | India |
| Gahadavala Dynasty | 1080 | 1194 | Varanasi, Kanyakubja | Sanskrit | India |
| Dimasa Kingdom | 1087 | 1832 | Dimapur, Maibang, Khaspur | Dimasa | India |
| Karnat Dynasty | 1097 | 1324 | Simraungadh | Maithili, Sanskrit | Nepal India |
| Chero dynasty | 12th CE | 18th CE | | Bhojpuri, Nagpuri | India |
| Sambhuvaraya Dynasty | 1150 | 1375 | Rajagambhiram, Padaveedu | Sanskrit, Tamil | India |
| Vanni Nadu Dynasty | 1150 | 1803 | Vanni | Tamil | Sri Lanka |
| Deva Dynasty | 1156 | 1250 | Bikrampur | Bengali, Sanskrit | Bangladesh India |
| Kakatiya Dynasty | 1163 | 1323 | Orugallu | Sanskrit, Telugu | India |
| Khen Dynasty | 1185 | 1498 | Kamarupanagara, Kamatapura | Assamese, Kamtapuri | India Myanmar |
| Sutiya Kingdom | 1187 | 1673 | Swarnagiri, Ratnapur, Sadiya | Assamese, Sanskrit | India |

## Late Medieval Period (c. 1200s CE – c. 1550s CE)

| Empire or Dynasty | Established | Disestablished | Capital(s) | Language(s) | Today part of |
| Malla Dynasty | 1200 | 1768 | Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, Patan, Nepal | Newari, Nepali, Sanskrit, Maithili | Nepal |
| Doti Rainka kingdom | 13th century | 1790 | Dipayal Silgadhi, Nepal | Dotyali, Khas, Sanskrit, Kumaoni | Nepal India Tibet |
| Jaffna Kingdom | 1215 | 1624 | Nallur | Tamil | Sri Lanka |
| Singhasari Kingdom | 1222 | 1292 | Tumapel | Old Javanese, Sanskrit | Indonesia |
| Ahom Kingdom | 1228 | 1826 | Charaideo, Garhgaon, Rangpur, Jorhat | Assamese, Tai-Ahom | India Myanmar |
| Sambhuvaraya Dynasty | 1236 | 1375 | Rajagambhiram, Padaveedu | Tamil, Sanskrit | India |
| Yajvapala Dynasty | 1237 | 1289 | Nalapura | - | India |
| Vaghela Dynasty | 1244 | 1304 | Dholka | Apabhramsa, Old Gujarati, Prakrit | India |
| Rajahnate of Cebu | 1250 | 1565 | Singhapala | Cebuano, Old Malay, Middle Tamil | Philippines |
| Narayangarh Raj | 1264 | 1947 | Midnapore district | Bengali Language | India |
| Majapahit Empire | 1293 | 1527 | Majapahit, Wilwatikta | Old Javanese, Sanskrit | Indonesia Malaysia Singapore Brunei Thailand Timor Leste Philippines Australia |
| Sena Dynasty (Nepal) | 13th Century CE | 18th Century CE | Makwanpurgadhi, Chaudandi, Palpa | Nepali, Maithili Language, Khas, Bengali, Sanskrit | Nepal India |
| Reddy Dynasty | 1325 | 1448 | Addanki, Kondavidu, Rajahmundry | Telugu, Sanskrit | India |
| Musunuri Nayakas | 1150 | 1369 | Warangal | Telugu, Sanskrit | India |
| Vijayanagara Empire | 1336 | 1646 | Vijayanagara, Penukonda, Chandragiri | Kannada, Sanskrit, Telugu | India |
| Oiniwar Dynasty | 1353 | 1526 | Madhubani | Maithili language | India |
| Kallala dynasty | 1404 | 1789 | Sinja Valley | Khas language, Nepali, Sanskrit | Nepal India |
| Gajapati Kingdom | 1434 | 1541 | Cuttack | Odia | India |

## Early Modern Period (c. 1550s CE – 1850s CE)

| Empire or Dynasty | Established | Disestablished | Capital(s) | Language(s) | Today part of | Map |
| Bhoi dynasty | 1541 | 1947 | Cuttack, Puri, Khurda | Odia | India | |
| Koch Dynasty | 1515 | 1949 | Chikana, Kamatapur | Kamtapuri, Assamese, Bengali, Sanskrit | India | |
| Madurai Nayak Dynasty | 1529 | 1736 | Madurai, Tiruchirapalli | Telugu, Tamil, Sanskrit | India | |
| Thanjavur Nayak Kingdom | 1532 | 1673 | Thanjavur | Telugu, Tamil, Sanskrit | India | |
| Gorkha Kingdom | 1559 | 1768 | Gorkha Darbar | Nepali | Nepal | |
| Raj Darbhanga | 1577 | 1947 | Darbhanga | Maithili | India | |
| Midnapore Raj | 1568 | 1812 | Medinipur | Bengali Language | India | |
| Maratha Empire | 1674 | 1818 | Raigad, Gingee, Satara, Pune | Marathi, Sanskrit | India Pakistan | Maratha Empire |
| Pudukkottai Kingdom | 1680 | 1800 | Pudukkottai | Tamil | India |
| Sivaganga Kingdom | 1725 | 1733 | Sivaganga | Tamil | India | |
| Kingdom of Nepal | 1768 | 2008 | Kathmandu | Nepali, Sanskrit | Nepal India China Bangladesh | |
| Jammu and Kashmir | 1846 | 1952 | Jammu | Dogri | India Pakistan China | |
Note: Kingdoms that acted as princely states to the British Empire are not mentioned except for the time period when they exercised sovereign control.

## Puranic kings

Five Puranas (Vayu, Matsya, Brahmanda, Vishnu, Bhagavata) contain dynastic Puranic lists. Approach of researchers to these lists varies from outright skepticism, especially prevalent in the 19th century ("extravagant romances, ... works of imagination", "particular year is never mentioned") to cautious partial acceptance along the lines traced by F. E. Pargiter: "false genealogies ... imitate genuine genealogies", accepting limitations does not require to declare the absence of "any trust whatever". Ludo Rocher in his book "The Puranas" (1986) provides a long list of chronological calculations based on Puranic lists with a warning that they are "often highly imaginative".
| Kingdom | Capital(s) | Language(s) | Today part of |
| Puru kingdom | | Vedic Sanskrit | India |
| Yadu kingdom | | Vedic Sanskrit | India |
| Iksvakus kingdom | | Vedic Sanskrit | India |
| Heheya Kingdom | Mahishmati | Vedic Sanskrit | India |