empires – a theme that will be

empires – a theme that will be developed in timeline II. How to Read Timelines You will find a timeline like this one in every section. Each of these will indicate some of the major processes and events in world history. As you study the time lines, remember— • Processes through which ordinary women and men have shaped history are far more difficult to date than events such as a war between kings. • Some dates may indicate the beginning of a process, or when it reaches maturation. • Historians are constantly revising dates in the light of new evidence, or new ways of assessing old data. • While we have divided the timelines on a geographical basis as a matter of convenience, historical developments often transcend these divisions. • Also, there is a chronological overlap in historical processes. • Only some landmarks in human history have been shown here – we have highlighted the processes dealt with in the themes that follow, which also have separate timelines. • Wherever you see a *, you will also find an illustration related to the date along the column. • Remember that blank spaces do not mean that nothing was happening – sometimes these indicate that we do not as yet know what was happening. • You will be learning more about South Asian history in general and Indian history in particular next year. The dates selected for South Asia are only indicative of some of the developments in the subcontinent.