The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the history of South Asia: History of South Asia – South Asia includes the contemporary political entities of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and the island nations of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Chronology James Mill (1773–1836), in his The History of British India (1817), distinguished three phases in the history of India, namely Hindu, Muslim and British civilisations. This periodisation has been influential, but has also been criticised for the misconceptions it gave rise to. Another influential periodisation is the division into "ancient, classical, medieval and modern periods", although this periodisation has also been criticised. Romila Thapar notes that the division into Hindu-Muslim-British periods of Indian history gives too much weight to "ruling dynasties and foreign invasions", neglecting the social-economic history which often showed a strong continuity. The division into Ancient-Medieval-Modern periods overlooks the fact that the Muslim conquests occurred gradually during which time many things came and went off, while the south was never completely conquered. According to Thapar, a periodisation could also be based on "significant social and economic changes", which are not strictly related to the change of ruling powers. By period Paleolithic and Mesolithic age Madrasian culture ( 1.5 MYA) Soanian culture (c. 500,000–125,000 BCE) South Asian Stone Age (c. 50,000–5000 BCE) Neolithic age Bhirrana culture (7570–6200 BCE) Mehrgarh culture (7000–3300 BCE) Bronze Age Bronze Age India (3500–1500 BCE) Kalibangan (3500–2000 BCE) Indus Valley civilization (3300–1300 BCE) Early Harappan Culture (3300–2600 BCE) Mature Harappan Culture (2600–1750 BCE) Late Harappan Culture (1750–1300 BCE) Ahar Banas culture Copper Hoard culture Painted Grey Ware culture Black and red ware culture Bara culture Malwa culture Jorwe culture Other chalcolithic sites include Patapadu (Andhra Pradesh) Iron Age and Vedic period Vedic period (c. 1500–600 BCE) Puru Kingdom (c. 1500–1200 BCE) Brihadratha Dynasty (c. 1700–689 BCE) Gandhara Kingdom (c. 1500–500 BCE) Kuru Dynasty (c. 1200–350 BCE) Panchala Dynasty (c. 1200–500 BCE) Avanti Kingdom (c. 1200–300 BCE) Later Vedic period (c. 1000–600 BCE) Matsya Kingdom ( c.1000–500 BCE ) Chedi Kingdom ( c.1000–300 BCE) Surasena Kingdom (c.1000–600 BCE) Kamboja Kingdom (c. 1000–550 BCE) Videha Kingdom (c. 800–300 BCE) Pradyota dynasty (c. 682–544 BCE) Haryanka Kingdom (544–415 BCE) Pandyan Kingdom (600 BCE–1650 CE) Chera Kingdom (600 BCE–1102 CE) Chola Kingdom (600 BCE–1279 CE) Ror Kingdom (450 BCE–489 CE) Shishunaga dynasty (415–321 BCE) Nanda Empire (421–345 BCE) Malava Dynasty (392