Codex of FaithsAn illustrated atlas of belief

The timeline

Five thousand years of the world’s religions on one line: founders and empires, councils and schisms, journeys, persecutions and revivals.

3000 BCE1000 BCE1 CE1000150018002000 Hinduism c. 1500 BCE: Vedic hymns composed in early Sanskrit in north-west India. c. 320 CE: Gupta dynasty rises; Puranic worship and stone temples flourish. 8th century: Shankara, by traditional dating, teaches Advaita Vedanta. 1010: Rajaraja I completes the Brihadishvara temple at Thanjavur. 12th century: Khmer king Suryavarman II builds Angkor Wat, dedicated to Vishnu. 1336: Vijayanagara empire founded, a Hindu power in the south until 1565. c. 1574: Tulsidas begins the Ramcharitmanas, retelling the story of Rama. 1828: Ram Mohan Roy founds the Brahmo Sabha in Calcutta. 1875: Dayananda Saraswati founds the Arya Samaj in Bombay. 1893: Vivekananda addresses the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago. 1950: India’s constitution abolishes untouchability and guarantees freedom of religion. 2024: Ram temple consecrated at Ayodhya, where the Babri Masjid stood until 1992. Buddhism c. 400 BCE: The Buddha dies at Kushinagar, by many modern estimates. c. 260 BCE: Ashoka turns to the Dharma after his bloody conquest of Kalinga. 3rd century BCE: Mahinda, traditionally Ashoka’s son, brings Buddhism to Sri Lanka. traditionally 68 CE: White Horse Temple founded at Luoyang, China’s first Buddhist temple. 538 or 552: Buddhism reaches Japan from the Korean kingdom of Baekje. c. 779: Samye, Tibet’s first monastery, founded under King Trisong Detsen. 845: Emperor Wuzong of Tang closes thousands of monasteries across China. c. 1200: Nalanda and other great Indian monasteries destroyed in Turkic raids. 1642: The fifth Dalai Lama becomes ruler of Tibet with Mongol support. 1956: B. R. Ambedkar and hundreds of thousands of Dalits convert at Nagpur. 1959: The fourteenth Dalai Lama flees Tibet for exile in India. Jainism traditionally 527 BCE: Mahavira attains liberation at Pavapuri; many scholars prefer about 425 BCE. c. 300 BCE: Bhadrabahu, tradition says, leads monks south to Karnataka during a famine. 2nd–1st century BCE: King Kharavela of Kalinga records support for Jain monks at Udayagiri. 453 or 466 CE: Council of Valabhi writes down the Shvetambara canon. c. 981: Chavundaraya raises the colossal Bahubali statue at Shravanabelagola. 1031: Vimala Shah builds the first Dilwara temple at Mount Abu. 12th century: Hemachandra advises King Kumarapala of Gujarat, a patron of Jainism. 1580s: Hiravijaya Suri persuades Akbar to restrict animal slaughter on holy days. 1760: Acharya Bhikshu founds the Terapanthi order, which rejects image worship. 1893: Virchand Gandhi represents Jainism at the World’s Parliament of Religions. 2014: India’s government recognises Jains as a national religious minority. Sikhism 1469: Guru Nanak born at Talwandi, today Nankana Sahib in Pakistan. 1699: Guru Gobind Singh founds the Khalsa at Anandpur. 1716: Banda Singh Bahadur, leader of a Sikh uprising, executed in Delhi. 1762: Ahmad Shah Durrani’s forces kill thousands of Sikhs in the Vadda Ghallughara. 1799: Ranjit Singh takes Lahore; proclaimed Maharaja of Punjab in 1801. 1849: British annex Punjab after the second Anglo-Sikh war. 1873: First Singh Sabha founded in Amritsar to renew Sikh learning. 1920: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee formed to manage historic gurdwaras. 1947: Partition divides Punjab; Sikhs of the western half flee to India. 1984: Operation Blue Star at the Golden Temple; anti-Sikh riots follow in Delhi. 2019: Kartarpur Corridor opens visa-free access to Guru Nanak’s last home. Daoism 184: Yellow Turban rebellion, inspired by a Great Peace movement, shakes the Han dynasty 215: Zhang Lu, leader of the Celestial Masters, submits to Cao Cao 364–370: Yang Xi receives the Shangqing revelations on Mount Mao 471: Lu Xiujing catalogues Daoist scriptures in the “three caverns” 618–907: Tang emperors claim Laozi as ancestor and patronise Daoism 1100–1126: Emperor Huizong of the Song sponsors the first printed Daoist canon 1167: Wang Chongyang founds the Quanzhen order in northern China 1222: Quanzhen master Qiu Chuji meets Genghis Khan in Central Asia 1281: Kublai Khan orders Daoist books, except the Daodejing, burned 1412: Yongle emperor begins great temple building on Mount Wudang 1445: The Ming Daoist canon, the Daozang, is printed 1966–1976: Cultural Revolution closes temples; revival follows from the late 1970s Shinto 690: First periodic rebuilding of the Ise shrine, by tradition, under Empress Jito 701: Taiho Code establishes the Jingikan, the Council of Kami Affairs 712–720: Kojiki and Nihon Shoki record the myths of the kami 927: Engishiki lists nearly 3,000 shrines receiving state offerings 1274 and 1281: Storms wreck Mongol invasion fleets, remembered as kamikaze, “divine winds” late 15th century: Yoshida Kanetomo founds Yoshida Shinto, asserting the kami’s primacy 1798: Motoori Norinaga completes his great commentary on the Kojiki 1868: Meiji government orders the separation of kami and buddhas 1869: Shrine later named Yasukuni founded in Tokyo for the war dead 1945: Shinto Directive of 15 December ends State Shinto 1946: Emperor renounces divinity; Association of Shinto Shrines founded 2013: Ise shrine rebuilt for the 62nd time Confucianism 479 BCE: Confucius dies in the state of Lu. 4th century BCE: Mencius teaches that human nature is good. 213 BCE: Qin burning of the books, by traditional account. 136 BCE: Han emperor Wu appoints official scholars of the Five Classics. 7th century: Sui and Tang dynasties develop examinations based on the classics. 1070: Temple of Literature founded in Thang Long, today’s Hanoi. 1190: Zhu Xi publishes the Four Books with his commentaries. 1313: Yuan dynasty makes Zhu Xi’s commentaries the examination standard. 1392: Joseon dynasty founded in Korea as a Neo-Confucian state. 1905: The Qing government abolishes the imperial examinations. 1919: May Fourth Movement attacks Confucian tradition. 1973–1974: Campaign to “Criticise Lin Biao, Criticise Confucius”. Zoroastrianism c. 1000 BCE (disputed): Zarathustra composes the Gathas; proposed dates range from 1500 to 500 BCE. c. 520 BCE: Darius I invokes Ahura Mazda in his Behistun inscription. 330 BCE: Alexander the Great conquers Persia and burns Persepolis. 224 CE: Ardashir I founds the Sasanian empire, which makes Zoroastrianism the state religion. 651: Death of Yazdegerd III, last Sasanian king, after the Arab conquest. 8th–10th century: Zoroastrians from Iran settle at Sanjan in Gujarat, by Parsi tradition. 9th–10th century: Priests compile the Pahlavi books, including the Denkard and Bundahishn. 1742: The Iranshah sacred fire is enthroned at Udvada, Gujarat. 1854: Manekji Limji Hataria travels to Iran to aid its Zoroastrians. 1882: Qajar government abolishes the jizya on Iranian Zoroastrians. 1892: Dadabhai Naoroji, a Parsi, elected to the British House of Commons. 1979: Islamic Republic’s constitution recognises Zoroastrians and reserves them a parliamentary seat. Judaism 586 BCE: Babylonians destroy the First Temple; many Judeans exiled to Babylon. 70 CE: Romans destroy the Second Temple in Jerusalem. 132–135: Bar Kokhba revolt crushed; Jews barred from Jerusalem. c. 200: Judah ha-Nasi edits the Mishnah in Galilee. 1096: First Crusade: massacres of Jews in Speyer, Worms and Mainz. c. 1190: Maimonides completes the Guide for the Perplexed in Egypt. 1492: Jews expelled from Spain; many settle in the Ottoman Empire. 1565: Joseph Karo’s Shulchan Aruch, the standard law code, first printed. 18th century: The Baal Shem Tov inspires Hasidism in Eastern Europe. 1897: Theodor Herzl convenes the First Zionist Congress in Basel. 1941–1945: Holocaust: about six million Jews murdered by Nazi Germany and collaborators. 1948: The State of Israel is founded. Christianity c. 30 CE: Jesus is crucified in Jerusalem under Pontius Pilate. 313: Constantine and Licinius grant Christians freedom of worship. 325: Council of Nicaea condemns Arius and adopts the Nicene Creed. 451: Council of Chalcedon defines Christ as one person in two natures. 800: Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne emperor in Rome. 988: Prince Vladimir of Kyiv is baptised; Rus adopts Christianity. 1054: Mutual excommunications divide the churches of Rome and Constantinople. 1204: Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople. 1517: Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses begin the Reformation. 1545–1563: Council of Trent shapes Catholic teaching and reform. 1906: Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles spreads Pentecostalism. 1962–1965: Second Vatican Council reforms Catholic worship and relations with others. Islam 610: Muslims believe the first revelation comes to Muhammad on Mount Hira. 622: The hijra: Muhammad and his followers move from Mecca to Medina. 632: Death of Muhammad; Abu Bakr becomes the first caliph. 661: Ali is killed; Mu‘awiya founds the Umayyad caliphate in Damascus. 680: Husayn, son of Ali, is killed at Karbala. 762: The Abbasid caliph al-Mansur founds Baghdad. 969: The Ismaili Fatimid dynasty founds Cairo. 1258: Mongols sack Baghdad, ending the Abbasid caliphate there. 1453: Ottoman sultan Mehmed II conquers Constantinople. 1501: Shah Ismail I makes Twelver Shia Islam Iran’s state religion. 1924: The Turkish Republic abolishes the Ottoman caliphate. 1979: Revolution in Iran establishes an Islamic republic. Bahá’í 1844: The Báb declares his mission in Shiraz. 1850: The Báb is executed in Tabriz. 1852: Bahá’u’lláh imprisoned in the Síyáh-Chál of Tehran, then exiled to Baghdad. 1863: Bahá’u’lláh declares his mission in the Ridván garden, Baghdad. 1868: Bahá’u’lláh is exiled to the prison city of Akka. 1873: Bahá’u’lláh completes the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. 1892: Bahá’u’lláh dies at Bahjí; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá succeeds him. 1909: The Báb’s remains are laid in a shrine on Mount Carmel. 1911–1913: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá travels through Europe and North America. 1921: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá dies; Shoghi Effendi becomes Guardian. 1963: The first Universal House of Justice is elected. 1979: Iran’s revolution brings systematic persecution of Bahá’ís. Ancient Egypt c. 3000 BCE: Unification of Egypt; early kings buried at Abydos c. 2650 BCE: Imhotep builds Djoser’s step pyramid at Saqqara c. 2350 BCE: Pyramid Texts carved in the pyramid of King Unas c. 2050 BCE: Mentuhotep II reunites Egypt; Theban god Amun begins to rise c. 1550 BCE: New Kingdom begins; Karnak and the Valley of the Kings flourish c. 1353 BCE: Akhenaten begins his reign and promotes the Aten above all gods c. 1070 BCE: High priests of Amun rule southern Egypt from Thebes 332 BCE: Alexander the Great conquers Egypt and visits the oracle at Siwa 237 BCE: Ptolemy III begins the temple of Horus at Edfu 30 BCE: Egypt becomes a Roman province; emperors portrayed as pharaohs 394: Last known hieroglyphic inscription carved at Philae c. 535–537: Justinian’s officials close the temple of Isis at Philae Greek and Roman 776 BCE: First Olympic games held in honour of Zeus, by tradition 509 BCE: Temple of Jupiter on the Capitol dedicated, by tradition 447–432 BCE: Athenians build the Parthenon for Athena on the Acropolis 399 BCE: Socrates condemned in Athens on charges including impiety 323 BCE: Death of Alexander opens the Hellenistic age of ruler cults 204 BCE: Rome brings the Great Mother, Cybele, from Asia Minor 186 BCE: Roman Senate suppresses the Bacchic rites across Italy 12 BCE: Augustus becomes pontifex maximus, Rome’s chief priest 303: Diocletian launches the Great Persecution of Christians 361–363: Emperor Julian attempts to restore the traditional cults 391–392: Theodosius I bans sacrifice; the Serapeum of Alexandria destroyed 529: Justinian bars pagans from teaching in the empire Yoruba c. 1000: Ile-Ife grows into a large town and sacred centre 12th–15th century: Ife artists cast copper-alloy heads, probably of sacred kings 17th–18th century: Oyo empire at its height spreads the worship of Sango 1817: Afonja’s revolt at Ilorin begins the collapse of Oyo 1830s: Old Oyo abandoned; Yoruba wars feed the Atlantic slave trade 1842: Church Missionary Society begins work at Badagry 19th century: Santería forms in Cuba; first Candomblé houses founded in Bahia 1864: Samuel Ajayi Crowther becomes the first African Anglican bishop 1960s: Cuban exiles carry Santería to Miami and New York 1970: Oyotunji village founded in South Carolina by African-American devotees 1993: US Supreme Court upholds a Santería church’s right to animal offerings 2005: Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove named a UNESCO World Heritage site

Time is stretched so that recent centuries have room: each shaded band is one era. Select a dot to jump to the moment.

Before 1000 BCE

  1. c. 3000 BCE Unification of Egypt; early kings buried at Abydos Ancient Egyptian religion
  2. c. 2650 BCE Imhotep builds Djoser’s step pyramid at Saqqara Ancient Egyptian religion
  3. c. 2350 BCE Pyramid Texts carved in the pyramid of King Unas Ancient Egyptian religion
  4. c. 2050 BCE Mentuhotep II reunites Egypt; Theban god Amun begins to rise Ancient Egyptian religion
  5. c. 1550 BCE New Kingdom begins; Karnak and the Valley of the Kings flourish Ancient Egyptian religion
  6. c. 1500 BCE Vedic hymns composed in early Sanskrit in north-west India. Hinduism
  7. c. 1353 BCE Akhenaten begins his reign and promotes the Aten above all gods Ancient Egyptian religion
  8. c. 1070 BCE High priests of Amun rule southern Egypt from Thebes Ancient Egyptian religion

1000 BCE to the year 1

  1. c. 1000 BCE (disputed) Zarathustra composes the Gathas; proposed dates range from 1500 to 500 BCE. Zoroastrianism
  2. 776 BCE First Olympic games held in honour of Zeus, by tradition Greek and Roman religion
  3. 586 BCE Babylonians destroy the First Temple; many Judeans exiled to Babylon. Judaism
  4. traditionally 527 BCE Mahavira attains liberation at Pavapuri; many scholars prefer about 425 BCE. Jainism
  5. c. 520 BCE Darius I invokes Ahura Mazda in his Behistun inscription. Zoroastrianism
  6. 509 BCE Temple of Jupiter on the Capitol dedicated, by tradition Greek and Roman religion
  7. 479 BCE Confucius dies in the state of Lu. Confucianism
  8. 447–432 BCE Athenians build the Parthenon for Athena on the Acropolis Greek and Roman religion
  9. c. 400 BCE The Buddha dies at Kushinagar, by many modern estimates. Buddhism
  10. 399 BCE Socrates condemned in Athens on charges including impiety Greek and Roman religion
  11. 332 BCE Alexander the Great conquers Egypt and visits the oracle at Siwa Ancient Egyptian religion
  12. 330 BCE Alexander the Great conquers Persia and burns Persepolis. Zoroastrianism
  13. 323 BCE Death of Alexander opens the Hellenistic age of ruler cults Greek and Roman religion
  14. 4th century BCE Mencius teaches that human nature is good. Confucianism
  15. c. 300 BCE Bhadrabahu, tradition says, leads monks south to Karnataka during a famine. Jainism
  16. c. 260 BCE Ashoka turns to the Dharma after his bloody conquest of Kalinga. Buddhism
  17. 3rd century BCE Mahinda, traditionally Ashoka’s son, brings Buddhism to Sri Lanka. Buddhism
  18. 237 BCE Ptolemy III begins the temple of Horus at Edfu Ancient Egyptian religion
  19. 213 BCE Qin burning of the books, by traditional account. Confucianism
  20. 204 BCE Rome brings the Great Mother, Cybele, from Asia Minor Greek and Roman religion
  21. 186 BCE Roman Senate suppresses the Bacchic rites across Italy Greek and Roman religion
  22. 2nd–1st century BCE King Kharavela of Kalinga records support for Jain monks at Udayagiri. Jainism
  23. 136 BCE Han emperor Wu appoints official scholars of the Five Classics. Confucianism
  24. 30 BCE Egypt becomes a Roman province; emperors portrayed as pharaohs Ancient Egyptian religion
  25. 12 BCE Augustus becomes pontifex maximus, Rome’s chief priest Greek and Roman religion

The first millennium

  1. c. 30 CE Jesus is crucified in Jerusalem under Pontius Pilate. Christianity
  2. traditionally 68 CE White Horse Temple founded at Luoyang, China’s first Buddhist temple. Buddhism
  3. 70 CE Romans destroy the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Judaism
  4. 132–135 Bar Kokhba revolt crushed; Jews barred from Jerusalem. Judaism
  5. 184 Yellow Turban rebellion, inspired by a Great Peace movement, shakes the Han dynasty Daoism
  6. c. 200 Judah ha-Nasi edits the Mishnah in Galilee. Judaism
  7. 215 Zhang Lu, leader of the Celestial Masters, submits to Cao Cao Daoism
  8. 224 CE Ardashir I founds the Sasanian empire, which makes Zoroastrianism the state religion. Zoroastrianism
  9. 303 Diocletian launches the Great Persecution of Christians Greek and Roman religion
  10. 313 Constantine and Licinius grant Christians freedom of worship. Christianity
  11. c. 320 CE Gupta dynasty rises; Puranic worship and stone temples flourish. Hinduism
  12. 325 Council of Nicaea condemns Arius and adopts the Nicene Creed. Christianity
  13. 361–363 Emperor Julian attempts to restore the traditional cults Greek and Roman religion
  14. 364–370 Yang Xi receives the Shangqing revelations on Mount Mao Daoism
  15. 391–392 Theodosius I bans sacrifice; the Serapeum of Alexandria destroyed Greek and Roman religion
  16. 394 Last known hieroglyphic inscription carved at Philae Ancient Egyptian religion
  17. 451 Council of Chalcedon defines Christ as one person in two natures. Christianity
  18. 453 or 466 CE Council of Valabhi writes down the Shvetambara canon. Jainism
  19. 471 Lu Xiujing catalogues Daoist scriptures in the “three caverns” Daoism
  20. 529 Justinian bars pagans from teaching in the empire Greek and Roman religion
  21. c. 535–537 Justinian’s officials close the temple of Isis at Philae Ancient Egyptian religion
  22. 538 or 552 Buddhism reaches Japan from the Korean kingdom of Baekje. Buddhism
  23. 7th century Sui and Tang dynasties develop examinations based on the classics. Confucianism
  24. 610 Muslims believe the first revelation comes to Muhammad on Mount Hira. Islam
  25. 618–907 Tang emperors claim Laozi as ancestor and patronise Daoism Daoism
  26. 622 The hijra: Muhammad and his followers move from Mecca to Medina. Islam
  27. 632 Death of Muhammad; Abu Bakr becomes the first caliph. Islam
  28. 651 Death of Yazdegerd III, last Sasanian king, after the Arab conquest. Zoroastrianism
  29. 661 Ali is killed; Mu‘awiya founds the Umayyad caliphate in Damascus. Islam
  30. 680 Husayn, son of Ali, is killed at Karbala. Islam
  31. 690 First periodic rebuilding of the Ise shrine, by tradition, under Empress Jito Shinto
  32. 701 Taiho Code establishes the Jingikan, the Council of Kami Affairs Shinto
  33. 712–720 Kojiki and Nihon Shoki record the myths of the kami Shinto
  34. 762 The Abbasid caliph al-Mansur founds Baghdad. Islam
  35. c. 779 Samye, Tibet’s first monastery, founded under King Trisong Detsen. Buddhism
  36. 8th century Shankara, by traditional dating, teaches Advaita Vedanta. Hinduism
  37. 800 Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne emperor in Rome. Christianity
  38. 845 Emperor Wuzong of Tang closes thousands of monasteries across China. Buddhism
  39. 8th–10th century Zoroastrians from Iran settle at Sanjan in Gujarat, by Parsi tradition. Zoroastrianism
  40. 9th–10th century Priests compile the Pahlavi books, including the Denkard and Bundahishn. Zoroastrianism
  41. 927 Engishiki lists nearly 3,000 shrines receiving state offerings Shinto
  42. 969 The Ismaili Fatimid dynasty founds Cairo. Islam
  43. c. 981 Chavundaraya raises the colossal Bahubali statue at Shravanabelagola. Jainism
  44. 988 Prince Vladimir of Kyiv is baptised; Rus adopts Christianity. Christianity
  45. c. 1000 Ile-Ife grows into a large town and sacred centre Yoruba religion

1000 to 1500

  1. 1010 Rajaraja I completes the Brihadishvara temple at Thanjavur. Hinduism
  2. 1031 Vimala Shah builds the first Dilwara temple at Mount Abu. Jainism
  3. 1054 Mutual excommunications divide the churches of Rome and Constantinople. Christianity
  4. 1070 Temple of Literature founded in Thang Long, today’s Hanoi. Confucianism
  5. 1096 First Crusade: massacres of Jews in Speyer, Worms and Mainz. Judaism
  6. 1100–1126 Emperor Huizong of the Song sponsors the first printed Daoist canon Daoism
  7. 12th century Khmer king Suryavarman II builds Angkor Wat, dedicated to Vishnu. Hinduism
  8. 12th century Hemachandra advises King Kumarapala of Gujarat, a patron of Jainism. Jainism
  9. 1167 Wang Chongyang founds the Quanzhen order in northern China Daoism
  10. 1190 Zhu Xi publishes the Four Books with his commentaries. Confucianism
  11. c. 1190 Maimonides completes the Guide for the Perplexed in Egypt. Judaism
  12. c. 1200 Nalanda and other great Indian monasteries destroyed in Turkic raids. Buddhism
  13. 1204 Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople. Christianity
  14. 1222 Quanzhen master Qiu Chuji meets Genghis Khan in Central Asia Daoism
  15. 1258 Mongols sack Baghdad, ending the Abbasid caliphate there. Islam
  16. 1274 and 1281 Storms wreck Mongol invasion fleets, remembered as kamikaze, “divine winds” Shinto
  17. 1281 Kublai Khan orders Daoist books, except the Daodejing, burned Daoism
  18. 12th–15th century Ife artists cast copper-alloy heads, probably of sacred kings Yoruba religion
  19. 1313 Yuan dynasty makes Zhu Xi’s commentaries the examination standard. Confucianism
  20. 1336 Vijayanagara empire founded, a Hindu power in the south until 1565. Hinduism
  21. 1392 Joseon dynasty founded in Korea as a Neo-Confucian state. Confucianism
  22. 1412 Yongle emperor begins great temple building on Mount Wudang Daoism
  23. 1445 The Ming Daoist canon, the Daozang, is printed Daoism
  24. 1453 Ottoman sultan Mehmed II conquers Constantinople. Islam
  25. 1469 Guru Nanak born at Talwandi, today Nankana Sahib in Pakistan. Sikhism
  26. late 15th century Yoshida Kanetomo founds Yoshida Shinto, asserting the kami’s primacy Shinto
  27. 1492 Jews expelled from Spain; many settle in the Ottoman Empire. Judaism

1500 to 1800

  1. 1501 Shah Ismail I makes Twelver Shia Islam Iran’s state religion. Islam
  2. 1517 Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses begin the Reformation. Christianity
  3. 1545–1563 Council of Trent shapes Catholic teaching and reform. Christianity
  4. 1565 Joseph Karo’s Shulchan Aruch, the standard law code, first printed. Judaism
  5. c. 1574 Tulsidas begins the Ramcharitmanas, retelling the story of Rama. Hinduism
  6. 1580s Hiravijaya Suri persuades Akbar to restrict animal slaughter on holy days. Jainism
  7. 1642 The fifth Dalai Lama becomes ruler of Tibet with Mongol support. Buddhism
  8. 17th–18th century Oyo empire at its height spreads the worship of Sango Yoruba religion
  9. 1699 Guru Gobind Singh founds the Khalsa at Anandpur. Sikhism
  10. 1716 Banda Singh Bahadur, leader of a Sikh uprising, executed in Delhi. Sikhism
  11. 18th century The Baal Shem Tov inspires Hasidism in Eastern Europe. Judaism
  12. 1742 The Iranshah sacred fire is enthroned at Udvada, Gujarat. Zoroastrianism
  13. 1760 Acharya Bhikshu founds the Terapanthi order, which rejects image worship. Jainism
  14. 1762 Ahmad Shah Durrani’s forces kill thousands of Sikhs in the Vadda Ghallughara. Sikhism
  15. 1798 Motoori Norinaga completes his great commentary on the Kojiki Shinto
  16. 1799 Ranjit Singh takes Lahore; proclaimed Maharaja of Punjab in 1801. Sikhism

1800 to today

  1. 1817 Afonja’s revolt at Ilorin begins the collapse of Oyo Yoruba religion
  2. 1828 Ram Mohan Roy founds the Brahmo Sabha in Calcutta. Hinduism
  3. 1830s Old Oyo abandoned; Yoruba wars feed the Atlantic slave trade Yoruba religion
  4. 1842 Church Missionary Society begins work at Badagry Yoruba religion
  5. 1844 The Báb declares his mission in Shiraz. Bahá’í
  6. 1849 British annex Punjab after the second Anglo-Sikh war. Sikhism
  7. 1850 The Báb is executed in Tabriz. Bahá’í
  8. 19th century Santería forms in Cuba; first Candomblé houses founded in Bahia Yoruba religion
  9. 1852 Bahá’u’lláh imprisoned in the Síyáh-Chál of Tehran, then exiled to Baghdad. Bahá’í
  10. 1854 Manekji Limji Hataria travels to Iran to aid its Zoroastrians. Zoroastrianism
  11. 1863 Bahá’u’lláh declares his mission in the Ridván garden, Baghdad. Bahá’í
  12. 1864 Samuel Ajayi Crowther becomes the first African Anglican bishop Yoruba religion
  13. 1868 Meiji government orders the separation of kami and buddhas Shinto
  14. 1868 Bahá’u’lláh is exiled to the prison city of Akka. Bahá’í
  15. 1869 Shrine later named Yasukuni founded in Tokyo for the war dead Shinto
  16. 1873 First Singh Sabha founded in Amritsar to renew Sikh learning. Sikhism
  17. 1873 Bahá’u’lláh completes the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Bahá’í
  18. 1875 Dayananda Saraswati founds the Arya Samaj in Bombay. Hinduism
  19. 1882 Qajar government abolishes the jizya on Iranian Zoroastrians. Zoroastrianism
  20. 1892 Dadabhai Naoroji, a Parsi, elected to the British House of Commons. Zoroastrianism
  21. 1892 Bahá’u’lláh dies at Bahjí; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá succeeds him. Bahá’í
  22. 1893 Vivekananda addresses the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Hinduism
  23. 1893 Virchand Gandhi represents Jainism at the World’s Parliament of Religions. Jainism
  24. 1897 Theodor Herzl convenes the First Zionist Congress in Basel. Judaism
  25. 1905 The Qing government abolishes the imperial examinations. Confucianism
  26. 1906 Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles spreads Pentecostalism. Christianity
  27. 1909 The Báb’s remains are laid in a shrine on Mount Carmel. Bahá’í
  28. 1911–1913 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá travels through Europe and North America. Bahá’í
  29. 1919 May Fourth Movement attacks Confucian tradition. Confucianism
  30. 1920 Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee formed to manage historic gurdwaras. Sikhism
  31. 1921 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá dies; Shoghi Effendi becomes Guardian. Bahá’í
  32. 1924 The Turkish Republic abolishes the Ottoman caliphate. Islam
  33. 1941–1945 Holocaust: about six million Jews murdered by Nazi Germany and collaborators. Judaism
  34. 1945 Shinto Directive of 15 December ends State Shinto Shinto
  35. 1946 Emperor renounces divinity; Association of Shinto Shrines founded Shinto
  36. 1947 Partition divides Punjab; Sikhs of the western half flee to India. Sikhism
  37. 1948 The State of Israel is founded. Judaism
  38. 1950 India’s constitution abolishes untouchability and guarantees freedom of religion. Hinduism
  39. 1956 B. R. Ambedkar and hundreds of thousands of Dalits convert at Nagpur. Buddhism
  40. 1959 The fourteenth Dalai Lama flees Tibet for exile in India. Buddhism
  41. 1960s Cuban exiles carry Santería to Miami and New York Yoruba religion
  42. 1962–1965 Second Vatican Council reforms Catholic worship and relations with others. Christianity
  43. 1963 The first Universal House of Justice is elected. Bahá’í
  44. 1966–1976 Cultural Revolution closes temples; revival follows from the late 1970s Daoism
  45. 1970 Oyotunji village founded in South Carolina by African-American devotees Yoruba religion
  46. 1973–1974 Campaign to “Criticise Lin Biao, Criticise Confucius”. Confucianism
  47. 1979 Islamic Republic’s constitution recognises Zoroastrians and reserves them a parliamentary seat. Zoroastrianism
  48. 1979 Revolution in Iran establishes an Islamic republic. Islam
  49. 1979 Iran’s revolution brings systematic persecution of Bahá’ís. Bahá’í
  50. 1984 Operation Blue Star at the Golden Temple; anti-Sikh riots follow in Delhi. Sikhism
  51. 1993 US Supreme Court upholds a Santería church’s right to animal offerings Yoruba religion
  52. 2005 Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove named a UNESCO World Heritage site Yoruba religion
  53. 2013 Ise shrine rebuilt for the 62nd time Shinto
  54. 2014 India’s government recognises Jains as a national religious minority. Jainism
  55. 2019 Kartarpur Corridor opens visa-free access to Guru Nanak’s last home. Sikhism
  56. 2024 Ram temple consecrated at Ayodhya, where the Babri Masjid stood until 1992. Hinduism

Four thousand years of sacred building

Drawn to scale in time: the gaps between monuments are as long as the centuries between them.

3000 BCE2000 BCE1000 BCE1 CE1000 CE StonehengeZiggurat of UrParthenonHagia SophiaChartres begun c. 3000 BCEc. 2100 BCE447–432 BCE537 CEfrom 1194