India Map 1956 CE — Historical Map & Timeline

Who ruled India in 1956 CE?

In 1956 CE, power in the subcontinent was shared among 2 major states and dynasties. Dates are conventional estimates.

• Republic of India
  Union of India: 28 states and 8 union territories today. Independent from 15 August 1947; a republic since 26 January 1950. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — India · Read: Independence and Partition, 1947
• Portuguese India (Goa, Daman and Diu)
  Goa and coastal enclaves. Goa was taken in 1510 and remained Portuguese until 1961. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Goa

What happened in India around 1956 CE?

• 1951–52: Universal suffrage begins at extraordinary scale. India’s first general election put constitutional universal adult suffrage into practice on an extraordinary scale despite widespread poverty and limited literacy. Election administration has since become one of the world’s largest recurring democratic exercises. Source: Election Commission of India: First General Election
• 1952 CE: First general election concludes
• 1 Oct 1953: Andhra State establishes a linguistic-state precedent. The Andhra State Act created Andhra from Telugu-speaking districts of Madras State on 1 October 1953. The change followed sustained political mobilisation and became an important precedent for the wider linguistic reorganisation of India’s internal boundaries. Source: India Code: Andhra State Act, 1953
• 1 Nov 1956: Linguistic reorganisation redraws much of the Union. The States Reorganisation Act took territorial effect on 1 November 1956, creating Kerala and extensively reconstituting states including Mysore, Madhya Pradesh and Bombay. It was a major, but not final, stage in adapting the Union’s boundaries to linguistic and administrative demands. Source: India Code: States Reorganisation Act, 1956
• 19 Dec 1961: Portuguese rule ends in Goa, Daman and Diu. Indian armed forces carried out Operation Vijay in December 1961, ending Portuguese control and bringing Goa, Daman and Diu into the Indian Union. The territories initially formed a Union Territory; Goa became a state only in 1987. Source: Government of Goa: Milestones of Goa
• 1962: INCOSPAR lays the foundation for India’s space programme. The Indian National Committee for Space Research was formed in 1962 under the Department of Atomic Energy. Its work preceded the establishment of ISRO and built the institutional base for launch, satellite and space-science programmes. Source: ISRO: Institutional timeline
• 1967: The Green Revolution transforms agricultural production. Introduced in 1967 with high-yielding wheat varieties and expanded irrigation led by scientist M.S. Swaminathan, the Green Revolution rapidly increased grain output, turning Punjab into India's breadbasket. Source: Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

Major Historical Milestones in 1956 CE

• 1956 CE: States are reorganised

Historical Events & Sourced Records (1956 CE)