Shivaji is crowned Chhatrapati at Raigad, formalising the Maratha state in opposition to the Mughal Empire.
Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru, establishes the Khalsa, the community of initiated Sikhs.
The death of Aurangzeb, under whom the Mughal Empire reached its greatest extent, begins the empire's rapid decline.
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan builds the Taj Mahal at Agra in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal; it becomes the emblem of Mughal architecture.
Nader Shah of Persia defeats the Mughals at Karnal and sacks Delhi, carrying off treasures including the Peacock Throne.
Queen Elizabeth I grants a royal charter to the East India Company, which later comes to rule much of the Indian subcontinent.
A global conflict among the European powers fought in Europe, North America and India; Britain gains colonial supremacy and Prussia confirms its great-power status.