Timeline and cultural period
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Westcoast
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Northwestern Sub-continent (West Punjab-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
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Indo-Gangetic Plain
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Central India Deccan Plateau
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Southern India
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Western Gangetic Plain (Kurukshetra)
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Northern India (Central Gangetic Plain)
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Northeastern India (Bengal)
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| South Asian Stone Age (until c. 3300 BCE)
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South Asian Stone Age (until c. 1100 BCE)
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| Culture
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Paleolithicum (until c. 10,000 BCE)
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| 70,000 - 10,000 BCE
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Sanghao Caves
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Bhimbetka rock shelters (30,000-15,000 BCE)
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| Culture
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Mesolithicum (c. 10,000-7,000 BCE)
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Mesolithicum (c. 10,000-3,000 BCE)
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| c. 10,000-7,000 BCE
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| Culture
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Neolithicum (c. 7000-3300 BCE)
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Mesolithicum (c. 10,000-3000 BCE)
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| c. 7,000-3,300 BCE
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Mehrgarh
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| BRONZE AGE (c. 3300-1100 BCE)
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NEOLITHIC (c. 3000-1400 BCE)
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| Culture
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Early Harappan
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| 3300-2600 BCE
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Early Harappan
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| Culture
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Integration Era
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| 2600-1900 BCE
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Indus Valley civilization
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Indus Valley civilization
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Indus Valley civilization
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| Culture
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Localisation Era/Late Harappan OCP/Cemetery H
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| 1900-1500 BCE
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Earliest known rice cultivation[a]
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| Culture
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Localisation Era/Late Harappan OCP • Cemetery H • Early Vedic period • Gandhara grave culture
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Megalithic (c. 1400-1100 BCE)
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| 1500-1300 BCE
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Indo-Aryan migration
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| 1300-1100 BCE
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Wandering Vedic Aryans
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| IRON AGE (c. 1100-300 BCE)
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| Culture
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Middle Vedic Period
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| Gandhara grave culture
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Black and red ware culture
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| 1100-800 BCE
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Vedic settlements Gandhara
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Vedic settlements Kuru
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| Culture
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Late Vedic Period
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| Gandhara grave culture
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(Brahmin ideology)[b] • early Upanishads • Painted Grey Ware culture
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(Kshatriya/Shramanic culture)[c] • Northern Black Polished Ware
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| 800-600 BCE
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Gandhara
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Kuru-Pancala
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Kosala-Videha
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| Culture
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Late Vedic Period Mahajanapada
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| Gandhara grave culture
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(Brahmin ideology)[d] • early Upanishads • Painted Grey Ware culture
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(Kshatriya/Shramanic culture)[e] • Northern Black Polished Ware
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| 6th century BCE
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Gandhara
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Kuru-Panchala
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Kosala Magadha Anga
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Adivasi (tribes)
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| Culture
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Persian-Greek influences
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"Second Urbanisation"
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| Later Upanishads
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Rise of Shramana movements Jainism - Buddhism - Ājīvika - Yoga Later Upanishads
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| 5th century BCE
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(Persian rule)
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Shishunaga dynasty
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Adivasi (tribes)
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| 4th century BCE
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(Greek conquests)
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Nanda empire
Kalinga
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| HISTORICAL AGE (after 300 BCE)
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| Culture
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Spread of Buddhism
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Pre-history
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Sangam period (300 BCE – 200 CE)
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| 3rd century BCE
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Maurya Empire
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Early Cholas Early Pandyan Kingdom Satavahana dynasty Cheras
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| Culture
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Preclassical Hinduism[f] - "Hindu Synthesis"[g] (c. 200 BCE-300 CE)[h][i] Epics - Puranas - Ramayana - Mahabharata - Bhagavad Gita - Brahma Sutras - Smarta Tradition Mahayana Buddhism
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Sangam period (continued) (300 BCE – 200 CE)
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| 2nd century BCE
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Indo-Greek Kingdom
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Shunga Empire
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Adivasi (tribes)
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Early Cholas Early Pandyan Kingdom Satavahana dynasty Cheras
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| 1st century BCE
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Yona
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Maha-Meghavahana Dynasty
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| 1st century CE
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Indo-Scythians Indo-Parthians
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Kuninda Kingdom
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| 2nd century
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Pahlava
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Varman dynasty
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| 3rd century
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Kushan Empire
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Western Satraps
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Kamarupa kingdom
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Kalabhra dynasty
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| Culture
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"Golden Age of Hinduism"(c. 320-650 CE)[j] Puranas Co-existence of Hinduism and Buddhism
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| 4th century
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Gupta Empire
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Kadamba Dynasty Western Ganga Dynasty
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| 5th century
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Vishnukundina
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| 6th century
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Maitraka
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Adivasi (tribes)
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| Culture
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Late-Classical Hinduism (c. 650-1100 CE)[k] Advaita Vedanta - Tantra Decline of Buddhism in India
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| 7th century
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Maitraka
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Indo-Sassanids
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Vakataka dynasty Empire of Harsha
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Mlechchha dynasty
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Adivasi (tribes)
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Pallava
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| 8th century
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Kidarite Kingdom
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Kalachuri
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| 9th century
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Indo-Hephthalites (Huna)
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Gurjara-Pratihara
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Chalukya
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| 10th century
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Pala dynasty Kamboja-Pala dynasty
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Rashtrakuta
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| Culture
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Islamic rule and "Sects of Hinduism" (c. 1100-1850 CE)[l] - Medieval and Late Puranic Period (500–1500 CE)[m]
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| 11th century
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Western Chalukyas
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(Islamic conquests) Kabul Shahi (Islamic Empire)
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Rajputs
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Pala Empire Paramara dynasty Chaulukya dynasty Eastern Ganga dynasty
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Sena dynasty
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Adivasi (tribes)
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Chola Empire Yadava dynasty Western Chalukyas Eastern Chalukyas Kakatiya dynasty Hoysala Empire
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| 12th century
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Western Chalukyas
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Rajputs
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Paramara dynasty Chaulukya dynasty Eastern Ganga dynasty
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Chola Empire Yadava dynasty Western Chalukyas Eastern Chalukyas Kakatiya dynasty Hoysala Empire
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| 13th century
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Delhi Sultanate
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Chola Empire
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| 14th century
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Delhi Sultanate
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Vijayanagara Empire
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| 15th century
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Delhi Sultanate
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| 16th century
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Mughal Empire
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| 17th century
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Mughal Empire
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Maratha Empire
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| Culture
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Maratha Empire and British Colonisation - Company rule in India
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| 18th century
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Maratha Empire
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Maratha Empire
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British
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Maratha Empire/British
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| Culture
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British Colonisation - British Raj
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| 19th century
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Sikh Empire
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| Culture
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British Raj - Independence struggle - Pakistan - India - Bangladesh
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| 20th century
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Pakistan
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India
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Bangladesh
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India
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| 21st century
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