Century
6th Century BCE
What happened in the 6th Century BCE.
PoliticsRise of the Sixteen Mahajanapadasc. 600 BCE · Gangetic Plain (modern Uttar Pradesh/India)Sixteen great kingdoms and republics emerge across the Gangetic plain, marking the transition from tribal chiefdoms to state-level societies.
medicineRitual Bloodletting as Medical and Religious Practice in Mayac. 600 BCE · Tikal, GuatemalaMaya elites use stingray spines and obsidian for ritual bloodletting to commune with gods.
medicineSushruta Samhita: Foundation of Indian Surgery and Anatomyc. 600 BCE · Varanasi, IndiaSushruta documents advanced surgical techniques including rhinoplasty and cataract surgery.
WarBabylonian Destruction of Jerusalem and First Templec. 586 BCE · Jerusalem, Judea (Israel/Palestine)Nebuchadnezzar II destroys Jerusalem and the First Temple, exiling the Jewish population.
PoliticsEmperor Wen Unifies China and Founding of Sui Dynasty581 CE · Chang'an, ChinaYang Jian usurps the Northern Zhou throne, ending centuries of division and establishing the Sui Dynasty.
PoliticsCyrus the Great Issues the Cyrus Cylinderc. 539 BCE · Babylon, Mesopotamia (Iraq)Cyrus the Great proclaims a policy of religious tolerance and human rights upon conquering Babylon.
ReligionBuddha Attains Enlightenmentc. 528 BCE · Bodh Gaya, IndiaSiddhartha Gautama achieves nirvana under the Bodhi tree founding Buddhism.
WarAksumite Naval Expedition Against Himyarc. 520 CE · Red Sea Coast near AksumKing Kaleb of Aksum dispatches a fleet to defeat the Jewish Himyarite king in Yemen.
PoliticsExpulsion of Tarquinius Superbus from Romec. 509 BCE · Rome, Latium (Italy)The Roman monarchy is overthrown, leading to the establishment of the Republic.