Visual Histories

ImpactMojo Timelines

Curated, citation-backed timelines tracing how development thinking, policy, methods, climate action, and rights frameworks have evolved, with each node linking to deeper ImpactMojo content for further study.

6

Live timelines

113

Total nodes

44

Eras covered

What these are

Each timeline is a hand-curated, chronologically-ordered map of one field, curated by hand rather than copied from a wiki. Every node carries: the original argument, why it mattered, the critique that came after, and links to where you can study the idea further on ImpactMojo (the 101 Series, Reading Companions, Deep Dives, Handouts).

What they aren’t

Not a substitute for primary sources. Each node cites the canonical text and its key critics. Use these as orientation maps before diving into a 101 deck or BookSummary, or as a way to see how the ideas in a single book/paper sit in a longer intellectual lineage.

Available timelines

Development Thinking, 1776–Today

From Adam Smith and Marx through Truman’s “underdeveloped,” Lewis & Rostow’s modernisation, Prebisch–Singer dependency, Sen’s capabilities, the Washington Consensus, the RCT turn, SDGs, degrowth, and the polycrisis frame.

25 nodes 7 eras ~250 years

Indian Policy & Welfare State

Constitution & Five-Year Plans through Mahalanobis, bank nationalisation, Mandal, 1991 reforms, MGNREGS, FRA, RTI, RTE, NFSA, JAM stack, GST, NEP, the caste census debate.

15 nodes 7 eras ~80 years

MEL & Research Methods

USAID logframe (1969) through DAC criteria, ToC, RCT/J-PAL, MSC & Outcome Harvesting, PDIA & adaptive learning, COVID-era remote MEL, AI & decolonial evaluation.

18 nodes 6 eras ~55 years

Climate Policy & Justice

Stockholm 1972 through Limits to Growth, Brundtland, Rio, Kyoto, Copenhagen, Paris, Greta’s strike, IPCC AR6, COP27 Loss & Damage Fund, COP28 Dubai.

17 nodes 6 eras ~52 years

Indian Rights & Social Margins

From the Constitution’s anti-discrimination articles through Mandal, 73rd/74th, SC/ST PoA, NALSA third gender, Section 377 read-down, RPWD, Trans Persons Act, CAA, marriage equality (Supriyo 2023), Davinder Singh sub-categorisation 2024.

18 nodes 6 eras ~75 years

Gender & Work in India

Karachi Resolution and the Maternity Benefit Act through Towards Equality, SEWA & Shram Shakti, Vishaka, MGNREGA’s equal wages, the POSH Act, the falling-FLFPR puzzle, labour codes, platform work, and the disputed post-2020 revival.

18 nodes 6 eras ~94 years