What came first - The Ramayana or the Mahabharata?

(The dating in the article is approximate and rounded for ease of understanding.)

Everything relies upon what answer you are set up to get, for the appropriate response is convoluted and buried in political issues. There are basically two sorts of answers: religious answer (myths or faith- based) or reality-based answer (facts or truth-based). Religious answer acknowledges as unadulterated truth what is transmitted in writings and by educators without basic examination; it makes individuals vociferously certain. Truth based answer is restricted by accessibility of quantifiable and irrefutable proof; it makes individuals wary and dicey.

Presently the Vedic songs are written in a Sanskrit called Vedic Sanskrit while the most established Ramayana and Mahabharata writings we have are written in a Sanskrit called Classical Sanskrit. The last uses a punctuation initially archived by Panini who lived 2,500 years prior. So the most established forms of Ramayana and Mahabharata that we have today are under 2,500 years prior, however they could be portraying occasions that happened numerous hundred years before that.

We can be genuinely certain that the two legends arrived at their last account structure 2,000 years back, and that they reflect occasions that happened 3,000 years prior. Anything before that involves a matter of faith.

Hindus accept that time is repetitive or cyclical. These occasions repeat in each cycle (kalpa). Each cycle has four stages (yuga), Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga. Between each cycle there is pralaya (apocalypse) when all issue is broken up and the main memory that endures is the Vedas.

Hindus believe that Ramayana happens in the second (Treta yug), and Mahabharata in the third (Dvapara Yug). That means Ramayana happened well before Mahabharata.

Ramayana is story of Ram son of King Dashratha and who is seventh incarnation (avataar) of Lord Vishnu whereas Mahabharat contains moments of Krishna's life who is son of Vasudev and who is eightth incarnation (avataar) of Lord Vishnu so clearly Ramayana happened before Mahabharat.

Some of the characters like Jambavana and Shri Hanuman are referred to in Mahabharata with their Ramayana backdrop. Even Shri ParashuRama is also referred who is said to born even before Ramayana.

During discourse of Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, Lord Krishna refers himself as Shri Rama as below:

Bhagwad Gita 10.31

पवन: पवतामस्मि राम: शस्त्रभृतामहम् ।

झषाणां मकरश्चास्मि स्रोतसामस्मि जाह्नवी ॥ ३१ ॥

Of purifiers I am the wind, of the wielders of weapons I am Rāma, of fishes I am the shark, and of flowing rivers I am the Ganges.

Now "Parashu Rama" is also referred as "Rama" at many places in Mahabharata, however in this particular case I believe wielder of weapon is emphasizing on Kshatriya ability and hence it's more likely to be Shri Rama.

According to archaeology research, many experts believe that Ramayana happened approximately 7000-7500 years ago. (Referring to Ram setu). But it could be few more thousands year earlier as well.

Regarding Mahabharata majority of the people believe it to be happened nearly 5000 years ago. There is also a research on ancient Dwarka city's remains under water.