Category: History

Arya Samaj,founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati on April 10, 1875 in Bombay (now Mumbai), is a social reform movement. Contrary to some misconceptions, it is not a religion or a new sect in Hindu religion. Swami Dayanand brought together a Read More …

Pre congress association were formed in 19th century. The political associations in the early half of the nineteenth century were dominated by wealthy and aristocratic elements and the The political associations of the second half of the nineteenth century came Read More …

The ‘Alipore Bomb Case’ was “the first state trial of any magnitude in India”. The British Government arrested Sri Aurobindo, a prominent Nationalist Leader at the time, Barindra Ghose, and many young revolutionaries. They were charged with “Conspiracy” or “waging Read More …

The Tebhaga movement is probably the greatest peasant movement in the history of India.  It was initiated in Bengal by the Kisan Sabha (peasants front of Communist Party of India) in 1946-1947. The Tebhaga movement was a movement of the share croppers of Bengal demanding two-thirds instead of half Read More …

The All India States Peoples’ Conference (AISPC) was a conglomeration of political movements in the princely states of the British Raj, which were variously called PrajaMandals or Lok Parishads. The first session of the organisation was held in Bombay in December 1927. The Conference looked to the Indian National Congress for support, Read More …

The glory of the Pallavas still remains in their contribution to the art and architecture. They were the pioneers of South Indian art and architecture. They had introduced the stone architecture in the Tamil country. Their contributions are still extant Read More …

Features are as follows: Sculptures have an ordered appearance with little effect of crowding. They are depicted in three-dimensional forms. Delicate ornamentations. Back slabs of the sculptures are detailed. Nalanda bronzes: dating from 7th and 8th centuries to the 12th Read More …

Mahatma Gandhi’s first Satyagraha in India is being marked this April. It was undertaken in the erstwhile undivided Champaran district in northern Bihar. He went there in April, 1917 on learning about the abuses suffered by the cultivators of the Read More …

Two-hundred years ago in 1817, a valiant uprising of soldiers led by BuxiJagabandhu (Bidyadhar Mohapatra) took place in Khurda of Odisha. This is known as Paika rebellion.The Paikas were the traditional land-owning militia of Odisha and served as warriors. When Read More …

Between the 6th and 4th century BCE, Magadha became the most important mahajanapada. The possible reasons could be: It was a region which was highly productive and hence surplus production was suitable for maintaining huge army. Magadha had huge resource Read More …

JOTIRAO GOVINDRAO PHULE occupies a unique position among the social reformers of Maharashtra in the nineteenth century. While other reformers concentrated more on reforming the social institutions of family and marriage with special emphasis on the status and right of Read More …

The Balfour Declaration was a letter written by British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Lionel Walter Rothschild, in which he expressed the British government’s support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The long-term effects of the Balfour Declaration, and the Read More …

The 1919 Amritsar massacre, known alternatively as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre after the Jallianwala Bagh (Garden) in the northern Indian city of Amritsar, was ordered by General R.E.H. Dyer. On Sunday April 13, 1919, which happened to be ‘Baisakhi’, one Read More …

a) Ijara:  the Ijarahsystem or revenue farming was introduced to boost up the state’s revenue in Bengal in the reign of Jahandar Shah (1712–13), who was supported by nobel Zulfiqar Khan.Under this system, when peasant did not have resources available for Read More …

Ibadatkhana: The IbadatKhana or House of Worship was a prayer or a meeting room built by Akbar at his palace in Fatehpur Sikri. Originally he intended the place to be only for Sunni Muslims to gather and discuss various issues. Read More …

Diwani-i-WIzarat:It was the finance department headed by the wazir (Prime-minister). Naib wazir acted as deputy to wazir. The wazir was assisted by the mushrif-i-mamalik, (accountant) who maintained a record of the accounts and the mustauf-i-mamalik (auditor) who audited this account. Read More …

Din-i-illahi:     Din-i-IIahi proclaimed by Akbar was an order or people with a motto of peace with all (sulehkull), rather than as an eclectic religion. Akbar’s Hindu nobles preferred to remain aloof, with only Birbal consenting to become a member. Read More …

The Battle of Saragarhi occurred on 12 September 1897 and was fought between 10,000 Orakzai and Afghan tribesmen and just 21 soldiers of the 4th Battalion of the British India’s Sikh Regiment.All 21 Sikhs chose to defend their army post, Read More …

The Vellore Mutiny predated the Indian Revolt of 1857 by about 50 years. It erupted on 10th July 1806 in Vellore, present-day Tamil Nadu, and lasted only for a day, but it was brutal and shook the British East India Company. Read More …

The Komagata Maru incident is about a Japanese steamship called  ‘Komagata Maru’ that voyaged from Hong Kong (part of British Empire) to Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada passing through Shanghai, China to Yokohama (Japan) in the year 1914, carrying 376 Read More …

The Akali Movement also known as Gurdwara Reform Movement came into full swing from the early 1920’s. Its aim was to bring reform in the working and management of Sikh Gurdwaras.The Akali Movement was created to free the Sikhs historic Read More …

Named after One of the most prominent religious figures of India during the nineteenth century, Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa was a mystic and a yogi who translated complex spiritual concepts into lucid and easily intelligible manner. He pursued the Divine throughout Read More …

The characteristics of Peasant movement were: Movements were localised in character and did not leave and successor. The revolts were against the zamindars and money lenders. Unlike Tribal uprising the movements were not against the British colonialism and their exploitative Read More …

Vaikom Satyagraha was a movement in Travancore (modern-day Kerala) for temple entry of the depressed classes. It took place near the Shiva Temple at Vaikom, Kottayam district, Kerala during 1924-25. Vaikom was at that time a part of the princely Read More …

This fiery female leader in Indian freedom struggle gets often compared with Rani Laxmibai for her courageous acts during the days of freedom fighting.  At a tender age of 16, she began a movement against the British imperialism demanding end Read More …

Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) was a revolutionary organisation, also known as Hindustan Socialist Republican Army established in the year 1928 at Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi by Chandrasekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and other group members. Previously,it was known Read More …

Anglo-French were two major contenders of power during 18th century. Both nation tried to achieve supremacy over other. The major effect of Anglo-french rivalry were: Three Carnatic war were fought. Subsidiary alliance at nascent stage was started. Respective power started Read More …

The important outcome of the Battle of Buxar was the Treaty of Allahabad signed on 16 August 1765 between Lord Clive and Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, who had submitted to the British in the battle. As per this treaty: Read More …

Project ‘Mausam’ is the initiative of Ministry of Culture to be implemented by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as the nodal agency with research support of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and National Museum as Read More …

: The policy of “DIVIDE AND RULE ” is a political tool to take advantage of the schism prevalent in the society and prolong the dominance over the people . It’s an age old idea having roots dating back to Read More …

Safety Valve theory: The INC was started under the official direction, guidance and advice of Lord Dufferin, the Viceroy, to provide a safe, mild, peaceful and constitutional outlet or safety valve for the rising discontent among the masses, which was Read More …

Britishers rule was draining the economic resources from India but to unification of the country required administrative and economic unity. The by product of this policy was rise of nationalism and collective identity finding coherence in the form of national Read More …

  Congress started commanding the support and sympathy of vast sections of the Indian people. Millions of Indians became politically involved. Women were drawn into the movement. c)Muslims participated heavily and communal unity was maintained. d)Strengthened the national movement. Nationalist Read More …

Sardar‘s greatest role in the integration of states was his able handling of the Hyderabad crisis. Most of the states acceded to India, Hyderabad was a landlocked state that stretched over 82,000 square miles (over 212,000 square kilometres) in southeastern Read More …

:  The Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy devised by Lord Dalhousie, who was the Governor General of India between 1848 and 1856. There was a widespread custom of adoption among the Indian kings to secure an heir in Read More …

Ramanuja: Born in A.D. 1166 in a small town near Chenni (Madras), Ramanuja was a worshipper of Vishnu and preached Vaishnavism. He had a great following in the South. Ramananda: The greatest preacher of this cult in north India was Read More …

Ramanuja: Born in A.D. 1166 in a small town near Chenni (Madras), Ramanuja was a worshipper of Vishnu and preached Vaishnavism. He had a great following in the South. Ramananda: The greatest preacher of this cult in north India was Read More …

Rig Vedic economy was primarily pastoral. They domesticated Pashu (which included cattle, horse and even human beings), as opposed to Mriga, i.e. wild animals. Cattle was synonymous with wealth and a wealthy person was called Gomat. Cattle was so important Read More …

:  It was not just the fact that they built magnificent temples or made exquisite idols, the Cholas also came up with an excellent system of governance and administration. While it was a monarchy, like most other kingdoms of that Read More …

  He banned forced conversion in 1562. He abolished pilgrim tax on Hindus. Jaziya was also abolished which usede to be levy on non muslims. Akbar constructed Ibadatkhana at FatehpurSikri for religious discourses and discussions to be conducted every Thursday. Read More …

Akbar and his successors brought revolutionary changes to painting and sensual illustrations. From this period book illumination or individual miniatures replaced wall painting as the most vital form of art. Emperor Akbar patronised artists from Kashmir and Gujarat; Humayun brought Read More …

Saint Kabir mystic poet & saint was brought up in Muslim weaver family.He spreaded his spiritual message in simple words . He opposed hypocrisy,superstition,caste system.Teachings of Kabir were also mentioned in books of Sikh religion.   Following are the teachings of Saint Kabir: Anti Read More …

There is a remarkable similarities between bhakti movement and sufism. This is reflected in the socio-religious life of the then era. Major similarities between bhakti movement and sufism are as follows: Element of tolerance is the basic constituent of both Read More …

Cholas were great patron of art and architecture. Brihadeshwar temple and bronze sculpture of Nataraj are testimony to that. Cholas built many temples throughout their kingdoms. For example temple at Narthamalai, kumbakonam, etc. The major features of Chola art and Read More …

:   The Vedas are considered the earliest literary record of the Indo-Aryan Civilisation. It is the most sacred scriptures of India. They were meant to be mantras in praise of various Aryan Gods. The word vedas means wisdom, knowledge or Read More …

    Achievements in the field of Science and Tech:   Physics- They knew the existence of atoms and molecules even before the Greeks. Vaiseshika School elaborated the atomic theory.Brahamagupta anticipated Newton‘s theory of gravitation by declaring that –‘All things fall Read More …

  Commercialisation of Indian agriculture. Changed the nature and structure of agriculture A new class of landlords emerged that rented the land to farmers. Class of Moneylenders became the part of agriculture which destroyed the self sustained village unit. Loss Read More …

Lord Cornwallis is usually known as the Father of civil services in India. He had introduced the Covenanted Civil Services and the Uncovenanted Civil Services. The Covenanted Civil Services was created out of the Law of the Company. It was Read More …

  i) Realisation that the true nature of British rule was exploitative, and the government, instead of conceding more, was taking away even what existed. ii) Growth of self- confidence and self- respect. iii) Impact of growth of education- increase Read More …

Direct Action Day (1946) Direct Action Day hartal called by the Muslim League on August 16, 1946 to get rid of ‘British slavery and contemplated future caste-Hindu domination’. The  backdrop of the Direct Action Day was not only the Muslim Read More …