History

Self-Respect Movement was a dynamic social movement aimed at destroying the contemporary Hindu social order in its totality and creating a new, rational society without caste, religion and god. Self-Respect Movement was started by E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker in Tamil Nadu in 1925. It was an egalitarian movement that propagated the ideologies of breaking down of the Brahminical hegemony, equal rights for the … Read more

Dvaita philosophy was put forward by Madhavacharya, a medieval India bhakti saint. He was a Vaishnavite whose soul aim was to disprove the theory of Maya or unreality of the world and establish the doctrine of Bhakti or love and faith on a secure basis. In contrast to Shankara’s Non-dualism and Ramanuja’s qualified Non-dualism, Madhavacharya … Read more

Permanent Settlement The Permanent Settlement or Zamindari Sysem was introduced by Lord Corniwallis in 1793. In Bengal, North Cauvery Delta in Madras Presidency and Varanasi division. It covered altogether 19% of the total cultivable land under company rule. Terms and Conditions of the System Zamindars were recognized as owner of the lands. Zamindars were given the … Read more

The accession of Asaf-Ud-Daula, the fourth Nawab, brought a great change in Awadh politics. He moved the court of Awadh from Faizabad to Lucknow in 1775. When the court moved to Lucknow, the kernel of the court, as if, shed its old husk and acquired a new one and the city largely grew in and around … Read more

Krishna Raja Wodeyar III was responsible for the cultural growth of the Mysore. Krishna Raja Wodeyar III was himself a writer, having written the books on Kannada Language like Sritattvanidhi and Sougandhikaparinaya. Krishna Raja Wodeyar III also has a number of writers in his court who together contributed to the development of modern prose in … Read more

Arts strengthen cultural values. Formal theatrical performances, sculptures, paintings, music and food festivals, paintings, folk tales, songs, novels, poems, martial arts and crafts groups, all these should be encouraged. To be kept alive, intangible cultural heritage must remain relevant to a culture and be regularly practiced and learned within communities and between generations. The issue … Read more

The Nanda Kings established a strong monarchy based on an efficient bureaucracy and a mighty army. The conquests made by the Nandas paved the way for the political unification of India under the Mauryas. The age of the Nanda Empire was significant also for the fact that it brought an end to the immemorial orthodox … Read more

Hiuen Tsang from China (629-645) One of the earliest and the most celebrated travelers to India, Hiuen Tsang came from China to India in search of Buddhist belief and practice. He has been described as the “prince of pilgrims” and his accounts carry a lot of information on the political, social and religious set up … Read more

After 2 centuries of Persian invasion, Alexander from Macedonia invaded India. Alexander conquered minor Asia along with Iraq & Iran and from Iran he marched into India Alexander conquered whole of Persia by defeating Darius 3 in battle of Arabela (330 BC). Herodotus, Father of history, wrote that fabulous wealth of India attracted Alexander & … Read more

Begar  a form of social labour without payment. Its origin goes back to the pre-money era when labour was viewed as an important item of exchange. The land of the king and his men and priests were cultivated by peasants in exchange of some tenurial rights in land granted by the king. When the state … Read more

The first big involvement of Jawaharlal Nehru came at the onset of the noncooperation movement in 1920. Nehru joined in whole-heartedly in this Satyagraha based movement that stormed India. Nehru was arrested on charges of anti governmental activities and was released a few months later. In the rift formed within the Congress following the sudden … Read more

The Montague-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 had brought a large scale discontentment among the people of India. The Non-Cooperation Movement launched by Gandhi had fanned the fire of this discontentment. In order to give some concession to Indians in the field of administration, the Government of India Act, 1935 was designed on the basis of the … Read more

Cabinet Mission which arrived on 24th March 1946 was mainly aimed at devolution of power from the British crown to India giving India independence under Dominion Status in the Commonwealth of Nations. On 28th January 1946, the Viceroy, announced in the legislative Assembly, his intention to establish a new executive council with political leaders and … Read more

Surya Sen decided to organise an armed rebellion along with his associates—Anant Singh, Gariesh Ghosh and Lokenath Baul to show that it was possible to challenge the armed might of the mighty British Empire. They had planned to occupy two main armouries in Chittagong to seize and supply arms to the revolutionaries to destroy telephone … Read more

The results of the Renaissance were far reaching. This gave birth to new literature, art and science.  The effect can be listed down as: A.              Social effect Improvement in the condition of women Decline in the moral standards. Growth of Individualism Development of Manners and etiquette B.               Cultural effect Development of Literature Development of fine … Read more

In 1854, Charles Wood prepared a despatch on an educational system for India. Considered the “Magna Carta of English Education in India”, this document was the first comprehensive plan for the spread of education in India. It asked the government of India to assume responsibility for education of the masses. It systematized the hierarchy from … Read more

The Khalistan movement is a Sikh nationalist movement that wants to create an independent state for Sikh people, via armed struggle or political, inside the current North- Western Republic of India Such a state existed in Punjab from 1709 to 1849. This Sikh Empire had its capital in Lahore, Pakistan. Most of historical Sikh empire … Read more

a) Chaitya: a Buddhist shrine or prayer hall with a Stupa at one end. In modern texts on Indian architecture, the term chaityagriha is often used to denote an assembly or prayer hall that houses a Stupa. Ex: Karle caves b) Vihar: The Viharas or monasteries were excavated near the chaityas for the residence of … Read more

The attitude of the British Government had also changed which now wanted to suppress every movement which will hamper its war image .As a result the quit India resolution was passed on 8th August and by 24 hours on 9 August Gandhi and all prominent leaders were arrested. Congress was declared an illegal party and … Read more

Cripps Mission was deputed by British parliament in early 1942 to contain the political crisis obtained in India. The mission was headed by Sir Stafford Cripps, a Cabinet Minister. Cripps, a radical member of the Labour Party and the then Leader of the House of Commons, was known as a strong supporter of Indian national … Read more

Persian Invasion (550 BC)-   Contemporary to reign of Bimbisara, Persian attacked N-W front of India & Magadha continued to rise in N-E & Central-north in India In N-W front of India, several small provinces like Kamboja, Gandhara & Madra did not have a political unity & continuously fought with each other Archaemadian ruler of … Read more

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, in a trend that had begun at the 18th, many thinkers in the Muslim world felt that Islam was going through a period of social decline, political weakness and economic disintegration, expressing itself in different regions where reform movements and schools, while taking into account spiritual and environmental differences … Read more

Principles of Arya Samaj: Acceptance of the Vedas as the only source of truth. Opposition to idol worship. Opposition to the theory of God-incarnation and religious pilgrimages. Recitation of the mantras of the Vedas and performance of ‘Havan’ and ‘Yajna’. Faith in female education. Opposition to child-marriage and polygamy. Propagation of Hindi and Sanskrit languages.

The Gupta Empire was observed as the classical age of Indian culture because of its legendary and artistic happenings. Some information on roles for leading women comes from the Kama Sutra, a manual about the many ways to acquire pleasure, a legitimate goal for Hindu men in the householder, or second stage, of their lives. … Read more

The Renaissance was a fervent period of European cultural, artistic, political and economic“rebirth” following the middle Ages. Generally described as taking place from the 14th centuryto the 17th century, the Renaissance promoted the rediscovery of classical philosophy,literature and art. The Causes of Renaissance are: Rise of Intellectualism. Reintroduction of classical works. The invention of the … Read more

a) Chaitya: a Buddhist shrine or prayer hall with a Stupa at one end. Inmodern texts on Indian architecture, the term chaityagriha is often usedto denote an assembly or prayer hall that houses a Stupa. Ex: Karle caves b) Vihar: The Viharas or monasteries were excavated near the chaityas for the residence of monks in … Read more

Persian language became widespread in the Mughal Empire by the timeof Akbar’s reign. Abul Fazl was a great scholar and historian of his period.He set a style of prose writing and it wasfollowed by many generations. Many historical works were written during this period. They include Ain-i-Akbari and Akabar Nama authored by Abul Fazl. The … Read more

The Renaissance was a fervent period of European cultural, artistic, political and economic“rebirth” following the middle Ages. Generally described as taking place from the 14th centuryto the 17th century, the Renaissance promoted the rediscovery of classical philosophy,literature and art. The Causes of Renaissance are: Rise of Intellectualism. Reintroduction of classical works. The invention of the … Read more

The most important cause of the downfall of the Mughal Empire was the religious policy of Aurangzeb. The Mughal state in the days of Akbar, Jahangir, and Shahjahan was basically a secular state. Its stability was essentially founded on the policy of non interference with the religious beliefs and customs of the people, fostering of … Read more

Bengal Nawab’s short-sightedness, negligence, ignorance and lack of contact with other world cost the state dearer.  They did not firmly put down the increasing tendency of the English. After 1707 EIC had started to use military force, or to threaten its use, to get its demands accepted. Nawabs were having the power to deal with … Read more

Lord Wellesley introduced subsidiary system at the end of the 18th century and it proved to be an effective tool and eventually Britishers were able to control India and it lead to the establishment of British empire in India.  The most important feature was the utilisation of native resources to strengthen Britishers establishment. It increased … Read more

Mahalwari system was introduced in 1833 during the period of William Bentick. Mahalwari system is the modified version of the Zamindari settlement The revenue settlement was to be made village by village or estate (mahal) by estate with landlords or heads of families who collectively claimed to be the landlords of the village or the … Read more

  Established in 1915, the Mahasabha (known previously as the Sarvadeshak Hindu Sabha) has been struggling to stay politically and socially relevant. Local forerunners to the Mahasabha had been sprouting across the country since the early decades of the 20th century when the All India Muslim League was formed in 1906 and the British announced … Read more

Eka Movement or Unity Movement is a peasant movement which surfaced in Hardoi, Bahraich and Sitapur during the end of 1921 by Madari Pasi, an offshoot of Non Cooperation Movement. The initial thrust was given by the leaders of Congress and Khilafat movement. The main reason for the movement was high rent, which was generally … Read more

The name Khajuraho is derived from its Sanskrit nomenclature ‘Kharjuravahaka’ which is the confluence of two Sanskrit words ‘Kharjur’ meaning date palm and ‘Vahaka’ meaning bearer. There are about 25 temples spread over an area of approximately 6 square Km. The temples are grouped into three categories depending on their orientation – the Western Group … Read more

Akbar’s policy (Akbar – Shah Jahan) After the mid-16th century, many Rajput rulers formed close relationships with the Mughal emperors and served them in different capacities It was due to the support of the Rajputs that Akbar was able to lay the foundations of the Mughal empire in India. Some Rajput nobles gave away their … Read more

Alauddin took steps to make administration rigid and sound along with conquering of kingdom. He banned the meddling of Ulemas and other religious leaders in the administration. He declared that the Sultan’s will is the law. To curb the audacious relatives and aristocrats he took few very important steps. For example: He banned drinking of alcohol in … Read more

Adhishsthana or the Base Platform – generally made of a solid block of granite laid out to hold the structure’s weight and also accentuate the temples upward thrust. Shringa or Central Tower – the whole temple structure is capped by an elevated structure that towers directly over the site where the deity is placed inside. … Read more

Bengal Nawabs underestimated the hidden power and potential of EIC. They failed to grasp the true intention of EIC.  Nawabs were having the power to deal with the Company’s threats, but they continued tounderestimate the EIC power.They failed to see that the English Company was no mere company of traders but was therepresentative of the … Read more

Indus Valley Civilization Indus valley civilization or Harappan civilization, the earliest known urban culture of the Indian subcontinent. The nuclear dates of the civilization appear to be about 2500–1700 BCE, though the southern sites may have lasted later into the 2nd millennium BCE. The civilization was first identified in 1921 at Harappa in the Punjab … Read more

None of the Indian powers rose to claim the heritage of the Grand Mughals for they were strong enough to destroy the Empire but not strong enough to unite it or to create anything new in its place. They could not create a new social order which could stand up to the new enemy from … Read more

Most of the invaders came from the north-western region, for them Panipat enroute to Delhi and positioned as a suitable battle field. Panipat is a plain, less sloped area and had less population. This geographical feature gave an advantage to the rulers to use tactical weapons and to employ sound war strategy. The area is … Read more

200 years of British rule had some positive developments too and they eventually led to the formation of Modern India. The positive developments are as follows: Economy: A well-developed railway network across India. Immediately after independence, India could setup heavy industries because of this reason. Telegraph and postal system – post offices till today form … Read more

The contribution of Mughals to the art of painting was remarkable. The foundation for the Mughal painting was laid by Humayun when he was staying in Persia. He brought with him two painters – Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdal Samad to India. These two painters became famous during Akbar’s reign. Akbar commissioned the illustrations of … Read more

As an answer to Lord Birkenhead’s challenge, an All Parties Conference met in February 1928and appointed a subcommittee under the chairmanship of Motilal Nehru to draft a. This was the first major attempt by the Indians to draft a constitutionalframework for the country. The committee included Tej Bahadur Sapru, Subhash Bose, M.S.Aney, Mangal Singh, Ali … Read more

From 1973 there was a sharp recession, growing unemployment,rampant inflation and scarcity of basic food. The oil crisis of the mid 70’s had also contributed to the crisis and all of these developments together led to riots and large-scale unrest and strikes and erosion of support for the Congress from the poor and the middle … Read more

The Congress was on the brink of split. The 1907 session was to be held at Nagpur. But Nagpurwas the stronghold of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The moderates were aware that the local delegateswould raise the issues in favor of the extremists. So, Gopal Krishna Gokhle got the venuechanged and the new venue was Surat which … 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 India. While 87% of its 17 million people were Hindu, its ruler Nizam Osman Ali … Read more

The group comprised of Kalidasa Vetala Bhatta Varahamihira Vararuchi Amarasimha Dhanvantari kshapanak Shanku Ghatakarpura Kalidasa Kalidasa was a famous Sanskrit writer and poet in the court of Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya). Kalidasa was the author of three famous plays. Abhijnanasakuntalam :tells the story of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala Malavikagnimitramtells the story love of King Agnimitra with … Read more

The earliest efforts in Municipal administration in India were made in the Presidency Towns of Madras, Calcutta and Bombay. In 1687, an order of Court of Directors directed the formation of a Corporation of Europeans and Indian members of the city of Madras but the Corporation did not survive. Under the Regulating Act of 1773, … Read more