History

Carnatic and Hindustani are different in terms of their style, characteristics and the like: Carnatic music belongs to the south Indian states, namely Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. In fact it is more popular in these regions than in north India, which is predominantly characterized by Hindustani classical. In Hindustani music outside infuelnce such … Read more

Enlightenment was based on rationalism i.e. logical reasoning based on facts. Cosmology, new world view based Newtonian physics and analysis of natural phenomena as system, secularism application of scientific theories to religion and security. Scientific method based on experimentation, observation and hypothesis. Utilitarianism, laws created for the common good and not for special interests, optimism … Read more

. The Amravati school of Art evolved during Satavahna period. This school of art developed at Amravati, on the banks of the Krishna River in modern Andhra Pradesh. It is the site for the largest Buddhist stupa of South India. The stupendous stupa could not withstand the ravages of time and its ruins are preserved … Read more

Painting as an art form has flourished in India from very early times as is evident from the remains that have been discovered in the caves, and the literary sources. The history of art and painting in India begins with the pre-historic rock painting at Bhimbetka caves (M.P.) where we have drawings and paintings of … Read more

Sangama literature was produced in the early four centuries of the Christian era, although it was finally compiled by 600 AD. Poets who in these assemblies were patronised by kings and chieftains produced the Sangama literature over a period of three to four centuries. Poets, bards and writers, authors came from various parts of South … Read more

The government had taken the adamant position that no constitutional advance could be made till the Congress came to an agreement with the Muslim leaders. It issued ordinance after ordinance taking away the freedom of speech and that of the press and the right to organise associations. Towards the end of 1940, the Congress once … Read more

.  In March 1931, a special session of the Congress was held at Karachi to endorse the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. Six days before the session (which was held on March 29) Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were executed. Throughout Gandhi’s route to Karachi, he was greeted with black flag demonstrations by the Punjab Naujawan Bharat Sabha, … Read more

. A brief survey of the nature of Civil Disobedience Movement in different parts of the subcontinent is given below. Tamil Nadu In April 1930, C. Rajagopalachari organised a march from Thiruchirapalli (Trichinapoly as it was called by the British) to Vedaranniyam on the Tanjore (or Thanjavur) coast to break the salt law. The event … Read more

During the 1920s many revolutionary groups reorganised their underground activities, while many continued working under the Congress, thus getting access to the masses and providing an organisational base to the Congress in towns and villages. Many cooperated with C.R. Das in his Swarajist work. After Das’s death (1925), the Bengal Congress broke up into two … Read more

. It was quite clear that the support of the Congress was essential for the Khilafat movement to succeed. However, although Gandhi was in favour of launching satyagraha and non-cooperation against the government on the Khilafat issue, the Congress was not united on this form of political action. Tilak was opposed to having an alliance … Read more

Gandhi returned to India in January 1915. His efforts in South Africa were well known not only among the educated but also among the masses. Gandhi was requested by Rajkumar Shukla, a local man, to look into the problems of the farmers in context of indigo planters of Champaran in Bihar. The European planters had … Read more

. Sardar Patel handled effectively the integration of the princely states with his diplomatic skills and foresightedness. The problem of amalgamating 562 independent states with a democratic self-governing India was difficult and delicate. But it was essential to save India from balkanization, once the Paramountcy of British crown would lapse. Sardar Patel took charge of … Read more

The British government, not prepared to part with or even share its power with the Indians, once again resorted to the policy of ‘carrot and stick’. The carrot was represented by the insubstantial Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, while measures such as the Rowlatt Act represented the stick. The reforms had many drawbacks: Franchise was very limited. The … Read more

The Nagara style or Prasada style has become quite popular in North India. In this style, it is common to build a temple on a stone platform and unlike South Indian temples, these temples don’t have boundary walls or gateways. Earlier, there was only one shikhara built but as time passed, the complexities also increased … Read more

The Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress, presided over by a Moderate, Ambika Charan Majumdar, finally readmitted the Extremists led by Tilak to the Congress fold. Various factors facilitated this reunion: Old controversies had become meaningless now. Both the Moderates and the Extremists realised that the split had led to political inactivity. Annie Besant … Read more

. The Home Rule Movement was the Indian response to the First World War in a less charged but a more effective way than the response of Indians living abroad which took the form of the romantic Ghadar adventure. Some of the factors leading to the formation of the Home Rule Movement were as follows. … Read more

The viceroy, Lord Minto, and the Secretary of State for India, John Morley, agreed that some reforms were due so as to placate the Moderates as well as the Muslims. They worked out a set of measures that came to be known as the Morley- Minto (or Minto-Morley) Reforms that translated into the Indian Councils … Read more

The militant nationalists put forward several fresh ideas at the theoretical, propaganda and programme levels. Among the several forms of struggle thrown up by the movement were the following. Boycott of Foreign Goods Boycott included boycott and public burning of foreign cloth, boycott of foreign-made salt or sugar, refusal by priests to ritualise marriages involving … Read more

The moderate political activity involved constitutional agitation within the confines of law and showed a slow but orderly political progress. The Moderates believed that the British basically wanted to be just to the Indians but were not aware of the real conditions. Therefore, if public opinion could be created in the country and public demands … Read more

The Indian National Congress was not the first political organisation in India. However, most of the political associations in the early half of the nineteenth century were dominated by wealthy and aristocratic elements. They were local or regional in character. Through long petitions to the British Parliament most of them demanded: Administrative reforms, Association of … Read more

The rise and growth of Indian nationalism has been traditionally explained in terms of Indian response to the stimulus generated by the British Raj through creation of new institutions, new opportunities, resources, etc. In other words, Indian nationalism grew partly as a result of colonial policies and partly as a reaction to colonial policies. In … Read more

Impact of British Rule The presence of a colonial government on Indian soil played a complex, yet decisive role in this crucial phase of modern Indian history. The impact of British rule on Indian society and culture was widely different from what India had known before. Most of the earlier invaders, who had come to … Read more

. The causes of the revolt of 1857, like those of earlier uprisings, emerged from all aspects—socio-cultural, economic and political—of daily existence of Indian population cutting through all sections and classes. These causes are discussed below: Economic Causes The colonial policies of the East India Company destroyed the traditional economic fabric of the Indian society. … Read more

The Industrial Revolution was a period of major industrialization and innovation that took place during the late 1700s and early 1800s. The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain and quickly spread throughout the world. Industrialization increased material wealth, restructured society, and created important new schools of philosophy. The social impact of industrialization was profound. For … Read more

Peasant uprisings were protests against evictions, increase in rents of land, and the moneylenders’ greedy ways; and their aim was occupancy rights for peasants among other things. They were revolts and rebellions of the peasants themselves though led by local leaders in many cases. The peasant movements in India till the outbreak of the Revolt … Read more

The Treaty of Versailles established a blueprint for the postwar world. One of the most controversial terms of the treaty was the War Guilt clause, which explicitly and directly blamed Germany for the outbreak of hostilities. The treaty forced Germany to disarm, to make territorial concessions, and to pay reparations to the Allied powers in … Read more

In simple terms, the doctrine stated that the adopted son could be the heir to his foster father’s private property, but not the state; it was for the paramount power (the British) to decide whether to bestow the state on the adopted son or to annex it. The doctrine was stated to be based on … Read more

World War 1 ended with Treaty of Versailles where Allied power dictated the terms of treaty with little or no participation of Germany. The Treaty of Versailles was very harsh of Germany and many of the provisions of treaty were even not fully supported by Britain and USA. The provision of Treaty are following: Demilitarization … Read more

Sarvodaya plan was drafted by Jaiprakash Narayan. The plan was mainly inspired by the Gandhian Plan provided by S N Agarwal & the Idea of Sarvodaya presented by another Gandhian leader Vinoba Bhave.  The sarvodaya plan put forward and emphasized the importance of agriculture and village industries especially small-scale textile & cottage industries in the … Read more

The English company was a private enterprise—this created a sense of enthusiasm and self-confidence among the people. With less governmental control over it, this company could take instant decisions when needed without waiting for the approval of the government. The French company, on the other hand, was a State concern. It was controlled and regulated … Read more

The Despatch is a very important educational document and holds a unique place in the history of Indian education. It placed the responsibility of education of the Indian people fully on the company and stated quite explicitly that it must never be neglected. The Despatch gave new direction to education in India and in a … Read more

Nasik conspiracy case:   On 21st of December, 1909 , A M T (Arthur Mason Tippets) Jackson the magistrate at Nasik was enjoying a theatre where a drama was staged in his honour on the evening of his transfer. A young man of Abhinav Bharat Society named Ananat Laxman Kanhere shot this indologist and “pandit” … Read more

In 1873, Jyotiba Phule formed the Satya Shodhak Samaj (Society of Seekers of Truth). He undertook a systematic deconstruction of existing beliefs and history, only to reconstruct an equality promoting version. Jyotirao vehemently condemned the Vedas, the ancient holy scriptures of the Hindus. He traced the history of Brahmanism through several other ancient texts and … Read more

Telugu literature blossomed under the Reddy kings. The Reddy kings also patronized Sanskrit. Several of the Reddy kings themselves were distinguished scholars and authors. Kumaragiri Reddy, Kataya Vema Reddy and Pedakomati Vema Reddy were the most outstanding among them. Errapragada (Errana), Srinatha and Potana were the remarkable poets of this period. Errapragada, the last of … Read more

Kathakali Kathakali is the classical dance form of Kerala. The word Kathakali literally means “Story-Play”. Kathakali is known for its heavy, elaborate makeup and costumes. In fact, the colorful and fascinating costumes of Kathakali have become the most recognized icon of Kerala. Kathakali is considered as one of the most magnificent theatres of imagination and … Read more

The real contribution of Ambedkar is reflected in the protective discrimination scheme or the reservation policy of the government envisaged under some provisions of Part III and many of Part IV dealing with the constitutional mandate to ameliorate the condition of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and the other backward classes. Provisions like Article … Read more

? The Upanishadic Ideal of service is based on the concepts of Truth, Dharma and Yajna. Without comprehending these three concepts we cannot understand what we have come to recognise as service today – the most appealing and popular component of modern religions. Discovering the Satyam ? Thousands of years ago, when humanity was still … Read more

Akbar’s diplomatic policy regarding the Rajputs was later damaged by the intolerant rules introduced by his great-grandson Aurangzeb. A prominent example of these rules included the re-imposition of Jaziya, which had been abolished by Akbar. However,despite imposition of Jaziya Aurangzeb’s army had a high proportion of Rajput officers in the upper ranks of the imperial … Read more

The three secrets of the Bhagavad-Gita ? Great scholars of the Bhagavad-Gita say that the scripture fundamentally deals with three primary teachings, which are called the three secrets. ? The first secret is about duty. A person must do his duty according to his nature (swadharmacharana). The second truth is about the hidden Self. ? … Read more

The man who is most frequently associated with the struggle for the freedom of Press during the nationalist movement is Bal Gangadhar Tilak. In 1881, along with G G Agarkar, he founded the newspapers Kesari and Mahratta. In 1893, he started the practice of using the traditional religious Ganapati festival to propagate nationalist ideas through … Read more

The Paramara kings were great builders of magnificent cities, lakes, and temples. Bhoja rebuilt the city of Dhara. A Hoysala grant from Belur, dated 1117 A. D., records that “Dhara was made prosperous by Bhoja.’ Since his reign, it had enjoyed the position of the chief city of Malwa, even down to the time of … Read more

The partition of India had been the real instance of peoples` demand through their representatives. The initial demand for a separate state was made by an eminent writer and philosopher Allama Iqbal who raised his voice for a separate electorate for the less represented group of Muslim Communities. With the passage of time this claim … Read more

Vesara style of architecture contains building in the Deccan region which are of hybridized style i.e. it contains both the elements of Nagara and Dravida architectural style. The vesara style came into existence after the mid 7th century. It was Patronised by Chalukya dynasty. Ravan Phadi cave, Aihole, Karnataka: The Ravan Phadi cave at Aihole is an example of … Read more

The political Associations and activities in pre-Congress period in India and abroad regarding the Indian freedom struggle made it mandatory to form an All-India Association that would lead the country against the foreign rulers. Example Zamindari Association, The Indian Association of Calcutta, The Bombay Presidency Association The Indian Association of Calcutta                Surendranath Banerjee and … Read more

Significance of the movement: It gave a new life to the passive state of freedom struggle after swadeshi movement. Its methodology of organising meetings, seminars, lantern lectures lead to the infusing of Nationalism among masses. It prepared masses for upcoming struggle under the leadership of Gandhi. Gave Organisational strength to the Congress. It forced government … Read more

  Asokan pillar Achaemenian Pillar. Smooth surface of Pillar Persian pillars are fluted Monolithic Built of separate segments Free standing pillar Were part of some larger architectural scheme, composed of too many parts shape and ornamentation of the Maurya lotus is different Lotus shape and orientation are different and independent animals carved are different. Use … Read more

These style is also called as the Deccan style as most of the temples of this Temple architecture style are found in Deccan region. Characteristics: It is a hybridized style formed by combining features of both Dravida and Nagara Style of Temple architecture. This style had Spire shaped Shikhara inspired by Nagara style The Mandapa … Read more

Pabna Peasant Uprising (1873-76) was a resistance movement by the peasants (“Ryots”) against the lords of the lands in Bengal (“zamindars”) in the Yusufshahi pargana (now the Sirajganj District, Bangladesh) in Pabna. The Pabna rebellion was different from most contemporary peasant rebellions. This movement began as the peasants organised an agrarian league in May 1873 … Read more

While the reformist movements strived to change the fundamental system and structures of the society through gradual changes within the existing institutions; revivalist movements tended to revive former customs or practices and thus take the society back to the glorious past. Reformist movement responded with the time and scientific temper of the modern era. The … Read more

Zardozi embroidery is beautiful metal embroidery, which once used to embellish the attire of the Kings and the royals in India. It was also used to adorn walls of the royal tents, scabbards, wall hangings and the paraphernalia of regal elephants and horses. Zardozi embroidery work involves making elaborate designs, using gold and silver threads. … Read more