Q & A : Indian History

		Q. Tripitakas are sacred books of A. Buddhists B. Hindus C. Jains D. None of the abov
		Ans: A
		Q. Which of the following was the first Neolithic site to be noticed in India? A.Lingsuur B.Chirand C.Mehgarh D.Koldihwa Ans: A                                                                                Q. At which of the following sites the first evidence of the cultivation of cotton has been found? A.Mohenjodaro B.Kili-gul-Muhammad C.Mehgarh D.Nal Ans: D Q.Harappan weapons were made of A.Stone B.Copper C.Bronze D.All of these Ans :D Q.The detification/worship of which of the following was not a part of the religion of Indus Valey People? A.Mother Goddess B.Forces of nature C.Trees and their spirits D.Certain animal chimeras and their anthroic figures Ans: B Q.Rows of distinctive fire altars with the provision of ritual bathing have been found at A.Mohenjodaro B.Harappa C.Kalibangan D.Lothal Ans: C Q.Which animal is engraved on most of the Harappan seals? A.Humpless bull or Unicorn B.Elephant C.Bison D.Tiger Ans: A .Q. The most important item of import in the Harappan civilization were A.metals and precious stones B.food grains C.textiles D.pottery Ans: A  Q.Copper, used most widely by the Harappans, was obtained from A.Baluchistan B.Mesopoamia C.Khetri mines D.Both 'a' and 'b' Ans: C Q.Which one of the following sites of the Indus Valle Civilization had an ancient dockyard? A.Kalibangan B.Lothal C.Rangpur D.Harappa  Ans:B Q.Which of the following was not a contemporary of the Indus or Harappan Civilization? A.Egypt B.Mesopotamia C.Sumer D.Greek Ans:D Q.Traces of rice cultivation have been found at which of the following Harrapan sites? A.Lothal and Rangpur B.Kalibangan and Ropar C.Alamgirpur and Harappa D.All Harappan sies Ans:A Q.arrapan agricultural economy was mainly based on A.crop rotation B.rainfed cultivation C.wheat and associated winter crops D.dr farming Ans:C Q.The first metal most widely used by the Indus Valley people was A.Copper B.Bronze C.Gold and Silver D.Tin Ans:A  Q.What does Baudhan theorem (Baudha-yan Sulva Sutra) relate to? A.Lengths of sides of a right-angled triangle B.Calculation of the value of pi C.Logarithmic calculations D.Normal disribution curve Ans:A Q.The main focus area of the Rigvedic culture was A.The Indo Gangetic valley B.the Punjab and Delhi rgion C.the Indus valley D.the region between the Swat and the Indus Ans:B Q.The term 'Aryans' denotes A.an ethnic group B.a nomadic people C.a speech group D.a superior race Ans:D Q.Who among the following was not a contemporary of the other three? A.Bimbisara B.Gautama Buddha C.Milinda D.Prasenjit Ans:C Q.Which one of the following four Vedas contains an account of magical charms and spells? A.Rigveda B.Yajurveda C.Atharvaveda D.Samaveda Ans:C Q.The term 'Yavanapriya' mentioned ancient Sanskrit text denoted A.a fine variety of Indian Muslim B.ivory C.damsels sent to the Greek court for dance performance D.pepper Ans:D Q.The Rigvedic God Varuna was A.harbinger of peace B.destroyer of foes C.guardian of the cosmic order D.God of prosperit Ans:C Q.The famous grammarian Panini hailed from which of the following mahajanapadas? A.Gandhara B.Kamboja C.Vatsa D.Avanti Ans:A Q.Tunidas and Akasias were the royal officers connected with which of the following works? A.Supervision of ganikas B.Supervision of mints C.Tax collection D.Judicial pronouncements Ans:C  Q.In the Mahayana Buddhism, the Bodhisatva Avalokitesvar was also known as A.Vajrapani B.Manjusri C.Padmapani D.Maitreya Ans: C  Q.Who among the following was a contemporary of Gautam Buddha? A.Nagarjuna B.Kanishka C.Kautila D.Mahavir Ans: D  Q.The concept of eight-fold path forms the theme of A.pavamsa B.Dpavamsa C.Mahaparinibban Sutta D.Dharma Chakra Pravartana Sutta Ans: D  Q.Milindapanho is in the form of a dialogue between the king Menander and the Buddhist monk A.Nagasena B.Nagajuna C.Nagabhatta D.Kumarilabhatta Ans: A  Q.According to the Buddha, the cause of all human sorrows is trishna which means A.desire for worldly things B.desire for material enjoments and worldly things C.worldl attachments D.hyperactivity of mind Ans:B  Q.In Buddhism, what does Patiomokkha stand for? A.A description of Mahayana Buddhism B.A description of Hinaana Buddhism C.The rules of the Sangha D.The questions of king Manander Ans:C  Q.The famous Indo-Greek king who embraced Buddhism was A.Strato I B.Menander C.Demetrius D.Alexander Ans:B  Q.The Gayatri Mantra contained in the Rigveda is dedicated to which diety? A.Agni B.Marut C.Surya D.Savitri Ans:D  Q.Who of the following was a contemporary of Alexander, the Great? A.Bimbisara B.Chandragupta Maurya C.Ashoka D.Pushyamitra Sunga Ans:B  Q.The 'Arthasastra' is a treatise on which one of the following? A.Economics B.Environment C.Political Philosophy D.Religion in Administration Ans: C  Q.The name Dharmasoka was found in the A.Maski Edict B.Junagarh Inscription C.Sarnath Inscription D.Allahabad Pillar Inscription Ans:C  Q.The destruction of the Mayuran Empire was followed by a series of invasions, and the first to invade India were the A.Bactrian-Greeks B.Parthians C.Kushanas D.Shakas Ans:A  Q.Who among the following anticipated Newton b declaring that all things gravitate to the Earth? A.Arabhatta B.Varahamihira C.Buddhagupta D.Brahmagupta Ans: D  Q.The rulers of which dynasty adopted titles like Svamin, Bhadramukha, Sugrhitanaman and Rastriya? A.The Shakas of Western India B.The Kushanas C.The Guptas D.The lkshvakus Ans:A  Q.In India, the first to put forward the theory that the Earth revolves round the Sun was A.Kalhana B.Brahmagupta C.Bana D.Arabhatta Ans:D  Q.Which one of the following is not a feature of North Indian temple architecture? A.Sikhara B.Garbha Griha C.Gopura D.Pradakshina Ans:C  Q.Who among the following took the title of "Vikramaditya"? A.Chandragupta I B.Chandragupta II C.Samudragupta D.Skandagupta Ans:B  Q.Fahien's mission to India was to A.learn about the administrative system of the Gupta kings B.understand the social postion of women during the Gupta period C.visit the Buddhist institutions and to collect copies of Buddhist manuscripts D.get full knowledge about the condition of peasans during the period of Gupta kings Ans:C    Q.Which one of the following persons was not one of the nine jewels of Chandragupta II's court? A.(A) Virasena Shaba B.Acharya Dignaga C.Varahamihira D.Charaka Ans:D  Q.In Sanskrit plas written during the Gupta period women and sudras speak A.Sanskrit B.Prakrit C.Pali D.Sauraseni Ans:B  Q.Which one of the following kings took the unique title Samrat? A.Vidhashakti Vakataka B.Samudragupta C.Pravarasena I Vakataka D.Harshavardhana Ans: C  Q..The Silver coins issued b the Guptas were called A.rupaka B.karshapana C.dinara D.dinara Ans:A  Q.The decimal numeral system, including the concept of zero was invented in India during which one of the following dynasty? A.Saka B.Gupta C.Pala D.Chola Ans:B  Q.Which of the following ports handled the North-Indian trade during the Gupta period? A.Tamralipti B.Broach C.Kalan D.Cambay Ans:A  Q.Who among the following is known for his work on medicine during the Gupta period? A.Saumilla B.Sudraka C.Shaunaka D.Susrutha Ans:D  Q.Which one of the following is not a play written by Kalidas? A.Malavikagnimitra B.Daridra Charudatta C.Vikramorvashiya D.Abhijanshakuntal Ans: B  Q.who among the following is credited with the invention of Algebra? A.Aryabhatta B.Bhaskara C.Apastamba D.Medhatithi Ans:A  Q.which among the following is the oldest dynasty? A.Pallava Dynasty B.Chola Dynasty C.Maurya Dynasty D.Gupta Dynasty Ans:C  Q.Pulkasin ii defeated Harshavardhan on the bank of the river A.Godavari B.Narmada C.Tapti D.Mahanadi Ans:B  Q.The rare work on architecture Samarangana Sutradhara was written by A.Jayasimha Siddharaja B.Bhoja Paramara C.Mihirabhoja D.Peddana Ans:B  Q.Who among the following Chinese travelers visited the kingdoms of Harshavardhana and Kumar Bhaskar Varma? A.A-I-tsing B.Fa-Hien C.Hiun Tsang D.Sun Shuyun Ans: C  Q.Jauadeva, who wrote "Gita Govinda" was the court poet of A.Laxman Sen of Sena dynasty B.Dharmpala of Pala dynasty C.Gopala of Pala dynasty D.None of the above Ans:A  Q.The Sun Temple of Konark was built by Narasimhadeva I. To which dynasty did he belong? A.Somavamsi dynasty B.Bhoi dynasty C.Imperial Ganga dynasty D.Suryavansi Gajapti dynasty Ans:C  Q.Muhammad Ghori invaded India on account of his A.vaulting ambition for expansion of his empire B.love of conquest and power C.love of conquest and power D.Both 'a' and 'b' Ans:D  Q.In early medieval India, what did the term Jital refer to? A.Weight B.Diet C.Coin D.Game Ans:C  Q.The famous kailasa temple, cut out of solid rock at Ellora, was built under the patronage of the A.Cholas B.Kadambas C.Pallavas D.Rashtrakutas Ans:D  Q..The temple of Somnath which was destroyed by Mahmud Ghazni was dedicated to Lord A.Vishnu B.Shiva C.Surya D.Ganapati Ans:B  Q.The rock-cut temples of Mahabalipuram were built under the patronage of the A.Chola Kings B.Pandya Kings C.Pallava Kings D.Satavahana Kings Ans:C  Q.The Mongols under Chengiz Khan invaded India during the reign of A.Balban B.Feroz Tughlaq C.Iltutmish D.Muhammad bin Tughlaq Ans: C  Q.Who was the last ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate? A.Firoz Shah Tughlaq B.Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq Shah II C.Nasir-ud-din Mahmud D.Nasrat SHah Ans: C  Q.Which Sultan declared himself as Siknadar-i-Sani, the Second Alexander? A.Balban B.Kaiqubad C.Iltutmish D.Aluddin Khilji Ans: D  Q.Who among the following appointed Ibn Batuta as the Chief Quazi of Delhi? A.Ghiyas-ud-din Balban B.Alauddin Khilji C.Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq D.Muhammad bin TUghlaq Ans:D  Q.Which of the following was not one of the foreign travelers to visit India during the period of Krshnadeva Raya? A.Nicolo Conti B.Fernao Nuniz C.Domingo Paes D.Duarte Barbosa Ans: A  Q.Alai Darwaza, built by Alauddin Khilji, is a gate leading into the extension of A.Qutb Minar B.Quwwatul Islam Mosque C.Tomb of Iltutmish D.Arhai din ka Jhonpra Ans:B  Q.Which of the following was not built by Firoz Shah Tughlaq? A.Palace fort of Firozabad B.Kotla Firoz ShahCity of Jahan Panah C.City of Jahan Panah D.Hauz-i-Khas Ans:C  Q.The battle of Dharmat was fought between A.Muhammad Ghori and Jai Chand B.Babar and the Afghans C.Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh D.Ahmad Shah Durrani and the Marathas Ans:C  Q.Who among the following Mughal Emperors had the longest reign? A.Bahadur Shah B.Jahandar Shah C.Farrukhsiyar D.Muhammad Shah Ans:D  QDuring the time of which Mughal emperor did the English East India Company establish its first factory in India? A.Akbar B.Jahangir C.Shahjahan D.Aurangzeb Ans:B  Q.Who was the Mughal Emperor when the Battle of Plassey was fought between the Nawab of Bengal and the English East India Company? A.Ahmad Shah B.Aziz-ud-din Alamgir II C.Muhammad Shah D.Shah Alam II Ans:B  Q.The European travelers who visited India during the reign of Jahangir and left valuable account of his reign was/were A.William Finch B.William Hawkins C.Francisco Palsaert D.All of these Ans:D  Q.At the time, when Nadir Shah attacked Delhi, the Mughal Emperor was A.Ahmad Shah B.Bahadur Shah C.Muhammad Shah D.Shah Alam II Ans: C  Q.The Battle of Khanwa in 1527 was fought between A.Barbar and Rana Sanga B.Ibrahim Lodi and Rana Sanga C.Humayun and Sher Shah D.Humayun and Nusrat Shah Ans:A  Q.Mughal dynasty was the Bahadur Shah Zafar as Lodi dynasty was to A.Bahlol Lodi B.Daulat Khan Lodi C.Ibrahim Lodi D.Sikander Lodi Ans:C  Q.Babar came to India originally from A.Ferghana B.Khiva C.Khorasan D.Seistan Ans:A  Q.Which of the following was considered the ablest writer in Persian during Akbar's period? A.Faizi B.Badauni C.Abul Fazal D.Afizi Sarhindi Ans:C  Q.Who built the Ibadatkhana at fatehpur Sikri? A.Akbar B.Jahangir C.Shahjahan D.Aurangzeb Ans:A  Q.The member of Shivaji's Astha Pradhana who looked after foreign affairs was A.Peshwa B.Sachiv C.Pandit Rao D.Sumant Ans:D  Q.Who was the last Mughal emperor to sit on the peacock throne? A.Aurangzeb B.Bahadur Shah Zafar C.Muhammad Shah D.Shah Alam II Ans: C

History of India............

History of India..........

"India is the cradle of human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most astrictive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only! "

- Mark Twain

India Timeline:

 

India has a rich historical legacy. This mystical country has seen the earliest civilizations and has preserved evidence of the same till today. Many cultures came and left behind their impact on Indian history. India was invaded many times by foreign rulers and has preserved their cultural heritage too. One finds a cultural and historical mish mash of various ethnicities and religions in India co-existing very harmoniously and beautifully. This timeline of Indian history tries to capture the vast history of India in a few pages. So check out the ancient India time line. 

Ancient India Timeline: 

3000 BC: Beginning of the Indus Valley Civilization
2500 BC: Establishment of the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley
2000 BC: Decline of the Indus Valley Civilization
1600 BC: India is invaded by the Aryans from the west who drive away the Dravidians
1100 BC: With the discovery of iron, Indo-Aryans start using iron tools
1000 BC: One of the earliest Holy Scripture, Rig-Veda is composed
750 BC: Indo-Aryans rule over 16 Mahajanapadas (16 Great States) in northern India, from the Indus to the Ganges
700 BC: Beginning of the caste system, with the Brahmans taking the highest class
600 BC: The Upanishads are composed in Sanskrit
543 BC: Bimbisara of Bihar conquers the Magadha region in the northeast
527 BC: Prince Siddhartha Gautama attains enlightenment and becomes the Buddha
500 BC: The ascetic prince Mahavira establishes Jainism in northern India
493 BC: Bimbisara dies and is succeeded by Ajatashatru
461 BC: Ajatashatru expands the Magadha territory and dies shortly afterwards
327 BC: Alexander the Great of Macedonia invades the Indus valley, fights the famous battle with Porus
304 BC: Magadha king Chandragupta Maurya buys the Indus valley and establishes the Maurya dynasty with Pataliputra as the capital
300 BC: Ramayana, a famous epic is composed
300 BC: Chola dynasty establishes his kingdom over southern India with capital in Thanjavur
290 BC: Chandragupta's son Bindusara, extends the empire to the Deccan region
259 BC: Mauryan emperor Ashoka converts to Buddhism and sends out Buddhist missionaries to nearby regions
220 BC: Maurya dynasty expands to almost all of India
200 BC: Mahabharata, another famous epic is composed
200 BC: Andhras occupy the east coast of India
184 BC: Maurya dynasty ends and marks the beginning of Sunga dynasty
150 BC: Patanjali writes the "Yoga Sutras"
100 BC: Bhagavata Gita is composed
78 BC: End of Sunga dynasty
50 AD: Thomas, an apostle of Jesus, visits India
50 AD: The first Buddhist stupa is constructed at Sanchi
200 AD: The Manu code puts down the rules of everyday life and divides Hindus into four major castes (Brahmins, warriors, farmers/traders, non-Aryans)
300 AD: The Pallava dynasty is established in Kanchi
350 AD: The Sangam is compiled in the Tamil language in the kingdom of Madurai and the Puranas are composed
380 AD: Two giant Buddha statues are carved Buddhist monks in the rock at Afghanistan
390 AD: Chandra Gupta II extends the Gupta kingdom to Gujarat
450 AD: Kumaragupta builds the monastic university of Nalanda
499 AD: Hindu mathematician Aryabhatta writes the "Aryabhattiyam", the first book on Algebra
500 AD: Beginning of Bhakti cult in Tamil Nadu
528 AD: Gupta Empire sees a downfall due to continuous barbaric invasions
550 AD: Chalukyan kingdom is established in central India with capital in Badami
600 AD: Pallava dynasty governs southern India from Kanchi
606 AD: Harsha Vardhana, a Buddhist king builds the kingdom of Thanesar in north India and Nepal with capital at Kannauj in the Punjab
625 AD: Pulikesin extends the Chalukyan Empire in central India
647 AD: King Harsha Vardhana is defeated by the Chalukyas at Malwa
650 AD: Pallavas of Kanchipuram are defeated by the Chalukyas
670 AD: Pallavas establish themselves at a new city at Mamallapuram
750 AD: Gurjara - Pratiharas rule the north of India and the Palas establish themselves in eastern India
753 AD: Rashtrakutas, a Chalukya dynasty, expands from the Deccan into south and central India
775 AD: Chalukyas defeat the Rashtrakutas and move the capital at Kalyani
800 AD: Many kingdoms are created in central India and in Rajastan by Rajputs
846 AD: Cholas get back their independence from the Pallavas
885 AD: Pratihara Empire reaches its peak and extends its empire from Punjab to Gujarat to Central India
888 AD: End of the Pallava dynasty
985 AD: Rajaraja Chola extends the Chola Empire to all of south India and constructs the temple of Thanjavur
997 AD: Mahmud of Ghazni raids northern India
998 AD: Mahmud of Ghazni conquers the area of Punjab
1000 AD: Chola king Rajaraja builds the Brihadeshvara Temple in Thanjavur
1019 AD: Mahmud Ghazni attacks north India and destroys Kannauj, which is the capital of the Gurjara-Pratihara Empire
1050 AD: Chola Empire conquers Srivijaya, Malaya and the Maldives
1084 AD: Mahipala raises the Palas to the peak of their power
1190 AD: Chalukya Empire is split among Hoysalas, Yadavas and Kakatiyas

Medieval India Timeline:

1192 AD: Mohammad of Ghori defeats Prithvi Raj, captures Delhi and establishes a Muslim sultanate at Delhi
1206 AD: The Ghurid prince Qutub-ud-din Aibak becomes the first sultan of Delhi
1250 AD: Chola dynasty comes to an end
1290 AD: Jalal ud-Din Firuz establishes the Khilji sultanate at Delhi
1325 AD: The Turks invade and Muhammad bin Tughlaq becomes sultan of Delhi
1343 AD: The southern kingdom builds its capital at Vijayanagar (Hampi)
1345 AD: Muslim nobles revolt against Muhammad bin Tughlaq and declare their independence from the Delhi sultanate. The Bahmani kingdom is established in the Deccan.
1370 AD: Vijayanagar kingdom takes over the Muslim sultanate of Madura in Tamil Nadu
1490 AD: Guru Nanak Dev Ji establishes Sikhism and the city of Amritsar
1497 AD: Babur, a ruler of Afghan, becomes the ruler of Ferghana and establishes the Mughal dynasty in India
1530 AD: Babur dies and his son Humayun succeeds as the next Mughal emperor
1540 AD: Babur's son Humayun loses the empire to Afghan Leader Sher Shah and goes into exile in Persia
1555 AD: Mughal king Humayun comes to fight Sher Shah and regains India
1556 AD: Humayun dies and his son Akbar becomes one of the greatest rulers of India
1605 AD: Akbar dies and is succeeded by his son Jahangir
1611 AD: East India Company is established in India by the British
1617 AD: Jahangir's son, Prince Khurram receives the title of Shah Jahan
1627 AD: Shivaji establishes the Maratha kingdom
1631 AD: Shah Jahan succeeds Jahangir and builds the world famous Taj Mahal
1658 AD: Shah Jahan's son Aurangzeb seizes power
1707 AD: Aurangzeb dies, destabilizing the Mughal Empir

Modern India Timeline:

1751 AD: Britain becomes the leading colonial power in India
1757 AD: British defeat Siraj-ud-daulah at the Battle of Plassey
1761 AD: Marathas rule over most of northern India
1764 AD: Britain expands to Bengal and Bihar
1769 AD: A famine kills ten million people in Bengal and the East India Company does nothing to help them
1773 AD: Warren Hastings, governor of Bengal establishes a monopoly on the sale of opium. Regulating Act passed by the British.
1793 AD: Permanent Settlement of Bengal
1799 AD: British defeat Tipu Sultan
1829 AD: Prohibition of Sati by law
1831 AD: Administration of Mysore is taken over by East India Company
1848 AD: Lord Dalhousie becomes the Governor-General of India
1853 AD: Railway, postal services & telegraph line introduced in India
1857 AD: First War of Indian Independence also known as Revolt of 1857 or Sepoy Mutiny
1858 AD: British Crown officially takes over the Indian Government
1877 AD: Queen of England is proclaimed as the Empress of India
1885 AD: First meeting of the Indian National Congress
1899 AD: Lord Curzon becomes Governor-General and Viceroy of India
1905 AD: The First Partition of Bengal takes place
1906 AD: Muslim League is formed
1912 AD: The Imperial capital shifted to Delhi from Calcutta
1919 AD: The cruel Jallianwalla Bagh massacre takes place due to protests against the Rowlatt Act
1920 AD: Non-cooperation Movement launched
1922 AD: Chauri-Chaura violence takes place due to Civil Disobedience Movement
1928 AD: Simon Commission comes to India and is boycotted by all parties
1930 AD: Salt Satyagraha is launched as an agitation against salt tax. First Round Table Conference takes place
1931 AD: Second Round Table Conference takes place and Irwin-Gandhi Pact is signed
1934 AD: Civil Disobedience Movement is called off
1942 AD: Cripps Mission is formed; Quit India Movement is launched; Indian National Army is formed.
3rd June 1947 AD: Lord Mountbatten's plan for partition of India comes into light
15th August 1947 AD: Partition of India and Independence from the British rule

 Important Foreign Travellers/Envoys :

• Megasthenes (302-298 BC) : An ambassador of Selecus Nikator, who visited the court of Chandragupta Maurya and wrote an interesting book ‘Indica’ in which he gave a vivid account of Chandragupta Maurya’s reign.

• Fa-Hien (405-411 AD) : He came to India during the reign of Chandragupta II Vikramaditya. He was the first Chinese pilgrim to visit India to collect Buddhist texts and relics

• Hiuen-Tsang (630-645 AD) : He visited India during the reign of Harshavardhana.

• I-tsing (671-695 AD) : A Chinese traveller, he visited India in connection with Buddhism.

• Al-Masudi (957 AD) : An Arab traveller, he has given an extensive account of India in his work ‘Muruj-ul-Zehab’.

• Al-beruni (1024-1030 AD) : He came to India along with Mahmud of Ghazni during one of his Indian raids. He travelled all over India and wrote a book ‘Tahqiq-i-Hind’.

• Macro Polo (1292-1294 AD) : A Venetian traveller, visited South India in 1294 A.D. His work ‘The Book of Sir Marco Polo’ gives an account of the economic history of India.

• Ibn Batuta (1333-1347 AD) : A Morrish traveller, his book ‘Rehla’ (the Travelogue) throws a lot of light on the reign of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq and the geographical, economic and social conditions of that time.

• Shihabuddin al-Umari (1348 AD) : He came from Damascus and he gives a vivid account of India in his book, ‘Masalik albsar fi-mamalik al-amsar’.

• Nicolo Conti (1420-1421 AD) : A Venetian traveller, gives a comprehensive account of the Hindu kingdom of Vijaynagar.

• Abdur Razzaq (1443-1444 AD) : He was a Persian traveller, came to India and stayed at the court of the Zamorin at Calicut. He has given a vivid account of the Vijaynagar empire.

• Athanasius Nikitin (1470-1474 AD) : He was a Russian merchant, describes the condition of the Bahmani kingdom under Muhammad III (1463-82).

• Durate Barbosa (1500-1516 AD) : He was a Portuguese traveller, has given a valuable narrative of the government and the people of the Vijaynagar empire.

• Dominigo Paes (1520-1522 AD) : He was Portuguese traveller, visited the court of Krishnadeva Raya of the Vijaynagar Empire.

• Fernao Nuniz (1535-1537 AD) : A Portuguese merchant, He wrote the history of the empire from its earliest times of the closing years of Achyutdeva Raya’s reign.

• John Hughen Von Linschotten (1583 AD) : He was a Dutch traveller, has given a valuable account of the social and economic life of South India.

• William Hawkins (1608-1611 AD) : He was an English ambassador of British King James I to the court of Jahangir (1609).

• Sir Thomas Roe (1615-1619 AD) : He was an ambassador of James I, King of England, at the court of Jahangir, (the Mughal Emperor).

• Fransciso Palsaert (1620-1627 AD) : He was a Dutch traveller, stayed at Agra and gave a vivid account of flourishing trade at Surat, Ahmedabad, Broach Cambay, Lahore, Multan, etc.

• Peter Mundy (1630-34 AD) : He was an Italian traveller to the Mughal empire in the reign of Shahjahan, he gives valuable information about the living standard of the common people in the Mughal Empire.

• John Albert de Mandesto (1638 AD) : He was German traveller, who reached Surat in 1638.

• Jeen Baptiste Travernier (1638-1663 AD) : He was a French traveller, his account covers the reign of Shahjahan and Aurangzeb.

• Nicolao Manucci (1653-1708 AD) : He was an Italian traveller, got service at the court of Dara Shikoh.

• Francois Bernier (1656-1717 AD) : He was French physician and philosopher. Danishamand Khan, a noble of Aurangzeb, was his patron.

• Jean de Thevenot (1666 AD) : He was French traveller, has given a good account of cities like Ahmedabad, Cambay, Aurangabad and Goloconda.

• John Fryer (1672-1681 AD) : He was an English traveller, has given a vivid account of Surat and Bombay.

• Gemelli Careri (1693 AD) : He was an Italian traveller, his remarks on the Mughal emperor’s military organisation and administration are important.

  Governor - General and Viceroys:

 

Governors of Bengal ( 1757- 74) :

• Robert Clive : Governor of Bengal during 1757-60 and again during 1765-67 and established Dual Government in Bengal from 1765-72. (True founder of British Political dominion in India).

• Vanisttart (1760–65) : The Battle of Buxar (1764).

• Cartier (1769–72) : Bengal Famine (1770).

  

Governor-Generals of Bengal (1774–1833) :

 

• Warren Hastings (1772–1785) : Brought the Dual Governmnet of Bengal to an end by the Regulating Act, 1773. Became Governor-General in 1774 through the Regulating Act, 1773; Wrote introduction to the first English translation of the ‘Gita’ by Charles Wilkins; Founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal with William Jones in 1784.

• Revenue Reforms : Auctioned the right to collect land revenue to the highest bidder; Divided Bengal into districts and appointed collectors and other revenue officials.

• Judicial Reforms : Started Diwani and Faujdari adalats at the district level and Sadar diwani and Nizamat adalats (appellate courts) at Calcutta; Redefined Hindu and Muslim laws. Wars : Rohilla War (1774); 1st Anglo-Maratha War (1776-82): 2nd Anglo-Mysore War (1780-84). Note: Sir John Macpherson was made the acting Governor General from 1785 to 1786. 

• Lord Cornwallis (1786–93) : First person to codify laws in 1793. The code separated the revenue administration from the administration of justice; Created post of district judge; Introduced permanent Settlement in Bengal (1793); Cornwallis is  called ‘the father of civil service in India’.

• Police Reforms: Each district was divided into 400 sq. miles and placed under a police superintendent assisted by constables.

• Wars : 3rd Anglo-Mysore War (defeat of Tipu and the Treaty of Serinagpatanam, 1792). Sir John Shore (1793–98) : Introduced the 1st Charter Act (1793)

• Wars : Battle of Kharda between Nizam and the Marathas (1795). Lord Wellesley (1798–1805) : Started Subsidiary Alliance system to achieve British paramountcy in India. Madras Presidency was formed during his tenure.

• Wars : 4th Anglo-Mysore War (1799)-defeat and the death of Tipu Sultan; 2nd Anglo-Maratha War (1803-05)-defeat of the Scindia, the Bhonsle and the Holkar; Treaty of Bassein (1802). George Barlow (1805–1807) : Vellore Mutiny (1806). Lord Minto I (1807-1813) : Concluded Treaty of Amritsar with  Ranjit Singh (1809); Charter Act of 1813 was passed.Lord Hastings (1813–1823) : Adopted the policy of intervention and war.

• Wars : Anglo-Nepalese War (1813-23); 3rd Anglo-Maratha War (1817-18). Hastings forced humiliating treaties on Peshwa and the Scindia; Introduced the Ryotwari settlement in Madras by Thomas Munro, the Governor. Lord Amherst (1823–28) : Wars: Ist Burmese War (1824-26). Acquisition of territories in Malay Penisula; Capture of Bharatpur (1826).

• Lord W. Bentick (1828–33) : Most liberal and enlightened Governor-General of India; Regarded as’ the Father of Modern Western Education in India’; Abolished Sati and other cruel rites (1829); Annexation of Mysore (1831). Concluded a treaty of perpetual friendship with Ranjit Singh (1831); Passed the Charter Act of 1833, which provided that no Indian subject of Company was to be debarred from holding an  office on account of his religion, place of birth, descent and colour. On recommendation of Macaulay Committee made English the medium of higher education in India.

   

Governor - generals of India (1833-58) :

 

• Lord W. Bentick (1833–35) : First Governor-General of India. Macaulay’s minutes on education were accepted declaring that English should be the official language of India; Abolished provincial courts of appeal and circuit set up by Cornwallis, appointment of Commissioners of revenue and circuit.

• Wars : Annexed Coorg (1834), Central Cachar (1834) on the plea of misgovernment.

• Sir Charles Metcalfe (1835–1836) : Passed the famous Press Law, which liberated the press in India (Called Liberator the the Press).

• Lord Auckland (1836–42) : 1st Anglo-Afghan War (1836-42)-great blow to the prestige of the British in India.

• Lord Ellenborough (1842–44) : Brought an end to the Afghan War. Annexation of Sindh (1843); War with Gwalior (1843).

• Lord Hardings I (1844–48) : 1st Anglo-Sikh war (1845-46) and the Treaty of Lahore 1846 (marked the end of Sikh sovereighty in India); Gave preference to English education in employment.

• Lord Dalhousie (1848–56) : Abolished Titles and Pensions, Widow Remarriage Act (1856). Made Shimla the summer capital.

• Administrative Reforms : Introduced the system of Centralized control in the newly acquired territories known as Bon-Regulation system; Raised Gurkha regiments.

• Education Reforms : Recommended the Thomsonian system of Vernacular education for whole of the North western Provinces (1853); Wood’s Educational Despatch of 1854 and opening of Anglo-Vernacular Schools and Government Colleges; An Engineering College was established at Roorkee.

• Public Works : Started the first railway line in 1853 (connecting Bombay with Thana); Started electric telegraph service. Laid the basis of the modern postal system (1854); A separate public works department was set up for the first time; Started work on the Grand Trunk Road and developed the harbours of  Karachi, Bombay and Calcutta.

•  Wars : Introduced Doctrine of Lapse (Captured Satara (1848), Jaitpur and Sambhalpur (1849), Baghat (1850), Udaipur (1852), Jhansi (1853) and Nagpur(1854); Fought 2nd Anglo-Sikh War (1848–49) and annexed the whole of the Punjab; 2nd Anglo-Burmese War (1852) and annexation of Lower Burma orPegu; Annexation of Berar in 1853; Annexation of Avadh in 1856 on charges of maladministration.

• Lord Canning (1856–58) : The last Governor General and first Viceroy of India; Revolt of 1857; Passed the Act of 1858, which ended the rule of the East India Company. Withdrew Doctrine of Lapse. Mutiny took place in his time.

   

Governor Generals and Viceroys (1858-1947) :

 

• Lord Canning (1858–62) : The Indian Councils Act of 1862 was passed, which proved to be a landmark in the constitutional history of India; The Indian Penal Code of Criminal Procedure (1859) was passed. The Indian High Court Act (1861) was enacted; Income Tax was introduced for the first time in 1858. The Universities of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras founded in 1857.

• Lord Elgin I (1862–63) : Wahabi Movement (Pan-Islamic Movement).

• Sir John Lawrence (1864–69) : Telegraphic communication was opened with Europe; High Courts were established at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras in 1865; Expanded canal works and railways; Bhutan War (1865); Advocated State-managed railways; Created the Indian Forest Department and recognised the native Judicial service.

• Lord Mayo (1869–72) : Introduced financial decentralization in India, Established Rajkot College at Kathiarwar and Mayo College at Ajmer for the princes; Organised the Statistical Survey of India, Established the Department of Agriculture & Commerce, He was the only Viceroy to be murdered in office by a Pathan convict in Andamans in 1872, Introduction of State Railways. For the first time in Indian history, a census was held in 1871.

• Lord Northbrook (1872-76) : Kuka Movement of Punjab took rebellious turn during his period

• Lord Lytton (1876-80) : Most infamous Governor-General, pursued free trade and abolished duties on 29 British manufactured goods which accelerated drain of wealth of India; Arranged the Grand Darbar in Delhi (in 1877) when the country was suffering from a servere famine; Passed the Royal Title Act (1876) and Queen Victoriya was declared as the Kaisar-i-Hind; Arms Act (1878) made mandatory for Indians to acquire license for arms; Passed the infamous Vernacular Press Act (1878); Proposed the plan of Statutory Civil Service in 1878-79 and lowered the maximum age limit from 21 to 19 years, the 2nd Afghan war proved a failure (Viceroy of reverse characters).

• Lord Ripon (1880-84) : Repeal of the Vernacular Press Act, 1882; The First Factory Act, 1881 to improve labour condition, Resolution of Local Self Government in 1882, Resolution on Land Revenue Policy; Appointed Hunter Commission (for education reforms) in 1882; The Ilbert Bill controversy erupted during his time (1883) enabled Indian district magistrates to try European criminals. But this was withdrawn later.

• Lord Dufferin (1884-88) : 3rd Burmese War (Annexation of Upper and Lower Burma) in 1885, Establishment of Indian National Congress in 1885.

• Lord Lansdowne (1888-94) : The second Factory Act of 1891; Categorization of Civil Services into imperial, provincial and subordinate; Indian Council Act of 1892 (introduced elections which was indirect); Appointment of the Durand Commission to define the line between British India and Afghanistan (1893).    

  Lord Elgin II (1894-99) : The Munda uprising (Birsa Munda) of 1899, Convention delimiting the frontier between China and India was ratified, Great famine of 1896-97, Lyall Commission appointed after famine (1897), Assassination of two British officials-Rand & Amherst-by Chapekar Brothers in 1897.   

  Lord Curzon (1899-1905) : Appointed a Police Commission in 1902 under Andrew Frazer; Set up the Universities Commission and accordingly the Indian Universities Act of 1904 was passed; Set up the Department of Commerce and Industry; Calcutta Corporation Act (1899); Passed the Indian Coinage and Paper Currency Act (in 1899) and put India on a gold standard; Partition of Bengal took place in 1905. Created NWFP and Archaeological Survey of India. Extended railways to a great extent.

• Lord Minto II (1905–10) : Swadeshi Movement (1905-08); Foundation of the Muslim League, 1906; Surat session and split in the Congress (1907), Newspapers Act, 1908; Morley-Minto Reforms, 1909.

• Lord Hardinge (1910–16) : Annulment of the partition of Bengal (1911), Transfer of Capital from Calcutta to Delhi (1911); Delhi Darbar and Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary (1911); Establishment of Hindu Mahasabha by Madan Mohan Malviya (1915); Annie Besant announced Home Rule Movement and a bomb was thrown at him, but he escaped unhurt.

• Lord Chelmsford (1916–21) : Home Rule Movement launched by Tilak and Annie Besant (1916); Lucknow Pact between Congress and Muslim League (1916); Arrival of Gandhi in India (1915); Champaran Satyagraha (1917); Montague’s August Declaration (1917); Kheda Satyagraha and Satyagraha at Ahmedabad (1918); Government of India Act (1919), Repressive Rowlatt Act (1919); Jalianwala Bagh Massacre (1919); Khilafat Movement (1920-22); Non-cooperation Movement (1920-22), Saddler Commission (1917) and an Indian sir S. P. Sinha was appointed Governor of Bengal.

• Lord Reading (1921-26) : Criminal Law Amendment Act and abolition of cotton excise; Repeal of Press Act of 1910 & Rowlatt Act of 1919; Violent Moplah rebellion in Kerala (1921); Foundation of CPI (1921); Chauri Chaura Incident (1922); Foundation of Swaraj Party (1923); Kakori Train Dacoity (1925); Foundation of RSS (1925); Murder of Swami Shardhanand (1926). Suppressed non-co-operation movement.

• Lord Irwin (1926-31) : Simon Commission announced in 1927; Butler Commission (1927); Nehru Report (1928); 14 points of Jinnah (1929); Lahore session of Congress and ‘Poorna Swaraj’ declaration (1929); Civil Disobedience Movement (1930); Dandhi march (1930); Ist Round Table Conference (1930); Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931); Martyrdom of Jatin Das (hunger strike)

• Lord Willingdon (1931-36) : IInd Round Table Conference (1931); Civil Disobedience Movement (1932); Announcement of MacDonald’s Communal Award (1932); IIIrd Round Table Conference Foundation of Congress Socialist Party-CSP (1934); Government of India Act (1935); Burma separated from India (1935); All India Kisan Sabha (1936); Poona Pact was signed.

• Lord Linlithgow (1936-43) : General Election (1936-37); Congress ministries in 1937 and Resignation of Congress ministries in 1939; ‘Deliverance Day’ by Muslim League in 1939; Foundation of Forward Block by S.C. Bose (1939); Lahore Resolution (1940); August Offer (1940); Cripps Mission (1942); Quit India Movement (1942) and outbreak of second world war in 1939.

• Lord Wavell (1943-1947) : C.R. Formula 1944; Wavell Plan and Shimla Conference in 1945; End of IInd World War in 1945; INA Trials in 1945; Naval mutiny in 1946; Cabinet Mission, 1946 and acceptance of its proposals by Congress; Direct Action Day by the Muslim League on 16th August, 1946 and first meating of the constituent assembly was held on Dec. 9, 1946.

• Lord Mountbatten (Mar-Aug 1947) : Announced the 3 June, 1947 Plan; Introduction of Indian Independence Bill in the house of Commons and passed by the Brithish Parliament on July 4, 1947.; Appointment of 2 boundary commissions under Sir Cryil Radicliffe.

 Governor Generals of Independent India (1947-50) :

• Lord Mountbatten (1947-48) : The first Governor General of free India; Kashmir acceded to India (Oct. 1947); Murder of Gandhi (Jan 30, 1948).

•  C. Rajagopalachari (June 1948-January 25, 1950) : The last Governor General of free India; The only Indian Governor-General.

 

 The Gandhian Era(1917-47) :

 

Facts about Gandhi :

Birth : October 2, 1869 at Porbandar, Gujarat. [Note: UNO declared October. 2 as ‘International Non-violence Day’ (Antarrashtriy Ahimsa Diswas)]

 Father : Karamchand Gandhi,

 Mother: Putali Bai,

 Political Guru: Gopal Krishna Gokhale, 

 Private Secretary: Mahadev Desai. 

Literary Influence on Gandhi: John Ruskin’s Unto the Last, Emerson, Thoreau, Leo Tolstoy, the Bible and the Gita. 

Literary Works : Hind Swaraj (1909), My Experiments with Truth (Autobiography, 1927)-reveals events of Gandhi’s life upto 1922. 

As an Editor : Indian Opinion: 1903–15 (in English & Gujarati, for a short period in Hindi & Tamil), 

Harijan: 1919-31 (in English, Gujarati and Hindi),Young India: 1933–42 (in English gujarati-named Navjeevan).  

Other Names : Mahatma (Saint) - by Rabindranath Tagore, 1917; Malang Baba/Nanga Faqir (Naked Saint) - by Kabailis of Noth-West Frontier, 1930; Indian Faqir/Traitor Faqir-by Winston Churchill, 1931; Half-naked Saint by- Franq Mores, 1931; Rashtrapita (the Father of the Nation)- by Subhash Chandra Bose, 1944.

Important work and Contributions:

1893	Departure of Gandhi to South Africa.
1894	Foundation of Natal Indian Congress.
1899	Foundation of Indian Ambulance Core during Boer Wars.
1904	Foundation of Indian Opinion (magazine) and Phoenix Farm, at Phoenix, near Durban.
1906	First Civil Disobedience Movement (Satyagaraha) against Asiatic Ordiannce in Transvaal.
1907	Satyagraha against Compulsory Registration and Passes for Asians (The Black Act) in Transvaal.
1908	Trial and imprisonment-Johanesburg Jail (First Jail Term).
1910	Foundation of Tolstoy Farm (Later-Gandhi Ashrama), near Johannesburg.
1913	Satyagraha against derecognition of non-Christian marraiges in Cape Town.
1914	Awarded Kaisar-i-Hind for raising an Indian Ambulance Core during Boer wars
1915	Arrived in Bombay (India) on 9 January 1915; Foundation of Satyagraha Ashrama at Kocharab near Ahmedabad (20 May). In 1917, Ashrama shifted at the banks of Sabarmati;
1916	Abstain from active politics (though he attended Lucknow session of INC held in 26–30 December, 1916, where Raj Kumar Shukla, a cultivator from Bihar, requested him to come to Champaran.)
1917	Gandhi entered active politics with Champaran campaign to redress grievances of the cultivators oppressed by Indigo planter of Bihar (April 1917). Champaran Satyagraha was his first Civil Disobedience Movement in India.
1918	cooperation Movement. In Febuary 1918, Gandhi launched the struggle in Ahmedabad which involved industrial workers. Hunger strike as a weapon was used for the first time by Gandhi during Ahmedabad struggle. In March 1918, Gandhi worked for peasants of Kheda in Gujarat who were facing difficulties in paying the rent owing to failure of crops. Kheda Satyagraha was his first Non
1919	Gandhi gave a call for Satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act on April 6, 1919 and took the command of the nationalist movement for the first time (First all-India Political Movement), Gandhi returns Kaisar-i-Hind gold medal as a protest against Jallianwala Bagh massacre-April 13, 1919; The All India Khilafat Conference elected Gandhi as its president (November 1919, Delhi).
1920-22	Gandhi leads the Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movement (August 1, 1920–Febuary 1922), Gandhi calls off Movement (Feb. 12, 1922), after the violent incident at Chauri-Chaura on Febuary 5, 1922. Non-Co-operation Movement was the First mass based politics under Gandhi.
1924	Belgaum (Karnataka) session of INC–for the first and the last time Gandhi was elected the president of the Congress.
1925–27	Gandhi retires from active politics for the first time and devotes himself to ‘constructive programme’ of the Congress; Gandhi resumes active politics in 1927.
1930–34	Gandhi launches the Civil Disobedience Movement with his Dandhi march/Salt Satyagraha (First Phase: March 12, 1930–March 5, 1931; Gandhi-Irwin Pact: March 5, 1931; Gandhi attends the Second Round Table Conference in London as sole representative of the Congress: September 7-December. 1, 1931; Second Phase: January 3, 1932-April 17, 1934).
1934–39	Sets up Sevagram (Vardha Ashram).
1940–41	Gandhi launches Individual Satyagraha Movement.
1942	Call to Quit India Movement for which Gandhi raised the slogan, ‘Do or Die’ (Either free India or die in the attempt), Gandhi and all Congress leaders arrested (August 9, 1942).
1942–44	Gandhi kept in detention at the Aga Khan Palace, near Pune (August 9, 1942-May, 1944). Gandhi lost his wife Kasturba (Febuary 22, 1944) and private secretary Mahadev Desai; this was Gandhi’s last prison term.
1946	Deeply distressed by theory of communal violence, as a result Muslim League’s Direct Action call, Gandhi travelled to Noakhali (East Bengal-now Bangladesh) and later on to Calcutta to restore communal peace.
1947	Gandhi, deeply distressed by the Mountbatten Plan/Partition Plan (June 3, 1947), while staying in Calcutta to restore communal violence, observes complete silence on the dawn of India’s Independence (August, 15, 1947). Gandhi returns to Delhi (September 1947).
1948	Gandhi was shot dead by Nathu Ram Godse, a member of RSS, while on his way to the evening prayer meeting at Birla House, New Delhi (January 30, 1948).