70 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

MODERN INDIA
ADVENT OF THE ●
They replaced the Portuguese as the
most dominant power in European
EUROPEANS trade with East.
Portuguese ●
Pulicat was their main centre in India
●
The Cape Route from Europe to India was till Nagapatam replaced it in 1690.
discovered by Vasco da Gama. He reached ●
The Dutch conceded to British after
Port of Calicut via Cape of Good Hope their defeat in the Battle of Bedera
(Africa) on 17th May, 1498 and was received in 1759.
by the Hindu ruler of Calicut, Zamorin. This
led to the establishment of trading stations English
at Calicut, Cochin and Cannanore. ●
Before the establishment of the East
●
Cochin (1502) was the initial capital of the India Company, John Mildenhall, an
Portuguese in India, later on replaced by English merchant came to India over
Goa. land route to trade with Indian
●
The first Governor of Portuguese in India merchants in 1599.
was Francisco Almeida (1505-09). He ●
The English East India Company was
introduced ‘The Policy of Blue Water’. formed by a group of merchants in
●
Alfonso d’ Albuquerque arrived in India in 1599 known as Merchant
1503 and became Governor of the Adventures.
Portuguese in India in 1509. He captured ●
Jahangir issued a farman to Captain
Goa from the ruler of Bijapur in 1310 Hawkins (1609) permitting him to
and introduced the policy of Imperialism. establish a factory at Surat.
●
Nino-da-Cunha (1529-1538) transferred ●
Sir Thomas Roe visited Jahangir’s
the capital from Cochin to Goa in 1530. He court (1615) as an ambassador of
acquired Diu and Bassein from Bahadur king James I to seek permission to
Shah of Gujarat (1534). trade in India.
●
Portuguese acquired Daman in 1559. They ●
First factory was built at Surat
lost Hugly in 1631, during the reign of Shah (1608). Surat was replaced by
Jahan. Bombay acquired from Charles-II on
●
In 1661, the Portuguese king gave Bombay lease as the headquarters on the
to Charles II of England as dowry, for West coast in 1687.
marrying his sister. ●
In 1639, obtained Madras from Raja
●
First Portuguese factory was established at of Chandragiri with permission to
Calicut. build a fortified factory, which was
●
The famous Jesuit Saint, Francisco Xavier named Fort St George.
arrived in India with Martin Alfonso de ●
In 1690, Job Charnock, established a
Souza (1542-45). factory at Sutanati and the
●
Gradually, almost all of their territories were Zamindari of three villages Sutanati,
lost to Marathas (Salsette and Bassein in Kalikata and Govindpur were
acquired by the British (1698). These
1739), Dutch and English. Only Goa, Diu
three villages grew as city of Calcutta.
and Daman remained with them until 1961.
●
The factory at Sutanati was fortified
Dutch and named Fort William in 1700.
●
The Dutch East India Company established
●
In 1717, John Surman obtained royal
factories in India at Masulipatnam in 1605, farman from Mughal emperor
Pulicat (1610), Surat (1616), Bimlipatam Farrukhsiyar. This farman is also
(1641), Karaikal (1645), Chinsura, called the Magna Carta of the British
Kasimbazar, Patna, Balasore, Nagapatam rule in India as it gave large
and Cochin. concessions to the company.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 71

Danes ●
The first French factory was established
at Surat by Francois Caron in 1668 and
●
The Danes arrived in India in 1616.
second at Masulipatnam in 1669.
They established settlement at
Tranqueber (Tamil Nadu) in 1620 and
●
They occupied Mahe, Yanam and
Serampore (Bengal) in 1676. Karaikal.
Serampore was their headquarters. ●
The foundation of Pondicherry was laid
●
They were forced to sell their in 1673, which afterwards became their
settlements to the British in 1854. capital. They also developed a factory at
Chandernagar.
French ●
The Governors, Lenoir and Dumas
●
The French East India Company revived the French power in India
was formed in 1664 by Colbert under between 1720-42 and the Anglo-French
state patronage during the reign of Louis conflict started with the arrival of
XIV. Governor Dupleix in 1742.

INDEPENDENT STATES
HYDERABAD ●
The highest post of his government was
held by Maharaja Nawab Rai. This shows
●
Founded by Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jahan his religious tolerance towards the
in AD 1724. His original name was Chin Hindus.
Qilich Khan but emperor Farrukhsiyar
conferred on him the titles of MYSORE
‘Khan-i-Duran’ and later
‘Nizam-ul-Mulk’.
●
Haider Ali (1761-82) started his career
as a soldier in Mysore state, promoted to
●
Puran Chand was his diwan.
Commander-in-Chief and later to
●
Carnatic was one of the Subah of Deccan Faujadar at Dindigul.
hence, it was under Nizam of ●
In 1761, he overthrew Nanjaraja and
Hyderabad.
established his authority over Mysore.
●
Nizam of Hyderabad became He established a Modern Arsenal in
independent of Delhi and deputy Dindigul.
Governor of Carnatic made himself ●
In 1769, he repeatedly defeated the
independent of Hyderabad, hence
British in First Anglo-Mysore War and
assumed the title ‘Nawab of Carnatic’.
reached the walls of Madras. He died in
●
Saadautullah Khan of Carnatic made his 1782 during Second Anglo-Mysore
nephew Dost Ali as his successor at War.
Carnatic without the approval of Nizam. ●
Tipu Sultan (1782-99) succeeded Haider
This caused rivalry between Carnatic
and Hyderabad. Ali. He planted the Tree of Liberty at
Srirangapatnam and became a member
●
Hyderabad remained independent until of the Jacobian Club.
it became a part of Independent India.
The Nizam provided assistance to the
●
He died in 1799, fighting at the gates of
British during the 1857 Revolt. Srirangapatnam during the 4th Anglo-
Mysore War.
AWADH ●
He was tolerant and enlightened in his
approach towards other religions. He
●
Founded by Saadat Khan gave money for the construction of
Burhan-ul-Mulk. Emperor Muhammad image of Goddess Sarda on the
Shah appointed him as Governor of Shrinageri temple. The famous temple
Awadh in AD 1722. of Sri Rangnath was situated barely a
●
Committed suicide in 1739 and was hundred yards from his palace. He
succeeded by his nephew Safdar Jung. assumed the title of Padshah in 1797.
 72 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

BENGAL Mir Jafar (1757-60)

●
Mir Jafar was the first Nawab of Bengal,
●
Murshid Quli Khan (1717-27) He was Bihar and Orissa under the British rule
made Governor of Bengal (1717) and in India.
Orissa (1719). He transferred capital of ●
He granted free trade right to the
Bengal from Dacca to Murshidabad. He
Company in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
died in 1727.
●
In 1760, Mir Jafar was replaced by his
●
Shuja-ud-din (1727-39) He was
son-in-law, Mir Qasim.
granted Governorship of Bihar by
Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah Mir Qasim (1760-64)
Rangeela.
●
Mir Qasim ceded Burdwan, Midnapur
●
Sarfaraz Khan (1739-40) Alivardi Khan
and Chittagong. He shifted his capital
deposed and killed Shuja-ud- din’s son,
from Murshidabad to Monghyr.
Sarfaraz Khan and made himself
Nawab.
●
Mir Qasim soon revolted as he was angry
with the British for misusing dastaks
●
Alivardi Khan (1746) Bribed
(free duty passes).
Muhammad Shah Rangeela and
legalised his position by receiving a
●
Battle of Buxar He formed an alliance
farman from him. He prevented the with Nawab of Awadh, Shuja-ud-daula
English and French fortifications at and Mughal Emperor Shah Alam-II and
Calcutta and Chandranagar fought with the British army at Buxar on
respectively. 22nd October, 1764. Mir Jafar was again
put on the throne by the Britishers.
Shiraj-ud-Daula (1756-57) ●
On Mir Jafar’s death, his son
●
Under the farman of 1717, the Nizam-ud-daula was placed on the
Company had rights to import or export throne and he signed a treaty on 20th
their goods in Bengal without paying tax February, 1765, by which the Nawab had
and right to issue passes or dastaks. to disband most of his army and to
Dastaks were misused for private trade administer Bengal through a deputy
by Company’s servants. subedar nominated by the company.
●
In 1756, Siraj-ud-Daula seized the
●
Robert Clive became the first Governor of
English factory at Kasimbazar and Bengal in 1765.
marched to Calcutta and occupied Fort ●
After the Battle of Buxar, the Company
William. Black hole tragedy took place. gave Shah Alam-II a subsidary of ` 26
Robert Clive recovered Calcutta and lakh and secured Diwani of Arrah and
Treaty of Alinagar was signed on 2nd Allahabad.
January, 1757. ●
The important outcome is the Treaty of
●
Battle of Plassey On 23rd June, 1757, Allahabad.
English won the battle against
Siraj-ud-daula, and compelled the Treaty of Allahabad
Nawab to concede all the demands. (August, 1765)
●
Mir Jafar, (Mir Bakhsh), Manik Chand ●
English got the Diwani rights (right to
(Officer incharge of Calcutta), collect revenue) of Bengal, Bihar and
Aminchand (rich Sikh merchant), Jagat Orissa) and gave 26 lakhs.
Seth (banker), Khadim Khan ●
The Dual Government of Bengal was
(Commander of Nawab’s army) all were established in 1765, wherein the
on the English side. company got the right to collect revenue
●
Mir Madan and Mohan Lal, Nawab’s but the Nizamat right (duty of
soldiers, fought bravely. administration) was with the Nawab.
●
Nawab was killed by Mir Jafar’s son ●
Warren Hastings ended the Dual
Miran. System of Government in 1772.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 73

ASCENDANCY OF Second War (1780-84)

Warren Hastings attacked French port Mahe,
THE BRITISH ●

which was in Haider Ali’s territory. Haider

Ali led a joint front with Nizam and Maratha
Carnatic Wars and captured Arcot. In 1781, Haider Ali was
defeated at Porto Novo by Eyre Coote.
First War (AD 1746-48) ●
Treaty of Mangalore (1784) was signed by
●
A war between France and England.
Tipu Sultan on the basis of all mutual
●
Nawab of Carnatic’s army was restitution of conquests.
defeated by French under Dupleix,
in the Battle at St Thome. Third War (1789-92)
Afterwards, the French besieged ●
Marathas and Nizam aided the British, Lord
Madras. Cornwallis captured Bangalore.
●
The war ended with Treaty of ●
Treaty of Seringapatnam signed; Tipu
Aix-la-Chapelle (1748), which also ceded half of his territories.
ended the Austrian war of
succession. Fourth War (1799)
●
Lord Wellesley attacked, Tipu died while
Second War (AD 1749-54) fighting.
●
Dupleix alligned with Muzaffar Jung ●
Tipu used the iron (−) cased rockets in the
(Hyderabad) and Chanda Sahib 3rd and 4th Anglo- Mysore Wars.
(Carnatic). ●
It placed England on the military supremacy
●
After initial victory of the French, in India.
ultimately Robert Clive emerged
victorious. Anglo-Maratha Wars
●
War ended with Treaty of
Pondicherry/ Treaty of Godehu.
First War (1775-82)
●
The Siege of Arcot (1751) made
●
English favoured Raghunath Rao to become
Clive a national hero in England. the Peshwa but were defeated and signed the
Convention of Wadgaon.
Third War (AD 1758-63) ●
British later signed Treaty of Salbai
●
French Governor Count de Lally renouncing the cause of Raghunath Rao.
captured Fort St David.
Second War (1803-06)
●
French were defeated by British in
the decisive Battle at Wandiwash in The Peshwas signed the Treaty of Bassein
AD 1760. Pondicherry was returned (1802), which was a treaty for subsidiary
to France by Treaty of Paris. alliances.
●
Local version of “seven years war” in Third War (1817-19)
Europe.
Lord Hastings moved against Marathas and
Marathas were decisively defeated.
Anglo-Mysore Wars
First War (1766-69) Anglo-Sikh Wars
Began after the death of Ranjit Singh in 1839.
Haider Ali defeated the British, Treaty
of Madras signed.
74 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

The Sikhs (Punjab) First War (1845–46)

■
Guru Nanak (1469-1539) Born in Talwandi, Sikh were defeated, ‘Treaty of Lahore’
the first Sikh guru and established Nanak ended the war.
Panth. Second War (1948-49)
■
Guru Angad (1539-52) Invented Dalhousie annexed Punjab. Sir John
Gurumukhi script for Punjabi language. Lawrence became the first
■
Guru Amardas (1552-74) Divided his Commissioner of Punjab.
spiritual empire into 22 parts called Manjis,
which was put under the charge of a Sikh. Anglo-Burmese Wars
Mughal Emperor Akbar visited him. Burma was united by king Aloung Paya
■
Guru Ramdas (1575-81) Founded the city of between 1752-60. His successor
Amritsar. He dug a tank (sarovar) and Bodopaya repelled many Chinese
constructed Harmandir Sahib in the midst of invasions and conquered the states of
the tank. Arakan and Manipur (1813).
■
Guru Arjun Dev (1581-1606) He compiled the First War (1824)
Adi Granth. Completed the construction of
In 1824, British Indian authority
Amritsar and founded the cities of Taran and
declared war on Burma and occupied
Kartarpur. He was executed by Jahangir.
Rangoon and reached the capital Ava,
■
Guru Har Govind Rai (1606-45) peace came in 1826 by Treaty of
Transformed Sikhs into warrior class and Yandabo.
defeated Mughal army at Sangrama. Fortified
Amritsar and built Akal Takhqt at Golden Second War (1852)
Temple. Took the title of ‘Padshah’ and founded Annexation of Pegu, the capital province
the city of Kiratpur in Kashmir. only remained free.
■
Guru Har Rai (AD 1645-61)He met Dara
Shikoh, son of Aurangzeb. Third War (1885)
■
Guru Har Kishan (1661-64) Ramraya British attacked over Burma and
established separate seat of Guru at Dehradun. Thibaw surrendered. In 1935, Burma
was separated from India. Movement of
■
Guru Teg Bahadur (1664-75) Executed by Burma reached a new height under
Aurangzeb at Delhi. Sis Ganj Gurudwara marks leadership of U Aung San and Burma
the site of his martyrdom. got independence.
■
Guru Gobind Singh (1675-1708) (born in
Patna) He was Tenth and the last Sikh Guru. He Anglo-Afghan Wars
organised a community of warriors called Khalsa
(Baisakhi Day, 1699), summoned the assembly of First War (1839-42) or
Sikhs at Anantpur and 5 persons were selected Auckland’s Folly
(Panj Piaras), who took the water of immortality. ●
In 1839, British replaced Dost
■
The Sikhs were required to keep 5 k's viz Kesh, Muhammad by placing Shah Shuja.
Kripan, Kachcha, Kangha and Kara. He compiled British faced a popular revolt but were
Dasween Padshah ka Granth. He was able to re-occupy Kabul. However,
stabbed to death by a Pathan in 1708. they had to restore the throne to Dost
■
Maharaja Ranjeet Singh (1792-1839) Born Muhammad. British occupied Kabul
in 1780 at Gujranwala, he founded the Sikh rule in 1842.
in Punjab. He occupied Lahore in 1799 and made Second War (1878-80)
it his capital. He annexed Amritsar (1802),
Ludhiana, Kangra, Multan, attacked Kashmir and
●
British India attacked Afghanistan
Peshawar. He died in 1839. during period of Sher Ali. Sher Ali was
defeated by Lord Lytton and his sons
■
Successors of Ranjit Singh Kharak Singh signed the Treaty of Gandamak
(1839-40), Naunihal Singh (1840), Sher Singh (Yakub Khan).
(1841-43), Dalip Singh (1843-49). ●
British adopted the principle of
non-interference.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 75

Third War Drain of Wealth Theory

●
Durand line was reaffirmed between ●
‘‘Drain of Wealth’’ refers to a portion of
British India and Afghanistan. National Product of India, which was not
●
Treaty of Rawalpindi was signed. available for consumption of its own
●
Afghan independence with full people.
sovereignity in Foreign Affairs. ●
Dadabhai Naoroji first cited the drain of
wealth theory in his book titled Poverty
ECONOMIC AND and Un-British Rule in India.
RC Dutt blamed the British policy for
COMMERCIAL
●

Indian economic ills in his book Economic

POLICY History of India.
●
Drain of wealth began in 1757 after Battle
The ‘gradual development of Economic
of Plassey. In 1765, the company acquired
and Commerical Policy has been traced
the diwani of Bengal and began the
through three stages of British
purchase of Indian goods out of the
colonialism by RP Dutta.
revenue of Bengal and exported them.
These purchases were known as
Phases of Economic Policy Company’s investments.
Early Phase (1600-1757)
The East India Company was purely a
LAND REVENUE
trading company, dealing with import of SYSTEMS
goods and precious metals into India and
export of spices and textiles. Permanent Settlement
●
Introduced in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa,
Mercantile Phase (1757-1813) districts of Banaras and Northern
They imposed their own prices and had districts of Madras by Lord Cornwallis in
no relation with the cost of production. 1793.
The Company used its political power and ●
John Shore planned this settlement.
monopolised trade and dictated terms to ●
Assured of their ownership, many
the weavers of Bengal. The Company zamindars stayed in towns and exploited
used revenue of Bengal to finance exports their tenants.
of Indian goods. ●
It declared zamindars as the owners of the
Industrial Phase (1813-1858) land. Hence, they could keep 1/11th of the
revenue collected to themselves while the
The British mercantile industrial British got a fixed share of 10/11th of the
capitalist class exploited India. Charter revenue collected. The zamindars were
Act of 1813, allowed ‘one way free trade’ free to fix the rate.
for British citizens resulting in Indian
markets flooded with cheap and machine Ryotwari Settlement
made imported goods from Britain. ●
Introduced in Bombay, Madras and
Indians not only lost their foreign markets Assam. Munro and Charles Reed
but their Indian markets also. recommended it.
In this, the direct settlement was made
Finance Imperialism ●

between the Government and the Ryots.

(1858 Onwards) ●
The revenue was based on the basis of the
This phase saw export of capital from quality of the soil and the nature of the
India and also chains of British controlled crop. The revenue was fixed for a period
banks, export import firms and managing not exceeding 30 years. It was based on
agency houses. Exploitation through the ‘Scientific Rent Theory of Ricardo.’
railways is the best example of finance ●
The position of the cultivator became
Imperialism. more secure.
 76 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

Mahalwari System A settlement was made with the village,

which maintained a form of common
●
Introduced in the area of Ganga
ownership known as Bhaichara or with
valley, North-West Frontier Provinces
Mahals, which were group of villages.
parts of Central India and Punjab. Revenue was periodically revised.
●
Revenue Settlement was to be made
by village or estates with landlords.

REVOLT OF 1857
CAUSES OF THE ●
Mangal Pandey was hanged.
REVOLT ●
On 10th May, 1857, the sepoys at Meerut
refused to use Enfiled Rifles and revolted.
●
Political Nana Sahib was refused The mutiny spread throughout Uttar
pension as he was the adopted son of Pradesh and sepoys moved to Delhi crying
Peshwa Baji Rao-II to lead the revolt at March to Delhi.
Kanpur. ●
At Delhi, Bahadur Shah II was
●
Awadh (Lucknow) was annexed declared ‘Shahenshah-i-Hindustan.’
in 1856, on charge of ●
Where the rulers were loyal to the British,
maladministration and Jhansi was the soldiers revolted as in Gwalior and
annexed owing to the Doctrine of Indore. In some places, people revolted
Lapse. before the sepoys.
●
In the beginning, the rebels were
Military Discrimination successful. Europeans were killed, police
Indian soldiers were paid low salaries, stations and law courts were attacked and
they could not rise above the rank of revenue records were destroyed. But, the
Subedar and were racially insulted. revolt was soon suppressed.

Religious Discrimination Centres of Revolt and

The social reforms by British was against
the people’s will (widow remarriage,
their Leaders
abolition of sati, school for girls, ■
Delhi Bahadur Shah II, General Bakht Khan
Christian missionaries etc). Soldiers ■
Kanpur Nana Sahib/Dhondhu Pant (adopted
were asked to use the Enfield Rifles with son of Baji Rao-II) Tantia Tope, Azimullah khan
greased (by pork or beef) cartridges. ■
Jhansi Rani Lakshmi Bai
■
Lucknow Begum Hazrat Mahal, her son Birjis
Economic Grievances Qadir.
Heavy taxations, discriminatory tariff ■
Faizabad Maulavi Ahamdullah
policy; destruction of traditional ■
Bareilley Khan Bahadur Khan
handicrafts that hit peasants, artisans
and small zamindars.
■
Bihar (Arrah) Kunwar Singh, Zamindar of
Jagdishpur.
Outbreak of the Revolt
●
Bengal Resentment in which 19 Suppression of the Revolt
native infantries of Behrampur, ●
John Lawrence remarked, ‘‘Had a single
refused to use the newly introduced leader of ability arisen among them we
Enfield Rifle. must have been lost beyond redemption.’’
●
Mangal Pandey 34th native infantry Delhi was captured on 20th September,
fired at the sergeant major of his 1857 by John Nicholson and Bahadur
regiment. Known as a part of Mutiny of Shah II was deported to Rangoon, where
Barrackpur. he died in 1862. His sons were shot dead at
Delhi.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 77

●
Jhansi was captured by Hugh Rose on 17th ●
The military equipments of rebels were
June, 1858. Rani Lakshmi Bai died in the inferior.
battle field. ●
The most significant feature of the
●
Lucknow was recaptured on revolt was the exhibition of
21st March, 1858 by Colin Campbell, Hindu–Muslim Unity.
Havelock and Outram. ●
Concentrated on the Northern part of
●
Nana Sahib and Hazrat Mahal both India.
escaped to Nepal.
●
William Taylor and Edgre suppressed the Impacts of the Revolt
revolt at Arrah. Tantia Tope was betrayed ●
In August 1858, the British Parliament
by a friend. He was captured and executed passed an Act, which put an end to the
on 15th April, 1859. rule of the Company. The
responsibility of the administration of
Rani Lakshmi Bai British India passed into the hands of
the British Queen and the Parliament.
Rani Lakshmi Bai, nicknamed Manu, was married
to Raja Gangadhar Rao in 1842. The couple
●
An office of the Secretary of State for
adopted a child in 1853 but Lord Dalhousie India with a 15 members’ council was
wished to annex Jhansi under the Doctrine of constituted for the administration of
Lapse. Rani did not surrender and died fighting at India.
Kalpi near Jhansi during the Revolt of 1857. ●
The designation of the Governor-
General was changed to Viceroy, who
was to act as a representative.
Causes Behind the Failure of ●
‘Doctrine of Lapse’ was withdrawn.
the Revolt Princely states were assured against
●
Lack of unity and poor organisation of the annexation.
revolt. All the classes of the society were ●
The British pursued the divide and
not effected or participated in the revolt. rule policy.
●
Lack of common motive for participating ●
Increase in the number of white
in the revolt. Some of the rulers like soldiers in the army.
Scindhias, Nizam and Holkars helped ●
Total expense of the suppression was
Britishers in reppressing the revolt. borne by the Indians.

Opinions on the Nature of the 1857 Revolt

Opinion-Maker Nature of Revolt
Sir John Seeley Wholly unpatriotic and selfish sepoy mutiny with no native leadership
T R Holmes A conflict between civilsation and barbarism
Outram and Taylor A Hindu-Muslim conspiracy
VD Savarkar Indian War of Independence
Bipin Chandra The entire movement lacked a unified and forward looking programme
to be implemented after the capture of power
SN Sen What began as a fight for religion ended as a war of independence
Benjamin Disraeli Is it a military mutiny or is it a national revolt?

Dr RC Majumdar The so called First National War of Independence 1857, is neither First,
nor National, nor War of Independence
Malleson Sepoy Mutiny
 78 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

GOVERNOR-GENERALS OF BENGAL
Warren Hastings (1772-85) ●
Third Anglo-Mysore War and the Treaty
●
He became Governor of Bengal in 1772 of Seringapatnam.
and first Governor-General of Bengal in ●
He undertook police reforms.
1774, through the Regulating Act of 1773. ●
Reform of the Judiciary (1793) setting up
●
He abolished the dual system of courts at different levels and separation of
administration. revenue administration from Judicial
●
Divided Bengal into districts and administration.
appointed collectors and other revenue
officials.
Sir John Shore (1793-1798)
●
Established India’s first Supreme Court
●
He played an important role in planning
in Calcutta. the Permanent Settlement.
●
He founded Asiatic Society of Bengal
●
He introduced First Charter Act (1793).
with William Jones in 1784 and wrote ●
He was famous for his policy of
introduction to the first English non-interference.
translation of the Gita by Charles ●
Battle of Kharla between Nizam and
Wilkins. Marathas (1759).
●
Started Diwani and Faujdari adalats
and the district level Sadar diwani and Lord Wellesley (1798-1803)
Nizmat adalats (appellate courts). ●
Introduced the system of Subsidiary
●
He redefined Hindu and Muslim laws. A Alliance. Madras presidency was formed
translation of code in Sanskrit appeared during his tenure.
under the title ‘Code of Gentoo laws’. ●
In Fourth Anglo-Mysore War 1799, Tipu
●
First Anglo-Maratha War occurred Sultan died.
during his period, which ended with ●
First subsidiary treaty with Nizam of
Treaty of Salbai (1776-82). Hyderabad.
●
Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-84), ●
Second Anglo-Maratha War.
ended with Treaty of Mangalore. ●
In 1800, he set-up Fort William College
●
Rohilla War in 1774. in Calcutta. He was famous as Bengal
●
Pitts India Act, 1784 and Edmund Tiger. He brought the Censorship of Press
Burke Bill, 1783 was passed. Act, 1799.
●
Deprived zamindar of their judicial
powers. Maintenance of records was
Subsidiary Alliance
made compulsory. ■
The subsidiary alliance system was used by
●
Impeachment proceedings started Wellesley to bring Indian states within the
against him in Britain on the charges of orbit of British political power.
taking bribes. After a trial of 7 years, he ■
Under this system, the ruler of the allying
was finally acquitted. Indian state was compelled to accept the
Permanent Stationing of a British force within
Lord Cornwallis (1786-1793) his territory and to pay a subsidy for its
●
First person to codify laws (1793). The maintenance. British promised that they will
code separated the revenue not interfere in the internal affairs but this was
administration from the administration a promise they seldom kept.
of justice. ■
It disarmed the Indian states and threw British
●
He introduced Izaredari System in protectorate over them.
1773. ■
First to accept subsidiary alliance was Nizam
●
He started the Permanent Settlement of Hyderabad 1798, the second was the
of Bengal. Nawab of Awadh, 1801.
●
He created the post of District Judge. ■
The Peshwa, the Bhonsle, the Scindhia and
He is known as Father of Civil Services Rajputs of Jodhpur, Jaipur accepted the
in India. subsidiary alliance.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 79

Sir George Barlow (1805-07) ●

Introduced the Ryotwari settlement in
Madras by Thomas Munro, the
●
Vellore mutiny (1806, by soldiers). Governor.
●
Second Anglo-Maratha War ended. ●
Treaty of Sangli with Gorkhas (1816).
Treaty of Poona (1817) with the the
Lord Minto I (1807-1813) ●

Peshwa.
●
Treaty of Amritsar (1809) with Ranjit ●
Suppression of Pindaris (1817-1818).
Singh.
●
The Charter Act of 1813 ended the Lord Amherst (1823-28)
monopoly of East India Company in India. ●
First Anglo Burmese War (1824-26),
Lord Hastings (1813-23) signed Treaty of Gandaboo in 1826
with lower Burma of Pegu, by which
●
Adopted the policy of intervention and British merchants were allowed to
war. settle on Southern coast of Burma.
●
Anglo-Nepal War (1813-23). ●
Acquisition of Malaya Peninsula and
●
Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-18). Bharatpur (1826).

GOVERNOR-GENERALS OF INDIA
Lord William Bentinck Lord Ellenborough (1842-44)
(1828-1835) ●
Brought an end to the Afghan War
●
Most liberal and enlightened amongst all (1842).
the Governor-Generals of India, ●
Abolished Slavery
●
Regarded as the ‘Father of Modern ●
Sind was annexed by Charles Napier.
Western Education in India’. He was appointed as First Governor of
●
Abolition of Sati in 1829. Sind.
●
Suppression of Thugi (1830). Lord Hardinge (1844-48)
●
Passed the Charter Act, of 1833. ●
First Anglo-Sikh War and the Treaty of
●
Deposition of Raja of Mysore and Lahore.
annexation of his territories (1831).
●
Abolition of Provincial court of Appeal and Lord Dalhousie (1848-56)
appointment of commissioners instead. ●
Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49) and
He was the First Governor-General of annexation of Punjab.
India. ●
Abolished titles and pensions.
●
First Medical College was opened in ●
Widow Remarriage Act (1856).
Calcutta in 1835. ●
Introduced Doctrine of Lapse.
●
Treaty of Friendship with Ranjit Singh ●
Woods Educational Despatch of 1854.
(1831).
●
Introduction of the Railway, Telegraph
●
Annexed Coorg (1834) and Central
and the Postal System in 1853.
Cachar (1831).
●
Establishment of a separate Public
Sir Charles Metcalfe Works Department in every province.
An Engineering College was
(1835-36)
●

established at Roorkee.
Passed the famous Press Law, which ●
Planned to open universities in
liberated the press in India. He is known as
Calcutta, Bombay and Madras on the
the liberator of press.
model of Universities of London.
Lord Auckland (1836-42) ●
Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852).
●
First Afghan War (1836-42).
●
Santhal uprisings (1855-56).
●
Death of Ranjit Singh (1839).
●
Charter Act of 1853.
 80 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

He was the only Viceroy to be murdered

VICEROYS OF INDIA ●

in office by a convict in the Andaman in

1872.
Lord Canning (1856-1862) ●
He introduced state railways.
●
Revolt of 1857.
●
Universities of Calcutta, Bombay and Lord Northbrook (1872-76)
Madras were opened in 1857. ●
In 1872, Kuka Rebellion in Punjab led by
●
He was last Governor-General Ram Singh. Famine in Bihar (1876).
appointed by the East India Company ●
He resigned over Afghanistan question.
and the first Viceroy.
●
Trial of Gaekwads of Baroda.
●
Passed the Government of India Act
of 1858, which ended the rule of the
East India Company.
Lord Lytton (1876-80)
●
Most unpopular Viceroy of India.
●
The Doctrine of Lapse was withdrawn.
The Indian Penal Code (1859) was
●
Arranged the Grand Darbar in Delhi (in
passed. Income tax was introduced for 1877), when the country was suffering
the first time in 1858. from severe famine.
●
The Indigo riots in Bengal.
●
Passed the Royal Title Act, (1876) and
Queen Victoria was declared as
●
The Indian Councils Act of 1861 was
Kaiser-i-Hind.
passed, which proved to be a landmark
in the constitutional history of India.
●
He passed Arms Act, (1878) the infamous
Vernacular Press Act, (1878) and lowered
●
Indian High Court Act, (1861). Under
the maximum age of ICS from 21 to 19
this act, High Courts were opened in
years.
1865.
●
Second Anglo-Afgan War 1878-80.
●
Bombay and Madras founded in 1857.
●
Famine Commission under Starchy was
Lord Elgin-I (1862-63) appointed by him in 1878.
●
Wahabi Movement suppressed.
●
In 1876, Deccan Agrarian Relief Act was
passed.
Sir John Lawrence Lord Ripon (1880-1884)
(1864-69) ●
He was appointed by the Liberal Party
●
High Courts were established at under Gladstone. Repealed the Vernacular
Calcutta, Bombay and Madras in Press Act in 1882.
1865. War with Bhutan in 1865. ●
The first Factory Act, came in 1881
●
The Punjab Tenancy Act, was passed. (Improve the labour condition). In rural
areas, Local Boards were set-up in 1889,
Lord Mayo (1869-72) Madras Local Board Act, was passed. He
●
Introduction of financial was famously known as “Father of Local
decentralisation in India and made Self Government”.
the first Provincial Settlement in ●
First Official Census in India (1881).
1870. ●
Famine code was adopted (1883).
●
He established the Department of ●
Appointed Hunter Commission for
Agriculture and Commerce. Educational reforms in 1882.
●
He organised the Statistical Survey of ●
Ilbeqrt Bill Controversy (1883-84), which
India. In 1872, the first Census was empowered Indian Judges to inquire into
done in India. He established the European cases.
Rajkot College in Kathiawar and
Mayo College at Ajmer.
●
Foundation of Punjab University.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 81

Lord Dufferin (1884-88) Lord Minto-II (1910-1910)

●
Third Anglo-Burmese War and annexation ●
Swadeshi Movement.
of Burma (1885). ●
Surat split (split in Congress between
●
Formation of Indian National Congress the moderates and the extremists,
(INC) in 1885. 1907).
●
Bengal Tenacy Act, in 1885. ●
Indian Councils Act, 1909 and
●
Dufferin called the Indian National Morley-Minto Reforms.
Congress as ‘microscopic minority’. ●
Foundation of Muslim League, 1906.
●
Newspapers Act, 1908.
Lord Lansdowne (1888-94)
●
Factory Act, of 1891. Lord Hardinge-II
●
Indian Council Act, of 1892. (1910-1916)
●
Civil Services were classified- Imperial, ●
Annulment of the Partition of Bengal
Provincial and Subordinate services. in 1911.
●
In 1891, Age of Consent Act, under which ●
Bomb was thrown at Hardinge near
marriage of girl below 12 years was Chandni Chowk, but escaped unhurt.
prohibited. ●
Transfer of capital from Calcutta to
●
Appointment of Durand Commission in Delhi in 1911.
1893 to define the line between British ●
Darbar in Delhi and Coronation of
India and Afghanistan.
George V in 1911.
Lord Elgin II (1894-1899) ●
In 1912, Bihar and Orissa separated
from Bengal and, became a new
●
The Santhal uprising of 1899.
state.
●
Munda uprising of 1899.
●
Establishment of Hindu Mahasabha
●
Lyall Commission appointed after famine. by Madan Mohan Malviya (1915).
●
Assassination of two British officials by the ●
Gandhiji came back to India from
Chapekar brothers in 1897. South Africa (1915).
●
Plague spread in Bombay.
Lord Chelmsford
Lord Curzon (1899-1905) (1916-21)
●
Appointed a Police Commission in 1902 ●
Government of India Act, 1919 also
under Andrew Frazer.
known as Montague-Chelmsford
●
Universities Commission appointed in Reforms.
1902, under Thomas Railey. ●
Repressive Rowlatt Act, (1919).
●
Indian Universities Act, passed in 1904. ●
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (13th
●
Famine Commission under Macdonell. April, 1919).
●
A new Department of Commerce and ●
Home Rule Movement both by Tilak
Industry established.
and Annie Beasant.
●
Partition of Bengal (16th October, 1905). ●
Saddler Commission on Education
●
The risings of the frontier tribes in 1897-98 in 1917.
led him to create the North-Western
Frontier Province.
●
Appointment of Hunter Commission
to look into Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy.
●
He passed the Ancient Monuments
Protection Act, (1904) to restore India’s
●
Chambers of Prince, 1921,
cultural heritage. Thus, the Archaeological established.
Survey of India was established. ●
Non Co-operation Movement Started,
●
Passed the Indian Coinage and Paper Khilafat movement initiated.
Currency Act, (1899) and put India on a ●
An Indian Sir SP Sinha was appointed
gold standard. as the Governor of Bengal.
●
PUSA Agricultural Institute in 1903. ●
Death of Tilak (1920).
 82 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

Lord Reading (1921-1926) ●

During his period Orissa was separated
from Bihar (1936) and a new province
●
Rowlatt Act was repealed along with Press Sind was created (1936), Burma
Act of 1910. separated from India as well in 1935.
●
Holding of simultaneous examination for ●
All India Kisan Sabha, 1936.
the ICS in England and India from 1923. ●
Foundation of Congress Socialist Party,
Prince of Wales visited India in November, 1934.
1921.
●
Moplah Rebellion (1921) took place in Lord Linlithgow (1936-43)
Kerala. ●
First General Election (1936-37)
●
Chauri-Chaura incident and withdrawal of Congress Ministries.
Non-Coperation Movement. ●
SC Bose president of 51st INC (1938).
●
Formation of Swaraj Party by CR Das and ●
Forward Bloc founded in 1939.
Motilal Nehru (1923). ●
Deliverance day by Muslim League
●
Communist Party of India founded by MN 1939.
Roy (1925). ●
Lahore Resolution of Muslim League
●
Kakori Train Conspiracy (1925). (1940) demand of Pakistan.
●
Vishwabharati University (1922). ●
August Offer, 1940.
●
Lee Commission (1924) for public ●
‘‘Divide & Quit’’ at the Karachi Session
services. Young Hilton Committee for (1940). Passing of Quit India
currency notes (1926). resolution (1942).
●
Royal Commission on agriculture. ●
In Haripura Session (1939) of Congress,
●
RSS founded in 1925. declared Complete Independence.
●
Murder of Swami Shraddhanand. ●
Cripps Mission, 1942.
●
Quit India Movement, 1942.
Lord Irwin (1926-1931) ●
In 1943, Muslim League celebrated
●
Simon Commission visited India in 1928. ‘Pakistan day’.
Buttler Commission in 1927.
●
Deepawali declaration by Lord Irwin (1929). Lord Wavell (1943-47)
●
All India Youth Congress, 1928.
●
CR Formula (Rajaji Formula), 1944.
●
Nehru Report, 1928.
●
Wavell Plan and Shimla Conference,
1945.
●
Lahore Session of the Congress, (1929)
and Poorna Swaraj declaration.
●
Cabinet Mission came to India in May,
1946. The Congress and the Muslim
●
First Round Table Conference 1930, league both rejected its proposals.
Congress boycotted it. ●
Muslim League celebrated 16th
●
Civil Disobedience Movement, 1930 August, 1946 as ‘Direct Action Day’.
started with. ●
INA trials and the Naval Mutiny, 1946.
●
Dandi March (12th March, 1930).
●
Gandhi-Irwin Pact, 5th March, 1931. Lord Mountbatten
●
Sharda Act, 1929, under which (March to August, 1947)
marriageable age of girls (14 years) and ●
June third plan.
boys (18 years) was raised. ●
Last British Viceroy of British India.
●
Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Chandra ●
First Governor-General of free India.
Bose founded Independence of India ●
Boundary commissions under Radcliffe.
League. ●
Introduction of Indian Independence
Lord Wellington (1931-1936) Bill in the House of Commons.
●
Second and Third Round Table C Rajagopalachari
Conferences. ●
Last Governor-General of India.
●
Communal Award by Mcdonald (British ●
The only Indian Governor-General to
PM). Government of India Act, 1935. remain in office from 21st June, 1948
●
Poona Pact was signed. to 25th January, 1950.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 83

GROWTH OF
MODERN EDUCATION IN INDIA
First Phase (1758-1812) ●
The controversy was settled by
●
Initially, the East India Company was not Macaulay’s Education Policy 1835,
interested in the development of which was approved by Lord William
education. Some minor exceptions were Bentinck. The policy favoured English
efforts by individuals. education to a traditional one.
●
The Calcutta Madrasa established by ●
In 1844, Lord Hardinge decided to give
Warren Hastings in 1781, for the study of government employment to Indians
Muslim law. educated in English schools. This
●
The Sanskrit College established by further boosted the Western education
Jonathan Duncan at Banaras in 1791, for in India.
the study of Hindu law and philosophy. ●
Bethune school was founded by JED
●
Fort William College established by Bethune at Calcutta (1849),
Wellesley in AD 1800, for training of Civil Agricultural Institute at Pusa
Servants of the Company in Indian (Bihar) and Engineering Institute at
languages and customs (closed in AD Roorkee.
1802).
Third Phase (1854-1900)
Second Phase (1813-1853) ●
In 1854, Charles Wood prepared a
●
For the first time, the British Parliament despatch on an Educational System
included in 1813 Charter, a clause under for India, which came to be called the
which the Governor-General-in-Council Magna Carta of Education in the
was bound to keep a sum not less than one country. According to Wood’s scheme
lakh rupees, for education. However, the (i) The government needed to spread
company used this fund for promoting Western education through English
Indian language and literature. medium for higher education. But
●
The charter allowed the Christian Vernacular primary schools should
missionaries to spread their religious ideas be set-up in rural areas.
in India. (ii) A grants-in-aid system to
●
The greatest importance of the 1813 Act encourage private enterprises
was that the Company, for the first time, involvement in education.
acknowledged state responsibility for (iii) A department of public instruction
promotion of education in India. to be set-up in each of the five
provinces.
●
Establishment of Calcutta College in 1817
with the efforts of Raja Ram Mohan Roy (iv) Universities in Calcutta (1857),
for imparting Western education. Three Bombay (1857) and Madras (1857)
Sanskrit colleges were set-up at Calcutta. were established.
(v) Teacher’s training institutions.
●
In 1823, a General Committee of Public
Instruction was appointed to look after the (vi) Promotion of Education for
development of education in India, but Women.
failed due to Orientalist-Anglicist ●
Most of Wood's proposals were
controversy over the nature of education implemented, which led to
i.e. traditional or Western and the medium Westernisation of the Indian
of instruction. Educational System.
 84 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

●
In 1882, Lord Ripon appointed the Hunter
Sergeant Plan, 1944 Commission under Sir WW Hunter. The
■
The Sergeant Plan, worked out by the commission’s views were restricted to
Central Advisory Board of Education in primary and secondary education. It
1944, called for elementary and higher emphasised over the state’s role in extending
secondary schools, universal, free and education, female education and to involve
compulsory education for children in the private enterprise in education.
6-11 age group and a six-year school ●
As a result, Punjab (1882) and Allahabad
course for the 11-17 age group. (1887) Universities were established.
■
Though, the plan aimed to reconstruct
education in 40 years, it was later Fourth Phase (1901-1920)
restricted to 16 years. ●
Lord Curzon appointed University
■
Sir John Sergeant was the Educational Commission under Sir Thomas Rayleigh
Advisor to the Government of India. Based on his report, the Indian Universities
Act was passed in 1904.

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL UPRISINGS

Brahmo Samaj ●
Established a Vedanta College (1825), in
●
Founded by Raja Rammohan Roy which courses both in Indian and Western,
(1771-1833). Social and Physical sciences were offered.
●
He is regarded as the first great ●
He wrote A Gift to monotheists or
leader and reformer of modern ‘Tuhafat-ul-Muwaihidin’ in Persian in 1809.
India. He was one of the earliest ●
Other important leaders of Brahmo Samaj
propagators of modern education. were Devendranath Tagore, who joined in
●
He started Atmiya Sabha in 1814. 1848 and Keshab Chandra Sen in 1858.
Brahmo Sabha in 1828 and Brahmo ●
Later, there was a split and in
Samaj in 1830. 1866-Devendranath Tagore founded Adi
●
He was deeply influenced by Brahmo Samaj and Tattva Bodhini Sabha
monotheism, anti-idolatry of Islam, and Brahmo Samaj of India was founded
Sufism, ethical teachings of under the leadership of Keshab Chandra
Christianity, liberal and rationalist Sen.
doctrine of the West. ●
Anand Mohan Bose started Sadharan
●
He laid emphasis on human dignity Brahmo Samaj.
and criticised social evils. ●
Justice MG Ranade founded the Prarthana
●
He launched a movement for the Samaj.
abolition of Sati through his journals
Sambad Kaumudi (1819), Precepts Brahmo Ideas
of Jesus in 1820.
The purpose of Brahmo Samaj was to purify
●
He was a gifted linguist. He knew
Hinduism and to preach monotheism. It was
more than a dozen languages
opposed to idol worship, priesthood and ritualistic
including Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic,
worship; Emphasised on worship through prayer,
English, French, Latin, Greek and
meditation and reading from the upanishada.
Hebrew. He was opposed to Sanskrit
system of education.
●
He gave enthusiastic assistance to Arya Samaj
David Hare, who founded the ●
The first Arya Samaj unit was founded by
famous Hindu College in Calcutta Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875 in
in 1817. Bombay.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 85

●
Swami Dayanand Saraswati was born ●
He urged people to inculcate the spirit of
in 1824 in Gujarat. His original name liberty, equality and free thinking.
was Mula Shankar. ●
He worked for emancipation of women.
●
He was known as the earliest ●
He emerged as a preacher of Neo
Neo-nationalist. He looked on the Hinduism. He advocated the Doctrine of
Vedas as ‘India’s Rock and Ages’. His Service-the service of all human beings.
motto was go back to the Vedas and He was considered as the Spiritual Father
India for the Indians. of the Modern Nationalist Movement.
●
Arya Samaj stood for four-fold Varna ●
Irish woman Margaret Noble (Sister
System determined by merit and not by Nivedita) popularised Ramakrishna
birth; for equal rights for men and Mission after Vivekananda’s death.
women.
Dharma Sabha
●
Opposed untouchability, caste
discrimination, child marriage and
●
The orthodox Hindus organised the
Dharma Sabha under leadership of Raja
supported widow remarriage and
Radhakant Dev in 1830 to counter
intercaste marriages.
Brahmo Samaj.
●
He wrote three books-Satyartha ●
It was opposed to reforms and protected
Prakash, Veda-Bhashya Bhumika orthodoxy, but played an active role in
and Veda Bhashya. promoting Western Education even to
●
In 1886, Lala Hansraj instituted girls.
Dayanand Anglo Vedic (DAV) school in
Lahore. In 1902, Gurukul Pathshala Paramhansa Mandali
was established at Haridwar. ●
Founded by Dadoba Pandurang and Bal
●
After the death of Dayanand in 1883, Shastri Jambhekar in 1849. The Mandalis
difference occured in Gurukul section believed in One God.
and DAV section. While Gurukul ●
Members took food cooked by low caste
section laid emphasis on the traditional people. Believed in permitting widow
pattern of education, the DAV stood for remarriage and in education of women.
the spread of English education.
Veda Samaj
●
The Arya Samaj started the Shuddhi ●
Called Brahmo Samaj of the South.
Movement to convert non-Hindus to
Started by Sridharalu Naidu.
Hinduism. Other prominent Arya
Samajists were Lala Hansraj, Pt Guru
●
He translated books of Brahmo Dharma
Dutt, Lala Lajpat Rai and Swami into Telugu and Tamil.
Shraddhanand. The Prarthana Sabha
Founded in 1867 by MG Ranade.
Ramakrishna Mission ●

●
Prominent leaders were Dr Atmaram
●
It was established by Swami
Pandurang and RG Bhandarkar and NG
Vivekanand to carry on humanitarian
Chandavarkar.
relief and social work after death of his ●
It rejected idolatry, denied the vedas, and
Guru Ram krishna Paramhansa in
adopted the method of Congregational
1897.
Worship.
●
His original name was Narendranath
Dutt. He was born in Calcutta in 1863. Young Bengal Movement
●
He stressed on social action and ●
During the late 1820 and early 1830, there
proclaimed the essential oneness of all emerged a radical intellectual trend
religions and condemned any among the youth in Bengal, which came to
narrowness in religious matters. be known as the ‘Young Bengal
●
He attended the Parliament of religions Movement’.
held at Chicago in 1893 and published ●
It was founded by Henry Louis Vivian
two papers Prabhudha Bharata in Derozio. He was a teacher in Hindu
English and Udbodhana in Bengali. College in Calcutta.
 86 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

●
They believed in truth, freedom and Seva Sadan
religion. Supported women’s education. ●
Founded by Behramji M Malabari in
●
Derozio edited the papers-Calcutta Bombay in 1885.
Gazzette and India Gazette. ●
Campaign against child marriage,
Swami Narayan Sampradaya enforced widowhood and care for
socially exploited women.
Founded by Swami Sahajananda in Gujarat
to protest against luxurious practices of Indian National Social
Vaishnavism. Conference
Namdhari/Kuka Movement ●
Founded by MG Ranade and
Raghunath Rao in Bombay in 1887.
●
Founded by Bhai Balak Singh and Baba
Ram Singh, in North-West frontier
●
Focus was to abolish polygamy and
province, Ludhiana, in 1841. Kulinism and promote intercaste
marriages. The conference is also
●
Spread the true spirit of Sikhism, opposed
to all caste distinctions. referred as Social Reform Cell of the
INC.
Indian Reform Association Madras Hindu Association
●
Founded by Keshab Chandra Sen in
Calcutta in 1870. Founded by Viresalingam Pantalu in
Madras in 1892. Movement concerned
●
Objective was to create public opinion with plight of women and to combat
against child marriages and for legalising devadasi system.
the Brahma form of marriage. Promoted
intellectual and social status of women. Bharat Dharma Mahamandala
Theosophical Society ●
Founded by Pandit Madan Mohan
Malaviya and Pandit Din Dayal
●
Founded by Madam HP Blavatsky and Sharma in Varanasi (1929).
Col HS Olcott in New York in 1875. ●
It was an organisation of orthodox
●
In 1882, its headquarters were shifted to Hindus.
Adyar (Tamil Nadu).
●
The Theosophical Society of India was The Servants of India Society
founded by Annie Beasant. She founded ●
Founded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale in
Central Hindu College in 1898, which Bombay (1905).
later became Banaras Hindu University in ●
Worked for famine relief, tribal welfare.
1916.
●
They drew inspiration from Indian Poona Seva Sadan (1909)
thought and culture. It advocated the Founded by GK Devadhar and Ramabai
revival and strengthening of ancient Pande in Pune for economic upliftment
religion of Hinduism, Zoroastrianism and and employment of women.
Buddhism. It accepted the law of Karma
and was inspired by Upanishada, Niskam Karma Math (1910)
Sankhya, Yoga and Vedanta. Founded by Dhondo Keshav Karve of
Pune. Worked for social reform, selfless
Deccan Education Society service to mankind, educational progress
●
Founded by MG Ranade, VG in women.
Chibdonkar, GG Agarkar in Pune 1884. The Bharata
●
Objective was to contribute to the cause of Stri Mandal (1910)
education and culture in Western India.
The society founded the Ferguson Founded by Saralabala Devi
Chaudharani in Calcutta. It was the First
College.
All India Women Organisation.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 87

Seva Samiti (1914) Lokahitawadi

Founded at Allahabad by Pandit Started by Gopal Hari Deshmukh. He
Hridayanath Kunzru to promote advocated Western education and free
education and reform criminal and fallen education for upliftment of women. As a
elements in the society. votary of national self-reliance, he attended
Delhi durbar in 1876, wearing hand spun
The Indian Women’s khadi cloth.
Association
Founded by Annie Beasant in Madras
Radha Swami Movement
(1917), for upliftment of women. ●
Started by Tulsi Ram (Shiv Dayal Saheb
or Swami Maharaj) in 1861.
Rahanumai Mazdayasan Sabha ●
He was a banker of Agra.
Founded in Bombay by SS Bengali, ●
He preached belief in guru’s supreme
Naoroji Furdonji and JB Nacha (1831). It position, one supreme being and on
was the Socio-religious organisation of the simple social life.
Parsis, founded for the restoration of
Zoroastrian religion to its pristine glory Deva Samaj
and social regeneration of the Parsi ●
Started by Shiv Narain Agnihotri
Community through modern education. in 1887.
Khudai Khidmatgar Movement ●
It preached high moral and social
conduct.
Started by Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan in
NWFP (1929).
●
Deva Shastra tells us about the ideals of
Deva Samaj.

Caste Movements and Organisations

Movements Location Leaders Courses
Satya Shodhak Maharashtra Jyotiba Phule n To fight against Brahaminical
Samaj (1873) domination and to liberate low
caste people by educating them.
n Started a school for untouchables.
n His books Ghulamgiri and
Sarvajanik Satyadharma Pustak
questioned the traditional customs
and beliefs of the society.
Shri Narayan Kerala Shri Narayan Guru n This movement was opposed to
Dharma Paripalan He also launched religious disabilities against lower
Yogam or SNDP the Aravipuram castes. Demanded free entry of
Movement movement people of lower castes to the
(1902-03) temples.
Temple Entry Kerala TK Madhavan n To allow lower castes to enter into
Movement Sri Narayana Guru the temples.
N Kumaran Asan
Bahujan Samaj Satara Mukundrao Patil n Opposed to exploitation of the
(1910) Maharashtra lower castes by the upper caste
Brahmin landlords and merchants.
Self-respect Madras EV Ramswami n Anti-Brahmin; advocated wedding
Movement without priest, forcible temple entry.
Harijan Sevak Pune Mahatma Gandhi n For removal of untouchability and
Sangh (1932) social discrimination against
untouchables.
Dravid Monnetra Madras CN Annadurai —
Kazhagam (1949)
88 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

Tribal Movements
Revolts Year Area
Chaur Uprising 1966-70 Bengal and Bihar
Kol Uprising 1824-28, 1839, 1899 Gujarat
Bhil Uprising 1818-31 Western Ghat
Rampa Rebellion 1879 Coastal Andhra
Khasi Rising 1846-48, 1855, 1914 Orissa
Kuki Rising under Rani Gaidilieu 1917-19 Manipur
Ho Rising 1820,1822, 1832 Singhbhum and
Chhotanagpur
Singpo Rising 1830-39 Assam
Kol Rising under Buddha Bhagat 1831-32 Ranchi, Singhbhum, and
Hazaribagh
Khond Rising under Chakrabisai 1846-48, 1855, 1941 Khandmal area in Orissa
Naikad Revolt under Roop Singh and 1858-59, 1868 Gujarat
Joria Bhagat
Kachhag Revolt under Sambhudaan 1882 Chhachar area of Assam
Bhil Rising under Govind Guru 1913 Baswana and Durgapur area
of South Rajasthan
Oraon Revolt under Jatra Bhagat 1914-15 Chhotanagpur area
Tharo Kuti Rising under Jadonand and 1917-19 Manipur
Rani Gaidilieu
Munda Revolt under Birsa Munda 1899-1900 Chhotanagpur area
Rampa Rebellion under Allari Sita Ram 1923-24 Andhra Pradesh
Raju

Muslim Socio-Religious Movements

Movement Location Leaders Courses
Fairazi Faridpur, Haji Emphasis on strict monotheism and to rid the
Movement Bengal Shariatullah, Muslim society of non-Islamic social customs.
(1804) Dudhi Miyan
Deoband Deoband Mohammad Against Western education and promoted classical
Movement Qasim studies in Islam.
(1867) Nanutavi,
Supported Indian National Congress and opposed
Rashid Ahmed the Aligarh Movement.
Ganghoi
Aligarh South Sir Syed Ahmed Liberalisation of Indian Islam and modernisation of
(1875) Khan Indian Muslim through religious reinterpretation and
modern education.
Urdu Journal-Tahzib-al-aklaq.
Founded Aligarh school in 1875, that grew into
Aligarh Muslim University.
Ahmadiyya Faridkot Mirza Ghulam Believed in universal religion for all humanity,
Movement Ahmed of opposed to Islamic orthodoxy and spread of Eastern
(1889-90) Qadiyan liberal education among the youth.
Ahrar — Riza Khan and Against Aligarh Movement.
Movement Ali Brothers
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 89

THE INDIAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT

THE INDIAN Objectives and Methods
NATIONAL CONGRESS of Work
●
The National Conference in 1883, Moderate Phase, (1885-1905)
decided to invite prominent public men ●
Development and consolidation of
and associations to discuss questions on feeling of national unity irrespective of
general concern. race, caste, religion or province.
●
Indian National Union–1884 was formed ●
Peaceful constitutional agitations,
by AO Hume. The National Conference and prayer and petitions were the
the Indian National Union merged to form instruments of work.
the Indian National Congress in 1885. ●
They succeeded in passing the Indian
●
The first meeting of INC was organised by Councils Act of 1892, which allowed
AO Hume at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit some members to be indirectly elected
College on 28th December, 1885 in by Indians, but keeping the official
Bombay. AO Hume was a retired British majority intact.
Civil Servant. Meeting was presided over
by Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee and Moderate Leaders
attended by 72 delegates. ●
AO Hume, DB Naoroji, Badruddin
●
It was the first organised expression of the Tayabji, MG Ranade, WC Banerjee, SN
Indian National Movement on an all India Banerjee, Pherozeshah Mehta, C
scale. In 1886, the delegates to Congress Shankaran Naiyar, MM Malviya, VS
became 436. Shrinivas Shastri, Tej Bahadur Sapru,
●
The venue of first meeting was Pune but it GK Gokhale, Anand Mohan Bose, E
was changed to Bombay due to out break of Dinesh Wacha, Ras Bihari Ghosh,
Cholera in Pune. Mohanlal Ghosh, P Anand Charlu, CY
●
Kadambini Ganguly was the first woman Chintamani, RC Dutt, S Subrahmanyam
graduate of Calcutta University to address Aiyer, KT Tailang, Madhusudan Das,
the Congress Session in 1889. Rahimtulla M Sayani.
●
Safety Valve Theory British historians ●
They worked to create a strong public
argue that Hume’s main purpose was to opinion to arouse consciousness and
provide a safety valve to the growing national spirit. They persuaded the
discontent among the educated Indians. British Government and British public
●
Opposition to Congress By Syed Ahmed opinion to introduce reforms in India.
Khan, Raja Shiva Prasad of Banaras and
Lord Dufferin (then Viceroy). Extremist Phase (1905-17)
Quick Digest Cause for the Rise of Extremists
■
Ist President of INC WC Bonnerjee
●
Dissatisfaction with the methods and
achievements of moderates.
■
Ist Woman President Annie Besant
■
Ist Muslim President Badruddin Tayabji
●
Growing consciousness about the
exploitative character of the British
■
Ist English President George Yule
rule. Loss of Britain in the Boer wars
■
Ist Indian Women Sarojini Naidu (1899-1902) demolished the myth of
President whiteman supremacy.
■
Gandhi became President 1924, Belgaum ●
Reactionary policies of Curzon-
■
Jawaharlal Nehru became 1929, Lahore University Act (1904), Indian Official
President Secrets Act (1904) to restrict freedom
■
Subhash Bose became 1938, Haripura of press and partition of Bengal.
President ●
Extremists gave the idea of India’s
■
JB Kriplani INC President at independence the central place in
Independence India’s politics.
 90 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

Methods of the Extremists ■

Banaras Session of INC, 1905-
●
Promotion of Swadeshi and Boycott of Presided by GK Gokhale–first call for
foreign goods. Non-Co-operation with Swadeshi.
Britishers (Passive Resistance).
■
Meeting of INC at Calcutta 7th
Extremist leaders- Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal August 1905–Resolution to boycott British
Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Sir goods was adopted.
Aurobindo Ghosh, Chakravarti Bose,
T Prakasham and Chidambaram Pillai. The Swadeshi and Boycott
●
They want to take the movement outside (1905-1908)
Bengal. ●
It had its origin in the Anti-Partition
movement of Bengal. Mass meetings
Partition of Bengal were held all over Bengal, where
●
Through a royal proclamation, Lord Swadeshi or the use of Indian goods
Curzon ordered Partition of Bengal and the boycott of British goods were
creating East Bengal and Assam out of rest proclaimed and pledged. Public
of Bengal on 16th October, 1905. burning of foreign cloth were organised
●
The objective was to set up a communal and shops selling foreign cloths were
gulf between the Hindus and Muslims. picketed.
●
An important aspect of the Swadeshi
●
The Indian National Movement entered its
Movement was the emphasis placed on
second phase after the Partition of Bengal.
self reliance or Atmashakti.
●
The British said that the existing province ●
Acharya PC Roy organised his famous
of Bengal was too big to be efficiently
Bengal Chemical Swadeshi stores.
administered by a single Provincial
Government.
●
The Swadeshi Movement had several
consequences like flowering of
●
The Indian National Congress and the nationalist poetry, journalism,
nationalists of Bengal firmly opposed the self-reliant and opening many national
Partition. Within Bengal, different sections educational institutions.
of population— zamindars, merchants, ●
Nationalist Educational Institutions
lawyers, students and even women rose up were founded e.g., Bengal Technical
in spontaneous opposition to the partition of Institute, Bengal National College.
their province. ●
BC Pal and Chidambram Pillai led
●
Divide and Rule The nationalists could Vandemataram Movement in Madras.
see that it was a deliberate attempt to ●
Lala Lajpat Rai and Ajit Singh led the
divide the Bengal’s territory on religious movement in Punjab. Syed Haider
grounds as for Eastern part Muslims will Raza led the movement in Delhi.
be in majority and for the Western part,
the Hindus. Why Swadeshi Movement
●
Rabindranath Tagore composed the Failed?
National Song Amar Sonar Bangla for the ●
Severe government repression.
occasion. This song was adopted as ●
Split in nationalists at Surat.
National Anthem by Bangladesh in 1971,
after its liberation from Pakistan.
●
Lack of effective organisation.
●
The movement was rendered
The Anti-Partition Movement leaderless.
●
The Anti-Partition movement was initiated Formation of Muslim League
on 7th August, 1905. On that day, a ●
Set-up in1906, under the leadership of
massive demonstration against the Aga Khan, Nawab Salimullah of Dhaka
partition, was organised in the Town Hall and Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk.
in Calcutta. ●
League supported Partition of Bengal,
●
The partition took effect on 16th October, opposed the Swadeshi Movement,
1905. demanded special safeguards for its
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 91

community and separate electorate for first Indian member to the executive
Muslims. council.
●
Annulment of Partition In 1911, the
Calcutta Session of INC (1906) Dadabhai
government announced annulment of the
Naoroji, the President of the session,
Partition of Bengal. Western and Eastern
declared that Self Govern- ment or Swaraj,
Bengal were to be reunited.
like that of United Kingdom was the goal of
Indian people.
Ghadar Party (1913)
●
Formed by Lala Hardayal, Taraknath Das
SURAT SPLIT (1907) and Sohan Singh Bakhna.
●
The INC splited into two groups during ●
The war period witnessed the growth of
the session at Surat in 1907. Extremists revolutionary movement not only in India,
were led by Lal, Bal, Pal, while but outside India as well, by the Indians.
Moderates were led by GK Gokhale. ●
Indian revolutionary in the United States
of America and Canada had established
Moderates the Ghadar (Rebellion) Party in 1913.
●
They demanded mild constitutional Most of the members of the party were
reforms, economic relief, Punjabi Sikh peasants and ex-soldiers,
administrative reorganisation and who migrated.
protection of civil rights. ●
The party was built around the weekly
paper ‘The Ghadar’, which carried the
Extremists caption Angrezi raj ka Dushman.
●
They were dissatisfied with the ●
Headquarters were at San Francisco.
achievement of the moderates. They ●
The outbreak of the first World War
realised that the true nature of British provided the Ghadarites with an
was exploitative. opportunity to free India from a
●
There were 3 groups of extremists The government, which was indifferent to
Maharashtrian group (headed by Bal their cause.
Gangadhar Tilak), the Bengal group ●
They began to return India in thousands
(represented by BC Pal and Aurobindo) for a revolt, but unfortunately the
and the Punjab group (led by Lala authorities came to know about their
Lajpat Rai). plans and took immediate action. The
●
Aurobindo published New lamps for rebellious regiments were disbanded and
their leader were either imprisoned or
old in the Indu Prakash in 1893-94. It
hanged.
was the first systematic critique of the
moderates.
●
Some of the prominent Ghadar leaders
were—Baba Gurumukh Singh, Kartar
Indian Councils Act of 1909 Singh Saraba, Sohan Singh Bakhna,
Rahmat Ali Shah, Bhai Paramanand and
or the-Morley Minto Mohammad Barkatullah.
Reforms ●
To carry out other revolutionary activities,
●
Number of elected members in the ‘‘Swadesh Sevak Home’’ at Vancouver and
imperial and provincial legislative United India House at Seattle was set-up.
councils increased. Separate Komagata Maru Incident (1914)
electorates introduced for Muslims.
●
Komagata Maru was a Japanese steam
●
Non-official members to be elected
ship that carried Sikh and Muslim
indirectly. Thus, election introduced for
immigrants from Punjab to Vancouver,
the first time.
Canada. But the ship was forced to return
●
Legislatures could pass resolutions, ask back to India by the Canadian authorities.
questions and supplementaries and vote The ship docked at Budge Budge
for separate items on the budget. in Calcutta. The Britishers considered the
●
One Indian to be taken in Viceroy’s passengers as dangerous political agitators
executive council. Satyendra Sinha was and tried to arrest Baba Gurdit Singh from
 92 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

among them. Police opened fire on Lucknow Session of the

them and 19 passengers died in the
incident. Congress (1916)
●
Presided by a moderate Ambika Charan
Home Rule Movement Majumdar. The growing nationalist
(1916) feeling in the country produced two
historic developments at the Lucknow
●
After Tilak’s return, having served
Session of the Indian National Congress
sentence of six years in Mandlay, he in 1916. Firstly-the two wings of the
tried securing the readmission of Congress were reunited, i.e., brought
himself and other extremists into the about an union of moderates and
Indian National Congress. With the extremists.
need being felt for popular pressure to
attain concessions, disillusionment with
●
Secondly at Lucknow, the Congress and
Morley-Minto reforms and wartime the All India Muslim League sank their
old differences and put up a common
miseries, Tilak and Annie Besant
political demand for representative
readied to assume leadership.
government and dominion status, before
●
The Home Rule League was pioneered the government. Congress accepted the
on lines of a similar movement in separate electorates. This led to
Ireland. Muslim League supported the Congress-League Pact.
movement. Its objective was to work for
social and political reforms.
Montague Declaration (1917)
Tilak’s Home Rule ●
A British policy was announced after the
Lucknow pact, which came to be known
Movement as the August Declaration. It aimed at
●
It started in April, 1916 at Poona. Tilak’s ‘‘increasing association of Indians in
league was to work in Maharashtra, every branch of the administration for
Karnataka, Central Province and Berar progressive realisation of responsible
excluding Bombay. Tilak linked up the government in India. The declaration
question of Swaraj with the demand for formed the basis of
the formation of linguistic states and Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, of
education in Vernacular language. 1919.
●
He gave the slogan “Swaraj is my birth
right and I shall have it.’’ Tilak’s
newspapers Maratha and Kesari were
Rowlatt Act (1919)
organs for home rule.
●
In 1919, a Sedition Committee headed
by Justice Rowlatt led to the Rowlatt
Annie Besant’s Home Rule Act. This act authorised the government
to imprison any person without trial and
Movement conviction by the Court of Law for 2
●
Started with George Arundale as years. The law also enabled the
Secretary at Adyar in September, 1916. government to suspend the right of
Annie Besant's league worked in rest of Habeas Corpus, which had been the
India. foundation of Civil Liberties in Britain. It
●
Annie Besant’s newspapers New India led to a countrywide agitation and
and Commonweal became important marked the foundation of
for this movement. She coined the term Non-Cooperation Movement.
Commonwealth. ●
During March and April 1919, the
●
Many moderate nationalists, who were country witnessed a remarkable political
dissatisfied with the Congress inactivity, awakening. There were hartals, strikes,
joined home rule agitation. In June processions and demonstrations.
1917, Annie Beasant was arrested,
popular pressure forced the government
to release her in September, 1917.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 93

Gandhi’s Return to India ●

On 13th March, 1940, Sardar Udham
Singh killed Dyer, when the latter was
●
Gandhi returned to India in January, addressing a meeting in Coxton Hall,
1915. He did not join any political London.
organisation that did not accept the
creed of non-violent Satyagraha. The Khilafat Movement
During 1917 and 1918, he was involved
in three struggles. (1920-1922)
●
During the first World War, Turkey allied
Champaran Satyagraha with Germany and Austria against British.
The Indian Muslim regarded the Sultan of
(1917) Turkey as their spiritual leader, Khalifa.
●
Ist Civil Disobedience Movement. ●
After the war, the British removed the
●
To look into the problems of indigo Khalifa from his power and fragmented
planters (tinkathia system) Turkey. Hence, the Muslim started the
Khilafat Movement in India, for the
Ahmedabad Mill Strike restoration of Khalifa’s position.
(1918) ●
The leaders were Ali brothers (Shaukat Ali
First hunger strike. To settle disputes and Mohammed Ali), Maulana Azad,
between the mill owners of Ahmedabad Hakim Ajmal Khan and Hasrat Mohani.
and the workers. Gandhi saw this as an opportunity to bring
about Hindu-Muslim unity against the
Kheda Satyagraha (1918) British, although CR Das opposed it
First Non-Cooperation Movement. Due initially.
to failure of crops, the farmers, with ●
The Central Khilafat Committee met at
Gandhi, withheld the revenue to get Allahabad. The meeting was attended by
remission based on revenue code. number of Congress and Khilafat leaders. In
this meeting, a programme of
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre non-cooperation towards the government
was declared. This included boycott of
(13th April, 1919) titles conferred by the government, boycott
●
The dissatisfaction against Rowlatt Act of civil services, army and police, i.e., of all
led to mass agitations. A large but government services.
unarmed crowd had gathered on 13th
April, 1919 at Amritsar (Punjab) in Non-Cooperation Movement
the Jallianwala Bagh, to protest
against the arrest of their popular (1920-1922)
leaders Dr Saif-ud-din Kitchlew and ●
It was the first mass based political
Dr Satyapal. movement under Gandhi.
●
General Dyer, the Military ●
The decision to not cooperate in the most
Commander of Amritsar, decided to peaceful manner with the government and
terrorise the people of Amritsar into its laws, was endorsed at the annual session
complete submission. Jallianwala of the Congress held at Nagpur, in 1920.
Bagh was a large open space, which The Nagpur Session also made changes in
was enclosed on three sides and had the Constitution of the Congress.
only one exit. General Dyer ●
Anti-Rowlatt agitation, Jallianwala Bagh
surrounded the Bagh, closed the exit tragedy, Khilafat Movement, general
with his troops and then ordered his economic distress during and after the war
men to shoot into the crowd. were the reasons for Non-Cooperation
Thousands were killed and wounded. Movement.
●
Rabindranath Tagore returned his ●
The Tilak Swarajya Fund started
knighthood in protest. financing the Non-Cooperation Movement.
●
Hunter Commission was appointed to The movement envisaged boycott of
inquire into it. school, colleges, law courts, foreign cloth
and advocated the use of Charkha.
 94 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

Revolutionary Organisations in India

Organisation Year Founder Place
Mitra Mela 1899 Savarkar Brothers Poona
Anushilan Samiti (I) 1902 Gyanendranath Bose Midnapur
Abhinav Bharat 1906 VD Savarkar Poona
Swadesh Bandhav Samiti 1905 Ashwini Kumar Dutt Barisal
Anushilan Samiti (II) 1907 Barindra Ghosh and Bhupendra Dhaka
Dutt
Bharat Mata Society 1907 Ajit Singh and Amba Prasad Punjab
Hindustan Republican 1924 Jogesh Chandra Chatterji Kanpur
Association Sachindranath Sanyal
Naujawan Sabha 1926 Bhagat Singh Lahore
Hindustan Socialist Republican 1928 Chandrashekhar Azad Delhi
Association

Revolutionary Organisations Formed Outside India

Organisation Year Founder Place
India House 1905 Shyamaji Krishna Verma London
Abhinav Bharat 1906 VD Savarkar London
Indian Independence League 1907 Tarak Nath Das USA
Ghadar Party 1913 Lala Hardayal, Tarak Nath-Das San Francisco
and Sohan Singh Bhakna
Indian Independence League 1914 Lala Hardayal and Birendra Berlin
Government Indian
Independence League 1942 Ras Bihari Bose Tokyo
Indian National Army 1942

●
Boycott of the forthcoming visit of Prince Spread of Non-Cooperation
of Wales in November, 1921.
●
Popularisation of Charkha and Khadi Movement
and Jail Bharo by Congress volunteers. ●
United Province became a strong base
●
The movement demanded-Swaraj or for the Non-Cooperation Movement.
self rule and Redressal of the Punjab ●
Agrarian-riots under the leadership of
wrongs and Khilafat issue. Baba Ramchandra, Eka Movement
●
Lala Lajpat Rai organised educational under Madari Pasi.
Boycott in Punjab. ●
In Punjab–Akali Movement for reform
●
CR Das, C Rajagopalachari, Saif-ud-din and control of Gurudwaras.
Kitchlew, VB Patel, Aruna Asaf Ali and ●
In Andhra Pradesh, the Non-
Motilal Nehru gave up their legal Cooperation Movement was a great
practice. success. Alluri Sitaram Raju organised
●
The Congress Session at Allahabad in the tribals in Andhra and combined their
December, 1921 decided to launch a demands with those of the
Civil Disobedience Movement. But Non-Cooperation Movement.
before it could be launched, the angry
peasants (mob) attacked on a police
The Swarajists
station at Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur
●
Major developments in Indian politics
occurred during 1922–28. Differences
district of Uttar Pradesh on 5th February,
arose among leaders after the
1922. This changed the whole situation
withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation
and Gandhiji was compelled to withdraw
Movement. One school of thought
the Non-Cooperation Movement. headed by CR Das and Motilal Nehru
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 95

advocated that nationalists should end the ●

The National Congress decided to
boycott of legislative council, enter them, boycott the commission in its Madras
obstruct their working according to official Session in 1927, presided over by Dr
plans, expose their weaknesses, transform Ansari.
them into arenas of political struggle and ●
The Muslim League and Hindu
thus use them to arouse public Mahasabha decided to support the
enthusiasm. They were 'pro-changers’. Congress.
●
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr Ansari, Babu ●
The Commission’s arrival in India led
Rajendra Prasad and others opposed to a powerful protest. On 3rd February,
council entry. They were known as ‘no 1928, the Commission was greeted
changers’. with Hartals and black flag
●
In December, 1922, CR Das and Motilal demonstrations, under the slogan
Nehru formed Congress- Khilafat Swarajya Simon Go Back.
Party, with CR Das as President and ●
The government used brutal
Motilal Nehru as Secretary. It worked suppression and police attacks to break
within the Congress. the popular opposition.
●
In the 1923 elections, the Swarajists won ●
At Lahore, Lala Lajpat Rai was severely
42 seats out of the 101 elected seats in the beaten in a Lathi charge and he
Central Legislative Assembly. With the succumbed to his injuries on 17th
cooperation of other Indian group, they November, 1929.
repeatedly out-voted the government in
the Central Assembly and in several of the Nehru Report (1928)
provincial councils. ●
All important Indian leaders and parties
●
Swarajists were split by Communalism. tried to meet the challenge of the Simon
The responsivists offered cooperation to Commission by getting together and
the government to safeguard the Hindu trying to evolve an alternative scheme of
interests. Madan Mohan Malaviya and Constitutional Reforms. Nehru report
Lala Lajpat Rai founded the Independent was tabled in 1928 by Motilal Nehru.
Congress Party, later in 1933. It was ●
It remains memorable as the first major
recognised as Congress Nationalist Party. Indian effort to draft a constitutional
framework for whole India with lists of
Simon Commission (1927) central and provincial subjects and
●
In 1927, the British Government Fundamental Rights.
appointed the Indian Statutory ●
However, the recommendations evoked
Commission, known popularly by its a debate concerning the goal of
chairman Simon to go into the question of India-Dominion status or Complete
further Constitutional Reform. independence.
●
The committee had to review the working ●
Other members of committee—Tej
of the dyarchy system, introduced by Bahadur Sapru, Ali Imam, MS Aney,
Montague Chelmsford Reform of 1919 Mangal Singh, Sohaib Qureshi, GR
and to report to what extent a Pradhan and SC Bose.
representative government can be
introduced in India. Outcome of the Nehru Report
●
All the members of the commission were ●
It demanded responsible government
white. both at the centre and in the provinces.
●
The Indians protested, against the Simon But, it advocated dominion status, not
Commission, because of the exclusion of complete independence.
Indians from the Commission and in the ●
It demanded Universal Suffrage. It
fear that the foreigners would discuss and rejected separate communal electorate.
decide upon India’s fitness for self It proposed Muslim reservation in the
government. centre and provinces, where they were
in minority.
 96 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

●
The report recommended equal rights ●
Salt production had geographical limitations.
for women, freedom to form unions So, in other parts of the country, the
and disassociation of the state from movement included– picketing of liquor
religion in any form. shops and auctions, no revenue campaign in
●
It demanded for reorganisation of the Bardoli, defiance of forest laws in
North-West provinces on lingustic Maharashtra, Karnataka and the central
basis. provinces, refusal of chaukidari tax in
Eastern India, prabhat pheris-singing of
Jinnah’s 14 points National Songs.
●
The notable feature of the movement was a
(9th March, 1929) wide participation of women.
●
Jinnah, the leader of Muslim League
did not accept the Nehru Report and Spread of Civil Disobedience
drew up a list of fourteen demands,
which became famous as 14 points of
Movement
Jinnah. ●
Peshawar Under the leadership of Khan
Abdul Gaffar Khan popularly known as the
Lahore Session (1929) frontier Gandhi, The Pathans organised the
society of Khudai Khidmatgars (servants
●
This session was presided by
of God) known popularly as Red Shirts.
Jawaharlal Nehru. Gandhi came back
They were pledged to non-violence and
to active politics by that time.
freedom struggle. Two platoons of Garhwali
●
Draw in talks broke down on the issue soldiers refused to open fire on non-violent
of dominion status, which the British mass demonstrations.
were reluctant to give. ●
North-East India Manipur took a brave part
●
This session passed a resolution of in it and Nagaland produced a brave
Poorna Swaraj (Complete heroine, Rani Gaidilieu, who at the age of
independence) as its ultimate goal. 13 responded to the call of Gandhi. The
●
On 31st December, 1929 the newly young Rani was captured in 1932 and
adopted tricolour, was hoisted and sentenced to life imprisonment. She was
26th January, 1930 was fixed as the released only after the independence of
First independence day. India. Chittagong Armoury raided by
●
The Congress Session also announced Surya Sen in 1930.
a Civil Disobedience Movement under ●
Dharsana A raid on Dharsana salt works
the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. was led by Sarojini Naidu, Imam Saheb and
●
Congress decided to boycott the first Maniklal Gandhi.
Round Table Conference. ●
In Madras, Rajagopalachari led a march
from Trichionopoly to Vedaranyam along
Civil Disobedience the Coromandal coast. In Kerala,
K Kelappan marched from Calicut to
Movement (1930) Payannur.
●
Before starting the Civil Disobedience ●
The government, adopted ruthless
Movement, Gandhiji placed an repression, lathi charges and firing on
Eleven point ultimatum before Irwin unarmed crowd of men and women. Over
for administrative reforms and stated 90000 Satyagrahis including Gandhiji and
that if Lord Irwin accepted them, then other Congress leaders were imprisioned.
there will be no agitation. Congress was declared illegal.
●
The Civil Disobedience Movement Meanwhile, the British Government
was started by Gandhi on 12th March, summoned the First Round Table
1930 with his famous Dandi March. Conference in London, in 1930, to discuss
Together with 78 chosen followers, the Simon Commission report. But, the
Gandhi walked nearly 375 km from National Congress boycotted the
Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, a village conference and its proceedings proved
on the Gujarat sea-coast. abortive.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 97

First Round Table Conference Poona Pact (Communal

(12th November, 1930) Award) (1932)
●
Congress boycotted the conference. ●
McDonald announced the proposal
●
Muslim League was represented by on minority representation, known
Mohammad Ali, Agha Khan, Fazlul Haq, MA as the Communal Award in 1932.
Jinnah and Hindu Mahasabha by Moonje and Under this the depressed classes
Jayakar. (Muslims, Sikhs, Indian Christians,
●
Tej Bahadur Sapru, Chintamani and Srinivas Anglo Indians, Women and
Shastri (Liberals) appeared. Backward Classes) were to be
●
Princes of Hyderabad, Mysore attended it. No considered as a minority, would be
result came out of the conference. entitled to the right of separate
electorate. Gandhi reacted strongly
●
The government now made attempts to to the proposal. He considered the
negotiate an agreement with the Congress, so depressed class as the integral part
that it could attend the Round Table of Hindu society.
Conference. ●
He thought that there was no need
●
Moderate statesman Jaikar, Sapru and to protect the depressed classes
Srinivas Shastri initiated efforts to break through representation, rather the
the ice between Gandhiji and the government. need was to eradicate
The negotiation between Irwin and Gandhi in untouchability.
5th March, 1931 came to be known
Gandhi-Irwin Pact or known Delhi Pact.
●
Gandhi restored to fast unto death
in Yervada Jail (Poona) against this
Gandhi-Irwin Pact separate electorate for depressed
class, which Ambedkar was
■
Under this pact, the government agreed to release insisting on. This resulted into the
all those political prisoners, who had remained Poona-Pact between Gandhi and
non-violent. The Right to make salt for consumption Ambedkar on 25th September,
was agreed to. 1932.
■
The Congress was to suspend Civil Disobedience ●
147 seats were to be alloted to the
Movement and take part in Second Round Table depressed classes in the provincial
Conference. legislature as against 71 provided
by the Communal Award. The pact
Karachi Session (1931) also called for adequate
representation of depressed classes
●
It endorsed the Gandhi–Irwin Pact. This in civil services.
Session is also memorable for its resolution on
Fundamental Right and National Economic
●
Gandhiji coined the word Harijan
Programme, with the efforts of Jawaharlal for depressed classes and their
Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose. upliftment became his prime
concern. All India Anti
●
Six days before this session, Bhagat Singh, Untouchability League was started
Sukhdev, Rajguru were executed. in September, 1932. On 8th May,
1933 Gandhiji decided to begin a
Second Round Table Conference 21 day fast for self purification for
(1931) the Harijan cause.
●
Gandhiji went to England in September, 1931,
along with Sarojini Naidu, Mahadev Desai, GD Impacts of Civil
Birla and Madan Mohan Malviya to attend the Disobedience Movement
Second Round Table Conference. But the ●
The Congress swept polls in most
British Government refused to concede the provinces in 1937. The left parties
basic nationalist demand for freedom on the emerged as an alternative in
basis of the immediate grant of dominion politics.
status with complete control over defence, ●
Some Congress activists formed
external affairs and finance.
Socialist group.
●
On his return, Gandhiji resumed the Civil ●
Nehru and Subhash Bose emerged
Disobedience movement in 1932 and finally
as leaders.
withdrew it in 1934.
 98 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

Third Round Table Conference August Offer (1940)

●
Held in London in 1932. The Viceroy Linlithgow put forward a
●
The Congress did not participate. proposal that included-
●
The discussion led to Government of ●
Dominion status in the unspecified
India Act, 1935. future.
●
A post war body to enact Constitution.
Government of India ●
Expansion of Governor-General’s
Act, 1935 council with representation of the
●
The discussions of the Third Round minorities.
Table Conference and Simon ●
Establishment of a War Advisory Council.
Commission report eventually led to the ●
Congress rejected this offer as there was
passing of the Goverment of India Act of no suggestion for a National Government.
1935. The act provided for the Muslim League accepted it.
establishment of an All India Federation
and a new system of government for the Individual Satyagraha
Provinces on the basis of provincial ●
Congress rejected the August offer
autonomy. because Congress was convinced that
●
It abolished the Council of India, the British would not modify their policy
established by the Government of India in India. Gandhi decided to start the
Act, 1858. Individual Satyagraha in September
●
The act provided for a Federal Court and 1940.
a Federal Bank. ●
Vinoba Bhave was the first to offer
●
The Congress rejected the 1935 Act and individual Satyagraha, followed by
demanded the convening of a Jawaharlal Nehru and Brahma Dutt.
constitutional assembly elected on the ●
Delhi Chalo Movement began.
basis of adult franchise to frame a
Constitution for independent India. Cripps Mission, 1942
●
A mission under Sir Stafford Cripps was
Second World War sent to India in march 1942. He proposed
●
Lord Linlithgow declared India to be at a Dominion status. The British
war without the prior assent of the Government’s refusal of accepting
Central Legislature. The Congress immediately the Congress demand of
Ministry resigned in the wake of the war. forming a National Government was the
●
Congress agreed to support Britain only cause of failure of the mission.
in return of independence being granted.
The viceroy could promise this only after
Constitutional Proposal of
the war. In October-November 1939, the the Cripps Mission
Congress Ministries resigned in protest. (a) Dominion status to be granted after
The Muslim League observed this as the the war.
Deliverence Day (22nd December, (b) Constitution making body to be
1939). The Satyagraha was kept limited elected from provincial assemblies
so as not to embarass Britain’s war effort and nominated by the rulers in case of
by a mass upheaval in India. princely states.
●
The viceroy refused to accept (c) Individual princes could sign a
preconditions set by the Congress. separate agreement with the British.
(Constituent Assembly for establishment (d) British would however, control the
of Responsible Government at the defence for war period.
Centre). But, the British Government
The British Government undertook to
desperately wanted the active
accept and implement the Constitution
cooperation of Indians in the war effort.
on two conditions:
To secure this cooperation, it sent to
India in March, 1942, a mission headed
●
Any province(s) unwilling to accept the
by a Cabinet Minister Sir Stafford Cripps Constitution could form a separate
and before that the August Offer. union with separate Constitution.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 99

●
The new Constitution making body and ●
The merchant community and capilatist
the British Government would negotiate did not participate. Muslim League kept
a treaty to sort out matters arising out of aloof and the Hindu Mahasabha
transfer of power to Indian hands. condemned the movement. Communist
●
Gandhi termed this proposal as a post party did not support the movement.
dated cheque in a crashing bank. Rajagopalachari also did not participate.
●
Though, Cripps proposal failed but it
provided legitimacy to the demand for Demand for Pakistan
Pakistan by accomodating it in the ●
In 1930, Md Iqbal for the first time
provision for provincial autonomy. suggested that the Frontier Province,
Sind, Baluchistan and Kashmir be made
Quit India Movement, 1942 the Muslim state within the federation.
●
The All India Congress Committee met ●
Chaudhary Rehmat Ali coined the term
at Bombay on 8th August, 1942. It ‘Pakistan’ (later Pakistan).
passed the famous Quit India resolution ●
The fear of Muslims to be subjugated by
and proposed to start off a non-violent Hindus in free India was realised by
mass struggle under Gandhi’s Jinnah and he demanded for the
leadership. creation of Pakistan.
●
It is also called Wardha proposal and ●
Pakistan Resolution Muslim League
leaderless revolt. first passed the proposal of Separate
●
Gandhi told the British to quit and leave Pakistan in its Lahore Session in 1940
India in God’s hand. His message was Do (called Jinnah’s Two-Nation theory). It
or Die. was drafted by Sikandar Hayat Khan,
●
Repressive policy of the government and moved by Fazlul Haq and seconded by
indiscriminate arrest of the leaders Khaliquzzaman. It rejected the federal
provoked people to violence. scheme envisaged in the Government of
●
Nehru was lodged in Almora jail, India Act, 1935.In December 1943, the
Maulana Azad in Bankura and Gandhi Karachi Session of the Muslim League
was kept in Agha Khan’s palace, Poona. adopted the slogan–‘Divide and Quit’.
In many areas, government lost control
and the people established Swaraj. Gandhiji’s Fast
Parallel governments were established.
(10th February– 7th March, 1943)
●
In Satara, Pratisarkar was set up under
Nana Patil and in Baliya under Chittu Gandhiji undertook a 21 day fast for
Pande. Others were in Talcher and condemning the violence of the people during
Bihar. In Bengal, Tamluk Jatiya Sarkar the Quit India Movement.
functioned in Midnapore.
●
Underground revolutionary activity also Rajagopalachari
started by Jaiprakash Narain and
Ramanandan Mishra escaped from Formula (1944)
Hazaribagh Jail and organised an ●
Also known as Rajaji formula (1944),
underground movement. Rajagopalachari proposed that a
●
In Bombay, the socialist leaders commission could be appointed for
continued their underground activities demarcating district in the North-West
under leaders like Aruna Asaf Ali. and East, where Muslims were in
Congress radio was established with absolute majority. Plebiscite would be
Usha Mehta as its announcer and held on the basis of adult suffrage, that
Rammanohar Lohia in Bihar. would ultimately decide the issue of
●
School and college students and women separation from Hindustan.
actively participated, workers went on ●
If majority decides in favour of forming a
strikes. There were no communal separate sovereign state then such could
clashes during the movement. be accepted.
100 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

●
Jinnah objected this as he wanted INA Trials
Congress to accept two-nation theory and
wanted only Muslims of the North-West
●
The INA commanders PK Sehgal,
and East to vote in the plebiscite. Shah Nawaz and Gurbaksh Dhillon
were put on trial at the Red Fort.
●
Desai-Liaqat Pact reached no settlement ●
Defence of INA prisoners in the court
between the league and Congress.
was organised by Bhulabhai Desai, Tej
Bahadur Sapru, Kailash Nath Katju,
Shimla Conference or Nehru and Asaf Ali.
Wavell Plan (1945) ●
Muslim League also joined the country
●
Proposed by Lord Wavell. wide protest. 12th November, 1945 was
●
Suggested to set up a new executive celebrated as INA Day.
council with only Indian members. The
viceroy and commander in chief would be The Cabinet Mission (1946)
the only non-Indian members of the ●
The Attlee Government announced in
council. February 1946, the decision to send
●
It would work under the existing a high powered mission of three
Constitution. But the door was open for British Cabinet members (Patrick
discussion of new Constitution. Lawrence, secretary of state for India,
Stafford Cripps, President of the
●
Hindus and Muslims would have equal Board of Trade and AV Alexander, first
representation. Jinnah demanded the Lord of Admirality) to India to find out
Muslim League to have absolute choice in ways and means for a negotiated and
choosing the Muslim members, so he peaceful transfer of power to India.
rejected the plan. ●
The British bid for a united and friendly
India and they rejected the demand for
The Indian National Army a full-fledged Pakistan.
●
The idea of Indian National Army (INA) ●
The Congress demanded that power
was first conceived in Malaya by Mohan should be transferred to one centre
Singh, an Indian officer of the British and that minorities would demands be
Indian Army. worked out only after the British left
●
The Japanese handed over the Indian the country. Congress and league
prisoners of war to Mohan Singh, who tried differed on the issue of the nature of
to recruit them into an Indian National grouping. Congress wanted the
Army. By the end of 1942, 40000 men were grouping to be optional till the
ready to join the INA. The outbreak of the formation of Constituent Assembly,
Quit India Movement gave a fillip to the INA. but Jinnah was in the favour of
compulsory grouping.
●
In March, 1942, a conference of India was
held in Tokyo and Indian Independence Jinnah’s Direct Action
League was formed. At Bangkok
Conference, Ras Bihari Bose was elected Resolution
as President of the league. ●
He was alarmed by the election results
●
Subhash Bose escaped to Berlin in 1941 of the Constituent Assembly (Congress
and set-up Indian League there. won 209 of the total 273 seats) and
was afraid of being totally eclipsed in
●
In 1943, he arrived at Singapore. Earlier, he
the Constituent Assembly.
had left the Congress after having
differences with Gandhi and formed the
●
On 29th July, 1946, Jinnah withdrew
his earlier acceptance to the plan and
Forward Bloc in 1939.
fixed 16th August, 1946 as Direct
●
In Singapore, he was assisted by Ras Bihari Action Day. Calcutta, Noakhali and
Bose. In October, 1943, he set up a Garmukteshwar were the storm
provisional Indian Government with centres. Jinnah celebrated Pakistan
headquarters at Rangoon and Singapore. Day on 27th March, 1947.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 101

Interim Government (1946) ●

Mountbatten’s formula was to divide
India, but retain maximum unity.
●
Interim Government headed by ●
Punjab and Bengal Assemblies would
Jawaharlal Nehru was sworn on 2nd meet in two groups, Hindus and
September, 1946. Muslim League Muslims, to vote for partition.
refused to join initially. Wavell ●
The Legislative Assemblies of Punjab and
persuaded the league to join in October,
Bengal decided in favour of partition of
1946. Liaqat Ali Khan of Muslim League
was made the Finance Minister. The these two provinces. Thus, East Bengal
Constituent Assembly begins its and West Punjab joined Pakistan. West
session in 9th December, 1946 and Dr Bengal and East Punjab remained with
Rajendra Prasad was elected its India. Referendum in Sylhet resulted in
President, but, the league did not the incorporation of that district in East
attend. Bengal.

Attlee’s Statement Indian Independence

( 20th February, 1947) Act, 1947
●
A deadline of 30th June, 1948 was fixed
●
On 18th July, 1947, British Parliament
for transfer of power, even if the Indian ratified the Mountbatten Plan as the
politicians had not agreed by that time Independence of India Act, 1947.
on the Constitution. ●
The act provided for the creation of two
●
British power and obligations vis-a-vis independent dominions of India and
the princely states would lapse with Pakistan. Each dominion was to have a
transfer of power but these would not be Governor– General to be responsible for
effective operation of the act.
given to any successor government.
●
Sovereignity of British power was to be
●
Mountbatten was to replace Wavell as
abolished.
the Viceroy.
Partition of the country was implicit in
●

the provision that if the Constituent

INDEPENDENCE OF
Assembly was not fully representative, INDIA
than power would be transferred to
more than one Central Governments. ●
On 15th August, 1947, India got
independence. India requested
Mountbatten Plan Mountbatten to continue as the
Governor-General of India. Jinnah
(3rd June, 1947) became the first Governor-General of
●
As Viceroy, Mountbatten proved more Pakistan.
decisive and quick in taking decisions ●
Assembly and Councils of the states were
than his predecessors. to be automatically dissolved.
●
His task was to explore the option of ●
For the transitional period that is till a
unity or division till October, 1947 and new Constituion was adopted by each
then advise the British Government on dominion, the government of the two
the form of transfer of power. dominion were to be carried on in
●
3rd June Plan In case of partition, two accordance with the Government of
dominions and two Constituent India Act, 1935.
Assemblies would be created. The plan
declared that power would be handed Integration of States
over by 15th August, 1947. ●
Vallabhbhai Patel, played the most
●
The referendum in NWFP decided in important role in the integration of
favour of Pakistan. states. Except Kashmir, Hyderabad and
Junagarh, all states signed an instrument
●
Princely states were given the option to
of accession with Indian Government.
join either of the two dominions or
On October 1947, the Pakistani troops
remain independent.
invaded Kashmir and in the crisis, the
●
Boundary Commission was to be set up Maharaj of Kashmir acceded to the
if partition was effected. Indian Union.
102 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

●
Through a referendum in the state of ●
Integration of French Colonies
Junagarh in February 1948, Junagarh Pondicherry, Chandranagar, Mahe,
was merged in the Indian Union. The Karaikal and Yaman were integrated by
Nawab left for Pakistan. the end of 1954.
●
Due to the pressure of internal anarchy ●
Integration of Portuguese Colonies
and military action (operation Polo) in Dadra and Nagar Haveli (1954); Goa and
the state, the Nizam of Hyderabad was Daman and Diu (1961).
forced to join the Indian Union.

IMPORTANT NATIONAL LEADERS

Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917) ●
He joined INC in 1891 and moved an
●
He was the first Indian to demand Arms Act Resolution.
Swaraj in the Calcutta Session of INC, ●
He celebrated the Ganapati pooja and the
1906. Shivaji festival.
●
He was also known as the Indian ●
He collaborated with Agarkar and set up
Gladstone, Grand Old Man of India. institutions to give economically feasible
●
He was first Indian to be elected to the education to people.
House of Commons on Liberal Party ●
He was called Bal, Lala lajpat Rai was
ticket. called Lal and Bipin Chandra Pal was
●
He highlighted the draining of wealth called Pal.
from India by the British and its effect ●
They were called as the trio of Lal, Bal,
in his book Poverty and Un-British Rule Pal, an extremist group.
in India (1901). ●
He founded the Home Rule League in
1916 and helped in ushering the Lucknow
Annie Besant (1847-1933) Pact and the Reforms Act at the Amritsar
●
She founded the Theosophical Society Congress in 1919.
in India and started the Home Rule ●
He demanded swaraj and gave the slogan
League. Swaraj is my birth right and I shall have
●
She established Central Hindu School it.
and College at Banaras (later BHU). ●
Valentine Chirol described him as the
●
She was elected the President of the Father of Indian unrest.
Calcutta Session of INC, 1917. ●
He wrote the books The Artic Home of
●
She did not attend the 1920 Session at Vedas and Gita Rahasya.
Nagpur due to growing differences with
Gandhiji, as she felt that Government Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
of India Act, 1919 were a means to free (1833-1894)
India. ●
He was a great scholar best known for the
●
She edited famous Newspapers — New composition of the hymn Bande Mataram.
India and Commonweal. ●
His first novel was Durgesnandini,
●
She prepared — The Lotus Song, a published in 1864 and he started the
translation of Gita into English. journal Bangadarsan.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak Bipin Chandra Pal (1858-1932)
(1857-1920) ●
He was awarded with the title Mightiest
●
He was awarded with the title Prophet of Nationalism by Aurobindo
Lokmanya. Ghosh.
●
He established new English school at ●
He supported the ‘Age of Consent Bill,
Poona. He was the editor of Maratha in (1891), Swadeshi Movement and fought
English and Kesari in Marathi. for the cause of the Assam tea-gardeners.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 103

●
He started Newspapers- Paridaashak Gopal Krishna Gokhale
(weekly); Public Opinion and Tribune
(editor); Swaraj (English weekly in
(1866-1915)
London); Hindu Review (English ●
Gandhiji regarded him as his political
monthly); Independent (daily); and guru.
Democrate (weekly). ●
He was the President of the Banaras
Session of INC, 1905, supported the
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) Swadeshi Movement.
●
He was a poet, philosopher, educationist, ●
He was the founder of the Servants of
internationalist and a patriot. Indian Society in 1905, to train people,
●
His elder brother, Satyendranath Tagore who would work as national
was the first Indian to become an ICS. missionaries.
●
His first poem was published in the
‘Amrita Bazar Patrika’ and then he Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
wrote ‘Banaphul’ (story) and ●
Gandhi came to India in 1915. He
‘Bhanusinher Padavali’ (series of lyrics). already had Satyagrahas in South
●
He founded Shantiniketan near Bolpore Africa. In 1907, Satyagraha was done
on 22nd December, 1901. against compulsory registration and
●
He wrote Gitanjali, which fetched him passes for Indians. In 1910, against
the Nobel Prize in 1913. immigration restrictions, and
●
He inaugurated Raksha Bandhan festival de-recognition of Non-Christian Indian
to oppose the Partition of Bengal (1905). marriages.
●
He founded the Vishva Bharati ●
He followed the doctrine of Ahimsa.
University. ●
The Champaran Satyagraha in 1917,
●
In 1915, British Crown granted him a against the Tinkathia System led by him
knighthood, which he renounced after was his first success in India.
the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. ●
The Ahmedabad Satyagraha, where
●
His compositions were chosen as there was a dispute between the mill
National Anthem by two nations owner and workers over the ‘plague
1. India—Jana Gana Mana bonus’ was also a success. Gandhi then
2. Bangladesh—Amar Sonar Bangla advised the worker to go on strike and he
undertook a hunger strike, after which
Lala Lajpat Rai (1865-1928) the mill owners were pressurised to
●
He was a courageous man so, he was accept the tribunal award of 35 per cent
called The Lion of Punjab increase in wages.
(Sher-a-Punjab). ●
Kheda Satyagraha The peasants of
●
He was inspired by Mahatma Hans Raj. Kheda district were in extreme distress
Being an Arya Samajist, he helped in due to the failure of crops and the
establishment of the DAV College at government ignored their appeals for the
Lahore. remission of land revenue. Gandhiji
advised them to withhold the revenue
●
He withdrew his name from the
and fight until death.
presidency list of the INC at its Surat
session. He was the President of the
special session of the Congress at
Facts about Gandhi
Calcutta, 1920.
●
Name Mohan Das Karam Chand
Gandhi.
●
He opposed the withdrawal of
Non-Cooperation Movement in 1922. He Titles:
founded Swaraj Party with Motilal Nehru ●
Mahatma (by Rabindranath Tagore,
and CR Das. 1917).
●
He was injured during a demonstration ●
Malang Baba/Nanga Fakir (by Kabailas of
against Simon Commission in 1928. North-West Frontier, 1930).
●
He was the editor of the Bande Matram, ●
Indian/Traitor Faqir (by Winston
The Punjab and The People. Churchill, 1931).
104 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

●
Half Naked Saint (by Franq Mores, ●
He held the post of the
1931). General-Secretary of the INC in
●
Rashtrapita (by Subhash Chandra Bose, 1921-1922 and was a member of
1944). Congress Working Committee from
●
Birth 2nd October, 1869 at Porbandar in 1922 to 1924.
Gujarat. ●
He started the Civil Disobedience
●
Mother Putali Bai. Movement in Tamil Nadu and was
arrested for leading a Salt March from
●
Father Karam Chand Gandhi.
Trichinapoly to Vedaranniyam on the
●
Political Guru Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Tanjore coast.
●
Private Secretary Mahadev Desai. ●
He was elected as the Chief Minister of
●
Influenced by John Ruskin (Unto the Madras in 1937 elections.
last); Leo Tolstoy; Thoreau; Emerson; the ●
He resigned from Indian National
Bible; the Gita. Congress in 1942 for not accepting the
●
As an Editor Cripps’ Proposal.
●
Indian Opinion (1903-15) in English, ●
He prepared the CR Formula for
Gujarati, Hindi and Tamil. Congress-League Cooperation.
●
Harijan (1919-31) in English, Gujarati ●
He served as the Governor of Bengal
and Hindi. (August-November, 1947) and was the
first and last Indian Governor-General
●
Young India (1933-42) in English and
of India (1948-50).
Gujarati.
●
He became the Minister of Home
●
Literary works
Affairs in the country’s first cabinet.
Hind Swaraj (1909) ●
He founded the Swatantra Party in
My Experiments with Truth (Auto 1959. His rational ideas are reflected in
Biography, 1927). the collection Satyameva Jayate.
●
He was awarded with the Bharat Ratna
Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949) in 1954.
●
Popularly known as the Nightingale of
India, she was a nationalist and poetess Dr Rajendra Prasad (1884-1963)
from Uttar Pradesh. ●
He participated in Swadeshi Movement
●
She was married to Dr Govindarajulu (established Bihari Students,
Naidu in 1893. Conference), Champaran Satyagraha,
●
Under the guidance of Gopal Krishna Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil
Gokhale, she became the first woman to Disobedience Movement and Quit India
participate in the India’s struggle for Movement.
independence. ●
He founded the National College at
●
She participated in the Dandi March with Patna.
Gandhiji and presided over the Kanpur ●
He was elected as the Minister Incharge
Session of Congress in 1925. of Food and Agriculture in the Interim
●
She was the first woman to become the Government (1946).
Governor of Uttar Pradesh State. ●
He was the President of the Constituent
●
Her famous books include — The Golden Assembly.
Threshold (1905), The Feather of the ●
He became the first President of the
Dawn; The Bird of Time (1912) and The Indian Republic. He was honoured with
Broken Wing (1917). Bharat Ratna in 1962.
●
He edited the newspaper—Desh (Hindi
Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari weekly).
(1879-1972)
●
He was a politician and lawyer from Tamil
Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964)
Nadu. ●
He became the General Secretary of the
●
He gave up his practice during Indian National Congress in 1928 and
Non-Cooperation Movement. its President in 1929.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 105

●
The Independence resolution was passed Subhash Chandra Bose
under his Presidentship at the Lahore
Session.
(1897-1945)
●
He was the first Prime Minister of
●
He passed the Indian Civil Services
Republic India (from 1947 to 1964), also Examination in 1920 in England, but
known as Architect of Modern India. He left it on Gandhiji’s call of
authored the Doctrine of Panchseel and Non-Cooperation Movement.
believed in the policy of non-alignment. ●
He founded the independence for India
●
Books—The Discovery of India, League with Jawaharlal Nehru.
Glimpses of World History, A Bunch of ●
He was elected as the President of INC
Old Letters, The Unity of India, at its Haripura Session (1938) and
Independence and After, India and the Tripuri Session (1939), but resigned
World, etc. from Tripuri due to differences with
●
His autobiography was entitled as Gandhiji.
Auto-biography. ●
He founded the Forward Bloc (1939)
and Kisan Sabha.
Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar ●
He escaped to Berlin in 1941 and met
(1891-1956) Hitler. He took the charge of Indian
●
Dr Ambedkar was the great leader of the Army (Azad Hind Fauz) in 1943 in
depressed class and an eminent jurist. Singapore and set up Indian Provisional
Government there.
●
He set up a network of colleges in the
name of People’s Education Society.
●
He addressed Mahatma Gandhi as the
Father of the Nation.
●
He founded the Depressed Classes
Institute (1924) and Samaj Samata
●
He supposedly died in a plane crash in
Sangh (1927). 1945.
●
He participated in all the Three Round
●
He gave the famous slogans — Dilli
Table Conferences of London and signed Chalo and Jai Hind.
the Poona Pact with Gandhiji in 1932. ●
The India Struggle was his
●
He was in the Governor-General’s autobiography.
Executive Council from 1942 to 1946 Bhagat Singh (1907-1931)
and organised the Indian Labour Party
and Scheduled Caste Federation.
●
He was a member of Hindustan Socialist
Republican Association.
●
He became the Chairman of the Drafting
Committee of Indian Constitution.
●
He started the ‘Militant Naujawan
Bharat Sabha’ in Punjab.
●
As the first Law Minister of the
Independent India, he introduced the
●
He killed British official Saunders in
Hindu Code Bill. 1928 and was involved in Lahore
Conspiracy and bombed the Central
●
He started The Republican Party in 1956.
Legislative Assembly.
●
He embraced Buddhism towards the end ●
He was executed on 23rd March, 1931.
of his life.
106 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

Books/Journals and Newspapers

Author/Editor Work Author/Editor Work
Aurobindo Ghosh n Karmayogi Deenbandhu Mitra n Neel Darpan
n New lamp for old Derozio n East Indian
n Bhawani Mandir Devendranath n Indian Mirror
Bankim Chandra n Anand Math Tagore
Chatterjee n Durgesh Nandini EV Ramaswamy n Kudi Anasu
BR Ambedkar n Mook Nayak Naiker
n Bahishkrit Bharat G Subramaniya n Swadesh Mitram
Aiyar
Dadabhai Naoroji n Rast Goftar
G Subramaniya n The Hindu
n Voice of India
Aiyar,
n Poverty and Un-British Viraraghavachari
Rule in India and Subba Rao
Dayanand n Veda Bhasya Bhumika Pandit
Saraswati Satyartha Prakash
n
Ghulam Hussain n Inquilab
Gopal Krishna n Nation Harish Chandra n Hindu Patriot
Gokhale n Sudharak Mukherjee
Jawaharlal Nehru n Discovery of India Henry Vivian n India Gazette
n National Herald Derozio
n Wither India Hunters n Indian Musalmans
n Soviet Asia Ishwar Chandra n Som Prakash
MK Gandhi n Navjeevan Vidyasagar
n Young India and James Augustus n Bengal Gazette
Harijan Hicky (1780)
n Indian opinion Jyotiba Rao Phule n Ghulam Giri
Madan Mohan n Hindustan KK Mitra n Sanjivani
Malviya n Leader KM Panikkar n The Hindustan Times
RN Tagore n Letters from Russia MA Azad n India wins freedom
n Gora MG Ranade n Essays in India
Raja Ram Mohan n Sambad Kaumudi economics
Roy n Mirat-ul-Akhbar MN Roy n India in Transition
n Barga-Dutta Madam Bhikaji n Bande Mataram
Vivekanand n Prabhudha Bharat Cama
Udbodhana Maulana Abul n Al-Hilal
n Prachya aur Kalam Azad
Pashchaya Maulana n Comrade
Annie Beasant n New India, Mohammad Ali
Commonwealth Mukundrao Patil n Din Mitra
BG Tilak n Kesari and Maratha Muzaffar Ahmed n Navyug
BK Nanda n Biography of Gokhale PC Rai n History of Hindu
B Upadhyay n Sandhya Chemistry
Bal Shastri n Darpan Pherozshah Mehta n Bombay Chronicle
Jambekar RC Dutt n Economic History of
Barindra Kumar n Yugantar British India
Ghosh and
Bhupendra Dutta
RP Dutt n India Today
Bhartendu Harish n Kavivachan Sudha Robert Knight n Indian Statesman
Chandra Robert Knight and n Bombay Times
Thomas Bennett
Bipin Chandrapal n Paridarshak
Curzon n Philosophy of the East SA Dange n The Socialist
Dayal Singh n Tribune Subhash Chandra n Indian struggle
Majeetia Bose
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 107

Important Dates/Years of India’s Freedom Struggle

Date/Year Importance
1905 Partition of Bengal announced; to come in force from 16th October 1906.
1906, December 30 Muslim League founded at Dacca
1908, April 30 Khudiram Bose executed.
1908, July 22 Tilak sentenced to six years on charges of sedition.
1909, May 21 Morley-Minto Reforms of Indian Councils Act, 1909.
1911 The coronation or Delhi durbar held at Delhi, in which the Partition of Bengal
is cancelled.
1911 Delhi becomes the new capital of India.
1912, December 23 Bomb thrown on Lord Hardinge, on his entry into state Delhi.
1914, November 1 Ghadar Party formed at San Francisco.
1914, June 16 BG Tilak released from jail.
1914, August 4 Outbreak of the First World War.
1914, September Komagatamaru ship reaches Budge Budge (Calcutta port).
29
1915, January 9 Gandhiji arrives in India.
1915, February 19 Death of Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
1916, April 28 BG Tilak finds Indian Home Rule League with its headquarters at Poona.
1916, September Another Home Rule League started by Annie Besant.
25
1917, April Mahatma Gandhi launches the Champaran campaign in Bihar to focus
attention on the grievances of indigo planters.
1917, August 20 The Secretary of State for India, Montague, declares that the goal of the
British Government in India is the introduction of Responsible Government.
1918 Beginning of Trade Union Movement in India.
1918, April Rowlatt (Sedition) Committee submits its report. Rowlatt Bill introduced
on February 16, 1919.
1919, April 13 Jallianwala Bagh tragedy
1919, December 5 The House of Commons passes the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms or
the Government of India Act, 1919. The new reforms under this act came
into operation in 1921.
1920 First meeting of the All India Trade Union Congress.
(under Narain Malhar Joshi).
1920, December The Indian National Congress (INC) adopts the Non-Cooperation
Resolution.
1920-22 Non-Cooperation Movement, suspended on February 12, 1922 after the
violent incidents at Chauri Chaura on February 5, 1922.
1922, August Moplah rebellion on the Malabar coast.
1923, January 1 Swarajist Party formed by Motilal Nehru and others.
1924 The Communist Party of India starts its activities at Kanpur.
1925, August Kakori Train Conspiracy case.
1927, November 8 The British Prime Minister announces the appointment of the Simon
Commission to suggest future constitutional reforms in India.
Simon Commission arrives in Bombay on February 3, 1928 and all-India
hartal. Lala Lajpat Rai assaulted by police at Lahore.
108 GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History

Date/Year Importance
1928 Nehru Report recommends principles for the New Constitution of India.
All-parties conference considers the Nehru Report, August 28-31, 1928.
1928, November 17 Death of Lala Lajpat Rai.
1929 Sharda Act passed prohibiting marriage of girls below 14 and boys below
18 years of age with effect from 1930.
1929, March 9 All-Parties Muslim Conference formulates the ‘Fourteen Points’ under the
leadership of Jinnah.
1929, April 8 Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt throw a bomb in the Central
Legislative Assembly.
1929, October 31 Lord Irwin’s announcement that the goal of British policy in India was the
grant of the Dominion status.
1929, December 31 The Lahore Session of the INC adopts the goal of complete
independence—Poorna Swarajya for India; Jawaharlal Nehru hoists the
tricolour of Indian Independence on the banks of the river Ravi at Lahore.
1930, January 26 First Independence Day observed.
1930, February 14 The Working Committee of the INC meets at Sabarmati and passes the Civil
Disobedience resolution.
1930, March 12 Mahatma Gandhi launches the Civil Disobedience Movement with his epic
Dandi March (March 12 to April 6). First phase of the Civil Disobedience
movement : March 12, 1930 to March 5, 1931.
1930, November 30 First Round Table Conference begins in London to consider the report of
the Simon Commission.
1931, March 5 Gandhi-Irwin pact signed. Civil Disobedience Movement suspended.
1931, March 23 Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev and Rajguru executed.
1931, September 7 Second Round Table Conference.
1931, December 28 Gandhiji returns from London after the deadlock in Second Round Table
Conference. Launches Civil Disobedience Movement. The Indian National
Congress declared illegal.
1932, January 4 Gandhiji arrested and imprisoned without trial.
1932, August 16 British Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald announces the infamous
“Communal Award”.
1932, September Gandhiji in jail, begins his epic “fast unto death” against the Communal
20 Award and ends the fast on 26th September, after the Poona Pact.
1932, November 17 The Third Round Table Conference begins in London (17th November to
24th December).
1933, May 9 Gandhiji released from prison as he begins his fast for self-purification.
Indian National Congress suspends Civil Disobedience Movement but
authorises Satyagraha by individuals.
1934 Gandhiji withdraws from active politics and devotes himself to constructive
programmes.
1935, August 4 The Government of India Act (1935) passed.
1937 Elections held in India under the Act of 1935 (February 1937). The Indian
National Congress contests elections, and forms ministries in several
provinces (July, 1937).
1938, February Haripura session of Indian National Congress. Subhash Chandra Bose
19-20 elected Congress President.
1939, March 10-12 Tripuri session of the Indian National Congress.
1939, April Subhash Chandra Bose resigns as the president of the Indian National
Congress.
1939, September 3 Second World War (1st September). Great Britain declares war on
Germany; the Viceroy declares that India too is at war.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Indian History 109

Date/Year Importance
1939, October 27- The Congress ministries in the provinces resign in protest against the war
November 5 policy of the British Government.
1939, December 22 The Muslim League observes the resignation of the Congress ministries as
Deliverance Day.
1940, March Lahore Session of the Muslim League, passes the Pakistan Resolution.
1940, August 10 Viceroy Linlithgow announces August Offer.
1940, August 18-22 Congress Working Committee rejects the August Offer.
1940, October 17 Congress launches Individual Satyagraha Movement.
1941, January 17 Subhash Chandra Bose escapes from India; arrives in Berlin (March 28).
1942, March 11 Churchill announces the Cripps Mission.
1942, August 7-8 The Indian National Congress meets in Bombay; adopts ‘Quit India’
resolution.
1942, August 9 Gandhiji and other Congress leaders arrested.
1942, August 11 Quit India Movement begins; the Great August Uprising.
1942, September 1 Subhash Chandra Bose establish the Indian National Army ‘Azad Hind
Fauj’.
1943, October 21 Subhash Chandra Bose proclaims the formation of the Provisional
Government of Free India.
1943, December Karachi Session of the Muslim League adopts the slogan ‘Divide and Quit’.
1944, January 25 Wavell calls Shimla Conference in a bid to form the Executive Council of
Indian political leaders.
1946, February 18 Mutiny of the Indian naval ratings in Bombay.
1946, March 15 British Prime Minister Attlee announces Cabinet Mission to propose a new
solution to the Indian deadlock; Cabinet Mission arrives in New Delhi (14th
March); issues proposal (16th May).
1946, July 6 Jawaharlal Nehru takes over as Congress President.
1946, August 6 Wavell invites Nehru to form an Interim Government; Interim Government
takes office (2nd September).
1946, December 9 First session of the Constituent Assembly of India starts. Muslim League
boycotts it.
1947, February. 20 British Prime Minister Attlee declares that the British Government would
leave India not later than June, 1948.
1947, March 24 Lord Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy and Governor-General of India,
sworn in (March 24, 1947 to June 21, 1948).
1947, June 3 Mountbatten Plan for the partition of India and the announcement (4th
June) that transfer to power will take place on 15th August.
1947, August 15 India wins freedom.