History Notes

Government

  • Government of Tamil Nadu emphasizes truth.

  • History for Group 4 exams.

  • Reference website: www.vetristudycenter.com

Contents

  • History section overview.

  • Chronology: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern India.

  • Ancient India: Prehistory to AD 700, including Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Iron Age, Mauryan Empire, Post-Mauryan Kingdoms, Gupta Kingdom, and Post Guptas.

  • Medieval India: AD 700 – AD 1857, including Delhi Sultanate and Mughals.

  • Indus Valley Civilization: Features, sites (Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Chanhudaro, Kalibangan, Lothal, Ropar, Banawali, Dholavira), religion, society, culture, and reasons for decline.

  • Ashoka: The Emperor, ruling the empire, and Ashoka’s Dhamma.

  • Great Wall of China.

  • Vital Villages, Thriving Towns.

  • Traders, Kings, and Pilgrims.

  • Spread of Buddhism.

  • Bhakti.

  • The Pallavas, Chalukyas and Pulakeshin.

  • Buildings, Paintings and Books.

  • The Cholas.

  • Medieval India: Delhi Sultanate, Rajput Dynasty, Delhi Sultans, Early Turkish, expansion, boundaries, Khilji Dynasty, Tughlaq Dynasty, administration & consolidation, Khalji's defensive policy, Tughluq offensive policy.

  • 15th & 16th Century Sultanates:

    • Sayyid Dynasty.

    • Lodi Dynasty.

    • Suri Dynasty.

  • Medieval India: Mughal Dynasty, Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb, Mughal relations with other rulers.

  • Mansabdars and Jagirdars.

  • Zabt and Zamindars.

  • Akbar Nama & Ain-i Akbari.

  • Akbar’s policies.

  • 17th century and after.

  • Historical Background of Indian Constitution.

  • Indian System of Administration.

    • Regulating Act of 1773.

    • Pitt’s India Act of 1784.

    • Charter Act of 1813.

    • Charter Act of 1833.

    • Charter Act of 1853.

    • Government of India Act of 1858.

    • Indian Councils Act of 1861.

    • India Council Act of 1892.

    • Indian Councils Act of 1909.

    • Government of India Act of 1919.

    • Government of India Act of 1935.

    • Indian Independence Act of 1947.

    • Points to be noted.

  • Medieval India: Rulers and Buildings, Engineering Skills and Construction, Building Temples, Tanks and Mosques, Religious construction, Gardens, Tombs and Forts, Region and Empire.

  • Sample questions to think from UPSC Mains perspective.
    *Sample questions to think from UPSC Prelims perspective.

  • Medieval India: Towns, Traders and Craftspersons, Towns of Medieval India, Administrative Centres and Towns, Temple Towns and Pilgrimage Centres, Small towns, Major Towns: Surat, Hampi and Masulipattanam.

  • Medieval India: Tribes, Nomads, and Settled Communities, Beyond Big Cities: Tribal Societies, Gond Tribe, Ahom Tribe, Trader Nomads: Banjaras, UPSC Question from the Topic.

  • Medieval India: Bhaktism, Sufism and Sikhism, Brahmanism vs Buddhism/Jainism vs Devotional Paths, Bhakti cult, Guru Nanak, Nayanars and Alvars.

  • Medieval India: Regional Cultures, Orissa: The Jagannatha Cult, Rajasthan: The Rajputs, The Story of Kathak, Miniature Paintings, Bengal: Language and Literature.

  • Medieval India: 18th Century Political Formations, The Mughal Crisis, Emergence of New States, Hyderabad, Awadh, Bengal, Seizing Independence, The Sikhs, The Marathas, The Jats, Emergence of British as a Supreme Power.

  • Modern Indian History: Understand the major events, India in 1750, British Expansion.

  • Ancient India (Prehistory to AD 700): proto-humans, Homo sapiens, tribals (Nagas, Santhals, Bhils, Gonds, Todas), Austric, pre-Dravidian languages, Dravidians, Aryans, Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic period.

  • Paleolithic Period (2 million BC – 10,000 BC): Fire, Tools, Ostrich Eggs, Paleolithic sites: Bhimbetka, Hunsgi, Kurnool Caves.

  • Mesolithic Period (10,000 BC – 8,000 BC): Climatic Change, Domestication of animals, Microliths.

  • Neolithic Period (8000 BC – 4,000 BC): Agriculture, Wheel, Inamgaon, Neolithic Sites: Burzahom, Gufkral, Mehrgarh.

  • Chalcolithic Period (4000 BC – 1,500 BC): Copper Age, Bronze Age, Indus Valley Civilization.

  • Iron Age (BC 1500 – BC 200): Vedic Period, Jainism, Buddhism, Mahajanapadas, Magadha empire, Persian- Greek: Alexander 327 BC.

  • Mauryan Empire (321-185 BC): Chandra Gupta Maurya, Bindusara, Asoka.

  • Post-Mauryan Kingdoms: Sunga, Kanva, Satavahanas, Indo- Greeks, Parthians, Sakas, Kushanas, South Indian Kingdoms – Chola, Chera, Pandyas.

  • Gupta Kingdom (300 AD – 800 AD): Samudra Gupta.

  • Post Guptas or Contemporary Guptas: Harshvardhan, Vakatakas, Pallavas, Chalukyas.

  • Medieval India (AD 700 – AD 1857): Tripartite struggle, Attack of Muhammed Bin Kassim, Rise of Islam and Sufism.

  • Delhi Sultanate (1206 AD – 1526 AD): Slave Dynasty, Khilji Dynasty, Tughlaq Dynasty, Sayyid Dynasty, Lodi Dynasty.

  • Mughals (AD 1526 – AD 1857): Great Mughals, Later Mughals, Arrival of Europeans.

  • Modern India (AD 1857 +): War of Independence, Indian National Congress, Muslim League.

  • Economic Development of India.

  • Indus Valley Civilization was the first major civilization in South Asia. The time period of the mature Indus Valley Civilization is estimated between BC 27002700- BC 19001900.

  • Features of Indus Valley Civilization: Harappan Sites discovered by – Dayaram Sahni (1921).

  • Indus Valley Sites and Specialties: Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Chanhudaro, Kalibangan, Lothal, Ropar, Banawali, Dholavira.

  • The religion of Indus Valley People: Pashupati Mahadev, Mother goddess, Nature/ Animal worship, Amulets.

  • Indus Valley Society and Culture: weights and measures ( 1616 and its multiples).

  • Reasons for Decline of Indus Valley Civilization: weaker monsoon, Environmental changes.

  • Ashoka The Emperor: The Mauryas were a dynasty. Chandragupta was supported by Chanakya.

  • Ruling The Empire: As the empire was so large, different parts were ruled differently.

  • Ashoka’s Dhamma: After Kalinga gave up the war.

Great Wall of China

  • Before the Mauryan empire, about 24002400 years ago

Vital Villages, Thriving Towns

  • The use of iron began in the subcontinent around 30003000 years ago.

  • Earliest works in Tamil, known as Sangam literature, were composed around 23002300 years ago.

Traders, Kings and Pilgrims

  • Sangam poems mention the muvendar. This is a Tamil word meaning three chiefs, used for the heads of three ruling families, the Cholas, Cheras, and Pandyas. They became powerful in south India around 23002300 years ago.

Medieval India: Delhi Sultanate Delhi as the center of attraction

  • Tomaras [early twelfth century – 11651165].
    Rajput Dynasty

  1. Tomaras [early twelfth century – 1165]

  2. Ananga Pala [1130−11451130 -1145]

  3. Chauhans [1165−11921165 -1192]

  4. Prithviraj Chauhan [1175−11921175 -1192]

Mansabdari System – Explained in Layman’s Terms

  • ‘Mansab’ — Denote the rank in the administration

  • Salary of Mansabdars: In cash and land.

  • The Mansabdars were paid according to their ranks. They were paid a good amount of money. Those Mansabdars, who were paid in cash, were called Naqdi.

  • Those Mansabdars who were paid through land (Jagirs) were called Jagirdars.

  • It is to be remembered that it is not land that was assigned but only the right to collect revenue or income from the piece of land.

Historical Background of Indian Constitution

  • Regulating Act of 17731773.
    Pitt‟s India Act of 17841784.

  • Charter Act of 18131813.

  • Charter Act of 18331833.

  • Charter Act of 18531853.

  • Government of India Act of 18581858.

  • Indian Councils Act of 18611861.

  • India Council Act of 18921892.

  • Indian Councils Act of 19091909.

  • Government of India Act of 19191919.

  • Government of India Act of 19351935.

  • Indian Independence Act of 19471947.