Brief History of India

Indian History for Competitive Exams-Ancient India / Harappa Civilization

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 26 Apr 2014 18:49:00 +0000

1- The Harappan civilization was discovered in the year

A.1901 B.1921 C.1935 D.1942 E.None of these

Answer - B (1921)

2- Lothal is a site where dockyard of which of the following civilization were found?

A.Indus valley B.Mesopotamian C.Egyptian D.Persian E.None of these

Answer - A (Indus valley)

3- The people of the Indus valley civilization usually built their houses of

A.pucca bricks B.stone C.wood D.all of these E.None of these

Answer - A (pucca bricks)

4- The Indus valley people traded with the

A.Chinese B.Mesopotamians C.Parthians D.Romans E.None of these

Answer - B (Mesopotamians)

5- The Indus valley civilization was Non-Aryan because

A.it was urban B.it has a pictographic script C.it had an agricultural economy D.it extended up to the Narmada Valley E.None of these

Answer - A (it was urban)

6- The local name Mohenjodaro is

A.Mound of the living B.Mound of the Great C.Mound of the Dead D.Mound of the Survivor E.None of these

Answer - C (Mound of the Dead)

7- The Indus valley civilization specialized in

A.town planning B.architecture C.craftsmanship D.All of these E.None of these

Answer - A (town planning)

8- The famous figure of a dancing girl found in the excavation of Mohenjodaro was made up of

A.terracotta B.steatite C.bronze D.red limestone E.None of these

Answer - C (bronze)

9- Which of the following animals was not known to the Indus valley civilization

A.bull B.horse C.elephant D.Giraffe E.None of these

Answer - D (Giraffe)

10- Out of the following remains excavated in Indus valley which one indicates the commercial and economic development?

A.pottery B.seals C.boats D.houses E.None of these

Answer - B (seals)

11- The earliest city discovered in India was

A.Harappa B.Rangpur C.Mohenjodaro D.Sindh E.None of these

Answer - A (Harappa)

12- Which one of the following Indus civilization site gives evidence of a dockyard?

A.Harappa B.Lothal C.Mohenjodaro D.Rakhigarhi E.None of these

Answer - B (Lothal)

13- An advanced water management system of Harappan times has been unearthed at

A.Dholavira B.Lothal C.Kalibangan D.Alamgirpur E.None of these

Answer - A (Dholavira)

14- From which one of the following places, remains of wells have been found in houses belonging to the developed stage of the Indus valley civilization?

A.Harappa B.Kalibangan C.Lothal D.Mohenjodaro E.None of these

Answer - D (Mohenjodaro)

15- The archaeological finds from Alamgirapur in Ghaziabad district reflected the

A.Harappa culture B.Vedic culture C.Mauryana culture D.Gupta period culture E.None of these

Answer - A (Harappa culture)

16- Cotton for textile was first cultivated in-

A.Egypt B.Mesopotamia C.Central America D.India E.None of these

Answer - D (India)

17- Rock cut architecture in Harappa culture context has been found at

A.Kalibangan B.Dholavira C.Kotdiji D.Amri E.None of these

Answer - B (Dholavira)

18- Which one of the following was not known to the Harappas?

A.Construction of wells B.Construction of pillars C.Construction of drains D.Construction of arches E.None of these

Answer - B (Construction of pillars)

19- A copper chariot of Harappa times was discovered at-

A.Kuntal B.Rakhigarhi C.Daimabad D.Banawali E.None of these

Answer - C (Daimabad)

20- One of the following from where the famous Bullseal of Indus valley civilization was found?

A.Harappa B.Chanhudaro C.Lothal D.Mohenjodaro E.None of these

Answer - A (Harappa)

21- Who discovered the Indus valley civilization

A.Sir Leonard Wooley B.V.S. Agarwal C.Dayaram Sahni D.A.l. Basham E.None of these

Answer - C (Dayaram Sahni)

Important Historical Places

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:21:00 +0000

Ahichhatra: Originally Ahikshetra in Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh was once the capital of Panchalas.

Aihole: Situated in Karnataka contains chief sites of Chalukyan architecture—nearly 50 structural stone temples. Ajanta Caves: Situated 66 miles north of Aurangabad in Maharashtra State. These are rock-cut Buddhist caves. These caves represent a record of unique painting, sculpture and architecture of the period from about the 2nd century B.C. to about 7th century A.D.

Amaravati: A historical site near modern Vijaywada, believed to have flourished under the Satavahana dynasty.

Arikamedu: It was a seaport near Pondicherry during Chola times.

Ayodhya: Situated in modern Faizabad (UP), was capital of the Kosala. Birth place of Lord Rama.

Badami (or Vatapi): Situated in Karnataka is wellknown for Chalukyan sculpture found in the cave temples here. These are groups of Hindu temples dating back to 7th or 8th century and are examples of pure Dravidian architecture.

Bodh Gaya: It is situated six miles south of Gaya in Bihar State. It is famous as the place where Buddha got enlightenment.

Belur: Situated in Karnataka is famous for its elaborately sculptured Cheena Kesava temple of the Hoysala period.

Bhubaneswar: Situated in Orissa and is known for ancient temples viz., Rajarani; Lingraja; Brahmesvara.

Chidambaram: A town 150 miles south of Chennai was once the capital of the Chola kingdom. Its temples are among the oldest in India and are gems of Dravidian architecture. It is famous as the abode of Natraja, the Dancing Siva.

Elephanta Caves: Situated on the island of the same name about 6 miles from Mumbai harbour are rock-cut caves of the 7th and 8th century.

Ellora Caves: Situated about 15 miles north west of Aurangabad in Maharashtra State are about 34 caves excavated in the face of a hill.

Halebid: Situated in Karnataka, 10 miles from Belur, is well-known for its elaborately sculptured temples of the Hoysala period. The monuments rank among the masterpieces of Hindu art.

Harappa: Situated in Montgomery district of Punjab, now in West Pakistan, is known for excavations carried out here showing signs of Indus Valley Civilization.

Junagadh: Situated in Gujarat State is one of the most ancient cities of India. It is situated below the Girnar Hill. The temples on the Hill are known for their architecture and paintings.

Kalibangan: Situated in Rajasthan where recent excavations brought to light the varied achievements of Indus Valley Civilisation—town planning and use of burnt bricks.

Kanauj: It was the Capital of Harshavardhan.

Kanchipuram: Situated 45 miles south-west of Chennai is known for Kailashnath temple. It was the capital of successive dynasties of Hindu rulers.

Kapilvastu: a small ancient kingdom in the north of India; associated with Mahatma Buddha.

Khajuraho: in Chhattarpur in Madhya Pradesh is famous for its group of highly ornate mediaeval Hindu temples. Kusinagar: in the district of modern Gorakhpur, is the place where Buddha died.

Lothal: ancient town, situated on the sea-plain of former Saurashtra, 450 miles south-east of Mohenjo-Daro. The excavation made here represent the Indus Valley Civilization.

Mamallapuram (now Mahabalipuram) : Situated 53 miles from Chennai, it is known for rock-cut temples, monolithic figures and carvings of the 7th and 8th centuries A.D.

Mithila: was the home of the three scholar sages—Gargi, Maitreya and Kapila. It was the capital town of Raja Janak’s territory.

Madurai: popularly known as the “City of Festivals”, was till the 14th century the capital of the Pandyan kingdom which had sea-borne trade with Rome and Greece. It is famous for Minakshi temple.

Mohenjo-daro: in the Larkana district of Sind (now in Pakistan) is the site of excavation revealing pre-Aryan Indus Valley Civilization.

Nalanda: in Bihar was the seat of an ancient Buddhist University. It contains a group of Buddhist temples and monasteries.

Patan: (or Som Nath) in Gujarat State is the site of the famous Som Nath temple which was destroyed by Mahmud Ghazni.

Pragjyotishpur: was the capital of an ancient tribal kingdom in Kamarupa or modern Assam. (It is the new capital of Assam State).

Rajgir: 8 miles south-west of Nalanda by road is an important place of pilgrimage for Buddhists. It was the capital of Bimbisara in ancient times. The Buddha preached at Rajgir, and so did Mahavir, the great preceptor of the Jains.

Sanchi: in Madhya Pradesh is famous for the largest and the most well-preserved Buddhist Stupa (108-foot in diameter and 42-foot in height).

Sarnath: near Varanasi is the place where the Buddha delivered his first sermon after he became the “Enlightened One”. The place is known for Buddhist temples and remains.

Seringapatam: in Karnataka was the ancient capital of Tipu Sultan.

Sravanabelgola: in Karnataka is famous for its Jain temples and the colossal statue of Gomateswara—65-foot high erected in A.D. 983, the tallest monolithic in the world.

Srirangam: an island on the Cauvery river two miles north of Tiruchirapalli. It contains one of the largest temples in south India of the Vijayanagar period.

Tamralipti: A flourishing sea port in ancient India.

Tanjore: was the capital of Cholas. It is situated in the delta of the Cauvery in Tamil Nadu.
Also known for Brihadeeswara temple.

Taxila: ancient capital of Gandhara and one of the most renowned cities of ancient north west India.

Tirupati: in Andhra State, situated about 100 miles to the north-west of Chennai is one of the holiest places in South India. This hill temple of Sri Venkateswara is an example of early Dravidian architecture and is one of the finest in the south.

Ujjain: known to be the seat of king Vikrama, is situated on the Sipra in Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the seven sacred cities also known as Avanti. Mahakaleshwar temple here is known as a pilgrimage centre.

Vikramasila: was a great Tantrik University established by the Pala King Dharampala in AD 810. It was a hotbed of moral corruption, sorcery and idolatry. In AD 1198, the soldiers of Ikhtiar Khilji razed the structure to the ground and killed all the monks in the university.

Vaishali: Modern Besarch in the district of Muzzaffarpur in Bihar. It was the capital of the famous Vaishali clan in ancient India.

Kanyakumari It is situated in Tamil Nadu and is famous for temple (the virgin goddess) . It is situated at Cape Comorin on the extreme southern tip of India where the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean meet. It is also a picturesque spot which is frequented by tourists. Also famous for Vivekanand Rock Memorial, where Swami Vivekanand meditated.

Important Battles And Wars In India

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:16:00 +0000

Battle of Hydaspes 326 B.C.—Alexander the Great, defeated Porus, the Paurava king. Impressed by the valour of Porus, ultimately Alexander returned his kingdom to him.

Battle of Kalinga 261 B.C.—Ashoka defeated the king of Kalinga. Ashoka embraced Buddhism and preached it during the rest of his life after this war.

First Battle of Tarain or Thaneswar A.D. 1191 Prithvi Raj Chauhan defeated Mohammed Ghori. Second Battle of Tarain A.D. 1192—Mohammed Ghori defeated Prithvi Raj Chauhan. Ghori’s victory paved the way for the establishment of Muslim rule in India.

First Battle of Panipat 1526—Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodhi. This laid the foundation of the Mughal rule in India.

Battle of Khanwah 1527— Babar defeated Rana Sanga of Mewar. This battle resulted in the defeat of the powerful Rajput confederacy.

Second Battle of Panipat 1556—Bairam Khan (Akbar’s General) defeated Hemu (the Hindu General and right-hand man of Mohd. Adil Shah). It also ended the Afghan Rule and Mughal Rule began instead.

Battle of Talikota 1564- 65—United alliance between Bijapur, Bidar, Ahmednagar and Golkonda under Hussain Nizam Shah defeated Ram Raja of Vijayanagar. It destroyed the Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar.

Battle of Haldighati 1576—Akbar’s forces headed by Raja Man Singh defeated Rana Pratap, the brave Rajput king. Though defeated, Rana Pratap refused to accept Mughal authority and carried on warfare till his death.

Battle of Plassey 1757— The English under Lord Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah.It brought Muslim Rule in Bengal to an end and laid foundations of the British Rule in India.

Battle of Wandiwash 1760—The English defeated the French. The battle sealed the fate of the French in India and paved the way for English rule in India.

Third Battle of Panipat 1761—Ahmed Shah Abdali defeated Marathas. It gave a terrible blow to the Maratha power. It made the field clear for the English.

Battle of Buxar 1764— Fought in 1764 between the forces of the English and the combined forces of Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah (Nawab of Oudh) and the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam. The English victory at Buxar finally riveted the shackles of the Company’s rule upon Bengal.

First Mysore War (1767- 68)—In 1768, Haider Ali was defeated by the English relinquishing all his rights over Mysore in favour of the English.

Second Mysore War 1780— A grand alliance between Haider Ali, the Nizam and the Marathas was formed and Haider Ali. He defeated the English and took possession of Arcot and became the undisputed master of the Carnatic.

Third Mysore War 1790- 92—Fought between the English and Tipu Sultan. Tipu Sultan had to submit and was compelled to sign the Treaty of Seringapattam stripped him of half his territory.

Fourth Mysore War 1799— The British forces under Arthur Wellesley defeated Tipu Sultan, which brought the end of the Tipu Sultan. Maratha War 1803-05—It weakened the Maratha power. The English annexed Tanjore, Surat and Carnatic.

Fourth Maratha War 1817- 18—The British forces defeated Marathas and this campaign finally extinguished the Maratha Empire.

Battle of Cheelianwala 1849—Forces of the East India Company under Lord Hugh Gough defeated the Sikhs under Sher Singh.

Burmese War 1885—As a result of this War, the whole of Burma was occupied by the English and made a part of India.

Afghan War III 1919—As a result of this War, Treaty of Rawalpindi was signed by which Afghanistan was recognised as an independent State.

lndo-Pak War 1965—This was Pakistan’s second attack on India. While India had the upper hand, the fighting was brought to a stop by a call for ceasefire issued by the Security Council. Later on, Tashkent accord was signed between the two nations. lndo-

Pak War Dec 1971— Pakistan started the war attacking India on Dec 3. India defeated Pakistan on all fronts. Pakistani occupation forces, numbering about one lakh, in East Bengal (Bangladesh) surrendered. Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation.

THE CIRCA 1000-1200 AD

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:20:00 +0000

Mahmud of Ghazni

Against grave political uncertainties, the Mahmud of Ghazni ascended the throne in 998 at Ghazni (Afghanistan). Mahmud Ghazni conducted 17 raids into India, and in his march towards India, came in conflict with the Hindushahi rulers ruling in Punjab and Peshawar. In 1001, he defeated Jaipala of Punjab. The Indian temples were well-known for their fabulous wealth. It was this wealth that led him to conduct his subsequent raids in India. Mahmud used to call himself a butshikan or a breaker of images for the glory of Islam. His most daring raids were against Kannauj in 1018 and against Somnath in Gujarat in 1025. Mahmud did not encounter any serious resistance on his way due to the lack of any effective political power. The Somnath Plunder was his last campaign in India. He, however, never tried to annex any of these territories. Plunder, pure and rich, was his goal.

Back home, after the break-up of the Pratihara empire, a number of Rajput states came into existence. The most important of these were the Gahadavalas of Kannauj, the Parmars of Malwa and the Chauhans of Ajmer.

Mohammed Ghauri

In 1173, Shahabuddin Muhammad (1173-1206 AD), who is also known as Muizzuddin Muhammad bin Sam and Mohammed Ghauri ascended the throne in Ghazni. Meanwhile, the Chauhan power had been steadily growing with their many conquests, e.g. of the Tomars of Delhi. The expansion of their power towards Punjab brought them into conflict with the Ghazanvid rulers of the area.

Prithviraja Chauhan

In Ajmer, a young prince Prithviraja Chauhan had just taken over. Prithviraja was an ambitious young ruler, who had defeated many of his contemporaries. He has been immortalized in many legends based on his lifestory later. When he tried to turn his eyes towards Punjab, this brought him in direct conflict with Mohammed Ghauri. Thus, there was the First Battle of Tarain in 1191 in which the Ghauri forces were completely routed.

The Second Battle of Tarain in 1192 is regarded as a turning point in the history of India. Ghuari has made careful preparations for the war. As soon as Prithviraja awoke to the danger, he made a fervent appeal to all the other rajas of northern India for help. Many of them did help him, but Jaichand of Kannauj, stayed away. The legend that Jaichand had done so because his daughter had eloped with Prithviraja is thought to be incorrect by most historians because this romantic story was written much later. Probably, the reason for this was an old outstanding rivalry. In the fiercely contested battle, the Chauhan forces were routed. Prithviraja managed to escape, but was captured near Saraswati. He was allowed to rule over Ajmer for a short time. Soon after, Prithiviraja was executed on a conspiracy charge. Prithiviraja’s son succeeded to the throne, but Ajmer was soon captured by Turkish rulers. The son moved to Ranthambore and founded a powerful kingdom these later. Thus the Delhi area and eastern Rajasthan passed under the Turkish rule.

Qutbuddin Aibak

After Tarain, Ghuari left for Ghazni, leaving India in the hands of his trusted slave Qutbuddin Aibak. In 1194, Ghuari returned to India, defeating Jaichand of Kannauj and looting and destroying Hindu temples in Benares. Thus the battles of Train and Chandawar laid the foundations of the Turkish rule in India

THE CHOLA EMPIRE

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 10:53:00 +0000

The Chola empire, which arose in the South in the 10th century AD, was

founded by Vijayalya by capturing Tanjore. However, the greatest Chola rulers were Rajaraja Chola (985-1014 AD) and his son Rajendra Chola I. Rajendra carried forward the annexationist policy of his father by conquering the Pandays, the Cheras and even Sri Lanka. He assumed the title angaikondchola (The Chola Conqueror of the Ganga). The remarkable features of the Chola rule include a strong navy, village self-government and construction of beautiful temples to commemorate victories. Rajraja I even sent a naval expedition against Malaya to overcome their interference in his trade with China. The Cholas also sent a number of embassies to China.

Temple architecture reached a climax in the South under the Cholas. The main feature of this style called the Dravida, was the building of storey upon storey above the chief deity room (garbhgriha). The entire structure was surrounded by high walls having lofty gates called gopurams. One of the finest examples of this style is the Brihdeeshwara Temple at Tanjore built by Rajaraja I. This is also called the Rajraja Temple.

The art of sculpture attained a high standard during this phase. One befitting example is the Gomteshwara Statue at Shravanbelgola in Karnataka, the highest statue in India. Another aspect was the image-making, which peaked a new high in the dancing figure of the Shiva, called the Natraja. A number poof popular Bhakti saints called the nayanars and alvars, devotees of Shiva, flourished in this area between the 6th and the 9th centuries. The writings of these saints called Tirumurai, are considered sacred and are known as the Fifth Veda.

THE RASHTRAKUTAS:

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 10:43:00 +0000

The Rashratkutas were based in Deccan and produced remarkable warriors and rulers. The kingdom was founded by Dantidurga with capital at Manyakhet or Malkhed near modern Sholapur. They soon occupied the entire northern Maharashtra and in their territorial ambitions, came in conflict with the Pratihars for the dominance of Gujarat and Malwa. The Rashtrakutas also fought constantly with the eastern Chalukyas, the Pallavas of Kanchi and the Pandyas of Madurai. Possibly, Gobinda III (and Amoghvarsh were the greatest rulers of this house. Amoghvarsh was a great scholar, who wrote the first Kannada book on poetics. However, the Rashtrakuta empire soon declined due to internal rebellions and was finally destroyed by their rivals in 972 AD. The Rashtrkutas were very tolerant people and allowed the Muslims to practice their faith despite the fact they were Hindus themselves.

THE PRATIHARAS

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 10:41:00 +0000

The Pratihars gained prominence due to their resistance to Arab invasions. The real founder and the greatest ruler of the dynasty was Bhoja. Bhoja tried to extend the empire in the east, but his efforts were checkmated by the Pala ruler, Devpala. The Pratihars had the best cavalry in India. Bhoja was a great devotee of Vishnu and had adopted the title of ‘Adivraha’. It was the same Bhoja whose name is immmortalized in many stories. Al-Masudi, an Iranian traveller, who visited the Pratihar court, testifies to their great power and prestige. They were great patrons of art and learning. The great Sanskrit poet Rajashekhar, lived at their court. Between 915-918 AD, Kannauj, the Pratihar capital was attacked by Indra III, the Rashtrakuta ruler. Another Rashtrakuta ruler Krishna III invaded north India in 963 AD and defeated the Pratihar ruler, thus leading to the rapid dissolution of the Pratihar empire.

THE PALA DYNASTY

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 10:26:00 +0000

The Pala empire was founded by Gopala in 750 AD and was succeeded by his son Dharampala in 770 AD who ruled till 810 AD. Dhrampala was a considerably powerful ruler and occupied Kannauj, where he held a grand and widely-attended durbar. Devpala, son of Dharmapal, who ascended the throne in 810 AD, extended his control over Prgayajyotishpur (Assam). Thus for about 100 years, the Palas dominated eastern India. The Palas were great patrons of Buddhism and Dhrampala had revived the defunct Nalanda University, which was world-famous as a centre of Mahayana learning. He also founded the Vikramshila University, which is considered next to Nalanda only. Many Buddhist ambassadors from Tibet were sent to the Pala court. The Palas maintained the biggest number of elephants in those days for military purposes.

MEDIEVAL INDIA : Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:11:00 +0000

The medieval history is distinguished from the ancient by the presence of a feudal system. Across the world, in both Europe and Asia, a landed aristocracy came to dominate the government. The government officers were paid more and more in terms of land revenue assignments. The person to whom a tract of land was granted was responsible for getting it cultivated, collecting land revenue and supplying troops to the state in times of need. This kind of de-centralized administrative structure is a hallmark of the entire medieval history worldwide. This system came to be known as serfdom in Europe, while various names are in currency in India to describe it —Jagirdari, Samanatvadi, Zamindari system etc. All of them basically imply the existence of a landed aristocracy.

A number of powerful empires arose in northern India and the Deccan between 750-1000 AD. The Palas, the Pratiharas and the Rashtarkutas were the most prominent among them. The Rashtrakuta empire lasted the longest and was also the most powerful of its times.