RRB PREP
NTPC ALP Group D

Indian History for RRB Exams

Ancient India

Indus Valley Civilization (3300-1300 BCE)

  • • Major Sites: Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Lothal, Kalibangan, Dholavira
  • • Features: Well-planned cities, Great Bath, granaries, drainage system
  • • Script: Undeciphered script (pictographic)
  • • Economy: Agriculture, trade with Mesopotamia
  • • Decline: Multiple theories - climate change, Aryan invasion, floods

Vedic Period (1500-500 BCE)

  • • Early Vedic (Rig Vedic): Tribal society, pastoral economy, Rig Veda composed
  • • Later Vedic: Agricultural settlements, varna system emergence, other Vedas
  • • Four Vedas: Rig, Yajur, Sama, Atharva
  • • Society: Patriarchal, joint family system

Mauryan Empire (322-185 BCE)

  • • Founder: Chandragupta Maurya (with Chanakya's guidance)
  • • Ashoka the Great: Kalinga War transformation, Buddhism patronage, rock edicts
  • • Administration: Centralized system, espionage network
  • • Economy: Agriculture, trade, state-controlled mines
  • • Art: Pillars, stupas (Sanchi), Mauryan polish

Gupta Period - Golden Age (320-550 CE)

  • • Key Rulers: Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya)
  • • Literature: Kalidasa's works (Abhijnanasakuntalam, Meghaduta)
  • • Science: Aryabhata (astronomy), Varahamihira, decimal system
  • • Art: Ajanta & Ellora caves, temple architecture
  • • Religion: Hinduism revival, Buddhism flourished

Medieval India

Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526)

  • • Five Dynasties: Slave, Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, Lodi
  • • Qutub-ud-din Aibak: First sultan, built Qutub Minar
  • • Alauddin Khilji: Market reforms, defeated Mongols
  • • Muhammad bin Tughlaq: Token currency, capital shift to Daulatabad
  • • Architecture: Indo-Islamic style, Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque

Mughal Empire (1526-1857)

  • • Babur (1526-1530): Founder, won First Battle of Panipat (1526)
  • • Akbar (1556-1605): Greatest Mughal, Din-i-Ilahi, Mansabdari system
  • • Jahangir (1605-1627): Justice chain, Nur Jahan's influence
  • • Shah Jahan (1628-1658): Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Golden Age of Architecture
  • • Aurangzeb (1658-1707): Last great Mughal, expanded empire, decline began
  • • Administration: Mansabdari, Jagirdari systems

Vijayanagara Empire (1336-1646)

  • • Founders: Harihara and Bukka
  • • Greatest Ruler: Krishnadevaraya
  • • Capital: Hampi (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
  • • Economy: Trade in spices, textiles
  • • Decline: Battle of Talikota (1565)

Bhakti & Sufi Movements

  • • Bhakti Saints: Kabir, Guru Nanak, Tulsidas, Mirabai, Chaitanya
  • • Sufi Saints: Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Nizamuddin Auliya
  • • Impact: Religious harmony, devotional literature

Modern India (British Period)

British East India Company

  • • Battle of Plassey (1757): Robert Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah
  • • Battle of Buxar (1764): Consolidated British power
  • • Regulating Act (1773): Governor-General system
  • • Permanent Settlement (1793): Lord Cornwallis, land revenue system
  • • Doctrine of Lapse: Dalhousie annexed princely states

Revolt of 1857

  • • Causes: Greased cartridges, Doctrine of Lapse, economic exploitation
  • • Leaders: Mangal Pandey, Rani Lakshmibai, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Nana Sahib
  • • Centers: Meerut, Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi
  • • Result: Failed but significant; end of Company rule
  • • Impact: British Crown took direct control (1858)

Indian National Movement

  • • Indian National Congress (1885): A.O. Hume, moderate phase
  • • Partition of Bengal (1905): Swadeshi Movement
  • • Non-Cooperation (1920-22): Gandhi's first mass movement
  • • Civil Disobedience (1930): Salt March (Dandi March)
  • • Quit India (1942): "Do or Die" call by Gandhi
  • • Key Leaders: Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Subhas Bose, Bhagat Singh

Independence & Partition (1947)

  • • August 15, 1947: India gained independence
  • • Partition: India and Pakistan created
  • • Lord Mountbatten: Last Viceroy, first Governor-General
  • • Integration: Sardar Patel unified 562 princely states

Key Dates to Remember

1526: First Battle of Panipat
1556: Second Battle of Panipat
1757: Battle of Plassey
1857: First War of Independence
1885: Indian National Congress formed
1905: Partition of Bengal
1919: Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
1930: Dandi March
1942: Quit India Movement
1947: Independence & Partition

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