History

🟢 Lite — Quick Review (1h–1d)

Rapid summary of History for NDA GAT paper.

History contributes approximately 15–18 questions to the NDA GAT paper. Focus revision on these high-yield areas:

Key Dates to Memorise:

• Indus Valley Civilisation: 2500–1750 BCE
• Delhi Sultanate established: 1206 CE (Iltutmish)
• Mughal Empire founded: 1526 CE (Babur after Battle of Panipat)
• British East India Company arrived: 1608 CE (Surat)
• 1857 Revolt: First War of Independence
• Indian National Congress founded: 28 December 1885
• Partition of Bengal: 1905 (Curzon)
• Quit India Movement: 8 August 1942
• French Revolution: 14 July 1789 (Storming of the Bastille)
• First World War: 1914–1918
• Second World War: 1939–1945

Exam Tip: NDA questions frequently ask about causes and effects. For each major event, remember the immediate cause, the year, and the most important figure associated with it. The Mughal Empire (1526–1857) and the Indian National Movement (1885–1947) are the two most heavily tested sections.

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🟡 Standard — Regular Study (2d–2mo)

For students who want genuine understanding of History for NDA.

Ancient India — Civilisations and Religions

Indus Valley Civilisation (2500–1750 BCE): Also known as Harappan Civilisation, discovered at Harappa (Punjab, Pakistan) and Mohenjo-daro (Sindh, Pakistan). Key features:

• Planned cities with grid-pattern roads, sophisticated drainage, and baked brick houses
• Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro (possibly for ritual purification)
• Seals with undeciphered script (thought to be proto-Dravidian or Sanskrit)
• Economies based on agriculture (wheat, barley), trade ( Lothal had a dockyard), and craft production
• Declined around 1750 BCE — theories include climate change, river diversion, or Indo-Aryan migration

Vedic Period (1500–600 BCE):

• Indo-Aryans migrated into the Indian subcontinent
• Composed the Vedas (Rigveda earliest — contains 1,028 hymns)
• Early Vedic society: patriarchal, clan-based, with Raja (chief) as leader
• Later Vedic period saw emergence of larger kingdoms, varnas (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra), and asmritars (sacred texts beyond Vedas)
• Iron age tools (ayas) appeared during this period

Mahajanapadas (600–300 BCE): Sixteen major kingdoms/republics arose. Key ones: Magadha (became most powerful), Kosala, Vajji (first republic), Licchavis. Rise of cities, use of iron, surplus agriculture, and coinage (punch-marked coins) marked this era.

Buddhism and Jainism:

• Buddhism founded by Siddhartha Gautama (563–483 BCE) in 6th century BCE. Core teachings: Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, Middle Way. Rejected Vedic rituals and caste system. Spread via Emperor Ashoka (268–232 BCE) who adopted it after the Kalinga War and sent missionaries to Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia.
• Jainism founded by Mahavira (599–527 BCE). Core teachings: Ahimsa (non-violence), truth (satya), non-stealing (asteya). Extreme asceticism. Tirthankaras (spiritual teachers) as objects of worship.
• Both religions challenged Brahminical dominance and spread through prakrit languages rather than Sanskrit.

Medieval India — Sultanate and Mughal Empire

Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526):

• Founded by Qutb-ud-din Aibak ( slave general of Muhammad Ghori) after Ghori’s death
• Slave dynasty (1206–1290): Iltutmish (1210–1236) — introduced the idea of consultation (Chalisa-i-Mamal), Turko-Mongol name system
• Khizr Khan (1268–1287): Introduced the practice of Dholi/Dollar/Sultanate coinage
• Balban (1266–1287): Strict law and order, royal court protocol (Padmini/Siyadat)
• Khalji revolution (1290): Alauddin Khalji — first Muslim ruler to expand into South India, introduced market reforms (Diwan-i-riyasat controlled prices)
• Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1414): Muhammad bin Tughlaq — introduced token currency (paper/bronze coins), capital moved to Daulatabad
• Sayyid dynasty (1414–1451): Weak rulers
• Lodi dynasty (1451–1526): Last Sultanate dynasty; Ibrahim Lodi defeated at Panipat 1526

Mughal Empire (1526–1857):

• Babur (1526–1530): Defeated Ibrahim Lodi at First Battle of Panipat (1526); had Timurid and Turkic ancestry; wrote Baburnama
• Humayun (1530–1540, restored 1555–1556): Defeated by Sher Shah Suri at Chausa (1539) and Kannauj (1540)
• Sher Shah Suri (1540–1545): Built the Grand Trunk Road; introduced the Zabt land revenue system; reforms of administration
• Akbar (1556–1605): Extended Mughal rule across most of India; abolished jizya tax on Hindus; built Fatehpur Sikri; patronised Din-i-Ilahi; flexible religious policy
• Jahangir (1605–1627): Continued Akbar’s policies; Nur Jahan’s influence
• Shah Jahan (1628–1658): Built Taj Mahal (1653, for Mumtaz Mahal); Red Fort in Delhi; Moti Masjid; spent later years imprisoned by son Aurangzeb
• Aurangzeb (1658–1707): Expanded to Deccan (defeated Bijapur, Golconda); reimposed jizya; faced Maratha rebellion under Shivaji; his policies of religious orthodoxy led to东山再起
• Mughal decline after 1707 due to: weak successors, Nawab satraps, Maratha expansion, invasions by Nader Shah (1739) and Ahmad Shah Abdali, British exploitation through East India Company

Vijayanagara and Bahmani Kingdoms:

• Vijayanagara Empire (1336–1646): Founded by Harihara I and Bukka Raya I on Tungabhadra river; capital Hampi (Karnataka); patronised arts, literature (Neminatha, Amukta Malyada); fell to Deccan Sultanates at Battle of Talikota (1565); famous for Dravidian architecture
• Bahmani Sultanate (1347–1526): Founded by Ala-ud-din Hasan Bahmani; constant rivalry with Vijayanagara; capital shifted to Bidar, then to Gulbarga; five successor states: Bijapur, Golconda, Ahmadnagar, Bidar, Berar

Modern India — British Rule and Freedom Movement

Establishment of British Rule:

• British East India Company arrived 1608 CE (Captain William Hawkins in Surat)
• Battle of Plassey (1757): Robert Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah; Nawab of Bengal; began Company rule
• Battle of Buxar (1764): British defeated combined forces of Mir Qasim (Bengal), Shuja-ud-Daulah (Awadh), and Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II
• Regulating Act 1773: First British attempt to regulate East India Company
• Doctrine of Lapse (1848–1856): Governor-General Lord Dalhousie — princely states would lapse to British if ruler had no male heir
• 1857 Revolt: Also called First War of Independence; led by Mangal Pandey (Barrackpore), Bahadur Shah Zafar (last Mughal emperor), Rani Lakshmibai (Jhansi), Tantia Tope, Begum Hazrat Mahal; suppressed by 1858; led directly to the Government of India Act 1858 (ended Company rule, Queen Victoria took over)

Socio-Religious Reform Movements:

• Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772–1833): Founded Brahmo Samaj (1828); campaigned against sati, child marriage; supported women’s education; known as “Maker of Modern India”
• Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902): Disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhamsa; founded Ramakrishna Mission (1897); represented India at Parliament of the World’s Religions, Chicago (1893); promoted Vedanta and practical spirituality
• Swami Dayananda Saraswati (not to be confused with Arsha Vidya founder): Back to Vedic roots
• Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817–1898): Founded Aligarh Muslim University (1875); promoted modern education among Muslims
• Jyotirao Phule (1827–1890): Founded Satyashodhak Samaj; fought against caste discrimination; championed women’s education
• Others: Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar (women’s education), Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (Anandamath, wrote Vande Mataram)

Indian National Movement

• Indian National Congress (INC) founded by Allan Octavian Hume, Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee as first president (28 December 1885)
• Partition of Bengal (1905): Viceroy Lord Curzon; divided Bengal into East Bengal (Muslim majority) and West Bengal (Hindu majority); led to Swadeshi movement (1905); boycotted British goods; Extremist leadership emerged (Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal — Lal Bal Pal)
• Minto-Morley Reforms (1909): Separate electorates for Muslims (based on Muslim League demand, Aligarh tradition)
• Lucknow Pact (1916): Congress and Muslim League agreed; joint demand for self-government
• Rowlatt Act (1919): Gave British government power to try political cases without jury
• Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (13 April 1919): General Dyer’s troops fired on unarmed crowd at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar; 379–1,500+ killed (numbers disputed);Mahatma Gandhi launched Non-Cooperation Movement in response
• Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–1922): Congress under Gandhi; boycotted British institutions, schools, courts; promoted khadi; ended after Chauri Chaura incident (1922) when police fired on crowd and villagers burned police station, killing 22 officers
• Simon Commission (1927): All-white British commission; boycotted; Lala Lajpat Rai beaten to death during protests
• Nehru Report (1928): Draft constitution by Motilal Nehru; dominion status demand
• Civil Disobedience Movement (1930): Gandhi’s Dandi March (12 March – 6 April 1930); 78 people marched from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi; broke salt law by making salt; over 60,000 arrests
• Round Table Conferences (1930–1932): Three conferences in London; Gandhi attended second; failed to satisfy Indian demands
• Government of India Act 1935: Provided limited provincial autonomy
• Quit India Movement (8 August 1942): Gandhi’s “Do or Die” speech at Gowalia Tank; immediate mass arrests; underground movement led by Aruna Asaf Ali; significant public upheaval
• Indian Independence Act 1947: Passed by British Parliament; Partition into India and Pakistan; Mountbatten as last Vicoy; independence at midnight 14–15 August 1947

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🔴 Extended — Deep Study (3mo+)

Comprehensive theory for History mastery in NDA GAT.

World History — Key Events

French Revolution (1789–1799):

• Causes: financial crisis (bankruptcy of France), Enlightenment ideas, food shortages, inequality between estates
• 14 July 1789: Storming of the Bastille (symbolic start)
• Key documents: Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (August 1789) —Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
• Reign of Terror (1793–1794): Committee of Public Safety under Robespierre; guillotine executions
• Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte (1799): Coup of 18 Brumaire; crowned Emperor 1804; Napoleonic Code
• Impact on India: Exposed weaknesses of Mughal Empire; led British to consolidate power; influenced Indian intellectuals

Industrial Revolution (c. 1760–1840):

• Began in Britain; spread to Europe and America
• Key inventions: Spinning Jenny (James Hargreaves, 1764), Water Frame (Richard Arkwright, 1769), Steam Engine (James Watt, 1775 improved), Power Loom (1785), Locomotive (George Stephenson, 1814)
• Effects: Urbanisation, factory system, exploitation of workers, rise of capitalism, colonialism intensified (raw materials needed)
• India impacted: British flooded Indian markets with cheap manufactured goods, deindustrialised Indian textile industry, raw material supply for British factories

First World War (1914–1918):

• Causes: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary (28 June 1914 in Sarajevo); alliance system (Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy; Triple Entente: Britain, France, Russia); militarism, imperialism, nationalism
• Main theatres: Western Front (trench warfare), Eastern Front, Middle East, Africa
• India contributed: Over 1 million Indian soldiers served; Battle of Ypres, Neuve Chapelle, Gallipoli
• Treaty of Versailles (1919): Germany blamed; harsh reparations; Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Empires dismantled; redrew European map; led to economic hardship in Germany (fueling rise of Hitler)

Second World War (1939–1945):

• Causes: Treaty of Versailles bitterness, rise of fascism (Mussolini in Italy 1922, Hitler in Germany 1933), Nazi-Soviet Pact (August 1939), Japanese imperialism in Asia
• India in WWII: India declared war on Germany and Japan without consulting Indian leaders; 2.5 million Indian soldiers served; Bengal Famine of 1943 (3 million dead, caused by British policies, rice shortage, wartime inflation)
• Key events: Dunkirk evacuation (1940), Battle of Britain (1940), Pearl Harbor (Dec 1941), D-Day landings (June 1944), atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 1945)
• End: Germany surrendered May 1945; Japan August 1945; United Nations formed (1945)

Important Treaties and Conferences:

Treaty/Conference	Year	Significance
Treaty of Paris (American Revolution)	1783	Britain recognised US independence
Vienna Congress	1815	Redrew Europe after Napoleonic Wars
Treaty of Paris (Crimean War)	1856	Ended Crimean War
Treaty of Berlin	1878	Revoked parts of Treaty of San Stefano
Treaty of Versailles	1919	Ended WWI; Germany punished
Atlantic Charter	1941	Roosevelt-Churchill; self-determination
UN Charter	1945	Founded United Nations

NDA History Question Patterns:

Topic	Questions	Focus
Ancient India	3–4	IVC, Vedic period, Buddhism/Jainism
Medieval India	4–5	Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Empire
Modern India	4–5	British rule, reform movements, INC
Indian National Movement	3–4	Major movements, leaders, dates
World History	2–3	French Revolution, WW1/WW2
Treaties/Conferences	1–2	Names, years, significance

Nationalists and Their Contributions:

• Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948): Non-violent resistance (Satyagraha), Champaran (1917), Kheda (1918), Ahmedabad Mill strike (1918), Non-Cooperation (1920), Civil Disobedience (1930), Quit India (1942)
• Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964): First Prime Minister; socialist vision; Panchsheel; advocated secularism; wrote Discovery of India
• Subhas Chandra Bose (1897–1945): Left Congress in 1939; formed Indian National Army (INA) with Japanese support; “Give me blood and I will give you freedom”; death in plane crash 1945 (disputed)
• Bhagat Singh (1907–1931): Executed for killing Saunders; revolutionaries vs reformists debate
• Mahatma’s Disciples in Armed Forces: Many military officers were deeply influenced by nationalist ideas

Key Concepts for NDA:

• Difference between First War of Independence (1857) and Independence Movement (more gradual)
• Distinguish between Non-Cooperation (withdrawal of cooperation) and Civil Disobedience (active violation of laws)
• Quit India vs Simla Conference vs Cabinet Mission — three different approaches to independence
• Role of AIML (All-India Muslim League, 1906) and INA (Indian National Army, 1943) in independence