History: Notes और MCQ Practice

आसान भाषा में

History को SSC CGL के लिए 3 parts में divide करके पढ़िए—Ancient, Medieval, और Modern India। Ancient में Indus Valley Civilization और Buddhism/Jainism, Medieval में Delhi Sultanate और Mughal Empire, और Modern में 1857 Revolt से लेकर 1947 Independence तक maximum questions पूछे जाते हैं। History facts का खेल है, बस Chronology और Timeline को पकड़कर चलिए!

Most Important Key Points & Rules

• Indus Valley Sites: Harappa (1921, Daya Ram Sahni - Ravi river), Mohenjo-daro (1922, R.D. Banerji - Indus river).
• Buddhist Councils (Patron Kings): 1st - Ajatashatru (Rajgriha), 2nd - Kalashoka (Vaishali), 3rd - Ashoka (Pataliputra), 4th - Kanishka (Kundalvana, Kashmir).
• Delhi Sultanate Order (1206–1526 AD): Slave Dynasty → Khilji → Tughlaq → Sayyid → Lodi Dynasty.
• Major Modern Battles: Battle of Plassey (1757, Robert Clive vs Siraj-ud-Daulah), Battle of Buxar (1764, Hector Munro vs Combined Forces).
• Gandhian Era Movements: Non-Cooperation Movement (1920), Civil Disobedience Movement / Dandi March (1930), Quit India Movement (1942).

2 Quick Tricks

1. Mughal Emperors Sequence: याद रखिए BHAJSA (Babur → Humayun → Akbar → Jahangir → Shah Jahan → Aurangzeb).
2. Delhi Sultanate Chronology: याद रखिए Phrase "गुलाब खिले तो सांस लो" (G = Ghulam/Slave, Kh = Khilji, T = Tughlaq, S = Sayyid, L = Lodi).

2 Common Mistakes

1. First Posts Confusion: First Governor-General of Bengal = Warren Hastings, First Governor-General of India = Lord William Bentinck, First Viceroy of India = Lord Canning। इनमें अक्सर confusion होता है!
2. Panipat Battles Mix-up: First Battle (1526: Babur vs Ibrahim Lodi), Second Battle (1556: Akbar vs Hemu), Third Battle (1761: Ahmad Shah Abdali vs Marathas)—इनके dates और opponents कभी mix मत करना!

History Study Notes for SSC CGL (General Awareness)

1. Concept

In the SSC CGL examination, History carries significant weight under the General Awareness section. The syllabus is classified into three broad segments:

1. Ancient Indian History: Covers prehistoric periods, the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), Vedic period, Mahajanapadas, Buddhism and Jainism, the Mauryan Empire, and the Gupta Empire.
2. Medieval Indian History: Encompasses early medieval kingdoms (Cholas, Palas, Rashtrakutas), the Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526 CE), the Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms, the Mughal Empire (1526–1857 CE), and the Maratha Empire.
3. Modern Indian History: Covers the advent of European trading companies, British conquest of India, the Revolt of 1857, socio-religious reform movements, and the Indian National Movement (1885–1947), which holds the highest frequency in SSC exams.

SSC CGL questions primarily test factual recall: chronological order of events, ruling dynasties and their founders, major battles and treaties, administrative terms, architectural monuments, and major publications/leaders of the freedom struggle.

2. Important Facts, Chronologies, and Rules

Ancient India

• Indus Valley Civilization (IVC):
• Harappa: Discovered by Daya Ram Sahni (1921), situated on the river Ravi.
• Mohenjodaro: Discovered by R.D. Banerjee (1922), situated on the river Indus (Great Bath, Dancing Girl statue).
• Lothal: Port town/dockyard in Gujarat (Bhogava river).
• Kalibangan: Ploughed field surface, fire altars in Rajasthan (Ghaggar river).
• Four Buddhist Councils:
• 1st Council (483 BCE): Rajgriha | Patron: Ajatashatru | President: Mahakassapa
• 2nd Council (383 BCE): Vaishali | Patron: Kalashoka | President: Sabakami
• 3rd Council (250 BCE): Pataliputra | Patron: Ashoka | President: Moggaliputta Tissa
• 4th Council (72 CE): Kundalvana (Kashmir) | Patron: Kanishka | President: Vasumitra (division into Hinayana and Mahayana)
• Key Dynasties & Founders:
• Haryanka: Bimbisara
• Maurya: Chandragupta Maurya
• Gupta: Sri Gupta (Real founder: Chandragupta I)

Medieval India

• Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526 CE) Dynasties:

1. Slave (Mamluk) Dynasty (1206–1290) - Founder: Qutb-ud-din Aibak
2. Khalji Dynasty (1290–1320) - Founder: Jalal-ud-din Khalji (Key ruler: Alauddin Khalji - market reforms)
3. Tughlaq Dynasty (1320–1414) - Founder: Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq (Longest-ruling dynasty)
4. Sayyid Dynasty (1414–1451) - Founder: Khizr Khan
5. Lodi Dynasty (1451–1526) - Founder: Bahlul Lodi (Only Afghan dynasty in Sultanate)

• Key Battles of Panipat:
• 1st Battle (1526): Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi (founded Mughal Empire)
• 2nd Battle (1556): Akbar (led by Bairam Khan) defeated Hemu
• 3rd Battle (1761): Ahmad Shah Abdali defeated the Marathas

Modern India

• Major Battles of British Expansion:
• Battle of Plassey (1757): Robert Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah.
• Battle of Buxar (1764): British (Hector Munro) defeated combined forces of Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah, and Shah Alam II. Led to the Treaty of Allahabad (1765).
• Key Constitutional Milestones:
• Regulating Act of 1773: Made Governor of Bengal the "Governor-General of Bengal" (Warren Hastings).
• Charter Act of 1833: Made Governor-General of Bengal the "Governor-General of India" (Lord William Bentinck).
• Government of India Act 1858: Transferred power from Company to British Crown; created office of the "Viceroy" (Lord Canning).
• Important Indian National Congress (INC) Sessions:
• 1885 (Bombay): 1st Session, W.C. Bonnerjee presided (72 delegates).
• 1906 (Calcutta): Dadabhai Naoroji declared 'Swaraj' as the goal.
• 1907 (Surat): Split between Moderates and Extremists (Presided by Rash Behari Ghosh).
• 1916 (Lucknow): Lucknow Pact (Moderates-Extremists reunited; INC-Muslim League pact; Presided by A.C. Majumdar).
• 1924 (Belgaum): Only session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi.
• 1925 (Kanpur): Sarojini Naidu became the first Indian woman president.
• 1929 (Lahore): 'Purna Swaraj' resolution adopted; presided by Jawaharlal Nehru.

3. Solved Examples (Exam Style)

Example 1

Question: Who among the following founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1784?

(a) Warren Hastings

(b) Sir William Jones

(c) Lord Cornwallis

(d) Jonathan Duncan

Solution:

• Step 1: Identify the organization and date: Asiatic Society of Bengal, established in 1784 at Calcutta.
• Step 2: Recall associated British administrators and scholars: Sir William Jones, a British philologist and jurist, established this society to foster Oriental studies.
• Step 3: Eliminate distractors: Warren Hastings was the Governor-General who supported it, but the founder was Sir William Jones.
• Answer: (b) Sir William Jones

Example 2

Question: Arrange the following movements in correct chronological order:

1. Non-Cooperation Movement
2. Champaran Satyagraha
3. Quit India Movement
4. Civil Disobedience Movement

(a) 2 - 1 - 4 - 3

(b) 1 - 2 - 4 - 3

(c) 2 - 4 - 1 - 3

(d) 4 - 2 - 1 - 3

Solution:

• Step 1: Recall the timeline of each Gandhian movement:
• Champaran Satyagraha: 1917 (First civil disobedience by Gandhi in India regarding indigo planters)
• Non-Cooperation Movement: 1920–1922 (Launched post-Khilafat and Jallianwala Bagh)
• Civil Disobedience Movement: 1930 (Dandi March, breaking of the Salt Law)
• Quit India Movement: 1942 (Launched at Bombay, "Do or Die" call)
• Step 2: Arrange from earliest to latest: 1917 (2) → 1920 (1) → 1930 (4) → 1942 (3).
• Answer: (a) 2 - 1 - 4 - 3

Example 3

Question: The system of 'Dyarchy' was introduced in the provinces of British India by which of the following Acts?

(a) Indian Councils Act, 1892

(b) Morley-Minto Reforms, 1909

(c) Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (Government of India Act), 1919

(d) Government of India Act, 1935

Solution:

• Step 1: Understand 'Dyarchy' (rule by two): Division of provincial subjects into "Transferred" and "Reserved".
• Step 2: Check relevant Acts:
• The 1909 Act introduced separate electorates for Muslims.
• The 1919 Act introduced Dyarchy in the provinces.
• The 1935 Act abolished provincial dyarchy, introduced Provincial Autonomy, and proposed dyarchy at the Centre.
• Step 3: The question specifies dyarchy "in the provinces", which is the 1919 Act.
• Answer: (c) Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (Government of India Act), 1919

4. Shortcuts and Tricks

1. Mughal Emperors in Order:

• Mnemonic: B-H-A-J-S-A
• Babur → Humayun → Akbar → Jahangir → Shah Jahan → Aurangzeb.

1. Delhi Sultanate Dynasties in Order:

• Mnemonic: S-K-T-S-L ("Sab Khao Tamatar Sabze Lekar")
• Slave (Mamluk) → Khalji → Tughlaq → Sayyid → Lodi.

1. Buddhist Councils (Locations & Patrons):

• Locations Mnemonic: RA - VA - PA - KA
• Rajgriha → Vaishali → Pataliputra → Kashmir (Kundalvana).
• Patrons Mnemonic: A - K - A - K
• Ajatashatru → Kalashoka → Ashoka → Kanishka.

1. Early Gandhian Interventions (1917–1918):

• Mnemonic: CAKE
• Champaran (1917 - 1st Civil Disobedience)
• Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918 - 1st Hunger Strike)
• KE / Kheda Satyagraha (1918 - 1st Non-Cooperation)

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Confusing the Three Battles of Tarain and Panipat:
• Battles of Tarain involve Prithviraj Chauhan and Muhammad Ghori (1st: 1191, 2nd: 1192).
• Battles of Panipat involve Babur vs. Ibrahim Lodi (1526), Akbar vs. Hemu (1556), and Abdali vs. Marathas (1761). Do not mix up the combatants or centuries.
• Mixing Governor Titles:
• First Governor of Bengal: Robert Clive
• First Governor-General of Bengal: Warren Hastings (1773)
• First Governor-General of India: Lord William Bentinck (1833)
• First Viceroy of India: Lord Canning (1858)
• Always verify the exact geographical unit and the Act associated with the title in the question.
• Confusing Female Presidents of the Indian National Congress:
• Annie Besant (1917, Calcutta): First woman president of INC.
• Sarojini Naidu (1925, Kanpur): First Indian woman president of INC.
• Watch out for the word "Indian" in the question statement.
• Treaties vs. Wars:
• Treaty of Seringapatam ended the 3rd Anglo-Mysore War (1792), NOT the 4th (in which Tipu Sultan died in 1799).
• Treaty of Salbai (1782) belongs to the 1st Anglo-Maratha War, while Treaty of Bassein (1802) preceded the 2nd Anglo-Maratha War.