Battles and Wars in India

Battle of Hydaspes—In 326 B.C. when Alexander, the great had to turn back from Hydaspes (Beas) when his troops refused to march into India against the Nanda Empire.

Battle of Kalinga—It was fought in 361 B.C. between Ashoka, the great and the king of Kalinga. The war resulted in considerable loss of life and brought misery and suffering to the people. Its impression on Ashoka was so great that he not only turned a Buddhist, but renounced war and violence.

1st Battle of Tarain (1191 A.D.)—Prithvi Raj defeated Mohd. Gauri.

2nd Battle of Tarain (1192 A.D.)—Mohd. Gauri defeated Prithvi Raj and paved the way for Muslim rule in India.

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

Second Battle of Panipat (1556)—Akbar defeated Hemu. It ended the Afgan Rule and the way was cleared for Mughal rule.

Battle of Talikota (1565)—The united alliance of Bijapur, Bidar, Ahmednagar and Golkunda under Hussain Nizam Shah defeated Ram Raja of Vijaynagar. It sealed the fate of the Hindu Kingdom of Vijaynagar.

Battle of Haldighati (1576)—Akbar defeated Rana Pratap. The latter had to take refuge in remote fortresses.

Battle of Plassey (1757)—The British under Lord Clive defeated Sirajuddaulah. It laid foundation of the British Rule in India.

Third Battle of Panipat (1761)—Ahmed Shah Abdali defeated the Marahattas. The Marahatta power suffered an irreparable loss.

Battle of Buxer (1764)—The British under Sir Hector Munro defeated the Muslim army under three Mohammadan leaders : Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-daulha and Shah Alam II. The battle made the British Supreme in India.

The First Sikh War (1845)—The Sikh Army crossed Sutlej in 1845 at which the East India Company declared war. British occupied Lahore and forced the Sikhs to accept humiliating terms of peace.

The Second Sikh War (1849)—A drawn battle was fought between the English and the Sikhs at Chelianwala in which the English appeared to have suffered heavy losses.

Indo-Pak War (1965)—An indecisive war between India and Pakistan. It led to ‘Taskent Pact’ between the two countries.

Indo-Pak War (1971)—Indian forces in joint command with Bangladesh Army accepted the surrender of the Pak Army in Bangladesh. War in the western sector came to an end as a result of cease-fire on Dec. 17. Bangladesh was liberated.

Kargil War (1999)—Indian forces scored grand victory over Pakistani army and Pak supported mercenaries in a conflict in the Kargil sector of Jammu & Kashmir. The operation was named ‘Operation Vijaya.’ The Indian forces cleared Kargil of all Pakistani elements.

Telangana History and Geography

History of Telangana
Telangana was once ruled by Satavahana dynasty followed by Vishnukundina, Vakataka, Rashtrakuta, Chalukya and Western Chalukya. Telangana area had its golden era during the reign of Kakatiya dynasty. In 14th century Delhi Sultanate ruled this area, followed by Bahmani Sultanate. Hyderabad state was annexed in Indian Union on 17th September 1948, after a military operation, Operation Polo. Telangana Rebellion was a peasant revolt, originated in the Telangana regions of the Hyderabad state between 1946 and 1951. After reorganization Telangana was merged with Andhra State to form Andhra Pradesh. After many issues and committees, Telangana was officially formed on 2nd June 2014.

Geography of Telangana
Telangana is situated on the Deccan Plateau. Telangana shares the borders with Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa states. Krishna and Godavari along with many minor rivers passes through the state. It has an area of 114840 sq kms making it the 12th largest state in the country. 

Government and Administration of Telangana
Hyderabad is the common capital of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for not more than ten years. Telangana is divided into 10 districts. Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Telugu Desam Party and Indian National Congress are the major political parties in the state. Telangana legislative assembly consists of 119 seats. Telangana contributes 17 members to the Indian Assembly.

Language and Culture of Telangana
Telangana culture combines cultural customs from Persian traditions and south Indian traditions and customs. Perini Sivatandavam or Perini Thandavam, also known as 'Dance of Warriors' is performed by warriors before leaving to battlefield. Perini is dedicated to Lord Shiva, is also one of the famous dance form in the state. Telangana folk songs left a profound impact on the Statehood movement. Oggu Katha or Oggukatha is a traditional folklore singing praising and narrating the stories of Hindu gods. Nirmal paintings are one of the popular painting forms in the state. Telugu and Hyderabadi cuisines are two cuisines in the state. Telugu cuisine is spicy whereas Hyderabadi cuisine contains more of millet and roti. Telugu is widely spoken, followed by Urdu, Hindi and English. 

Education Status in Telangana
Telangana houses Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT) which caters the educational needs of rural youth in Telangana. University of Hyderabad, International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Indian School of Business, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) Hyderabad, Kakatiya University Warangal, Osmania University Hyderabad, Telugu University Hyderabad, NALSAR University of Law Hyderabad, Urdu University Hyderabad are some of the famous universities in the state. Telangana has research centers like Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Hyderabad, Tata Institute of Social Sciences Hyderabad, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, CR Rao Advanced Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science. 

Economy of Telangana
Telangana’s economy is mainly driven by agriculture. Rice is the major food corp. Gherkins, mangoes and grapes are majorly exported. Hyderabad contributes 15% of IT exports in India. Many manufacturing and services industries are located in and around Hyderabad. Automobiles and auto components industry, mines and minerals, spices, pharmaceutical, horticulture, textiles and apparels, poultry farming are the main industries in Telangana. There are 68 Special Economic Zones in Telangana. 

Tourism in Telangana
Telangana's tourist attractions include historical places, monuments, forts, waterfalls, forests and temples. Charminar, Golconda Fort, Qutb Shahi Tombs, Qutb Shahi Tombs, Kakatiya Kala Thoranam, Bhongir Fort, Paigah Tombs are some of the famous monuments in the state. Yadagirigutta, Thousand Pillar Temple, Bhadrachalam Temple, Sri Raja Rajeshwara temple, Ramappa Temple, Birla Mandir, Basara, Nelakondapalli, Mecca Masjid, Medak Church are some of the religious destinations in the state. Pocharam wildlife sanctuary is spread in 130sq kms and houses several quadrupeds. Kuntula waterfalls in Adilabad are highest waterfalls in the state at height of 147 meters amidst dense forest and sahayadri mountain range. Adventurous tourism can be experienced in Bhuvanagiri. Telangana is well connected by air, road and rail.

Festivals Celebrated in Telangana
Bathukamma is a colorful and vibrant festival celebrated by women, during the latter half of monsoon, before the onset of winter. The women of neighborhood gather in large number and they start singing songs by circling it repeatedly, building a beautiful human circle of unity, love, sisterhood. Batukamma celebrates the inherent relationship between earth, water and the human beings. Bonalu is celebrated during Ashada Masam by worshipping Goddess Mahakali. The festival is a form of thanksgiving to the Goddess after the fulfillment of vows. The Sammakka Saralamma shrine area in Warangal is built during the 12th century in the memory of two tribal women. This festival is considered as the largest tribe festival of the world. Apart from these all the major festivals in India are celebrated.

Viceroys of India

Lord Canning (1858–1862)—After the transfer of Government of India to the British Crown. Lord Canning was appointed the first Viceroy of India. He reorganized the whole administration and made it efficient and responsible. Indian Councils Act 1861 was passed during his time.

Lord Ripon (1880–1884)—He had to soft corner for the Indian people. He was responsible for the repeal of Vernacular Press Act. He got enacted the Factory Act to protect the town labourers. He organised the local government on more democratic lines.

Lord Curzon (1899–1905)—The first partition of Bengal in 1905 was the chief event of his time. During his time Punjab Land Alienation Act was passed. By the Indian Universities Act (1904), he officialised the universities. He was the architect of the new North-West Frontier Policy whereby the relations with the N.W. Frontier Tribes and Afghanistan were sought to be improved. The British Government came to have a say in the Tibetan foreign policy.

Lord Minto (1905–1910)—During his time Minto-Morley Act of 1909 was passed, which conceded separate electorates to the Muslims in the Legislatures.

Lord Hardinge (1910–1916)—The partition of Bengal was revoked; the capital was transferred from Calcutta to Delhi.

Lord Chelmsford (1916–1920)—The chief events of his time were, Government of India Act 1919 (which introduced dyarchy in the provinces), Rowlatt Act, Martial Law; Non-cooperation movement launched under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi; and the tragedy of Jalianwala Bagh.

Lord Irwin (1926–1931)—The chief events of his time were : Simon Commission’s visit to India which was boycotted by the Indians, Indian National Congress passed resolution for complete independence–1929; Civil Disobedience Movement started; Gandhi’s historic Dandi March; Round Table Conference in London in 1930; Gandhi-Irwin Pact in 1931.

Lord Willingdon (1931–1936)—The main events of his time were : Second Round Table Conference in 1931; Communal Award 1932; Signing of Poona Pact; Third Round Table Conference in 1932; Government of India Act 1935 passed.

Lord Linlithgow (1936–1942)—In the period of Linlithgow Government of India Act 1935 was enforced in provinces in 1937; Cripps Mission of India. (1942) and Quit India Movement.

Lord Wavell (1942–1947)—The chief events of his time were : Cabinet Mission Plan; Wavell Plan; end of World War II.

Lord Mountbatten—Partition of India recommended; Indian Independence Act, 1947 and India was divided into two Dominions of India and Pakistan.

History Snippets

The policy of Blood and Iron was followed by	Bismark
What is the name given to the army commanded by Garibaldi?	Redshirts
Communist manifesto was written by	Karl Marx
'Das kapital' was written by	Karl Marx
Napoleon was defeated finally in which war?	Waterloo
Mazzini founded a revolutionary society called	Young Italy
Congo was discovered by	Cameroon
The highest stage of capitalism is	Imperialism
Which continent was regarded as 'Dark Continent'?	Africa
Which was the first country to fall prey to the Europeans	India
Who were the first to develop trade with India	Portuguese
Russian parliament is called as	Duma
"War is to a nation what maternity is to women" was the principle advocated by	Mussolini
The author of "Mein Kampf" was	Hitler
Robert Mugabe became the first president of	Zimbabwe
Who was the founder of Nazi Party	Hitler
The founder of Fascist Party was	Mussolini
Excavation work of Indus valley civilization was first carried out by	Sir John Marshall
Temples at Mahabalipuram were built by	Narasimhavarman / Pallavas
The immediate Cause of the sepoy mutiny was the use of	Enfield Rifles
The British who succeeded in abolishing the practice of Sati in India was	William Bentinck
The European country which held monopoly over India trade during 16th century was	Portugal
Ramakrishna mission was founded by	Swami Vivekananda
Red Fort located in Delhi was built by	Shahjahan
Great master of Indian medical science was	Charaka
The 1857 Revolt began at	Meerut
The sculpture that existed during Kanishka's period was called	Gandhara Sculpture / Greco-Buddhist Art
The construction of Qutub Minar was completed by	Iltutmish
Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese pilgrim visited India during the reign of	Harsha
The earliest of the Vedas is	Rigveda
Ajanta caves are near	Aurangabad (Maharashtra)
Brihadeshwara Temple was built at	Tanjavur
The builder of Buland Darwaza was	Akbar
The great astronomer of Ancient India	Varahamihira / Aryabhatta
The philosophy advocated by Shankara-charya is known as	Advaita
Founder of Mughal Empire	Babur
What was a striking example of city culture at Mohenjo Daro?	Great Bath
Who produced Vedic literature	Aryans
Tanjavur Brihadeshwara temple built by	Raja Raja Chola
The biggest Nataraja image in the country is at	Chidambaram
Who laid foundation of Indo-Persian school of painting?	Akbar
Indo-Persian architecture was patronized by	Shahjahan
Who gave patronage to Mughul miniature painting?	Jahangir
Which is regarded as very ancient native Indian language?	Sanskrit
Ganapati festival, Shivaji festival were started by	Bala Gangadhar Tilak
The 1857 revolt was called as	First war of Indian Independence
In Chandragupta Vikramaditya's court there were the poets called	Navaratnas
Whose court was adorned by Ashtadiggajas?	Sri Krishna Devaraya
Who were responsible for the rise of Bakthi movement?	Sufi saints
Ramanuja was a worshipper of Vishnu and preached	Vaishnavism
Who popularized the Advaita philosophy?	Shankaracharya
Who founded the Dvaita philosophy?	Madhvacharya
Who founded the Sikh sect?	Guru Nanak
The slogan "Give me blood, I shall give you freedom given by	Subhash Chandra Bose
Who said "Satyameva Jayathe" (Truth alone will win)?	Madan Mohan Malaviya
Who said "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it"?	Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Who said -Go back to the Vedas?	Swami Dayanand Saraswati
Who said -Inquilab Zindabad?	Bhagat Singh
Who said 'Do or die'?	Gandhi
The book 'Tughluq Namah' was written by?	Amir Khusrau
The book 'Akbar Namah' was written by?	Abul Fazl
The Rajaraja Temple at Thanjur was built by?	Rajendra Chola 1
Gopuram is an important feature of	Dravidian construction
Tripitakas are sacred books of	Buddhists
The theory of economic drain of India during British imperialism was propounded by	Jawaharlal Nehru
The Vijayanagara ruler, Sri Kirshnadeva Raya's work Amuktamalyada, was in	Telugu
Two of the great Mughals wrote their own memories are	Babur and Jahangir
To which king belongs the Lion capitol at Sarnath?	Ashoka
The language of discourses of Gautama Buddha was	Pali
To whom of the Republic of Buddha belong?	Sakyas
Tipu sultan was the ruler of	Mysore
'The Vedas contain all the truth' was interpreted by	Swami Dayananda
To meet the educational needs of the people, the Madarasa-I Nasiri was built in the regin of	Iltutmish
The Vedic deity Indra was the Goddess of	Rain and Thunder
Pulakesin II was the most famous ruler of	Chalukyas
Under whose leadership was the All India Muslim League set up?	Aga Khan
The Upanishads are	A source of Hindu Philosophy
Who was the first Buddhist pilgrim of China to visit India during the reign of Chandragupta Vikramaditya	Fa-Hien
Who found the Servants of India Society?	Gopala Krishna Gokhale
Who wrote famous epic ‘Shahnama’?	Firdausi
The Salt Satyagraha was held at	Dandi, Gujarat
The leader of the Indian National Army was	Subash Chandra Bose
Minto-Marley reforms were introduced in	1905
Annie Besant belonged to	Ireland
The Home Rule Movement was started by	Annie Besant/Tilak
The leader of moderates was	Gopala Krishna Gokhale
First President of Indian National Congress	W.C. Bonerjee
Muslim league was formed in	1906
Indian National Congress first session was held at	Mumbai
The main objective of the extremist was the attainment of	Swaraj
The partition of Bengal was made in 1905 by	Lord Curzon
Which movement was launched in response to the Partition of Bengal?	Vande Mataram
The hymn of Vande Mataram was written by	Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
Gandhi fought against ____ system at champaran	Tinkathia
Who was responsible for Jallianwala Bagh massacre?	General Dyer
Gandhi took very serious view of the ____ incident and called off the non-cooperation movement	Chauri Chaura
In 1930, the First Round Table Conference held at	London
Gandhi-Irwin pact was signed in	1931
For which award Gandhiji protested against MacDonald	Communal
Gandhi and Ambedkar signed	Poona Pact
Atlee, the Prime Minister of England sent a Cabinet mission to India in	1946
According to ____ plan (1947) the partition of India was happened.	Mountbatten
Who were the first Europeans to come to India and last to leave India?	Portuguese

Indian National Movement Date Wise Snippets

1885	Indian National Congress was formed.
1905	Partition of Bengal by Curzon.
1906	All India Muslim league was formed.
1911	1911 - Annulment of the partition of Bengal.
1917	Champaran movement
1919	Rowlatt Act passed - The act curbed the fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and strengthened the police powers.
1919	Jallianwalabagh Massacre. In protest Tagore renounced his knighthood.
1920	Khilafat movement. Gandhi took it as an opportunity for Muslim-Hindu unity and supported the movement.
1920	Non Cooperation movement. British titles were surrendered. Import of foreign cloth fell drastically between 1920 and 1922.
1920	Gandhi called off the Non Cooperation movement.
1922	Chauri chaura incident - killing 22 policemen.
1927	Simon Commission: the Commission was to recommend further constitutional reforms. It was headed by Sir John Simon. It contained all white members. When the Simon came to Indian he was greeted with black flags as a mark of protest by the Indians with raised slogans stating - "Simon Go Back".
1928	Nehru Report: It demanded responsible government advocated dominion states. It was not for complete independence. It demanded universal suffrage. It rejected separated communal elections.
1929	Irwin Offer: It proposed a vague offer of 'dominion status' for India in an unspecified future and a Round Table Conference to discuss a future constitution after publication of the Simon Report.
1929	Lahore Session of Congress: The president was Jawahar Lal Nehru. It took the decision boycotting Round Table Conference. "Purna Swaraj" was adopted as the main aim of the Congress under the presidentship of J.L.Nehru. It launched a programme of civil disobedience. On Dec 31, 1929, Tricolor was hoisted at the Shore of Ravi.
1930	Civil Disobedience Movement started with the Dandi March on 12th March 1930 to break the salt law under the leadership of Gandhi. 26th January, 1930 - observed as "Independence day" all over the country.
1930	First Round Table Conference: It was the first ever conference arranged between British and Indians as equal. Congress boycotted it. However Motilal Nehru, Liberals and princes attended it.
1931	Second Round Table Conference: Gandhi attended only one round table conference and that is the second roundtable conference.
1931	Gandhi-Irwin pact: It offered that all political prisoners would be released except Bhagat singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. Right to make salt was accepted. Gandhi agreed to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement and participate in the second session of Round Table Conference.
1932	Third Round Table Conference: Majority leaders of INC did not participate. The outcome of the conference was published on a "White paper" based on which the British government passed Government of India Act of 1935.
1932	Ramsay MacDonald proposed separate electorate for minority community including Dalits. The proposal was supported by B.R.Ambedkar but it was fully opposed by Gandhi.
1932	Poona Pact: Gandhi felt that separate electorate would disintegrate the society on caste lines and would lead to permanent division in the society. To avoid such a situation Gandhi went on for hunger strike for 21 days in Yerrawada central jail. The issue was finally resolved between B.R.Ambedkar and Gandhi by signing the historic Poona Pact. Gandhi devoted himself to the Harijan Cause, for which he started a newspaper called "Harijan".
1935	Government of India act 1935 prescribed provincial autonomy and the government announced elections to the provincial legislatures in 1937. Congress formed government in 6 out of 11 provinces.
1942	Cripps Missions: The British government wanted India to fully co-operate to it during World War-II and made few proposals to League and Congress and promised them of independence after the war. But the proposals were rejected by both the parties and hence the Cripps Mission was a failure.
1942	Gandhi called for Quit India movement DO or DIE to fight the British. Communication and symbols of the state authority were attacked all over the country.
1945	Wavell Plan: which suggested that all portfolios except Defence would be held by the Indian members. The Plan also suggested the reconstitution of the Viceroy's Executive Council and the political parties have to nominate few candidates from their party out of whom the viceroy would select candidate of his choice for the Executive Council.
1945	Shimla Conference: To discuss these proposals and for a better future India, Wavell called all the political parties for their opinion to Shimla and this conference is popularly called as Shimla conference. Differences arose between Congress and League about the representation of Muslim community. The conference was a failure.
1946	Cabinet Mission: The mission consisted of Lord Pethick-Lawrence, the Secretary of State for India, Sir Stafford Cripps, President of the Board of Trade and A. V. Alexander, the First Lord of the Admiralty. The mission suggested that India should remain united and constitute itself as a loose federation with some autonomy for Muslim majority areas. Both Congress and League did not agree to specific details of the proposal.
1946	Direct Action Day - Muslim League announced 16th august 1946 as Direct action day. On this day riots broke in Calcutta lasting for several days. By March 1947 violence spread to different parts of northern India.
1947	Indian Independence Act 1947: It was the Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and it received the royal assent on 18 July 1947. According to this act the British India was to be divided into two states namely India and Pakistan.
On 15th August 1947	India became independent.