UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) General Studies Paper II — History, Indian Heritage and Culture Syllabus

Who was Razia Sultan and why is she historically notable?

Razia Sultan (r. 1236-1240) was the only woman to rule the Delhi Sultanate; she was a capable ruler but faced opposition from Turkish nobles (the 'Chahalgani' / the Forty) over her gender.

Who founded the Mughal Empire and in which battle?

Babur founded it by defeating Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526.

What was Akbar's religious policy, and name two of its features.

A policy of religious tolerance (sulh-i-kul, 'universal peace'). Features: abolition of the jizya tax on non-Muslims and the founding of Din-i-Ilahi, a syncretic ethical creed; also the Ibadat Khana for inter-faith debates.

What was the mansabdari system introduced by Akbar?

A graded ranking system for military and civil officers (mansabdars), with each rank defined by zat (personal status/pay) and sawar (number of cavalry maintained), centralising the administration.

Which Mughal emperor built the Taj Mahal and why, and which emperor's policies are linked to the empire's decline?

Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Aurangzeb's expansionist wars, re-imposition of jizya, and religious intolerance are linked to the empire's decline.

What was the central message and method of the Bhakti movement?

Devotion (bhakti) to a personal god as the path to salvation, accessible to all regardless of caste or gender, rejecting elaborate ritual and priestly mediation, often expressed in vernacular devotional poetry.

Name two Nirguna Bhakti saints and explain what 'Nirguna' means.

Kabir and Guru Nanak. 'Nirguna' refers to devotion to a formless, attribute-less God (as opposed to 'Saguna', devotion to a god with form like Rama or Krishna).

What is Sufism, and what are the two major Sufi orders (silsilas) in India?

Sufism is the mystical, devotional dimension of Islam emphasising love of God and union through the guidance of a pir. Major Indian orders: the Chishti (e.g. Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer) and the Suhrawardi.

How were the Bhakti and Sufi movements similar in their social impact?

Both stressed love and devotion over ritual, used local languages, were open to all castes/communities, criticised orthodoxy, and fostered Hindu-Muslim cultural synthesis and communal harmony.

Which European trading company arrived first in India and which battle gave the British East India Company political control of Bengal?

The Portuguese arrived first (Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in 1498). The Battle of Plassey (1757), where Robert Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah, gave the British East India Company control of Bengal.

What was the Battle of Buxar (1764) and its key outcome?

The British defeated the combined forces of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Awadh, and Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. Its outcome was the grant of Diwani (revenue collection rights) of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa to the Company in 1765.

What were the Subsidiary Alliance and the Doctrine of Lapse, and who introduced them?

The Subsidiary Alliance (Lord Wellesley) made Indian states host and pay for British troops, surrendering foreign relations. The Doctrine of Lapse (Lord Dalhousie) annexed princely states whose rulers died without a natural heir.

What were the immediate and the broad underlying causes of the Revolt of 1857?

Immediate cause: the greased (cow/pig fat) cartridges of the Enfield rifle, offensive to both Hindu and Muslim sepoys. Broad causes: political annexations (Doctrine of Lapse), economic exploitation, social/religious interference, and military grievances.

Name three leaders of the Revolt of 1857 and their centres.

Rani Lakshmibai (Jhansi), Nana Sahib (Kanpur), and Begum Hazrat Mahal (Lucknow); also Bahadur Shah Zafar was declared symbolic emperor at Delhi.

When was the Indian National Congress founded and by whom, and what were the Moderates' methods?

Founded in 1885 by A.O. Hume (with Indian leaders). The Moderates (e.g. Dadabhai Naoroji, Gokhale) used constitutional methods: petitions, prayers, resolutions, and the 'three Ps'.

What was Dadabhai Naoroji's 'Drain of Wealth' theory?

The argument that British colonial rule systematically drained India's wealth to Britain (through salaries, pensions, profits, and unrequited exports), causing Indian poverty — set out in 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India'.

What were Gandhi's three early major movements and the principle underlying them?

Non-Cooperation (1920-22), Civil Disobedience/Dandi Salt March (1930), and Quit India (1942). The underlying principle was Satyagraha — non-violent resistance through truth-force.

What triggered the suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1922?

The Chauri Chaura incident, where a mob set fire to a police station killing policemen. Gandhi, committed to non-violence, called off the movement.

What was the Dandi Salt March (1930) and what did it symbolise?

Gandhi's 240-mile march to Dandi to make salt from seawater, defying the British salt tax/monopoly. It launched the Civil Disobedience Movement and symbolised mass defiance of unjust laws.

What did the Cabinet Mission (1946) and the Mountbatten Plan (1947) propose?

The Cabinet Mission proposed a united India with a federal structure (rejected over grouping). The Mountbatten Plan (3 June 1947) proposed the partition of India into India and Pakistan, leading to the Indian Independence Act.

On what basis was India partitioned in 1947 and who chaired the boundary commission?

On the basis of religious majority (the Two-Nation Theory), creating Muslim-majority Pakistan. The Radcliffe Commission, chaired by Cyril Radcliffe, drew the boundary lines in Punjab and Bengal.

Who led the integration of princely states into the Indian Union after 1947, and which three states posed the greatest difficulty?

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (with V.P. Menon) led integration via the Instrument of Accession. The difficult cases were Junagadh, Hyderabad (annexed via 'Operation Polo'), and Jammu & Kashmir.

What were the key features of India's post-1947 economic model under Nehru?

A mixed economy with a strong public sector, Five-Year Plans (begun 1951) modelled partly on Soviet planning, emphasis on heavy industry, and import-substitution; institutionalised via the Planning Commission.

What was the Industrial Revolution and where and when did it begin?

The transition from manual/agrarian production to machine-based manufacturing, beginning in Britain around the mid-18th century, driven by inventions like the steam engine, powered by coal, and centred first on the textile industry.

Name the three great political revolutions of the 18th century and one core idea each spread.

American Revolution (1776) — 'no taxation without representation'/liberty; French Revolution (1789) — Liberty, Equality, Fraternity; the Industrial Revolution reshaped economy/society. The Russian Revolution (1917) later spread socialism/communism.

What were the immediate trigger and a key underlying cause of World War I (1914-18)?

Immediate trigger: assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo (1914). Underlying causes: militarism, alliance systems, imperialism, and nationalism (the 'MAIN' factors).

What was the significance of WWII for colonial empires, and what term describes the post-war freedom of colonies?

WWII weakened European colonial powers economically and militarily, accelerating independence movements. The process by which colonies gained independence (especially in Asia and Africa, 1945-1960s) is called decolonisation.

Identify the Ajanta and Ellora caves and what distinguishes them.

Ajanta (Maharashtra) is famous for Buddhist murals/paintings depicting Jataka tales. Ellora is notable for rock-cut temples of Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain faiths together — especially the monolithic Kailasa (Kailasanatha) Temple.

Distinguish the Nagara and Dravida styles of Hindu temple architecture.

Nagara (north Indian) temples have a curvilinear tower (shikhara) and no boundary walls/gateways typically. Dravida (south Indian) temples have a pyramidal tower (vimana) over the sanctum and elaborate gateway towers (gopurams) within walled enclosures.

What are the four oldest classical dance forms of India and their states of origin?

Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), Kathak (north India/Uttar Pradesh), Kathakali (Kerala), and Odissi (Odisha). Others recognised include Kuchipudi (Andhra), Manipuri (Manipur), Mohiniyattam (Kerala), and Sattriya (Assam).

Distinguish Hindustani and Carnatic classical music, and name the foundational text on Indian performing arts.

Hindustani (north Indian) absorbed Persian/Central Asian influences and emphasises improvisation within ragas; Carnatic (south Indian) is more composition-based and devotional. The foundational text is Bharata's Natyashastra.

Who wrote the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, and what philosophical text is embedded in the Mahabharata?

The Ramayana is attributed to Valmiki and the Mahabharata to Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita, Krishna's discourse to Arjuna on duty (dharma) and action, is embedded within the Mahabharata.