UPSC CSE History of India Syllabus

Who was the first woman to rule the Delhi Sultanate?

Razia Sultana (of the Slave Dynasty).

Which Tughlaq ruler is remembered for ambitious but failed schemes like shifting the capital to Daulatabad and issuing token currency?

Muhammad bin Tughlaq.

Which monument begun by Qutb-ud-din Aibak is a landmark of early Delhi Sultanate architecture?

The Qutb Minar in Delhi.

Who founded the Mughal Empire and by winning which battle?

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

Which Mughal emperor introduced the religious policy of 'Sulh-i-Kul' (universal tolerance) and the syncretic Din-i-Ilahi?

Akbar.

What was the Mansabdari system introduced by Akbar?

A military-administrative ranking system in which officials (mansabdars) held a numerical rank (mansab) determining their status, pay, and the number of troops/horses they maintained.

Which Mughal emperor built the Taj Mahal and in whose memory?

Shah Jahan, in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.

Which Mughal emperor reimposed the jizya tax and is associated with the empire's territorial peak but later decline?

Aurangzeb.

What was the Bhakti movement?

A devotional movement emphasizing intense personal love for a single God, rejecting ritualism and caste barriers, accessible to all through devotion (bhakti).

Name three prominent Bhakti saints.

Examples include Kabir, Guru Nanak, Mirabai, Tulsidas, Chaitanya, and Tukaram.

What is Sufism in the Indian context?

The mystical dimension of Islam emphasizing love of God, devotion, and direct experience, spread in India through Sufi orders (silsilas) like the Chishti and Suhrawardi.

Who was Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti?

A revered Chishti Sufi saint whose shrine (dargah) is at Ajmer; he popularized Sufism in India.

What common social impact did the Bhakti and Sufi movements share?

Both stressed devotion over ritual, promoted equality and harmony, used local/vernacular languages, and helped bridge Hindu-Muslim divides.

Which 1757 battle marked the start of British political dominance in Bengal?

The Battle of Plassey, where Robert Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah.

Which 1764 battle gave the East India Company the Diwani (revenue rights) of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa?

The Battle of Buxar (1765 Diwani grant).

What was the Doctrine of Lapse and who is associated with it?

A British annexation policy (under Lord Dalhousie) by which a princely state without a natural male heir lapsed to the Company, barring adopted heirs from succession.

What was the Permanent Settlement of 1793 and who introduced it?

A land revenue system introduced by Lord Cornwallis in Bengal fixing revenue permanently and recognizing zamindars as landowners.

What is widely regarded as the immediate trigger of the Revolt of 1857?

The introduction of greased cartridges (rumored to be smeared with cow and pig fat) for the new Enfield rifles, offending Hindu and Muslim sepoys.

What major constitutional change followed the Revolt of 1857?

The Government of India Act 1858 transferred power from the East India Company to the British Crown (start of the British Raj).

When and where was the Indian National Congress founded, and by whom?

In 1885 in Bombay; its founding is associated with A.O. Hume.

What was the Partition of Bengal (1905) and how was it perceived?

Lord Curzon's division of Bengal, seen as a 'divide and rule' tactic; it sparked the Swadeshi Movement and was annulled in 1911.

What were the three major mass movements led by Mahatma Gandhi?

Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22), Civil Disobedience Movement (1930, begun with the Dandi Salt March), and Quit India Movement (1942).

What happened in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919?

British troops under General Dyer fired on an unarmed crowd in Amritsar, killing hundreds and galvanizing the freedom struggle.

What was the significance of the Dandi Salt March (1930)?

Gandhi's 240-mile march to make salt in defiance of the salt tax launched the Civil Disobedience Movement and became a symbol of nonviolent resistance.

On what date did India gain independence, and along with what major event?

15 August 1947, accompanied by the Partition of British India into India and Pakistan.

Who became independent India's first Prime Minister and first President?

Jawaharlal Nehru (Prime Minister) and Dr. Rajendra Prasad (President).

Who is called the 'Iron Man of India' for integrating the princely states into the Indian Union?

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

When did the Constitution of India come into force, and who chaired its Drafting Committee?

26 January 1950; the Drafting Committee was chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

What was the States Reorganisation Act of 1956?

Legislation that redrew India's internal state boundaries primarily on a linguistic basis, a key step in post-independence consolidation.

How did the major military action of 1948 contribute to post-independence consolidation?

Operation Polo (the 1948 'Police Action') led to the integration of the princely state of Hyderabad into the Indian Union.