UPSC NDA History Syllabus

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

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

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

A policy by Lord Dalhousie allowing annexation of princely states whose rulers died without a natural heir.

In which year did the Revolt of 1857 begin and from which town did it spark?

1857; it sparked at Meerut on 10 May 1857 (initiated by sepoy Mangal Pandey's mutiny at Barrackpore in March 1857).

What was the immediate cause of the Revolt of 1857?

The introduction of the Enfield rifle cartridges, rumored to be greased with cow and pig fat, offending both Hindu and Muslim sepoys.

Which Act transferred control of India from the East India Company to the British Crown in 1858?

The Government of India Act, 1858.

In which year and city was the Indian National Congress founded, and by whom?

1885 in Bombay, founded by A.O. Hume (with its first president W.C. Bonnerjee).

Who partitioned Bengal in 1905, triggering the Swadeshi Movement?

Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of India.

Which 1919 event involved the massacre of unarmed civilians in Amritsar under General Dyer?

The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.

What repressive 1919 law allowing detention without trial provoked nationwide protests led by Gandhi?

The Rowlatt Act.

In which year did Gandhi launch the Non-Cooperation Movement, and which event led to its withdrawal?

1920; it was withdrawn in 1922 after the Chauri Chaura incident.

What did Gandhi's 1930 Dandi March (Salt March) protest against?

The British salt tax/monopoly; it launched the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Which 1942 movement gave the slogan 'Do or Die' and demanded an end to British rule?

The Quit India Movement.

Who gave the slogan 'Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom' and led the Indian National Army (INA)?

Subhas Chandra Bose (Netaji).

On which date did India gain independence, and who was India's first Prime Minister?

15 August 1947; Jawaharlal Nehru.

Which plan provided for the partition of India and creation of Pakistan in 1947?

The Mountbatten Plan (3 June Plan), implemented via the Indian Independence Act, 1947.

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

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Which social reformer founded the Brahmo Samaj in 1828 and campaigned against Sati?

Raja Ram Mohan Roy.

Who founded the Arya Samaj in 1875 with the call 'Back to the Vedas'?

Swami Dayanand Saraswati.

What was the significance of the Charter Act of 1833?

It made the Governor-General of Bengal the Governor-General of India (first being Lord William Bentinck) and ended the East India Company's commercial functions, making it purely administrative.

Which European event of 1789 spread the ideals of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity?

The French Revolution.

What was the Renaissance, and in which country did it begin?

A cultural revival of art, learning, and humanism (14th-17th centuries) that began in Italy.

Who led the Industrial Revolution's key invention of the steam engine's major improvement in the 18th century?

James Watt, who greatly improved the steam engine, powering the Industrial Revolution that began in Britain.

In which years did World War I take place, and what was its immediate trigger?

1914-1918; triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary at Sarajevo.

Which 1917 revolution established a communist government in Russia, and who led the Bolsheviks?

The Russian (October) Revolution, led by Vladimir Lenin.

In which years did World War II occur, and which event marked its end in the Pacific?

1939-1945; the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 1945) and Japan's surrender.

Which 1919 treaty formally ended World War I and imposed harsh terms on Germany?

The Treaty of Versailles.

Which international organization was founded in 1945 to maintain world peace, replacing the League of Nations?

The United Nations (UN).

What was the 'Cold War' and which two superpowers were the main rivals?

A prolonged geopolitical and ideological rivalry (post-1945 to 1991) between the United States (capitalist bloc) and the Soviet Union (communist bloc), without direct large-scale war.

Who led the American struggle for independence and became the first US President in 1789?

George Washington.

What distinguishes the three styles of ancient Indian temple architecture: Nagara, Dravida, and Vesara?

Nagara is the North Indian style with a curvilinear shikhara; Dravida is the South Indian style with a pyramidal vimana and gopurams; Vesara is the Deccan hybrid combining both.