BRIEF HISTORY OF INDIA FOR QUICK REFERENCE
Edited & Compiled By: Padmanabhapuram Aravindhan.
History of India : Dates and events relating to Indus valley Civilization, Vedic, Aryan and Sangam age, Maurya Dynasty, Buddhism, Jainism, Guptas, Vardhanas, Pallavas, Cholas, Pandias, Sultanate, Mughal Period, Advent of European powers specially the British and other related, topics.
The name “India” is derived from Sindhu (Indus) the name of the great river in the North-West.
THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION:
The approximate period of Indus Valley Civilisation appears to have flourished between 2000 to 1700 B.C. The first known civilisation in India is called the Indus Valley Civilisation because the important sites which were excavated first are located in the valley of Indus. The civiliasation appears to have spread over Punjab, Sindh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Baluchistan. The most significant feature of the Indus Valley Civilisation is burnt brick buildings. The “Great Bath” was found in Mohen-jo-Daro. Mohen-jo-Daro is also known as “Mound of the Dead”. The Indus people were probably ruled by merchants. The script used by the Indus Valley people has not yet been deciphered. The first metal to be discovered and used for making tools was copper. Iron was not known to the people of Indus Valley Civilisation. Rice cultivation is associated with the Harappan site of Lothal. Mohen-jo-Daro and Harappa are not in India. According to the historians, there were close commercial and cultural contacts between Indus Valley and the Sumerian Civilisation. The Indus Valley people had not learnt to domesticate horses but those who lived in the Vedic age did make use of the horse. Wheat was the staple food of the Indus people. The Indus Valley people worshipped Pasupathi (shiva). The Indus Valley people venerated the bull. It was non-Aryan because it had a pictographic script.
THE VEDIC CULTURE :
The Aryans came to India from Central Asia. The Rig Vedic Aryans were largely urban people. The first home of the Aryans was Punjab. The Rig Vedic Aryans were generally under a monarchical Government. Copper was first used by the Vedic people. Upanishads are books in Philosophy. They were translated into Persian, during the reign of Shah Jahan. The Aryans were skilful farmers. They knew the art of domesticating animals. They were engaged in trade and knew maritime navigation. The religious books of the Aryans are four in number (1) the Rig Veda, the oldest (2) the Yajur Veda (3) the Sama Veda (4) the Atharvana Veda. The Epics – the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Mahabharata is the longest epic in the world, the Puranas – 18 in number; the Shastras or the Darshanas – six in number and the Manu.
BUDDHISM:
Buddhism was founded by a Kshatriya Prince, Siddhartha born in 1567 B.C. at Lumbini. Siddhartha was afterwards known as the Buddha, “the enlightened one”. Buddha laid stress on the Four Noble Truths and the pursuit of the Noble Eight-fold path. To attain nirvana, Buddha prescribed the Eight-fold path. The
Buddhist section which started worshipping the Buddha as a God is known as Mahayana. Buddha preached his first sermon at Saranath. Tripitacas are the sacred books of the Buddhists.
JAINISM:
The founder of Jainism is unknown. Mahavira, a contemporary of Buddha was the preceptor of Jainism. He was the last of the Jain teachers called Tirthankaras.
ALEXANDER’S INVASION:
Alexander, son of Philip, King of Macedonia (Greece) crossed the Indus in 327 B.C. After defeating Porus, he retreated as his army refused to proceed further. He returned by the way of Indus and died on his way to Babylon in 323 B.C. Alexander’s invasion opened the land route from Europe to India and it paved the way for the political unity of India.
SANGAM AGE:
It is stated that there were three Sangams, Agasthiar presided over the two Sangams. The third Sangam was held in Madurai. It was the age for the birth of art and literature. The Cholas, the Cheras and the Pandyas ruled the ancient Tamil Kingdom. The emblems were the tiger for cholas, bow and arrow for cheras and the fish for Pandiyas respectively. They were the flower garlands of Aathi, Palm and Neem respectively. The Tamils were the first to build dams across rivers. They were the first experts in ship building. The people of Sangam age divided their lands into Kurinji, Mullai, Marudham, Neithal and Palai. They worshipped Murugar, Thirumal, Indra, Varuna and Kottravai.
MAURYA DYNASTY:
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in ancient India, ruled by the Mauryan dynasty from 321 to 185 BC. Originating from the kingdom of Magadha in the Indo-Gangetic plains (modern Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bengal) in the eastern side of the Indian subcontinent, the empire had its capital city at Pataliputra (modern Patna). The Empire was founded in 322 BC by Chandragupta Maurya, who had overthrown the Nanda Dynasty and rapidly expanded his power westwards across central and western India taking advantage of the disruptions of local powers in the wake of the withdrawal westward by Alexander the Great's Greek and Persian armies. By 320 BC the empire had fully occupied Northwestern India, defeating and conquering the satraps left by Alexander.[3]
With an area of 5,000,000 sq km, it was one of the world's largest empires in its time, and the largest ever in the Indian subcontinent. At its greatest extent, the empire stretched to the north along the natural boundaries of the Himalayas, and to the east stretching into what is now Assam. To the west, it conquered beyond modern Pakistan, annexing Balochistan, south eastern parts of Iran and much of what is now Afghanistan, including the modern Herat[4] and Kandahar provinces. The Empire was expanded into India's central and southern regions by the emperors Chandragupta and Bindusara, but it excluded a small portion of unexplored tribal and forested regions near Kalinga (modern Orissa), till it was conquered by Ashoka. Its decline began 60 years after Ashoka's rule ended, and it dissolved in 185 BC with the foundation of the Sunga Dynasty in Magadha.
Under Chandragupta, the Mauryan Empire conquered the trans-Indus region, which was under Macedonian rule. Chandragupta then defeated the invasion led by Seleucus I, a Greek general from Alexander's army. Under Chandragupta and his successors, internal and external trade, agriculture and economic activities, all thrived and expanded across India thanks to the creation of a single and efficient system of finance, administration, and security.
After the Kalinga War, the Empire experienced half a century of peace and security under Ashoka. Mauryan India also enjoyed an era of social harmony, religious transformation, and expansion of the sciences and of knowledge. Chandragupta Maurya's embrace of Jainism increased social and religious renewal and reform across his society, while Ashoka's embrace of Buddhism has been said to have been the foundation of the reign of social and political peace and non-violence across all of India. Ashoka sponsored the spreading of Buddhist ideals into Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, West Asia and Mediterranean Europe. The population of the empire has been estimated to be about 50-60 million making the Mauryan Empire one of the most populous empires of the time.[
Archaeologically, the period of Mauryan rule in South Asia falls into the era of Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW). The Arthashastra and the Edicts of Ashoka are the primary sources of written records of Mauryan times. The Lion Capital of Asoka at Sarnath, has been made the national emblem of India.
VARDHANA DYNASTY:
Harsha Vardhana was the king of Thaneshwar and established a strong empire. He was the last great Hindu king of Northern India. Hieun-Tsnag, a Chinese pilgrim visited. Harshacharita - a biography of Harsha was written by Banabhatta. Kanauj became the important city of Northern India under Harsha. Bana was the court poet of Harsha.
CHALUKYA DYNASTY:
Pulakesin II was the most powerful ruler of Chalukya dynasty in the Deccan. He came into conflict with both Harsha in the North and the Pallavas in the South. In the Battle of Narmada, Harsha was defeated by Pulakesin II. Finally, Pulakesin II was defeated and killed in battle with the Pallavas.
PALLAVA DYNASTY:
Pallava dynasty was great from cultural as well as political point of view. Sivaskanda Varman was the first great ruler of Pallava dynasty. Narasimha Varman I was regarded as the greatest king of the Pallava dynasty. He defeated Pulakesin II, the Chalukya ruler at Vatapi and so he was called “Vatapi Kondan”. He was also a poet and Kudumianmalai inscriptions reveal his mastery in music. During this period Hieun-Tsang visited Kanchi. Narsimha Varman II got erected a beautiful temple of Kailasnath near Kanchi and one at Mahabalipuram. He sent an ambassador to China. Dandin lived in his period. Nandi Varman II got erected the Mukteswar temple at Kanchi. He also performed the famous horse ceremony called “Asvamedha”. Pallavas capital was Kanchi Puram.
CHOLA DYNASTY:
The Chola dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which was one of the longest-ruling in some parts of southern India. The earliest datable references to this Tamil dynasty are in inscriptions from the 3rd century BC left by Asoka, of Maurya Empire; the dynasty continued to govern over varying territory until the 13th century AD. Urayur was the capital of the Cholas of Sangam age. The ascendancy of Rajarajas gave Chola the paramount power in India. With a powerful naval fleet at his disposal he was able to bring under his control the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Rajaraja was an expert architect. His Siva Temple Brihadeeswara ( Peruvudayaar Aalayam) in Thanjavur is a masterpiece of art of his rule. Rajaraja was succeeded by his son, Rajendra. He also established authority over the islands of Andaman, Nicobar, Java, Sumatra, kambodiya & Malaya. The Cholas had a democratic system of administration. The village assemblies collected the land revenue and dispensed justice. Village was the smallest unit of administration. Land revenue was their main source of income. The village community got a lot of power during the reign of the Cholas. The Chola age was the most famous for village assemblies and Kudavolai system. The Uttiramerur inscription of Parantaka chola I is the main source of village government under the Cholas.
The heartland of the Cholas was the fertile valley of the Kaveri River, but they ruled a significantly larger area at the height of their power from the later half of the 9th century till the beginning of the 13th century. The whole country south of the Tungabhadra was united and held as one state for a period of two centuries and more. Under Rajaraja Chola I and his son Rajendra Chola I, the dynasty became a military, economic and cultural power in South Asia and South-east Asia.[3][4] The power of the new empire was proclaimed to the eastern world by the celebrated expedition to the Ganges which Rajendra Chola I undertook and by the overthrow after an unprecedented naval war of the maritime empire of Srivijaya, as well as by the repeated embassies to China.[5] During the period 1010–1200, the Chola territories stretched from the islands of the Maldives in the south to as far north as the banks of the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh. Rajaraja Chola conquered peninsular South India, annexed parts of what is now Sri Lanka and occupied the islands of the Maldives. Rajendra Chola sent a victorious expedition to North India that touched the river Ganges and defeated the Pala ruler of Pataliputra, Mahipala. He also successfully invaded kingdoms of the Malay Archipelago. The Chola dynasty went into decline at the beginning of the 13th century with the rise of the Pandiyas, who ultimately caused their downfall. The Cholas left a lasting legacy. Their patronage of Tamil literature and their zeal in building temples have resulted in some great works of Tamil literature and architecture. The Chola kings were avid builders and envisioned the temples in their kingdoms not only as places of worship but also as centers of economic activity. They pioneered a centralized form of government and established a disciplined bureaucracy.
PANDIYA DYNASTY :
The Pandyan dynasty (Tamil: பாண்டியர்) was an ancient Tamil dynasty. The Pandyas were one of the four Tamil dynasties (the other three being Chola, Cheraand Pallava), which ruled South India until the 15th century CE. They initially ruled their country Pandya Nadu from Korkai, a seaport on the Southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, and in later times moved to Madurai. Pandyan was well known since the ancient period, with contacts, even diplomatic, reaching the Roman Empire; during the 13th century AD, Marco Polo mentioned it as the richest empire in existence. The Pandyan empire was home to temples including Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, and Nellaiappar Temple built on the bank of the river Thamirabarani in Tirunelveli.
The Pandyas of Southern India are believed to have been founded at least five to six centuries before the Christian Era with a very strong possibility of a more ancient date of establishment. Their recorded existence and mention are found in records dating to as early as 550 BCE. Emperor Augustus of Rome at Antiochknew of the Pandyan of Dramira and received a Pandyan ambassador with letters and gifts from this ancient Tamil Kingdom. Strabo described an ambassador to Emperor Augustus Caesar from a South Indian King called Pandyan. The early Pandyan Dynasty of the Sangam Literature faded into obscurity upon the invasion of the Kalabhras. The dynasty revived under Kadungon in the early 6th century, pushed the Kalabhras out of the Tamil country and ruled from Madurai. They again went into decline with the rise of the Cholas in the 9th century and were in constant conflict with them. The Pandyas allied themselves with the Sinhalese and the Cheras in harassing the Chola empire until they found an opportunity for reviving their fortunes during the late 13th century.
The Later Pandyas (1150–1350) entered their golden age under Maravman Sundara Pandiyan and Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan (c. 1251), who expanded the empire into Telugu country, conquered Kalinga (Orissa) and invaded and conquered Sri Lanka. They also had extensive trade links with the Southeast Asian maritime empires of Srivijayaand their successors. During their history, the Pandyas were repeatedly in conflict with the Pallavas, Cholas, Hoysalas and finally the Muslim invaders from the Delhi Sultanate. The Pandyan Kingdom finally became extinct after the establishment of the Madurai Sultanatein the 16th century.
The Pandyas excelled in both trade and literature before the Christian Era. They controlled the pearl fisheries along the South Indian coast, between Sri Lanka and India, which produced some of the finest pearls in the known ancient world. Tradition holds that the legendary Sangams were held in Madurai under their patronage, and that some of the Pandya Kings were poets themselves.
Chera Dynasty:
Chera Dynasty : South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Tamil kingdoms in southern India. Cheras ruled from before the Sangam Age until the 12th century AD, leaving Venad Cheras as their indirect descendants.
According to the Sangam literature, the dynasty was founded by Uthiyan Cheralathan (circa 3rd century BC). The reign of the Cheras was interrupted by the Kalabhra Interregnum and the Cheras after king Kulashekhara Varman are called Kulasekharas of Mahodayapuram. Sometimes Early Cheras of the Sangam Ageand Kulasekharas of Mahodayapuram are treated as separate dynasties, since large differences existed between their rules and policies. The first Chera dynasty lasted till circa 5th century AD[1] and the second ruled from the 9th century. Little is known about the Cheras between the two dynasties.
The early Cheras ruled parts of Kerala (Malabar) State, Kongu Nadu, Salem and Dharmapuri from time immemorial. The dynasty probably added the Southern Nagapattanam and Thiruvarur districts after the marriage of the second king of the first Chera Dynasty into the royal family of the Cholas. Muziris, the famous sea port, was in the Chera kingdom and throughout the reign of the Cheras, trade continued to bring prosperity to their kingdom, with spices, ivory, timber, pearls and gems being exported to the Middle East and to southern Europe. Evidence of extensive foreign trade from ancient times can be seen throughout the Malabar coast, Karur and Coimbtore districts. Their ancient capital was Vanchi Muthur in the Kanthallur-Kizhanthur (Kuzhumur) region of the Idukki district of Kerala. They moved their administrative capital to Karuvur in 2nd century. King Senguttuvan was the most famous and powerful Chera king. He is famous for the legends surrounding Kannagi, the heroine of the legendary Tamil epic Silapathikaram and his wars. During the time of Cheras, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim immigrants established Nasrani Mappila, Juda Mappila and Muslim Mappila communities.
The second dynasty, Kulasekharas, ruled from the outskirts of Muziris on the banks of River Periyar called Mahodayapuram (Kodungallur). Though never, regained the old status in the Peninsula, Kulasekharas fought numerous wars with their powerful neighbors and diminished to history in 12th century as a result of continuous Cholainvasions.
DELHI SULTANATES:
The Arabs were the first Muslims to come to India. Sultan Mohammed of Ghazni led a series of plundering raids, about 17 in number. He attacked and plundered Somnath Temple in Kathiawar. The scholar who accompanied Mohammed of Ghazni in India was Albaruni. In 1191, Mohd. Ghori was defeated by Prithvi Raj Chohan at the Battle of Tarain near Thaneswar. The dynasty which ruled from Delhi till the coming of the Mughals in the 16th century were the Slaves, the Khiljis, the Tughlaqs, the Sayids and the Lodhis. This phase of Indian History is known as the “Sultanate Period”. Under Altmash and Balban, they extended their sway over practically the whole of North India.
SLAVE DYNASTY:
Qutub-ud-Din Aibak was first a slave of Qazi Fakha-ud-Din and later on purchased by Mohammed Ghori. Aibak was a great general and was very generous and called “Lakh Bakhsha”. He started the construction of the “Qutub Minar” in Delhi and the same was completed by Iltutmish; Iltutmish was also a slave and so he was called “slave of a slave”. Razia Begum was the daughter of Iltutmish. She was the first and the only Muslim lady who ever sat on the throne of Delhi. Balban is considered to be one of the greatest monarchs of Delhi Sultanate. He was the patron of the learned people and scholars. Amir Khusro, called “The Parrot of India” was the well-known Poet flourished in his court.Amir Hasan was another poet of his time.
KHILJI DYNASTY:
Alad-ud-Din Khilji was the first Muslim Sultan. He was not only a great warrior and conqueror but also an excellent administrative genius and economist. He was the first to bring control of prices of essential commodities. Amir Khusro also flourished in the time of Ala-ud Din Khilji. He wrote mainly in Persian.
TUGHLAQ DYNASTY :
Muhammad bin Tughlaq : The first great political experiment was the transfer of capital from Delhi to Devgiri which was rechristened “Daulatabad”. Secondly, he introduced copper coins as the legal tender and putting them at par with gold and silver coins. The system failed and resulted in heavy loss and trade with foreign countries came to a standstill. He was no doubt a gifted Sultan with extraordinary powers but his schemes were far advance of his time.
VIJAYANAGAR DYNASTY :
Harihara and Bukka founded the kingdom of Vijayanagar. The two foreign travellers Nicoli Conti, an Italian and Abdur Razzaq, a Persian visited during the reign of Deva Raya II.
TULUVA DYNASTY:
Krishna Deva Raya was the greatest and the most famous of the Kings of Tuluva dynasty. He himself was an accomplished scholar and did, a lot for learning. He had eight celebrated poets known as “Astadiggajas” at his court. His poet laureate, Alasani-Peddanna is regarded as an author of the first rank. Domingos Paes, a Portuguese traveller visited his court. Sadasiva was the last ruler of the dynasty. His powerful minister Ramaraya was very ambitious. Battle of Talikota (1565) Muslim kingdoms joined and defeated the Vijayanagar king. Ramaraya was killed, Vijayanagar was ruined. The ruins of the Vijayanagar Empire can be found in Hampi.
THE MUGHALS:
Babar : The foundation of the Mughal rule in India was laid by Babar in 1526. He defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat.
Akbar: He was the greatest of the Mughals. He was the real founder of the Mughal empire and the first Muslim ruler who divorced religion from politics. He created a new religion called “Din-i-Ilahi or Divine Faith”. Ibadat Khana was constructed by Akbar to provide religious leaders an opportunity to express their view point. He was considered “National Monarch”. The new system introduced by Akbar in military organisation is called “mansabdari system”. Akbar made the Buland Darwaza to commemorate his conquest over Gujarat.
Shah Jahan : called “Engineer King” built Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan’s reign is regarded as a “Glorious Epoch” in the histrory of the empire in architecture. The famous peacock throne originally belonged to Shah Jahan. Mosque building reached its peak during his reign. European paintings were introduced in the court of Jahangir.
THE MARATHAS:
The most powerful of the Maratha chiefs was Shivaji. Shivaji visited Aurangzeb’s court in Agra in 1666 where he was made a prisoner but escaped. He declared himself independent ruler of the Maratha Kingdom and was crowned, “Chatrapathi” in 1674 in Rajgarh. The Maratha State was governed by the King, advised and assisted by a; council of eight ministers – the Ashtapradhan. The Maratha Government levied two taxes. One was called the Chauth, one fourth of the total revenue paid to the Mughal Government or the Deccan Kingdoms which was taken in return for promising not to plunder and raid their territory. The other one was Sardeshmukhi, which was an additional, one tenth. Shivaji’s successors were weak and the government gradually moved into the hands of Peshawar and later on by the Mughal king Aurangzeb called “Alamgir”.
Downfall of Mughal Rule:
Aurangzeb captured and executed Sambhaji, son of Shivaji. Internally, Aurangzeb had to deal with the rebellion of the Jats in the Mathura region. The Rajputs were also a source of trouble. The Sikhs were the followers of Guru Nanak. Nine Gurus succeeded Guru Nanak. In order to curtail their power, Aurangzeb ordered the execution of Tegh Bahadur. This naturally enraged the Sikhs. So, the tenth and the last guru, Guru Govind Sing founded the military brotherhood or the Khasla meaning “the pure”. Apart from this, Aurangzeb destroyed many temples and reimposed Jazia. Aurangzeb’s death set off the rapid decline of the Mughal empire.
THE SIKHS :
The Sikh community was founded as a religious section by Guru Nanak. Guru Govind Singh, the tenth and the last guru of the Sikhs transformed the religious sect into a military brotherhood. Maharaj Ranjit Singh was the greatest Indian ruler of his time and founder of the Sikh rule in the Punjab. Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth guru of the Sikhs. He was ordered by Emperor Aurangzeb to embrace Islam, he refused and was executed.
THE COMING OF THE EUROPEANS:
The Portuguese were the first among the European nations to trade with India. In 1498, Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to India and reached Calicut. Alfonso Albuqurque laid the real foundation of the Portuguese power in India. Following them were the Dutch, the English, the Danish and the French.
THE ENGLISH EAST INDIA COMPANY:
The East India Company was incorporated in 1600 to trade with India by a charter given to it by Queen Elizabeth I. In 1615, the company built the first factory at Surat with the permission of Jahangir, secured through Sir Thomas Roe, the ambassador to James I. Dupleix, the last Governor General of the French possession in India, wanted to drive the English out of India but the arrival of Robert Clive on the scene dashed all hopes. The French challenge to the British supremacy in India came to an end with the Battle of Wandiwash. The crowning achievement of Clive was in the Battle of Plassey in 1757 in which he defeated Siraj-ud- Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal and laid the foundation of the company’s power in Bengal. The conquest was complete in the Battle of Buxar in 1764. Bengal was the first province in India to be conquered by the English. Robert Clive was the first Governor of Bengal.
BRITISH GOVERNOR GENERALS and VICEROYS :
Warren Hastings : (1772-85) First Governor General of Bengal of East India Company. Appointment of Board of Revenue – Interference in Rohilla War, Nanda Kumar’s murder, the case of Chet Singh and acceptance of bribes. Impeachment proceedings in London prolonged for seven years.
Lord Cornwallis : (1786-93) Permanent Settlement of Bengal. Reorganisation of the Revenue Courts - Criminal Courts – compilation of Cornwallis Code.
Sir John Shore : (1793-98) Non-intervention policy.
Lord Wellesley : (1798-1805) Subsidiary Alliance – a scheme to keep British forces under the Indian rulers – opened a college to train the Company’s servants in Calcutta. He is called the “Father of the Civil Service in India”.
Sir George Barlow : (1805-1807) Mutiny in Vellore.
Lord Minto I : (1807-1813) Treaty of Amritsar.
Marquess of Hastings : (1813-1823) He was the first to appoint Indians to high posts. The first vernacular newspaper Samachar Patrika began to be published. Passed the Tenancy Act to protect the cultivators.
Lord Amherst: (1823-1828) Mutiny of Barrackpur. The Indians refused to be carried away by ships to Burma and it led to mutiny.
Lord William Bentinck : (1829-1835) English accepted as the medium of instruction after the famous Macaulay’s recommendations-Medical College of Calcutta was started. Abolition of Sati, suppression of thugee, banning of female infanticide, abolition of human sacrifice, reform in the Hindu Law of inheritance. First Governor of India under East India Company.
Sir Charles Metcalfe : (1835-1836) He removed the restrictions on the vernacular press.
Lord Auckland : (1836-1842) Grand Trunk Road from Calcutta to Delhi.
Lord Hardinge : (1844-1848) The First Sikh War (1845- 1846 AD) started in his period. The success in this war extended the British Empire upto the Doab of Jallunder.
Lord Dalhousie : (1848-1856) Doctrine of Lapse - annexing the princely states whose ruler died without a natural heir. Accordingly, Satara, Jaipur, Sambalpur, Baghat, Udaipur, Jhansi and Nagpur annexed. Simla made summer capital. First Railway Line was laid from Bombay to Thana in 1853. Competitive examination for the I.C.S. began.
Viceroys of India:
Lord Canning : (1856 -1858) Hindu Widow re-marriage Act. First Universities in India were established at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay. On May 10, 1857, the Sepoy Mutiny called First War of Indiependence began. Mutiny was suppressed. Queen Victoria’s Proclamation called Magna Carta of India was announced. East India Company Rule ended. Canning was appointed the first Viceroy of India. He had given amnesty to persons who took part in mutiny. Lord Canning is therefore called“Canning the Clemency”. Penal Code was prepared. High Courts were set up at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.
Lord Lawrence : (1864-1869) Telegraphy System was opened between India and Europe.
Lord Mayo: (1869-1872) First Census was taken in 1871
Lord Northbrook: (1872-1876) Suez Canal was opened and trade between India and England greatly flourished.
Lord Lytton : (1876-1880) Famine Fund was created. Vernacular Press Act was passed. Indian Arms Act forbade Indians from keeping or dealing in arms without the permission of the Government.
Lord Ripon : (1880-1884) The Vernacular Press Act was repealed. Formed Local self-Government, was called the “Father of Local Self-Government”. Factory Act was passed. 1881 census was takenand it would be repeated after every 10 years.
Lord Dufferin : (1884-1888) in his period Burma (now Myanmar) was invaded in 1895 and then was annexed to the British empire in 1889. Indian National Congress was formed during this time. Public Service Commission was appointed in 1886.
Lord Lansdowne: (1888-1894) A weekly holiday was awarded to all factory workers.
Lord Curzon : (1899-1905) Agricultural Banks were established. He founded the Agricultural Research Institute at Pusa in Bengal. Ancient Monuments Protection Act passed. Archaeological Department was established. Partition of Bengal in
1905 created trouble. Emperor George cancelled the partition.
Lord Minto II: (1905-1910) Minto-Morley Reforms.
Lord Hardinge II: (1910-1916) Capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911. Foundation of the Banaras Hindu University, Banaras, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya was the founder-Chancellor of this University.
Lord Chelmsford : (1916-1921) Rowlatt Act called Black Act was passed. Under the Act Government armed itself with unlimited rights even to detain a person and arrest him without producing him before a Court. The Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy took place in April 13, 1919 under the command of Gen. Dyer. Khilafat Movement, Non co-ooperation movement took place.
Lord Reading : (1921-1926) Visit of Prince of Wales. Moplah Rebellion (1921) on the South Western coast of India.
Lord Irwin : (1926-31) Simon Commission. Demand for complete Independence. Civil Disobedience Movement (1930) First Round Table conference-Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
Lord Wellington : (1931-1936) Second and Third Round Table Conferences – Communcal Award – Poona Pact – Government of India Act 1935 passed. Cripps Mission. Quit India Movement (1942).
Lord Linlithgow : (1936-1943) During his viceroyalty, provincial autonomy was established. The State of Pakistan for the Muslims was demanded by Muslim League leader, Jinnah. Second World War broke out in 1939.
Lord Wavell: (1943-1947) Simla Conference. Muslim League launched “Direct Action Day”.
Lord Mountbatten: (1947-48) Deputed by the British Prime Minister Lord Atlee. Indian Independence Act 1947 passed-India and Pakistan created under the Mountbatten Plan – Lord Mountbatten became the first Governor General of Free India and the last Viceroy of India. India attained Independence on August 15, 1947.
C.Rajagopalachari was the first & the last Indian Governor-General of free India.
Dr.B.R. Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee. The Constitution of India was adopted on the November 26, 1949 and it came into force on January 26, 1950.
Dr. Rajendra Prasad - the first President of India and Jawaharlal Nehru - the First Prime Minister of India. Dr. S.Radhakrishnan-the first Vice-President of India.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel-first Deputy Prime Minister of India.
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