Modern History

Modern History for SSC CGL covers the period from approximately 1600 CE to 1947 CE - from the arrival of Europeans in India to Independence. Every year, 3 to 5 questions come from Modern History in SSC CGL General Awareness. This is the most heavily tested section within History because it directly connects to India's freedom struggle which is a matter of national pride and frequently tested knowledge.

The most important areas for SSC CGL are: the 1857 Revolt, Mahatma Gandhi's movements, important Governor-Generals, Social Reform movements, revolutionary leaders and the major Acts passed by the British. Students who master these topics consistently score well in this section.

1. Arrival of Europeans in India

1.1 Portuguese

• Vasco da Gama was the first European to discover the sea route to India
• He arrived at Calicut (Kozhikode, Kerala) in 1498 CE
• He was welcomed by the Zamorin (ruler of Calicut)
• Second voyage in 1502 CE
• Pedro Alvarez Cabral arrived in 1500 CE and established the first Portuguese factory at Calicut
• Alfonso de Albuquerque conquered Goa in 1510 CE - made Goa the capital of Portuguese India
• Portuguese established factories at: Goa, Daman, Diu, Calicut
• Francisco de Almeida was the first Portuguese Viceroy of India
• Portuguese introduced printing press, tobacco and cashew nut to India

1.2 Dutch (Netherlands)

• Dutch East India Company (VOC) established in 1602 CE
• Arrived in India in 1596 CE
• Established factories at: Surat, Broach, Cochin, Nagapattinam, Masulipatnam, Pulicat, Chinsura
• Pulicat was the main Dutch settlement - had a fort called Geldria
• Defeated by British in Battle of Bedara (1759 CE) - ended Dutch power in India

1.3 English (British)

• British East India Company established on 31 December 1600 CE by Queen Elizabeth I
• First English ship reached India in 1608 CE at Surat under Captain Hawkins
• Thomas Best defeated the Portuguese at Surat in 1612 CE - got permission to trade
• First factory established at Surat in 1613 CE
• Fort St. George established at Madras (Chennai) in 1639 CE
• Fort William established at Calcutta in 1700 CE
• Bombay was given to England as dowry when Charles II married Catherine of Braganza (Portuguese princess) in 1661 CE
• Company transferred Bombay to the Crown in 1668 CE

1.4 French

• French East India Company established in 1664 CE by Colbert
• Established factories at: Surat (1668), Pondicherry (1674), Chandernagore (1692), Mahe, Karaikal
• Pondicherry was the capital of French India
• Dupleix was the greatest French Governor-General - attempted to establish French empire in India
• Defeated by British under Robert Clive - French power ended after Battle of Wandiwash (1760 CE)

1.5 Danish

• Danish East India Company established in 1616 CE
• Established factories at Tranquebar (Tamil Nadu) and Serampore (Bengal)
• Serampore known as Frederiksnagore
• Sold their Indian settlements to the British in 1845 CE

1.6 Important Timeline

2. Maratha Empire

2.1 Shivaji Maharaj (1627-1680 CE)

• Born on 19 February 1627 CE at Shivneri Fort (near Pune)
• Father: Shahaji Bhonsle, Mother: Jijabai
• Mentor: Dadoji Kondadev (early) and Guru Ramdas (spiritual)
• Captured his first fort Torna in 1646 CE at age 16
• Killed Afzal Khan (Bijapur general) in 1659 CE
• Surat Sack (1664 CE): Looted the prosperous Mughal port of Surat
• Treaty of Purandar (1665 CE): Signed with Mughal general Raja Jai Singh - surrendered 23 forts
• Visited Aurangzeb's court at Agra (1666 CE) - escaped from house arrest
• Coronation (Rajyabhishek): Took place at Raigad Fort on 6 June 1674 CE
• Declared himself Chhatrapati (Lord of the Umbrella)
• Died on 3 April 1680 CE at Raigad Fort

2.2 Ashtapradhan (Council of Eight Ministers)

2.3 Revenue System

• Chauth: 1/4 (25%) of revenue collected from neighbouring territories as protection money
• Sardeshmukhi: 10% additional levy on top of Chauth - Shivaji's claim as hereditary right

2.4 Military System

• Created a powerful navy - called Father of Indian Navy
• Had a large infantry, cavalry and war elephants
• Used guerrilla warfare (ganimi kava) effectively
• Built and maintained many hill forts

2.5 Peshwas (1713-1818 CE)

After Shivaji's grandson Shahu became king, the Peshwas (Prime Ministers) became the actual rulers:

2.6 Anglo-Maratha Wars

2.7 Third Battle of Panipat (1761 CE)

• Fought between the Marathas (under Vishwasrao and Bhau Saheb) and Ahmad Shah Abdali (Durrani)
• Marathas were decisively defeated
• Approximately 1 lakh Maratha soldiers killed
• Effectively ended Maratha dreams of dominating India
• Considered one of the most decisive battles in Indian history

3. Independent Kingdoms

3.1 Mysore

Haider Ali (1761-1782 CE):

• Rose from a soldier to become the de facto ruler of Mysore
• First Indian ruler to use French-trained troops and modern artillery
• Won First Anglo-Mysore War (1767-1769 CE) - Treaty of Madras
• Lost Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-1784 CE) - died during the war in 1782 CE

Tipu Sultan (1782-1799 CE) - Tiger of Mysore:

• Son of Haider Ali - continued his father's resistance
• Used rockets in warfare - considered a pioneer of rocket artillery
• Established trade relations with France and Turkey
• Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790-1792 CE): Tipu Sultan defeated - Treaty of Seringapatam - lost half his kingdom and two sons as hostages
• Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799 CE): Tipu Sultan killed while defending Seringapatam (Srirangapatna) - Mysore passed to British control

Anglo-Mysore Wars Summary:

3.2 Bengal (Nawabs)

• Murshid Quli Khan (1717-1727): First independent Nawab of Bengal - capital at Murshidabad
• Alivardi Khan (1740-1756): Drove out Marathas from Bengal - refused to give trade privileges to British
• Siraj-ud-Daula (1756-1757): Last independent Nawab of Bengal
  • Black Hole of Calcutta (1756): 146 British prisoners allegedly confined in small room - 123 died
  • Battle of Plassey (23 June 1757): Siraj defeated by Robert Clive due to betrayal of Mir Jafar - effective start of British rule in Bengal
• Battle of Buxar (22 October 1764): British under Hector Munro defeated combined forces of Mir Qasim (Nawab of Bengal), Shuja-ud-Daula (Nawab of Awadh) and Shah Alam II (Mughal Emperor)
  • More significant than Plassey as it confirmed British military supremacy
  • Led to Treaty of Allahabad (1765)

3.3 Punjab (Sikhs)

Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839 CE):

• Founded the Sikh Empire - also called Lion of Punjab (Sher-e-Punjab)
• Captured Lahore in 1799 CE - made it his capital
• Unified all Sikh Misls under one rule
• Built a modern army called Fauj-i-Ain with French and European officers
• Conquered Multan (1818) and Kashmir (1819)
• Treaty of Amritsar (1809) with British - Sutlej River as boundary
• His empire extended from Tibet to Sindh
• Died in 1839 CE - after his death empire declined
• After First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-46) and Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49) Punjab was annexed by British
• Kohinoor Diamond was taken from the young Maharaja Duleep Singh by the British

4. Colonial Economy

4.1 Land Revenue Systems

Permanent Settlement (1793 CE):

• Introduced by Lord Cornwallis in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa
• Zamindars fixed as permanent owners of land
• Revenue fixed permanently - could not be increased
• Zamindars had to pay fixed amount to British - any surplus was theirs
• Result: Zamindars became more powerful, peasants had no security

Ryotwari System:

• Introduced by Thomas Munro in Madras (1820) and later Bombay
• Direct settlement with individual farmers (Ryots)
• Revenue based on quality of soil and could be changed
• Farmers had ownership rights but high taxation

Mahalwari System:

• Introduced by Holt Mackenzie and later modified by R. M. Bird
• Applied in North-Western Provinces, Agra, Punjab
• Village community (Mahal) was the unit of settlement
• Village headman responsible for collecting revenue

4.2 Drain of Wealth Theory

• Concept developed by Dadabhai Naoroji in his book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India (1901)
• Also called Economic Drain Theory
• He calculated that India was being drained of its wealth by the British
• British exported raw materials cheap from India and sold expensive manufactured goods
• Profits from trade, salaries of British officers, military costs - all drained from India
• R.C. Dutt also wrote about economic impact in Economic History of India

4.3 Impact of British Policies

• Traditional handicraft and textile industries destroyed by cheap British machine-made goods
• De-industrialization: Artisans and weavers lost their livelihoods
• Commercialization of Agriculture: Farmers forced to grow cash crops (cotton, indigo, jute) instead of food
• Led to frequent famines: Bengal Famine of 1770 (killed 1/3 of Bengal's population), Orissa Famine 1866, Madras Famine 1876-78
• Railways built primarily to drain raw materials and distribute British goods

5. Development of Education in Modern India

5.1 Important Education Acts and Policies

Macaulay's Minute (1835):

• Introduced by Lord Macaulay (Law Member of Council)
• Recommended English as medium of instruction
• Western knowledge over Oriental learning
• Created downward filtration theory - educated elite would spread knowledge downward

Wood's Dispatch (1854) - Magna Carta of Indian Education:

• Prepared by Charles Wood (President of Board of Control)
• Recommended establishing universities at Bombay, Calcutta and Madras
• Advocated vernacular education alongside English
• Recommended teacher training and women's education
• This is called the Magna Carta of Indian Education

6. Revolt of 1857

6.1 Introduction

The Revolt of 1857 is known by different names:

• Indian Mutiny (British perspective)
• Sepoy Mutiny
• First War of Independence (coined by V.D. Savarkar)

6.2 Causes

Political Causes:

• Doctrine of Lapse by Lord Dalhousie - annexed states without heirs: Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur, Oudh
• Annexation of Oudh (Awadh) in 1856 - caused widespread resentment
• Pensioners and retired officials lost their income
• Humiliation of Indian princes and royalty

Economic Causes:

• High taxation and land revenue demands
• Destruction of Indian handicrafts
• Unemployment among artisans
• Economic drain by British

Military Causes:

• Indian soldiers received lower pay than British soldiers
• General Service Enlistment Act (1856) - sepoys required to serve overseas (considered violation of religious customs)
• Greased Cartridges: New Enfield rifles required biting the cartridge - believed to be greased with cow and pig fat (offensive to both Hindus and Muslims)
• Discrimination against Indian soldiers in promotions

Religious/Social Causes:

• Fear of religious conversion by Christian missionaries
• Introduction of English education
• Social reforms seen as interference in religion
• Religious sentiments hurt by new cartridges

6.3 Immediate Cause

• Mangal Pandey (sepoy of 34th Bengal Infantry at Barrackpore) fired at his British officers on 29 March 1857 - considered the immediate trigger
• Revolt officially started at Meerut on 10 May 1857 when 85 sepoys refused to use greased cartridges
• Sepoys marched to Delhi and proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar as the Emperor

6.4 Important Leaders and Centres

6.5 Causes of Failure

• No unified leadership - revolts were localised
• No all-India participation - South India, Punjab and Bengal largely unaffected
• Lack of modern weapons
• Many Indian princes and zamindars supported the British
• Educated Indians largely indifferent
• British used telegraph and railways effectively

6.6 Effects of Revolt

• Government of India Act 1858: Company rule ended - Queen Victoria took direct control
• Queen's Proclamation (1858): Promised non-interference in religion, equal treatment of Indians
• Indian soldiers reorganised: European-Indian ratio increased
• Doctrine of Lapse abandoned
• Divide and rule policy intensified
• Beginning of organised Indian nationalism

7. Peasant, Labour and Tribal Movements

7.1 Important Movements

Birsa Munda:

• Led the Munda Rebellion (Ulgulan - the Great Tumult) in 1899-1900
• Called Dharti Aba (Father of the Earth)
• Aimed to establish Munda Raj
• Arrested and died in prison in 1900 CE

8. Social and Religious Reform Movements

8.1 Brahmo Samaj

• Founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in 1828 CE in Calcutta
• Advocated: Monotheism, opposed idol worship, caste system and Sati
• Devendranath Tagore (father of Rabindranath Tagore) reorganised it in 1843 CE
• Keshub Chandra Sen joined in 1858 CE - split with Devendranath in 1866 CE

Raja Ram Mohan Roy:

• Called Father of Indian Renaissance and Father of Modern India
• Instrumental in abolition of Sati (1829 CE) through Lord Bentinck
• Founded Atmiya Sabha (1815) before Brahmo Samaj
• Founded the first English newspaper in India: Sambad Kaumudi
• Also published Mirat-ul-Akhbar (Persian) and Brahmanik Magazine (English)
• Went to England in 1830 CE - died in 1833 CE at Bristol

8.2 Prarthana Samaj

• Founded in Bombay in 1867 CE
• Key figures: Atmaram Pandurang, M.G. Ranade, R.G. Bhandarkar
• Similar to Brahmo Samaj but accepted many Hindu rituals
• Focused on widow remarriage, women's education and abolition of caste

8.3 Arya Samaj

• Founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati in Bombay in 1875 CE
• Motto: Krinvanto Vishwam Aryam (Make the whole world noble)
• Slogan: Back to the Vedas
• Advocated: Monotheism, opposed idol worship, caste based on birth, child marriage
• Promoted: Hindi language, women's education, widow remarriage
• Started shuddhi movement (reconversion of those converted to other religions)
• Dayananda Anglo-Vedic (DAV) Schools established based on Arya Samaj principles
• Swami Dayananda wrote Satyarth Prakash (Light of Truth)

8.4 Ramakrishna Mission

• Founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1897 CE in memory of his guru Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
• Headquarters at Belur Math near Calcutta
• Vivekananda's famous speech at Parliament of World Religions at Chicago in 1893 CE made India proud
• Advocated: Practical Vedanta, service to humanity is service to God
• Ramakrishna Paramahamsa: Mystic saint of Dakshineswar - "All religions lead to the same God"

8.5 Theosophical Society

• Founded by Madame Blavatsky (Russian) and Colonel Olcott (American) in New York in 1875 CE
• Indian headquarters at Adyar, Madras (Chennai) in 1882 CE
• Annie Besant (British) became the most prominent leader of Theosophical Society in India
• Annie Besant founded Central Hindu College at Varanasi (1898) - later became Banaras Hindu University (BHU)
• Annie Besant also founded the Home Rule League in 1916 CE

8.6 Aligarh Movement

• Started by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan after the 1857 revolt
• Founded Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College at Aligarh in 1875 CE
• Later became Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in 1920 CE
• Objective: Modernise Muslim education and reconcile Muslims with British rule
• Published journal Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq (Social Reformer)
• Believed Muslims should focus on education not politics

8.7 Young Bengal Movement

• Started by Henry Louis Vivian Derozio (1809-1831) - teacher at Hindu College, Calcutta
• Encouraged students to question tradition and think rationally
• Called Derozians or Young Bengal
• Derozio removed from Hindu College in 1831 for his radical ideas

8.8 Important Social Reformers

9. Social Reform Acts

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar:

• Bengali scholar and reformer
• Instrumental in getting the Widow Remarriage Act (1856) passed
• Promoted women's education - opened many girls' schools in Bengal
• Simplified Bengali script

10. Indian National Congress (INC)

10.1 Formation

• Indian National Congress (INC) founded on 28 December 1885 in Bombay
• Founded by A.O. Hume (retired British ICS officer) - also called Safety Valve Theory
• First session at Bombay - Womesh Chandra Banerjee was the first president
• Initially cooperated with British - politely demanded reforms
• Prominent early leaders: Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Surendranath Banerjee, Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji

10.2 Moderates (1885-1905 CE)

• Believed in constitutional methods and petitions
• Demanded: Self-governance, Indianisation of civil services, reduction of military spending
• Key leaders: Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Surendranath Banerjee
• Dadabhai Naoroji was called Grand Old Man of India
• Gopal Krishna Gokhale was Gandhi's political mentor

10.3 Extremists (from 1905 CE)

• Did not believe in petitions - demanded Swaraj (self-rule) as birthright
• Were prepared to use mass agitation
• Key leaders: Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai - called Lal-Bal-Pal
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak: Called Lokmanya (beloved of people), started Ganesh Chaturthi and Shivaji festivals as platforms for national awakening
• Famous quote by Tilak: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it"

10.4 Important INC Sessions

10.5 Surat Split (1907 CE)

• INC split at Surat session in 1907 CE
• Moderates vs Extremists conflict over presidential election
• Tilak supported Lala Lajpat Rai as president
• Moderates supported Rash Bihari Bose
• Physical conflict on the floor - INC split into two factions
• Reunited in Lucknow (1916 CE)

10.6 Lucknow Pact (1916 CE)

• Agreement between INC and Muslim League at Lucknow session
• Congress accepted separate electorates for Muslims
• Joint demand for self-government
• Brought Hindus and Muslims together temporarily
• Signed by Tilak (Congress) and Jinnah (Muslim League)

11. Partition of Bengal and Swadeshi Movement

11.1 Partition of Bengal (1905 CE)

• Bengal was partitioned by Lord Curzon on 16 October 1905 CE
• Bengal was divided into:
  • East Bengal and Assam (capital: Dhaka) - Muslim majority
  • West Bengal (capital: Calcutta) - Hindu majority
• Official reason: Administrative convenience
• Actual reason: Divide the nationalist movement and Bengali Hindus and Muslims
• Day of partition: Observed as Raksha Bandhan by nationalists

11.2 Swadeshi Movement

• Launched in response to Partition of Bengal
• People boycotted British goods and used Indian-made goods (Swadeshi)
• Mass burning of foreign cloth
• Also launched National Education movement - alternative schools set up
• Banga Darshan (Bengal Journal), newspapers spread the message
• Vande Mataram became the rallying cry
• Partition was annulled in 1911 CE by Lord Hardinge due to massive protests

12. Muslim League

• All India Muslim League founded on 30 December 1906 CE at Dhaka
• Founded at the initiative of Nawab Salimullah Khan of Dhaka
• First session chaired by Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk
• Initial aim: Protect Muslim political interests
• Aga Khan was the first president
• Muhammad Ali Jinnah joined in 1913 CE
• Demanded separate electorates for Muslims - achieved through Morley-Minto Reforms (1909)

13. Rowlatt Act (1919 CE)

• Full name: Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, 1919
• Based on recommendations of Rowlatt Committee (chairman: Justice Sidney Rowlatt)
• Allowed imprisonment without trial for up to 2 years for suspected revolutionaries
• No appeal, no lawyer (No Daleel, No Vakeel, No Appeal)
• Called Black Act by Indians
• Gandhi called it a direct challenge to Indian liberty - launched nationwide protest
• Led to Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919)

14. Revolutionary Movements

14.1 Ghadar Party

• Founded in San Francisco, USA in 1913 CE
• Founded by Lala Hardayal, Sohan Singh Bhakna (first president)
• Main publication: Ghadar (newspaper)
• Aimed to overthrow British rule through revolution
• Failed uprising in 1915 CE when British intelligence infiltrated

14.2 India House (London)

• Established by Shyamji Krishna Varma in London in 1905 CE
• Provided accommodation to Indian students
• V.D. Savarkar was a prominent member
• Published Indian Sociologist journal
• Centre of revolutionary activity in London

14.3 Abhinav Bharat

• Secret revolutionary organisation founded by V.D. Savarkar in 1904 CE
• Network of young revolutionaries across India

14.4 Berlin Committee (1915 CE)

• Also called Indian Independence Committee
• Founded in Berlin, Germany during World War I
• Key figures: Virendranath Chattopadhyaya (Chatto), Lala Hardayal
• Sought German support against British

14.5 Hindustan Republican Association (HRA)

• Founded in 1924 CE by Sachindra Nath Sanyal
• Later renamed Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) in 1928 CE
• Key members: Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Sukhdev, Rajguru

15. Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (13 April 1919 CE)

• Date: 13 April 1919 CE (Baisakhi Day)
• Location: Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, Punjab
• General Reginald Dyer ordered troops to fire on a peaceful unarmed crowd gathered in the enclosed garden
• Official British figure: 379 killed, over 1200 injured
• Actual estimates: Over 1000 killed
• Udham Singh (later) assassinated Michael O'Dwyer (Lt. Governor of Punjab who approved the firing) in London in 1940 CE
• Rabindranath Tagore returned his Knighthood in protest
• Shankar Nair resigned from Viceroy's Executive Council in protest
• Led to Non-Cooperation Movement

16. Revolutionary Movement in India

16.1 Kakori Conspiracy (1925 CE)

• A group of HRA members (including Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, Rajendra Lahiri) looted a train carrying government treasury at Kakori near Lucknow on 9 August 1925 CE
• British arrested and tried them
• Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqullah Khan were hanged in December 1927 CE

16.2 Bhagat Singh

• Born: 28 September 1907 in Lyallpur (now Pakistan)
• Shot dead British police officer J.P. Saunders in Lahore (1928) to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai who was injured by police during Simon Commission protests
• Threw bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly with Batukeshwar Dutt on 8 April 1929 - not to kill but to make the deaf hear
• Arrested, tried and hanged on 23 March 1931 along with Sukhdev and Rajguru
• Called Shaheed-e-Azam (the Greatest Martyr)

16.3 Chandrashekhar Azad

• Real name: Chandrashekhar Tiwari
• Born in Madhya Pradesh
• Core member of HSRA
• Vowed never to be captured alive
• Died in Alfred Park (now Azad Park), Allahabad on 27 February 1931 in a police encounter - shot himself

16.4 Khudiram Bose

• One of the youngest revolutionaries - born 1889 CE
• Threw bomb at carriage of Judge Kingsford at Muzaffarpur in 1908 CE
• Arrested and hanged on 11 August 1908 CE at age 18

17. Mahatma Gandhi and National Movement

17.1 Early Life

• Full name: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
• Born: 2 October 1869 at Porbandar, Gujarat
• Father: Karamchand Gandhi, Mother: Putlibai
• Studied law in London (1888-1891)
• Went to South Africa in 1893 - developed Satyagraha against racial discrimination

17.2 Gandhi's Satyagraha in India

17.3 Philosophy of Satyagraha

• Satyagraha: Truth-force or Soul-force - resistance through non-violence
• Ahimsa: Non-violence - absolute principle
• Swaraj: Self-rule - political and spiritual
• Swadeshi: Use of Indian-made goods
• Sarvodaya: Welfare of all - from Ruskin's Unto This Last
• Gram Swaraj: Village self-rule
• Influenced by: Tolstoy, Thoreau and the Bhagavad Gita

18. Khilafat Movement (1919-1924 CE)

• Launched by Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali (Ali Brothers)
• Objective: Restore the Khalifa (Ottoman Caliph of Turkey) after Turkey's defeat in WWI
• Gandhi joined the movement to create Hindu-Muslim unity
• Joint session of Khilafat and INC held in 1919
• Merged with Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920 CE
• Movement ended when Turkey itself abolished the Caliphate in 1924 CE under Kemal Ataturk

19. Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922 CE)

19.1 Causes

• Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919)
• Rowlatt Act (1919)
• Khilafat issue
• Failure of Montague-Chelmsford Reforms

19.2 Programme

• Return of titles and honorary offices
• Boycott of Civil Services, Army, Police, Courts, Legislature
• Boycott of foreign goods - use Swadeshi
• Resignation from government schools and colleges
• National schools and colleges to be set up
• Councils not to be contested

19.3 Chauri Chaura Incident (5 February 1922 CE)

• At Chauri Chaura village in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh
• A procession of protesters was fired upon by police
• Mob retaliated and burned the police station - 22 policemen killed
• Gandhi was deeply disturbed by this violence
• Suspended the Non-Cooperation Movement on 12 February 1922 CE
• Many leaders including C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru criticised this decision

20. Swaraj Party

• Founded in 1923 CE by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru
• After suspension of Non-Cooperation Movement
• Aimed to enter legislative councils and obstruct government from within
• Debate: Council Entry - whether to enter councils or not
• No Changers (opposed council entry): Gandhi, C. Rajagopalachari
• Pro Changers (supported council entry): C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru
• Swarajists won significant seats in 1923 elections
• C.R. Das died in 1925 - party declined

21. Simon Commission (1927-1928 CE)

• British government appointed the Simon Commission in 1927 CE under Sir John Simon
• Purpose: Review the working of Government of India Act 1919 and suggest constitutional reforms
• Boycotted by all Indian parties because no Indian was on the Commission (all 7 members were British)
• Simon Go Back slogan - massive protests across India
• Lala Lajpat Rai was injured by police baton charge during Simon Commission protests in Lahore - died shortly after on 17 November 1928 CE
• Bhagat Singh shot J.P. Saunders to avenge Lala Lajpat Rai's death

22. Round Table Conferences

22.1 First Round Table Conference (1930 CE)

• Held in London, November 1930 CE
• INC boycotted as Civil Disobedience Movement was going on
• B.R. Ambedkar and Muhammad Ali Jinnah attended

22.2 Gandhi-Irwin Pact (March 1931 CE)

• Signed between Gandhi and Lord Irwin (Viceroy)
• Gandhi agreed to: Suspend Civil Disobedience Movement, attend Second Round Table Conference
• British agreed to: Release political prisoners, allow salt making on the coast, restore confiscated property

22.3 Second Round Table Conference (1931 CE)

• Gandhi attended as sole representative of INC
• Disagreement over Communal Award - separate electorates for minorities including Dalits
• Conference failed - Gandhi returned to India

22.4 Communal Award and Poona Pact (1932 CE)

• Communal Award announced by British PM Ramsay MacDonald in 1932
• Gave separate electorates to Dalits (Depressed Classes)
• Gandhi went on hunger strike in Yerawada Jail - called it divisive
• Poona Pact (26 September 1932 CE): Agreement between Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
  • Separate electorate for Dalits withdrawn
  • Reserved seats for Dalits in general electorates increased
  • Signed at Yerawada Prison, Pune

23. Salt March and Civil Disobedience Movement

23.1 Dandi March (Salt March) - 1930 CE

• Announced at Lahore INC Session (December 1929) - Purna Swaraj (complete independence) declared
• Gandhi started Dandi March on 12 March 1930
• Marched from Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad to Dandi (coastal village in Gujarat) - 241 miles/387 km
• Reached Dandi on 5 April 1930 - broke salt law on 6 April 1930
• Signal for Civil Disobedience Movement to begin
• Gandhi arrested on 5 May 1930
• C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) led a parallel salt march in Tamilnadu
• Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan (Frontier Gandhi) led the movement in NWFP with his Khudai Khidmatgar (Red Shirts)

24. Quit India Movement (1942 CE)

24.1 Background

• Cripps Mission (March 1942): Sir Stafford Cripps came with proposals
  • Dominion status after war
  • Provinces could opt out
  • INC rejected it - called it a Post-Dated Cheque on a Crashing Bank (Nehru/Gandhi)

24.2 Quit India Resolution

• Passed by AICC (All India Congress Committee) at Gowalia Tank (August Kranti Maidan), Bombay on 8 August 1942
• Gandhi gave the slogan: "Do or Die" (Karo ya Maro)
• Next morning 9 August 1942 - all major Congress leaders arrested
• Spontaneous mass revolt erupted across India
• August Revolution/Kranti - ordinary people took charge
• Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted Congress flag at Gowalia Tank on 9 August when all leaders arrested
• Underground radio stations: Congress Radio run by Usha Mehta
• People cut telegraph lines, damaged railways, attacked police stations
• Movement crushed by November 1943

24.3 Important Centres of Quit India

• Ballia (UP): Briefly freed - called Bagi Ballia - led by Chittu Pandey
• Tamluk (Bengal): Jatiya Sarkars established - led by Matangini Hazra
• Satara (Maharashtra): Parallel government (Prati Sarkar) established

25. Subhas Chandra Bose and Azad Hind Fauj (INA)

25.1 Subhas Chandra Bose

• Born: 23 January 1897 in Cuttack, Orissa
• Called Netaji (Revered Leader) and Deshpriya
• Was ICS officer - resigned in 1921 to join freedom movement
• Elected INC President twice: 1938 (Haripura session) and 1939 (Tripuri session)
• Resigned from INC presidentship in 1939 after conflict with Gandhi
• Founded Forward Bloc in 1939 CE
• Escaped house arrest in Calcutta in January 1941 - went to Germany via Afghanistan
• Famous slogan: "Tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe azadi dunga" (Give me blood, I will give you freedom)

25.2 Indian National Army (INA/Azad Hind Fauj)

• Originally formed by Captain Mohan Singh and Rash Behari Bose in Singapore in 1942 CE with POW Indian soldiers
• Subhas Chandra Bose took over as Supreme Commander in 1943 CE
• Established Azad Hind Government (Provisional Government of Free India) on 21 October 1943 CE in Singapore
• INA captured Moirang in Manipur in 1944 CE - hoisted Indian Tricolour on Indian soil
• INA Brigades: Nehru Brigade, Gandhi Brigade, Rani of Jhansi Brigade (women's regiment under Capt. Lakshmi Sahgal)
• INA Trial at Red Fort (1945-46) - British arrested INA officers - sparked massive public protests leading to RIN Mutiny
• Subhas Chandra Bose reportedly died in a plane crash in Taipei, Taiwan on 18 August 1945

26. Important Governor-Generals and Viceroys

26.1 Governor-Generals of Bengal

26.2 Governor-Generals/Viceroys of India

27. Important British Acts and Policies

27.1 Important Acts

27.2 Doctrine of Lapse

• Policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856)
• States without a natural heir could not adopt heirs - would be annexed by British
• States annexed: Satara (1848), Jaipur (1849), Sambalpur (1849), Baghat (1850), Udaipur (1852), Jhansi (1853), Nagpur (1854)
• Tanjore and Oudh (Awadh) were also annexed though different grounds
• Major cause of the 1857 revolt - especially Jhansi and Awadh

28. Important National Leaders and Slogans

29. Important Books, Newspapers and Journals

29.1 Books by Freedom Fighters

29.2 Newspapers and Journals

30. Cabinet Mission (1946 CE)

• Sent to India in March 1946 CE by British PM Clement Attlee
• Three members: Lord Pethick-Lawrence (Secretary of State), Sir Stafford Cripps, A.V. Alexander
• Objective: Transfer of power to Indian hands
• Rejected Jinnah's two-nation theory and demand for separate Pakistan
• Proposed a three-tier federal structure: Union of India, Groups of Provinces, Individual Provinces
• INC accepted but interpreted differently from Muslim League
• Led to breakdown and eventual partition

31. Important Events Timeline

32. SSC CGL Important One-Liners - Modern History

1. Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in 1498 CE
2. British East India Company founded on 31 December 1600 CE
3. First English factory in India at Surat (1613 CE)
4. Battle of Plassey (1757) is considered the start of British rule in India
5. Battle of Buxar (1764) was more decisive than Plassey
6. Shivaji was born at Shivneri Fort on 19 February 1627
7. Shivaji's coronation was at Raigad Fort in 1674 CE
8. Peshwa Baji Rao I is considered the greatest Peshwa
9. Third Battle of Panipat (1761) was fought against Ahmad Shah Abdali
10. Permanent Settlement (1793) was introduced by Lord Cornwallis
11. Ryotwari System was introduced by Thomas Munro
12. Drain of Wealth Theory was given by Dadabhai Naoroji
13. Revolt of 1857 started at Meerut on 10 May 1857
14. Mangal Pandey fired at British officers on 29 March 1857 at Barrackpore
15. Rani Lakshmibai led the revolt at Jhansi
16. Nana Saheb led the revolt at Kanpur
17. Begum Hazrat Mahal led the revolt at Lucknow
18. Government of India Act 1858 ended Company rule
19. Brahmo Samaj was founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in 1828
20. Raja Ram Mohan Roy is called the Father of Indian Renaissance
21. Sati was abolished in 1829 under Lord Bentinck
22. Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayananda in 1875
23. Swami Vivekananda gave famous speech at Chicago in 1893
24. Ramakrishna Mission founded in 1897 at Belur Math
25. Theosophical Society Indian headquarters at Adyar, Madras (1882)
26. INC founded on 28 December 1885 by A.O. Hume
27. First INC president: Womesh Chandra Banerjee
28. Lal-Bal-Pal were the extremist trio of INC
29. Tilak's famous quote: "Swaraj is my birthright"
30. Partition of Bengal in 1905 by Lord Curzon
31. Muslim League founded on 30 December 1906 at Dhaka
32. Surat Split happened in 1907
33. Lucknow Pact signed in 1916
34. Rowlatt Act passed in 1919 - called Black Act
35. Jallianwala Bagh Massacre on 13 April 1919
36. General Reginald Dyer ordered the firing at Jallianwala Bagh
37. Rabindranath Tagore returned his Knighthood after Jallianwala Bagh
38. Non-Cooperation Movement launched in 1920
39. Chauri Chaura incident on 5 February 1922
40. Kakori Conspiracy on 9 August 1925
41. Bhagat Singh was hanged on 23 March 1931
42. Simon Commission boycotted - Simon Go Back slogan
43. Lala Lajpat Rai died after Simon Commission protests in 1928
44. Lahore INC Session (1929) - Purna Swaraj declared
45. Dandi March started on 12 March 1930 from Sabarmati Ashram
46. Gandhi-Irwin Pact signed in March 1931
47. Poona Pact signed on 26 September 1932 between Gandhi and Ambedkar
48. Ghadar Party founded in 1913 in San Francisco
49. Cripps Mission failed in 1942
50. Quit India Movement launched on 8 August 1942
51. Gandhi's slogan for Quit India: "Do or Die"
52. Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted flag at Gowalia Tank on 9 August 1942
53. Subhas Chandra Bose founded Forward Bloc in 1939
54. INA was taken over by Bose in 1943
55. Azad Hind Government established on 21 October 1943 in Singapore
56. Bose reportedly died in plane crash on 18 August 1945
57. Cabinet Mission came in 1946
58. India became independent on 15 August 1947
59. Lord Dalhousie introduced Doctrine of Lapse
60. Wood's Dispatch (1854) is called the Magna Carta of Indian Education
61. Champaran Satyagraha (1917) was Gandhi's first satyagraha in India
62. Khilafat Movement was led by Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali
63. Widow Remarriage Act (1856) was passed due to efforts of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
64. Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) was led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
65. Birsa Munda led the Munda Rebellion (Ulgulan) in 1899-1900
66. Santhal Rebellion (1855-56) was led by Sido and Kanhu
67. Vande Mataram was composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay from novel Anand Math
68. Jana Gana Mana was written by Rabindranath Tagore
69. Chandrashekhar Azad died at Alfred Park, Allahabad on 27 February 1931
70. Khudiram Bose was hanged at age 18 on 11 August 1908
71. Tipu Sultan died defending Seringapatam in 1799
72. Maharaja Ranjit Singh is called Sher-e-Punjab (Lion of Punjab)
73. Moplah Rebellion (1921) happened in Kerala during Non-Cooperation Movement
74. Montague-Chelmsford Reforms introduced Dyarchy in provinces
75. Government of India Act 1935 is the basis of India's 1950 Constitution
76. Udham Singh assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in London in 1940
77. Annie Besant founded Home Rule League in 1916
78. Tilak also founded Home Rule League in Poona in 1916
79. Fort William College was founded by Lord Wellesley in 1800
80. Indigo Revolt (1859-60) happened in Bengal against planters

33. Chapter Summary

Modern History is the most heavily tested section in SSC CGL History. The topics you must master are:

Top Priority Areas:

• 1857 Revolt - causes, leaders, centres, effects
• Gandhi's movements - Champaran, Non-Cooperation, Dandi March, Quit India
• Important Governor-Generals and their policies
• Social Reform movements - Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission
• Important Acts - Regulating Act, Pitts Act, Government of India Acts
• INC - formation, Moderates, Extremists, important sessions
• Revolutionary leaders - Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Bose

Quick Reference: