Indian History - Competitive Exams

The Vernacular Press Act was passed by Lord Lytton in 1878 to suppress Indian-language newspapers that were criticizing British rule. It imposed severe restrictions on publications in Indian languages while English newspapers remained unaffected.

The term Hindu is historically derived from the Indo-Aryan word 'Sindhu', which refers to the Indus River. Persians and Greeks used the word to designate the region and people living across the Indus River.

Tradition attributes the invention of the tabla to the 13th-century poet and musician Amir Khusrau, who is said to have split the pakhawaj into two pieces.

The Japji Sahib is a prayer at the beginning of the Guru Granth Sahib, considered the essence of Guru Nanak's spiritual teachings.

Muhammad Bin Qasim led the Umayyad Caliphate's conquest of Sindh in 712 AD, making him the first Muslim commander to successfully invade parts of India.

Guru Nanak is widely believed to have held Kabir in high regard, and many of Kabir's verses are included in the Guru Granth Sahib, reflecting their shared spiritual outlook.

The office of the Sikh Guru became hereditary starting with the fourth Guru, Guru Ram Das, who appointed his son Guru Arjan Dev as his successor. Prior to him, gurus were chosen based on merit rather than lineage.

The Peacock Throne (Takht-i-Taus) was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the early 17th century. It was later taken by Nadir Shah during his invasion of India.

The Shalimar Bagh in Srinagar was built by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir for his wife Nur Jahan in 1619. It is a classic example of Mughal garden architecture.

Lord Wellesley, serving as Governor-General from 1798 to 1805, is credited with the systematic application and expansion of the Subsidiary Alliance system to consolidate British power in India.

Lord Cornwallis is known as the father of the Indian Civil Service and the creator of the modern police system in India, having established a regular police force in 1791.

The first experimental telegraph line in India was laid between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour in 1851, but the first major line opened for public use in 1853 connected Calcutta and Agra.

Lord Dalhousie introduced the modern postal system in India and issued the first postage stamps in 1852 in Scinde. His tenure as Governor-General saw major infrastructural developments including railways and the telegraph.

The book India Today, which provides a Marxist analysis of Indian history and society, was written by the British communist R. Palme Dutt.

Following the Government of India Act 1858, which transferred power from the East India Company to the British Crown, Lord Canning became the first Viceroy of India.

Lal (Lala Lajpat Rai), Bal (Bal Gangadhar Tilak), and Pal (Bipin Chandra Pal) were the prominent leaders of the extremist faction within the Indian National Congress during the early 20th century.

Swami Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897 to propagate the teachings of his guru, Ramakrishna Paramahansa.

Dadabhai Naoroji is known as the Grand Old Man of India for his pioneering work in economics and his role as one of the founding members of the Indian National Congress.

The Bengal Gazette, also known as Hicky's Bengal Gazette, was the first English-language newspaper published in India, started by James Augustus Hicky in 1780.

The Bank of Calcutta, later renamed the Bank of Bengal, was established in 1806 and is considered the first commercial bank in India.

The slogan Jai Hind was coined by Abid Hasan Safrani, but it was popularized by Subhas Chandra Bose as the official greeting of the Indian National Army.