KEY to the CSP-2015 Indian History third Test, 15.11.2014

KEY to the CSP-2015 Indian History third Test, 15.11.2014

1.	B	21.	B	41.	C	61.	D	81	B
2.	B	22.	A	42.	D	62.	D	82	A
3.	A	23.	A	43.	A	63.	D	83	C
4.	B	24.	A	44.	B	64.	C	84	B
5.	C	25.	A	45.	A	65.	B	85	B
6.	A	26.	C	46.	C	66.	B	86	C
7.	B	27.	D	47.	A	67.	D	87	A
8.	D	28.	C	48.	A	68.	B	88	B
9.	A	29.	C	49.	B	69.	C	89	B
10.	A	30.	C	50.	A	70.	D	90	C
11.	B	31.	B	51.	B	71	D	91	C
12.	C	32.	B	52.	B	72	A	92	C
13.	B	33.	D	53.	B	73	D	93	D
14.	B	34.	C	54.	D	74	D	94	D
15.	C	35.	C	55.	A	75	C	95	D
16.	D	36.	C	56.	A	76	D	96	C
17.	C	37.	A	57.	A	77	A	97	D
18.	A	38.	A	58.	A	78	D	98	C
19.	C	39.	A	59.	C	79	D	99	D
20.	D	40.	A	60.	C	80	A	100	D

Dear Friends,

I have analysed both Prelims and Main questions asked in the UPSC, related to Indian History and Culture and found certain leads and some of the indicative areas are given below.

ü  About 90% cases, no question has been repeated which were asked already in last 10 years. Hence have a glance on the questions appeared already and focus on those areas which were not covered so far.

ü  More emphasis on culture of India from Indus Civilization to till date. The questions are being asked on Vedas and Vedangas, Upanishads etc.; architecture, art, Literature, sculpture etc. and modern items such as dances of India, Music, festivals, martial arts, state specific arts and arte-facts  etc.

ü  Latest status of Buddhism, Jainism and their spread and types

ü  Advent of Europeans and establishment of British Raj in India; Governor Generals/Viceroys and their policies; Wars fought by the British EIC with native rulers of India; Carnatic wars, Anglo-Maratha wars, Anglo-Sikh wars, Anglo-Burmese wars etc. Specific policies of the rulers; Control of markets and prices by Alla-ud-din Khalji, Land reforms of Sher Shah Suri, Din-i-Ilahi of Akbar, Shivaji policy of extra-territorial taxation, Mysorean rockets developed by Hyder Ali, Policy of ring fencing, Doctrine of lapse and Subsidiary alliance by the Governors-in-General of India and Blue water policy of De Almeda, a Portuguese Governor and similar things of various kings and rulers etc. 

ü  Bhakti movements and their proponents

ü  Freedom Movement and the history events after 1947 and wars fought by India with neighbors, foreign policy of India and its changes with the times etc.

Get the pulse of the UPSC and accordingly prepare yourself for the assured Success. I hope you will tune yourself to the requirements of UPSC and get maximum out of it.

                                                                                  Yours friendly  

B.YADAGIRI, IRS.,

Explanation:

Q. 1. All the statements except 4 are correct. He had inherited a small principality in Central Asia, Farghana, from his father. At the age of 14, he conquered Samarkhand. Within short time, he lost both Farghana and Samarkhand and became homeless wanderer. His courage and determination helped him to conquer Kabul in 1504. His attempts to get back his early kingdom failed. Fortunes knocked his doors in the form of request or invitation from Daulat Khan Lodi, from Punjab to help him in his battle against Ibrahim Lodhi, the then Sultan of Delhi. Knowing the real intentions of Babur to stay in India, Daulath Khan Lodhi turned against him. Babur defeated him and marched towards Delhi by defeating the armies of Ibrahim Lodhi in the first battle of Panipat in 1526.  Hence, 4^th statement is not correct.

Ø  He adopted Tughluma and flanking party system and first to use gunpowder and artillery in India. The two gun masters Mustafa and Ustad Ali were in his army

Ø  Babur written his autobiography, “Tuzuk-i-Baburi”, in his mother tongue, Turkish and it is rated to be one of the best books in Turkish language and one of the best biographies in the world. It was translated in Persian (named Baburnama) by Abdur Rahim Khan-e-khana and in English by MadanBebridge.

Ø  The first battle of panipat had laid foundation for Mughal Rule in India and the battle of Khanva in 1527 was more decisive than the battle of panipat, as it gave him control over  

            Central India.

Ø  Babur died at the age of 48 during 1530, leaving behind huge un-consolidated Mughal Empire in India.

2. On the ruins of Bahamani kingdom, five Deccan states emerged. They were Bidar [Baridshahi Dynasty], Bijapur [Adilshahi Dynasty], Golconda [Qutushahi dynasty], Ahmed Nagar [Nizam Shahidynasty]   and Berar [ImadShahi Dynasty]. In the Rakshsatangadi or Tallikota battle in 1565, all the Deccan states except Berar fought against Vijayanagara Empire and killed Aliya Ramaraya in the battle and destroyed the capital city Hampi. The Talikota  is situated in northern Karnataka, about 80 km to the southeast from the city of Bijapur.

3. The details of travelers who visited Vijaya Nagara Empire as described as under.

Ø  Ibn Battuta, the Moroccan traveler visited Vijaynagar empire during the times of Harihara I and recorded his observations in his book Kitab-ur-Rehla written in Arabic. He was appointed as a Judge or Qadri by Mohammad Bin Tughluq in his Sultanate and when Ibn Battuta wanted to leave the job and the association of Sultan, the latter, Knowing of Ibn Battuta's love of travel and sightseeing, appointed him as his ambassador to the Mongol court of China.  

Ibn Battuta described the foods of Indian in detail. He said the Indians ate millet (a type of grain) most often and he especially liked pounded millet made into a gruel (porridge) cooked with buffalo's milk. He further stated that a favorite dish of the Muslim community in Kerala in the southern state of India (where Ibn Battuta had his disastrous ship-wreck) is rasoi (made of rice, lamb, grated coconut and onion). Ibn Battuta told that Muslim women ate separately from the men in India, as in most of the Muslim countries he visited.

Ø  Nicolo-de--conti, the Itanlian visited Vijaynagar empire during the time of Dev Raya I. He observes that city of Vijaynagar had 90,000 men fit to bear arms. He says that people who couldn’t pay back the creditors are slaves.

Ø  Abdur Razzak, the Persian visited Vijaynagar Empire during the time of Deva Raya II. He observes that Vijaynagar had 300 ports and says that “eye has not seen nor the ear heard of any place resembling the city of Vijaynagar”. He refers to pearls, rubies, diamonds sold in the bazaars. He refers to the hoarding of wealth by the Rayas and refers to presence of Secretariat.

Ø  Domingo Paes, the Portuguese traveler who visited Vijaynagar in the times of Krishna Dev Raya says that men of ever nation inhabit the city of Vijaynagar and that it’s the best provided city in the world. He refers to the practice of killing many animals in the festival of Mahanavami. He says Krishna Dev Raya is a great ruler of justice but with fits of rage.

Ø  Fernao Nuniz was a Portuguese traveler visiting in the times of Achyuta Raya.  He says that the kings of Quilon, Sri Lanka, Pulicat, Pegu, Tenasserim and Malaya paid tribute to Devraya II. He says that there were about 200 Nayaks in the Vijaynagar Empire.

4. The Vijayanagara Empire was divided into various provinces called mandalams which were miniature replicas of the central administration. The Mandals were headed by Nayaks who exercised all civil, military and judicial powers in their jurisdiction. There were about 200 Nayaks also called Mandalsvares. They were paid salary in the form of land assignments and allowed to maintain an army and expected to help the central authority in times of war. The mandalas were further subdivided into nadus (district) and nadus were in turn divided into various villages.

There was no autonomous village administration on the lines of Chola Kingdomin the Vijaynagaram Empire. Hence, all the statements are correct except 4.

5.  Pietra Dura is also called as “Parchin Kari” in South Asia. It is a term used for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished and/or semi-precious or coloured stones to create images. It is considered as a decorative art. Groves are created in the stones or wall structure in different shapes and in the said grove, the stones are placed on after another and glued tightly. This technique first appeared in Rome during 16^th Century and in India for the first time used in Itimad-ud-daula tomb built by Nur Jahan wife of Jahangir at Agra in memory of her father, Mirza Ghiyas Beg.

Jahangir was addicted to alcohol and Nur Jahan wielded considerable influence from the beginning and virtually ruled the kingdom during the later years of Jahangir.

Q.6. Sher Shah Suri was son of Hasan Khan, ajagirdar of Sasaram in modern Bihar state. He set up cantonments in various parts of his empire and strong garrison was posted in each cantonments.

Ø  He built 1700 sarais (rest houses) at a distance of 2 km each. These sarais acted as the postal department too.A custodian Sahana was appointed at each Sarai.

Ø  The local Zamindars and headmen were held responsible if the theft or any other crime took place in their respective areas. He popularized the concept “Local crime, Local responsibility”. This was done to promote trade he gave strict instructions that local state officials should not injure the traders and merchants.

Ø  According to AbulFazal the empire of Sher Shah was divided into 63 sarkars or districts.

Ø  Land was measured and 1/3rd of the average was fixed as land tax. The peasant was given a patta (title deed) and a qabuliyat (deed of agreement) which fixed the peasant’s rights and taxes payable.The unit of land measurement was “bihga”. The rate list was called “Rai”. The additional tax of 2.5 kg per bigha was collected as an emergency tax for famine. Zamindars were removed and the taxes were directly collected

Ø  He like AllauddinKhalji introduced Dagh and Chera in the army.

Ø  He was buried in Sasaram

8. The first prominent execution during the long reign of Aurangzeb started with that of his brother Prince DaraShikoh, who was accused of being influenced by Hinduism. Although the real reason being more political. Aurangzeb had his allied brother Prince MuradBaksh held for murder, judged and then executed. Aurangzeb is accused of poisoning his imprisoned nephew SuleimanShikoh. Aurangzeb then executed SarmadKashani a controversial Sufi mystic of Jewish origins. Later Aurangzeb executed Sambhaji the leader of the Maratha Confederacy. During his trial he was found guilty of murder and violence against the Muslims of Burhanpur by Marathas under his command, the real reason was, Sambhaji gave shelter to rebellious son of son of Aurangzeb, Akbar II. After killing Sambhaji, his son Sahu was arrested and imprisoned. He was released by Bahadur Shah, after the death of Aurangzeb during 1707.  The Sikh leader Guru TeghBahadur was arrested on orders by Aurangzeb, found guilty of blasphemy by a Qadi's court and executed.

9. Unlike his father, Aurangzeb was not much interested in architecture. The largest structure that he had to his credit is the BibiKa Maqbara in Aurangabad, which he commissioned in 1660 in the memory of his first wife, DilrasBanu Begum.  Aurangzeb also ordered the construction of the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, which for 313 years was the world's largest mosque. Aurangzeb constructed a small marble mosque known as the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) in the Red Fort complex in Delhi. He also constructed a mosque on Benares. The mosque he constructed in Srinagar is still the largest in Kashmir.

The Alamgiri Gate, built in 1673 A.D., is the main entrance to the Lahore Fort in present day Lahore. It was constructed to face west towards the Badshahi Mosque in the days of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

Another construction of Mughal era is the Lalbagh Fort (also known as "Fort Aurangabad"), a Mughal palace fortress at the Buriganga River in the southwestern part of Dhaka, Bangladesh, whose construction started in 1678 during the reign of Aurangzeb.

12. Babur was the first invader or first person to use artillery [artillery is a class of large military weapons built to fire ammunition far beyond the range of infantry’s small arms. Canon is an example of artillery] in a war in India. He used artillery against Ibrahim Lodhi in the first battle of Panipat, Haryana in 1526.

Mysorean rockets were the first iron cased rockets that were successfully deployed for military use by 18^th Century ruler of Mysore, Hyder Ali. He and his son Tipu Sultan used these rockets against British East India Company. Mysore rockets of this period were much more advanced than what the British had seen, chiefly because of the use of iron tubes for holding the propellant. The encasing of the propellant with iron tube to gave higher thrust and longer range for the missiles up to 2 kms. Some of the rockets had pierced cylinders, to allow them to act like incendiaries, while some had iron points or steel blades bound to the bamboo. By attaching these blades to rockets they became very unstable towards the end of their flight causing the blades to spin around like flying scythes, cutting down all in their path. These rockets helped Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan to inflict a crushing defeat on the British East India Company in the battle of Pollilur [1780] and second Anglo Mysore war.

Though British did know rockets, but they didn’t have the cased rocket technology as that of Mysorean rockets. They were sent to Britain for analysis and their experiences with these rockets eventually led the Royal Woolwich Arsenal to start a military rocket research and development program in 1801, based on the Mysorean technology. Their first demonstration of solid-fuel rockets came in 1805 and was followed by publication of A Concise Account of the Origin and Progress of the Rocket System in 1807 by William Congreve, son of the arsenal's commandant. These rockets developed by British on the basis of Mysorean rocket technology were called as “Congreve rockets”, in the name of William Congreve. They were systematically used by the British during the Napoleonic Wars and in their subsequent Wars.  

14. Akber the Great did not lead the Mughal forces at the battle of Haldighati. It was made by Raja Man Singh of Jaipur who was Chief Commander of Mughal forces. Hence, the answer is B.

16. Bijak is a one of the writings of Kabir and not DaduDayal. Similarly the philosophy of “PustiMarg” was propounded by VallabhaCharya but not MadhvaCharya. Hence, both the statements are not correct.

17. & 18. Akbar the great is one of the greatest Muslim Rulers of India and he was Sunni Hanafi Muslim. His brought up and influence of Sufism made him a religiously tolerant and mature king. Disillusioned with the orthodox Islam and perhaps to bring about religious unity within his empire, Akbar promulgated a new religious order, “Din-i-Ilahi  based on the principle of Sulh-i-Kul universal peace. He has incorporated all the important and liberal items of all the religions in this order. He has founded Ibadatkhana, at FatepurSikri for holding religious discussion with scholars drawn from various religions such as Hinduism, Islam, Budhism, Zoroastrianism and Christianity.

Raja Birbal is the first person and only Hindu who had joined this new religion. Most of the Akbar’s followers did not join this Religion. Hence, for question no. 17 answer is C and for question no. 18, is A.

19. It is true that initially Akbar followed Persian Architecture as evident from one of his first constructions, i.e., Humayun’s Tomb.  However, his architecture style became more and more Indian with the passage of time.  Inspired by the Palaces of Hindu Kings, Akbar’s later buildings reflect Rajput style of buildings. This is evident from buildings such as Diwan-i-Khas, PanchMahal, Jodhabai Palace and the Buland Darwaja at Fatehpur Sikri. These buildings had square pillars, balconies and delicate stone screens. The stone screens were unique to Rajput’s wherein the queens were able to see the proceedings / happenings outside but not to be seen.  All these buildings were made out of Red Sand Stones.  

20. Sir Thomas Roe was English Ambassador to the Court of Jahangir and he stayed in his Court for three years, but not to the Court of Shah Jahan. Further, Jahangir only installed a chain of justice / bells between his palace and the banks of river Yamuna and used to attend justice seekers who ring the bell.  Hence, both the statements are wrong.

22.Shivaji has divided land in two categories (i) Swarajya or land under direct Maratha Rule and (ii) Mughlai or neighboring lands not under the control of Marathas.  Shivaji levied 40% of the produce as tax for the farmers within the Maratha Empire.  In addition to this Marathas levied two types of taxes outside his jurisdiction or neighboring lands. They were Chauth and Sardeshmukhi. The Chauth was 1/4^th of the total revenue the cultivators had paid to their rulers i.e. to the Mughals or rulers of Deccan. These taxes were paid to the Maratha Government to protect their territories from Marathas raids. The Sardeshmukhi was an additional 1/10^th of their land revenue and was supposed to be a form of tribute to Shivaji, the Sardeshmukh or Chief of Maharashtra. In the case of default of these taxes, the Maratha armies would march is to their land and plunder the country side.

26. The battle of Bedara [1759] was fought between British Army and French Dutch Army in Bengal, India. This was the decisive battle where English Army defeated the Dutch Forces which led to the exit of Dutch from India once for all. They had exchanged all their Indian possessions with British and got English possession in Indonesia. Hence the answer is C.

28. See a detailed 2 page note given on Carnatic wars at the end.

29. The advent of Europeans and their policies, especially of British has killed the Indian Shipping Industry. Otherwise, Indians had best shipping industry of the times.

31. See a detailed note given on Anglo-Mysore wars at the end.

32. Tipu Sultan planted the tree of Liberty at Srirangapatnam and not at Mysore. All other statements are true.

36. Kabīr (also Kabīra) (c. 1440 – c. 1518) was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement. The name Kabir comes from Arabic al-Kabīr which means "The Great" – the 37th name of God in Islam.

·         Kabir's legacy is today carried forward by the Kabirpanth ("Path of Kabir"), a religious community that recognises him as its founder and is one of the Sant Mat sects. Its members, known as Kabirpanthis, are estimated to be around 9.6 million. They are spread over north and central India, as well as dispersed with the Indian diaspora across the world, up from 843,171 in the 1901 census. His writings include Bijak, SakhiGranth, KabirGranthawali and AnuragSagar.

·         Kabir's legends describe his victory in trials by sultan, a Brahmin, a Qazi, a merchant and God. The ideological messages in Kabir's legends appealed to the poor and oppressed. David Lorenzen describes primary purpose of his legends as a "protest against social discrimination and economic exploitation".

·         His greatest work is the Bijak (the "Seedling"), an idea of the fundamental one. This collection of poems elucidates Kabir's universal view of spirituality. Though his vocabulary is replete with Hindu spiritual concepts, such as Brahman, karma and reincarnation, he vehemently opposed dogmas, both in Hinduism and in Islam. He often advocated leaving aside the Qur'an and Vedas and simply following Sahaja path, or the Simple/Natural Way to oneness in God. He believed in the Vedanticconcept of atman, but unlike earlier orthodox Vedantins, he spurned the Hindu societal caste system and Murti-pujan (idol worship), showing clear belief in bothbhakti and Sufi ideas.

·         Kabir calls his God by the name of Rama. However, his Rama is not the Rama of Ayodhya born of Dashratha. His Rama is Niranjan (without taint), Nirakar (formless) and Nyara (omnipresent, extraordinary). Here, his views are in line with the best ideals exposed in the Upanishads.

·         His Hindi was a vernacular, straightforward kind, much like his philosophies. A major part of Kabir's work as a bhagat was collected by the fifth Sikh guru, Guru ArjanDev, and incorporated into the Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib. The hallmark of Kabir's works consists of his two line couplets, known as the 'KabirkeDohe'.

·         Hence, it is correct to say that Kabir is a unifying factor across the three major religions in India.

37. Mughal painting is a particular style of South Asian painting, generally confined to miniatures either as book illustrations or as single works to be kept in albums, which emerged from Persian miniature painting, with Indian Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist influences, and developed largely in the court of the Mughal Empire (16th - 19th centuries), and later spread to other Indian courts, both Muslim and Hindu, and later Sikh.

38. MianTansen (born 1493 or 1506 as RamtanuPandey – died 1586 or 1589 as Tansen) was a prominent Hindustani classical music composer, musician and vocalist, known for a large number of compositions, and also an instrumentalist who popularized and improved the plucked rabab (of Central Asian origin). He was among the Navaratnas (nine jewels) at the court of the Mughal Emperor Jalal ud-din Akbar. Akbar gave him the title Mian, an honorific, meaning learned man.

The legendary musical prowess of Tansen surpasses all other legends in Indian music. In terms of influence, he can be compared to the prolific Sufi composer Amir Khusro (1253–1325), or to Bhakti tradition composers such as Swami Haridas.

Several of his raga compositions have become mainstays of the Hindustani tradition, and these are often prefaced with Mianki ("of the Mian"), e.g. Mianki Todi, Mianki Malhar, MiankiMand, MiankaSarang; in addition he is the creator of major ragas like DarbariKanada, DarbariTodi, and Rageshwari.

Tansen also authored Sangeeta Sara and Rajmala which constitute important documents on music.

Almost every gharana (school) tries to trace its origin to him, though some try to go further back to AmeerKhusro. The Dagar family of dhrupad singers believe themselves to be the direct descendants of not Tansen but his guru, Haridas Swami. As for the Dhrupad style of singing, this was formalised essentially through the practice by composers like Tansen and Haridas, as well as others like BaijuBawra who may have been a contemporary.

A national music festival known as 'TansenSangeetSammelan' is held every year in December, near the tomb of Tansen at Behat as a mark of respect to his memory. The TansenSamman or Tansen award is given away to exponents in Hindustani Classical music.

39. Sur Das (SantKaviSurdas)

Surdas was a 15th-century blind saint, poet and musician, known for his devotional songs dedicated to Lord Krishna. Surdas is said to have written and composed a hundred thousand songs in his magnum opus the 'Sur Sagar' (Ocean of Melody), out of which only about 8,000 are extant. He is considered a saguna bhakti poet and so also known as SantSurdas, a name which literally means the "servant of melody". His most famous work was charankamalbandoharirai

Surdas was called the sun in the sky of Hindi literature. He is best known for his composition 'Sursagar'. This famous collection is said to have originally contained 100,000 songs; however, only 8,000 remain today. These songs present a vivid description of the childhood of Krishna.

Although Surdas is known for his greatest work — the Sur Sagar — he also composed Sur-Saravali (which is based on the theory of genesis and the festival of Holi), and Sahitya-Lahiri, devotional lyrics dedicated to the Supreme Absolute. It is as if Surdas attained a mystical union with Lord Krishna, which enabled him to compose the verse about Krishna's romance with Radha almost like an eyewitness. Surdas' verse is also credited with lifting the literary value of the Hindi language, transforming it from a crude to a pleasing tongue.

Surdas' lilting music and fine poetry attracted much praise. As his fame spread far and wide, the Mughal emperor Akbar (1542–1605) became his patron. Surdas spent the last years of his life in Braj, and lived on the donations which he received in return for his bhajan singing and lecturing on religious topics, until he died in c. 1584.

On the status of BrijBhashaSurdas' poetry was a dialect of Hindi language, BrijBhasha, until then considered to be a very plebeian language, as the prevalent literary languages were either Persian orSanskrit. The works of Surdas immediately raised the status of BrijBhasha from a crude language to that of a literary language of great repute.

40. Raskhan (born 1548 A.D.) was a poet who was both a Muslim and follower of Lord Krishna. His real name was Sayyad Ibrahim and is known to have lived in Amroha in India. Raskhan was his pen name which means Mine of Rasa. In his early years, he became a follower of Lord Krishna and learned the religion from GoswamiVitthalnath and began living in Vrindavan and spent his whole life there. He died in 1628 A.D. His samadhi is at Mahaban which is situated about six miles east of Mathura.Raskhan is widely acknowledged as a great poet, having dedicated most of his creations to Lord Krishna. SujanRaskhan and PremVatica are some of his available creations.RaskhanRachnavali is the collection of Raskhan's poetry. His creations describe the beauty of not only Lord Krishna but also his relations with his beloved Radha. His poetry is in the form of Doha, Padawali and Savayya.

The poetry of Raskhan focuses on Lord Krishna. "Lilas" of Lord Krishna, such as Bal Lila, Chir Haran Lila, Kunj Lila, Ras Lila, Panghat Lila, and Dan Lila, were his favorite subjects. Apart from Lilas, Raskhan has also created poems on Lord Shankar, Goddess Ganga, and the Holi festival. here are differences in the opinion of scholars regarding his year of birth. Estimates include 1614 and 1630, while Mishra Bandhu believes that Raskhan was born in 1558 and died in 1628. Most of the scholars say Raskhan was a Pathan Sardar and his birthplace was kabul in the afganistan district. Hajari Prasad Dwivedi claims Raskhan was born Saiyad Ibrahim in his book, and that Khan was his title. Raskhan was the son of a Jagirdar (rich landowner)and lived in the lap of luxury throughout his youth. His family was wealthy, and he received a good education. Raskhan spoke both Hindi & Persian; he translated "BhagavataPurana" into Persian. His shrine is located in Gokul near the Yamuna river, BhramandGhat. It is a very peaceful place. Many Krishna devotees come there to pay their respects & meditate.

42 and 43. See a detailed notes on Hindustani Music.

45. Marathas captured Salsette and Bassein   from Portuguese during 1739 and they were left with Goa and Diu and Daman up to 1961. It is to be noted here that efforts of the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to get the Goa, Diu & Daman from Portuguese through diplomatic efforts failed to make any headway on the issue and forced India for its military intervention. Goa was liberated from Portuguese in 1961 by Indian Military Action, code named “Operation Vijay”. After their defeat, Portuguese left Diu & Daman also. Thus both Goa and Diu & Daman were admitted to Indian Union as Union Territories in 1961.

46. Meera (Mira Bai) was a Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She was one of the most significant Sants ("true" or "saints") of the Vaishnava bhakti movement. Some 1,300 pads (poems) commonly known as bhajans (sacred songs) are attributed to her. These are popular throughout India and have been translated and published worldwide. In the bhakti tradition, they are in passionate praise of Lord Krishna. In most of her poems, she describes her unconditional love for her Lord and promotes Krishna bhakti as the best way of life because it helps us forget our desires.

Popular beliefs about her life, which has been the subject of several films, are often pieced together from her poetry and stories recounted by her community and are of debatable authenticity, particularly those that connect her with the later Tansen. On the other hand, the traditions that make her a disciple of Guru Ravidas in Chittor, her association with Tulsidas and later interactions withRupaGoswami in Vrindavan are more likely to be true

Meera's songs are in a simple form called a chhand (verse), a term used for a small spiritual song, usually composed in simple rhythms with a repeating refrain, collected in herPadavali. The extant versions are in a Rajasthani and Braj, a dialect of Hindi spoken in and around Vrindavan (the childhood home of Krishna), sometimes mixed with Rajasthani.

Although Meera is often classed with the northern Sant bhaktis who spoke of a formless divinity,^] there is no doubt that she presents Krishna as the historical master of theBhagavad Gita who is, even so, the perfect Avatar of the eternal, who is omnipresent but particularly focused in his icon and his temple. She speaks of a personal relationship with Krishna as her lover, lord and master. The characteristic of her poetry is complete surrender. Her longing for union with Krishna is predominant in her poetry: she wants to be "coloured with the colour of dusk" (the symbolic colour of Krishna).Her style of literature is mainly Rajasthani mixed with Brij language. But one can also see a hint of Gujarati as well as Punjabi in her writings.

Her noted songs include, HariTumaHaro, also sung by M S Subbulakshmi and Sansonki Mala Pe sang as a qawwali by NusratFateh Ali Khan.

51. A detailed note will be given along with the key of ensuing 4^th History Test in due course.

57.  Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana (17 December 1556 – 1626) (also known as Rahim) was a poet who lived during the rule of Mughal emperor Akbar. He was one of the nine important ministers (dewan) in his court, also known as the Navaratnas. Rahim is known for his Hindi couplets and his books onastrology. The village of Khankhana, which is named after him, is located in the Nawanshahr district of the state of Punjab, India. Apart from writing various dohas, Rahim translated Babar's memoirs, Baburnama from Chagatai language to Persian language, which was completed in AH 998 (1589–90). His command of Sanskrit was very good. He wrote two books on astrology, KhetaKautukama and DwawishdYogavali. Rahim was son of Bairam Khan, Akbar's trusted guardian and mentor, who was of Turkic ancestry. A Muslim by birth, Rahim was also a devotee of Lord Krishna and wrote poetry dedicated to him

66. Robert Clive’s main motive of maintaining the Double Government was to disguise the real position of the Company in Bengal.Following the Treaty of Allahabad (1765), Robert Clive set up the infamous dual system of administration in Bengal wherein the Com­pany acquired the real power, while the responsibility of administration rested on the Nawab of Bengal. Under the 'dual' or double government system, the Company got both the diwani (revenue) and nizamat (civil administration) functions of Bengal from two different sources-diwanirights from the Mughal emperor, Farrukhsiyar[Mughal Emperor during 1713 to 1719] and Nizamat [Police and Judicial functions] from the Nawab of Bengal.

As the diwan, the Company was authorised to collect revenues of the province, while through the right to nominate the deputy subahdar it was in a position to control the nizamat or the police and judicial powers. The deputy subahdar could not be removed without the consent of the Company. However, at this point of time, the Company was neither willing nor able to collect the revenue directly.

Hence, it appointed two deputy diwans for exercising diwani functions-Mohammad Reza Khan for Bengal and Raja Sitah Roy for Bihar. Mohammad Reza Khan also functioned as deputy nizam. In this way, the whole administration of Bengal was exercised through Indian agency, although the actual authority rested with the Company.The dual government system held a great advantage for the British-they had power without responsibility. The Nawab and his officials were responsible for administration, but they had no power to discharge it.
The system had many weaknesses that ultimately led to administrative breakdown. The peasantry of Bengal suffered greatly due to the decline of agriculture and arbitrary revenue demands. Trade and commerce were disrupted, and the industry and skills ruined.

67. Malik Muhammad Jayasi (1477–1542) was an Indian poet who wrote in the Avadhi dialect of Hindi. He hailed from Jais, presently a city in the Rae Bareli district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. After losing his sons in an accident, he abandoned his home life and turned to Sufi mysticism, which inspired many of his works. Though his tomb lies in a place 3 km north of Ram Nagar, near Amethi, where he died in 1542, today a "JaisiSmarak" (Jaisi Memorial) can be found in the city of Jais. His most famous work is Padmavat (1540), a poem describing the story of the historic siege of Chittor by AlauddinKhilji in AD 1303, who attacked Chittor after hearing of the beauty of Queen Rani Padmini, the wife of King RawalRatan Singh.

His other important works are Akhrawat and AkhiriKalaam.

69. Misuse of dastaks

A dastak was a permit authorizing transit of goods. Under the Farman it was permissible to issue dastaks for exports and an import only, i.e., the immunity from payments of duties was restricted to foreign trade. The British were charged with having “abuse the privilege of their dastaks by granting them to such as were not entitled to them” and thereby causing loss to the Nawab’s customs revenues. A dastak was a pass-chit or permit signed by the President of the Calcutta Council which exempted the good from payment of internal duties. The Company’s servants misused these dastaks for their private trade or sold the company’s dastaks to Indian merchants on a commission. This sale of dastaks to Indian merchants for commission by the servants of EIC enraged and Nawabs of Bengal.

71. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh (November 3, 1688 – September 21, 1743) was the Rajput ruler of the kingdom of Amber (later called Jaipur). He was the first Hindu ruler in centuries to perform the ancient Vedic ceremonies like the Ashwamedha (1716) sacrifices — and the Vajapeya (1734) on both occasions vast amounts were distributed in charity. Being initiated in the NimbarkaSampradaya of the Vaishnav religion, he also promoted Sanskrit learning and initiated reforms in Hindu society like the abolition of Sati and curbing the wasteful expenditures in Rajput weddings. It was at Jai Singh’s insistence that the hated jaziya tax, imposed on the Hindupopulation by Aurangzeb (1679), was finally abolished by the Emperor Muhammad Shah in 1720. In 1728 Jai Singh prevailed on him to also withdraw the pilgrimage tax on Hindus at Gaya. In 1719, he was witness to a noisy discussion in the court of Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah. The heated debate regarded how to make astronomical calculations to determine an auspicious date when the emperor could start a journey. This discussion led Jai Singh to think that the nation needed to be educated on the subject of astronomy. It is surprising that in the midst of local wars, foreign invasions, and consequent turmoil, Sawai Jai Singh found time and energy to build astronomical observatories.

He built 5 observatories at Delhi, Mathura (in his Agra province), Benares, Ujjain (capital of his Malwa province), and his own capital of Jaipur. Only the one at Jaipur is still operational. Relying primarily on Indian astronomy, these buildings were used to accurately predict eclipses and other astronomical events. The observational techniques and instruments used in his observatories were also superior to those used by the European Jesuit astronomers he invited to his observatories. Termed as the JantarMantar they consisted of the Ram Yantra (a cylindrical building with an open top and a pillar in its center), the Jai Prakash (a concave hemisphere), theSamratYantra (a huge equinoctial dial), the DigamshaYantra (a pillar surrounded by two circular walls), and the NarivalayaYantra (a cylindrical dial).

The SamratYantra is a huge sundial. It can be used to estimate the local time, to locate the Pole Star, and to measure the declination of celestial objects. The Rama Yantra can be used to measure the altitude and azimuth of celestial objects. The ShankuYantra can be used to measure the latitude of the place.^[4]

Jai Singh's greatest achievement was the construction of Jaipur city (known originally as Jainagara (in Sanskrit, as the 'city of victory' and later as the 'pink city' by the British by the early 20th century), the planned city, later became the capital as the Indian state of Rajasthan. Construction of the new capital began as early as 1725 although it was in 1727 that the foundation stone was ceremonially laid, and by 1733 Jaipur officially replaced Amber as capital of the Kachawahas. Built on the ancient Hindu grid pattern, found in the archaeological ruins of 3000 BCE, it was designed by the Brahmin Vidyadhar who was educated in the ancient Sanskrit manuals (silpa-sutras) on city-planning and architecture. Merchants from all over India settled down in the relative safety of this rich city, protected by thick walls, and a garrison of 17,000 supported by adequate artillery.

The rajah also translated works by people like John Napier. For these multiple achievements Sawai Jai Singh II is remembered as the most enlightened king of 18th Century Indiaeven to this date. These days Jai Singh's observatories at Jaipur, Varanasi, and Ujjain are functional. Only the one at Delhi is not functional and the one at Mathura disappeared a long time ago.

78. Tulsidas, also known as Goswami Tulsidas. (1497/1532–1623) He was a Hindu poet-saint, reformer and philosopher from RamanandiSampradaya renowned for his devotion to the god Rama . A composer of several popular works, he is best known as the author of the epic Ramcharitmanas, a retelling of the Sanskrit Ramayana based on Rama's life in the vernacular Awadhi.

Tulsidas was acclaimed in his lifetime to be a reincarnation of Valmiki, the composer of the original Ramayana in Sanskrit.  He is also considered to be the composer of the Hanuman Chalisa, a popular devotional hymn dedicated toHanuman, the divine devotee of Rama.

Tulsidas spent most of his life in the city of Varanasi.^[6] The TulsiGhat on the Ganges River in Varanasi is named after him. He founded the Sankatmochan Temple dedicated to Hanuman in Varanasi, believed to stand at the place where he had the sight of Hanuman. Tulsidas started the Ramlila plays, a folk-theatre adaption of the Ramayana.

He has been acclaimed as one of the greatest poets in Hindi, Indian, and world literature. The impact of Tulsidas and his works on the art, culture and society in India is widespread and is seen to date in vernacular language, Ramlila plays, Hindustani classical music, popular music, and television serie

Twelve works are widely considered by biographers to be written by Tulsidas, six major works and six minor works.  Based on the language of the works, they have been classified into two groups as follows–

Awadhi works – Ramcharitmanas, RamlalaNahachhu, BarvaiRamayan, ParvatiMangal, JanakiMangal and RamagyaPrashna.

Braja works – Krishna Gitavali, Gitavali, Kavitavali, Dohavali, VairagyaSandipani and VinayaPatrika.

Besides these twelve works, four more works are popularly believed to be composed by Tulsidas which include Hanuman Chalisa, Hanuman Ashtak, Hanuman Bahuk and TulsiSatsai.

The five major works of Tulsidas apart from Ramcharitmanas include–

1.   Dohavali (1581), literally Collection of Dohas, is a work consisting of 573 miscellaneous Doha and Sortha verses mainly in Braja with some verses in Awadhi. The verses are aphorisms on topics related to tact, political wisdom, righteousness and the purpose of life. 85 Dohas from this work are also found in the Ramcharitmanas, 35 in RamagyaPrashna, two in VairagyaSandipani and some in Rama Satsai, another work of 700 Dohas attributed to Tulsidas.

2.   Kavitavali or KavittaRamayan (1608–1614), literally Collection of Kavittas, is a Braja rendering of the Ramayana, composed entirely in metres of the Kavitta family – Kavitta, Savaiya, Ghanakshari and Chhappaya. It consists of 325 verses including 183 verses in the Uttarkand. Like the Ramcharitmanas, it is divided into seven Kands or books and many episodes in this work are different from the Ramcharitmanas.

3.   Gitavali , literally Collection of Songs, is a Braja rendering of the Ramayana in songs. All the verses are set to Ragas of Hindustani classical music and are suitable for singing. It consists of 328 songs divided into seven Kands or books. Many episodes of the Ramayana are elaborated while many others are abridged.

4.   Krishna Gitavali or Krishnavali (1607), literally Collection of Songs to Krishna, is a collection of 61 songs in honour of Krishna in Braja. There are 32 songs devoted to the childhood sports (Balalila) and Rasa Lila of Krishna, 27 songs form the dialogue between Krishna and Uddhava, and two songs describe the episode of disrobing of Draupadi.

5.   VinayaPatrika , literally Petition of Humility, is a Braja work consisting of 279 stanzas or hymns. The stanzas form a petition in the court of Rama asking for Bhakti. It is considered to be the second best work of Tulsidas after the Ramcharitmanas, and is regarded as important from the viewpoints of philosophy, erudition, and eulogistic and poetic style of Tulsidas. The first 43 hymns are addressed to various deities and Rama's courtiers and attendants, and remaining are addressed to Rama.

Minor works

Minor works of Tulsidas include

1.   Barvai Ramayana 1612), literally The Ramayana in Barvaimetre, is an abridged rendering of the Ramayana in Awadhi. The works consists of 69 verses composed in the Barvai metre, and is divided into seven Kands or books. The work is based on a psychological framework.

2.   ParvatiMangal , literally The marriage of Parvati, is an Awadhi work of 164 verses describing the penance of Parvati and the marriage of Parvati and Shiva. It consists of 148 verses in the Sohar metre and 16 verses in the Harigitika metre.

3.   JanakiMangal, literally The marriage of Sita, is an Awadhi work of 216 verses describing the episode of marriage of Sita and Rama from the Ramayana. The work includes 192 verses in the Hamsagati metre and 24 verses in the Harigitika metres. The narrative differs from the Ramcharitmanas at several places.

4.   RamalalaNahachhu ,literally The Nahachhu ceremony of the child Rama, is an Awadhi work of 20 verses composed in the Sohar metre. The Nahachhu ceremony involves cutting the nails of the feet before the Hindu Samskaras (rituals) of Chudakarana, Upanayana, Vedarambha, Samavartana orVivaha. In the work, events take place in the city of Ayodhya, so it is considered to describe the Nahachhu before Upanayana, Vedarambha and Samavartana.

5.   RamagyaPrashna , literally Querying the Will of Rama, is an Awadhi work related to both Ramayana and Jyotisha (astrology). It consists of sevenKands or books, each of which is divided into seven Saptakas or Septets of seven Dohas each. Thus it contains 343 Dohas in all. The work narrates the Ramayana non-sequentially, and gives a method to look up the Shakuna (omen or portent) for astrological predictions.

6.   VairagyaSandipini (1612), literally Kindling of Detachment, is a philosophical work of 60 verses in Braja which describe the state of Jnana(realisation) and Vairagya (dispassion), the nature and greatness of saints, and moral conduct. It consists of 46 Dohas, 2 Sorathas and 12 Chaupaimetres.

Ramcharitmanas, VinayaPatrika, Dohavali, Kavitavali,HanumanChalisa, VairagyaSandipani, JanakiMangal,ParvatiMangal, and others

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Q. 28: CARNATIC WARS:

The Carnatic Wars (also spelled Karnatic Wars) were a series of military conflicts in the middle of the 18th century on the Indian subcontinent. The conflicts involved numerous nominally independent rulers and their vassals, struggles for succession and territory, and included a diplomatic and military struggle between the French East India Company and the British East India Company. They were mainly fought on the territories in India which were dominated by the Nizam of Hyderabad up to the Godavari delta. As a result of these military contests, the British East India Company established its dominance among the European trading companies within India. The French company was pushed to a corner and was confined primarily to Pondichéry. The British company's dominance eventually led to control by the United Kingdom over most of India and the establishment of the British Raj.

In the 18th century the coastal Carnatic region was a dependency of Hyderabad. Three Carnatic Wars were fought between 1746 and 1763.

The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb died in 1707 CE. He was succeeded by Bahadur Shah I but there was a general decline in central control over the empire during the tenure of Jahandar Shah and later emperors. Several erstwhile Mughal territories were autonomous such as the Carnatic was ruled by Nawab Dost Ali Khan in the 1730s, despite being under the legal purview of the Nizam of Hyderabad (who was nominally the emperor's viceroy over that territory). Dost Ali's death sparked a power struggle between his son-in-law Chanda Sahib and the Nizam's own son and natural heir to the throne, AnwaruddinMuhammed Khan.

One major instigator of the Carnatic Wars was the Frenchman Joseph François Dupleix, who arrived in India in 1715, rising to become the French East India Company's governor in 1742. Dupleix sought to expand French influence in India, which was limited to a few trading outposts, the chief one being Pondicherry on the Coromandel Coast. Immediately upon his arrival in India, he organized Indian recruits under French officers for the first time, and engaged in intrigues with local rulers to expand French influence. The First Carnatic War, however, had its origins in Europe. However, he was met by the equally challenging and determined young officer from the British Army, Robert Clive.

First Carnatic War (1746-1748):

In 1740 the War of the Austrian Succession broke out in Europe. Great Britain was only drawn into the war in 1744, when it entered the war opposed to France and its allies. The trading companies of both countries maintained cordial relations among themselves in India while their parent countries were bitter enemies on the European continent. Dodwell writes, "Such were the friendly relations between the English and the French that the French sent their goods and merchandise from Pondicherry to Madras for safe custody."^[2] Although French company officials were ordered to avoid conflict, British officials were not, and were furthermore notified that a Royal Navy fleet was en route. After the British initially captured a few French merchant ships, the French called for backup from as far afield as Isle de France (nowMauritius), beginning an escalation in naval forces in the area. In July 1746 La Bourdonnais and British Admiral Edward Peyton fought an indecisive action off Negapatam, after which the British fleet withdrew to Bengal. On 21 September 1746, the French captured the British outpost at Madras. Dupleix, to placate the Nawab of Arcot, had promised him Madras, but withdrew that promise after the capture. The Nawab then sent a 10,000-man army to take Madras from the French, but was decisively repulsed by a small French force in the Battle of Adyar. The French then made several attempts to capture the British outpost at Cuddalore, but the timely arrivals of reinforcements halted these, and eventually turned the tables on the French. British Admiral Edward Boscawen besieged Pondicherry in the later months of 1748, but lifted the siege with the advent of the monsoon rains in October.

With the termination of the War of Austrian Succession in Europe, the First Carnatic War also came to an end. In the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748), Madras was given back to the British in exchange for the French fortress of Louisbourg in North America, which the British had captured. The war was principally notable in India as the first military experience of Robert Clive, who was taken prisoner at Madras, escaped, and then participated in the defense of Cuddalore and the siege of Pondicherry.

Second Carnatic War [1749-1754]

After the death of the Nizam-ul-Mulk in 1748, the Nizam of Hyderabad, a civil war for succession, now known as the Second Carnatic War, broke out in the south between Mir Ahmad Ali Khan (Nasir Jung), the son of the Nizam-ul-Mulk, and HidayatMuhiud-Din Sa'adu'llah Khan (Muzaffar Jung), the grandson of Nizam-ul-Mulk.

This opened a window of opportunity for Chanda Sahib, who wanted to become Nawab of Arcot. He joined the cause of Muzaffar Jung and began to conspire against the Nawab AnwaruddinMuhammed Khan in Arcot. The French allied with Chanda Sahib and Muzaffar Jung to bring them into power in their respective states. But soon the British also intervened. To offset the French influence, they began supporting Nasir Jung and Muhammad Ali Khan Walajah (son of the deposed Nawab AnwaruddinMuhammed Khan of Arcot). Initially, the French succeeded in both states in defeating and murdering^{[citation needed]} their opponents and placing their supporters on thrones in 1749. In 1751, however, Robert Clive led British troops to capture Arcot. Clive's success led to additional victories for the British and their Nizam and Arcot allies. The war ended with the Treaty of Pondicherry, signed in 1754. Muhammad Ali Khan Walajah was recognized as the Nawab of Arcot. The French leader Dupleix was asked to return to France. The directors of the French East India Company were dissatisfied with Dupleix's political ambitions, which had led to immense financial loss. In 1754, Charles Godeheu replaced Dupleix.

Third Carnatic War [1757-1763]

The outbreak in 1756 of the Seven Years' War in Europe resulted in renewed conflict between French and British forces in India. The Third Carnatic War spread beyond southern India and into Bengal where British forces captured the French settlement of Chandernagore (now Chandannagar) in 1757. However, the war was decided in the south, as British commander Sir Eyre Coote decisively defeated the French under the Comte de Lally at the Battle of Wandiwash in 1760. After Wandiwash, the French capital of Pondicherry fell to the British in 1761. The war concluded with the signing of the 1763 Treaty of Paris, which returned Chandernagore and Pondichéry to France, and allowed the French to have "factories" (trading posts) in India but forbade French traders from administering them. The French agreed to support British client governments, thus ending French ambitions of an Indian empire and making the British the dominant foreign power in India.

Q. 31: Anglo-Mysore Wars

The Anglo–Mysore Wars were a series of wars fought in India over the last three decades of the 18th century between the Kingdom of Mysore and the British East India Company, represented chiefly by the Madras Presidency. The fourth war resulted in the overthrow of the house of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan (who was killed in the final war, in 1799), and the dismantlement of Mysore to the benefit of the British and their allies.

The First Anglo–Mysore War (1767–1769) saw Hyder Ali gain some measure of success against the British but suffering heavy defeats at the hands of the Marathas. Hyder Ali's alliance with the Nizam of Hyderabad against the British too was a failure owing to defeats of their combined power against the British and later the spread of mutual suspicion between the two Islamic powers. The Kingdom of Mysore regained some of its lost lands and had to relinquish many territories to the south of Mysore to the British under the “Treaty of Madras”.

The Second Anglo–Mysore War (1780–1784) witnessed bloodier battles with fortunes fluctuating between the contesting powers. This war saw the rise of Sir Eyre Coote, the British commander who repeatedly defeated Hyder Ali. Hyder and his son Tipu prevailed and this lead to last of British-Indian treaty with Indian ruler on equal footing. The war ended in 1784 with the Treaty of Mangalore, at which both sides agreed to restore the others' lands to the status quo ante bellum.

In the Third Anglo–Mysore War (1789–1792), Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore and an ally of France, invaded the nearby state of Travancore in 1789, which was a British ally. The resultant war lasted three years and was a resounding defeat for Mysore. The war ended after the 1792 siege of Seringapatam and the signing of the Treaty of Seringapatam according to which Tipu had to surrender half of his kingdom to the British East India Company and its allies.

The Fourth Anglo–Mysore War (1799) saw the defeat of Tipu Sultan and further reductions in Mysorean territory. Mysore's alliance with the French was seen as a threat to the East India Company and Mysore was attacked from all four sides. Tipu's troops were outnumbered 4:1 in this war. Mysore had only 35,000 soldiers, whereas the British commanded 60,000 troops. The Nizam of Hyderabad and the Marathas launched an invasion from the north. The British won a decisive victory at the Battle of Seringapatam in 1799. Tipu was killed during the defence of the city. Much of the remaining Mysorean territory was annexed by the British, the Nizam and the Marathas. The remaining core, around Mysore and Seringapatam, was restored to the Indian prince belonging to the Wodeyar dynasty, whose forefathers had been the actual rulers before Hyder Ali became the de facto ruler. The Wodeyars ruled the remnant state of Mysore until 1947 when it joined the Union of India.

After the Battles of Plassey (1757) and Buxar (1764) which established British dominion over East India, the Anglo-Mysore wars (1766–1799), the Anglo–Maratha Wars (1775–1818), and finally the Anglo-Sikh Wars (1845–1849) consolidated the British claim over South Asia, resulting in the British Empire in India, though resistance among various groups such as the Afghans and the Burmese would last well into the 1880s.

Arul of Rockets:

The Mysore rockets utilized by Hyder Ali during the Battle of Pollilur were much more advanced than the British East India Company had previously seen, chiefly because of the use of iron tubes for holding the propellant, this enabled higher thrust and longer range for the missile (up to 2 km range). After Tipu Sultan's eventual defeat in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War and the capture of the Mysore iron rockets, they were influential in British rocket development, inspiring the Congreve rocket, which was soon put into use in the Napoleonic Wars

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