Ὅ History Notes
Ἷ Ancient India
Indus Valley Civilization (3300–1300 BCE)
- Major Sites → Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Lothal, Dholavira
- Town planning → Grid system, drainage, baked bricks
- Economy → Agriculture, trade (seals, beads)
- Religion → Mother Goddess, Pashupati Seal
Vedic Period (1500–600 BCE)
- Early Vedic → Pastoral life, Sabha & Samiti
- Later Vedic → Agriculture, Varna system, monarchy
- Important texts → Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda
⚔️ Mauryan Empire (321–185 BCE)
- Founder → Chandragupta Maurya, guided by Chanakya
- Ashoka → Kalinga War, Buddhism, Rock & Pillar Edicts
- Administration → Centralized govt, provinces
Ἷ Gupta Empire (319–550 CE)
- Golden Age of India
- Achievements → Aryabhatta (Zero, Pi), Kalidasa (Literature), Decimal
system
ὔ Medieval India
Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526)
- Slave Dynasty → Qutubuddin Aibak (Qutub Minar)
- Khilji Dynasty → Alauddin Khilji (Market reforms)
- Tughlaq Dynasty → Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq (Token currency, capital shift)
- Lodhi Dynasty → Ibrahim Lodhi (defeated 1526)
Mughal Empire (1526–1857)
- Founder → Babur (1st Battle of Panipat, 1526)
- Akbar → Din-i-Ilahi, Mansabdari system
- Shah Jahan → Taj Mahal, Red Fort
- Aurangzeb → Jizya tax, empire expansion
Modern India
British Rule
- Battle of Plassey (1757) → Start of British rule
- Battle of Buxar (1764) → Diwani rights of Bengal
Revolt of 1857
- Leaders → Mangal Pandey, Rani Laxmibai, Tantia Tope, Bahadur
Shah Zafar
- Causes → Doctrine of Lapse, Religious, Military grievances
Indian National Congress
- Founded in 1885 by A.O. Hume
- Moderates → Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale
- Extremists → Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra
Pal
Gandhian Era
- Non-Cooperation (1920), Civil Disobedience (1930), Quit
India (1942)
- Independence → 15th August 1947
ἰ Geography Notes
India
- Tropic of Cancer passes through 8 states
- Largest state (Area) → Rajasthan
- Largest state (Population) → Uttar Pradesh
- Longest river → Ganga
- Highest peak → Kanchenjunga
World
- Largest continent → Asia
- Smallest continent → Australia
- Largest ocean → Pacific Ocean
- Highest mountain → Mount Everest
Ὅ Polity Notes
Constitution of India
- Adopted → 26 Nov 1949
- Enforced → 26 Jan 1950
- Longest written constitution
Important Articles
- Article 14 → Equality before law
- Article 19 → Freedom of speech
- Article 21 → Right to life
- Article 370 → J&K; special status (removed 2019)
Fundamental Duties → Added by 42nd Amendment
Directive Principles → Aim at welfare state
ὒ Science Notes
Physics
- Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion
- Gravity discovered by Newton
- Speed of Light → 3 × 10^8 m/s
Chemistry
- Atomic Theory → John Dalton
- Periodic Table → Mendeleev, Modern → Moseley
- pH scale (0–14)
Biology
- Father of Genetics → Gregor Mendel
- Father of Evolution → Charles Darwin
- Blood circulation → William Harvey
- Vitamin D → Sunshine vitamin
Ὃ Economy Notes
- GDP → Gross Domestic Product
- RBI → Central Bank of India (Established 1935)
- Planning Commission → 1950 (Replaced by NITI Aayog in 2015)
- 5-Year Plans → First in 1951
- Current Governor of RBI → Shaktikanta Das
Current Affairs (Static GK)
- UNO formed in 1945, HQ → New York
- IMF & World Bank HQ → Washington DC
- NATO HQ → Brussels
- Indian President (2025) → Droupadi Murmu
- Indian PM (2025) → Narendra Modi
- Currency of Japan → Yen
- Currency of UK → Pound Sterling
