UPSC CSEMAINSGS 1MOERN HISTORY0) table of content

0) table of content

⏳ Master Timeline: Modern Indian History (1707 – 1947)

Phase I: The Fall of Empires & Rise of British Hegemony

  • 1707 | Death of Aurangzeb: The beginning of the end for the Mughals.
    • 👤 Personality: Bahadur Shah I (Attempted to stabilize the empire).
  • 1739 | Battle of Karnal: Persian invasion that looted the Peacock Throne.
    • 👤 Personality: Nadir Shah (Invader); Muhammad Shah 'Rangeela' (Mughal Emperor).
  • 1757 | Battle of Plassey: Establishment of British political footsteps in Bengal.
    • 👤 Personality: Robert Clive (British); Siraj-ud-Daulah (Nawab of Bengal).
  • 1764 | Battle of Buxar: Confirmed British supremacy over North India.
    • 👤 Personality: Mir Qasim (Bengal); Shah Alam II (Mughal); Hector Munro (British).
  • 1793 | Permanent Settlement: Drastic land revenue reform in Bengal.
    • 👤 Personality: Lord Cornwallis.
  • 1798 | Subsidiary Alliance: Policy to bring Indian states under British protection.
    • 👤 Personality: Lord Wellesley.
  • 1848 | Doctrine of Lapse: Aggressive annexation policy.
    • 👤 Personality: Lord Dalhousie.

Phase II: The Great Uprising & The New Crown Rule

  • 1857 | The Great Revolt: The first major challenge to British rule.
    • 👤 Personalities: Mangal Pandey (Barrackpore); Rani Laxmibai (Jhansi); Nana Saheb (Kanpur); Kunwar Singh (Bihar); Bahadur Shah Zafar (Symbolic Leader).
  • 1858 | GOI Act 1858: Transfer of power from Company to the British Crown.
    • 👤 Personality: Lord Canning (First Viceroy of India).
  • 1875 | Foundation of Arya Samaj: Call to "Go back to the Vedas."
    • 👤 Personality: Dayananda Saraswati.
  • 1878 | Vernacular Press Act: Attempt to gag the Indian newspapers.
    • 👤 Personality: Lord Lytton.

Phase III: Organized Nationalism & The Congress Era

  • 1885 | Foundation of INC: The birth of the first pan-India political platform.
    • 👤 Personalities: A.O. Hume (Founder); W.C. Bonnerjee (1st President).
  • 1890s | Economic Critique of British Rule: The "Drain of Wealth" theory.
    • 👤 Personalities: Dadabhai Naoroji; R.C. Dutt.
  • 1905 | Partition of Bengal: Implementation of "Divide and Rule" on communal lines.
    • 👤 Personality: Lord Curzon.
  • 1905–1911 | Swadeshi Movement: Boycott of foreign goods and promotion of Self-reliance.
    • 👤 Personalities: Lal-Bal-Pal (Lala Lajpat Rai, B.G. Tilak, B.C. Pal); Aurobindo Ghosh.
  • 1906 | All India Muslim League: Formation of a separate political group for Muslims.
    • 👤 Personalities: Nawab Salimullah (Dacca); Agha Khan.
  • 1907 | Surat Split: The Congress splits into Moderates and Extremists.
    • 👤 Personality: Rash Behari Ghosh (President of the session).
  • 1909 | Morley-Minto Reforms: Introduction of Separate Electorates for Muslims.
    • 👤 Personality: Lord Minto ("Father of Communal Electorate").

Phase IV: Global Influences & The Home Rule Era

  • 1911 | Delhi Durbar: Annulment of Bengal partition; Capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.
    • 👤 Personality: King George V; Lord Hardinge.
  • 1913 | Ghadar Party: Revolutionary movement started in San Francisco.
    • 👤 Personality: Lala Hardayal; Sohan Singh Bhakna.
  • 1916 | Home Rule League: Demand for self-government on Irish lines.
    • 👤 Personalities: Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Pune); Annie Besant (Madras).
  • 1916 | Lucknow Pact: Reunion of Moderates/Extremists and alliance with Muslim League.
    • 👤 Personalities: Ambika Charan Majumdar; M.A. Jinnah.

Phase V: The Gandhian Era: From Arrival to Mass Struggle

  • 1915 | Return to India: Gandhi arrives from South Africa on January 9.
    • 👤 Personality: M.K. Gandhi; G.K. Gokhale (Political Mentor).
  • 1917 | Champaran Satyagraha: First Civil Disobedience (Indigo issue).
    • 👤 Personalities: Gandhi; Rajkumar Shukla.
  • 1918 | Ahmedabad Mill Strike: First Hunger Strike (Wage issue).
    • 👤 Personality: Anusuya Sarabhai.
  • 1918 | Kheda Satyagraha: First Non-Cooperation (Revenue issue).
    • 👤 Personality: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
  • 1919 | Rowlatt Act & Jallianwala Bagh: Black Act followed by the Amritsar Massacre.
    • 👤 Personalities: General Dyer (Massacre); Saifuddin Kitchlew & Dr. Satyapal (Arrested leaders).
  • 1919 | GOI Act 1919: Introduction of Dyarchy in provinces.
    • 👤 Personalities: Montagu (SOS) & Chelmsford (Viceroy).
  • 1920 | Non-Cooperation & Khilafat Movement: First pan-India mass movement.
    • 👤 Personalities: Gandhi; Ali Brothers (Shaukat & Mohammad Ali).
  • 1922 | Chauri Chaura Incident: Sudden withdrawal of NCM due to violence.
    • 👤 Personality: Gandhi.
  • 1923 | Swarajya Party: Formation of the pro-council entry group.
    • 👤 Personalities: C.R. Das; Motilal Nehru.
  • 1924 | Belgaum Session: The only Congress session presided over by Gandhi.
    • 👤 Personality: M.K. Gandhi.

🏗️ The Era of Mass Movements (1924–1934)

  • 1924: 🕊️ Belgaum Session — Mahatma Gandhi presides over his only INC session.
  • 1925: 🚂 Kakori Train Action — Revolutionary activity by HRA.
  • 1927: 💂‍♂️ Simon Commission — Appointed to review constitutional reforms (All-white commission).
  • 1928: 📜 Nehru Report — Motilal Nehru proposes a draft constitution for India.
  • 1929: 🚩 Lahore Session — Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence) resolution passed by J. Nehru.
  • 1930: 🧂 Dandi March & CDM — Civil Disobedience Movement begins (March 12).
  • 1931: 🤝 Gandhi-Irwin Pact — CDM suspended; Gandhi attends the 2nd Round Table Conference.
  • 1932: ⚖️ Poona Pact — Agreement between Gandhi and Ambedkar on depressed class representation.
  • 1934: 🚪 Gandhi's Resignation — Gandhi leaves Congress over ideological rifts (Lecture 70).

🏛️ Constitutional Experiment & Internal Rift (1935–1939)

  • 1935: 📜 Government of India Act 1935 — Enacted by British Parliament.
  • 1936: 📝 Lucknow/Faizpur Sessions — Congress decides to contest elections (Lecture 70).
  • 1937: 🗳️ Provincial Elections — Congress forms ministries in 8 provinces (Lecture 70).
  • 1938: 🎓 Haripura Session — S.C. Bose elected President; National Planning Committee formed (Lecture 71).
  • 1939:
    • 🏔️ Tripuri Crisis — Bose defeats Gandhi’s candidate, then resigns.
    • 🚩 Forward Bloc — Formed by Bose in May (Lecture 71).
    • ⚔️ Sept: WWII Starts — Britain drags India into war without consent.
    • 🛑 Oct: Resignation — All Congress Ministries resign in protest (Lecture 72).
    • 🙌 Dec 22: Day of Deliverance — Celebrated by Muslim League (Lecture 72).

💣 The Final Struggle (1940–1945)

  • 1940:
    • 📍 Lahore Resolution — Formal demand for "Pakistan" (Lecture 72).
    • 📜 August Offer — British promise a Constituent Assembly after war (Lecture 73).
    • ✊ Individual Satyagraha — Vinoba Bhave is the 1st Satyagrahi (Lecture 73).
  • 1941: 🚶‍♂️ Bose's Escape — Netaji leaves India for Germany/Russia (Lecture 77).
  • 1942:
    • 📦 Cripps Mission — Failed post-war promises ("Post-dated cheque") (Lecture 74).
    • 🔥 Quit India Movement — Launched Aug 8; Gandhi’s "Do or Die" call (Lecture 75).
  • 1943: 🇸🇬 Provisional Govt — Bose forms Azad Hind Govt in Singapore; INA revived (Lecture 77).
  • 1944: 🥥 Rajaji Formula — Attempted Gandhi-Jinnah breakthrough (Lecture 76).
  • 1945:
    • 🏔️ Wavell Plan / Simla Conference — Deadlock over communal parity (Lecture 76).
    • ⚖️ Red Fort Trials — Public trial of INA officers (Lecture 77).

✂️ Independence and Partition (1946–1947)

  • 1946:
    • ⚓ RIN Revolt — Naval ratings strike in Bombay (Lecture 78).
    • 🗳️ General Elections — Severe communal polarization of votes (Lecture 78).
    • 🏛️ Cabinet Mission — Plan for a United India federal structure (Lecture 79).
    • 🩸 Aug 16: Direct Action Day — Great Calcutta Killings begin (Lecture 81).
    • 🏛️ Sept 2: Interim Government — Nehru takes charge as VP (Lecture 81).
  • 1947:
    • 👋 Feb 20: Attlee’s Statement — British to leave by June 1948 (Lecture 82).
    • 🏔️ June 3: Mountbatten Plan — Partition of India accepted (Lecture 82).
    • ⚖️ July: Independence Act — Passed by British Parliament.
    • 🎊 Aug 15: Independence — India and Pakistan emerge as Dominions (Lecture 82).

🇮🇳 The Formative Years (1948–1964)

  • 1948: 🥀 Gandhi's Martyrdom — Assassination on Jan 30.
  • 1949: ✍️ Constitution Adopted — Passed by Constituent Assembly on Nov 26.
  • 1950: 🏛️ Republic Day — Constitution of India comes into force on Jan 26.
  • 1951: 🚜 1st Five Year Plan — Focus on agriculture.
  • 1952: 🗳️ 1st General Elections — Congress wins under Nehru.
  • 1953: 🗺️ Andhra State — First state formed on linguistic basis.
  • 1956: 💎 States Reorganisation Act — India divided into 14 states and 6 UTs.
  • 1962: ⚔️ Indo-China War — Border conflict in NEFA and Ladakh.
  • 1964: 🏛️ Nehru’s Death — End of the Nehruvian Era.

🌪️ Challenges and Turmoil (1965–1977)

  • 1965: ⚔️ Indo-Pak War — Conflict over Kashmir; Tashkent Agreement (1966).
  • 1966: 👩‍💼 Indira Gandhi — Becomes the first woman PM of India.
  • 1969: 🏦 Bank Nationalization — 14 major private banks taken over by Govt.
  • 1971: 🇧🇩 Bangladesh Liberation War — India defeats Pakistan; Shimla Agreement (1972).
  • 1974: ⚛️ Smiling Buddha — India conducts its first nuclear test at Pokhran.
  • 1975: 🛑 The Emergency — Internal Emergency declared by Indira Gandhi (June 25).
  • 1977: 🗳️ Janata Party Victory — Emergency ends; First non-Congress government formed under Morarji Desai.
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