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APSC Prelims 2020 GS Paper – Suggest Topics for History, Art & Culture Section

Ancient India History

• Indus Valley Civilization – Dates, location & sites, metals, excavation, famous motifs, Aryan invasion
• Maurya & Gupta dynasty

Art, Culture & Architecture – India

• Famous Architecture –of Ancient India  – Asoka Pillars, Lion Capital, Virupaksha Temple, Hampi, Konark, Pattadakal, Hoysala Temple, Rani Ki Vav, Sun Temple
• South Indian/Dravidian Architecture – structure-layout, Brihadeswara Temple @ Tanjore, Gangaikondamcholapuram, Mahabalipuram
• Indo-Aryan Architecture – Structure & Layout,  Kandaria Mahadev Temple, Khajuraho
• Caves – Elephanta Caves, Ajanta Caves, Ellora, other Cave paintings in India, Bhimbetka rock shelters, Gudahandi Rock Art and Yogimath Rock Art of Odisha, Aurangabad Caves, Shivleni Caves, Badami Cave, Dharashiv Caves, Barabar Caves
• Buddhist Architecture – Stupas – structure-layout and @Sanchi, Amaravati, Chaitya halls & Viharas
• UNESCO’s world heritage sites
• Schools – Gandhara School (Greco-Buddhist art), Mathura School   Amaravati School
• Dance forms, Musics, Painting schools, regional arts, Literatures

Indian Philosophy

• Buddhism, Jainism, Vedas, Bhakti movement
• Vaishnavism – 4 sampradayas – Brahma Sampradaya (Madhvacharya), Sri Sampradaya (Ramanuja), RudraSampradaya (Vishnuswami, Vallabhacharya), Kumarassampradaya (Nimbarka)

Ancient Philosophers

• Zero, Modern number system, Brahmagupta, Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Shridhara, Yativṛṣabha
• Bhāskara II – Bijaganita, Jayadeva  – Chakravala method
• Baudhayana, Katyayana, Pingala, Panini
• Middle Way or Middle Path – Gautama Buddha – character of the Noble Eightfold Path
• Nalanda, Takshila, Culture learning institutions

Medieval India History

• Mughals, Delhi sultanate dynasties
• Regional powers – Maratha, Rajputana, Tipu Sultan
• Wars & Battles – between whom and year
• Various mughal architecture – Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort, Jama Masjid, BulandDarwaza, FatehpurSikri, Agra Fort, Tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah, Agra. Where and Who constructed

 

Invasion of India – When and Who

• Alexander invasion of india
• Ghaznavid raids under Mahmud of Ghazni
• Ghurid invasion led by Mu’izz ad-Din Muhammad Ghori
• Invasions of Arab in the Eleventh Century
• Mongol Invasion
• Invasion of Timur
• Mughal invasion led by Babur

Europeans Imperialism

• British arrival – East India Company of Britain, Dutch, Portuguese, French
• golden farmaan to East india company
• First French factory in India @ Surat
• History of Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Delhi, Pondicherry, Goa, Masulipatnam, Cuddalore

Indian History – Freedom struggle (Most IMPORTANT)

• Battle of Plessey, Buxar
• Vellore mutiny 1806
• Revolt of 1857 – Causes – Political, Socio-Religious, Economics – Popular Leaders, Revolt centers, Results – Participation from all classes & parts of India – Changes in British Administration

Violence incidents of Indian freedom struggle

• JallianwalaBagh incident,
• Massacre/ violent excess by British
• ChauriChauraincident on February 5, 1922,
• Other violence incidents
• Moplah Rebellion, Noakhali riots, Calcutta Riots, Kuka (Namdhari) massacre at Malerkotla, Meerut Conspiracy Case, – kakorikand, chitagang incident, bombing central legislative assembly,
• Revolutionary activities in various parts of India
• Lady revolutionaries – PritilataWaddedar, KanaklataBarua. Usha Mehta, MatanginiHazra, ParbatiGiri.
• Publications – magazine, books – Bandi Jeevan

Movements of Indian Freedom Struggle

• Dandi March, Satyagraha in various regions
• Civil Disobedience Movement
• Non-cooperation movement, other movements by Gandhi
• Party/Organization and their founder
• Political Parties & Pol. Organisations in India before Independence – Indian National Congress, Hindu Mahasabha Party, United Patriotic Association, All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh 1925, Shiromani Akali Dal 1920, Dravidar Kazhagam 1938 , Ahrar Party 1929
• left-wing nationalist political party – Revolutionary Communist Party of India 1934, Communist Party of India, Revolutionary Socialist Party  

Indian History – Press during British rule

• Lord Lytton – regulate vernacular press – Vernacular Press Act of 1878
• S. Buckingham – Calcutta Journal 1818
• The Bengalee and The Amrita Bazar Patrika in ‘Bengalee language’, SamvadKaumudi, Mirat-ul-Akbar (Parsian), RastGoftar (Guj), Indian Mirror, Bombay Samachar, and Hindu Patriot, Hindu, Kesari (Marathi), Hitavadi, Bande Mataram
• Hicky’s Bengal Gazette/Original Calcutta General Advertiser

Indian History – rise of British Administration

• Starting from the Regulating Act of 1773, Piit’s India Act, Other important Acts and associated Gov Gen
• British Administration /Policy– Social Welfare, Education promotion, Local Governance
• Economics development, Census,
• universities of Presidency @ Calcutta, Madras and Bombay, Cotton College

Personality – Vasco da Gama, Robert Clive, Warren Hastings, Dupleix

• Governors (1758–1774), Governor Generals of Bengal (1773–1833), Governor Generals of India (1833–1858) – Viceroy
• Warren Hastings – first Governor of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal) – first de facto Governor-General of India from 1773 to 1785.
• Governors-General of the Dominion of India, 1947–1950

Women Freedom Fighters of India – Rani lakshmibai, Begum HazratMahal, Annie Besant , Madam BhikaijiCama,  Sarojini Naidu, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, SuchetaKripalani, SavitribaiPhule, Usha Mehta

British Monuments &Artitecture – RashtrapatiBhavan, Victoria Memorial,The Gateway of India,

Lutyens’ Delhi, Victoria Terminus,

Philosophy of India’s freedom struggle – Moderates  and Extremist– Moderates leaders and Extremist leaders

• Communist, Muslim League, Hindu Nationalists

Popular Sayings/Quotes/Slogan

• “Jai Hind“ ,“give me blood and i shall give you freedom slogan” – Netaji
• VandeMataram”: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
• “Swaraj is my birthright and I will have it” – Tilak
• “Do or Die” – Gandhi
• Jai Jawaan, Jai Kisaan” : Lal Bahadur Shastri
• .’SatyamevJayathe’: Popularized by PanditMalaviya
• “SareJahan Se Achha Hindustan Hamara” – Muhammad Iqbal
• “The shots that hit me are the last nails to the coffin of British rule in India”/“Swaraj is my birth right and I shall have it”. BalGangadharTilak
• “Give me blood and I will give you freedom”. Subhash Chandra Bose

Rise of Trade unions

• First association of Indian workers – Bombay Mill-Hands Association – N.M. Lokhande in 1890.
• Madras Labour Union by B.P. Wadia in 1918
• Trade Union Act (1926) – 1920, the First National Trade union – All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC)

Assam History

• Ancient History
• Ahom dynasty- capitals, other dynasty like Koch, Chutya, Barman, Kachari
• Ahom Administration
• Invasion by Mughal – Wars, Treaty, when and between whom
• Battles & Treatries

Freedom Movement in Assam

• The Phulaguri uprising/ PhulaguriDhawa- 1861,
• PatharughatorRann– 1894
• Assam Provincial Congress Committee (APCC), Assam Branch of Indian National Congress in 1921
• Congress session in 1926, at Pandu, Guwahati – presided over by S. SrinivasaIyengar
• Tarun Ram Phukan, Kuladhar Chaliha, GopinathBordoloi, Bimala Prasad Chaliha, Bishnuram Medhi, Maulana Tayebullah, Ambikagiri Raichoudhury, Piali Barua, Kandarpeswar Singha, Raja Purandar Singha
• In 1828, GomdharKonwar, a Ahom prince, his colleague Dhanjay Borgohain rose in revolt against the British occupation of Assam.
• Maniram Dutta Baruah – Kanaklata Barua

Art, Culture & Architecture – Assam

• Ahom architecture – KarengGhar, TalatalGhar, Charaideo, Sivasagar, SivasagarSivadol, Sivsagar tank
• Kamakhya Temple, Umananda Temple, Basistha Temple
• O Mur ApunarDesh – written by LakshminathBezbarua and attuned by Kamala Prasad Agarwala. – adopted as the Assam’s state song in 1927
• Assam Literature – Famous Poets of Assam – Hemasaraswati etc.
• Assam dances, art & crafts
• Assam SahityaSabha & Bodo Sahitya Sabha

 

World History

• Grouping after World War II – NAM, Cold War, Axis powers & Allied powers, NATO, North Atlantic Treaty, Warsaw Pact