About Indian History
Indian history at this level is a list of dated events and the person each is associated with, running from Alexander to the first general election. The questions are factual, and the dates are the settled ones rather than the disputed ones.
What you need to understand
- The ancient period is dated by a few landmarks: Alexander at the Hydaspes in 326 BC, the Kalinga war in 261 BC, and the beginning of the Saka era in 78 AD.
- The Gupta era begins in 319 AD, and the reign of Harshavardhana at Kannauj in 606 AD. The Arab conquest of Sind follows in 712 AD.
- The Delhi Sultanate is dated by its dynasties: the Slave dynasty from 1206, the Khiljis from 1290, the Tughlaqs from 1320, the Sayyids from 1414 and the Lodis from 1451.
- The two battles of Tarain decided the north: the first in 1191 and the second in 1192, after which the way was open to the Sultanate.
- The Mughal period begins at the first battle of Panipat in 1526, and is secured by the battle of Khanwa in 1527 and the second battle of Panipat in 1556.
- The decline is dated too: Aurangzeb's death in 1707, Nadir Shah's invasion in 1739, and the third battle of Panipat in 1761.
- The British period begins with Plassey in 1757 and Buxar in 1764. Pitt's India Act came in 1784 and the Permanent Settlement in 1793.
- The nineteenth century reforms are dated by their laws: the abolition of sati in 1829, the English Education Act in 1835, and the first passenger railway in 1853.
- The revolt of 1857 is the hinge of the century, and the founding of the Indian National Congress in 1885 is the beginning of the organised national movement.
- The Gandhian phase has a clear sequence: Champaran in 1917, the Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh in 1919, Non-Cooperation in 1920, Chauri Chaura and its withdrawal in 1922.
- The demand for complete independence came at the Lahore session in 1929, and the Civil Disobedience Movement began with the Dandi march in 1930.
- The last decade runs from the Government of India Act in 1935 and the provincial elections of 1937, through Quit India in 1942, the Cabinet Mission in 1946 and the transfer of power in 1947.
- The republic is dated by three years: 1947 for independence, 1950 for the Constitution coming into force, and 1951 for the first general election.
How to work through these questions
- Carry the dates in groups rather than one long list: the battles that decided the north, the acts through which the British took power, and the movements of the national struggle.
- Anchor each event to a person. The questions ask either for the year or for the person, and knowing one usually gives the other.
- Learn the sequences rather than the individual years where you can. Knowing that Chauri Chaura followed Non-Cooperation and caused its withdrawal is enough to place both in order.
- Use the century as a first cut. Half the difficulty of a date question disappears once the century is fixed.
- For the Delhi Sultanate, learn the five dynasties in order with their founding years; questions about the period are usually about that order.
- Where two events are close together, such as the two battles of Tarain, learn what distinguishes them rather than only the years.
Mistakes that cost marks
- Confusing the first battle of Tarain in 1191 with the second in 1192.
- Mixing up the battles of Panipat: 1526, 1556 and 1761 are three different battles with three different outcomes.
- Attributing the founding of the Indian National Congress to a political leader; it was A. O. Hume, a retired civil servant.
- Confusing the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919 with the Rowlatt Act of the same year, which provoked it.
- Placing the Dandi march in 1931; it was 1930, and the Gandhi-Irwin Pact came in 1931.
- Mixing up the Cabinet Mission of 1946 with the Cripps Mission of 1942.
- Giving 1947 for the Constitution; it came into force on 26 January 1950.
- Mixing up the founding years of the Delhi Sultanate's dynasties, which run 1206, 1290, 1320, 1414 and 1451.
Worked example
In which year did the battle of Plassey take place?
- Fix the century first. The battle of Plassey is the beginning of British political power in Bengal, so it belongs to the middle of the eighteenth century.
- The events close to it in the table are the third battle of Panipat in 1761 and the battle of Buxar in 1764, both of which follow it.
- The battle is associated with Lord Clive, who was in Bengal in the 1750s.
- That places the battle in 1757, seven years before Buxar and four years before Panipat.
Answer: 1757 AD
Practice questions with answers
A few Indian History questions with the full solution shown, so you can see
how the method is applied before you attempt the timed set.
Question 1
In which year did the founding of the Sayyid dynasty take place?
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A
1919 AD
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B
1556 AD
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C
1674 AD
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D
1414 AD
Answer: Option D — with explanation
the founding of the Sayyid dynasty took place in 1414 AD and is associated with Khizr Khan.
Dates are best carried in groups - the battles that decided who ruled the north, the acts through which the British took power, and the movements of the national struggle are three separate lists, and each is easier to hold than a single chronological one.
Common mistakes
- this is the year of a different event: 1919 AD
- this is the year of a different event: 1556 AD
- this is the year of a different event: 1674 AD
Question 2
The event Timur's invasion of India and the sack of Delhi took place in which of these years?
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A
1875 AD
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B
1398 AD
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C
1937 AD
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D
1917 AD
Answer: Option B — with explanation
Timur's invasion of India and the sack of Delhi took place in 1398 AD and is associated with Timur.
Dates are best carried in groups - the battles that decided who ruled the north, the acts through which the British took power, and the movements of the national struggle are three separate lists, and each is easier to hold than a single chronological one.
Common mistakes
- this is the year of a different event: 1917 AD
- this is the year of a different event: 1937 AD
- this is the year of a different event: 1875 AD
Question 3
the battle of Talikota, after which Vijayanagar declined is most closely associated with which of these persons?
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A
Sir John Simon
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B
Babur
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C
Rama Raya
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D
George V
Answer: Option C — with explanation
the battle of Talikota, after which Vijayanagar declined took place in 1565 AD and is associated with Rama Raya.
Dates are best carried in groups - the battles that decided who ruled the north, the acts through which the British took power, and the movements of the national struggle are three separate lists, and each is easier to hold than a single chronological one.
Common mistakes
- this person is associated with a different event: Sir John Simon
- this person is associated with a different event: George V
- this person is associated with a different event: Babur
Question 4
the passing of the English Education Act is most closely associated with which of these persons?
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A
Swami Vivekananda
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B
Thomas Macaulay
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C
Lord William Bentinck
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D
B. R. Ambedkar
Answer: Option B — with explanation
the passing of the English Education Act took place in 1835 AD and is associated with Thomas Macaulay.
Dates are best carried in groups - the battles that decided who ruled the north, the acts through which the British took power, and the movements of the national struggle are three separate lists, and each is easier to hold than a single chronological one.
Common mistakes
- this person is associated with a different event: Lord William Bentinck
- this person is associated with a different event: Swami Vivekananda
- this person is associated with a different event: B. R. Ambedkar
Question 5
Which of these persons is most closely associated with the second battle of Tarain, which opened India to the Delhi Sultanate?
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A
Muhammad Ghori
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B
Harshavardhana
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C
Sukumar Sen
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D
Aurangzeb
Answer: Option A — with explanation
the second battle of Tarain, which opened India to the Delhi Sultanate took place in 1192 AD and is associated with Muhammad Ghori.
Dates are best carried in groups - the battles that decided who ruled the north, the acts through which the British took power, and the movements of the national struggle are three separate lists, and each is easier to hold than a single chronological one.
Common mistakes
- this person is associated with a different event: Harshavardhana
- this person is associated with a different event: Sukumar Sen
- this person is associated with a different event: Aurangzeb
Frequently asked questions
How many dates do I need?
A few dozen carry almost all the questions in a competitive paper, and they cluster in the national movement after 1885. The ancient and medieval periods are asked about through the dynasties and the great battles rather than through long lists of years.
Are the dates disputed?
Some are, particularly in the ancient period, where different scholars give different dates for the same event. The dates used here are the ones that reference works and examinations use.
Should I learn the persons as well as the dates?
Yes, and often the person is enough. A question that gives the event and asks for the person can be answered without the date at all.
What is the most examined period?
The national movement from 1885 to 1947, and within it the years from 1919 to 1942. The sequence of movements in that period is asked in almost every paper.
Is this a current affairs topic?
No, and the questions have been written to keep it that way. Nothing here changes with the government of the day, and no recent event is included.
