WORLD

HISTORY
DIVYA MURALEEDHARAN

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“If you don't know history, then
you don't know anything. You are
a leaf that doesn't know it is part
of a tree. ”

― MICHAEL CRICHTON

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 SCOPE OF THE SUBJECT
GENERAL STUDIES I – MAINS EXAMINATION

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TREND ANALYSIS
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QUESTION PATTERN
➢“There arose a serious challenge to the Democratic State System between the two
World Wars”. Evaluate the Statement [2021, 15 Mark, 250 Words]

➢Explain how the foundation of the modern world was laid by the American and French
Revolutions.(2019, 15 marks, 250 words)

➢What problems were germane to the decolonization process in the Malay Peninsula?
(2017, 150 words, 10 marks)

➢To what extent can Germany be held responsible for causing the two World Wars?
Discuss critically. (2015, 200 words, 12.5 marks)

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RESOURCE MATRIX

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1 Era of Industrial Revolution
1 .1 Feudalism, Imperialism and Colonialism
1.2 Industrial Revolution
2 Era of Colonization
2.1 American Revolution
2.2 French Revolution
2.3 Napoleon
2.4 Russian Revolution
2.5 American Civil War
2.6 Unification of Italy
2.7 Unification of Germany
3 Era of World Wars
3.1 World War I
3.2 The Great Depression and The New Deal
3.3 Inter War Period
3.4 Fascism and Nazism
3.5 World War II
3.6 United Nations
4 Cold War Era
4.1 The Cold War
4.2 Post-Cold War Doctrine
5 Decolonization Period
5.1 Decolonisation
6 New World Order
6.1 Problems in Middle East
6.2 Problems of Africa
6.3 Communism and Its Spread
6.4 Rise of Socialism
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INTRODUTION TO
WORLD HISTORY

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THE TIMELINE OF WORLD
I. Beginnings-600 BCE- First wave of civilization

II. 600 BCE- 600 CE- Second wave of civilization

I. Greece – Alexander- Rome

III. 600 CE – 1450 CE

I. Byzantine Empire- Rise of Islam- Crusades

IV. 1450-1750- Renaissance and Reformation

V. 1750-1900 – Enlightenment and Revolution

VI. The 20th Century –World Wars

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 INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
➢Period of transformation from Feudalism to
Capitalist or Market economy
➢Industrial revolution solved the problem of
production and created more wealth
➢But at the same time created wide inequality
➢One of the notable consequence of IR was
imperialism and colonialism
➢Imperialism later become more aggressive and
indirectly led to the First World War
➢Colonialism is where one country physically exerts
complete control over another country
➢ Imperialism is formal or informal economic and
political domination of one country over the other
➢Industrial revolution occurred first in England-
turned to the ‘Workshop of the world’
➢No part of the country far from sea
➢Navigable rivers and inland transport
➢Favourable climate all year round
➢Situated near North Atlantic ocean gave access
to overseas market
➢Greatly advanced in science and technology
➢Protestant country
➢Market under laissez-faire system
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WHAT IS ENLIGHTENMENT?
➢The Enlightenment was an intellectual, philosophical, cultural, and social
movement that spread throughout Europe (mainly Western Europe) during
the 17th and 18th century.
➢The 17th and 18th century is called the Age of Enlightenment or the Age
of Reason.
➢It emphasized reason, analysis and individualism rather than traditional
lines of authority. It challenged the authority of institutions that were
deeply rooted in society - such as the Catholic Church

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WHAT CAUSED
ENLIGHTENMENT?
➢Rise of middle class as a result of the commercial revolution
➢Renaissance has encouraged scientific ideas-formation of a
number of scientific societies like, 'Royal Society of London’,
‘French Academy of Science ’etc.
➢Scientific revolution influenced human consciousness as well.
➢Rationalism is the basis of knowledge.

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ENLIGHTENMENT THINKERS
Rousseau
• Modern society is the main cause of all miseries of man - Man
is born free but everywhere he is in chains.
• Wrote ‘The Social Contract’
• Advocated direct democracy

Voltaire
• Against the church and its superstitious beliefs
• Primarily used the medium of satire

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ENLIGHTENMENT THINKERS
John Locke
*All men are free and equal
*Authority of government comes only from the
governed – developed Rousseau's theory further

Montesquieu
• Separation of powers
• Political liberty through appropriately framing
the civil and criminal laws

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 DAWN OF THE EIGHTEENTH
CENTURY
➢End of Feudalism in England. ➢Decline in power of the Catholic
Church.
➢Increase in the number of towns and
cities. ➢Mercantile Capitalism.
➢Increase in trade. ➢British-French rivalry at its zenith
➢Transition to a money-based ➢Enlightenment
economy from land-based economy.
➢Rise of Merchant classes and
Absolute Monarchs

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THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION
AMERICAN
1765-1783 REVOLUTION
[1756-1783
]
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 DISCOVERY OF THE ‘NEW
WORLD
➢In 1492 the Italian Christopher Columbus ➢The New World bears the name of Amerigo
discovered the New World by setting afoot in the Vespucci, Florentine merchant who claimed that
Caribbean islands he discovered it in 1491. He publicized his visits
and wrote fictitious letters to support his claim.
➢His voyage was financed by Queen Isabella of
Spain. ➢On the order of Queen Elizabeth, England
started opening Colonies in America with
➢However he was not aware that he discovered a considerable internal autonomy
new continent and died thinking that it was Far
East. ➢Captain Christopher Newfort founded James
Town in 1607 on the banks of river James in
➢The earlier colonies in America were established Virginia.[1st permanent settlement]
by a group of people who exiled to America from
religious persecutions of the King of England in ➢By the end of 1775, 13 colonies were established.
17th century on a ship called May flower and they The Population comprised 90% British People and
were known as ‘pilgrim fathers’ 10% Dutch, Germans, French and Portuguese.

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 WHY DID EUROPEANS
MIGRATE?
➢To get rid of wars of genocide going on constantly in Europe.
➢To avoid the fate of being sold to the rich and the governing
class, the poor found it better to migrate.
➢To earn profit, to escape political torture and to get religious
freedom.
➢The supporters of the Stuart dynasty in England who met
with defeat in the civil war migrated to America.

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 GEOGRAPHY
➢The North Colonies (Massachusetts, New Hampshire and
Rhode Island)contained snowy and hilly regions and were not
fit for cultivation.
➢Mid Colonies (New York, New Jersey and Maryland)were
highly developed and mainly produced wine and sugar.
➢Southern Colonies (North Carolina, South Carolina and
Virginia)were suitable for cultivation of food grains, tobacco
sugarcane and cotton.

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 AMERICA BEFORE REVOLUTION
➢The prices of all the American products like wood, ➢The remoteness of America from the mother land
tobacco, sugar, copper and fish increased rapidly in contributed to the growing spirit of liberty among
England and Europe, which made the Americans the Americans.
rich.
➢The colonists considered themselves as a
➢ The continuous prosperity which lasted for 50 Commonwealth , having only a loose association with
years enhanced the American status in the world. the British authorities.

➢The American people were not expected to live ➢Americans developed a parallel economy, taking
under the subjugation of England. advantage of weakness of British control

➢A liberal atmosphere dominated the American ➢Therefore they reacted sharply when the British
colonies because of the autonomy which the people adopted a stricter policy after after1763 ending
enjoyed for a long time. the Salutary Neglect

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CAUSES OF
CONFLICT

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 MERCANTILISM
➢Louis Hacker (The Triumph of American Capitalism ),has argued that “the American
Revolution was an economic contest between American Capitalism and British
mercantilism”
➢Mercantile policy was essentially concerned with the welfare of the mother country.
➢ The colonies were supposed to produce commodities, chiefly raw materials and to use
manufactured goods produced in the mother
➢Capitalism is an economic system in which private owners control the country's trade
and industry, rather than by the state,
➢Mercantilism is an economic theory and practice that advocates governmental
regulation of the nation's economy to generate wealth and augment national power.
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 NAVIGATION ACT 1651
➢The first major mercantile legislation imposed on American colonies
➢The Act made it imperative for the colonies to conduct their business operations by
means of British, Irish or Colonial ships.
➢These laws contributed to the development of ship manufacturing industry of England.
➢Though the Americans were capable of developing their independent shipping, they
were deprived of the right.
➢The British Mercantilist restrictions were also imposed on import, trade, land or
westward expansion, manufacture, customs and currency

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 TRADING REGULATIONS
➢Under these regulations, some commodities produced in the American
colonies had to be exported to England only.
➢These specific goods were rice, tobacco, iron, wood, untanned leather etc.
➢The French and the Dutch were ready to buy these goods at higher rate than
the British traders It also provided that the export of American goods and
imports of European goods were to be carried out by British traders only

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 SEVEN YEARS WAR [1765-63]
➢After the war, although Britain acquired Canada from France, it resulted in
a economic crisis for the British.
➢The British accumulated a heavy debt and the authorities felt that the
colonies must bear a part of the cost of Imperial defense.
➢The British decided to implement new taxes and to make the collection
process more stricter

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GREENVILLE’S POLICY

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 STERN POLICY
➢Sugar Act (Molasses Act1764) – It banned the used for business transaction.
colonists from importing major quantities of sugar
and molasses for their rum factories from the ➢Quartering Act – It obliged the colonies to share
French and the Dutch. a small portion of expenditure incurred upon the
maintenance of British troops deployed in America
➢ The colonists used to import sugar at cheap
rates without paying import duties at all. ➢Stamp Act (1765) – It provided that the revenue
stamps be affixed to all licenses, leases and other
➢Now they were forced to import sugar only from legal documents. The colonists reacted very
England which was beneficial to the British sugar sharply to this move.
dealers
➢Prominent men organised themselves into a group
➢Currency Act – It banned the prevalent bills of called “Sons of Liberty” to protest against the
exchange and paper currency of the American Stamp Act
colonies so that only the English currency could be

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 STERN POLICY
➢The opposition which started in Massachusetts ➢Heavy rioting (especially in Boston) were
spread far and wide under the leadership of followed by the British annulling the act in 1770
Samuel Adams. The act was eventually repealed 1770
in 1776 .
➢Representatives from various colonies met at
➢Townshend’s Tax Project – Townshend was the New York for a conference and raised the
Finance minister to Prime Minister William Pitt. slogan “No Taxation without Representation”.

➢ He levied customs duties on those five goods ➢It meant that the British Parliament devoid of
(tea, lead, paper, coin metals and paints)which American representation was not empowered to
were imported by America from England. The impose taxes.
colonists refused to pay the duties

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 BOSTON TEA PARTY
➢Due to tea tax, Americans had boycotted British tea and consumed only duty free smuggled tea.
➢East India Company (EIC) hit by a financial crisis appealed to the government in London for help.
➢ The Gov. reacted by granting monopoly to the EIC over tea trade with America.
➢Now the agents of the Company started selling tea in America at such a low price that it even
posted a threat to smuggled tea .
➢In Boston, the Company’s tea agents decided to land incoming cargoes regardless of the
opposition.
➢The answer from the Patriots led by Samuel Adams was one of violence.
➢On the night of 16th December 1773, a band of men disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded the
ships and dumped the tea cargo into the Boston Harbor

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 CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
➢Delegates of all colonies except Georgia met ➢Second continental congress held at
at Philadelphia in 1774 to protest against Philadelphia in 1775 elected George
british rule known as First continental Washington as the commander in chief of army
congress
➢During this time the pamphlet by Thomas
➢Subsequently they submitted petition to the Paine titled “Common Sense” declared that it
king and demanded was wise for the Americans to break the ties
with Britain
➢Revocation of regulations enforced on
industry & commerce ➢John Locke, Thomas Paine and James Otis
were thinkers
➢No taxation without representation
➢But the king suppressed them militarily, led
to warfare between England and colonies

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 THE WAR OF AMERICAN
INDEPENDENCE 1776
➢Attack on Concord ➢Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown.

➢Second Continental Congress – George ➢The war ended with the Treaty of Paris in
Washington made the Commander in Chief. 1783.

➢Battle of Bunker Hill ➢It was drafted by the delegates of the

‘Constitutional Convention’ in Philadelphia
➢ Declaration of Independence , 4th July
presided over by George Washington.
1776 – Philadelphia.
➢It was signed on 17th September,1787.
➢The declaration drafted by Thomas
Jefferson ➢It came into force on June 21,1788

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 CAUSES OF AMERICAN
SUCCESS
➢British mainly relied on mercenary ➢Extraordinary leadership of George
soldiers in the war. Washington and International support
➢The remoteness of the American ➢Seven Years war weakened England.
continent and British ignorance of
➢Whig leaders like William Pitt, Edmund
American Geography.
Burke and Charles Fox sympathized with
➢The British failed to rally the loyalist the colonists.
Americans.
➢Unpopularity of King George III.
➢The fierce spirit of liberty drove the
➢Lack of harmony in Gov. policies
Americans to success.

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 RESULT AND IMPACTS
➢Prestige of Britain was tarnished. ➢Patriarchal control of men over
wives declined Women could hold
➢Britain lost profitable colonies in the
property ,make contracts and do
West.
business.
➢Free market economy based on
➢Divorce could be sought even by
economic development and political
women but at great economic cost .
equality.
➢Mass participation in politics.

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 SIGNIFICANCE
➢First anti anti-colonial Struggle in the ➢Facilitated Westward Expansion.
World.
➢Emphasis on education – Land Act of
➢First real Democratic Republic in the 1785 , Hundred thousand acres of land
World. was provided for public educational
institutions.
➢First Written Constitution – Concept of
Limited Government. ➢Boosted the development of Agriculture
Agriculture-Big landlords left for Canada
➢Subjects made into Citizens. and their large estates were fragmented
➢Big boost for Capitalism as an Economic and handed over to the people of lower
Order. and middle classes
➢Bill of Rights.

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 SIGNIFICANCE
➢It was a boost to the Industries-
Industries got rid of mercantilist
restrictions restrictions-Colonial
industries developed as imports from
England stopped.
➢American Navigation developed
developed-Ports were opened for the
world, Private navigation was developed.
➢It struck at the very roots of absolute
monarchy and challenged the “divine right
theory of kinship’.
➢Its influenced the French Revolution in a
big way.
➢Later national movements in Italy
,Germany and Ireland were also inspired
by it
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 CONSEQUENCES FOR INDIA
➢India replaced America as Britain’s ➢Future Indians used the concept of “No
priced colony. taxation without Representation”.
➢British crushed the French power in ➢India became a major market for
India which paved the way for expansion Britain’s finished goods.
of Imperialism.
➢Britain did not extend the political and
➢Britishers National debt went up which economic independence to India that it
they sought to recoup from India and had extended to other European nations
other colonies .

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 FOUNDING FATHERS
➢Thomas Jefferson -Declaration of
Independence, Champion of Renaissance ideas.

➢George Washington -Led the colonists, First

President.

➢Benjamin Franklin -One of the members who

signed the Peace treaty in 1783, lobbied for
the French support.

➢John Adams -Second President of the US .

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 CRITICISM OF THE REVOLUTION
➢Power concentrated in the rich ➢Existence of Slavery
➢Power from rich English to rich ➢No rights
Americans
➢Racial discrimination
➢No universal suffrage
➢No rights for women
➢Property criteria was mentioned
during initial days Only about 20% of
the population

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 REVISION
➢Renaissance ➢Stamp Act ➢Olive Branch petition
➢Industrial Revolution ➢Sons of Liberty ➢Declaration of Independence
➢Enlightenment ➢Townshend Act ➢Battle of Saratoga
➢Imperialism ➢Boston Massacre ➢Battle of Yorktown
➢Colonialism ➢Samuel Adam ➢Treaty of Paris or Versailles
➢Mercantilism ➢Regulating Act ➢Causes of American Victory
➢Capitalism ➢Boston Tea Party ➢Significance
➢Seven Years war ➢Quebec Act ➢Consequences
➢Grenville’s policy ➢Continental Congress ➢Impact on India
➢Common Sense ➢Battle of Lexington ➢Criticism
➢Salutary Neglect ➢George Washington

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