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Target Prelims Special Material

01-03-2024 1.
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Ancient India

Well-Known Historical Places in North India

Burzahom
✓ Located in the valley of Kashmir, the archaeological excavations of the ancient site and remains at the
Burzahom archaeological site date back to 3000 BC and 1000 BC.
✓ The Burzahom Archaeological Site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

✓ This excavation includes a prehistoric settlement, situated in the district of Srinagar in Jammu and
Kashmir.

✓ At the altitude of 1800 metres, it is the northernmost Neolithic site. These Neolithic sites have roof
materials made of Burzahom trees.
✓ This site comprises many unearthed artefacts which include artworks, architecture and inscriptions.

✓ There are artistic engravings on the antique pottery and other antiquities.

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✓ This place has a panoramic view of the Dal Lake, which is at a distance of 2
km.
✓ The ancient site and remains are located on a ‘Karewa’ in the middle of the
Zabarvan hills and the Dal Lake.
✓ This site has the remnants of the ancient human settlements during
different historical periods ranging from Neolithic Phase to Megalithic Phase.

Chandra-ketugargh
✓ The 2,300-year-old Chandraketugarh site is located in the district of North 24 Paragans, West Bengal not

far from the little village of Berachampa.

✓ It is home to some of the most incredible terracotta sculptures.

✓ This is currently a desolate mound that has fallen into disrepair after serving as a key coastal hub for
international trade.
✓ A brick edifice was found next to the nearly dried-up Vidyadhari river during normal road construction
work in the early 1900s.
✓ It was recognized as the Terracotta Brick foundation of Chandraketugarh at Khana Mihirer Dhipi.

✓ As the name suggests “Chandraketugarh”, the region was ruled by King Chandraketu. He was thought to
be one of the greatest rulers of the Gangetic delta region.

Ganeshwar
✓ Ganeshwar is a village in Neem Ka Thana Tehsil in the Sikar District of Rajasthan.

✓ Excavations have revealed ancient sites, with remains of a 4000 years old civilization.

✓ The site is located at source of river Kantali, which used to join river Drishadvati, near Soni Bhadra on
the north.
✓ Historian Ratan Lal Mishra wrote that Red pottery with black portraiture was found which is estimated
to be belonging to 2500- 2000 BC was found when Ganeshwar was excavated in 1977.

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✓ Articles made of copper, terracotta figurines representing animals, beads of semi-precious stones, and
microliths were other finds on this site. Later excavations of this area included grey ware.

✓ Ganeshwar is located near the copper mines of the Sikar-Jhunjhunu area of the Khetri copper belt in
Rajasthan. It mainly supplied copper objects to Harappa.
✓ The archaeological site was named after the present-day village, Gilund, and is locally known as Modiya
Magari which means “bald habitation mound”.

Medieval India

First Battle of Panipat

• The first battle of Panipat took place on April 21, 1526, in Panipat, a level plain suitable for cavalry
movements about 50 miles (80 kilometres) north of Delhi.
• It was fought between the Mughal chief Babur (ruler of Kabul) and Sultan Ibrahim Lodi of Delhi.
• During that time, North India was ruled by Ibrahim Lodi of the Lodi dynasty, but the empire was
crumbling and there were many defectors.

• Babur was invited by Daulat Khan Lodi, Governor of Punjab, and Ala-ud-Din, Ibrahim’s uncle.

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• On receiving the invitation, Babur dispatched an ambassador to Ibrahim, claiming himself to be the
rightful heir to the country’s throne, but the ambassador was detained in Lahore and released months
later.

• In 1524, Babur arrived in Lahore but was turned back by Lodi’s troops. He attempted to defeat Lodi once
more with the assistance of another rebel chief but in vain.
• However, Babur was better prepared in 1526, thanks to an improved intelligence network.
• This resulted in the first Battle of Panipat that took place in 1526, in Panipat.

Battle of Khanua
Babur made an alliance with Rana Sangha to attack Delhi and Agra.
He defeated Ibrahim Lodi and Ranga Sanga thought, that he would return to Afghan. The decision of Babur
to stay in India commenced his struggle with Rana Sanga which results in the Battle of Khanwa.
On March 17, 1527, the Battle of Khanwa took place in Khanwa, near Agra, between the invading armies of
the first Mughal Emperor Babur and the Rajput forces led by Rana Sanga of Mewar.
• The armies of Babur and Rana Sanga met on March 16th, 1527.

• Rana Sanga led a charge against the Mughal troops to begin the battle.
• The Battle of Khanwa pitted a unified Rajput confederacy against the Mughals, but Mughal artillery
wreaked havoc on the Rajputs’ closed ranks.

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• The terrifying execution was carried out by the Canons.
• The Rajput elephants stampeded as a result of the cannon fire, which was unfamiliar to them.
• To silence the cannons, Rajputs jammed themselves inside the mouths of the cannons.
• At the crucial juncture of time, Rana Silhadi of Raisen deserted Rana Sanga and joined Babur’s army.
• His sheer numbers were enough to alter the power balance in the Mughal’s favour.
• The Rajput army was compelled to revise their entire war plan as a result of this.
• It was found that Mughal cavalry caused the most casualties, and afterwards, Rajputs began to perish,
fleeing in every direction.
• The huge Rajput army quickly disintegrated into the chaos, and their valour was converted into a
bloodbath.
• Babur was fascinated with building towers out of infidels’ heads.
• The Rajput chiefs were defeated, and the defeated Rajput chiefs were beheaded and their heads raised
on the victor’s horrific tower.
• Rao Maldev aided Rana Sanga in fleeing the battle, in which he had been wounded.
• Rana Sanga pledged that he would not return to Chittor unless he defeated Babur.
• Fearing that Rana was provoking another war with the Babar, his own nobles poisoned him, which was
previously supposed to have established Hindu sovereignty in India.

Modern India
British Viceroys
Curzon
• Lord Curzon, the youngest Viceroy, arrived in India as the successor to Lord Elgin in the year 1899, at the
age of 39. • From 1899 to 1905, India was regarded as a pivotal
point in the history of the freedom struggle.
• Before his arrival, India was in the grip of a severe economic and
political crisis, and looking at the situation, there was a dire need
for a strong ideological figure to control the situation, and Britishers
saw Lord Curzon as the right person for the job.
• Lord Curzon held a deeply racist viewpoint, believing in white man supremacy and considering Indians to
be inferior to the British. He was hostile to India’s political goals. During his tenure, a slew of policies were
put in place.

Economic Reforms
• In 1899, the British currency was declared legal tender in India, with one pound equal to fifteen rupees.

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• Curzon reduced the salt-tax rate from two and a half rupees per maund (1 maund equals approximately
37 kg) to one and a third rupees per maund.
• The Central Government took over the provinces’ yearly savings, leaving no incentive for the provinces to
save. Curzon advocated for financial decentralization and abolished the practice.
• To oversee India’s entire industrial and commercial interests, a new Department of Commerce and
Industry was established.

Railway
• Curzon made the decision to improve railway facilities in India while also making the railway profitable
for the government.
• In 1901, he appointed a Railway Commission,
chaired by Mr. Robertson. After two years, the
Commission submitted its report, and Curzon
accepted the recommendations.
• The railway lines were expanded, the Railway
Department was abolished, and the management
of the railways was transferred from the Public
Works Department to a three-member Railway Board.
• The Department of Railways was established on a commercial basis, with profit as its primary goal.

Agriculture
• The Co-operative Credit Societies Act was passed in 1904

to encourage people to form societies for the purpose of

deposits and loans, primarily to save peasants from the
clutches of money-lenders who usually charged exorbitant
interest rates.
• The Punjab Land Alienation Act of 1900 restricted the
transfer of peasants’ lands to money-lenders in cases of
failure to pay their debts. Curzon attempted to improve
revenue administration by establishing three principles.

Significant Acts passed during his tenure

Calcutta Corporation Act (1899)
• In 1899, the Calcutta Corporation Act was passed. It reduced the number of elected members while

increasing the number of nominated officials. It undermined the goal of local self-government.

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• In response, twenty-eight members of the Corporation resigned in protest, and the Corporation became
a government department, with the English and Anglo-Indians holding the majority.
Appointment of Police Commission (1902)
• During Lord Curzon’s reign, Sir Andrew Frazer established the Police Commission to oversee police
reforms.
• It advocated for the appointment of Indians as police officers. Indians could only advance to the position
of Inspector of Police, the highest ranking N.C.O.

• Lord Curzon attached the Department of Criminal Intelligence (DCI) to the Government of India at the
Center, which grew into the country’s central domestic and foreign intelligence agency.
• Criminal Investigation Departments (CIDs) were established at the provincial level in all provinces of
British India.
Appointment of Universities Commission (1902)
• The Indian Universities Commission was a body established in 1902 on Lord Curzon’s instructions to
make recommendations for reforms in university education in India.
• The commission was appointed following a conference on education in Simla in September 1901, and it
was led by Law member Thomas Raleigh and included Syed Hussain Belgrami and Justice Gooroodas
Banerjee among its members.

• The commission’s recommendations included regulations for reforming University Senates in Indian
Universities, increased representation of affiliated colleges in the senates, and stricter university
monitoring of affiliated institutions.
• It also made recommendations for school education reform, university curricular reforms,
recommendations on education and examinations, research, student welfare, and state scholarships.

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Indian Universities Act (1904)
• On the recommendations of the Raleigh Commission, the British Viceroy, Lord Curzon, passed the Indian

Universities Act in 1904, tightening control over Indian universities. Curzon was on a mission to quell
India’s growing nationalism.
• Despite strong and sustained opposition from the Indian population, Curzon enacted the
recommendations as the Indian Universities Act 1904. It only works for higher education institutions to
form a library system.
The following recommendations were made:
• Universities were supposed to put a greater emphasis on education and research.

• The number of university fellows and their terms of office were reduced, and the government was to
nominate the majority of fellows.
• The government was to have the authority to veto university senate regulations as well as amend or pass
them on its own.
• Conditions for private college affiliation were to be tightened, and a five-year grant of five lakh rupees
was to be made available for higher education and university improvement.
• Ancient Monuments Preservation Act (1904).
• The Act established an Archaeological Department, which was led by a director. It was tasked with the
repair, restoration, and protection of historical monuments.
• Lord Curzon requested that the native rulers implement similar measures in their respective states.
• He also urged provincial governments to establish museums for the safe storage of rare objects.

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