Overview
Modern Indian History (approximately 1757-1947) is a crucial topic in the **SSC CGL** General Awareness section. Expect **2-3 questions per shift** from this area. The topic covers the British colonial period, the Indian independence movement, important personalities, and socio-religious reform movements.
For SSC CGL, questions are largely factual -- testing your knowledge of dates, events, personalities, and their associations. The exam frequently tests the Indian National Movement, Governor-Generals/Viceroys and their reforms, and important acts passed by the British Parliament.
Key Concepts
### Phases of Modern Indian History
1. **Establishment of British Rule** (1757-1857)
2. **First War of Independence and Aftermath** (1857-1885)
3. **Rise of Nationalism** (1885-1919)
4. **Gandhian Era** (1919-1947)
Detailed Explanation
### Phase 1: Key Events of British Consolidation (1757-1857)
| Year | Event | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|
| **1757** | Battle of Plassey | Robert Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah; beginning of British political control |
| **1764** | Battle of Buxar | British defeated combined forces of Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah, Shah Alam II; most decisive battle |
| **1767-69** | First Anglo-Mysore War | Hyder Ali vs British; Treaty of Madras |
| **1793** | Permanent Settlement | Lord Cornwallis introduced in Bengal; Zamindari system |
| **1799** | Fourth Anglo-Mysore War | Tipu Sultan killed at Seringapatam |
| **1829** | Abolition of Sati | Lord William Bentinck, with Raja Ram Mohan Roy's support |
| **1835** | English Education | Macaulay's Minute; English as medium of instruction |
| **1853** | First Railway | Mumbai to Thane (April 16, 1853) |
| **1856** | Hindu Widow Remarriage Act | Lord Dalhousie; Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's efforts |
### Phase 2: Revolt of 1857
**Causes**: Military (greased cartridges), Political (Doctrine of Lapse), Economic (drain of wealth), Social (interference with customs)
**Key Leaders and Regions:**
| Leader | Region |
|---|---|
| Mangal Pandey | Barrackpore (first spark, March 29, 1857) |
| Bahadur Shah Zafar | Delhi (symbolic leader) |
| Rani Lakshmibai | Jhansi |
| Tantia Tope | Kanpur |
| Nana Sahib | Kanpur |
| Kunwar Singh | Bihar (Jagdishpur) |
| Begum Hazrat Mahal | Lucknow |
**Result**: British Crown took direct control (Government of India Act 1858); Queen's Proclamation
### Phase 3: Rise of Indian Nationalism (1885-1919)
**Indian National Congress (INC):**
- Founded: **28 December 1885** at Bombay (Mumbai)
- Founder: **A.O. Hume** (a retired British civil servant)
- First President: **W.C. Bonnerjee**
- First session: Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay
**Moderate Phase (1885-1905):**
- Leaders: Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Surendranath Banerjee
- Methods: Petitions, prayers, constitutional means
- Dadabhai Naoroji: "Drain Theory" -- British draining India's wealth
**Extremist Phase (1905-1919):**
- Leaders: Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai ("Lal-Bal-Pal")
- Tilak: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it"
- 1905: Partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon → Swadeshi Movement
- 1906: Muslim League formed at Dhaka
- 1907: Surat Split (Congress divided into Moderates and Extremists)
### Phase 4: Gandhian Era (1919-1947)
**Key Movements Led by Gandhi:**
| Movement | Year | Cause | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Champaran Satyagraha** | 1917 | Against indigo plantation system | Gandhi's first civil disobedience in India |
| **Kheda Satyagraha** | 1918 | Against tax collection during famine | Sardar Patel's emergence |
| **Rowlatt Satyagraha** | 1919 | Against Rowlatt Act (detention without trial) | Led to Jallianwala Bagh |
| **Non-Cooperation Movement** | 1920-22 | Against Rowlatt Act, Jallianwala Bagh | Suspended after Chauri Chaura (Feb 1922) |
| **Civil Disobedience Movement** | 1930 | Against salt tax, British rule | Dandi March (March 12 to April 6, 1930) |
| **Quit India Movement** | 1942 | Complete independence demand | "Do or Die" slogan; leaders arrested |
### Important Acts by British Parliament
| Act | Year | Key Provision |
|---|---|---|
| **Regulating Act** | 1773 | Governor of Bengal became Governor-General of Bengal |
| **Pitt's India Act** | 1784 | Board of Control established; dual government |
| **Charter Act 1833** | 1833 | Governor-General of Bengal → Governor-General of India |
| **Government of India Act** | 1858 | Crown took over; Secretary of State created |
| **Indian Councils Act** | 1861 | Indians nominated to councils for first time |
| **Indian Councils Act** | 1892 | Introduced elections (indirect) |
| **Morley-Minto Reforms** | 1909 | Separate electorate for Muslims |
| **Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms** | 1919 | Dyarchy in provinces; bicameral legislature |
| **Government of India Act** | 1935 | Provincial autonomy; Federal structure proposed; All India Federation |
| **Indian Independence Act** | 1947 | Two dominions: India and Pakistan |
### Governor-Generals/Viceroys and Their Contributions
| Viceroy | Period | Key Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| **Lord Canning** | 1856-62 | Last GG & first Viceroy; 1857 revolt |
| **Lord Ripon** | 1880-84 | "Father of Local Self-Government"; Ilbert Bill |
| **Lord Curzon** | 1899-05 | Partition of Bengal (1905); Ancient Monuments Act |
| **Lord Hardinge** | 1910-16 | Capital shifted Delhi to Delhi; Annulled Bengal partition |
| **Lord Chelmsford** | 1916-21 | Rowlatt Act; Jallianwala Bagh (1919) |
| **Lord Irwin** | 1926-31 | Dandi March; Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) |
| **Lord Mountbatten** | 1947-48 | Last Viceroy; oversaw partition and independence |