AMIE(I) STUDY CIRCLE(REGD.) GENERAL KNOWLEDGE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE - I A FOCUSSED APPROACH General Knowledge - I INDIAN HISTORY and killed lieutenant Baugh—the adjutant of that infantry. Black Hole Tragedy, 1756 Queen’s Proclamation, The Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daula held European Prisoners in a small November 1, 1858 chamber wherein due to suffocation and Through this declaration, India was now wounds many died. to be governed by and in the name of the British Holwell who was the Magistrate Crown Collector of Bengal gave the account of System of Dual Government came to an the tragedy which was considered as end. Court of Directors and Board of evidence against the Nawab. Control were abolished and were substituted by Secretary of State for India, Robert Clive was sent to India to retaliate a member of the British Cabinet. who defeated Sirajud- Daula at the Battle of Plassey fought in 1757 Secretary of State governed India through Governor-General. The Carnatic Wars The Governor-General, representing the The First Carnatic War, 1774–1748: crown, was given the title of Viceroy. The Fought between the French under Dupleix queen appointed Lord Canning to be the and the British at Carnatic. French were first Viceroy. victorious. Treaty of Axi-La Chapelle was signed. Called as ‘Magna Carta of the people of India’ The Second Carnatic War, 1749–1754: The English consolidated themselves and Ilbert Bill Controversy, 1883 captured Bengal, Bihar and Orissa and Introduced in 1883 by Sir C.P. Ilbert — defeated French under General Bussy. legal advisor of the Viceroy’s Council. The Third Carnatic War, 1756–1763: The Bill sought to give equal powers to English Armies led by Sir Eyre Coot Indian and European Judges. defeated the French and Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763 disallowing the It was severely criticised by the European French to hold any power in India Revolt community. of 1857 Eventually, Lord Ripon, the then Viceroy Started on 10th May in Meerut. of India was forced to modify the Bill defeating its original purpose. Main Cause: Greased Cartridges were required to be bitten off before loading. It Formation of Indian National was feared that it was made of pig and Congress, 1885 cow fat which was repulsive to both Indians wanted an All India Party which Hindus and Muslims. could unite them politically. Mangal Pandey, a sepoy of the 34th The foundation of INC was laid by Bengal Native Infantry (BNI) targeted Surendranath Banerjee in 1876 by the Web: www.amiestudycircle.com Email: [email protected] Ph: +91 9412903929 1/27 AMIE(I) STUDY CIRCLE(REGD.) GENERAL KNOWLEDGE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE - I A FOCUSSED APPROACH formation of Indian Association at At the Calcutta session, both the groups Calcutta. put forward their leader for President-ship First President: Womesh Chandra but Dadabhai Naoroji was accepted as a Bonnerjee. compromise. In 1907, the Extremists wanted Lala Partition of Bengal under Lord Lajpat Rai to become the President and Curzon, 1905 the Moderates wanted Rash Behari Bose. Came into effect on 16th October, 1905. This lead to some clashes between the two groups. Ultimately, Rash Behari Bose Reason: the British stated that the reason became the President. Further, the behind the partition was that Bengal was moderates were against the resolutions on too large a province to be administered boycott, Swadeshi and National properly and so it was necessary to divide Education it into Eastern Bengal, which later became East Pakistan and present day The British cracked down on the Bangladesh and West Bengal .However, Extremists and arrested their leaders. the actual reason behind the partition was Government of India Act, 1919 to divide the people on the basis of religion and to put the Muslims against (The Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms) the Hindus (Divide & Rule Policy). It gave the other Indian communities also Partition took place under Lord Curzon the right to separate electorates. Formation of Muslim League, It divided the Central Legislature into two houses—the Council of the State 1906 (tenure:5 years) and the Legislative The League was established by Aga Assembly (tenure:3years). Khan, Nawab Salimullah of Dhaka and The Secretary of State for India was now Mohsin-ul-Mulk to be paid out of British Exchequer and It consisted of Bureaucrats, Zamindars not out of the Indian revenues. and upper class Muslims. Introduced Dyarchy in the Provinces. Main aim of the league was to promote Under the system, provincial government faith among the Muslims towards the was divided into two subjects: Reserved British Government and remain loyal to and transferred. it; to protect the interests of Muslims in India. Jallianwala Bagh Massacre — 13th April, 1919 The Surat Split, 1907 Also known as Amritsar Massacre Reason: Differences in ideologies of the In Punjab, two popular leaders—Dr Moderates and the Extremists Satyapal and Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlu— Extremists were led by Bal Gangadhar were arrested for propagating the Rowlatt Tilak and Aurobindo Ghosh and passed Satyagraha. This lead to a general strike resolutions on boycott, Swadeshi and in Amritsar. National Education which was opposed On April 12th, Brigadier-General by Moderates but accepted in 1906 at the Reginald Edward Harry Dyer issued an Calcutta session. Web: www.amiestudycircle.com Email: [email protected] Ph: +91 9412903929 2/27 AMIE(I) STUDY CIRCLE(REGD.) GENERAL KNOWLEDGE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE - I A FOCUSSED APPROACH order prohibiting all meetings and It was boycotted by all the political gatherings. leaders and was greeted with black flags On 13th April, large number of people wherever it went. gathered in Jallianwala Bagh and Lala Lajpat Rai, while holding a peacefully passed a resolution, calling for procession in Lahore against the the repeal of the Rowlett Act. General commission got badly injured and died. Dyer ordered firing at the crowd which A heavy blow inflicted on Govind continued for about 20 minutes, killing Ballabh Pant (who later become the first thousands of innocent people. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh) during Rabindranath Tagore renounced the the protest against Simon Commission in British Knighthood in Protest. Lucknow, which disabled him for life. A committee was set up named ‘Hunter The Civil Disobedience Committee’ to enquire about the Movement, 1930–1934 massacre. Launched by Gandhiji by breaking the The Sikhs formed the All India Sikh Salt law. The British had monopoly over League as a representative body for the sale of salt and they levied heavy political action. taxes on it. Non-Cooperation Movement, He started his Satyagraha from Sabarmati 1920–1922 Ashram to Dandi where he illegally made Launched by Mahatma Gandhi on August salt by picking it from the shore. 1st, 1920 following the policy of non- In 1932, the British government arrested violent non-cooperation towards the Gandhi and declared Congress as an government. illegal organisation. However, the movement was suspended In 1933, Gandhiji suspended the in February, 1922 because of the violence movement, resigned his membership from at ChauriChaura in U.P. where a police the Congress and confined his work only station was burnt by the peasants, killing towards the upliftment of the Harijans. 22 officials. Gandhi–Irwin Pact, March 1931 Dissatisfied with Gandhiji’s Policies, The Congress agreed to attend the Second C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru formed the Round Table Conference; called off the Swaraj Party. Civil Disobedience Movement. Simon Commission, 1927 Irwin agreed to release all the political The British Government under Stanley Prisoners, except those guilty of violence. Baldwin appointed this commission to The British government also agreed to the review the working of the system of the right to peaceful picketing to make salt. government established under the GOI Government of India Act, 1935 Act, 1919 and to report as to what extent it is desirable to establish responsible The Simon Commission, 1927 formed the government in India. basis of the Act. It was an all-white commission, The Act introduced Provincial Autonomy consisting of Europeans only. and abolished diarchy in the provinces. Web: www.amiestudycircle.com Email: [email protected] Ph: +91 9412903929 3/27 AMIE(I) STUDY CIRCLE(REGD.) GENERAL KNOWLEDGE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE - I A FOCUSSED APPROACH August Offer, 1940 strength to the public, making demand for Independence a priority. The Viceroy, Lord Linlithgow, made a statement of behalf of the British Many Indians were killed and wounded, Government that Governor General’s numerous acts of violence and destruction Executive Council would be expanded. to property took place. An advisory war council was to be The Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946 established. The Cabinet Mission consisting of Sir New Indian Constitution should be Stafford Cripps, Lord Pethick–Lawrence framed and A. V. Alexander was sent by British In return for all the above provisions Prime Minister Clement Atlee. Indians were required to help the British The plan rejected the idea of a separate during the ongoing World War state of Pakistan. This greatly disturbed Gandhi and Nehru opposed the proposal. Mr. Jinnah and he passed the ‘Direct The Muslim League however was happy Action’ resolution which condemned both and thus welcomed it the British government and the Congress. August 16, 1946, was fixed as the ‘Direct The Cripps Mission, 1942 Action Day’. This day witnessed great Sir Stafford Cripps was sent to India by killings in Calcutta. the then British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill with the following draft The Indian Independence Act, proposals: 1947 A new Constitution for India with Indian The Indian Independence Bill was States having participation in the introduced in Parliament on July 4, 1947. constitution making body The Act provided for Partition of India The provinces were free to join or not and establishment of two Dominions join. (India and Pakistan).