Paper-II : General Studies-I

PAPER-II (250 Marks)
General Studies-I : Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.


Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

VISION IAS ART AND CULTURE NOTES

VISION IAS ANCIENT INDIAN NOTES

Govt. Website

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Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present significant events, personalities, issues.

VisionIAS Notes-Lec1-Lec5

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The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.


Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.

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Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.

Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.

Effects of globalization on Indian society.


Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.

Link

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Salient features of world’s physical geography.


Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India)


Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes

Important E-book on History.

Here is the list of important History Book :-

  1. आधुनिक भारत का इतिहास spectrum
  2. Visakhadatta – Mudrarakshasa
  3. Brief History of Modern India – spectrum
  4. amartya-sen-the-argumentative-indian
  5. Ancient India RS Sharma
  6. Ancient India Makkham Lal- Old-NCERT
  7. Ashoka (English) by Radhakumud Mookerji
  8. Ashoka Chakravarthi Darmasasanamulu (Telugu)
  9. Bal Gangadhar Tilak his writings and speeches
  10. Begums Thugs White Mughals- The Journals of Fanny
  11. Bhagavad Gita Eleven Commentaries (Bal Gangadhar Tilak)
  12. Brihat Jatak (Acharya Varahmihir)
  13. Brihat Samhita (Acharya Varahmihir)
  14. Charaka Samhita (Acharya Charaka)
  15. Complete Works Of Swami Vivekananda
  16. Dharampal Collected Writings in 5 Volumes (English) by Dharampal
  17. Edwin Bryant, Laurie Patton-Indo-Aryan Controversy_ Evidence and Inference in Indian History-Routledge ABEE
  18. First Peoples
  19. From Plassey to Partition by Sekhar Bandopaddhya
  20. Gautama Buddha (English) by Kenneth J Saunders
  21. Gautama Buddha (English) by Leela George
  22. Gurucharite – History of the Vedantaic Throne founded by Jagadguru Sri Madhwacharya (English)
  23. History – Spectrum
  24. India Since Independence Bipan Chandra Mridula Mukherjee Aditya Mukherjee
  25. INDICA A DEEP NATURAL HISTORY OF THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT PRANAY LAL
  26. Isavasyopanishad with the commentary of Sri Sankaracharya (English) by Hiriyanna
  27. Jataka Tales (English)
  28. Jawaharlal Nehrus Speeches Vol 1 – Nehru (English)
  29. Jawaharlal Nehrus Speeches Vol 2 – Nehru (English)
  30. Kapalakundala By Bankim Chandra (Hindi)
  31. Keay John – India A History Revised and Updated
  32. Kumarasambhava (English Translation)
  33. Life and Teachings of Tukaram (English) by J.Nelson Fraser
  34. Life and work of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (English)
  35. Life and work of the mathemagician Srinivasa Ramanujan
  36. Life Of The Sri Ramakrishna by Dr G.V. Sarveswara Roa (English)
  37. Madhvacharya Life and Teachings by Bannanje Govindacharya (English)
  38. Malavikagnimitra (English Translation)
  39. Meghaduta (English Translation)
  40. Modern_India_Bipan_Chandra
  41. Mudrarakshas Hindi – Bharatendu Harischandra 1925
  42. Norman Lowe World History
  43. Oracles of Nostradamus
  44. Panca Siddhantika (Acharya Varahmihir)
  45. Philosophy of Sri Madhvacharya by Vidyabhusana Dr. B. N. K. SHARMA (English)
  46. Raghuvamsa (English Translation)
  47. Ramakrishna His Life and Sayings (English) by F. Max. Muller
  48. Ramanama The Infallible Remedy (English) by Mahatma Gandhi
  49. Ritusamhara (English Translation)
  50. Selections from the Upanishads (English) by Edward Roer
  51. Shakuntala (English Translation)
  52. Shivaji The Great (English) by Bal Krishna
  53. Shri Guru Charitra (English)
  54. Shri Sai Satcharitra (English) by Govind Raghunath Dabholkar alias Hemadpant
  55. Sources of Vijayanagar History (English)
  56. Sri Raghavendra the Saint of mantralaya by Kaallur Gundacharya – Part 1 (English)
  57. Sri Raghavendra the Saint of mantralaya by Kaallur Gundacharya – Part 2 (English)
  58. Sri Ramakrishna The Great Master (English) by Swami Saradananda
  59. Swami Vivekananda A short Biogaphy (English) by Swamy Nikhilananda
  60. Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna (English)
  61. Tattva-Sankhyan of Madhvacharya with the Tika of Jayatirtha (English)
  62. Tenali Ramakrshnakavi Jivitamu Hasyakathalu (Telugu)
  63. The Bhagavad-Gita, with the commentary of Sri Sankaracharya (English) by Mahadeva Sastri
  64. The Forgotten Empire (English)
  65. The Life and Teachings of Ramanujacharya (English) by C.R. Srinivas Aiyengar
  66. The Life of Ramanujacharya (English) by Alkondaville Govindacharya
  67. The Life Of Swami Vivekananda
  68. The Poison Tree by Bankim Chandra (English)
  69. The Ramanujan Cubics (Sorry Hardy, 1729 is Hardly a Story)
  70. The Ramayana of Valmink (English) by Hari Prasad Shastri
  71. The Taittiriya-upanishad with the commentary of Sri Sankaracharya Suresvaracharya and Sayana (Vidyaranya) (English) by Mahadeva Sastri
  72. The Vedanta Sutras with the Sri Bhashya of Ramanujacharya (English) by M. Rangacharya and Varadaraja Aiyangar
  73. The Vedanta-sutras with Ramanugas Sribhashya (english) Translated by George Thibaut
  74. The Vikramankadevacharita (English)
  75. The_Age_of_Wrath-_A_History_of_the_Delhi_Sultanate
  76. The_Great_Indian_Novel_-_Shashi_Tharoor
  77. The_Ocean_of_Churn_How_the_Indian_Ocean_Shaped_Hum
  78. the-discovery-of-india
  79. Toward Freedom The Autobiography Of Jawaharlal Nehru (English)
  80. Vaishnavite Reformers of India Critical Sketches of their lives and writings by Rajaji (English)
  81. Vedantasara of Bhagavad Ramanuja (English) by Sri M.B. Narasimha Ayyangar
  82. Vikramorvashiya(English Translation)
  83. Vinaya Patrika by Goswami Tulsidas with Bhavartha (Hindi)
  84. Viveka-Chudamani of Sri Sankaracharya (English) by Swami Madavananda
  85. Vivekananda Power Capsules for students, – Swami Tadananda

Indus Valley Civilization

Indus Valley Civilization was the first major civilization in south Asia,  which spread across a vast area of land in present day India and Pakistan (around 12 lakh sq.km). The time period of mature Indus Valley Civilization is estimated between BC. 2700- BC.1900 ie. for 800 years. But early Indus Valley Civilization had existed even before BC.2700.

Features of Indus Valley Civilization

  • BC. 2700- BC.1900 ie for 800 years.
  • On the valleys of river Indus.
  • Also known as Harappan Civilization.
  • Beginning of city life.
  • Harappan Sites discovered by – Dayaram Sahni (1921) – Montgomori district, Punjab, Pakistan.
  • Mohanjodaro discovered by – R. D. Banerji – Larkana district, Sind, Pakistan.
  • City was divided into Citadel(west) and Lower Town(east).
  • Red pottery painted with designs in black.
  • Stone weights, seals, special beads, copper tools, long stone blades etc.
  • Copper, bronze, silver, gold present.
  • Artificially produced – Faience.
  • Specialists for handicrafts.
  • Import of raw materials.
  • Plough was used.
  • Bodies were buried in wooden coffins, but during the later stages ‘H symmetry culture’ evolved where bodies were buried in painted burial urns.
  • Sugar cane not cultivated, horse, iron not used.

Indus Valley Sites and Specialties

Harappa

  • Seals out of stones
  • Citadel outside on banks of river Ravi

Mohenjodaro

  • Great Bath, Great Granary, Dancing Girl, Man with Beard, Cotton, Assembly hall
  • Term means ” Mount of the dead”
  • On the bank of river Indus
  • Believed to have been destructed by flood or invasion(Destruction was not gradual).

Chanhudaro

  • Bank of Indus river. – discovered by Gopal Majumdar and Mackey (1931)
  • Pre-harappan culture – Jhangar Culture and Jhukar Culture
  • Only cite without citadel.

Kalibangan

  • At Rajastan on the banks of river Ghaggar, discovered by A.Ghosh (1953)
  • Fire Altars
  • Bones of camel
  • Evidence of furrows
  • Horse remains ( even though Indus valley people didn’t use horses).
  • Known as third capital of Indus Empire.

Lothal

  • At Gujarat near Bhogava river, discovered by S.R. Rao (1957)
  • Fire Altars
  • Beside the tributary of Sabarmati
  • Store house
  • Dockyard and earliest port
  • double burial
  • Rice husk
  • House had front entrance (exception).

Ropar

  • Punjab, on the banks of river Sutlej. Discovered by Y.D Sharma (1955)
  • Dog buried with humans.
Also read:  How to study Indian culture for UPSC Civil Services Exam?

Banawali

  • Haryana
  • On banks of lost river Saraswathi
  • Barley Cultivation.
Dholavira
  • Biggest site in India, until the discovery of Rakhigarhi.
  • Located in Khadir Beyt, Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. Discovered by J.P Joshi/Rabindra Singh (1990)
  • 3 parts + large open area for ceremonies
  • Large letters of the Harappan script (sign boards).

Religion of Indus Valley People

  • Pashupathi Mahadev (Proto Siva)
  • Mother goddess
  • Nature/ Animal worship
  • Unicorn, Dove, Peepal Tree, Fire
  • Amulets
  • Idol worship was practiced ( not a feature of Aryans)
  • Did not construct temples.
  • Similarity to Hindu religious practises. (Hinduism in its present form originated later)
  • No Caste system.

Indus Valley Society and Culture

  • Systematic method of weights and measures ( 16 and its multiples).
  • Pictographic Script, Boustrophedon script – Deciphering efforts by I. Mahadevan
  • Equal status to men and women
  • Economic Inequality, not an egalitarian society
  • Textiles – Spinning and weaving
  • 3 types – burial, cremation and post cremation were there, though burial was common.
  • Majority of people Proto-australoids and Mediterraneans (Dravidians), though Mongoloids, Nordics etc were present in the city culture. Read more on races of India.

Reasons for Decline of Indus Valley Civilization

Though there are various theories, the exact reason is still unknown. As per a recent study by IIT Kharagpur and Archaeological Survey of India, a weaker monsoon might have been the cause of decline of Indus Valley Civilization. Environmental changes, coupled with loss of power of rulers (central administration) of Indus valley to sustain the city life might be the cause (Fariservis Theory). There might be resource shortage to sustain the population, and then people moved towards south India. Another theory by Dr Gwen Robbins Schug states that inter-personal violence, infectious diseases and climate change had played a major role in the demise of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Jawaharlal Nehru

Some people are working for the pleasures and comfort for life for life and after getting them live a simple life in which they are working and living.

India’s struggle for independence is the story of many peoples who can live comfortful, respectful and prestigious life but they choose the difficulties, problems and troubles of jail and some of them sacrifice their life over nation.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was one of them. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the son of famous and respected lawyer of India Pandit Motilal Nehru. He was born on November 14, 1889 at Allahabad.

He got his primary education on his house, the English tutors came to his house to teach him, after that he sent to England and admitted in Horone School, after that he was admitted in Trinity College of Cambridge University.

He returned to India after becoming a Lawyer. In 1916 he got married with Kamla Kaul and in 1917 he became the father of a daughter which name was ‘Priyadarshini’ and later on we know her as “Indira Gandhi”.

In 1916 he was first time meet Gandhiji in a meeting of Indian National Congress. After this first meeting Pt. Nehru and Gandhiji became so close that their lives jointly throughout the whole life, though they differed on several points, largely because of Nehru’s international outlook clashed with Gandhi’s simple Indian outlooks and Orthodox views.

We all know that after the incident of Jallianwala Bagh Mahatma Gandhi was very much angry from British Government Besides Gandhiji, Nehruji was also very much frustrated and from this day he decide to finish the British Empire in India and determine that he will do his best for the freedom of India. Pt. Nehru played the lead role in the freedom struggle from 1919 to 1947 with Gandhiji

Pt. Nehru was the president of the historical session of Indian National Congress at Lahore. He declared that “Total Independence” is the prime aim of Congress and now Congress works towards this target. He also declared that every 26, January the Independence Day celebrates and the National flag will flow on that day.

He became the president of six session of Indian National Congress. Pt. Nehru spent almost 10 years of his life in prison. It is undoubtedly a precious contribution from him towards our country.

Pt. Nehru was also became the Prime Minister of the Interim Government of 1946. On the midnight of 14, August 1947 he was scored by Lord Mountbetten (the last Vicerocy of India) as the Prime Minister of Indian Domain.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru knew that the Prime Minister of India was a hot seat that time because the expectations of people were very high and the resources of the Government was very low.

In which condition the British Government leave our country that is very serious all the money was grasped by the Britishers and numberless problems were left for Indians.

Pandit Nehru knew that India was an agricultural country from thousands of years so it was very necessary that the agricultural development was moving with industrial development.

At the time of independence there was no infrastructure in India which can be helpful for the industries. The first and foremost necessity of the industrial development was the development of infrastructure in India.

Pandit Nehru also knew that we must work outside and inside country. Pt. Nehru also knew that the relations with their countries also good for the progress of our country so he knew the importance of Good Foreign Policy. He was one of the founding fathers of NAM (Non-Allignment Movement).

Pt. Nehru always maintained good relations with neighbours so he could not understand the fox sight of China. In 1962 India had to face the attack of China in which India had to face defeat. Pt. Nehru was very much shocked by this
attack.

Besides a good politician Pt. Nehru was also a great author he wrote three books, “Discovery of India”, “Glimpses of World History” and “An Autobiography”.

Pt. Nehru loved children very much because of his child love the children called him “Chacha Nehru” and his birthday was celebrated as “Children’s Day” He was dead on May 27, 1964 when he was the Prime Minister of India. His contribution of Nation was undoubtedly priceless and praise worthy.