Study Material For RRB Exam (PDFDrive)

Study Material For RRB Exam - General Knowledge
Section : G.K
Important Dates:
Jan 1 Army Medical Corps Establishment Day
Jan 8 African National Congress Foundation Day
Jan 10 World Laughter Day
Jan 11 Death anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri
Jan 12 National Youth Day (Birth day of Swami Vivekanand)
Jan 15 Army Day
Jan 23 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary
Jan 25 International Customs Duty Day, India Tourism Day
Jan 26 Republic Dav
Jan 28 Birth anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai
Jan 30 (Martyr’s day) Mahatma Gandhi’s Martyrdom Day; World Leprosy Eradication Day
Feb 2 National day of Srilanka
Feb 2 World Wetlands Day
Feb 5 Kashmir Day (Organised by Pakistan)
Feb 13 Sarojini Naidu’s Birth Anniversary
Feb 14 St. Valentine’s Day
Feb 24 Central Excise Day
Feb 28 National Science Day
Mar 3 National Defence Day
Mar 4 National Security Day
Mar 8 International Women’s Day
Mar 9 CISF Raising Day
Mar 12 Mauritius Day; Central Industrial Security Force Day
Mar 15 World Consumer Day

Mar 16 National Vaccination Day
Mar 19 World Disabled Day
Mar 21 World Forestry Day
Mar 22 World Day for Water
Mar 23 World Meterological Day
Mar 24 World TB Day
Mar 26 Bangladesh Liberation Day
April 1 Orissa Day
April 5 National Maritime Day
April 7 World Health Day
April 13 Jallianwallah Bagh Massacre Day (1919)
April 14 B.R. Ambedkar Rememberance Day; Fire Extinguishing Day
April 18 World Heritage Day
April 22 World Earth Day
April 23 World Books Day
May 1 International Labour Day (May Day)
May 3 International Energy Day
International Red Cross Day (It is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of the founder of the R
May 8
Dunant)
May 11 National Technology Day
May 15 International Family Day
May 17 World Telecom Day
May 24 Commonwealth Day
May 31 World No Tobacco Day
June 5 World Environment Day
June 27 World Diabetes Day
July 1 Doctor’s Day
July 4 American Independence Day
July 11 World Population Day

July 26 Kargil Victory Day
Aug 6 Hiroshima Day
Aug 9 Quit India Movement Day
Aug 12 International Youth Day
Aug 14 Pakistan’s Independence Day
Aug 15 India’s Independence Day
Aug 19 World Photography Day
Aug 20 Sadbhavna Divas
Aug 29 Sports Day (Dhyanchand’s birthday)
Aug 30 Small Industry Day
Sept 5 Teacher’s Day
Sept 7 Forgiveness Day
Sept 8 International Literacy Day
Sept 14 Hindi Day, World First Aid Day
Sept.
International Day of Democracy
16
Sept 16 World Ozone Day
Sept 21 World Alzheimer’s Day
Sept 25 Social Justice Day
Sept 27 World Tourism Day
Oct 1 International Day for the Elderly (UN)
Oct 2 Gandhi Jayanti, International Non-Violence Day
Oct 3 World Nature Day
Oct 4 World Animal Day
Oct 5 World Habitat Day;
Oct 6 World Wildlife Day
Oct 8 Indian Airforce Day
Oct 9 World Postal Day
Oct 10 World Mental Health Day; National Post Day

Oct 12 World Sight Day
Oct 13 World Calamity Control Day (UN)
Oct 14 World Standards Day
Oct 15 World White cane day (guiding the blind)
Oct 17 International Poverty Eradication Day
Oct 20 National Solidarity Day (China attacked India on that day)
Oct 24 United Nations Day
Oct 30 World Thrift day
Oct 31 National Integration Day (In memory of Indira Gandhi)
Nov 7 Infant Protection Day; World Cancer Awareness Day
Nov 9 Pravasiya Bharatiya Divas / Legal Services Day
Nov 10 Transport Day
Nov 14 Children’s Day / World Diabetics day
Nov 17 Guru Nanak Dev’s Birth Anniversary
Nov 30 Flag Day
Nov 26 Law Day
Dec 1 World AIDS Day
Dec 4 Navy Day
Dec 7 Armed Forces Flag Day
Dec 10 Human Rights Day
Dec 11 UNICEF Day
Dec 14 National Energy Conservation Day
Dec 19 Goa’s Liberation Day
Dec 23 Kisan Divas (Farmer’s day)

Section : G.K
National/International Years
2001 Year of Woman Empowerment (Govt. of India)
2002 International Year of Mountain (by FAO)
2003 International Fresh Water Year
2004 International Year of Rice
2005 International Year of Physics/Sports (by UNO)
2006 International Year of Deserts and Desertification
2007 International Polar Year, Year of the Dolphin
2008 International Year of Sanitation, International Year of Languages
2009 International Year of Astronomy (UN) International Year of Natural Fibers (FAO) International Year of Recon
Section : G.K
First in The World
The first person to reach Mount Everest Sherpa Tenzing, Edmund
The first person to reach North Pole Robert Peary
The first person to reach South Pole Amundsen
The first religion of the world Hinduism
The first country to print book China
The first country to issue paper currency China
The first country to commence competitive examination China in civil services
The first President of the U.S.A. George Washington
The first Prime Minister of Britain Robert Walpole
The first Governor General of the United Nations Trigveli (Norway)
The first country to win football World cup Uruguay
The first country to prepare a constitution U.S.A.
The first Governor General of Pakistan Mohd. Ali Jinnah
The first country to host NAM summit Belgrade (Yugoslavia)
The first European to attack India Alexander, The Great
The first European to reach China Marco Polo
The first person to fly aero plane Wright Brothers
The first person to sail round the world Magellan
The first country to send man to the moon U.S.A.
The first country to launch Artificial satellite in the space Russia
The first country to host the modern Olympics Greece
The first city on which the atom bomb was dropped Hiroshima (Japan)
The first person to land on the moon Neil Armstrong followed by Edwin E. Aldrin
The first shuttle to go in space Columbia
The first spacecraft to reach on Mars Viking-I

The first woman Prime Minister of England Margaret Thatcher
The first muslim Prime Minister of a country Benazir Bhutto (Pakistan
The first woman Prime Minister of a country Mrs. S. Bandamaike (Sri
The first woman to climb Mount Everest Mrs. Junko Tabei (Japan
The first woman cosmonaut of the world Velentina Tereshkova (R
The first woman President of the U.N. General Assembly Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
The first man to fly into space Yuri Gagarin (Russia)
The first batsman to score, three test century in three Mohd. Azharuddin succe
The first man to have climbed Mount Everest twice Nawang Gombu
The first U.S. President to resign Presidency Richard Nixon

Section : G.K
First in India
MALE
 The first President of Indian Republic : Dr. Rajendra Prasad

 The first Prime Minister of free India: Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru
 The first Indian to win Nobel Prize : Rabindranath Tagore
 The first President of Indian National Congress : W. C. Banerjee
 The first Muslim President of Indian National Congress : Badruddin Tayyabji
 The first Muslim President of India : Dr. Zakir Hussain
 The first British Governor General of India Lord : William Bentinck
 The first British Viceroy of India : Lord Canning
 The first Governor General of free India : Lord Mountbatten
 The first and the last Indian to be Governor General of free : C. Rajgopalachari India
 The first man who introduced printing press in India : James Hicky
 The first Indian to join the I.C.S. : Satyendra Nath Tagore
 India’s first man in space : Rakesh Sharma
 The first Prime Minister of India who resigned without : Morarji Desai completing the full term
 The first Indian Commander-in-Chief of India : General Cariappa
 The first Chief of the Army Staff Gen. : Maharaj Rajendra Singhji
 The first Indian member of the Viceroy’s executive council : S. P. Sinha
 The first President of India who died while in office : Dr. Zakir Hussain
 The first Field Marshal of India : S. H. F. Manekshaw
 The first Indian to get Nobel prize in Physics : C. V. Raman
 The first Indian to receive Bharat Ratna award : Dr. Radhakrishnan
 The first Indian to cross English channel :Mihir Sen
 The first person to receive Jnanpith award : Sri Shankar Kurup
 The first Speaker of the Lok Sabha : Ganesh Vasudeva Mavalankar
 The first Vice-President of India : Dr. Radhakrishnan
 The first Education Minister : Abul Kalam Azad
 The first Home Minister of India : Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
 The first Indian Air Chief Marshal : S. Mukherjee
 The first Indian Naval Chief Vice Admiral : R. D. Katari
 The first judge of International Court of Justice : Dr. Nagendra Singh
 The first person to receive Paramveer Chakra : Major Somnath Sharma
 The first person to reach Mt. Everest without oxygen : Sherpa Anga Dorjee
 The first Chief Election Commissioner : Sukumar Sen
 The first person to receive Magsaysay Award : Acharya Vinoba Bhave
 The first person of Indian origin to receive Nobel Prize in Hargovind Khurana Medicine
 The first Chinese traveller to visit India : Fahein
 The first person to receive Stalin Prize : Saifuddin Kitchlu
 The first person to resign from the central cabinet : Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
 The first foreigner to receive Bharat Ratna : Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
 The first person to receive Nobel Prize in Economics : Amartya Sen
 The first Chief Justice of Supreme Court Justice : Hiralal J. Kania
FEMALE
 The first lady to become “Miss World” : Rita Faria

 The first woman judge in Supreme Court : Mrs. Meera Sahib Fatima Bibi
 The first woman Ambassador : Miss C. B. Muthamma
 The first woman Governor of a State in free India : Mrs. Sarojini Naidu
 The first woman Prime Minister : Mrs. Indira Gandhi
 The first woman to climb Mount Everest : Bachhendri Pal
 The first woman to climb Mount Everest twice : Santosh Yadav
 The first woman President of the Indian National Congress : Mrs. Annie Besant
 The first woman chief justice of a High Court : Mrs. Leela Seth
 The first woman pilot in Indian Air Force : Harita Kaur Dayal
 The first woman President of the United Nations General : Mrs. Vijaya Laxmi Pandit Assembly
 The first woman Chief Minister of an Indian State : Mrs. Sucheta Kripalani
 The first woman chairman of Union Public Service : Roze Millian Bethew Commission
 The first woman Director General of Police (DGP) : Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya
 The first woman Lieutenant : General Puneeta Arora
 The first woman Air Vice Marshal : P. Bandopadhyaya
 The first woman chairperson of Indian Airlines : Sushma Chawla
 The first woman I.P.S. Officer : Mrs. Kiran Bedi
 The first woman to receive Nobel Prize : Mother Teresa
 The first woman to receive Bharat Ratna : Mrs. Indira Gandhi
 The first woman to receive Jnanpith Award : Ashapurna Devi
Section : G.K
Popular Names of Personalities
Popular Name Personality
Lady with the lamp Florence Nightingale
Grand Old man Dadabhai Naoroji of India
Iron Duke Duke of Wellington
Guru Ji M.S. Golwalkar
John Bull England and the English people
CR Chakravarti Rajagopalachari
King Maker Earl of Warwick
JP Jayaprakash Narayan
Little Corporal Napoleon
Mahamanya Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya
Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore
Maid of Orleans Joan of Arc
Desh Bandhu C.R. Das
Deen Bandhu C.F. Andrews
Yankee Inhabitants of U.S.A.
Lion of the Punjab (Sher-i-Punjab) Lala Lajpat Rai
Bard of Avon Shakespeare
Panditji Jawaharlal Nehru

Man of Blood Bismark
Andhra Kesri T. Prakasam
Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Bapu Mahatma Gandhi
Apostle of Free Trade Richard Cobden
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
Desert Fox Gen. Rommel
Nightingle of India Sarojini Naidu
Lal, Bal, Pal Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal
Father of English Poetry Geoffery Chaucer
Feuhrer Hitler
Iron man Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
Ike Gen. Eisenhower
Tomy Atkins English soldier
Jawan Indian soldier
Poolu French soldier
Vizzy Maharaja Kumar of Vizianagara
G.I. American soldier
Wizard of the North Sir Walter Scot
Samuel Clemens Mark Twain
Sparrow Major Gen. Rajender Singh

Shastriji Lal Bahadur Shastri
Babuji Jagjiwan Ram

Section : G.K
Nicknames/Fathers
Father of Greek Tragedy Aeschylus
Father of Comedy Aristophanes
Father of the Telephone Alexander Graham Bell
Father of Sunday Newspapers John Bell
Father of Chemistry Robert Boyle
Father of Canada Jacques Cartier
Father of English Poetry Geoffery Chaucer
Father of Aviation Sir George Cayley
Father of Immunology Edward Jenner
Father of Modern Chemistry Antoine Lavoisier
Father of Atom Bomb Dr. Robert Oppenheimer
Father of Nuclear Physics Ernest Rutherford
Father of Economics Adam Smith
Father of Railways George Stephenson

Section : G.K
The Leading Dailies of India
Newspaper Language Newspaper’
Times of India English Dainik Jagran
Dainik Bhaskar Hindi Malayala Manorama
Gujarat Samachar Gujarati Hindustan Times
The Hindu English Mathrubhumi
Ananda Bazar Patrika Bengali Aaj
Punjab Kesri Hindi Eenadu
Sandesh Gujarati Hindustan
Amar Ujala Hindi Daily Thanthi
Nava Bharat Hindi Daily Sakal
Navbharat Times Hindi Dinamalar

Section : G.K
INDIAN NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS
Name Field
Rabindranath Tagore Literature
Dr. C.V. Raman Physics
Dr. Hargovind Khurana Medicine
Mother Teresa Peace
Dr. S. Chandrashekhar Physics
Dr. Amartya Sen Economics
V.S. Naipaul Literature
Venkatraman Ramkrishnan Chemistry

SIGNS AND SYMBOLS
A blind folder woman holding a balanced scale Justice
Black arm-band Sign of Protest or M
Black flag Protest
Dove Peace
Flag flown at half mart National mourning
Flag flown upside down Distress
Green Light Line clear signal
Hammer and Sickle National Flag (Russ
Lotus Culture and Civilisa
Olive Branch Peace
Red Flag Sign of danger, rev
Red Cross Hospital or medical
Red Light Sign of stop
Red Triangle Family Planning
Stars and Stripes National Flag (USA
Maharaja Air India
Tricolour National Flag (India
Union Jack National Flag (U.K.
Wheel Progress
White flag Truce

CLASSICAL DANCES OF INDIA
Dance State Dance State
Bharat Natyam Tamil Nadu Karma Madh
Bihu Assam Laho Megh
Bhangra Punjab Mohiniattam Keral
Kathak North India Odissi Oriss
Kathakali Kerala Rauf Jamm
Kutchipudi Andhra Pradesh Yakshagan Karna
Khantumm Mizoram
FOLK AND TRIBAL DANCES

States Dances
Maharashtra Kathakeertan, Lezin, Dandaniya, Tamasha, Gafa, Dahikala, Lovani, Mauni, Dasavtar.
Karnataka Huttari, Suggi Kunitha, Yakashagana
Kerala Kaikottikali, Kaliyattam, Tappatikkali
Tamil Nadu Kolattam, Pinnal Kolattam, Kummi, Kavadi, Karagam
Andhra Pradesh Ghanta Mardala, Veedhi Natakam, Burrakatha
Orissa Ghumara Sanchar, Chadya Dandanata, Chhau
West Bengal Kathi, Chhau, Baul, Kirtan, Jatra, Lama
Assam Bihu, Khel Gopal, Rash Lila, Tabal Chongli, Canoe
Punjab Giddha (women), Bhangra (men)
J&K Rauf, Hikat

Himachal Pradesh Jhora, Jhali, Dangli, Mahasu, Jadda, Jhainta, Chharhi
Haryana Jhumar, Ras Leela, Phag dance, Daph, Dhamal, Loor, Gugga. Khoria, Gagor
Gujarat Garba, Dandiya Rass, Tippani, Gomph
Rajasthan Ginad, Chakri, Gangore, Terahtaal, Khayal, Jhulan Loela, Jhuma, Suisini
Bihar Jata Jatin, Jadur, Chhau, Kathaputli, Bakho, Jhijhiya, Samochakwa, Karma, Jatra, Natn
Uttar Pradesh Nautanki, Thora, Chappeli, Raslila, Kajri.

General Knowledge : History: Ancient India
Section : History
The Indian History is perhaps the oldest in the world, and the sources of Indian History are the
verbal history, because our ancients never did bother about putting things down on paper and
archaeological evidences. Based on the evidences available today, Indian History, like the history of
every ancient culture in the world, is broadly divided into four periods as mentioned below:
Pre-History
Ancient History
Medieval History
Modern History
ANCIENT INDIA
The discovery of Mohenjodaro and Harappa by British archeologist: Marshall proved that Indian
civilization is the oldest civilization in the world. Even India came before Greece, considered the
oldest civilization before the discovery of Mohenjodaro and Harappa. The main features of Ancient
Indian History are as follows:
Indus Valley Civilization

Discovery: In 1921, R.B. Dayaram Sahani, first discovered Harappa, in the Montgomery district of
the Punjab. According to radio-carbon dating, it spread from the year 2350-1750.
The Vedic Period (1500 Bc-600 Bc)

Initially, they settled in the area of Sapt-Sindhu, which included Punjab, Kashmir, Sindh, Kabul and
Gandhara (Kandhar). The chief sources of this period are The Vedas and the Epics, the
Mahabharata and the Ramayana, which through their stories PO and hymns tell us about the
expansion of the Aryans. The epic Ramayana is a symbolic tale which tells of the Aryan expansion
to the south-the good, almost godly, aryaputra (an Aryan’s son) king Rama surging forth to finish off
the evil Dasyu (that was what the Aryans called the natives) Ravana.
Buddhism
Buddhism founded by Gautam Budha or Siddharha.
 The Buddha also known is Sakyamuni or Tathagata.
 Born in 563 BC on the Vaishakha Poornima day at Lumbini (near Kapilavastu), in Nepal
 His father Suddhodana was the Sakes ruler.
 His mother (Mahamaya, of Kosala dynasty) died after 7 days of his birth, brought up by stepmother
Gautami.
 Married at the age of 10 to Yoshodhara. Enjoyed the married life for t 3 years and had a son
named Ralula.
 After seeing an old man, a sick man, a corpse and an ascetic. he decided to become a wanderer.
 Left his palace at the age of 29 in search of truth (also called Mahabhinishkramana’ or the Cheat
Renunication) and wandered for 6 years.
 Attained ‘Enlightenment’ at Gaya in Magadha (Bihar) under the Pipal tree.
 Delivered the first sermon at Samath where his five disciples had settled. His first Sermon is called
‘Dharmachakrapracartan’ or ‘Turning of the Wheel of Law’.
 Attained Mahaparinirvana at Kushinagar (identical with village Kasia in Deoria district of UP), in
483 BC at the age of 80 In the Malla republic.
Buddhist Councils
 First Council: At Rajgriha, in 483 BC under the Chairmanship of Mehakassaapa (king was
Ajatshatru). Divided the teachings of Buddha in to two Pitakas- Vinaya Pitaka and Sutta Pitaka.
 Second Council: At Vaisahali, in 383 BC under Sabakami (King was Ashoka), followers divided into
Sthavirmadins and Mahasanghikas.
 Third Council: At Pataliputra, in 250 BC under Magaliputta Tissa (King was Ashoka) In this, the
third part of the Tripitaka was coded in the Pali language.
 Fourth Council: At Kashmir (Kundalvan) in 72 AD under Vasumitra (King was Kanishka, Vice-
Chairman was ashwaghosha), divided Buddhism into Mahayana and Hinayana sects.
 Buddist Literature: In Pali language.
 Vinaya Pitaka: Rules of discipline in the Buddhist monasteries.
 Sutta Pitaka: Largest, contains collection of Buddha’s sermons.
 Abhidhamma Pitaka: Explanation of the philosophical principles of the Buddhist religion.

Jainism
 Led by Rishabha.
 There were 24 Tirthankaras (Prophets or Gurus), all Kashtriyas. First was Rishabhnath (Emblem:
Bull).
 The 23rd Tirthankar Parashwanath (Emblem: Snake) was the son of King Ashvasena of Banaras.
 The 24th and last Tirthankar was Vardhman Mahavira (Emblem: Lion). He was born in kundagram
(Distt Muzaffarpur, Bihar) in 599 BC.
 His father Siddhartha was the head of Jnatrika Clan.
 His mother was Trishla, sister of Lichchavi prince. Chetak of Vaishali.
 Mahavira was related to Bimbisara.
 Married to Yashoda, had a daughter named Priyadarsena, whose husband Jamali became his first
disciple.
 At the age of 30, after the death of his parents, he became an ascetic.
 In the 13th year of his asceticism (on the 10th of Vaishakha), outside the town of Jrimbhikgrama,
he attained supreme knowledge (kaivalya).
 From now on he was called Jaina or Jitendriya and Mahavira, and his followers were named Jains.
He also got the title of Arihant, i.e., worthy.
 At the age of 72, he attained death of Pava, near Patna, in 527 Bc.
 Mahavira preached almost the same message as Parshvanath and aded one more, Brahmcharya
(celibacy) to it.
Magadh Empire
Harijanka
The first important Magadhan king, who emerges into the limelight was Bimbisara (544491 BC) of
the Harijanka. He was an extremely polished diplomat and crafty statesman. While the earlier rulers
had brought Magadha out of clear and present danger, it was Bimbisara, who consolidated and
increased that power and really gave it the identity of a kingdom. According to sources, eighty
thousand villages were there in the kingdom. Bimbisara was a contemporary of the Buddha and met
him twice.
Shishunanja Dynasty
The Shishunanja dynasty faded fast after Ajatsatru. The last recorded ruler of the family was
Kakavarna who was put to death by Mahapadmananda, of the Nanda dynasty, which followed the
Sisungas. The Nandas known for their airs of magnificence and immense wealth (which they
amassed by huge taxation). They were of lowborn sudra stock and hence had the odds stacked
against them right from the start.
Alexander Invation (Great Invation)

Alexander, the son of Phillip of Macedonia (Greece), invaded India in 326 BC. His major battle was
with Poras, the king of Panjab on the banks of river Jhelum. Alexander emerged victorians.
Mauryan Dynasty (321 Bc-185 BC)

The dynasty that Chandragupta and Chanakya established in Magadha together, was the first real
dynasty of Indian history. There is no certain theory about the lineage of Mauryas. One of the most
prominent theory was that he was actually the son of Dhanananda mistress called Mura, and hence
the name Maurya.
Whatever might be the lineage of Chandragupta Maurya, Chanakya, with him made a formidable
team and stayed together till the end of Chandragupta’s reign, when Chanakya lived to see the early
half of his successor Bindusara’s (298-273BC) reign too. There is sufficient evidence to prove that
elaborate planning and much intrigue went to shake the Nandas out of the Magadha throne.
Ashoka the Great

Ashoka Piyacassi Maurya (269-232 BC) was perhaps Buddhism’s most famous convert. He has
caught the imagination of many as the cruel king who suddenly, after one battle, saw the light and
became an avowed non-violent though he did put all his brothers to death to come to the throne, but
then that was no different from what any other aspiring king would have done, and no doubt any of
his brothers in similar circumstances would have done the same.
The Post-maurya Period

In the post-Maurya period, three dynasties jostled, came and went with astonishing speed on the
Magadhan throne. The first among these were the Sungas, under whom the country made certain
The Post-maurya Period
In the post-Maurya period, three dynasties jostled, came and went with astonishing speed on the
Magadhan throne. The first among these were the Sungas, under whom the country made certain
progress. The Sunga rulers were also quite successful in checking foreign invasions. Art and culture
also flourished considerably under the Sungas who were particularly known to be great patrons of
both.
The Sungas were followed by the Kanvas, who were almost like a blip in the scene of Indian history,
lasting only 45 years in all, The other important dynasty of this PostMauryan confusion was the
Andhras or the Satavahanas. According to traditional sources, they were apparently Dasyus (as
opposed to Aryans) from south India. Even in Ashoka’s time, this dynasty had risen to quite a bit of
prominence along the southwest regions. Though the dynasty was founded by Simukha (235-213
BC), it had 30 kings in all. One of the most famous rulers of this dynasty was Sri Satkarni (194-184
BC), who had a kingdom covering almost all of south India, down to the andhra region and around
with his capital as the present Aurangabad.
Gupta Dynasty
After the Kushanas, India saw political unity only under the second great dynasty of ancient Indian
history after the Mauryas, the Guptas. The imperial Guptas were great conquerors, efficient
administrators and renowned patrons of the arts, science and culture.
Great Rulers of Gupta Dynasty

The first Gupta king was Chandra Gupta (320-335 AD), though not much is known about him. Next
in line was Samudragupta (335-375 AD) who, by all accounts, seemed to have been nothing short of
a genius. He appears to have cone to the throne brimming with an amazing appetite for conquest,
Considering that he defeated kings all over northern and southern India (in all about twenty-four of
them) one wonders when did he get the time to govern the kingdom. He introduced the concept of
annexation. It meant that he retained the old kings as vassals to keep the administration going. He
was a skillful diplomat who had excellent relations with not only foreign rulers but also his vassal-
kings, surely a much more difficult task to achieve, Due to his ingenious ideas of government,
Samudragupta could establish a really powerful empire.
Vardhana Dynasty
The final important ruler of Ancient Indian history was Harsha Vardhana (606-646 AD), who ruled not
from Magadha but Thanesar (in modern Haryana area) of the Vardhana dynasty. He was a Buddhist
and convened many Buddhist assemblies. The second Chinese traveller to come to India, Huien
Tsang, arrived during his reign.
Other Dynasties
The Most Powerful Cholas
The most important dynasty to rise out of the southern India was Cholas. Unlike other dynasties (the
Chalukyas, the Pallavas, the Pandyas or the Rashtrakutas), their origins are not traced from outside,
but very much from the south itself. The Deccan region was at this time in much turmoil. The Cholas
had managed almost immediately to reduce the Pallavas to the status of minor feudatories. The
Rashtrakutas were in decline now, but their place was taken by the Chalukya family (imaginatively
called the later Chalukyas by historians), who were gaining strength in the region of western Deccan.
The power equation in the Deccan now involved the later Chalukyas, the Yadavas of Devagiri
(northern Deccan; region around Aurangabad), the Kakatiyas of Warangal (Andhra Pradesh) and the
Hoysalas of Dorasamudra (Mysore). The Cholas managed with sheer tenacity over a period of 300
years from 900-1100 AD. This period saw the final settling down and consolidation of Tamil culture.
In whatever spherewhether of social institutions, religion, fine arts, music, dance, jewellery, the
standards that were set during this period came to be regarded as classical, and dominate, in a
modified form, much of the living patterns of south Indians even today.
General Knowledge : History: Medieval India

Section : History
MEDIEVAL INDIA
After 1000 AD, of Tahmud of Ghazni (Afghanistan) encroached upon Indian territories for the first
time and then made these invasions almost an annual feature-Later a herd of Muslim invaders
followed, who in turn established, their kingdoms in India. Prominent among them were Muhammad
Ghori.
She was followed by a very tough customer, Ghiyas-ud-din Balban (12661286 AD) who gave the
Delhi Sultanate its character and finished the consolidation work. Now the Sultanate saw the rise of
the Khaljis, together with Jala-ud-din Khalji (1290-1296 AD) and Ala-ud-din Khalji (1296-1316 AD),
who were its first real dynasty.
The Mughal Dynasty
Period 1526 AD-1540 AD and 1555 AD-1857 AD
The first Mughal who invaded Delhi Sultanate was Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur (15261530 AD),
who had the blood of the great central Asian families of Chingez Khan from his mother’s side and
that of Timur from his father’s, had been hunting for a home to call his own since he was a teenager.
He had been driven out of Samarkand and forced to set up a kingdom elsewhere by his cousins and
uncles. Babur looked at Kabul in Afghanistan to start afresh. In 1526, he crossed over the Indus to
reach Panipat, where he defeated Ibrahim Lodi in one of the most significant battles of Indian
history. Babur was -a military general of formidable credentials and his troops would follow him
everywhere, and indeed did for thoroughly battle-scarred his tenure. The first person he defeated
was Rana Sanga, who was perhaps appalled at Babur’s obvious intentions of getting comfortable
and staying on in Delhi.
In 1600 AD, Jahangir rebelled against Akbar when he was away in the Deeean engaged in battle. In
the confusion of events to follow, Abul Fazl was killed, which made the great Mughal emperor lived
with his son. In October 1605, Akbar fell ill and Jahangir was crowned emperor by him when he was
on his deathbed. Jahangir married Nur Jahan in 1611. Nur Jahan was the real power behind
Jahangir. She was a great queen, and a woman of amazing gifts. She was quite a beauty and set
many trends in designs of clothes, textiles and jewellery. The attar (perfume) of roses was just one
of this great lady’s innovations. She was also a very capable and shrewd administrator. No detail,
however small, escaped the queen’s attention. Her ability to keep a cool head was almost legendary
and she amazed even battlehardy generals with her calm and poise in the middle of crisis. She has
been accused of nepotism and of giving rise to a class of nobility which composed entirely of her kith
and kin, but that she was entirely in control is dear fns the fact that she rebuked even her brother
when she thought so fit. However, Nur Jahan was not without failings and her biggest was ambition,
not only for herself but for her child-a daughter from earlier marriage.
Jahangir was succeeded by his son Shahjahan. The reign of Shahjahan has been widely acclaimed
as the golden period of the Mughal dynasty. Except for one drought in 1630 in the areas of Deccan,
Gujrat and Khandesh, the kingdom was secure and free from poverty. The coffers of the state were
brimming with the right stuff. So it’s no wonder that Shahjahan was the greatest and most assiduous
builder of the Mughal dynasty. In 1639, he decided to shift his capital to Delhi and construct a new
city there on the banks of the Yamuna, near Ferozabad. It was to be called Shahjahanabad and the
famously spectacular peacock throne (the one that Nadir Shah took away) was transferred from
Agra to the Red Fort, the new -seat of the Mughal rulers, on April 8,1648. His greatest and most
memorable of achievements of course was the breathtaking Taj Mahal, which he built in the memory
of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in child birth. The end of Shahjahan’s reign did not live upto the
beginning; it saw one of the messiest battles of succession that Indian history ever witnessed. In
September 1657, Shahjahan fell ill and it was rumored that the emperor was dead. This was enough
to spark off intense intrigue in the court. All the four claimants to Shahjahan’s throne were the
children of the same mother. in 1657, Dara Shikoh was 43, Shah Shuja 41, Aurangzeb 39 and
Murad 33. All of them were governors of various provinces: Dara was the governor of Punjab, Murad
of Gujrat, Aurangzeb of the Deeean and Shah Shuja of Bengal. Aurangzeb was the ablest of
Shahjahan’s sons and a clear favorite for the throne. His credentials, both in battle and
administration were legendary. Aurangzeb beat the armies of Dara Shikoh, Murad along with the
Mughal armies twice in battle, and move towards Agra, where Shah Jahan was convalescing.
Aurangzeb ruled the single largest state ever in Mughal history. Aurangzeb’s rise to the throne was
ruthless. However, he was no more cruel than others of his family. He succeeded not because he
was crueller but because he was more efficient and more skilled in the game of statecraft with its
background of dissimulation; and if it’s any consolation, he never shed unnecessary blood. Once
established he showed himself a firm and capable administrator who retained his grip of power until
his death at the age of 88. He was an orthodox Sunni Muslim who thought himself a model Muslim
ruler. In this zealousness to promote the cause of Islam, Aurangzeb made many fatal blunders and
needless enemies. He alienated the Rajputs, whose valuable and trusted loyalty had been so hard
won by his predecessors, revolted against him. Eventually he managed to make peace with them,
but he could never be easy in his mind about Rajputana again, a fact that hampered his Deeean
conquest severely. Then, he made bitter enemies in the Sikhs and the Marathas. Things came to
such a head that Guru Teg Bahadur, the 9th Guru of the Sikhs was at first tortured and then
executed by Aurangzeb for not accepting Islam; a martyrdom which is mourned to this day by the
Sikh community. The 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Govind Singh then raised an open banner of
revolt against Aurangzeb. By the death of Aurangzeb in Aurangabad in 1707, there ended the
mighty period of Mughal dynasty.
General Knowledge : History: Modern Indian History
Section : History
Modern Indian History
The period from 1707 AD, the year when Aurangzeb died, to 1857, the year of the Indian uprising.
saw the gradual increase of the European influence in India. The Europeans had been filtering into
India for a long time before they actually decided to set up shop here. Even though the British got
away with the jackpot. the real pioneers to reach India were the Portuguese.
Portuguese Rule
The Portuguese settled down to a very prosperous trade in spices with India. The Muslim rulers in
Delhi and then the Mughals never really warmed up to the idea of a foreign power continuing trade
on the seas under their imperial noses. What’s more, they were not exactly very honest traders too,
since they thought that no word that was given to an infidel need be kept.
Advent of Dutch
The Dutch came shipping in the East for the first time in 1595. However, they did not come to India
initially, and established themselves at the helm of things in the spice trade in Jakarta. India carne
into the picture for them purely as a route to Europe, as part of a great Asian trade route that they
developed which went through Ceylon and Cape Town. Although the Dutch had their factories
dotting all over in Cochin, Nagapatam and even up in Agra) they did not attempt to gain military
power, being quite content to gain in cash.
French Invaders
Although the French King Locus XII had granted letters of monopoly to French traders in 1611, it
was not until December 1667, that a French company was actually set up in India. This was at Surat
(in Gujrat) with Francis Caron as its Director-General. Soon, in 1669, another French company came
up in Masulipatnam, thanks to a grant by the king of Golconda. which exempted the French from
paying import and export duty.
English Formed East India Company

The English, formed their East India Company on the last day of 1600 and entered the East India
hand in hand with the Dutch. Their foes were common-the Portuguese and Catholic Spain and this
brought them closer. However, familiarity breeds contempt, and soon the English realized that the
Dutch were not willing to share their space in Spice Islands (East India) with them.
First War of Independence

Also called the Sepoy Muting or the Revolt of 1857. On 29 March 1857, during the vice-royalty of
Lord Canning. an Indian Sepoy of the 34th regiment, Mangal Pandey, killed two British affairs en
Parade at Barrackpore. The Indian Soldier’s Present on Parade refused to obey orders to arrest
Mangal Pandey. However, he was latter arrested, and hanged.
Important of the Revolt:

 The revolt was mainly feudal in character carrying with it some nationalist elements.
 The control of Indian administration was passed on the British crown by the Government of India
Act 1858.
 The army was carefully recognized to present the recruitment of such as event.
British Governor Generals and Viceroys of India

Bengal Governor General
 Warren Hastings (1772-1785)
 Lord Cornwallis (1786-1793)
 Lord Wellesley (1798-1805)
Governor Generals of India

 Lord william Bentinck (1828-1835)
 Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856)
 Lord Canning (1856-1862)
 Lord Mayo (1869-1872)
 Lord Lytton (1876-1880)
 Lord Ripon (1380-1884)
 Lord Minto (1905-1910)
 Lord Hardinge (1910-1916)
 Lord Chelmsford (1116-1921)

 Lord Reading (1921-1926)
 Lord Iraon (1926-1931)
 Lord Willingdon (1931-1936)
 Lord Linlithgow (1936-1944)
 Lord Wavell (1944-1947)
 Lord Mounthatten (March 1947-August 1947)
Important National Activities

 The Indian National Congress
 Partition of Bengal
 Swadeshi Movement (1905)
 Formation of Muslim League (1906)
 Demand for Swaraj
 Surat Session of Indian National Congress (1907)
 Indian Councils Act or Minto Morley Reforms (1909)
 Ghadar Party (1913)
 Home Rule Movement (1916)
 Lucknow Pact (1916)
 August Declaration (1917)
 Rowlatt Act (March 18, 1919)
 Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (April 13, 1919)
 Khilafat Movement (1920)
 Non-cooperation Movement (1920)
 Chauri-Chaura Incident (1922)
 Simon Commission (1927)
 Lahore Session (1929)
 Dandi March (1930)

Newspaper journals
Newspaper/journal Founder/Editor
• Bengal Gazette (1780) J.K. Hikki
(India’s first newspaper)
• Kesari B.G. Tilak
• Maharatta B.G. Tilak
Sudharak G.K. Gokhale
• Amrita Bazar Patrika Sisir Kumar Ghosh and Motilal Ghosh
• Vande Mataram Aurobindo Ghosh
• Native Opinion V.N. Mandalik
• Kavivachan Sudha Bhartendu Harishchandra
• Rast Gottar Dadabhai Naoroji
(First new. paper in Gujarati)
• Irniia (Weekly) Bipin Chandra Pal
• Staiesman Robert Knight
• Hindu Vir Raghavacharya and G.S.Aiyar
• Sanadhya B.B. Upadhyaya
• Vii bar Lahiri Krishnashastri Chiplunkar
Venue, Year and Presidents of Indian National Congress (INC)

Year Venue President
1885, 1882 Bombay, Allahabad W.C. Bannerji
1886 Calcutta Dadabhai Naoroji
1893 Lahore Dadabhai Naoroji
1887 Madras Badruddin Tyyabji (first Muslim
President)
1888 Allahabad George Yule (first English President)
1889 Bombay Sir William Wedderburn
1890 Calcutta Sir Feroze S. Mehta
1895, 1902 Poona, Ahmedabad S. N. Banerjee
1905 Banaras G. K. Gokhale
1907, 1908 Surat, Madras Rasbehari Ghosh
1909 Lahore M. M. Malviya
1916 Lucknow A. C. Majumdar (Re-union of the
Congress)
1917 Calcutta Anne Besant (first Woman President)
1919 Amritsar Motilal Nehru
1920 Calcutta (sp.session) Lala Lajpat Rai
1921, 1922 Ahmedabad, Gaya C.R. Das
1923 Delhi (sp.session) Abdul Kalam Azad (youngest
President)
1924 Belgaon M. K. Gandhi
1925 Kanpur Sarojini Naidu (first Indian Woman
President)
1928 Calcutta Motilal Nehru (first All India Youth
Congress Formed)
1929 Lahore J. L. Nehru (Poorna Swaraj
resolution was passed)
1931 Karachi Vallabhbhai Patel (Here, resolution
on Fundamental rights
and the National Economic Program was
passed)
1932, 1933 Delhi, Calcutta (Session Banned)
1934 Bombay Rajendra Prasad
1936 Lucknow J. L. Nehru
1937 Faizpur J. L. Nehru (first session in a
village)
1938 Haripura S. C. Bose (a National Planning
Commission set-up under J. L. Nehru)
1939 Tripuri S. C. Bose was re-elected but had to
resign due to protest by
Gandhi ji (as Gandhiji supported Dr.
Pattabhi Sitaramayya).
Rajendra Prasad was appointed in
his place.
1940 Ramgrah Abdul Kalam Azad
1946 Meerut Acharya J. B. Kriplani
1948 Jaipur Dr Pattabhi Sitarmayya
Important Books of Freedom Struggle Era

Book Author
Causes of the Indian Mutiny Sir Syyed Ahmed Khan
Ghulam Giri Jotiba Phule
To All Fighters of Freedom, Why Socialism? J. P. Narayan
Pakhton
Khan
Problems of the East Lord Curzon
My Indian Yeas Lord Hardinge II
Economic History of India R.C. Dutt
Pather Panchali Bibhuti Shushan Boner
The Spirit of Islam Syyed Ameer Ali
Precepts of Jesus Ram Mohan Roy
A Gift of Monotheists Ram Mohan Roy
Satyarth Prakash Swami Dayanand
Anand Math Bankim C. Chatterji
Devi Chaudharani Bankim C. Chatterji
Sitaram Bankim C. Chatterji
The Indian Struggle S. C. Bose
Poverty & Un-British Rule in India Dadabhai Naoroji
A Nation in the Making S. N. Banerji
Unhappy India Lala Lajpat Rai
The Indian War of Indeendence V. D. Savarkar
India Divided Rajendra Prasad
The Discovery of India J. L. Nehru
Neel Darpan Dinbandhu Mitre
Hind Swaraj M. K. Gandhi
What Congress and Gandhi have done the untouchables B. R. Ambedkar
Important Battles of World History

Battle Period/Year Countries Involved
Battle of Megiddo 608 BC Necho of Egypt and Josiah of
Judsh; Egyptians victorious
Battle of Marathon 490 BC Athenians and Persians; King
Darius of Persia defeated.
Battle of Thermopylae 480 BC Spartans led by Leonidas and
Persians by Xerxes; Spartans were defeated.
Battle of Salamis 480 BC Athenian and Persian fleet in
the Bay of Salamis; Persian fleet defeated
Battle of Platae 479BC Greek and Persian forces;
Persian forces defeated.
Battle of Mycale 479 BC Greek and Persian forces;
Persian fleet defeated.
Spartan War I 459 BC Sparta and Athenes, also called
‘Pelponesian War’: it lasted for 30 years.
Spartan War II 431 – 421 BC Sparta and Athenes; Spartans
victorious
Battle of Arabia 331 BC Greek and Persian forces; Greeks
victorious.
Battle of Magnesia 190 BC Syrian and Roman forces; Syrian
forces defeated (north-west Lydia).
Hundred Year War 1337 – 1453 France and England
War of Roses 1455 – 1485 Civil War in England between the
two rival royal houses of Lancaster and
York; White and red rose were
their respective symbols.
Anglo-Spanish War 1588 Spanish and English fleets
fought in the English Channel; Defeat of the Spanish fleet.
Thirty Year War 1618 – 1648 Started as religious-cum-
political war between (Conto) the Lutherans
and Catholics in Germany and
developed into an international war.
Civil War of England 1642 – 1649 Between Cavaliers (King Charles
supporters) and forces of the Parliament
led by Oliver Cromwell; King
Charles I executed.
Section : Geography
Solar System
Important Facts
Biggest planet : Jupiter
Smallest plant : Mercury
Satellite of Earth : Moon
Nearest planet from Sun : Mercury
Farthest planet from Sun : Neptune
Nearest planet to Earth : Venus
Brightest planet : Venus
Brightest star : Dog Star
Planet having maximum
number of satellite : Jupiter (63)
Coldest planet : Neptune
Red planet (seen at night) : Mars
Heaviest planet : Jupiter
Biggest satellite of solar : Ganymede system
Smallest satellite of solar : Demos
system
Blue planet : Earth
Red planet : Mars
Morning star : Venus
Evening star : Venus
Sister of Earth : Venus
9th planet : Karla
Galaxies
Galaxy Name Magnitude Visual
Milky way —
Large Magellanic Cloud 0.9
Small Magellanic Cloud 2.5
Ursa Minor Dwarf 11.9
Sculptor Dwarf 80
Draco Dwarf 10.9
Formax Sysyem 8.3
Leo -II System 12.04
Leo -I System 12.0
N. G.C 6822 8.9
N.G.C. 147 9.73
N.G.C. 185 10.1
N .G.C. 205 8.17
N.G.C. 2 21 (M 32) 8.16
IC 1613 9.61
Andromeda Galaxy 3.47
N.G.C. 598 (M 33) 5.79
Maffel I 11.0
Important Lines and Boundaries

 Durand Line: It is the line demarcating the boundaries of India and Afghanistan. It was drawn up in
1893 by Sir Mortimer Durand. India recognizes the Durand Line but Afghanistan does not.
 Hindenburg Line: It is the boundary dividing Germany and Poland. The Germans marched to this
line in 1917 during World War I.
 Maginot Line: A 320 Km line of fortification built by France along its border with Germany before
World War II, to protect against German attack.
 Mannerheim Line: It is the line of fortification on the Russia-Finland border. Drawn up by General
Mannerheim.
 McMahon Line: Drawn up by Sir Henry McMahon. It demarcates the frontier of India and China.
China did not recognize this line and violated it in 1962.
 Oder-Neisse Line: It is the border between Poland and Germany running along the Oder and
Neisse rivers; adopted at the Poland Conference (August 1945) after the World War II.
 Radcliffe Line: Drawn up by Sir Cyril Radcliffe, this line demarcates the boundary between India
and Pakistan.
 Siegfried Line: Is the line of fortification drawn up by Germany on its border with France.
 17th Parallel: The 17th Parallel defined the boundary between North and South Vietnam before the
two were united.
 24th Parallel: Is the line which Pakistan claims for demarcation between India and Pakistan. This,
however, is not recognized by India.
 38th Parallel: Is the parallel of latitude which separates North and South Korea.
 49th Parallel: The boundary between US and Canada.
Some Important Facts

 The total surface area of the earth 510,067,2000 sq. km.
 Total area covered by water or sea 70.92%
 The land area 29.08%
 The equatorial circumference of the earth 40,075,03 km.
 The meridional circumference 40,007,89 km.
 The total world’s population 6.25 billion (Approximately)
 The average daily increase in the world’s population 263,000 (182 per minute)
 The crude birth rate 27.1 per 1000
 The crude death rate 9.8 per 1000
 The most populous country China
 The least populous country Vatican city
 Most densely populated country The Portuguese province of Macau
 Total number of countries 253
 The largest country in area Russia
 The smallest country in area Vatican city
 The most populous city Mexican city
 The largest City Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia
Different Minerals and their Primary Producers

Minerals First Producer Second Producer
Aluminium USA CIS
Asbestos Canada Rhodesia
Bauxite Australia Jamaica
Chromium Rhodesia India
Coal USA Russia
Coal USA Russia
Crude Oil Russia Saudi Arabia
Diamonds Zaire Russia
Gold South Africa Canada
Graphite Sri Lanka —
Iron Ore Russia Brazil
Lead Ore USA Russia
Manganese Ore USA South Africa
Mercury Italy Spain
Natural Gas USA Russia
Nickel ore Canada Russia
Platinum USA Kuwait
Petroleum products China Japan
Phosphate USA Russia
Silver Canada Russia
Tin Malaysia Bolvia
Tungsten China Russia
Uranium USA Canada
Zinc Ore Canada Russia
Different Crops And Their Primary Producers

Crop Primary Producer Secondary Producer
Barley Russia China
Cocoa Ghana Brazil
Coffee Brazil Columbia
Cotton Russia China
Flax Russia Belgium
Groundnut India China
Jute China India
Maize USA China
Manila Hemp Philippines —
Rice China India
Rubber Malaysia Indonesia
Silk Japan China
Soyabean USA China
Sugar Russia Brazil
Tea India China
Tomato USA Russia
Wheat Russia USA
Major Rivers of the World
River Origin Falls in Length (km.)
Nile Victoria lake Mediterranean Sea 6,650
Amazon Andes (Peru) Atlantic Ocean 6,428
Yangtze Tibetan Kiang Plateau China Sea 6,300
Mississippi Itaska lake (USA) Gulf of Maxico 6,275
Missouri USA
Yenisei Tannu-Ola Mts. Arctic Ocean 5,539
Huang Ho Kunlun Mts. Gulf of Chibli 5,464
Congo Lualaba & Luapula rivers Atlantic Ocean 4,700
Amur North East China Sea of Okhotsk 4,444
Lena Baikal Mountains Laptev Sea 4,400
Mekong Tibetan Highlands South China Sea 4,350
Mackenzie Great Slave Lake Beaufort Sea 4,241
Parana Confluence of Paranaiba
& Grande rivers Atlantic Ocean 3,998
Major Lakes of the World

 Largest Lake - Caspian Sea
 Highest lake - Lake Titicaca
 Largest saline water lake - Caspian Sea
 Deepest lake - Lake Baikal
 Largest fresh water lake - Lake Superior
 India’s largest lake - Chilka lake
Important Lakes of the World

Lake Location Area (sq. km.)
Caspian Russian and CIS 371000
Superior Canada and USA 82414
Victoria Tanzania (Africa) 69485
Huron Canada and USA 59596
Michigan USA 58016
Tanganyika Africa 32892
Baikal Russia (CIS) 31502
Great Bear Canada 31080
Oceans of the World
Names Area (sq. km.) Greatest Depth
Pacific 166,240000 Mariana Trench
Atlantic 86.560000 Puerto Rico Trench
Indian 73430000 Java Trench
Arctic 13230000 —
Important Deserts
 Sahara - N. Africa (Includes the Libyan and the Nubian Desert)
 Australian - Australia (Includes Gibson, Simpson, Victorian, Great Sandy)
 Arabian - Arab Countries (Includes Rub-al-Khali and An-Nafad of S. Arabia and Dast-e-Lut and
Dast-e-Kavir of Iran)
 Kalahari - Africa (mainly in Botswana)
 Gobi - Mongolia
 Atacama - Central Chile
 Patagonian - Argentina
 Takla Makan - Sinkiang, China
 Karakum - Turkmenistan
Major Gulfs of the World

Names Area (sq. km.) Names Area (sq.km.)
Gulf of Mexico 15,44,000 Gulf of St. Lawrence 2,37,000
Gulf of Hudson 12,33,000 Gulf of California 1,62,000
Arabian Gulf 2,38,000 English Channel 89,900
Major Peninsulas of the World

Peninsulas Area (sq. km.) Peninsulas Areas (sq.km.)
Arabia 32,50,000 Labrador 13,00,000
Southern India 20,72,000 Scandinavia 8,00,000
Alaska 15,00,000 Iberian 584,000
Major Mountain Ranges of the World

Range Location Length (km)
Andes South America 7,200
Andes South Central Asia 5,000
Himalayas-Karakoram-Hindukush South Central Asia 4,800
Rockies North America 4,800
Great Dividing Range East Australia 3,600
Atlas North West Africa 1,930
Western Ghats Western India 1,610
Caucasus Europe 1,200
Alaska USA 1,130
Alps Europe 1,050
Smallest and Biggest Countries

Biggest Nation Biggest Nations Smallest Nations Smallest Nations
(Area-wise) (Population-wise) (Area-wise) (Population-wise)
Russia China Vatican City
Vatican City
Canada India Monaco
Tuvalu
China USA Nauru
Nauru
USA Indonesia Tuvalu
Palau
Brazil Brazil San Marino
San Marino
Australia Pakistan Liechatenstein
Menaco
India Bangladesh Marshall Islands
Leichtenstein
Argentina Nigeria Sait Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Kazakhastan Russia Maldives
Antigua and Barbados
Sudan Japan Malta
Dominica
Foreign Towns Associated with Industries

Town (Country) Associated Industry
Baku (Azebajjan) Petroleum
Bangkok (Thailand) Ship building
Belfast (Ireland) Ship building
Buenos Aires (Argentina) Meat
Cadiz (Portugal) Cork
Chicago (U.S.A.) Agricultural implements, Meat
Cologne (Germany) Cotton and woolen industries
Dhaka (Bangladesh) Jute
Detroit (U.S.A.) Motor cars
Dresden (Germany) Optical and photographic apparatus
Glasgrow (Great Britain) Machinery
Havana (Cuba) Tabacco, Cigars
Hollywood (U.S.A.) Film industry
Johannesburg (S. Africa) Gold mines
Kimberlay (S. Africa) Diamond mining
Leeds (England) Woollen goods
Lyons (France) Silk industries
Manchester (England) Cotton industry
Mauritius (Indian Ocean) Fishing, shipping, Sugar
Milan (Italy) Silk
Morocco (North Africa) Leather
Munich (Germany) Lenses
New Orleans (U.S.A.) Cotton industry
Osaka (Japan) Cotton fabrics
Pittsburg (U.S.A.) Iron and Steel
Plymouth (England) Ship-building
Sheffield (England) Cutlery
Venice (Italy) Glass manufacturing
Vienna (Austria) Glass manufacturing
Wellington (New Zealand) Dairy Product
World’s Geographical Surnames

Surname Name Surname Name
Bengal’s Sorrow Damodar River Key to the Mediterranean
Gibralter
Blue Mountains Nilgiri Hills Land of Cakes
Scotland
City of Sky-scrapers New York Land of Golden
Fleece Australia
City of Seven Hills Rome Land of Maple Leaf Canada
City of Dreaming Spires Land of Morning Calm Korea
City of Palaces Kolkata Land of Midnight sun
Norway
City of Golden Gate San Francisco Land of the Thousand Lakes
Finland
City of Magnificent Buildings Washington D.C. Land of the Thunderbolt
Bhutan
City of Eternal Quito Land of White Thailand
Springs (S. America) Elephant
China’s Sorrow Hwang Ho Land of Five Rivers
Punjab
Cockpit of Europe Belgium Land of Thousand Elephants
Laos
Dark Continent Africa Land of Rising Sun
Japan
Emerald Isle Ireland Loneliest Island Tristan
De Gunha (Mid-Atlantic)
Eternal City Rome Manchester of Japan
Osaka
Empire City New York Pillars of Hercules
Strait of Gibraltar
Forbidden City Lhasa (Tibet) Pearl of the Antilles
Cuba
Garden City Chicago Playground of Europe
Switzerland
Gate of Tears Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb Quaker City
Philadelphia
Gateway of India Mumbai Queen of the Adriatic Venice
Gift of the Nile Egypt Roof of the World The
Pamirs,
Central Asia
Granite City Aberdeen (Scotland) Rose Pink City
Jaipur
Hermit Kingdom Korea Sugar bowl of the world Cuba
Herring Pond Atlantic ocean Venica of the North
Stockholm
Holy Land Jerusalem Windy city Chicago
Island Continent of Africa Australia Whiteran’s grave
Guinea Coast of Africa
Island of Clvoes Zanzibar Yellow River (China) Huang Ho
Isle of Pearls Bahrein (Persian Gulf)
Biggest, Highest, Largest, Longest in the World
Anima, Tallest Giraffe
Archipelago, Largest Indonesia
Bird, Fastest Swift
Bird, Largest Ostrich
Bird, Smallest Humming
Bird
Bridge, Longest Railway (U.S.A.) Huey P. Long
Bridge, Louisiana
Building, Tallest in the world Burj,
Dubai (UAE)
Canal, Longest Irrigational The Kalakumsky
canal
Canal, Longest Suez
canal
Capital, Highest La paz (Bolvia)
City, Biggest in area Mount
Isa (Australia)
City, Largest in population Tokyo
City, Costliest Tokyo
City, Highest Van Chuan
(China)
Continent, Largest Asia
Continent, Smallest Australia
Country, Biggest (area) Russia
Country, Largest (population) China
Country, Largest (electorate) India
Creature, Largest Blue Whale
Delta, Largest Sunderban (Bangladesh &
India)
Deswert, Largest (World) Sahara (Africa)
Desert, Largest (Asia) Gobi
Dam, Largest Grand Coulee Dam
(U.S.A.)
Dam, Highest Hoover Dam
(U.S.A.)
Diamond, Largest The Cullinan
Dome, Largest Astrodome, in
Housten (U.S.A.)
Epic, Largest Mahabharat
Irrigation Scheme, Largest Lloyd Barrage,
Sukkur (Pakistan)
Island, Largest Greenland
Sea, Largest (Artificial) Lake Mead
(Boulder Dam)
Lake, Highest Titicaca
(Bolivia)
Lake, Largest (Fresh water) Superior
Lake, Largest (Salt water) Caspian
Library, Largest United States
Library of Congress, Washington D.C.
Mountain Peak, Highest Everest
(Nepal)
Mountain Range, Longest Andes (S.
America)
Important Laws And Principles
 Archimedes Principle: When a body is immersed either wholly or partially in a fluid at rest, the
apparent loss of weight suffered by it is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by it.
 Avogadro’s Law : Equal volumes of all gases under the same conditions of temperature and
pressure contain equal number of molecules.
 Black Body Radiation : A black body absorbs heat or radiates heat more quickly than any other
body.
 Boiling Point : It increases with the increase of pressure. The presence of impurities also raises the
boiling point of a liquid.
 Boyle’s Law : At constant temperature, the volume of a given mass of gas varies inversely to its
pressure.
 Centre of Gravity : A body will remain at rest only if the vertical line through its centres of gravity
passes through the base of support of the body.
 Charle’s Law : The volume of a given mass of gas is directly proportional to its absolute
temperature when the pressure remains constant.
 Coulomb’s Law : The force between the two electric charges reduces to a quarter of its former
value when the distance between them is doubled.
 Dalton’s Law : At a specific temperature and for a container of fixed volume, the total pressure of a
mixture of non-reacting gases is the sum of their respective partial pressures.
Section : Economy
The Planning Commission
 The Planning Commission was set up on March 15, 1950 under the chairmanship J.L. Nehru, by a
resolution of Union Cabinet.
 It is an extra-constitutional, non-statutory body.
 It consists of Prime Minister as the ex-officio Chairman, one deputy-Chairn appointed by the PM
and some full time members.
 The tenure of its members and deputy chairman is not fixed. There is no defi definition of its
members also. They are appointed by the Government on its c discretion. The number of members
can also change according to the wishes of Government.
Functions
 Assessment of material, capital & human resources of the country.
 Formulation of plans for the most effective & balanced utilization of country’s resources.
 To determine the various stages of planning and to propose the allocation of resources on the
priority basis.
 To act as an advisory body to the Union Government.
 To evaluate from time to time the progress achieved in every stage of the plan and also to suggest
remedial measures.
 To advise the Centre and the State Governments from time to time on special matters referred to
the Commission..
Important Anti-poverty And Employment Generation Programs
 Swaranjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGRY)
 Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY).
 Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY)
 Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY)
Important Industries of India

 Iron & Steel Industry
 Jute Industry
 Cotton and Textile Industry
 Sugar Industry
 Fertilizer Industry
 Paper Industry
 Silk Industry
 Petroleum & Natural Gas

Section : Economy
Indian Tax Structure
Distribution
 Some taxes are levied, collected and retained by the Centre. These include customs duty,
corporation tax, taxes on capital (other than agricultural land) etc.
 Some taxes are levied and collected by the Centre but shared with the States. These include taxes
on income other than agricultural income and union excise duties on goods included in Union List,
excepting medicinal and toilet preparations.
 Some taxes are levied and collected by the Centre but the proceeds are to be distributed among
States. These include succession and estate duties in respect of property other than agricultural
land, terminal tax on goods and passengers, tax on railway fares and freights, taxes on transaction
in stock exchanges and future markets and taxes on sale or purchase of newspapers and ads.
 Some taxes are levied by the Centre but collected and appropriated by the States. These include
stamp duties other than included in Union List and excise duties on medicinal and toilet
preparations.
 Taxes belonging to State exclusively are land revenue, stamp duty, etc.
Structure of Taxes
1. Direct Taxes
 Include taxes on income and property, the important ones being personal income tax, corporate
tax, estate duty and wealth tax.
 Income tax is progressive in India, i.e., the rate of tax is not uniform but rises progres-sively with
the rise in money income.
 During the last two decades, there has been a continuous reduction in the tax rate because high
rates of income tax had merely encouraged tax evasion and growth in black money.
2. Indirect Taxes
 Include Sales Tax, Excise Duties, Customs Duties, etc.
 The Government of India earns maximum from Union Excise Duty.
Currency
 Rupee was first minted in India during the reign of Sher Shah Suri around 1542.
 India became a member of International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1947, & exchange value of rupee
came to be fixed by IMF standards.
 All coins and one rupee notes are issued by Govt. of India. That’s why one rupee note doesn’t bear
the signature of Governor of RBI. It bears the signature of Finance Secretary, Government of India.
Demonetization of Currency
 It refers to the withdrawal of currency from circulation which is done to ambush black market.
Mints and Presses

 Indian Security Press, Nasik, prints postal and judicial stamps, cheques and bonds.
 Currency Note Press, Nasik, prints notes of Rs. 10 and under denomination.
Insurance
1. Life Insurance Corporation (LIC)
 Established : Sept 1, 1956.
 Head office : Mumbai.
 Zonal offices : 7 (Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Kanpur, Hyderabad and Bhopal)
2. General Insurance Corporation (GIC)
 Established : Jan 1, 1973.
 It has four subsidiary companies:
I. National Insurance Company Ltd, Kolkata.

II. The New India Assurance Co. Ltd, Mumbai
III. The Oriental Fire & General Insurance Co. Ltd, New Del.,
IV. United India Fire & General Insurance Co. Ltd, Chennai.
Subject : General Knowledge (Ancient India)
The discovery of Mohenjodaro and Harappa by British archaeologist: Marshall proved that Indian
civilization is the oldest civilization in the world. Even India came before Greece, considered the
oldest civilization before the discovery of Mohenjodaro and Harappa. The main features of Ancient
Indian History are as follows:
Indus Valley Civilization

Discovery: In 1921, R.B. Dayaram Sahani, first discovered Harappa, in the Montgomery district of
the Punjab. According to radio-carbon dating, it spread from the year 2350-1750.
Dr. R. D. Banerjee found the ancient city Mohenjodaro (literally, ‘city of the dead’) in Larkana district
of Sindh, now in Pakistan in 1922.
The Marvelous Town Planning of Mohenjodaro: A chief feature of Mohenjodaro is its superb town
planning. The streets, which divided the city into neat rectangular or square blocks, varied in width
but always intersected each other at right angles. The city had an elaborate drainage system,
consisting of horizontal and vertical drains, street drains and so on. The architecture of the buildings
was clearly intended to be functional and minimalist, and certainly not to please the aesthete.
Mohenjodaro was obviously a cosmopolitan city, with people of different races mingling with the local
populace-Proto-Austroloid, Mediterranean, Alpine and Mongoloid.
Before the coming of Aryans, there was a civilization that was not only well-developed, but actually
far more sophisticated than that of the Aryans. The beginning and end of the Indus Valley Civilization
are both a matter of debate because people could not have emerged complete with their perfect
town planning, neat houses, lovely jewellery and loads of make-up. So where did they come from?
and then having come, just where did they disappear? Popular theory, which is most accepted is
that the people of the Harappan civilization were chased out by the Aryans and went down south.
The present South Indians are their descendants.
The Vedic Period (1500 Bc-600 Bc)
Initially, Aryans settled in the area of Sapt-Sindhu, which included Punjab, Kashmir, Sindh, Kabul
and Gandhara (Kandhar). The chief sources of this period are The Vedas and the Epics, the
Mahabharata and the Ramayana, which through their stories and hymns tell us about the expansion
of the Aryans. The epic Ramayana is a symbolic tale which tells of the Aryan expansion to the south-
the good, almost godly, aryaputra (an Aryan’s son) king Rama surging forth to finish off the evil
Dasyu (that was what the Aryans called the natives) Ravana.
Aryans Political System
There was complex political system. They hung around together in small village settlements (which
later grew to kingdoms) and the basis of their political and social organization was the clan or kula. It
was very much a patriarchal society, with the man the house expected to keep his clan in control.
The King was the Supreme Power
The king was the supreme power though he had to work in tandem with the people’s wishes. He had
an elaborate court of many officials, including the chief queen (Mahishi) who was elected to help in
the decision making process. Two Assemblies, Sabha and Samiti further assisted the king.
No Rigidity in Caste System
The caste system was a loose social system where people could move up and down the social
scale. Aryan’s worshipped nature gods-they prayed to the Usha (Dawn), Prajapati (The Creator),
Rudra (Thunder), Indra (Rain), Surya (Sun) and so on. These gods and goddesses were appeased
by prayers and sacrifices. The status of woman declined.
There are 6 school of Indian philosophy known as Shad-Darshans.
Darshana Founder
(1) Sankhya Kapila
(2) Yoga Patanjali
(3) Nyaya Gautama
(4) Vaishesika Kanada
(5) Mimanra Jaimini
(6) Vedant/Uttara mimaura Badarayana

The earliest reference to the 4 Ashramas - Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanprastha and Sanyara in
found in teh Jabala Upanishad.
Subject : General Knowledge (Medieval India)

The Sultanate of Delhi (1206 Ad-1526 Ad)
Mohammad Ghori invaded India & laid the foundation of the Muslim dominion in India. He may be
considered the ‘found of Muslim rule’ in India.
The Slave Dynasty (1206-90)

He was a Turkish slave by origin, he was powerhard by Mohammad Ghori who later made him his
Governer. After the death of Ghori, Aibak founded the slave Dyanrty in 1206.
He caustructed ‘Ahai din ka Jopra’ at Ajmer. He also began the construction of Qutub Minar. His
successor Iltutmish (1211 to 1235 AD) completed the construciton of Qutub Minar slave dynarty is
also famous for having given Indian its first woman ruler.
Rajia was succeeded by his brother Bahram Shah. Another important rular of slave dynasty was
Balbau who introduced ‘Sajda & Paibor’ as the normal forms of salutation.
The Khilji Dynasty (1209-1320 AD)

Jalaludin Khilji founded the Khilji Dynarty. Another important rules was Alaudin Khilji- Amir Khusrau
was his favourite court poet.
The Tughlaq Dynasty (1320-1414 AD)

Important rules was:- Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, Mohammad-bin-Tughlq, Firoz Shah Tughalaq.
The Lodhi Dynasty (1451-1526 AD)

Bahlol Lodhi founded teh lodhi Dynasty. Sikandar Lodhi shifted his capital from Dehli to Agra, a city
founded by him. Ibrahim Lodhi was the least king at teh Lodhi Dynasty.
Section : History
Modern Indian History
The period from 1707 AD, the year when Aurangzeb died, to 1857, the year of the Indian uprising.
saw the gradual increase of the European influence in India. The Europeans had been filtering into
India for a long time before they actually decided to set up shop here. Even though the British got
away with the jackpot. the real pioneers to reach India were the Portuguese.
Portuguese Rule
The Portuguese settled down to a very prosperous trade in spices with India. The Muslim rulers in
Delhi and then the Mughals never really warmed up to the idea of a foreign power continuing trade
on the seas under their imperial noses. What’s more, they were not exactly very honest traders too,
since they thought that no word that was given to an infidel need be kept.
Advent of Dutch
The Dutch came shipping in the East for the first time in 1595. However, they did not come to India
initially, and established themselves at the helm of things in the spice trade in Jakarta. India carne
into the picture for them purely as a route to Europe, as part of a great Asian trade route that they
developed which went through Ceylon and Cape Town. Although the Dutch had their factories
dotting all over in Cochin, Nagapatam and even up in Agra) they did not attempt to gain military
power, being quite content to gain in cash.
French Invaders
Although the French King Locus XII had granted letters of monopoly to French traders in 1611, it
was not until December 1667, that a French company was actually set up in India. This was at Surat
(in Gujrat) with Francis Caron as its Director-General. Soon, in 1669, another French company came
up in Masulipatnam, thanks to a grant by the king of Golconda. which exempted the French from
paying import and export duty.
English Formed East India Company

The English, formed their East India Company on the last day of 1600 and entered the East India
hand in hand with the Dutch. Their foes were common-the Portuguese and Catholic Spain and this
brought them closer. However, familiarity breeds contempt, and soon the English realized that the
Dutch were not willing to share their space in Spice Islands (East India) with them.
First War of Independence

Also called the Sepoy Muting or the Revolt of 1857. On 29 March 1857, during the vice-royalty of
Lord Canning. an Indian Sepoy of the 34th regiment, Mangal Pandey, killed two British affairs en
Parade at Barrackpore. The Indian Soldier’s Present on Parade refused to obey orders to arrest
Mangal Pandey. However, he was latter arrested, and hanged.
Important of the Revolt:

 The revolt was mainly feudal in character carrying with it some nationalist elements.
 The control of Indian administration was passed on the British crown by the Government of India
Act 1858.
 The army was carefully recognized to present the recruitment of such as event.
British Governor Generals and Viceroys of India

Bengal Governor General
 Warren Hastings (1772-1785)
 Lord Cornwallis (1786-1793)
 Lord Wellesley (1798-1805)

Governor Generals of India
 Lord william Bentinck (1828-1835)
 Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856)
 Lord Canning (1856-1862)
 Lord Mayo (1869-1872)
 Lord Lytton (1876-1880)
 Lord Ripon (1380-1884)
 Lord Minto (1905-1910)
 Lord Hardinge (1910-1916)
 Lord Chelmsford (1116-1921)
 Lord Reading (1921-1926)
 Lord Iraon (1926-1931)
 Lord Willingdon (1931-1936)
 Lord Linlithgow (1936-1944)
 Lord Wavell (1944-1947)
 Lord Mounthatten (March 1947-August 1947)
Important National Activities

 The Indian National Congress
 Partition of Bengal
 Swadeshi Movement (1905)
 Formation of Muslim League (1906)
 Demand for Swaraj
 Surat Session of Indian National Congress (1907)
 Indian Councils Act or Minto Morley Reforms (1909)
 Ghadar Party (1913)
 Home Rule Movement (1916)
 Lucknow Pact (1916)
 August Declaration (1917)

 Rowlatt Act (March 18, 1919)
 Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (April 13, 1919)
 Khilafat Movement (1920)
 Non-cooperation Movement (1920)
 Chauri-Chaura Incident (1922)
 Simon Commission (1927)
 Lahore Session (1929)
 Dandi March (1930)
Newspaper journals
Newspaper/journal Founder/Editor
• Bengal Gazette (1780) J.K. Hikki
(India’s first newspaper)
• Kesari B.G. Tilak
• Maharatta B.G. Tilak
Sudharak G.K. Gokhale
• Amrita Bazar Patrika Sisir Kumar Ghosh and Motilal Ghosh
• Vande Mataram Aurobindo Ghosh
• Native Opinion V.N. Mandalik
• Kavivachan Sudha Bhartendu Harishchandra
• Rast Gottar Dadabhai Naoroji
(First new. paper in Gujarati)
• Irniia (Weekly) Bipin Chandra Pal
• Staiesman Robert Knight
• Hindu Vir Raghavacharya and G.S.Aiyar
• Sanadhya B.B. Upadhyaya
• Vii bar Lahiri Krishnashastri Chiplunkar
Venue, Year and Presidents of Indian National Congress (INC)

Year Venue President
1885, 1882 Bombay, Allahabad W.C. Bannerji
1893 Lahore Dadabhai Naoroji
1887 Madras Badruddin Tyyabji (first Muslim
President)
1888 Allahabad George Yule (first English President)
1889 Bombay Sir William Wedderburn
1890 Calcutta Sir Feroze S. Mehta
1895, 1902 Poona, Ahmedabad S. N. Banerjee
1905 Banaras G. K. Gokhale
1907, 1908 Surat, Madras Rasbehari Ghosh
1909 Lahore M. M. Malviya
1916 Lucknow A. C. Majumdar (Re-union of the
Congress)
1917 Calcutta Anne Besant (first Woman President)
1919 Amritsar Motilal Nehru
1920 Calcutta (sp.session) Lala Lajpat Rai
1921, 1922 Ahmedabad, Gaya C.R. Das
1923 Delhi (sp.session) Abdul Kalam Azad (youngest
President)
1924 Belgaon M. K. Gandhi
1925 Kanpur Sarojini Naidu (first Indian Woman
President)
1928 Calcutta Motilal Nehru (first All India Youth
Congress Formed)
1929 Lahore J. L. Nehru (Poorna Swaraj
resolution was passed)
1931 Karachi Vallabhbhai Patel (Here, resolution
on Fundamental rights
and the National Economic Program was
passed)
1932, 1933 Delhi, Calcutta (Session Banned)
1934 Bombay Rajendra Prasad
1936 Lucknow J. L. Nehru
1937 Faizpur J. L. Nehru (first session in a
village)
1938 Haripura S. C. Bose (a National Planning
Commission set-up under J. L. Nehru)
1939 Tripuri S. C. Bose was re-elected but had to
resign due to protest by
Gandhi ji (as Gandhiji supported Dr.
Pattabhi Sitaramayya).
Rajendra Prasad was appointed in
his place.
1940 Ramgrah Abdul Kalam Azad
1946 Meerut Acharya J. B. Kriplani
1948 Jaipur Dr Pattabhi Sitarmayya
Important Books of Freedom Struggle Era

Book Author
Causes of the Indian Mutiny Sir Syyed Ahmed Khan
Ghulam Giri Jotiba Phule
To All Fighters of Freedom, Why Socialism? J. P. Narayan
Pakhton
Khan
Problems of the East Lord Curzon
My Indian Yeas Lord Hardinge II
Economic History of India R.C. Dutt
Pather Panchali Bibhuti Shushan Boner
Precepts of Jesus Ram Mohan Roy
A Gift of Monotheists Ram Mohan Roy
Satyarth Prakash Swami Dayanand
Anand Math Bankim C. Chatterji
Devi Chaudharani Bankim C. Chatterji
Sitaram Bankim C. Chatterji
The Indian Struggle S. C. Bose
Poverty & Un-British Rule in India Dadabhai Naoroji
A Nation in the Making S. N. Banerji
Unhappy India Lala Lajpat Rai
The Indian War of Indeendence V. D. Savarkar
India Divided Rajendra Prasad
The Discovery of India J. L. Nehru
Neel Darpan Dinbandhu Mitre
Hind Swaraj M. K. Gandhi
What Congress and Gandhi have done the untouchables B. R. Ambedkar
Important Battles of World History

Battle Period/Year Countries Involved
Battle of Megiddo 608 BC Necho of Egypt and Josiah of
Judsh; Egyptians victorious
Battle of Marathon 490 BC Athenians and Persians; King
Darius of Persia defeated.
Battle of Thermopylae 480 BC Spartans led by Leonidas and
Persians by Xerxes; Spartans were defeated.
Battle of Salamis 480 BC Athenian and Persian fleet in
the Bay of Salamis; Persian fleet defeated
Battle of Platae 479BC Greek and Persian forces;
Persian forces defeated.
Battle of Mycale 479 BC Greek and Persian forces;
Persian fleet defeated.
Spartan War I 459 BC Sparta and Athenes, also called
‘Pelponesian War’: it lasted for 30 years.
Spartan War II 431 – 421 BC Sparta and Athenes; Spartans
victorious
Battle of Arabia 331 BC Greek and Persian forces; Greeks
victorious.
Battle of Magnesia 190 BC Syrian and Roman forces; Syrian
forces defeated (north-west Lydia).
Hundred Year War 1337 – 1453 France and England
War of Roses 1455 – 1485 Civil War in England between the
two rival royal houses of Lancaster and
York; White and red rose were
their respective symbols.
Anglo-Spanish War 1588 Spanish and English fleets
fought in the English Channel; Defeat of the Spanish fleet.
Thirty Year War 1618 – 1648 Started as religious-cum-
political war between (Conto) the Lutherans
and Catholics in Germany and
developed into an international war.
Civil War of England 1642 – 1649 Between Cavaliers (King Charles
supporters) and forces of the Parliament
led by Oliver Cromwell; King
Charles I executed.
Subject : General Knowledge (Indian Polity)
Diffrent Sources of the indian constitution
 Although the skeleton of the constitution was derived from Government of India Act 1935, many
provisions were imported from other constitution,, of the world. Some of them are listed below:
 Government of India Act 1935: Federal scheme, office of Governor, power of Federal judiciary,
emergency powers etc.
 Constitution of Britain: Law making procedures, rule of law, provision for single citizenship,
Parliamentary system of government, office of CAG.
 Constitution of USA: Independence of judiciary. judicial review, fundamental rights, removal of

Supreme Court and High Court judges, preamble and functions of Vice-president.
 Constitution of Canada: Federation with strong Centre, to provide residuary powers to the centre.
 Constitution of Ireland: Directive Principles of State policy, method of presidential elections, and
the nomination of members to Rajya Sabha by the President,
 Constitution of Germany: Provisions concerning the suspension of fundamental rights during

emergency.
 Constitution of Australia: Idea of the Concurrent list.
 Constitution of South Africa: Amendment with 2/3rd majority in Parliament and election of the
Members of Rajya Sabha on the basis of proportional representation.
The Preamble
 The 42nd Amendment (1976) added the words Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ end now the Preamble
reads as follows:
 “We, the people of India having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign, Socialist,
Secular, Democratic Republic and to secure to all its citizens: Justice, social. economic and
political; Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship Equality of status and of
opportunity: and to promote among them all Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual an
unity and integrity of the Nation. In our Constituent Assembly on this twenty-sixty day November, 1949,
we do hereby, Adopt, Enact and Give Ourselves this Constitution.”
Subject : English (Common Error)

1. Articles
1. Articles: There are three articles in English—a, an and the. A and an are called indefinite
article.The is the definite article. An article is placed before a noun. If there is an adjective before a
noun, the article is placed before the adjective:
a train, a fast train, an incident, an unusual incident
Note: We can never use a singular count noun alone, that is, without a/an/the/my/some/any etc.
2. A/an: Singular count nouns take the indefinite article a/an with them:
a ball
an egg
a dog
an elephant
Uncount nouns do not generally take an article with them. we do not generally say
a milk
a beauty
a wisdom
for milk, beauty, wisdom cannot be counted.
3. We use a with singular count nouns beginning with a consonant sound:
a girl a map auniversity a union
a one-sided affair a one-rupee note
Note: That the words university, union, and one begin with a vowel but no a vowel sound. University
and union begin with the yoo sound while one begins with the w sound.
Well-known words which begin with a vowel but take a with them are:
European uniform union unit
universal usual useful eau-de-cologne
4. An: An is used before words beginning with a vowel sound:
an umbrella an opportunity an honest boy an honourable person
The letter h in honest and honourable is not sounded. Common words in English which begin with
an unsounded h are:
heir heiress honest honorary
honourable hour hourly
5. In abbreviations, if consonants begin with a vowel sound, they take an before them:
an M.P.
an S.P.
But if consonants begin with a consonant sound, they take a before them:
a Ph.D.
a B.Ed.
6. Note the use of a in the following phrases:
a pity a shame
a pleasure a noise
a rage a nuisance
a headache a toothache
a bad cold in a whisper
in a low voice in a loud voice
to be at a loss
7. The definite Article the: The, the definite article, is a weakended form of that. It is
pronounced as (di:) when it preceded a vowel sound and as do before a consonant sound. In
meaning also, it is weaker than that. Instead of pointing out, it defines, particularises or
singles out:
I have read the book you are talking of. (not any book but a particular book that is being referred to)
The artists who came to seem me today are quite accomplished. (not any artists but the ones who
came to see me today)
8. In the examples given in § 7, the book and the artists are particularised by two adjective
clauses. In certain cases, a noun's being particular may be clear from the context and it may
not have any defining expression with it. The is also prefixed to such a noun:
Shut the door. (the door of the room in which we are sitting)
He was brought before the Principal. (The Principal of the institution in which he was studying)
The king pardoned him. (the king we are talking about at the moment)
9. If I am looking at the picture of a room, I can talk about the ceiling, the floor, because there
is only one ceiling and one floor, but I cannot talk about the wall if there are more than one
walls in the picture because I would not be talking about the only one. I can, however, talk
about the left wall and the right wall because there is only one left wall and one right wall in
the picture.
10. More about the: We use the definite article the
1. with superlatives and the words used in the superlative sense:
the best student in the class
the Chief Justice
the Prime Minister
2. when special emphasis almost equivalent to the use of the superlative is intended:
He is the leader today. (the greatest leader)
This is just the thing. (the right thing)
This is the way to solve this problem. (the proper way).
3. even in comparative degrees when one of the two items is singled out in preference to the
other:
He is the moon, the world, (But not: He is the finer batsman than others. The correct form would be :
He is a finer bats man than others.)
4. with things of which there is only one in our world, or things which are otherwise well
known but do not begin with a capital letter:
the sun, the moon, the world, the equator, the north, the east.
5. in place of possessive adjectives:
I hit him on the head. (= his head) Disappointment stared him in the face.( = his face)
6. with common nouns when one noun is used to represent the whole class or species:
The horse is a faithful animal.
The lion is the king of animals.
7. with an adjective with a plural notion to indicate a class of persons:
The rich should help the poor. (We can say: Rich men should help poor men But not: The rich men
should help the poor men.×)
8. as an adverb in case of certain comparatives:
The more we get, the more we want.
The harder you work, the better it will be.
9. to suggest distribution: (= each)
We can buy oranges by the dozen.
Cloth is sold by the metre.
Subject : English (Prepositions)
Prepositions of Time
A number of prepositions may be used to denote time: from Monday; after my return; during the
night; till tomorrow; before the bell rings; a quarter to ten.
In most cases, it is easy to decide which preposition to use. The following prepositions, however,
need special attention.
1. At, on, in
(a) At usually denotes a definite point of time but can also be used for indefinite periods:
at 7 p.m.; at this moment; (Definite at midnight; point of time)
at the end of the class;
at night; at dawn; (indefinite at Durga Puja; at Diwali. periods)
(b) On is used with days and dates:
on Monday; on 1st May;
on the annual day; on a May afternoon.
(c) In is used with parts of the day, and with months, years, seasons:
in the morning; in September;
in 2004; in winter.
(d) In is also used with the future tense to show the period in which an action will happen:
in a week; in four hours.
(e) In and within. In means at the end of; within means before the end of:
I shall be back in a week. (when a week is over)
I shall be back within a week. (before a week is over)
2. By
By refers to a point of future time and denotes the latest time at which an action will be over:
The competition will be over by 6 p.m.
(It should be over before it is 6 p.m., but the latest time at which it can be over is 6 p.m.)
They will have declared the result by tomorrow evening.
3. For
For is used with periods of time to show the duration of an action. It is mostly used with perfect
continuous tenses though it may be found with other tenses as well:This discussion has been going
on for two hours.
I have worked in this office for two years.
For may sometimes be omitted also:
I have been busy the whole morning. (for the whole morning)
4. Since
Since marks the point of time at which an action began. It is used only if the action has continued till
the time of speaking; hence it is found with perfect continuous tenses. Unlike for, it can never be
ommitted:
She has been teaching in this college since 2001.
A cool breeze has been blowing since morning.
5. From
From denotes the starting point of an action and is used in all cases except when the action has
continued till the moment of speaking. It is almost invariably used with to or till:
The examination will be held from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
He was the Chief Minister of the state from 1999 to 2002.
6. At, in
(a) At has the idea of an exact point and is, therefore, used with houses, villages, small towns. In has
the idea of a larger area and is used while speaking of bigger towns, states, countries, etc.:
at Karol Bagh in New Delhi;
at Ambala; in England;
at the end; in the middle.
(b) At conveys the idea of a general neighbourhood; in conveys the idea of something contained:
We say at the table to take our lunch.
Please wait for me at the Regal PVR.
Turn left at the next crossing.
There are two Pepsi bottles in the refrigerator.
You will find the stapler in the drawer.
7. On, upon
On is used while speaking of things at rest; upon is used with things in motion:
The file is on the table.
The dog sprang upon the table.
8. Above, over
Both above and over mean higher than. Sometimes we can use either of them:
The flags waved over our heads.
The flags waved above our heads.
But over can also mean coverning, or vertically above:
My father put a blanket over me.
There is a fan exactly over the table.
9. Below, under
Both below and under mean lower than and sometimes we can use either of them. But under means
vertically below. It also has the idea of contact:
There was a beautiful lake below us in the valley.
His shoes were lying under the table.
She put the keys of the wardrobe under her pillow.
10. Into
Into denotes movement towards the interior of something:
He jumped into the well.
One stream flows into another.
Figuratively: We have entered into an agreement to export handicrafts to some European countries.
11. For
For is used to denote direction when the verb shows the beginning of a movement:
The children leaves for the school at 7 a.m.
We shall soon set off for Mumbai.
12. Against
Against shows pressure or contact:
He threw the goods against the wall.
Prepositions of direction from. Most common among these are: from, off, out of:
13. From
From is used with the point of departure:
He brought these books from the market.
He had already gone from home.
14. Out of
It is the opposite of into. It means from the interior of:
He took a few books out of the almirah.

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