100 Golden Exam Facts

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💡 Harappan streets cut each other at right angles (90 degrees), a layout known as the Grid System.

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💡 Lothal served as the primary Harappan naval trade port for commerce with Mesopotamia and Bahrain.

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💡 The structure was primarily used for ritual bathing and religious purification ceremonies.

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💡 The Battle of the Ten Kings (Dasarajna) was fought on the banks of the Parushni (Ravi) River.

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💡 The Rigveda consists of 10 Mandalas and 1,028 hymns in total.

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💡 The phrase "Satyameva Jayate" is inscribed in the Devanagari script from the Mundaka Upanishad.

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💡 The teachings of Buddha were compiled into the Sutta Pitaka (by Ananda) and Vinaya Pitaka (by Upali).

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💡 This council was presided over by Vasumitra, with Ashvaghosa serving as the vice-president.

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💡 Right Livelihood is NOT part of Jain Triratna; it belongs to the Buddhist Eightfold Path.

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💡 The first Jain Council was held at Pataliputra, presided over by Sthulabhadra.

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💡 Know key capitals: Magadha (Rajgriha/Pataliputra), Kosala (Shravasti), Avanti (Ujjain), and Vatsa (Koshambi).

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💡 Shravanabelagola is located in Karnataka, famous for the colossal statue of Gomateshwara.

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💡 Edict XIII also mentions contemporary Hellenic kings, confirming diplomatic contacts with Syria, Egypt, and Macedonia.

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💡 Kautilya's Saptanga Theory outlines the seven limbs of the state: Swami, Amatya, Janapada, Durga, Kosha, Danda, and Mitra.

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💡 Pushyamitra Shunga performed two Ashvamedha sacrifices, celebrated by Patanjali.

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💡 Simuka was the founder, and Gautamiputra Satakarni was the greatest ruler of this dynasty.

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💡 The Saka Era starting in 78 AD was founded by Kanishka to commemorate his coronation.

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💡 Samudragupta is called the "Napoleon of India" by V.A. Smith and is depicted on coins playing the Veena.

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💡 Chandragupta II defeated the last Saka ruler, Rudrasimha III, earning the title "Sakari" (destroyer of Sakas).

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💡 Nalanda was later destroyed in 1193 AD by Bakhtiyar Khilji, a general of Muhammad Ghori.

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💡 Hiuen Tsang's travelogue is titled "Si-Yu-Ki" (Record of the Western Countries).

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💡 This victory is recorded in the Aihole Inscription, composed in Sanskrit by Pulakeshin II's court poet Ravikirti.

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💡 This temple is a prime example of Dravidian architecture and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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💡 The Uttaramerur Inscriptions of Parantaka I (919 and 921 AD) lay out the detailed eligibility rules and voting methods for Sabha committees.

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💡 The Monolithic Rathas (Five Rathas) of Mahabalipuram were carved earlier under Narasimhavarman I.

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💡 Aibak died in 1210 AD of injuries sustained from falling off a horse while playing Chaugan (ancient polo).

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💡 Iltutmish also organized the "Chahalgani" or "Group of Forty", a powerful corps of Turkish military nobles.

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💡 Razia's reign was cut short by the conservative Turkish nobles and her defeat near Kaithal.

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💡 Balban also introduced the Persian spring festival Navroz and implemented the policy of "Blood and Iron" to crush rebels.

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💡 Alauddin introduced the system of Dagh (branding of horses) and Chehra (descriptive roll of soldiers).

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💡 Due to severe administration problems and water scarcity, he ordered the population to march back to Delhi two years later.

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💡 This led to massive forgery in households; the Sultan had to withdraw the scheme and compensate citizens with gold/silver.

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💡 Firoz Shah was also responsible for bringing two Ashokan Pillars (from Topra and Meerut) to Delhi.

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💡 Sikandar Lodi introduced the Gaz-i-Sikandari (a measurement scale of 30 inches) for surveying agricultural lands.

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💡 The ruins of Hampi represent the capital city of Vijayanagara, now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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💡 Krishnadevaraya's court was adorned by the Ashtadiggajas (eight poets), including Tenali Rama and Allasani Peddana.

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💡 The Vijayanagara forces in the battle were led by the regent minister Rama Raya, who was captured and executed.

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💡 This was the first battle in India where gunpowder, firearms, and field artillery were extensively used.

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💡 Sher Shah established rest houses (Sarais) every two kos (about 4 miles) along the highway for travelers.

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💡 Hemu was on the verge of victory until a stray arrow pierced his eye, causing him to faint and panic his army.

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💡 Mansab ranks ranged from 10 to 10,000, and recruitment was based directly on royal authorization.

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💡 The revenue assessment system was known as the Dahsala or Bandobast System, based on 10-year average yields.

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💡 These debates led Akbar to formulate Din-i-Ilahi (Divine Faith) in 1582, emphasizing peace and morality.

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💡 Jahangir's reign marked the golden age of Mughal miniature painting.

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💡 The Taj Mahal, built between 1631 and 1648 AD as a tomb for Arjumand Banu Begum (Mumtaz Mahal), represents the peak of Mughal architecture.

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💡 Aurangzeb also banned music and dance in his court and discontinued the practice of Jharokha Darshan.

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💡 Know other roles: Amatya (finance), Senapati (commander), Sumant (foreign affairs), and Sachiv (royal correspondence).

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💡 Sardeshmukhi was claimed based on Shivaji's position as the hereditary head-lord (Sardeshmukh) of the land.

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💡 Sankaradeva popularized the Bhakti movement in Assam using theatrical performances (Ankiya Naat).

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💡 Shankaracharya established four monasteries (Mathas) at Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri, and Sringeri.

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💡 Francisco de Almeida was the first Portuguese Viceroy in India, known for the "Blue Water Policy".

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💡 This battle laid the political foundation of British territorial control in Bengal.

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💡 The Treaty of Allahabad (1765) followed, granting the British East India Company the Diwani rights (tax collection) over Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.

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💡 This system led to absolute corruption and administrative breakdown, and was abolished by Warren Hastings in 1772.

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💡 Warren Hastings became the first Governor-General of Bengal under this Act.

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💡 The Nizam of Hyderabad was the first Indian ruler to accept the Subsidiary Alliance in 1798.

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💡 Under the Sunset Law, if a Zamindar failed to deposit the revenue before sunset on a specified date, his estate was auctioned.

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💡 Revenue rates in Ryotwari were high (50% to 60%) and revised periodically, unlike the Permanent Settlement.

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💡 This Act also allocated an annual sum of one lakh rupees for the education and literature of Indian citizens.

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💡 Social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy played a pivotal role in campaigning against Sati, leading to this legislation.

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💡 States annexed: Satara (1848), Sambalpur (1849), Udaipur (1852), Jhansi (1853), Nagpur (1854). Awadh was annexed in 1856 on charges of misgoverning.

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💡 Wood's Despatch is referred to as the Magna Carta of English Education in India.

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💡 The rebels marched to Delhi and proclaimed the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, as Shahanshah-e-Hindustan.

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💡 The Governor-General was given the title of Viceroy, representing the Crown. Lord Canning became the first Viceroy.

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💡 Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee was the first president of INC, and Lord Dufferin was the Viceroy of India at the time.

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💡 This led to the Swadeshi Movement (anti-partition stir) and the boycott of British goods, popularized by Lal-Bal-Pal.

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💡 Lord Minto is known as the "Father of the Communal Electorate" in India.

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💡 Raj Kumar Shukla was the farmer who persuaded Gandhi to visit Champaran to inspect the situation.

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💡 Rabindranath Tagore renounced his British Knighthood in protest against the massacre.

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💡 Shocked by the violence, Mahatma Gandhi immediately suspended the Non-Cooperation Movement on February 12, 1922.

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💡 The pact was signed in Yerwada Central Jail in Pune, where Gandhi was fasting against the Communal Award.

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💡 It was decided to celebrate January 26, 1930, as the first Independence Day across India.

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💡 Gandhi was accompanied by exactly 78 chosen Satyagrahis from different parts of India.

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💡 Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted the national flag at Gowalia Tank Maidan during the movement.

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💡 The boundary lines between the two nations were drawn by the Boundary Commission headed by Sir Cyril Radcliffe.

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💡 Francesco Petrarch is widely regarded as the "Father of Humanism", the central philosophy of the Renaissance.

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💡 The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440 AD helped spread Luther's ideas rapidly.

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💡 The closure of overland trade routes to Asia by the Ottomans forced European nations to launch maritime voyages of exploration.

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💡 The signing of the English Bill of Rights in 1689 limited royal power and established the supremacy of Parliament.

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💡 The Storming of the Bastille prison on July 14, 1789, is celebrated as the national day of France.

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💡 The slogan "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" became the rallying cry of the revolution.

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💡 The period ended with the Thermidorian Reaction and the execution of Robespierre himself in July 1794.

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💡 The Napoleonic Code (1804) standardized civil laws across Europe and remains the basis of legal systems today.

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💡 The textile sector was the first to undergo mechanization, driven by the Spinning Jenny and Power Loom.

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💡 This act of defiance led Parliament to pass the Coercive (Intolerable) Acts, hastening the American Revolutionary War.

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💡 The principal author of the Declaration of Independence was Thomas Jefferson.

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💡 The war officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

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💡 This forced Tsar Nicholas II to issue the October Manifesto, establishing Russia's first elected parliament (Duma).

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💡 The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918) was signed by Lenin, pulling Russia out of World War I.

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💡 Princip was a member of the Black Hand secret society, which aimed to unify South Slav territories.

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💡 The harsh conditions imposed on Germany created economic grievances that contributed to the rise of Adolf Hitler.

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💡 Despite Wilson's efforts, the United States Senate voted against joining the League, weakening its authority.

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💡 The depression spread globally, leading to mass unemployment and political instability in Europe.

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💡 Mussolini styled himself as "Il Duce" (The Leader).

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💡 Germany and the Soviet Union had earlier signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (August 1939) to partition Poland.

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💡 US President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared December 7 "a date which will live in infamy".

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💡 The Manhattan Project was the secret research initiative that developed the atomic weapons.

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💡 The UN officially came into existence on October 24, 1945, celebrated annually as United Nations Day.

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💡 The plan aimed to stimulate economic recovery and stop the expansion of Soviet communism.

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💡 The fall of the wall was the precursor to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991.