Indian History

The Indus Valley Civilization

Indus Valley Civilisation is also called as Harappan Civilisation, where Harappa is the first excavated city of the civilisation.

Harappan civilisation is divided into 3 stages:

1. Early Harappan Civilisation (circa 3500 - 2600 Before Common Era)
2. Mature Harappan Civilisation (c. 2600 - 2000 BCE)
3. Late Harappan Civilisation (c. 2000 - 1600 BCE)

Important Harappan sites:

1. Manda
2. Rakhigarhi
3. Banawali
4. Mitathal
5. Kalibangan
6. Dholavira
7. Nageshwar
8. Rangpur
9. Lothal
10. Harappa
11. Ganweriwala
12. Kot diji
13. Chanhudaro
14. Balakot
15. Amri
16. Mohenjo-dado
17. Sutkagendor

Mohenjo-daro (Pakistan) is the largest Harappan site.

The top 5 biggest Harappan sites are

1. Mohenjo-daro
2. Harappa
3. Gaweriwala
4. Rakhigarhi
5. Dholavira

Cholistan is a desert area of Pakistan bordering the Thar desert.

Seals are made up of Steatite. Seals display animal motifs and script.

Beads are made from carnelian, jasper, crystal, quartz, steatite, copper, bronze, gold, shell, faience, terracotta and burnt clay.

Weights are made of chert and are in cubical shape. Lower denominations are in binary and higher denominations are in decimal.

Terracotta model of plough was found at Banawali.

Ploughed fields were found at Kalibangan. The fields had perpendicular furrows, where two crops are grown simultaneously.

Canals were found at Shortughai, Afghanistan.

Water reservoirs were found at Dholavira, Gujarat.

Utensils were made of stone, metal and terracotta.

Domestic animals - cattle, sheep, goat, buffaloes, pig and oxen.

Wild animals - Boar, Deer and gharial.

Crops - wheat, barley, lentil, chickpea, sesame, mullets and rice.

Food subsistence - plant and animal products including fish.

Cities are divided into two parts: citadel and lower town. Citadel is in the western direction and lower town is in the eastern direction. However, Lothal and Dholavira are exceptions.

Alexander Cunningham is the first director general of ASI and is known as father of Indian archaeology.

Magan is the old name of Oman.

Meluhha is the old name of Harappan region.

Dilmun is the old name of Bahrain.

Copper is imported from Khetri of Rajasthan and Magan.

Gold is imported from South India.

Harappans worshipped Mother Godesses, Preist Kings, Pasupati and Nature.

The Pasupati seal also contains tiger, elephant, buffalo and rhino.

Indra, the warrior god of Aryans is called as puramdara ( fort destroyer ).

Harappa was excavated by D.R.Sahni.

Mohenjo-daro was excavated by R.D. Banerjee.

Mauryan Empire

Chandragupta Maurya

Founder of Mauryan Empire.

First Emperor of India.

Also known as Sandrokottos or Androcottus.

Son - Bindusara.

Grandson - Ashoka

Adopted Jainism

Became ascetic under Bhadrabahu.

Ended his life in Sallekhana ( Death by fast ) at Sravana Belgola, Karnataka.

Bindusara

Ashoka

Ghadar Party

1. Established by Punjabi immigrants in Canada and the U.S
2. Aim - to gain independence of India from British.
3. Ghadar means revolt.
4. Important persons - Kartar Singh Sarabha, Lala Har Dayal, Rashbehari Bose  and Sohan Singh Bhakna.
5. The Hindustani Workers of the Pacific Coast formed the base for setup of Ghadar Party.
6. Ghadar Party started as the Pacific Coast Hindustan Association in 1913 in the U.S.
7. Sohan Singh Bhakna is it's first President.
8. Started a weekly paper called The Ghadar, first published from Sanfrancisco on November 1, 1913.
9. Officially dissolved in 1948.

Komagata Maru

1. SS Komagata Maru - Japanese ship that carried 376 Indians from Hong Kong to Vancouver, Canada.
2. Canada denied entry to 352 Indians citing 'The Asian Exclusion Act' and sent back the ship.
3. 19 Indians were killed by the British on return of the ship to India at Budge Budge in Calcutta.
4. The incident triggered the growth of Ghadar Party.

Indian Polity

Constitution of India

The Preamble

"We the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic and to provide to all its citizens
Justice; social, economic and political
Liberty of thought and expression;
Equality of status and opportunity
and promote among them all Fraternity to promote unity and integrity of the nation
On this twenty sixth day of November 1949, we adopt, enact and give ourselves this constitution"

The Union and its territory

Citizenship

Fundamental Rights

Directive Principles of State Policy

Fundamental Duties

The Union

States

Money Bill

It is defined by article 110, provisions related to tax, financial obligations, consolidated fund of India, contingency fund of India and public account of India.

A bill is declared as a money bill or not by the speaker.

Money bill can be introduced only in the loksabha on the recommendation of the President.

Money bill cannot be referred to a joint select committee.

Rajyasabha may accept the bill.

Rajyasabha may propose recommendations to the bill. These amendments may or may not be accepted by the loksabha.

Rajyasabha may not act on the bill for 14 days.

In all the three cases above, the bill is said to be passed by both houses of the parliament.

The President may accept or withhold the bill. However, he cannot return the bill for reconsideration.

The Parliament

Parliament - President + Loksabha (House of the People/First Chamber/House of Elders)+ Rajyasabha (Council of States/Second Chamber/Popular House)

Hindi names were adopted in 1954.

Parliament - Legislative wing of the government

President - Mr. Pranab Mukerjee

Loksabha - 552 (max)

Rajyasabha - 250 (max) 

Rajyasabha origin - Montague-Chelmsford Report (1918)

 Vice-President is the ex-officio Chairman of Rajyasabha.

Parliamentary Committees

Public Accounts Committee (PAC)

1. It is constituted by the Parliament. (As it is a Paliamentary Committee, it is constituted by the Paliament)
2. Role : to examines the expenditure of the Government of India. (Looks after the Public Accounts i.e. Accounts of the Government of India/Public)
3. Composition :  22 MPs, elected through system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote.
4. Distribution : 15 MPs are from Loksabha and 7 MPs from Rajyasabha. (Majority is from Loksabha)
5. Chairperson : Selected by the Speaker of the LS from the MPs of LS in the committee.
6. Term : 1 Year.
7. A minister is not eligible to be elected as a member.
8. Since 1967, the Chairman is selected from the opposition. (Became a Convention) 

Attorney General of India

1. Chief legal advisor of the union government. (SC is the legal advisor of the President under aticle 143. Advocate General is the chief legal advisor of the state government.)
2. Primary attorney of the union government in the SC.
3. Appointed by the President.
4. Holds office during the pleasure of the President. (No security of tenure.)
5. Qualified to be appointed as the judge of the SC.
6. Has right to audience in all courts of India.
7. Has right to participate in the proceedings of the Parliament, without voting right.
8. Assisted by Solicitor General and Additional Solicitor Generals.
9. M.C. Setalvad is the first AG of India.
10. Mukul Rohatgi is the 14th and current AG of India.

Important Non-Constitutional Bodies

Planning Commission

National Development Council

Central Information Commission

State Information Commision

National Human Rights Commission