History : 2016 : CBSE : [All India] : Set - III

The principles of Jainism, especially ahimsa (non-violence), have had a large influence on the Indian mindset. Non-injury to living beings, especially humans, animals, plants and insects is the core of Jaina philosophy.

During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in North India, many religious leaders like Naths, Siddhas and Jogis questioned Vedic authority. They expressed themselves in languages of ordinary people, which developed into their present forms.

Among the fortifications built by the East India Company, the one at Madras (Chennai) was Fort St. George. It was the nucleus of the White Town, where only Europeans lived, segregated from the rest by walls and bastions.

During the Revolt of 1857, the rebel sepoys sometimes turned to those who ruled before British conquest. Often, these leaders reluctantly agreed to lead the revolt. In Delhi, Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar reluctantly agreed to nominally lead the revolt. In Kanpur, Jhansi, and Arrah (Bihar) Nana Saheb, Rani Lakshmi Bai and Kunwar Singh respectively submitted to popular pressure. In Lucknow, the populace hailed the downfall of British rule by choosing Bijris Qadr, son of the deposed Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, as their leader.However, there were also cases of ordinary people, religious leaders and local leaders leading the Revolt of 1857.

According to the Arya Samaj, the rich Vedic literature contained seeds of all forms of spiritualist and materialist knowledge. There were no possible contradictions, in its view, between Vedic claims and scientific deductions. This was so because unlike other holy texts, Vedas demanded not blind belief on the unobservable, but exploration of higher levels of truth in the most unbiased manner and honesty towards the results of this exploration. Hence, according to Arya Samaj followers, modern science and ancient Indian literature, especially the Vedas, went hand in hand. These values of Indian literature, especially those given by the Vedas, enabled the scientific development of modern India.

There are no immediate answers for the people who ruled Harappan society.Archaeologists claim a large building at Mohenjodaro as a palace, despite lack of associated finds. A stone statue found was labeled as the priest king. Some archaeologists believe that Harappan society had no rulers, that all had equal status. Others feel there was no single ruler but several, where each city functioned as an independent city state. Others argue that there was a single state, given similar artefacts, planned settlements, standardised brick size ratio, and the establishment of settlements near sources of raw material.

Krishnadeva Raya (1509-29) belonged to the Tuluva dynasty, the third dynasty to rule the Vijayanagar Empire. His rule was characterised by expansion and consolidation. Under him, the Vijayanagara Empire acquired the Raichur Doab – the land between the Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers – in 1512. In 1514, the rulers of Odisha were defeated by Krishnadeva Raya. He also inflicted many severe defeats on the Sultanate of Bijapur in 1520. Simultaneously however, despite being in a state of constant military preparedness, the Vijayanagara Empire, under Krishnadeva Raya, flourished under conditions of unparalleled peace and prosperity.

The Amaravati Stupa was discovered long before scholars had understood the value of the finds and realised the importance of preserving things where they were found. When Sanchi Stupa was discovered in 1818, three of its four gateways were still standing, while the fourth one lied on the spot where it had fallen, while the mound was in good condition. Initially, it was suggested that the gateway be taken to Paris or London; but several factors helped to maintain the present condition of Sanchi. On the other hand, the mahachaitya at Amaravati looks like a little mound, totally deprived of its former glory.

Mughal chroniclers reiterated Mughal emperors’ claims to uncontested territorial and political control. They also highlighted diplomacy and conflicts with neighbouring powers, reflecting political rivalry among competing regions.

Relations between Mughals and neighbours like Iran and Turan depended on control of Hindukush frontier that separated Afghanistan from Iran and Central Asia. Mughals warded off this danger by controlling strategic outposts – Kabul and Qandahar; the latter coveted by Safavids and Mughals. Initially with Humayun, it was reconquered in 1595 by Akbar. Although Safavids maintained relations with Mughals, they staked claims to Qandahar. In 1613, Jahangir unsuccessfully pleaded with Shah Abbas the Mughal case for retaining Qandahar, which the latter conquered in 1622.

Under Ryotwari system of revenue collection,

In 1875, riots led by ryots of this region broke out due to the following reasons:

1. High amounts of revenue demanded by the government and its collectors, who seized crops and fined villages if they failed to pay.
2. Increasing indebtedness of ryots, who obtained loans from moneylenders. As ryots could not pay them back, their dependence on moneylenders increased.
3. Exploitative nature of the moneylenders, who manipulated laws and made forged accounts. After the cotton boom ended, moneylenders refused to give loans to peasants.