History Booster

 Battle of Plassey TheBattle of Plassey was a battle that took place on June 23, 1757, on the banks of the Bhagirathi River, about 150 km north of Calcutta. It is near Murshidabad, then the capital of the Nawab of Bengal in India. Pâlāshir, an extravagant red flowering tree known as “Flame of … Read more

 Policy of subsidiary alliance, Doctrine of Lapse, Structure of British Raj upto 1857   Of all the European East India companies which came to India as traders in different periods of the 15th and 16th centuries, only the British and the French East India companies remained as dominant ones by the beginning of the 18th … Read more

 Gram Swaraj, Satyagraha and Bhoodana Gram Swaraj Gram swaraj, or village self-rule, was a pivotal concept in Gandhi’s thinking. It was the centerpiece of his vision of economic development in India. Gandhiji’s Gram Swaraj was not the reconstruction of the old village but the formation of fresh independent units of villages having self-sufficient … Read more

Ajanta frescoes The Ajanta caves are located in the western Indian state of Maharashta, cut into the cliff face above the spot where the river Waghora draws a harmonious half-moon through lush vegetation. Discovered by English officers during a tiger hunt in 1819, the caves are in such a remote spot (the nearest towns are … Read more

Folk arts of India Madhubani Art Madhubani, practiced in the Mithilia region of India, is a famous form of folk art. It is done with the help of natural pigments and dyes. The equipment for painting is also usually hand crafted. Geometrical figures and vibrant use of colour are the most strking features of Madhubani … Read more

 Socialist approach and Total Revolution Socialist approach In simple language socialism can be regarded as a movement against the inequality existing in the present social order. It is a plan for a new social order based on justice, equality, free from exploitation of man by man, a co-operative commonwealth of mankind. Though socialists … Read more

 Maharshi Karve Dhondo Keshav Karve, (born April 18, 1858, Sheravali, India—died November 9, 1962, Poona (Pune), Indian social reformer and educator, noted for supporting the education of women and for organizing associations for the remarriage of Hindu widows.  While an instructor in mathematics (1891–1914) at Fergusson College, Poona, Karve became concerned with breaking … Read more

 Museums and Archives in Karnataka; Preservation and protection of historical monuments – work of Archaeological Survey of India – World Heritage Sites in Karnataka. The concept of museums in India may be traced back to the historic times, in which references to the chitrasala (picture gallery) do occur. The earliest necessity to house … Read more

 The Gupta Empire stretched across northern, central and parts of southern India between c. 320 and 550 CE. The period is noted for its achievements in the arts, architecture, sciences, religion, and philosophy. Chandragupta I (320 – 335 CE) started a rapid expansion of the Gupta Empire and soon established himself as the first sovereign ruler of the empire. It marked the end of … Read more

 Islam: Sacred places, the family system, Sharia, Sunni and Shia Sacred places Makkah The most sacred place in Islam is the Ka’ba in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The Ka’ba is a mosque (built by Abraham according to Muslim tradition) built around a black stone. The Prophet Muhammad designated Makkah as the holy city of … Read more