Textbook
History of Modern India
The old-NCERT modern India classic, from the decline of the Mughals to independence.
Birsa Munda
Freedom fighter
British Raj (Crown Rule)
1875 – 1900
Tribal leader of the Ulgulan in Chota Nagpur.
Their world
Move along the chart to see their age in any year, who ruled and what happened; click anything to open it.
The map shows British Raj (Crown Rule) around their lifetime and where the events of their lifetime took place.
Hover a dot for the event; click it to open the full map in that year.
Rulers of the time
Kujula Kadphises
Emperor, Kushan Empire · c. 30 CE – c. 80 CE
Vima Taktu
Emperor, Kushan Empire · c. 80 CE – c. 95 CE
Huvishka
Emperor, Kushan Empire · c. 150 CE – c. 190 CE
Yajna Sri Satakarni
King, Satavahana Empire · c. 170 CE – c. 199 CE
Vasudeva I
Emperor, Kushan Empire · c. 190 CE – c. 230 CE
Sri Gupta
Maharaja, Gupta Empire · c. 240 CE – c. 280 CE
Mahasena
King, Anuradhapura Kingdom · c. 274 CE – c. 301 CE
Ghatotkacha
Maharaja, Gupta Empire · c. 280 CE – c. 319 CE
Chandragupta I
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 319 CE – c. 335 CE
Samudragupta
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 335 CE – c. 375 CE
Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya)
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 375 CE – c. 415 CE
Kumaragupta I
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 415 CE – c. 455 CE
Skandagupta
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 455 CE – c. 467 CE
Dhatusena
King, Anuradhapura Kingdom · c. 455 CE – c. 473 CE
Budhagupta
Maharajadhiraja, Gupta Empire · c. 477 CE – c. 495 CE
Kashyapa I
King, Anuradhapura Kingdom · c. 477 CE – c. 495 CE
Pulakeshin I
King, Chalukyas of Badami · c. 543 CE – c. 566 CE
Kirtivarman I
King, Chalukyas of Badami · c. 566 CE – c. 597 CE
Simhavishnu
King, Pallava Dynasty · c. 575 CE – c. 600 CE
Prabhakaravardhana
King, Pushyabhuti (Vardhana) Dynasty · c. 580 CE – c. 605 CE
Mangalesha
King, Chalukyas of Badami · c. 597 CE – c. 609 CE
Mahendravarman I
King, Pallava Dynasty · c. 600 CE – c. 630 CE
Rajyavardhana
King, Pushyabhuti (Vardhana) Dynasty · 605 CE – 606 CE
Harshavardhana
Emperor, Pushyabhuti (Vardhana) Dynasty · 606 CE – 647 CE
Events in their lifetime
| 1875 | Arya Samaj and Aligarh (MAO) College founded |
| 1876 | Indian Association founded |
| 1877 | Delhi Durbar: Victoria proclaimed Empress of India |
| 1878 | Second Anglo-Afghan War |
| 1878 | Vernacular Press Act Indian-language newspapers were curbed; repealed in 1881. |
| 1883 | Ilbert Bill controversy European opposition forced the bill to be diluted, stirring Indian nationalism. |
| 1885 | Indian National Congress founded It became the principal organisation of the freedom movement. |
| 1887 | Maldives becomes a British protectorate |
| 1893 | Durand Line agreed The frontier between British India and Afghanistan was fixed. |
| 1899 | Birsa Munda's Ulgulan Birsa died in custody in 1900; the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act followed in 1908. |
Contemporaries
Sorted by how long their lives overlapped. The bar shows when, within Birsa Munda’s life.
Dadabhai Naoroji
Freedom fighter · 1825 – 1917
The 'Grand Old Man of India' who formulated the drain theory
Overlap: 25 years
Allan Octavian Hume
Statesman / administrator · 1829 – 1912
Retired civil servant who helped found the Indian National Congress
Overlap: 25 years
Jamsetji Tata
Statesman / administrator · 1839 – 1904
Founder of the Tata Group
Overlap: 25 years
W. C. Bonnerjee
Freedom fighter · 1844 – 1906
First President of the Indian National Congress
Overlap: 25 years
Annie Besant
Freedom fighter · 1847 – 1933
Theosophist who launched a Home Rule League in 1916
Overlap: 25 years
Surendranath Banerjea
Freedom fighter · 1848 – 1925
Founder of the Indian Association in 1876
Overlap: 25 years
Raja Ravi Varma
Artist / musician · 1848 – 1906
Painter of Indian mythological subjects in oils
Overlap: 25 years
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Freedom fighter · 1856 – 1920
Declared 'Swaraj is my birthright' and edited the Kesari
Overlap: 25 years
Sree Narayana Guru
Social reformer · 1856 – 1928
Kerala reformer who preached 'One caste, one religion, one God'
Overlap: 25 years
Bipin Chandra Pal
Freedom fighter · 1858 – 1932
Swadeshi leader, the 'Pal' of Lal-Bal-Pal
Overlap: 25 years
Pandita Ramabai
Social reformer · 1858 – 1922
Scholar who founded the Mukti Mission for women
Overlap: 25 years
Jagadish Chandra Bose
Scientist / mathematician · 1858 – 1937
Pioneer of radio science and plant physiology
Overlap: 25 years
Rabindranath Tagore
Poet / writer · 1861 – 1941
First Asian Nobel laureate (Literature, 1913)
Overlap: 25 years
Motilal Nehru
Freedom fighter · 1861 – 1931
Author of the Nehru Report of 1928
Overlap: 25 years
Madan Mohan Malaviya
Freedom fighter · 1861 – 1946
Founder of Banaras Hindu University
Overlap: 25 years
M. Visvesvaraya
Scientist / mathematician · 1861 – 1962
Engineer and Diwan of Mysore whose birthday is Engineers' Day
Overlap: 25 years
Prafulla Chandra Ray
Scientist / mathematician · 1861 – 1944
Chemist who founded Bengal Chemicals
Overlap: 25 years
Swami Vivekananda
Saint / religious leader · 1863 – 1902
Addressed the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893
Overlap: 25 years
Lala Lajpat Rai
Freedom fighter · 1865 – 1928
'Punjab Kesari' who died after a lathi-charge during the Simon Commission protest
Overlap: 25 years
Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Freedom fighter · 1866 – 1915
Moderate leader and Gandhi's political mentor
Overlap: 25 years
Mahatma Gandhi
Freedom fighter · 1869 – 1948
Leader of non-violent satyagraha against British rule
Overlap: 25 years
Kasturba Gandhi
Freedom fighter · 1869 – 1944
Satyagrahi and wife of Mahatma Gandhi
Overlap: 25 years
Matangini Hazra
Freedom fighter · c. 1869 – c. 1942
'Gandhi Buri', shot while leading a Quit India procession
Overlap: 25 years
Chittaranjan Das
Freedom fighter · 1870 – 1925
'Deshbandhu' who co-founded the Swaraj Party
Overlap: 25 years
📚 Recommended reading
Textbook
A Brief History of Modern India
The most-used exam book for modern India; dense, well organised and revision-friendly.
Reference
India's Struggle for Independence
The standard narrative of the national movement from 1857 to 1947.
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