Textbook
History of Modern India
The old-NCERT modern India classic, from the decline of the Mughals to independence.
Kasturba Gandhi
Freedom fighter
British Raj (Crown Rule)
1869 – 1944
Satyagrahi and wife of Mahatma Gandhi.
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
| 1869 | Birth of Mahatma Gandhi |
| 1872 | First census of British India |
| 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| 1878 | Vernacular Press Act Indian-language newspapers were curbed; repealed in 1881.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. |
| 1905 | Swadeshi movement launched Boycott of British goods and promotion of Indian industry. |
| 1905 | Partition of Bengal It triggered the Swadeshi movement and was annulled in 1911. |
| 1906 | All-India Muslim League founded |
| 1907 | Ugyen Wangchuck becomes first King of Bhutan |
| 1907 | Surat split of the Congress The Congress divided into Moderates and Extremists. |
| 1908 | Khudiram Bose executed |
| 1909 | Morley-Minto Reforms Separate electorates for Muslims were introduced. |
| 1911 | Capital moved from Calcutta to Delhi |
| 1911 | Delhi Durbar annuls the Partition of Bengal Bengal was reunited and the capital moved to Delhi. |
| 1916 | Lucknow Pact The Congress and the Muslim League agreed on joint constitutional demands. |
| 1919 | Third Anglo-Afghan War; Afghan independence The Treaty of Rawalpindi recognised Afghanistan's control of its foreign affairs. |
| 1919 | Jallianwala Bagh massacre Nationwide outrage followed and Tagore renounced his knighthood. |
| 1919 | Rowlatt Act Gandhi called a nationwide Rowlatt Satyagraha. |
| 1928 | Simon Commission boycotted Lala Lajpat Rai died after a police lathi-charge. |
| 1930 | Salt March to Dandi Gandhi broke the salt law, launching the Civil Disobedience Movement. |
| 1931 | Execution of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru |
| 1942 | Quit India Movement Congress leaders were jailed, but the movement showed British rule was untenable. |
| 1943 | Bengal famine |
Contemporaries
Lalon Fakir
c. 1774 – c. 1890
Baul mystic poet of Bengal
Alexander Cunningham
1814 – 1893
Founder of the Archaeological Survey of India
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
1817 – 1898
Founder of the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
1820 – 1891
Campaigned for the Widow Remarriage Act of 1856
Begum Hazrat Mahal
1820 – 1879
Led the 1857 revolt in Lucknow
Nana Sahib
born 1824
Adopted heir of Baji Rao II who led the 1857 revolt at Kanpur
Swami Dayananda Saraswati
1824 – 1883
Founder of the Arya Samaj
Dadabhai Naoroji
1825 – 1917
The 'Grand Old Man of India' who formulated the drain theory
Jyotirao Phule
1827 – 1890
Founder of the Satyashodhak Samaj
Allan Octavian Hume
1829 – 1912
Retired civil servant who helped found the Indian National Congress
Savitribai Phule
1831 – 1897
Pioneer of women's education who opened a girls' school in Pune
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
1836 – 1886
Mystic of Dakshineswar and guru of Vivekananda
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
1838 – 1894
Author of Anandamath, which contains Vande Mataram
Jamsetji Tata
1839 – 1904
Founder of the Tata Group
W. C. Bonnerjee
1844 – 1906
First President of the Indian National Congress
Annie Besant
1847 – 1933
Theosophist who launched a Home Rule League in 1916
Surendranath Banerjea
1848 – 1925
Founder of the Indian Association in 1876
Raja Ravi Varma
1848 – 1906
Painter of Indian mythological subjects in oils
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
1856 – 1920
Declared 'Swaraj is my birthright' and edited the Kesari
Sree Narayana Guru
1856 – 1928
Kerala reformer who preached 'One caste, one religion, one God'
Bipin Chandra Pal
1858 – 1932
Swadeshi leader, the 'Pal' of Lal-Bal-Pal
Pandita Ramabai
1858 – 1922
Scholar who founded the Mukti Mission for women
Jagadish Chandra Bose
1858 – 1937
Pioneer of radio science and plant physiology
Rabindranath Tagore
1861 – 1941
First Asian Nobel laureate (Literature, 1913)
📚 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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