Indian History One-Liners for RRB NTPC (Quick Revision Guide)

 Ancient India

Indus Valley Civilization (2600–1900 BCE)

Harappa and Mohenjodaro, both in present-day Pakistan, were the leading urban centers of the Indus Valley Civilization.

The Great Bath at Mohenjodaro is considered the earliest public water tank in history.

The people of this civilization pioneered cotton cultivation and were masters of city planning with well-designed drainage systems.


Vedic Age (1500–600 BCE)

The Rigveda, composed around 1500 BCE, is the oldest Veda containing 1,028 hymns.

The Rigveda mentions the “Battle of Ten Kings” (Dasarajna) fought along the Parushni (Ravi) river.

The use of iron in India began during the Later Vedic period (around 1000 BCE).


Mauryan Empire (321–185 BCE)

Chandragupta Maurya, guided by Chanakya (Kautilya), established the Mauryan dynasty in 321 BCE.

After the Kalinga War (261 BCE), Ashoka embraced Buddhism and promoted non-violence.

Kautilya’s Arthashastra is the earliest known text on political science and administration.


Gupta Age (320–550 CE)

The Gupta rule is known as the “Golden Age of India” due to progress in literature, art, and science.

Kalidasa, often called the Shakespeare of India, wrote Abhijnanasakuntalam during Chandragupta II’s reign.

Aryabhatta (476 CE) calculated the value of π and explained solar as well as lunar eclipses.



Medieval India

Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526)

Qutb-ud-din Aibak founded the Sultanate and commissioned the Qutub Minar.

Alauddin Khilji was the first Sultan to expand into South India and enforced strict market control measures.

Muhammad bin Tughlaq shifted his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad and experimented with token currency.


Mughal Empire (1526–1857)

Babur laid the foundation of the Mughal dynasty after defeating Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat (1526).

Akbar introduced the policy of “Sulh-i-Kul” (universal tolerance) and founded Din-i-Ilahi.

Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in Agra, now a UNESCO World Heritage monument.


Regional Powers

Shivaji established the Maratha kingdom in 1674, being crowned at Raigad Fort.

Tipu Sultan, known as the “Tiger of Mysore,” fought four wars against the British.

The Vijayanagara Empire, with Hampi as its capital, was founded in 1336 by Harihara and Bukka.


British Colonial Period

Early Colonial Era (1757–1857)

The Battle of Plassey (1757) gave the British political dominance in India under Robert Clive.

The Regulating Act of 1773 made Warren Hastings the first Governor-General of Bengal.

Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement in 1793, granting zamindars hereditary rights over land.


Revolt of 1857

The first war of independence began at Meerut on May 10, 1857, sparked by Mangal Pandey’s defiance.

Rani Lakshmibai, Tatya Tope, and Kunwar Singh emerged as heroic leaders of the revolt.

After its suppression, the Government of India Act 1858 transferred power from the East India Company to the British Crown.


Social and Religious Reform

Raja Ram Mohan Roy established the Brahmo Samaj in 1828 and fought against Sati.

Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj in 1875 with the slogan “Back to the Vedas.”

Swami Vivekananda represented India at the Chicago Parliament of Religions in 1893.


Freedom Struggle

Early Nationalist Phase (1885–1905)

The Indian National Congress was set up in 1885 by A.O. Hume, with W.C. Bonnerjee as its first president.

Lord Curzon’s partition of Bengal (1905) triggered the Swadeshi and Boycott movements.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak declared, “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it.”


Revolutionary Movements

The Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) was started by Sachindranath Sanyal; later renamed HSRA.

Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev were hanged on March 23, 1931, for the Lahore Conspiracy Case.

Chandrashekhar Azad embraced martyrdom in a gunfight at Alfred Park, Allahabad (1931).


Gandhian Era (1915–1947)

Gandhi returned from South Africa in 1915 and began mass movements based on Satyagraha.

The Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22) ended after the Chauri Chaura incident.

Gandhi launched the famous Salt March from Sabarmati to Dandi (March 12, 1930), covering 390 km.


Towards Independence (1935–1947)

The Government of India Act (1935) introduced provincial autonomy.

The Quit India Movement of 1942 was launched with the slogan “Do or Die.”

The Mountbatten Plan (1947) led to India’s partition and the creation of Pakistan.


Post-Independence India

Integration and Constitution

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the “Iron Man of India,” integrated 562 princely states.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee of the Constitution.

India became a Republic on January 26, 1950, with Dr. Rajendra Prasad as its first President.


National Days

August 15, 1947 – Independence Day

January 26, 1950 – Republic Day

October 2 – Gandhi Jayanti (also International Day of Non-Violence)

January 23 – Birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose

Quick Facts on Key Personalities

Freedom Fighters

Mahatma Gandhi – “Father of the Nation,” assassinated on January 30, 1948.

Jawaharlal Nehru – First Prime Minister, author of Discovery of India.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose – Founded the Indian National Army (INA).

Sardar Patel – Deputy Prime Minister who integrated princely states.


Rulers & Leaders

Ashoka – Spread Buddhism after the Kalinga War.

Akbar – Mughal emperor known for religious tolerance.

Shivaji – Father of Maratha Swarajya, expert in guerrilla warfare.

Tipu Sultan – Mysore ruler, pioneer of rocket artillery.


Important Battles (with Years)

Battle of Hydaspes: 326 BCE – Alexander vs. Porus

Second Battle of Panipat: 1556 – Akbar vs. Hemu

Third Battle of Panipat: 1761 – Ahmad Shah Abdali vs. Marathas

Battle of Buxar: 1764 – British victory in Bengal

Fourth Anglo-Mysore War: 1799 – Death of Tipu Sultan


Cultural & Scientific Contributions

The concept of zero was introduced by Brahmagupta (7th century CE).

Chess originated as “Chaturanga” during the Gupta period.

Ayurveda and Yoga are India’s timeless contributions to health science.

Takshashila and Nalanda were world-renowned centers of learning.



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