🇮🇳 Ultimate Exam-Oriented Timeline: Modern Indian History (1707 - Present)
🏛️ Phase 1: Expansion of British Power & Early Resistance (1707 – 1857)
Focus: Wars, Treaties, Governor-Generals, and Economic Impact.
1707: Death of Aurangzeb. Decline of Mughals starts.
1717: Farrukhsiyar’s Farman: EIC ko 'Dastak' (Free Trade Pass) mila.
1739: Battle of Karnal: Nadir Shah ne Muhammad Shah Rangeela ko haraya (Kohinoor & Peacock Throne looted).
1757: Battle of Plassey
Governor: Robert Clive (First Governor of Bengal).
Exam Point: Siraj-ud-Daulah vs Clive. Treachery by Mir Jafar.
1760: Battle of Wandiwash: French power crushed by British (Sir Eyre Coote).
1761: 3rd Battle of Panipat: Ahmad Shah Abdali vs Marathas.
1764: Battle of Buxar
Exam Point: Hector Munro (British) vs Combined Armies (Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah, Shah Alam II). This established real British power.
1765: Treaty of Allahabad: Clive returns. Diwani Rights (Revenue) of Bengal, Bihar, Odisha obtained. Dual Govt starts.
1767-69: 1st Anglo-Mysore War: Hyder Ali wins. Treaty of Madras.
1773: Regulating Act of 1773
Exam Point: Warren Hastings became 1st Governor-General of Bengal. Supreme Court established at Calcutta (1774).
1780-84: 2nd Anglo-Mysore War: Hyder Ali dies, Tipu Sultan continues. Treaty of Mangalore.
1784: Pitt’s India Act: Dual control (Board of Control for politics, Court of Directors for trade).
1790-92: 3rd Anglo-Mysore War: Tipu loses half kingdom. Treaty of Seringapatam.
GG: Lord Cornwallis.
1793: Permanent Settlement (Zamindari System)
GG: Lord Cornwallis (Father of Civil Services in India).
Exam Point: Zamindars made owners of land. 10/11th revenue to British.
1798: Subsidiary Alliance (Sahayak Sandhi)
GG: Lord Wellesley.
Order of Signing: Hyderabad (1798) -> Mysore (1799) -> Tanjore (1799) -> Awadh (1801) -> Peshwa (1802).
1799: 4th Anglo-Mysore War: Death of Tipu Sultan.
1802: Treaty of Bassein: Peshwa Baji Rao II signs Subsidiary Alliance.
1809: Treaty of Amritsar: Between Ranjit Singh and British (Metcalfe).
1813: Charter Act of 1813
Exam Point: EIC trade monopoly ended (except Tea & China). 1 Lakh for education. Christian Missionaries allowed.
1817: Paika Rebellion (Odisha): Led by Bakshi Jagabandhu. (Often asked as First War of Independence possibility).
1817-19: 3rd Anglo-Maratha War: Maratha Empire ended. Peshwaship abolished.
1820: Ryotwari System (Munro & Reed) in Madras/Bombay.
1828: Brahmo Samaj: Founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
1829: Abolition of Sati:
GG: Lord William Bentinck. Act XVII.
1833: Charter Act of 1833
Exam Point: GG of Bengal became GG of India (Bentinck First). EIC became purely administrative. Law Commission formed (Macaulay).
1835: Macaulay’s Minute: English education promoted.
1848-56: Lord Dalhousie’s Tenure
Doctrine of Lapse: Satara (1848), Sambalpur, Udaipur, Jhansi (1853), Nagpur. Awadh annexed on "Misgovernance" (1856).
1853: First Railway (Bombay-Thane).
1854: Wood’s Despatch (Magna Carta of English Education).
1855-56: Santhal Rebellion: Sidhu & Kanhu Murmu (Jharkhand).
1856: Widow Remarriage Act: Drafted by Dalhousie, passed by Canning. Role of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
🔥 Phase 2: The Revolt & Awakening (1857 – 1905)
Focus: 1857 Leaders, Social Reforms, INC Sessions.
1857: Revolt of 1857
GG: Lord Canning.
Centers & Leaders:
Delhi: Bahadur Shah/General Bakht Khan.
Kanpur: Nana Saheb/Tantia Tope.
Lucknow: Begum Hazrat Mahal.
Jhansi: Rani Laxmibai.
Bihar (Arrah): Kunwar Singh.
1858: Govt of India Act 1858:
Exam Point: Company Rule Ends -> Crown Rule Starts. GG became Viceroy. Lord Canning (1st Viceroy). Secretary of State post created.
1859: Indigo Revolt (Neel Vidroh): Digambar & Bishnu Biswas (Bengal). Book: Neel Darpan.
1861: Indian Councils Act: Portfolio system started (Canning).
1872: First Census (Mayo - not successful). Mayo assassinated in Andaman.
1875: Arya Samaj: Swami Dayanand Saraswati (Satyarth Prakash). "Go Back to Vedas".
1876: Deccan Riots.
1878: Vernacular Press Act (Gagging Act) & Arms Act.
Viceroy: Lord Lytton (Reactionary).
1881: First Regular Census & Factory Act.
Viceroy: Lord Ripon (Father of Local Self Govt).
1882: Hunter Commission (Education).
1883: Ilbert Bill Controversy: Ripon tried to give Indian judges power over Europeans. Failed.
1885: Formation of INC
Viceroy: Lord Dufferin.
Founder: A.O. Hume.
1st Session: Bombay (W.C. Bannerjee).
1892: Indian Councils Act: Indirect elections introduced.
1897: Chapekar Brothers killed Rand (Plague Commissioner). First political murder.
1899: Munda Rebellion (Ulgulan): Birsa Munda.
✊ Phase 3: The Freedom Struggle (1905 – 1947)
Focus: Chronology is King here. Memorize the sequence!
1905: Partition of Bengal
Viceroy: Lord Curzon.
Reaction: Swadeshi Movement declared (Aug 7, Town Hall Calcutta). Rakhi festival.
1906: INC Calcutta Session: Dadabhai Naoroji adopted goal of 'Swaraj'.
Muslim League founded in Dhaka (Salimullah & Aga Khan).
1907: Surat Split: Rasbehari Ghosh (President). Congress split into Moderates vs Extremists.
1909: Morley-Minto Reforms:
Exam Point: Separate Electorates for Muslims. Satyendra Prasanna Sinha first Indian in Viceroy's Executive Council.
1911: Delhi Durbar: Partition of Bengal annulled. Capital shifted to Delhi (Hardinge II).
1913: Ghadar Party: San Francisco. Lala Har Dayal.
1914: Komagata Maru Incident.
1915: Gandhi Arrives (Jan 9).
1916: Lucknow Pact: INC & League unite. Moderates & Extremists unite. (President: A.C. Majumdar).
Home Rule Leagues: Tilak (April) & Annie Besant (Sept).
1917: Champaran Satyagraha (Bihar): First Civil Disobedience. (Tinkathia System).
1918:
Ahmedabad Mill Strike: First Hunger Strike.
Kheda Satyagraha: First Non-Cooperation.
Chronology Trick: C-A-K (Champaran, Ahmedabad, Kheda).
1919:
Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms: Dyarchy in Provinces. Bicameralism at Centre.
Rowlatt Act (March).
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (April 13). Hunter Commission formed to investigate.
1920: Khilafat & Non-Cooperation Movement (Nagpur Session ratified it).
1922: Chauri Chaura Incident (Feb 5). Gandhi withdraws NCM.
1923: Swaraj Party: C.R. Das & Motilal Nehru. Gaya Session.
1924: HRA formed (Kanpur).
Belgaum Session: Only session presided by Gandhi ji.
1925: Kakori Train Action (Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla).
1927: Simon Commission appointed.
1928:
Simon Commission arrives. Lathi charge -> Lajpat Rai dies.
Nehru Report: First attempt by Indians to draft constitution.
Bardoli Satyagraha: Vallabhbhai Patel gets title 'Sardar'.
HSRA formed (Feroz Shah Kotla). Saunders murder (Lahore).
1929:
Central Assembly Bombing (Bhagat Singh, Batukeshwar Dutt).
Lahore Session: J.L. Nehru. Purna Swaraj Resolution.
1930:
Jan 26: First Independence Day celebrated.
Dandi March (March 12 - April 6): Civil Disobedience Movement starts.
1st Round Table Conference (RTC): Congress boycotted.
1931:
Gandhi-Irwin Pact (Delhi Pact).
Karachi Session: Vallabhbhai Patel. Resolution on Fundamental Rights & Economic Policy.
Bhagat Singh Executed (March 23).
2nd RTC: Gandhi ji attended. Failed on communal issue.
1932:
Communal Award (Ramsey MacDonald).
Poona Pact: Gandhi (in Yerwada Jail) & Ambedkar.
3rd RTC.
1935: Govt of India Act 1935: Provincial Autonomy. Federal Court. RBI.
1937: Provincial Elections. Congress ministries formed in 8 provinces.
1938: Haripura Session: Subhash Chandra Bose elected President.
1939: Tripuri Session: Bose defeats Gandhi's candidate (Pattabhi Sitaramayya). Bose resigns -> Rajendra Prasad becomes President.
Forward Bloc formed by Bose.
WWII starts -> Congress Ministries resign (Day of Deliverance).
1940:
Lahore Resolution (Pakistan Resolution) by League.
August Offer (Linlithgow): Dominion status (Rejected).
Individual Satyagraha: 1st: Vinoba Bhave, 2nd: Nehru.
1942:
Cripps Mission: "Post-dated cheque". Rejected.
Quit India Movement (Aug 8): "Do or Die". Parallel Govts formed (Ballia, Tamluk, Satara).
1944: C.R. Formula (Rajaji) & Gandhi-Jinnah Talks.
1945: Wavell Plan & Shimla Conference.
INA Trials (Red Fort Trials).
1946:
RIN Mutiny (Royal Indian Navy revolt in Bombay).
Cabinet Mission Plan (Pethick Lawrence, Stafford Cripps, A.V. Alexander). Rejected Pakistan. Proposed Constituent Assembly.
Direct Action Day (Aug 16).
Interim Govt formed (Sept 2).
1947:
Attlee’s Announcement (Feb 20): British to leave by June 1948.
Mountbatten Plan (June 3): Plan for Partition.
Indian Independence Act (July 18).
August 15: Freedom!
🚀 Phase 4: Post-Independence (Exam Specifics)
Focus: Integration, Wars, Operations.
1948: Operation Polo: Police action to integrate Hyderabad.
1949 (Nov 26): Constitution Adopted.
1950 (Jan 26): Constitution came into force. Planning Commission established.
1951: 1st Amendment to Constitution (Schedule 9 added).
1952: Community Development Programme (CDP).
1953: Andhra State: First linguistic state formed (after death of Potti Sriramulu).
1954: Panchsheel Agreement (India-China).
1959: Panchayati Raj started in Nagaur, Rajasthan.
1961: Operation Vijay: Liberation of Goa from Portuguese.
1962: Indo-China War.
1965: Indo-Pak War. Treaty of Tashkent (1966).
1969: 14 Banks Nationalized.
1971: Indo-Pak War. Bangladesh Liberation.
1974: Pokhran-I (Smiling Buddha).
1975: Sikkim becomes 22nd State (36th Amendment).
1976: 42nd Amendment (Mini Constitution). Fundamental Duties added.
1978: 44th Amendment: Right to Property removed from Fundamental Rights.
1984:
Operation Meghdoot: Siachen Glacier secured.
Operation Blue Star: Golden Temple.
1985: Anti-Defection Law (52nd Amendment).
1991: LPG Reforms.
1992: 73rd & 74th Amendments: Constitutional status to Panchayats & Municipalities.
1998: Pokhran-II (Operation Shakti).
1999: Kargil War (Operation Vijay).
2002: 86th Amendment: Right to Education (Art 21A).
2005: RTI Act passed.
2016: GST Bill Passed (101st Amendment).
2019: J&K Reorganisation Act (Art 370 revoked).