General Studies 1

Post Mauryan Period: Central India Sunga Dynasty The Mauryan Empire was succeeded by the Sunga monarchy, an ancient Indian monarchy. It existed from around 185 BCE until 73 BCE. Pushyamitra Shunga founded the dynasty after the fall of the Mauryans.  … Continue reading →

Mauryan Empire The Mauryan Empire is considered to have been founded by Chandragupta Maurya (321-297 BCE). Chandragupta assembled an army and defeated the Nanda empire in Magadha, present-day eastern India, creating the Mauryan Empire. After becoming king, Chandragupta expanded his … Continue reading →

Mahajanapadas The Mahajanapadas were 16 large and powerful kingdoms that emerged in ancient India during the 6th century BCE. The Mahajanapadas were found in northern and eastern India. The modern-day states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh were … Continue reading →

Jainism Vardhamana Mahavira Lord Mahavira, who established Jainism, was born in what is now Bihar, India, approximately in 599 BCE. Mahavira is regarded as the 24th Tirthankara (spiritual teacher).   Pic Credit – Wikimedia Commons Principles in Jainism Ahimsa (non-violence) – … Continue reading →

Buddhism: Literature and Buddhist Councils Buddhist Literature One of the first written and structured literary corpuses in Indian history is found in Buddhist literature. The Tripitakas are the oldest, most comprehensive, most methodical compilation of early Buddhist sacred texts. Pali, … Continue reading →

Buddhism: Philosophy Founded by Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) in the 6th century BCE in Northern India Gautama Buddha  The founder of Buddhism, Gautama or Siddhartha, was born in 567 B.C. in Lumbini Garden in Kapilavastu. His father was Suddodhana from the … Continue reading →

Vedic Economy, Religion and Polity Vedic Economy Initially, the Vedic Aryans worked as pastoralists. Their principal activity was cattle raising. They raised cattle, sheep, goats, and horses to provide milk, meat, and skins. Many words stem from the word “ga” … Continue reading →

Vedic Literature and Vedic Society The Vedic period in Indian history is a crucial time that is often divided into two main phases: the Early Vedic period (1500 BCE to 1000 BCE) and the Later Vedic period (1000 BCE to … Continue reading →

IVC: Features Town Planning Grid Layout – The IVC’s cities often had straight, connecting streets and were laid out in a grid-like layout. A clearly defined street grid was made by orienting the streets North-South and East-West. Credit- Knowledgeday2day Uniformity … Continue reading →

Indus Valley Civilisation The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization, was one of the world’s oldest urban civilizations, flourishing in what is now modern-day India and Pakistan between 3300 and 1300 BCE. The Indus River, which flows … Continue reading →