History of Post-Independence

India 1
Political History, Constitution, Sports,
Cinema

Course Relevance

I am a B.Tech. student, not a B.A. History

student!!

Hard Benefits of GK
Inescapable part of

IAS exams
GATE
Management Exams
Bank Exams
All kinds of interviews

Key to winning inter-college competitions

MORE MONEY
BETTER CV

Soft Benefits of GK
In your job life, best way to bond
Great way to impress people and form
relationships that last
Get to understand life and society much
better, leading to better life decisions
Big business deals get clinched on small
conversations
Opens doors that may otherwise be closed

Topics & Evaluation

We will cover:
Political history overview
Constitution & related topics
Sports
Hindi Cinema

Short GK quiz in each lecture

Each unit will have one exercise that has
weightage in overall evaluation

Momentum for Independence

Quit India Movement, by INC under Mahatma
Gandhi, 8 Aug 1942
Indian National Army and its activities
Navy Strike in 1946 finally convinced British
PM Attlee announces transfer by June 1948
Expediency arises because of British
impatience
Jinnahs health and conspiracy theory

What is India?
Before 1947, NO SUCH ENTITY
Collection of kingdoms, some prominent
Varieties of empires
Maurya
Gupta
Chola
Mughal

Vassal system

Post-Independence Struggle
More than 500 independent kingdoms
Royal worry over privileges, Rai Bahadur

Orgies, horse-riding and holidays as royal

hobbies, 15 crore payout for big 10
Initial joining by Baroda, Bikaner and other
border kingdoms
Patiala particularly wasteful, signed drunk

Other kingdoms not so easy

Jodhpur & Neighbors

Hindu state, initially ready to join Indian
Union, advised by friends on better terms
from Pakistan
Jinnah jumps, offers free port access, grains,
blank paper
Danger because of Bikaner and Jaipurs proximity

Counter-offer from India, specter of riots,

change of mind

Junagadh & Hyderabad

Muslim rulers, Hindu population
Personal preferences, no geographical logic
V P Menon convinces surrounding kings to
accede, provides military support
Forced to send military into Hyderabad to
counter Razakars & Kasim Razvi
Parallel government in Junagadh, Nawab flees,
Veraval port reclaimed

Travancore
Another name for whats now Trivandrum
Lawyer CP Ramaswamy main power, desired
independence
Strategic port, Pakistan makes overtures
Denunciation of Congress in front of
Mountbatten, attack on CPR
Advises Maharaja to accede to India

Finally India is Formed!

And maybe not
KASHMIR

Hindu king, Muslim majority

Pakistan drums up international opinion
Need to make it seem internal unrest

Flow of tribal warriors into Kashmir

Capture territory within 12km of Srinagar
4000 army men form ring around capital

Kashmir issue to Indo-Pak Issue

Indian troops enter after Hari Singh signs
letter of accession to Indian Union
Nehru offers options to appease, with Article
370 maintaining conditional accession
Indian undone at UN by Zafarullah Khan
Security Council alters name of issue
Until today, problem unresolved
Plebiscite no longer considered viable

What is Article 370?

Indian Parliament needs State Assemblys
permission for anything except:
Foreign Affairs
Defense
Communication

Governs citizenship, ownership of property

and fundamental rights
NOT unique HP, Arunachal, A&N, Nagaland

Article 370 (contd)

Permanent Residence (PR) status
Different for women only upto marriage
High Court rules against loss of PR, law
propounded in 2004 to overturn ruling
Only accession criterion made into a
Constitutional Article
Ambedkar strongly against, done in absentia

Questions
Who was British Indias last Viceroy?
Lord Mountbatten
Who was Indias first INDIAN Governor
General?
C Rajagopalachari
Who was independent Indias first President
Dr. Rajendra Prasad