Modern India (c. 1750–1947): Colonial Rule, Reform and Nationalism
Modern India (c. 1750–1947) covers colonial conquest, agrarian change, social reform, constitutional politics and mass nationalism. The exam tests causal explanation and the ability to link policies to outcomes.
Colonial state and economy
- Battle of Plassey (1757), Buxar (1764), Permanent Settlement (1793), Ryotwari, Mahalwari; deindustrialisation debate; famines and railways.
- 1857 revolt: military, agrarian and elite grievances; Crown rule after 1858.
- Reform: abolition of sati (1829), Widow Remarriage Act (1856), Age of Consent (1891); Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Aligarh movement.
- Nationalism: INC (1885), partition of Bengal (1905) and swadeshi, Home Rule, Gandhi’s satyagraha (Champaran, Kheda, Ahmedabad), Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, Quit India; Muslim League’s Lahore Resolution (1940); Cabinet Mission; Partition.
Worked example
Compare Permanent Settlement and Ryotwari. Reasoning: Permanent Settlement fixed revenue with zamindars in Bengal, creating a landlord class and stable but inflexible state income. Ryotwari settled directly with cultivators, allowing reassessment but demanding accurate land records. Mahalwari worked through village or mahal units. The comparison shows revenue ideology shaping rural power.
Traps
Do not call 1857 the “first war of independence” without qualification; avoid treating Congress as monolithic; check dates of sessions and acts; do not reduce Partition to one cause. Distinguish reformist from revivalist strands.