Social Studies (History, Geography, Civics, Economics)
History
Telangana's dynastic sequence runs through the Satavahanas, Ikshvakus, Vishnukundins, Kakatiyas and Qutb Shahis to the Asaf Jahis. The Kakatiya ruler Rudrama Devi and the Ramappa temple at Palampet, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021, are repeatedly asked. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah founded Hyderabad and built the Charminar in 1591. In the national movement, remember 1857, the Indian National Congress in 1885, the partition of Bengal in 1905, Quit India in 1942, independence in 1947 and the integration of Hyderabad State in 1948.
Geography
Latitudes are parallel circles, longitudes are meridians, and Indian Standard Time is fixed at 82 degrees 30 minutes east. Telangana sits on the Deccan plateau, drained by the Godavari and the Krishna, with red sandy and black cotton soils and monsoon-dependent agriculture.
Civics and economics
The Constitution gives the Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles, the three lists and three tiers of government; the 73rd and 74th Amendments gave constitutional status to panchayats and urban local bodies. In economics, know the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors, GDP, budget, inflation, banking, and the replacement of the Planning Commission by NITI Aayog.
Worked example
Who built the Charminar and in which year? Reasoning: the monument stands in Hyderabad, a city founded by the Qutb Shahi dynasty. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah founded the city and raised the Charminar in 1591. Answer: Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, 1591.
Traps that cost marks
- Crediting the Ramappa temple to the Qutb Shahis; it is Kakatiya.
- Merging 1948, 1956 and 2014 into one date.
- Confusing latitude with longitude in grid questions.