Modern India

The history of modern India begins with  the ascent of Europeans to the British rule leading to the Independence of India .

Portuguese - The portuguese were the first to discover the sea route to India .Vasco da Gama reached Calicut via the cape of good hope on 17 May 1498 .Alfanso de Albuquerque captured Goa.

Dutch - In 1602 ,the Dutch East India company was formed ,and the Dutch set their first factory in Masulipattanam in 1605,followed by more factories in Pulicat ,Surat etc .They were defeated by the British in the battle of Bedera in 1759 .

English - The East India Company was established in 1600 ,and they set up their first factory in Surat in 1608.Later ,they established their trading centre at Bombay ,Calcutta and Madras .

Danish - In 1616 ,the Danish East India company was formed and they established their settlements at Serampur (Bengal).

French - The French established their factory at Surat in 1664 .They were defeated in Carnatic wars by the British .

India in 1860 

British Conquest of India 

At the beginning ,the British had to face challenges from the Dutch and French to establish their rule in India .It was Robert Clive who laid the British foundation in India .

Carnatic wars

There were three Carnatic wars fought between the French and the British .In the first Carnatic war (1745-48),the French were defeated and Madras was restored to the English .In the second Carnatic war (1749-54) ,Arcot was captured by the British .In the third carnatic war(1758-63) ,the French were defeated in the Battle of Wandiwash and British gained the control over South India .

Conquest of Bengal

In 1756 ,Colonel Robert Clive and Admiral Watson captured Calcutta .But it was the Battles of Plassey and Buxar that led to the BRitish conquest of Bengal .

Battle of Plassey -(1757)

The British led by Robert Clive ,defeated the ruler of Bengal,Siraj-ud-Daula .This marked the beginning of the "Drain of Wealth"from India to Britain .

Battle of Buxar(1764) -This battle was faught between the British and the triple alliance of NAwab Mir Quasim of Bengal ,Nawab Suja-ud-Daula of Awadh and the Mughal emperor Shah Alam .The alliance was defeated .

Anglo-Mysore wars 

First war (1766-69)

The British allied with Nizam and Marathas fought against Haider Ali (ruler of Mysore) .The war ended in a draw and defencive treaty was concluded .

Second War (1780-84)

Haider allied with Nizam and Marathas and fought against the British .Haider Ali died  and Tipu Sultan suceeded him at the throne .The war ended in a draw and Treaty of Mangalore was concluded by Tipu an Lord Mc Cartney .

Third War (1790-92)

Tipu Sultan

Tipu Sultan defeated British in 1790 and the Treaty of Seringapatam (1792) was signed between Tipu Sultan and Lord Cornwallis .

Fourth War (1799) -Tipu was defeated an killed in the war of 1799 .A major part of Tipu's kingdom was aneexed to British India .

Anglo Maratha War -There were three Anglo Maratha wars faught over the period from (1775-1818).All the terretories of Peshawas were annexed by the British and the Bombay Presidency was created .

British Rule 

Governer Generals -

Warren Hastings -He was the first Governer General of India .He introduced the Regulating Act of 1773 ,therby ending the dual Government of Bengal andalso introduced the Pitt's India Act of 1784.
  Warren Hastings also founded the Asiatic society of Bengal with Sir William Jones in 1744.He wrote the introduction of the English Translation of the Gita done by Charles Wilkins .

Lord Cornwallis (1786-93) -He introduced Permanent Revenue Settlement or the Zamindari system in Bengal in 1793 .He also introduced the system of Civil Service in India .

Sir John Shore -(1793-98)- He played an important role in the introduction of permanent settlement in 1793.

Lord Wellesly (1798-1805)-He introduced the System of Subsidiary Alliance (1798),fought he fouth Mysore war and established the Madras Presidency .

Lord Minto I (1806-1813)-Vellore Mutiny (1806) took place during the rule of Lord Minto .He concluded the Treaty of Amritsar with Ranjit Singh in 1809 .

Lord Hastings (1813-23)-During Hasting's tenure ,the third Maratha war was faught .He created Bmabay presidency in 1818 .He also introduced the Ryotwari settlement in Madras Presidency in1820 .

Lord William Bentink

Lord Amherst (1823-28)-During Amherst's time India ,the first Burmese war(1824-26) was faught and Bharatpur (1826) came under the British Empire .

Lord Willim Bentink (1828-35)- Bentinck brought about he social reforms by prohibition of Sati in 1829 and supression of Thuggee(1829-35) .He introduced English a sthe medium of higher education in 1833 on MAcaulay's recommendation .Charter Act of 1833 was introduced during his time .

Sir Charles etcalf(1835-36)-He abolished all restriction on press .

Lord Auckland(1836-1842) -The first Afghan war was faught while lord Auckland was the Governer General .

Lord Ellenborough(1842-44)- The first Sikh war took place (1845-46)during the regime of Lord Allenborough .

Lord Hardinge I (1844-48) -Hardinge prohibited female infanticide .

Lord Dalhouse (1848-56) -Lord Dalhousie introduced the Charter Act of 1853 and applied the Doctorine of Lapse .He introduced the first railway in India (first train line between Bombay and Thane ).He intoduced the first Telegraph line in India between Calcutta and Agra .and the portal system in 1853.He established the Public Works Department and introduced the Widow Remarriage Act in 1856.

Viceroys of India

Lord Canning (1858-62)

Lord Canning was the last Governer General and the first Viceroy of India .The Sepoy Mutiny took place during his time and the empire of India was passed on to the crown in 1858 .The Universities of Calcutta ,Bombay and Madras were established in 1857 .

Lord Elgin I(1862-63) -When Lord Eligin died in 1862,Sir Napier and Sir Denison carried out his administration duties .

Lord Lawrence(1863-69)-Lord Lawrence established the high courts at Calcutta .Bombay and Madras in 1865 .

Lord Mayo (1869-72)-The Rajkot college in Kathiyawar and the Mayo college of Ajmer were established by Lord Mayo .He organised the statistical Survey of India .He was assasinated in the office by a convict in the Andamans in 1872.

Lord Northbrook (1872-76)-Prince of Wales visited India during his time in 1875.

Lord Lytton (1876-80)-Lord Lytton organised the Delhi Durbar in 1877 to entitle queen Victoria as Kaisar -e-Hind .He passed the Vernacular Press Act and Arms Act of 1878.

Lord Ripon (1880-84)-The first census of India took place in 1881(254 million) .He introduced local self governance;removed Vernacular Press Act .appointed the educational Commission under Sir William Hunter in 1882 and passed the Ilbert Bill in 1883.

Lord Dufferin(1884-88)-The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885 during the tenure of Lord Dufferin.

Lord Lansdowne(1888-94)-He appointed the Durand Commission to define the line between British India and Afghanistan (now between Pakistan and Afghanistan) in 1893.

Lord Elgin II(1894-99)-The Chitral expedition took place and the Russo-Afghan Frontier was settled .The great Famine of 1896--97 occured during his period .Two British officers were assasinated by Chapekar Brothers in 1897 .

Lord Curzon(1899-1905)-Many things happened during Lord Curzon's tenure which include passing of the Indian university Act 1904,on the recommendations of Thomais Raleigh Commission ;passing the Indian Coinage and paper currency Act 1899;The Ancient Monument Preservation Act 1904. Last but not the least in 1905 ,the Partition of Bengal also took place while Lord Curzon was in the office .

Lord Minto II .(1905-1910)-TheMorley Minto Reform or the Indian Council Act 1909 ,was passed ;it invisaged a seperate electorate for Muslims .

Lord Hardinge II (1910-16)-The partition of Bengal was cancelled in 1911.Delhi was made capital in place of Calcutta in 1912 .The Coronation Durbar of King George (V) and queen Marry took place at Delhi in 1911 .

Lord Chelmsford (1916-21)-During the span of these five years ,the August declaration (1917)and the Government of India Act 1919 or Montague-Chelmsford reforms,were declared ,the Rowlett Act 1919 was passed and the Jallianwala Bagh  Massacre took place on 13th April 1919.

Lord Reading (1921-26)-The main event that occuered at his time was the cancellation of the Rowlett Act and withdrawl of of the Non-Cooperation Movement by Gandhi due to the Chauri Chaura incident on 5 th February 1922 .

Lord Irwin(1926-31)-Simon Commission visited India in 1928 and the First Round Table Conference was held in England in  1930.

Lord Wellington(1931-36)-Three major events that took place during his time was the Second and Third Round Table Conference being held in 1931 and 1932 .respectively ,and passing of the Government of India Act in 1935.

Lord Linlithgow (1936-43) -

During his tenure Subhash Chandra Bose formed Forward Block in 1939 and Second World War broke out in 1939.August Offer was made by Linlithgow in 1940and was rejected by the Congress .Gandhiji started Satyagrah .Cripp's Mission 1942 offered Dominian Status to India and Quit India Movement(1942) resolution was passed.

Lord Wavell (1944-47) -

He organised the Shimla Conference in 1945.The INA trials and the naval mutinies took place in 1946 .and the Interim Government was formed by the Congress in 1946.

                                         Lord Mountbatten (March 1947- June 1948) -

Lord Mountbatten 

He was the first Governer General of Free India .Partition of India was declared by the"June 3 Plan of Mountbatten" on 4 th july 1947 . He was succeeded by C Rajgopalachari as the last Governer General of Free India .
Constitutional developments 

Regulating Act of 1773 -

With the passing of this Act ,the dual government of Bengal came to an end .The Governer of Bengal also became the Governer General of British India .The  Supremem Court was established in Calcutta .
Pitt's India Act of 1784 -With this Act ,a board of control,constituting six members ,was established to superwise and control India .

Charter Act of 1830 -This Act threw upon Indian trade to all British subjects .But the companiy's monopoly of trade in tea and trade with China was not distributed .

Charter Act of 1833 - Free trade was established and compan'y monopoly in tea and trade with China was ended .The Governer General-in-counsil was given the power to make laws for British India .

Charter Act of 1853 -Under this Act ,the recruitment to the Indian Civil Service(ICS) began through a competetive examination.Additional members were included in th e Governer General's Council which acted as Legislative Council.

Government of India Act of 1858 - The rule of British crown began in India with the passing of this Act .A post of secretary of states for India was created with a 50 men council to assist him .The Governer General of India was made the viceroy and he was assisted by an executive council .

Indian Council Act of 1861 - Under the Indian Council Act of 1861 ,the portfolio system was introduced in the viceroy's Executive Council .Legislative counsils were established in various provinces such as Madras ,Bombay and Bengal .

Morley -Minto Act or Indian Council Act -1904 - Direct elections were introduced to the legislative council .Seperate electorates were introduced were introduced for Muslims .

Government of India Act ,1919 -With the introduction of this Act ,the Dyarchy system was introduced in the provinces .Provincial subjects were divided into 'reserved subjects' (such as police ,jails,revenue,and irrigation were to be administered by the Governer and the executive council ) and transport subjects (such as education ,local,self government and public health were to be looked afer by the governer and his ministers).
The Central ligislature was made bi-cameral.The High Commissioner of India was appointed in London .

Government of India Act 1935 -This Act made the provision for the establishment of "All Indian Federation 'consisting of British Provinces and Princely states .Provincial autonomy was introduced and Provincial Legislatures were made bi cameral in six provinces (Bengal, Madras, Bombay, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Assam) .Seperate electorates were extended to Sikhs, Europeans, Indian - Christians and Anglo Indians .A federal court was established at Delhi in 1937.