History

History - Part1

History notes is helpful in UPSC exams, RRB NTPC exams, SSC CGL exams, Bank exams and more. This is part of UPSC syllabus etc.

1) What are the Eons?
They are the largest divisions of time
2) What is an era?
It is a span of time with respect to chronology. E.g. Geological eras, calendar eras
3) How are ions and geological eras categorized?
Phanerozoic Eon (About 542 million years ago to the present)
 Cenozoic era (About 65 million years ago to the present)
 Mesozoic era (About 250 million to 65 million years ago)
 Paleozoic era (About 542 million to 250 million years ago)
Protezoic Eon (About 2500 million to 542 million years ago)
 Neoproterozoic era (About 1000 million to 542 million years ago)
 Mesoproterozoic era (About 1600 million to 1000 million years ago)
 Paleoproterozoic era (About 2500 million to 1600 million years ago)
Archean Eon (About 4000 million to 2500 million years ago)
 Neoarchean
 Mesoarchean
 Paleoarchean
 Eoarchean
Hadean Eon (From earth formation to 4000 million years ago)
4) What are the time periods of Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age?
Ages (About 2.5 million BCE to 600 BCE)
 The Stone Age (About 2.5 million BCE to 3000 BCE)
 The Bronze Age (About 3000 BCE to 1300 BCE)
 The Iron Age (About 1300 BCE to 600 BCE)
5) When is Prehistory?
Prehistory is divided into Palaeolithic age (old stone age) and Neolithic age (new stone age). The palaeolithic age is from appearance of humans until development of agriculture. The neolithic age is from development of agriculture until the invention of writing
6) How is history divided chronologically?
Ancient history (About 6000 BCE to 500 CE)
Medieval history(About 500 CE to 1500 CE)
Modern history (About 1500 CE to Present)
7) Who is the father of history?
Herodotus
8) What are the great ancient civilizations?
Mesopotamian Civilization (About 3500 BCE – About 500 BCE) existed in Babylonia, Sumer, Assyria highlands which is the current Iraq, Syria and Turkey. It is the first civilization in the world. The name “Mesopotamia” in Greek means “between rivers”. The rivers are “The Tigris” and “The Euphrates”
Indus Valley Civilization or Harappan Civilization (About 3300 BCE – About 1900 BCE) existed in Indus river basin which is the current northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India. It is one of the most widespread civilizations.
Egyptian Civilization (About 3150 BCE – About 30 BCE) existed on the banks of river Nile which is the current Egypt. Popular for construction of Pyramids
Greek Civilization (About 2700 BCE – About 479 BCE) existed in Sicily, North Africa, Italy and France which is the current Greece. It is one of the most influential civilization having great scholars like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Euclid and more
Maya Civilization (About 2600 BCE – About 900 CE) existed in Central America which is the current Mexico. Popular for astronomy
Chinese Civilization (About 1600 BCE – 1046 BCE) existed near Yellow River which is current China. Popular for invention of paper
Persian Civilization (About 500 BCE – 331 BCE) existed near Egypt, Turkey and Indus river which is current Iran. One of the most powerful civilizations.
Roman Civilization (About 550 BCE – 465 CE) existed near Mediterranean countries which is current Rome. One of the most powerful civilizations.
The Aztec Civilization (About 1345 CE – 1521 CE) existed near Colombia and Mexico which is current Mexico
The Incan Civilization (About 1438 CE – 1532 CE) existed near Ecuador, Chile and Peru which is current Peru. It was the largest empire in South America
9) Who dominated Mesopotamia?
The Sumerians and Akkadians
10) When was Babylon conquered?
Babylon was conquered by The Achaemenid Empire around 539 BCE 

11) What is cuneiform?
It is a system of writing used in Middle East in ancient times. It originated in Mesopotamia and is attributed to the Sumerians.

12) To which ancient civilization does the cities Mohenjo-daro and Harappa belong?
Indus Valley Civilization

13) What is Great Bath?
It is an enormous structure of Indus Valley Civilization and may be a public bath. This is in the city of Mohenjo-daro of Indus Valley Civilization.

14) What is Lothal famous for?
It is a port city of Indus Valley Civilization which is in present Gujarat, India

15) What is Pashupati seal?
It is a steatite seal of Indus Valley Civilization found at Mohenjo-daro. There is a figure on it sitting cross-legged

16) Indus Valley Civilization belonged to which age(Stone, Bronze, Iron)?
It belonged to bronze age. They don’t know about Iron

17) Is Indus Valley Civilization urban or rural?
Urban

18) What materials are used to make seals in Indus Valley Civilization ?
Steatite (mostly), gold, terracotta, ivory, agate and chert

19) What is the most sacred tree of Indus Valley Civilization?
Pipal tree

20) What the river associated with Harappa?
Ravi

21) Which is the oldest civilization?
Mesopotamia

22) Why is Chanhu-daro famous?
It is an archaeological site belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization which is in the current Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the only city of the Indus Valley Civilization without a citadel.

23) Which is the most depicted animal of Indus Valley?
Bull

24) Which is the popular work of Art of Indus Valley?
Dancing girl (bronze sculpture) is the popular work of Art of Indus Valley

25) Who are Pharaohs?
Pharaohs are Egyptian kings

26) What is the process of preserving dead bodies known as?
Mummification

27) What is Sphinx?
Sphinx is a pyramid with the body of a lion and head of a man

28) Which is the main writing material of ancient Egypt?
Paper made from papyrus plant. It grows around river Nile

29) What is stylus?
Stylus is a pointed piece of metal used to write on papyrus

30) What is hieroglyphics?
It was the formal writing system used in Ancient Egypt

31) Which civilization is called the gift of the Nile?
Egyptian civilization
32) When was Indus Valley Civilization discovered?
1921
33) What is boustrophedon?
It is a script that is written from right to left on one line and left to right in the next line.
34) When was Mayan calendar first created?
August 11 3114 BCE
35) What did the Mayans eat?
Maize, beans, squash, chillies, turkey, fish, deer and ducks
36) What are the calendars Mayans have?
The Haab, the Tzolkin and the Long count. The Haab and the Tzolkin identify dates but not years
37) What is the Haab?
The Haab is a 365-day Mayan solar calendar that is divided into 18 time periods of 20 days each and a time period that has 5 days(Uayeb). There are total 19 time periods. Each time period is represented by a picture and each day is represented by number and name of the time period. The 5 days(Uayeb) are nameless days. These 5 days are considered unlucky days. Leap year is not adjusted
38) What is Tzolkin?
Tzolkin is a 260-day Mayan calendar that is divided into 20 time periods of 13 days each. Each day has a number and a name. This calendar is also called Divine Calendar or the Sacred Round.
39) What is Long Count?
Long Count is an astronomical Mayan calendar that is used to track long periods of time. It has a “universal cycle” which is 2,880,000 days long. Mayan’s belief is that the universe is recreated after each universal cycle
40) What are the five figures the Mayan calendar used?
Baktun, Katun, Tun, Uinal, Kin.
One Baktun is 20 katun, one Katun is 20 tun, one Tun is 18 uinal, one uinal is 20 kin and 1 kin = 1 day.
There are 20 kins numbered 0 to 19.
There are 20 tuns numbered 0 to 19.
There are 20 katuns numbered 0 to 19.
There are 13 baktuns numbered 1 to 13.
There are 18 uinals numbered from 0 to 17.

41) How many baktuns does a Long Count cycle has?
13
42) What is the Great cycle of Long Count?
It is a period that equals 5125.36 years.
43) What is Dresden Codex?
It is a Maya civilization book that has 78 pages.
44) What is a pagoda?
It is a tiered tower with multiple eaves. It is mostly built to have a religious function.
45) What are the main crops of Chinese Civilization?
Rice and millets
46) Who built the Great wall of China?
About 7th century BCE many walls were built to protect individual states. Qin Shi Huang connected and extended the walls.
47) What are the inventions of Chinese Civilization
Printing, gunpowder and compass
48) What is the birthplace of Chinese Civilization?
The Huang He (Yellow River) Valley
49) Which is the first Chinese dynasty with written records?
The Shang Dynasty(1600 BCE-1046 BCE). Also called Yin Dynasty

50) What are oracle bones?
They are parts of animal bone, used in divination ceremonies in ancient China. They are made of shoulder bone of OX or the lower side of a tortoise’s shell which is called plastron.

51) Who is the first Persian King?
Cyrus
52) Who is the main god of Persians?
Ahura Mazdā
53) How is Persian administration?
Persian emperors have absolute powers. Satraps(Persian Governors) are in provinces and lower level officials were from local authorities
54) Who was the first Roman emperor?
Caesar Augustus was the first Roman emperor. He was also called Octavian.
55) What is Pax Romana?
It is a state of peace in the Roman empire. This is for a period of 200 years from 27 BCE to 180 CE
56) What is the Colosseum?
It is an oval amphitheatre. It is also called the Flavian Amphitheatre
57) What are the famous Roman cities that were obliterated when Mount Vesuvius erupted?
Pompeii and Herculaneum

58) Who are consuls?
They are elected by the senate to govern the country

59) What is the state language of Roman empire?
Latin
60) Who are Aztecs?
They are a Mexican tribe. They were called Mehika

61) Who is the Aztec rain god?
Tlaloc
62) What is the capital city of Aztec empire?
Tenochtitlán
63) What is the meaning of Inca?
King
64) What is the capital of Inca empire?
Cusco
65) What are quipus?
They are knotted tally cards used by Inca Civilization. They convey numerical information
66) What is Machu Picchu?
It is a ruined Inca town
67) Who conquered the Incas?
Francisco Pizzaro and his army
68) What are the important capitals of ancient Egypt?
Thebes and Memphis
69) Which is the Greek island that is first recorded to be inhabited?
Crete.
70) When did Alexander the Great conquer Egypt?
332 BCE

71) Who invented Seismograph?
Chinese
72) Which is the longest ruling dynasty in China?
Zhou dynasty 1046 BCE to 256 BCE
73) Who is the founder of Zoroastrianism?
Zoroaster
74) What did Aztecs use to grow their crops?
The Aztecs used Chinampas (floating gardens) to grow their crops
75) When did the Great fire of Rome happen?
18 July CE to 23 July CE
76) What is Pantheon
The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece
77) What did the Egyptians write on?
Papyrus
78) Who is Zeus?
He is the god of the sky according to Greek mythology
79) Who held the first Olympic games?
Greeks in honour of Zeus in 776 BCE
80) Who is Marduk?
Marduk is the chief god of the city of Babylon