Areas of Interest: North India, Central India, and South India Unlike the previous period, this period saw was marked by political stability that ensured and encouraged cultural florescence. The Guptas and Vakatakas were the major powers in north and central India respectively. South however witnessed a transitionary period called the Kalabhra Interregnum. This transitionary period… Continue reading Chapter 7 | Gupta Period (300AD – 600AD)

Areas of Interest – North, South & East India (specifically Kalinga) The five centuries that passed between the fall of the Mauryas and the rise of the Guptas witnessed a lot of political instability and upheaval in the North of India. The South however remained fairly stable. NORTH INDIA I. Political Background As the maps… Continue reading Chapter 6 | Post Mauryan Period (200BC to 300AD)

Areas of Interest: North India NORTH INDIA I. Political Background The period from the sixth to the late fourth century BC witnessed the rise of territorial polities-mahajanapadas in North India. This culminated in the establishment of the Mauryan Empire in about 325 BC. The Mauryan Empire was a pan-Indian empire founded by Chandragupta Maurya. Ashoka… Continue reading Chapter 5 | Mauryan Period (400BC – 200BC)

Note4Students It is important to understand the transformations that occur from the Vedic to the Later Vedic period as many of them are carried forward. During this time, the class-divided society transformed into a caste-divided one, polytheistic religion into a sacrificial ritual-dominated one, the condition of women deteriorated, and simple tribal polity transformed into a… Continue reading Chapter 4 | Vedic and Later Vedic Period (1500BC – 600BC)

Note4Students This topic is not one of UPSC’s favorites. A deeper understanding is not required. You need to make a note of 2 things. 1. Understand the evolution of tool technology, memorize which technology(flint, flakes, microliths) corresponds to which age. 2. Refer to the table at the end. Memorize what started in which age. Paleolithic… Continue reading Chapter 1 | Stone Age – Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic

What is Agroforestry? Agroforestry is a sustainable management mechanism for land that: increases overall production, combines agricultural crops, tree crops, forest plants and animals simultaneously, and applies management practices that are compatible with cultural practices of the local population. It is a type of social forestry in which an individual farmer undertakes tree farming and… Continue reading Agroforestry

Cropping Pattern refers to a yearly sequence and spatial arrangement of crops and fallow in a given area Cropping pattern used on a farm and its interaction with farm resources, other farm enterprises and available technology that determines its make up, is called a cropping system. A farmer’s choice of crops is governed by several… Continue reading Part 4 | Cropping Patterns and Systems in India

Important Food Crops 1. Rice: Geographical Conditions of Growth: Rice grows best in areas of warm, humid climate; rice requires temperatures between 20°C and 35°C and a well-distributed rainfall of about 100 cm or irrigation facilities. Fertile soil. Delta and valley soils are the most suitable. Soils with higher clay content are preferred for its… Continue reading Part 2 | Important Food Crops (Rice, Wheat, Maize, Millets, Pulses and Barley) and Horticultural Crops

We discussed in detail alluvial, black, red and laterite soils. Let’s continue the discussion and move on to the next soil types! Source 5. Arid Soils Formation: These are derived from the disintegration of adjacent rocks and are largely blown from coastal regions and Indus valley. Areas: Arid soils are characteristically developed in western Rajasthan,… Continue reading Part 5 | Indian Soils – Arid, Saline and Alkaline, Peaty and Forest Soils

We learnt about the various ways to classify soils. In this article, we will look at the various types of Indian soils in detail (According to ICAR’s classification). Let’s begin! Source 1. Alluvial Soils Formation: They are mainly derived from the debris brought down from the Himalayas or the silt left out by the retreating… Continue reading Part 4 | Indian Soils – Alluvial, Black, Red and Laterite soils

India is one of the 17 mega diverse countries of the world. With only 2.4% of the world’s land area, 16.7% of the world’s human population and 18% livestock, it contributes about 8% of the known global biodiversity, however, putting enormous demands on our natural resources. India is home to world’s largest wild tigers population… Continue reading Natural Vegetation and Wildlife: Part 6 | Conservation of Wildlife

In this article, we continue the discussion and look at various conservation attempts made to protect the Indian forests. Conservation of Forests: 1. The National Forest Policy: The National Forest Policy 1952 aimed at bringing one-third of the total land area with 65% in hilly and 25% in plains under the forest cover. It suggested… Continue reading Natural Vegetation and Wildlife: Part 5 | Conservation of Forests – Afforestation Schemes and Other Initiatives

Vegetation in the Himalayas: The Himalayan ranges show a succession of vegetation from the tropical to the tundra, which changes with altitude. When we look at the vegetational zones, the eastern Himalayas are similar to the western Himalayas. But on the whole, the eastern Himalayas have more tropical elements, a greater variety of Oaks and… Continue reading Natural Vegetation and Wildlife: Part 4 | Vegetation Zones of the Himalayas, The Problems of Indian Forestry

4. Subtropical Vegetation A. Sub-tropical Broad-leaved Hill Forests: Distribution: These forests occur on the lower slopes of the Himalaya in Bengal and Assam and on other hill ranges such as Khasi, Nilgiri, Mahabaleshwar, Pachmarhi, Amarkantak and Parasnath. Important Species: In the eastern Himalayas, Oak, Chestnut, Ash, Birch, Pine are common species. B. Sub-tropical Pine Forest… Continue reading Natural Vegetation and Wildlife: Part 3 | The Sub-tropical, Temperate, Sub-Alpine and Alpine, Littoral and Swamp Vegetation

Moving on, let’s discuss the various natural vegetation types of India in detail: Natural Vegetation Types of India 1. Tropical Evergreen Forests ‘Evergreen’ because there is no definite time for trees to shed their leaves, flowering and fruition. As such these forests appear green all the year round. The common animals found in these forests… Continue reading Natural Vegetation and Wildlife: Part 2 | Tropical Evergreen, Tropical Deciduous and Tropical Thorny Vegetation

Before we discuss the natural vegetation types found in India, let’s get acquainted with some basic terms: Flora, Vegetation and Forests: Flora refers to plants of a particular region or period, listed as a species and considered as a group. Likewise, fauna refers to the animal life, considered collectively, of any given period, environment or… Continue reading Natural Vegetation and Wildlife- Part 1 | An Overview of Natural Vegetation Types Found in India

India’s Climatic Calendar: The Southwest Monsoon Season Chief Characteristics of Monsoonal Rainfall: Monsoonal rainfall is largely governed by relief or topography. For example: The windward side of the Western Ghats registers a rainfall of over 250 cm. The heavy rainfall in the north-eastern states can be attributed to their hill ranges and the Eastern Himalayas.… Continue reading The Southwest Monsoon Season (Jun – Sep) | Part 2

India’s Climatic Calendar: the South-West Monsoon Season Temperature Conditions during this season: As the sun shifts northwards, the temperature rapidly increases especially in the northern India. The wind circulation over the subcontinent undergoes a complete reversal at both, the lower as well as the upper levels. Let’s see how: Distribution of air pressure and winds… Continue reading The Southwest Monsoon Season (Jun – Sep) | Part 1

India’s Climatic Calendar – the Winter Season Temperature Conditions during this season: By the end of December (22nd December), the sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. So, India which is located in the northern hemisphere experiences low temperatures. January and February are the coldest months over most parts of… Continue reading The Winter Season (January – February)

India’s climate can be described as hot monsoonal type. The word monsoon comes from the Arabic word ‘Mausim’ which means ‘season’. Monsoon, by definition, is a wind system that changes wind direction seasonally. The four principal monsoon regions in the world are: South Asia East Asia Northern Australia West Africa Let’s take the case of… Continue reading Indian Climate – An Introduction