Current Events of india

The basic per month salary of an IAS officer starts at Rs.56,100 (TA, DA, and HRA are extra) and can go on to reach Rs. 2,50,000 for a Cabinet Secretary. A career in the Indian Administrative Service is one of the most sought-after professions in India. Every year, lakhs of people take the UPSC Civil Services Exam but only a handful clear the exam, and an even smaller number cut Indian Administrative Service officers. There are a lot of things that attract youngsters in the country towards a life in the civil service. Apart from the pride and honour that comes with being a career civil servant or diplomat, the IAS salary and benefits that come along with the responsibilities and powers are also a factor. Salary Structure of IAS Officers and IAS Career Path – 7th Pay Commission The new pay structure has dispensed with the system of ‘Pay Grades for Civil Services’ and introduced ‘Consolidated Pay Levels’ in the 7th Central Pay Commission. Now the IAS pay scale is decided only on...

Satavahana Dynasty The Sunga dynasty came to an end in around 73 BC when their ruler Devabhuti was killed by Vasudeva Kanva. The Kanva dynasty then ruled over Magadha for about 45 years. Around this time, another powerful dynasty, the Satavahanas came to power in the Deccan area. The term “Satvahana” originated from the Prakrit which means ” driven by seven” which is an implication of the Sun God’s chariot that is driven by seven horses as per the Hindu mythology. Origin & Development of Satavahana dynasty The first king of the Satavahana dynasty was Simuka. Before the emergence of the Satavahana dynasty, a brief history of the other dynasties are mentioned below: Kanvas (73 BC – 30 BC) As per the Puranas, there were four kings of the Kanva dynasty namely, Vasudeva, Bhumimitra, Narayana and Susarman. The Kanvas were Brahmins. The Magadha Empire had diminished by this time considerably. Northwest region was under the Greeks and parts of the Gangetic plains were under different ruler...

 Sunga Dynasty  After the death of Ashoka, the Mauryan Empire steadily disintegrated as his successors were not able to keep the vast empire from fracturing away. Independent kingdoms arose out of the provinces. Foreign invasions were occurring in the northwest. Kalinga declared its independence. In the South, the Satavahanas rose to power and in the Gangetic plains, Sunga or Shunga dynasty replaced the Mauryas. Pushyamitra Sunga Pushyamitra Sunga was Brahmin army chief of Brihadratha, the last king of the Mauryas. During a military parade, he killed Brihadratha and established himself on the throne in 185 or 186 BC. According to some historians, this was an internal revolt against the last Mauryan king. Some say it was a Brahminical reaction to the Mauryan overwhelming patronage of Buddhism. Pushyamitra Sunga’s capital was at Pataliputra. He successfully countered attacks from two Greek kings namely, Menander and Demetrius. He also thwarted an attack from the Kalinga king Kha...

Indo-Greek Rule The Bactrian Greeks moved into the south of the Hindu Kush area by the early 2nd century BCE. Indo-Greeks are these groups of these Bactrian Greeks that ruled over north-western India between the 2nd century BCE and early 1st century CE.  Indo-Greek Rule After the decline of the Mauryas, northern India was split into several kingdoms. In the Magadha region, the Sungas came to power in about 185 BC. After that, the Kanvas came to power who were defeated by the Satavahanas originally from the Deccan. Northwest India was constantly under attack from powers in Central Asia and northwest. The Indo-Greek or the Graeco-Indian Kingdom has established around 180 BC when the Graeco-Bactrian king Demetrius invaded the Indian subcontinent. Indo-Greeks – Initial presence of Greeks in India After Alexander invaded the northwest part of the subcontinent, one of his generals, Seleucus Nicator, founded the Seleucid Empire. In Seleucus’s conflict with the mighty Chandragupta Maurya, ...

Kushan Empire - Origin, Achievements & Kanishka's Rule Kushans or Kuei-Shang were one of the five Great Yueh-chi (tribes) principalities. In the 1st century CE, Kujula Kadphises (Kadphises I) brought together these five principalities and founded the Kushan Empire. The Kushans movement in India can be traced back to the first century CE during Kadphises I time. Kushan Empire Origin Kushanas are considered to be one of the five branches of the Yuezhi tribe who lived in the Chinese frontier or central Asia. They are known as Guishuang in Chinese sources. They eventually acquired dominance over the other Yuezhi tribes. They moved eastward towards India defeating the Parthians and the Sakas in the 1st century AD. Kushan Empire – Ruler Kujula Kadphises or Kadphises I [AD 30-AD 80) Kujula Kadphises was the first Yuezhi chief to lay the foundation of the Kushana Empire in India. He established his supremacy over Kabul, Kandahar and Afghanistan. He was succeeded by his son Vima Taktu o...

Buddhist Councils and Important Texts There are four Buddhist councils, the first one being held around 483 BC under the patronage of King Ajatshatru of the Haryanka Dynasty under Magadha Empire. The other three Buddhist councils were held around 383 BCE, 250 BCE, and 72 AD respectively.  List of Buddhist Councils Four Buddhist Councils were held under different kings. First Buddhist Council Conducted under the patronage of King Ajatasatru of Haryanka dynasty. The council was established in order to arrive at a consensus on how the  teachings of the Buddha  could be spread further. It was held in 483 BC just after Buddha’s demise. It was held at Sattapani caves (Sattaparnaguha) in Rajagriha. The monk who presided over the first council was Mahakassapa. Main objective was to preserve the Buddha’s teachings. At this council, Ananda composed the Suttapitaka (Buddha’s Teachings) and Mahakassapa composed the Vinaypitaka (monastic code). Second Buddhist Council Conducted under ...

Ashoka - Life & Dhamma  Early life Son of Mauryan Emperor Bindusara and Subhadrangi. Grandson of Chandragupta Maurya. His other names were Devanampiya (Sanskrit Devanampriya meaning Beloved of the Gods) and Piyadasi. Considered one of India’s greatest emperors. He was born in 304 BC. His reign lasted from 268 BC to 232 BC when he died. At its zenith, Ashoka’s empire stretched from Afghanistan in the west to Bangladesh in the east. It covered almost the whole Indian subcontinent except present Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and modern-day Sri Lanka. Ashoka built many edicts all over India including in present-day Nepal and Pakistan. His capital was at Pataliputra (Patna) and had provincial capitals at Taxila and Ujjain. Rise to power Ashoka was not the eldest son of Bindusara and so was not the heir presumptive. Bindusara wanted his elder son Susima to be crowned the next king. But Ashoka was trained in military and weapons and showed great skills as an administrator when he was made th...

Central Government Mauryan administration was highly centralized. The Emperor was the supreme power and source of all authority. He was assisted by a Council of Ministers. It was called ‘Mantriparishad’. The ministers were called ‘Mantris.’ The council was headed by ‘mantriparishad-adhyakshya’ akin to the Prime Minister of today. Tirthas: the Highest category of officials in the administration. There were 18 Tirthas. Adhyakshya: Ranked next only to Tirthas. There were 20 Adhyakshyas. They had economic and military functions. Mahamattas: Higher ranking officials. Amatyas: High ranking officials almost like present-day secretaries. They had administrative and judicial roles. The Adhyakshyas were formed into a secretariat, which was divided into many departments. Arthashastra mentions many Adhyakshyas for commerce, storehouses, gold, ships, agriculture, cows, horses, city, chariots, mint, infantry, etc. Yuktas: Subordinate officers responsible for the Empire’s revenue. Rajjukas: Officers ...