Key S
Sabarmati Ashram: was established by Mahatma Gandhi on the Sabarmati river near Ahmedabad (Gujarat).
Sabuktigin: was the first Turkish invader of India.
Saddler Commission: relates to University Education.
Sadri-i-Sadur: was the head of the religious endowments and charities during the Mughal period.
Sailendra : king of Srivijaya in Sumatra who was defeated by Rajendra-I, the Chola king.
Saka Era: is reckoned from 78 A.D.
Salt Satyagrah: See "Dandi March".
Samachar Darpan: was the first vernacular paper published during the regime of Marques of Hastings during the British period.
Samaveda: This Veda is associated with music.
Samiti: General Assembly was called Samiti during the Vedic period.
Samkhya: is the earliest of the orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, founded by the sage Kapila. It was said to have influenced Gautama Buddha. Both Samkhya and Buddhism are based on the notion of suffering, the rejection of Vedic sacrifice, the renunciation of ascetic extravagance, indifference to theism, and belief in the constant 'becoming' of the world.
Samkhya: is the earliest school of Indian philosophy.
Samudragupta: His best-known epigraphic inscriptions are at Allahabad.
Sangam literature: was written in Tamil , mostly in the form of poetry.
Sangola, Treaty of: By this treaty, the power of the Peshwas increased.
Saranjami system: was the important feature of the Maratha revenue system. Regular soldiers were given salaries in cash, though sometimes, the chiefs received revenue grants (Saranjam).
Sardeshmukhi: was an additional levy of 10%, which Shivaji demanded on the basis of his claim as the hereditary Sardeshmukh (chief headman) of Maharashtra.
Sarnath: is associated with Buddha's first sermon. Refer Buddhism.
Satara: After the fall of Raigarh to the Mughals, it was the next capital of the Maratha government
Satavahanas: were the earliest of the historical dynasties of Andhra.
The founder of the Satavahana dynasty was Simuka who ruled for 23 years from about 235 B.C. to 212 B.C.
They issued the coins of lead and potin. (potin is an old compound of copper, zinc, lead, and tin.).
The reign of Satavahanas lasted approximately for 460 years.
Satyashodhak Samaj: Its main programme was upliftment of the backward classes.
Seat of Central Government of India: was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi in 1912.
Secretary of State for India: The office of the Secretary of State for India was created by the Government of India Act, 1858.
Sedition Commission: It was related to the recommendation of Rowlatt Act.
Seleucus (Seleukos Nikator): who assumed power after Alexander as king of Western Asia, was defeated by Chandragupta Maurya, and compelled to retire beyond the frontier.
Servants of India Society: was founded in 1905 by Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
Shah Alam II: was the Mughal emperor at the time of Ahmed Shah Abdali's invasion of India.
Shah Nawaz Khan: was associated with the Azad Hind Fauj organised by Subhash Chandra Bose in Singapore in 1943.
Shahjahan: His original name was Khurram.
Shahrukh: was Mughal silver coin.
Shaista Khan: was deputed by Aurangzeb to suppress Shivaji.
Shaivism:Refer Kashmir.
Shakas and Parthians: belonged to the Kashatriya caste according to Manu.
Shambhaji :was successor of Shivaji.
Shankaracharya: Born in 788 A.D. was a zealous preacher of Hinduism who uprooted Buddhism and Jainism from India. He was propounder of Advaita philosophy i.e., non-dualism or the doctrine of monoism.
He established maths (monasteries) at Badrinath, Dwarka, Sringeri and Puri.
Sharada script: The Kashmiri language was originally written in Sharada script.
Sharda Act: deals with child marriage.
Shashagani: was a coin introduced by Mohammad-bin-Tughlaq having two fractions of mixed copper and silver coinage&endash;half and quarter jitals, described as adha (half) and bikh respectively.
Sher Afghan: was the first husband of Nur Jahan, originally known as Mihr-ul-nisa whom Jahangir married in 1611.
Sher Shah Suri:He ruled during 1540-45. He introduced Afghan form of administration. He built Grand Trunk Road from the river Indus to Sonargaon in Bengal. The monument Purana Qila in Delhi was built by him (Refer Kila-Kuhna Mosque ).
He is known for introduction of the system of horse-posts which facilitated quick exchange of news and supplied the Government with information from different parts of the Empire.
Shivaji: Born in 1627, was a brave general, military genius and capable administrator. He formally crowned himself in 1614 at Rajgarh. His council of ministers was called Ashta Pradhan.
Shuja-ud-daulah: (1754-75) was an implortant figure in the history of northern India. He played a very important part in the Battle of Buxar (1764).
Shyamji Krishna Varma: is known to have made the first organised attempt to establish a centre for training, propaganda and political action for India's deliverance from British oppression. He established the Home Rule Society in 1905 and then opened a centre for study and propaganda in London, called the India House. (See also under Home Rule Society).
Sikandar Lodi: was the Delhi Sultanate ruler who moved the capital from Delhi to a new town which later came to be known as Agra.
Sikandra: near Agra, is known for Akbar's tomb. It was commenced by Akbar himself and completed by his son Jahangir in 14 years' time.
Sikh War, First: The British did not annex Punjab after winning the war because Lord Harding doubted his strength to occupy the Punjab. He needed more troops.
Sikh War, Second: took place during the period of Lord Dalhousie.
Simla Pact: It was signed between India and Pakistan in 1972 after India defeated Pakistan in the war started by Pakistan on Dec 3, 1971.
Simon Commission: was appointed by the British government in November, 1927, to enquire into the progress of responsible government in India. It first visited India in 1928. It did not have Indian representation. It omitted any mention of dominion status and did not recommend transfer of power to India.
Simuka: Refer Satavahanas.
Sindhu: is the river most mentioned in early Vedic literature.
Siri fort city: was built by Allauddin Khilji.
Sitadhyaksha: Superintendent of Agriculture was known as Sitadhyaksha
Smriti: is the traditional knowledge and designates almost the entire body of post-Vedic classical Sanskrit literature. It is often referred to as sastra, a term applied to any religious or philosophical treatise. Manu Smriti is the oldest Smriti.
Solankis: of the Rajput Clan rose to power in Malwa.
Somnath Temple: was robbed in 1025 A.D.
Somnath temple: is situated in Gujarat.
Stupa: During the reign of Ashoka, Stupa was a symbol of Parinirvana.
Stupa, highest in the world: is situated near Abhishek Pushkarni in Vaishali district of Bihar.
Stupas at Sanchi: portray the art and sculpture of Buddhists.
Subsidiary Alliance: In order to safeguard and further the interests of the British Empire, Lord Wellesly, Governor-General of India (1798-1805), followed the policy of subsidiary alliances with regard to the Indian powers, which implied that the Indian powers "were to make no wars and to carry on no negotiations with any other state without the knowledge and consent of the British Government. The greater principalities were each to maintain a native force commanded by British officers. The lesser principalities were to pay a tribute to the paramount power. In return the British Government was to protect them, one and all , against foreign enemies of every sort". Later, the feeble princes were bowed off the mansad into well-pensioned retirements.
The first Indian ruler of a state who joined the Subsidiary Alliance was the Nizam of Hyderabad.
Sufi Movement: In India, Sufi Movement existed in the 10th century. The Sufis propounded the idea of union with God through love.
Sulah-i-kul of Akbar: denotes Universal Toleration or 'Peace with all'.
Sultan Firoz Shah Memoirs: is known as Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi.
Sumerian civilization: evolved a proper system of writing.
Sumerian civilization: flourished on the banks of the rivers Eupherates and Tigris.
Surat split: The first major split in the Congress occurred in 1907 at Surat.
Surendra Sahi: was the prince of Sambalpur (Orissa) who led a number of anti-British revolts in 1857. He was held prisoner in the Hazaribagh jail but was rescued by the rebellious sepoys who challenged the authority of the British government. It was not till 1862 that Surendra Shahi surrendered and was deported.
Surya Sen: was responsible for Chittagong Armoury Raid.
Surya-Sidhanta of Aryabhatta: It was translated into Arabic by al-Biruni.
Sushruta Samhita: is associated with surgery.
Susrutha: is known for his work on medicine during the Gupta period.
Suvarna: is referred to as gold coin in the Gupta inscriptions.
Svetketu: According to the tradition the once universally prevalent custom of indiscriminate sexual union was stopped by the sage Svetketu, son of Uddalaka, who established the custom of the permanent monadrous union. It is binding not only in this life but in the life hereafter.
Manu declared that for a woman, marriage was 'for all time irrevocable, and indissolute. Divorce and remarriage were absolutely forbidden.'
Swaraj Party: It was the first to moot in 1934 the idea of a Constituent Assembly to frame a Constitution for India. C.R. Das was leader of the Swaraj Party in Bengal.
Swarajist Party: The founders of the Swarajist Party were&endash; Vithal Bhai Patel, Moti Lal Nehru and C.R. Das.
Swarajya is my Birthright and I Will Have It: Bal Gangadhar Tilak gave this popular slogan when in 1915-16, the two Home Rule Leagues (one started under the leadership of Mrs Annie Besant and the other under the leadership of Bal Gangadhar Tilak) worked in cooperation and carried out intense propaganda over the country in favour of the demand for the grant of Home Rule or self-government to India.
