Before studying ‘India’s Freedom Struggle’, we must know the history of ancient India before the 1st invasion. 

India was a self-reliant, prosperous, and well-established civilization in every aspect. Be it social, agricultural, cultural, educational, philosophical, technological, and, of course, financial. India was known as ‘Sone Ki Chidia (Golden Bird). It contributed significantly with its trade routes, connecting to Southeast Asia, Greece, and Rome. Ancient India contributed significantly to the global GDP. Its exports included spices, textiles, silk, precious stones, etc. 

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Ancient India had boundaries far beyond the present day. 

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In the North, all the states around the Indus Valley included parts of today’s Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, and Kashmir. 

 

In the West, India’s boundaries included present-day Pakistan, Gandhara, i.e., Afghanistan’s eastern parts, and some parts of Iran. 

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In the South, the entire Indian Peninsula and Sri Lanka (Ceylon) were under India’s regime.

 

In the East, it covered Bengal and Assam and extended into Southeast Asia. Indonesia, Thailand, and Myanmar were highly influenced. 

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It was India’s prosperity, richness, social structures, educational, cultural, and philosophical advancements, and vast lands that attracted the intruders for looting wealth, expanding territories, taking advantage of India’s geopolitical importance, and propagating their religions.

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Since ancient times, some rulers and empires, such as King Porus, Chandragupta Maurya, Gupta Kings, and King Ashoka, tried to establish the idea of a united India, but it did not materialize. The major reasons were, among other obvious reasons—

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1. Lack of Centralized Leadership,

2. Lack of unity among different communities,

3. Lack of aggression and lack of unified defence,

4. Lack of adaptability of invaders’ policies of conflicts and war methods. 

5. Lack of estimating invaders’ strategies and technologies.

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However, ‘India’s Freedom Struggles’ is a story of bravery and of resilience. But, as narrated above, India lost territories one by one, and foreign invaders started to rule over India.

 

To study the history of ‘India’s Freedom Struggle’, we have attached herewith detailed charts to enhance your knowledge.