Famous Revolutions
Renaissance: It is a name given to the Revival of Learning, which started in Italy in the early 14th century
and slowly spread throughout Europe in the late 15th century. It was a
cultural movement that affected areas, such as art, literature,
education and spread of science and technology.
The Glorious Revolution:
A bloodless revolution in England in 1688-89, the Glorious Revolution
resulted in the overthrow of the unpopular King James II and declaration
of William of Orange (a Dutch) and his wife Mary, daughter of King
James as joint sovereigns of England.
The American Revolution:
It is the name given to the struggle by which England's 13 colonies in
North America declared their independence. The declaration of
Independence was issued on July 4, 1776. Its author was Thomas
Jefferson.
The French Revolution:
It is the name given to the struggle which swept away the Old Regime in
France, as well as the fundamental changes which resulted from that
struggle. The immediate cause of the French Revolution was the bankrupt
condition of the French Treasury under Louis XV and Louis XVI. On July
14, 1789 the revolutionaries stormed the Bastille, the state prison for
political prisoners that symbolised the king's despotism. The fall of
the Bastille marked the end of monarchy. The King was beheaded on the
guillotine in 1793 on charges of treason. A new constitution was adopted
in 1795.
Industrial Revolution: It donates a series of changes in the economic conditions of England in the 18th and 19thcenturies
brought about the invention of various kinds of machines that could be
used for the industrial progress of the country, such as steam engine,
spinning and weaving machines; the industrial revolution took place not
only in England but also in other West European countries and the USA.
Russian Revolution: It was one of the most significant events of the 20th century;
main causes were:discontent towards the autocratic rule of Nicholas II,
the new Czar; special privileges enjoyed by the upper class; and
miserable conditions of the labourers and factory workers. The
Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, seized powers in Petrograd (now Leningrad) on
November 7,1917. Nicholas II was forced to abdicate. In 1923, the Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) came into being.
The Hungarian Revolution of 1956:
This revolution took place as a result of public discontent due to the
policies of Matthias Rakosi, head of the Communist Party and the
Hungarian government. The revolution witnessed large scale participation
of students and workers. A new government under Janos Kadar came into
being.
China's Cultural Revolution:
It occurred due to conflict between the radicals and moderates in the
Communist Party with Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Communist Party,
supporting the radicals. The radicals accused the moderates of falling
to follow communist principles.
Islamic Revolution in Iran:
The revolution was a result of hostility of old-fashioned religious
leaders and public towards economic and social reforms introduced by
Mohammad Reza Pahlevi, the last Shah of Iran. Shah's policies led to
fierce fighting and rioting which the government could not control. In
February 1979, a revolutionary government took over under the leadership
of Ayatollah Khomeni. Iran was proclaimed an Islamic Republic.
National Flag :
The National Flag is the horizontal tricolor of deep saffron (kesaria)
at the top, white in the middle, and dark green at the bottom in equal
proportion. At the center of the white band is a navy blue wheel, which
is a representation of the Ashoka Chakra at Sarnath. Ratio of the width
of the flag to its length is 2:3.
National Emblem :
The National Emblem of India is derived from the time of the Emperor
Ashoka. The emblem is a replica of the Lion of Sarnath, near Varanasi in
Uttar Pradesh. The Lion Capital was erected in the third century BC by
Emperor Ashoka to mark the spot where Buddha first proclaimed his gospel
of peace and emancipation to the four quarters of the universe.
National Anthem :
The Jana Gana Mana is the national Anthem of India, composed by
Rabindranath Tagore. It was officially adopted by the constituent
Assembly as the Indian national anthem on January 24, 1950. It was first
sung on December 27, 1911 at the Calcutta (now Kolkata) session of the
Indian National Congress. Playing time of the full version of national
anthem is approximately 52 seconds. A short version consisting of the
first and the last lines of the stanza (playing time approximately 20
seconds) is also played on certain occasions. The whole song consists of
five stanzas.
National Song: Bankim Chandra Chatterji's composed song "Vande Mataram" was adopted as the National Song. It has an equal status with "Jana Gana Mana". It was first sung in the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress.
National Animal:
Tiger is the National Animal of India. It is symbol of India's wildlife
wealth. The magnificent tiger, Panthera tigris, is a striped animal.
The combination of grace, strength and agility and enormous power has
earned the tiger its pride of place as the national animal of India.
National Bird:
The Peacock, Pavo cristatus, is the national bird of India. Emblematic
of qualities such as beauty grace, pride. It is a colourful, swan-sized
bird, with a fan-shaped crest of feathers, a white patch under the eye
and a long, slender neck.
National Sport:
Hockey is the national game of India. It is played all across India.
Indian Hockey Federation(IHF) was formed on the 7th November, 1925 at
Gwalior. In Olympics, India has won the hockey title a maximum of 8
times.
National Fuit:
Mango is the national fruit of India. Described as the "Food of the
Gods", in the sacred Vedas, the fruit is grown almost in all parts of
India.
National Flower:
Lotus botanically known as the Nelumbo Nucifera is the national flower
of India. It is a sacred flower and occupies a unique position in the
art and mythology of the ancient India and has been auspicious symbol of
Indian culture since time immemorial.
National Tree:
Banyan Tree is the National Tree of India. This huge tree towers over
its neighbours and has the widest reaching roots of all known trees. It
is the focal point of village life.
National River:
Ganga is the national river of India. It is one of the major river in
Indian sub-continent. The Ganges is mentioned in the Rig-Veda, the
earliest of the Hindu scriptures. Some of the most important Hindu
festivals and religious worship happens on the banks of the Ganga river.
National Calender: National Calender based on Saka Era with worlds "Chaitra Pratipada"
as its first month and the first day of a normal year of 365 days was
adopted from March 22, 1957 along with Gregorian Calender for the
official purposes. Dates of the national calender, 1 'Chaitra' falling
on 22 March normally and on 21 March in leap year.
