20 June
The Black Hole of Calcutta was a small dungeon in Fort William, in Calcutta, India, where troops of the Nawab of Bengal, held British prisoners of war after the Bengali army captured the fort on this day in 1756.
17 June
Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I (reigned 1628-1658), will spend the next 17 years building her mausoleum, the Taj Mahal.
Continue reading “1631 – Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth”
16 May
India annexes Sikkim after the mountain state holds a referendum in which the popular vote is in favour of merging with India. Continue reading “1975 – India annexes Sikkim”
22 April
The 1st Air Commando Group using Sikorsky R-4 helicopters stage the first use of helicopters in combat with combat search and rescue operations in the China Burma India Theater. Continue reading “1944 – the first use of helicopters in combat”
24 February
The Marauders begin their 1,000-mile journey through Japanese occupied Burma. Continue reading “1944 – Merrill’s Marauders”
31 December
The East India Company (EIC), also known as the Honourable East India Company and informally as John Company was an English and later British joint-stock company, formed to pursue trade with the East Indies, but which ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and Qing China. Continue reading “1600 – The British East India Company is chartered”
3 December
The Bhopal disaster, was a gas leak incident in India, considered the world’s worst industrial disaster. It occurred on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Over 500,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other chemicals. The toxic substance made its way into and around the shanty towns located near the plant. Continue reading “1984 – The Bhopal disaster”
The Sino-Indian War was a war between China and India that occurred in 1962. A disputed Himalayan border was the main pretext for war, but other issues played a role. There had been a series of violent border incidents after the 1959 Tibetan uprising, when India had granted asylum to the Dalai Lama. India initiated a Forward Policy in which it placed outposts along the border, including several north of theMcMahon Line, the eastern portion of a Line of Actual Control proclaimed by Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in 1959. Continue reading “1962 – The Chinese declare a unilateral ceasefire in the Sino-Indian War”
12 September – On this day
The Battle of Saragarhi was fought on this day in 1897 between a small contingent of Sikhs defending an army post, and 10,000 Afghan tribesmen. The battle occurred in the North-West Frontier Province, which formed part of British India. Continue reading “1897 – Battle of Saragarhi”
11 September – On this day
The Battle of Delhi took place on this day in 1803 during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, between British troops under General Lake, and Marathas of Scindia’s army under General Louis Bourquin. The battle was fought at Patparganj, right across Yamuna River from Humayun’s Tomb, also giving the battle its local name. Continue reading “1803 – Battle of Delhi”
