Part I
History started with the Romans 21
Chapter One 21
The Country and the People 21
The Country 21
Ethnic Origin of the people 21
Geography 22
The English People are a mixed nation 24
The United Kingdom 25
Ireland 25
Chapter Two 26
England under the Romans 26
England as a Roman Colony (35 B.C to 410 AD) 26
Roman Colonial Rule 26
Roman Governors 26
London City 28
Chapter Three
England after the Romans 29
Withdrawal of Roman army 29
Impact of Roman colonial rule 29
Part II 31
European Settlers in Britain
Chapter One 33
Early Stages of Anglo-Saxon Settlement 34
the Jutes came first 34
Angles and Saxons came second 35
Fate of the Brythons or Britons 35
Danes came last 36
Chapter Two 37
Anglo Saxon England 37
Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy Kingdom of Kent 37
Kingdom of Northumbria 38
Kingdom of Mercia 38
Kingdom of Wessex
Danish Occupation of Anglica
Chapter Three 39
Kings of the House of Wessex 39
Egbert (802-839) 39
Alfred the great (871–901) 39
Edward the Elder (901–925) 40
Athelstan (925-940) 40
Edmund (940-946) 40
Edred (946-955) 40
Edwy (955–959) 40
Edgar (959-975) 40
Edward (975-979) 41
Ethelred II (979–1016) 41
Danish Rule in England (1017-1042) 41
Chapter Four 43
Edward the Confessor (1042–1066) 43
Godwing and his positon in the Royal Court
Godwin and his position in the Royal Court 44
Throne goes to the Family of Godwin 44
Defeat of Harold and end of the Anglo-Saxon rule 45
Chapter Five 46
Social Life of Anglo-Saxon England 46
Anglo-Saxon Rule in England 46
Society under the Anglo-Saxon Kings Dispensation of Justice 46
Religion in the Saxon Society (Old Paganism and Christianity) 47
Part III 51
The Normaus in England 51
Chapter One 53
The Norman Conquest 53
William the Conqueror and the King of England (1066-1087) 54
William’s Early Troubles williams 55
Chapter Two 56
Consolidation of William’s power in England 56
His Feudal Policy 56
His policy to the Feudal Lords and Barons 57
Feudalism in England and that in Europe
William’s Feudal Policy
His Policy to the Church 58
William’s Scotland and Danish Policy 58
William’s France Policy 59
William’s Government and Achievement 59
Chapter Three 60
(Continuation of Norman Rule) 60
William II (William Rufus) (1087-1100) 60
Early Problems of William II (Rufus) 60
Rufus’ Reign 61
Death of William Rufus 62
Henry I (1100-1135) 62
His Charter with the Barons and the Church 63
His quarrel with Robert 63
Henry’s Church Policy 63
Henry’ Rule and achievement, Stephen (1135-1154) 64
Reign of Stephen 66
Changes the Norman Conquest Brought in England 66
Part IV 69
England in the Middle Age 69
Chapter One 71
England in Medieval Age 71
Feudalism and Feudal Society 71
Lord and Vassal Relation 72
Tenants-in-Chief 73
Knight 73
Feudalism and the Churchs 74
Freeman 74
Serfs and Slaves 74
Good side of Feudalism 74
Feudal economy 75
Feudal Politics 75
Change in Warfare 75
Chapter Two 76
Role of Church in the Middle Age 76
Pope and Papacy 77
Pope and King 78
Canon Law 79
Conflict of Investitures 79
Church as landlord 79
The Roman Catholics and the Protestants 80
Chapter Three 81
The crusades 81
Pope and the Crusades 81
Effect of the Crusades 84
Chapter Four 85
Renaissance in Europe and end of the Middle Age 85
The fall of Constantinople 86
Renaissance in Italy 89
Renaissance in France 90
Renaissance in Germany 90
Renaissance in England 90
Part V 93
England under the Plantagenet Kings 93
Chapter One 95
Henry II (1154-1189) 95
Richard I (1189-1199) 97
King John (1199-1216) 97
Chapter Two 101
Henry III (1216-1272) 101
Edward I (1272-1307) 102
Chapter Three 107
Edward II (1307-1327) 107
Edward III 1327-1377) 107
Hundred Years War with France 109
The Black Death 111
Development of British Parliament 111
Richard II (1377-1399) 112
Peasants Revolt of 1381 113
Truce with France 114
Richard’s Rule and Fall 114
Part VI 117
England under the House of Lancaster 117
Chapter One 119
Henry IV (1399-1413) 119
Henry and the Parliament 120
Henry and the Church 120
Henry V (1413-1422) 120
Suppression of the Lollards 120
Renewal of War with France 121
Henry VI (1422-1461) 122
Joan of Arc 122
End of the Hundred years war 123
Henry’s Rule 123
The End of the Hundred Years’ War 123
The War of Roses 124
The Second Phase of the War of Roses 125
and End of the war of Roses 126
Chapter Two 127
England under the House of York 127
Edward IV(1461-1483) 127
Edward V (April 9,1483–June 25, 1483) 127
Richard III (1483-1485) 127
Part VII 129
England under the Tudor Dynasty 129
Chapter One 131
Henry VII (1485-1509) 131
Henry’s Reign 131
He Curbed the Power of the Nobles 132
War with France 133
His Dynastic Marriage Policy 134
His Trade Policy with the Continent 134
His Ireland Policy 135
Henry’s Estimate 135
Middle Age made way for the Modern Age 136
Chapter Two 137
Henry VIII (1509-1547) 137
Henry’s Continental Policy 137
Henry and Wolsey 137
Divorce of Catherene 138
Breach with the Pope and the Church of England 138
Reformation in England 139
Henry’s Home Policy 141
The Act of Succession 141
English Navy 141
Henry’s Wives 142
Cromwell and Thomas More 142
Henry’s Policy towards Scotland 143
Wales and Ireland 143
Henry’s Achievements and Failures 143
Chapter Three 145
Edward VI (1547-1553) 145
Reformation after Henry VIII 145
Mary (1553-1558) 146
Steps taken by Mary to Restore Catholicism 146
Chapter Four 148
Elizabeth I (1558-1603) 148
Elizabeth and her Scotland Policy 149
Catholics and Mary against Elizabeth 151
Elizabeth and the Church of England 152
Elizabeth’s Early Life and her Marriage Issue 153
Elizabeth and the British Parliament 154
Elizabeth and the Spanish Armada. 154
Part VIII 157
Chapter one 159
The Reign of the Stuarts 159
James I (1603-1625) 160
Gun Powder Plot 161
James’ relation with Spain and France 161
Execution of Sir Walter Raleigh 162
James and the Parliament 162
British Overseas Colonies 163
James’ Character 163
Chapter Two 164
Divine Right Theory of King 164
Charles I (1625-1649) 164
Charles’ Reign 164
Charles and the Parliament 164
Eleven Years of Personal Rule 165
Part IX 167
The Civil War 167
Chapter One 169
Commonwealth (1649-1660) 169
Execution of Charles 170
Problems before the Charles-I Commonwealth 170
The Dutch War 171
Chapter Two 172
Cromwell and the Parliament 172
Cromwell’s Foreign Policy 173
Oliver Cromwell as the man 173
Why the Commonwealth failed. 173
Chapter Three 175
Restoration of Monarchy 175
Charles II (1660-1685) 175
Parliament and Charles II 175
Cavalier Parliament 176
Ministry of Clarendon 176
Ministry of the CABAL 176
Ministry of the Dunby 177
Chapter Four 178
Parliamentary Democracy 178
James II (1685-1689) 178
The Glorious Revolution 179
The Revolution of 1641 and that of 1688 179
William of Orange and Mary (1689-1702) 180
William and the Convention Parliament 181
William’s Religious Policy 182
The Cabinet Form of Government 182
Parliament and the State Finance 182
The Act of Settlement and Succession 183
The Political Parties: Whigs and the Tories 183
Queen Anne (1702-1714) 184
Major events of the reign of Queen Anne 185
Death of Queen Anne 186
Part X 187
Industrial Revolution 187
Chapter One 189
Industrial Revolution in Britain 189
Revolution in Textile Industries 190
Coal and Iron Industries 191
Railways 192
Industrial Revolution and its impact 192
Chapter Two 194
The ideas of Liberalism 194
Idea of Socialism 194
Marxism, Basic Principle of Marxism 195
Chapter Three 198
French Revolution and Britain 198
Causes of French Revolution 198
Philosophers and Writers who inspired the Revolution 199
Louis XVI 200
The Fall of Bastile 202
National Assembly converted to Constituent Assembly 203
The Extremist took Control of the Revolution 204
Execution of Louis XVI 204
French Revolution and the neighboring countries 205
Achievement and failures of the Revolution 205
Rise of Napoleon 206
Part XI 207
England under the House of Hanover 207
Chapter One 209
George I (1714 -1727) 209
Major events of the reign of George I 210
Government of Townshend and Standhope 210
George II (1727-1760) 210
Robert Walpole 210
War with Spain 211
Ministry of Pelham and the Rise of William Pitt 211
Seven Years War with France 212
Result of the Seven Years War 212
Contribution of William Pitt 213
George III (1760-1820) 213
Fall of William Pitt 214
Grandville and his Ministry 214
American War of Independence 215
Causes of British Failure and its Effect 216
Rockingham Prime Minister for the Second time 216
Ministry of Fox and North 216
Ministry of Pitt, the junior 217
Chapter Two 218
Britain and the French Revolution 218
War with France and European Coalition 219
Chapter Three 221
Problems of Ireland and the Ministry of Pitt 221
Chapter Four 225
Rise of Napoleon 225
Britain and the Napoleonic Wars 226
Napoleon’s Continental System 226
Peninsular War 227
Napoleon’s Russia Campaign 227
The Crucial Hundred Days and the Waterloo 228
Causes of Napoleon’s Downfall 228
The Congress of Vienna 228
Britain after the Napoleonic War 229
Chapter Five 230
George IV (1820-1830) 230
Some important events of the reign of George IV 230
Canning and Catholic Emancipation of Ireland 231
William IV (131-1837) 231
Parliamentary Reforms Act. 232
Provisions of the Act 233
First Reformed Parliament 233
Part XII 235
Victorian Age 235
Chapter One 237
Queen Victoria (1837–1901) 237
Her Early Problems and the Chartists Movement 238
Revolt in Canada 239
Pistol shots on the Queen 239
Robert Peel 240
Peel’s Financial Reforms 240
Peel’s Irish Policy 240
Foreign Policy of Peel 241
Benjamin Disraeli 242
William E. Gladstone 242
Different reforms Acts passed by the Parliament 243
Wars during the Reign of Queen Victoria 244
Expansion of British Colonial Empire 245
Free Trade and Trade Union 246
Agitation for making Britain a Republic 247
Character of Queen Victoria 247
Grandmother of Europe 248
Chapter Two 249
Edward VII 249
Conservative Balfour 249
Liberal Campbell 249
Liberal Asquith 250
Change in British Foreign Policy 250
George V 251
Parliamentary Act of 1911 and Ministry of Asquith 251
Part XIII 253
The First World War 253
Chapter One 255
Britain and the First World War 255
Causes of the War 255
The War started 257
Germany’s Early Actions 258
Russia in the Early part of the War 258
Chapter Two 259
The United States Join the War 259
Surrender of Germany 260
Final Peace Settlement 260
14 points of Woodrow Wilson 260
Some special Aspects of the War 260
Result of the War 261
Chapter Three 262
Britain after the First World War 262
Economic Distress of England 262
Irish Home Rule Issue 263
Fall of Lloyd George and his Ministry 264
The Conservative Government 264
First Labour Government 265
Second Government of Baldwin 265
Next Labour Government 265
The National Government 266
Death of George V and Accession of George VI 266
The Rise of Labour Party 267
Indian Liberation Struggle during the War 267
British Commonwealth of Nations 270
Part XIV 273
The Second World War 273
Chapter One 275
Political Scenario of Europe 275
Britain and the Second World War 275
Revolution in Russia 276
Revolution in Turkey 276
Dictatorship in Spain 277
Dictatorship in Portugal 278
Rise of Fascism in Italy 279
Chapter Two 281
Rise of Nazism and Hitler in Germany 281
France was the first Target of Hitler 282
The War started with Hitler’s attack on Poland 283
Hitler violated the Treaty with Russia 284
German defeat in the Eastern Front with Rusia 284
Britain took a Courageous Stand 284
The Great Atlantic Charter 285
Italy in the War 285
Japan joined the War 286
The U.S.A. join the War 287
Surrender of Germany 287
Surrender of Japan 287
Nuclear Holocaust 288
Part XV 289
After the Second World War 289
Chapter One 291
The Victors and the Vanquished 291
Britain after the War 291
France after the War 291
The United States after the War 292
Soviet Union after the War 292
Fate of the Vanquished Powers 292
Trial of the War Crime 293
Chapter Two 294
The United Nations 294
Chapter Three 297
Independence of India 297
Rise of Communism 297
Cold War 298
List of the English Monarchs 299