Indian History

Babur, the first Mughal ruler, wrote his autobiography Baburnamah or Tuzuk-i-baburi in Turki or Turkish language which was his native tongue. Baburnamah, Wakai or Wakiat-i-Baburi, or Tuzak-i-Baburi as Babur's Memoirs are variously known, is the main source of information about his life and career. According to Lane-Poole, "If ever there were a case when the testimony of a single historical document, unsupported by other evidence, should be accepted as sufficient proof, it is the case with Babur's Memoirs. No reader of this prince of autobiographers can doubt his honesty or his competence as witness and chronicler."  On the instruction of Akbar, Baburnamah was translated into Persian in 1589 by one of his nobles, Mirza Abdur-Rahim, who was also Bairam Khan's son. Bairam Khan was the preceptor to Mughal emperor Akbar. It was translated into English for the first time by Leyden and Erskine in 1826. The second English translation was made in 1905 by Mr

One of the greatest kings of India, Krishnadeva Raya raised the Hindu power of Vijayanagar to the zenith of its prosperity and glory. He belonged to the Taluva dynasty, one of the four main dynasties, combination of which is known as the Vijayanagar empire. A valiant and active warrior, he successfully fought all the wars he waged throughout his reign. It is said that had he lived longer, he might have driven the Muslims from the Deccan altogether.  Krishnadeva Raya ruled from 1509 to 29.  Of him, the Portuguese traveller Domingo Paes, who visited the Vijayanagar kingdom, writes in terms rarely used by a European traveller of an oriental king,: "He is the most learned and perfect king that could possibly be, cheerful of disposition and very merry; he is one that seeks to honour foreigners and receives them kindly; asking all about their affairs whatever their condition may be. He is a great ruler and a man of much justice, but subject to certain fits of rage . . . he is by rank

Before the emergence of the Muslim rulers on the political landscape of Kashmir, the province was a famous centre of Shaivism. Maumud of Ghazni made unsuccessful attempts to conquer the vale of Kashmir. With the passage of time, the area began to attract Muslim settles, many of whom entered the service of its Hindu rulers. One such Muslim adventurer was Shah Mir, who after the death of his Hindu ruler seized the throne for himself and became the king in 1339 under the title of Shamsuddin Shah. Thus was founded the Shah Mir dynasty of Kashmir. After his death in A.D. 1349, Shamsuddin Shah was succeeded by his sons, Jamshid, Alauddin, Shihabuddin, and Qutb-ud-din. Alauddin transferred his capital from Indrakot to Alauddinpur (Srinagar).  Qutb-ud-din was succeeded by his son Sikandar who ascended the throne of Kashmir in 1394 after his father’s death. It was during Sikandar’s reign that Mangol leader Timur Lang or Tamerlane invaded India in 1398. He, however, by way of exchanging

1. Babur–namah or Tuzuk –i-Baburi is the Wakai or Memoirs (autobiography) of the first Mughal emperor Babur. In which language was it written? (a) Arabic (b) Persian (c) Turkish or Turki (d) Pushto 2. Who among the following foreigners was not impressed with the state of public security in Mughal Empire during the reign of Shah Jahan? (a) Nicholas Withington (b) Peter Mundy (c) William Hawkins (d) William Finch 3. Who among the following foreign traveler was eyewitness to the Dara Sikhoh’s public humiliation in Delhi by his brother Aurangzeb after war of succession? (a) Travernier (b) Munucci (c) Francois Bernier (d) Dr. Gemelli-Carreri 4. Sir Thomas Roe was sent as accredited ambassador of the King of England, James I to the Mughal court of (a) Akbar (b) Jahangir (c) Shah Jahan (d) Aurangzeb 5. In the war of succession Dara Shikoh was finally defeated by Aurangzeb in the battle of (a) Deorai (b) Samugarh (c) Dharmat (d) Khajwah 6. Which of the following

Theosophical Society was founded in 1875 in New York in the USA by Madame H. P. Blavatsky and Colonel H. S. Olcott. They came to India in January 1879 and set up the headquarters of the society at Adyar, presently a suburb of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. It was however with the joining of the society by Annie Besant in 1888 in England that the movement began to gain momentum. Theosophical society owes its success in India to Annie Besant who arrived in India in 1893 at the age of forty six and made permanent residence in the country. Fundamental teachings of the Theosophical Society ·          The spiritual hierarchy of God ·          The unity of God and three-fold emanation of God ·          Universal brotherhood Though Theosophical society had several branches all across India, it exerted a compelling influence on the social and religious life of South India to a good measure. Its role in “the awakening and self-respect of the Indians” has been acknowledged by everyone. Ho

One of the most striking features of Harappan civilization is its elaborate drainage system which was a product of careful thought and planning. Furnished with unique drainage system, the main streets of the cities of the Indus valley civilization y had sewers below them. The bathrooms of the houses flowed into sewers leading to the soak pits. The drains were covered with large slabs of bricks and stones. However, one defect of the drains during the period was that they were located near the wells. This unique drainage system of the Indus people indicates the existence of a highly organized municipal organization without which it would not have been possible to maintain such an efficient system of drains. It can be safely said that no other ancient civilization can come close to the Harappan culture when it comes to drainage system.

After his death at Lahore in early November in 1210, Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the founder of the Slave (Mamluk) dynasty, was succeeded by Aram Bakhsh who ascended the throne of Delhi Sultanate under the title of Sultan Aram Shah. The exact nature of relationship of Aram Bakhsh with Qutb-ud-din is not known. According to one school of thought, he was his son. However, contemporary historian Minhaj –us-Siraj makes no mention of Qutb-ud-din’s son and says that he had only three daughters. According to Abul Fazal, court historian of Mughal Emperor Akbar, Aram Shah was  Qutb-ud-din ’s brother.  Sultan Aram Shah proved to be an inexperienced and incapable ruler. The nobles and amirs invited Qutb-ud-din Aibak’s son-in-law Iltutmish, then governor of Badaun, who defeated Aram Shah in the plains of Jud near Delhi. Thus ended the eight month rule of Aram Shah who was not heard of afterwards.