Indian History

Tai Khampti diorama / Image Credit Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein has urged the Centre to declare Tai Khamti-British War of 1839 as the first war of India’s independence against the British.  80 British soldiers, including the British agent Colonel Adam White, were killed by the Tai Khamtis in Tai Khamti-British War that took place in 1839.  Recently the Centre has refused to accept Odisha’s demand to declare Paika rebellion as the First War of Independence. Paika Rebellion took place from 1817 to 1825 in Odisha. Currently, the Revolt of 1857, known variously as First War of Independence and Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 is called the first war of independence against British Rule. The Revolt of 1857 shook the very foundation of the British Empire in India. About Tai Khamti-British War of 1839 The Arunachal Deputy CM Chowna Mein also underscored the need to recognize battles between other communities of Arunachal Pradesh and the British. They include four Anglo-Abor wars f

                                             Khairul Manazil, opposite Purana Qila, Delhi. Image credit   Located opposite the Purana Qila in Delhi, Khairul Manzil mosque was built in 1561 by Maham Anga, the foster mother of the Mughal emperor Akabr. She was the mother of powerful Mughal noble Adham Khan who was killed by Akbar in Agra in 1562. Meaning ‘the most auspicious of houses’ in Persian, Khair-ul-Manazil mosque on the Mathura road is Delhi’s first mosque built by the Mughals.  The arch in the middle of the prayer chamber contains the inscription that says that the mosque was built by Maham Anga.

Fifth Siddha Day was celebrated by Union Ministry of Ayush on 23rd December.  Siddha system of medicine is one of the oldest codified traditions of healthcare originated in the Indian sub-continent with many intricate, novel therapeutic interventions and treatment modalities.  Siddha system of medicine is one of the oldest codified traditions of healthcare originated in the Indian sub-continent. The Siddha system is still being practised in the southern parts of India. Ayush Ministry observes Siddha Day on eve of Siddhar Agathiya’s  birthday every year. Siddhar Agathiya is the father of Siddha Medicine.  The day is observed in the Tamil month of Margazhi. 

Union Minister of State for Education, Dr. Subhas Sarkar has released the Hindi translation of Tolkāppiyam , a unique work on grammar and poetics.  A part of the corpus of Sangam literature, Tolkappiyam is the most ancient extant Tamil grammar text and the oldest extant long work of Tamil literature. Tolkappiyam was written by Tolkappiyar during the Sangam period. According to some Tamil tradition places Tolkappiyam in the mythical second Sangam (great literary assembly), variously in 1st millennium BCE or earlier. Tamil writing systems dates back to 250 BCE and Tamil Sangam poetry contains 2381 poems in Tamil composed by 473 poets, some 102 anonymous. Most scholars suggest the historical Sangam literature era spanned from c. 300 BCE to 600 CE to be among the finest of world literature. Though it is reasonable to believe that the ancient Tamil itself had a long poetic tradition and a large body of literature, only a grammatical treatise in verse called Tolkāppiyam, the eight anthologie

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added Kolkata's Durga Puja to its 'Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.'  The decision was taken during the sixteenth session of the of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, chaired by Punchi Nilame Meegaswatte, Secretary General of the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO. Durga Puja is an annual festival marks the ten-day worship of the Hindu mother-goddess Durga. In West Bengal Bengal the festival is celebrated in honour of Goddess Durga’s killing of demon Mahishasur and is called the Durga Puja. Huge pandals are set-up housing the idols of Goddess Durga and her four children - Lakshmi , Saraswati , Ganesha and Kartikeya .  India now has 14 i ntangible cultural heritage elements on the UNESCO list. Other Indian entries that were previously inscribed include Ramlila (2008), Yoga (2016) and Kumbh Mela (2017). I

The Centre has recently refused to accept Paika rebellion as the first war of independence. In 2017, the Odisha Government demanded that the Odisha rebellion be declared as the first war of independence. Currently, the Revolt of 1857, known variously as First War of Independence and Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 is called the first war of independence against British Rule. The Revolt of 1857 shook the very foundation of the British Empire in India. Paika Rebellion took place from 1817 to 1825 in Odisha. .  What is the Paika Rebellion? The Paikas were a warrior class who were given rent-free lands by the Gajapat kings in Odisha in lieu of the military services they would render to the Kingdom of Khurda. .In 1804, the King of Khurda, Raja Mukunda Deva, who was dethroned by the British in the previous year, organized a rebellion against the British with the help of his Paiks. However, the rebellion ended in a fiasco and the British confiscated his entire territory. As the new land revenue settle

The UNESCO has conferred two awards for conservation efforts at Nizamuddin Basti in Delhi.  The Nizamuddin Basti has received two awards at the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation this year. The conservation initiative at Nizamuddin area has bagged the prestigious Award of Excellence and another award in the Special Recognition for Sustainable Development category.  Conservation efforts at Nizamuddin Basti are being undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in partnership with the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Archaeological Survey of India, Delhi Urban Heritage Foundation and the Dargah Committee and resident community groups of Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti since 2007. Nizamuddin Basti Project encompasses restoration of over 20 historic monuments clustered around the 14th century mausoleum of the revered Sufi saint, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, the most prominent Sufi saint of the Chisti order. • The Nizamuddin area consists of Humayun Tomb and the 16th ce

                                   Mattancherry palace at night/ Image Source The Mattancherry Palace in Cochin in the Indian state of Kerala is a magnificent two -story building with its vividly executed vibrant murals.   Also known as the Dutch Palace, the palace was originally built in the 16th century by the Portuguese who presented the palace to the ruler of Kochi with a view to ease the tension caused due to the plunder of Palluruthi temple by the Portuguese.  When Cochin fell to the Dutch in 1663 AD, the palace came under their control who gave this beautiful architecture a makeover.   

                                                                      Freedom fighter Khudiram Bose (Photo: Twitter) Today is the birth anniversary of Khudiram Bose [1889-1908], a revolutionary born in the Midnapore district of West Bengal.  One of India’s earliest revolutionaries to die on the gallows on August 11, 1908 at the age of 18, Khudiram Bose was a member of the revolutionary society Anushilan Samiti. He along with Prufulla Chaki threw a bomb at the carriage of Kingsford, an English Judge at Muzaffarpur in Bihar.  Bose was arrested in the Muzaffarpur Conspiracy case and sentenced to death while Prufulla Chaki committed himself before police could arrest him.  Khudiram Bose was executed in Muzaffarpur jail on 11 August 1908. 

    Vulture’s Peak, Rajagriha|Wikimedia Commons I n ancient times, Rajgir or Raagriha, as it was called, was the capital of 6th century BC Magadhan ruler Bimbisara who was deposed, imprisoned and murdered by his son Ajatashatru in about 494 B.C.  Situated in the state of Bihar, Rajgir is one of the most sacred -- and atmospheric – places in India. Rajgir measures its history in millennia. Today a pool of serenity and tranquillity, Rajgir is littered with the ancient remnants of the past. Rajgir is a holy place, a centre of pilgrimage, and an object of devotion for three faiths: Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Griddhakuta or Vulture's Peak, Bimbisara's Jail and World Peace Pagoda are some of the attractions in Rajgir, 15 km from the world famous Buddhist site of Nalanda.   Griddhakuta ( Vulture's Peak) The well-known Buddhist site of Griddhakuta Hill is deservedly an attraction in Rajgir not to be missed. During the rainy season the Buddha used to climb up to his mountain re

                              Ghoshitaram monastery in Kosambi/ Image source Kaushambi was a thriving centre of Buddhism in ancient times and was one of the six greatest cities during Buddha’s time besides serving as the capital of the Vatsa kingdom.  Kaushambi which was visited by the Buddha several times finds mention in the accounts of seventh century Chinese scholar and traveler Huen Tsang who records that the place was home to 10 monasteries when he visited it.  The archaeological excavations have led to the discovery of the remains of the Ghositarama monastery which played host to the Buddha during his stay in the city. Ghositarama monastery was built by one of the leading Shreshti (bankers) of Kaushambi, Ghosita whose daughter Samavati was the wife of   Udayana, t he most famous king of  the Vatsa kingdom who ruled in the  6th century BC. 

  Panch Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri About 39 km from the touristy  site of Agra, Fatehpur Sikri is considered as an architectural marvel of medieval India. Today the ghost town of Fatehpur Sikri astonishes visitors and history buffs with its majesty and scope. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, the city-palace complex of Fatehpur Sikri is home to tombs, royal palaces and courts. Built by the greatest Mughal emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri was the seat of his government from 1571 to 1585. The English traveler Ralph Fitch , who has left an eyewitness account of the social life and economic condition of the Mughal India, visited the Mughal court of Akbar at Fatehpur Sikri in 1585 and wrote, 'Agra and Fatepore are two very great cities, either of them much greater than London and very populous.’ However, the capital was abandoned in 1585 by Akbar. Scarcity of water is the popular explanation for this abandonment. The Mughal emperor made Lahore his new capital, which remained so til

                                                              Image Credit Birbal Bhavan is beautiful architectural wonder in the Mughal emperor Akbar’s abandoned capital of Fatehpur Sikri . 39 km from Agra, Fathehpur Sikri was was built by Akbar. Fatehpur Sikri was the seat of his government from 1571 to 1585. Believed to have been built for Akbar’s courtier Birbal, this enticing building in Fatehpur Sikri has been described by Victorian era French author Victor Hugo as 'either a very small palace or a very large jewelry box’.  Though small in size, the palace is known for its intricate designs. Its double dome structure makes it possible to keep its interiors cool during summers. 

                              Maitrakas of Valllabhi Family Tree / Image Tree Vallabhi, a famous centre of learning rivalling Nalanda in ancient India, once served as the capital of the Maitraka Dynasty which arose in Gujarat and Saurashtra in western India in the late 5th century AD on the debris of the Gupta Empire.  Vallabhi was a  port city which was of substantial commercial significance. The Maitraka dynasty ruled from approximately 475 to 776 CE.  Vallabhi has been described as famous centre of learning and trade in Somadeva’s Kathasaritsagara (Ocean of the Streams of Stories), a commentary written in the 11th century AD on the extinct Brihatkatha by Guṇaḍhya.  Maitraka dynasty was founded in 475 CE by Bhatarka , who was a military governor of Saurashtra under Gupta Empire. He was a commander of Skandagupta, the last great Gupta ruler. Bhatarka did not assume the royal titles and continued to style himself as Senapati (General). He was responsible for setting up the famed univ

                                                            Phuti Masjid / Image Source Situated in Murshidabad in West Bengal, Phuti Masjid is a mosque built by Sarfaraz Khan who had held the role of Nawab of Bengal for only one year (1739- 1740.)  Sarfaraz Khan had succeeded his father Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan who had become Bengal Nawab after the death of latter's father-in-law Murshid Quli Khan, the first Nawab of Bengal and the founder of Murshidabad and the Nasiri dynasty which  ruled Bengal from  1717 until 1740.  

Born on September 2, 1885, TK Madhavan was a prominent social reformer who played a dominant role in the famed Vaikom Satyagraha , a movement for temple entry and abolition of untouchability. He was a follower of Sri Narayana Guru and in 1927 he was elected as the Organizing Secretary of the Shree Narayan Dharma Paripalana Yogam .  Vaikom Satyagraha, which lasted for 18 months during 1924–25, was a movement to allow temple entry for the avarnas or lower castes at Vaikom (a part of the then princely state of Travancore) in the Kottayam district of Kerala.  TK Madhavan was arrested in 1924 for participating in the Vaikom Satyagraha. He sought the help of Mahatma Gandhi who arrived at Vaikom on March 7, 1925 and camped there with TK Madhavan, helping in the successful completion of Satyagraha. TK Madhavan made his contribution in the field of journalism. From 1917 onwards he was the editor of the Malayalam daily Deshabhimani which he started to educate the people of their rights.    He h

                                                                                     Behramji Malabari. Image Source An associate of Dadabhai Naoroji , M. G. Ranade, Dinshaw Wacha and other contemporary political leaders and social reformers, Behramji Merwanji Malabari was a Parsi social reformer who vigorously championed the cause of women. He was against casteism and child marriage, advocated widow remarriage. He was in favour of equality of sexes and uplift of the status of the women, particularly the widows.  Born in Vadodara in 1853, Behramji Malabari had participated in the first session of the Indian National Congress held in Mumbai in 1885. In 1908 he founded a social service organization Seva Sadan Society for the education and empowerment of women. The branches of Seva Sadan Society, which he founded with another social reformer Dayaram Gidumal, were also set up in Ahmedabad and Surat. In 1875, he published a collection of Gujarati poems, Nitivinod (Pleasure of Morality) in w

Yesterday Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of a university in Aligarh named after Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh who is known for establishing a Provisional Government of Free India in Kabul in 1915 with himself as the President and Maulana Barkatullah of Bhopal as the President.  Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh was a freedom fighter, revolutionary and journalist. Born in a royal family in 1886 in Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, Mahendra Pratap Singh was one of the few royals who actively participated in the India’s struggle for freedom. From 1914 to 1945 he lived abroad in the USA, Austria, Germany, China, Afghanistan, Japan and Turkey working for India’s freedom from British colonialism.  Mahendra Pratap Singh worked closely with the Hindustan Ghadar Party in the USA. In 1926 the Ghadar Part sent him to Tibet to organize a rebellion against the British. He started an Indian League in Japan. Mahendra Pratap Singh supported technical and vocational education to students by estab

Muhammad Iqbal was an Urdu poet and lawyer. Born in Sialkot (now in Pakistan) on November 9, 1877, he was a great nationalist during early years of career writing the famous nationalist song: Sare Jahan se Accha, Hindositan hamara, but later on he voiced the idea of a separate Muslim state in the north-west India in his presidential address to the annual session of the Muslim League at Allahabad in 1930. It was this idea which later fructified and culminated in the creation of a separate Muslim state of Pakistan on August 14, 1947. Naturally enough, he is acclaimed as the father of the idea of Pakistan.  Muhammad Iqbal, also known as Allama Iqbal, died in Lahore in 1938.

Q.1. Which one of the following dynasties ruled over the Delhi Sultanate following Timur’s invasion? (a) Sayyid dynasty (b) Lodi dynasty (c) Tughlaq dynasty (d) Khalji dynasty Q.2. Which of the following Delhi Sultanate rulers had set up employment exchanges for the unemployed? (a) Firuz Shah Tughlaq (b) Alauddin Khilji (c) Muhammad bin Tughlaq (d) Iltutmish Q.3. Which of the following rulers of the Delhi Sultanate is called “Father of Indian Irrigation”? (a) Firoz Shah Tughlaq (b) Alauddin Khilji (c) Muhammad Bin Tughlaq (d) Sikandar Lodi Q.4. Which of the following battles took place between Sher Shah and Humayun? (a) Battle of Ghaghra (b) Battle of Bilgram (c) Battle of Surajgarh (d) None of the above Q.5. The Mughal empire under Akbar was divided into 15 provinces. They were called --------. (a)  Parganas (b)  Subahs (c)  Sarkars (d)  None of these Q.6. What was the name of the war that took place between Sher Shah Suri and  the Mughal Governor of Bihar, Jalal Khan,  in 1534 ? (a)

 Q.1.- Ibrahim Lodhi was defeated by Rana Sanga in which of the following battles? (a) Battle of Khatoli (b) Battle of Gagron (c) Battle of Khanwa (d) None of the above Q.2.- Who among the following Delhi Sultanate rulers was first to have coins inscribed with the name of Abbasid caliph of Baghdad? (a) Iltutmish (b) Ruknuddin Firoz (c) Razia  (d) None of the above Q.3.- Chintamani Bhatta’s Suka-saptati (Parrot’s Seventy) was the first Sanskrit work to be translated into Persian by the name Tutinama. Who translated the work during the time of Mohammad-bin-Tughlaq? (a) Malik Muhammad Jayasi  (b) Amir Khusrau  (c) Zia Nakhshabi  (d) Zain-ul-Abidin   Q.4.- The Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque in Delhi is the earliest example of Islamic architecture in India. What was the original construction at the site of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque? (a) A Jain temple (b) A Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu (c) A Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva (d) None of the above Q.5.- Which of the following rulers of Delhi Sulta

Madhav Rao I Image Source Madhav Rao I was appointed the 9th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire on 23 June in 1761 upon the death of his father, Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao, also known as Nana Saheb, who had lost his eldest son and heir Vishwas Rao in the third battle of Panipat in 1761.  Madhav Rao's claim to fame lies in his being instrumental in restoring the Maratha supremacy which was dented by their defeat in the third battle of Panipat.  Since Madhav’s age at the time of his ascension to the Peshwaship was 16 years, his uncle Raghunath Rao, the eldest surviving member of the Peshwa family, took upon himself the regency of the Maratha empire and became its de facto ruler. This led to acrimonious differences between Madhav Rao and  Raghunath Rao who entered into wars against each other.  In 1765 Raghunath Rao called for the partition of the Maratha State between himself and the Peshwa. Madhav Rao I had defeated Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore, in each of the campaigns the Peshwa undertook

Q.1. Malik Kafur was the lieutenant of which Delhi Sultanate ruler? (a) Muhammad Bin Tughlaq  (b) Alauddin Khilji  (c) Firoz Shah Tughlaq  (d) Jalaluddin Khilji Q.2. Which of the following Mughal emperors was a proficient Veena player? (a) Akbar (b) Jahangir (c) Shahjahan (d) Aurangzeb Q.3. Thomas Roe was sent to the court of Mughal emperor Jahangir as an official ambassador of which British monarch? (a) James I (b) King George V (c) Queen Mary (d) Queen Elizabeth  Q.4. Who of the following reigned the longest? (a) Akbar (b) Babur (c) Shah Jahan (d) Jehangir Q.5. The Mansabdari system introduced by Akbar was borrowed from where? (a) Afghanistan (b) Turkey (c) Persia (d) Mongolia Q.6. Which of following Sultans of Slave (Mamluk) dynasty was the first to issue regular currency and declare Delhi as the capital of Delhi Sultanate?  (a) Iltutmish (b) Balban (c) Aram shah (d) Nasiruddin mahmud Q.7. Which of the following rulers of Delhi Sultanate was the first to introduce th

Q.1. Which of the following Delhi Sultanate rulers had prohibited Muslim women from worshipping the graves of saints? (a) Alauddin Khilji (b) Muhammad Bin Tughlaq (c) Firoz Shah Tughlaq (d) Sikander Lodhi Q.2. Which of the following Delhi Sultanate rulers had earned the sobriquet of ‘Lakh Baksh’?  (a) Qutb-ud-din Aibak (b) Balban (c) Jalaluddin Khilji (d) Ghiasuddin Tughlaq Q.3. Zain-ul-Abidin who forbade cow slaughter in his Sultanate was a ruler of  (a) Bengal (b) Kashmir (c) Khandesh (d) Madurai Q.4. Which battle was declared by Babur a Jihad (holy war)? (a) First Battle of Panipat (b) Battle of Chanderi (c) Battle of Khanwa  (d) Battle of Ghagra Q.5. The architectural raw material most widely used in Akbar's period was_________ (a) Redstone (b) Marble (c) Brick (d) Limestone Q.6. Abdur Razzaq was sent to the court of Vijayanagar ruler Dev Raya II as an ambassador of  (a) Sultan Shah Rukh of Persia (b) Sultan Bahzad of Turkey (c) Sultan Alauddin of Iraq (d) Sultan Bahaman of Egy

  Q. 1. Which Mughal Emperor had conferred the title of 'Raja' on Ram Mohan Roy? (a) Shah Alam II  (b) Akbar II (c) Shah Jahan III  (d) Bahadur Shah Zafar Q. 2. Which organization was founded by Ram Mohan Roy and Debendranath Tagore in 1828? (a) Brahmo Sabha (b) Tattwabodhini Sabha (c) Prarthna Samaj (d) None of these Q. 3. Who had called Raja Ram Mohan Roy the Father of Modern India? (a) Gopal Krishna Gokhale (b) Mahatma Ghandhi (c) Bal Gangadhar Tilak (d) Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Q. 4.  Who was the ruler of Delhi Sultanate when Guru Nanak was born? (a) Khizr Khan (b) Mubarak Shah (c) Bahlol Lodhi  (d) Sikandar Lodhi  Q. 5. What was the capital of Mahajanapada of Anga? (a) Ujjayini (b) Champa (c) Suktimati  (d) Ayodhya Q. 6. Who is the author of Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri? (a) Muhammad Saleh  (b) Nizam-ud-din Ahmad (c) Mirza Muhammad Kazim (d) Jahangir Q. 7. Which Delhi Sultanate ruler introduced the system of auditing the accounts? (a) Muhammad bin Tughlaq  (b) Sikandar Lodhi (c) Al

Q. 1. Who planted the 'Tree of Liberty' at Srirangapatnam? (a) Tipu Sultan (b) Hyder Ali (c) Chikka Krishnaraja (d) Devraj Q. 2. Which battle put an end to the French challenge to British supremacy in India?  (a) The Battle of Plassey (b) The Battle of Buxar (c) The Battle of Wandiwash (d) The Battle of Seringapatam Q. 3. Who among the following had introduced the revenue collection method Ryotwari System in India?  (a) Thomas Munro  (b) Lord Cornwallis (c) Holt Mackenzie (d) None of these Q. 4. Where did Moplah Uprising break out in 1921?   (a) Andhra Pradesh (b) Kerala (c) Karnataka (d) Tamil Nadu Q. 5. Who among the following was/were associated with the organization “Servants of India Society”? (a) Gopal Krishna Gokhle (b) Amritlal Vithaldas Thakkar (c) Both a and b  (d) None of these Q. 6. Who has authored the book 'The Light of Asia' ? (a) Charles Wilkins (b) Sir Edwin Arnold  (c) Edwin Lester Arnold (d) None of these   Q. 7. Who among the following leaders at

Q.1. In which year did the Deccan Riots take place? (a) 1875 (b) 1880 (c) 1885 (d) 1890 Q.2. Who was the leader of the Munda Rebellion of 1899? (a) Jaipal Singh Munda (b) Ram Dayal Munda  (c) Birsa Munda (d) Sidhu Murmu  Q.3. Who put forward the Drain of Wealth theory in his book ‘Poverty and Un-British Rule in India’? (a) Pherozeshah Mehta (b) Dadabhai Naoroji  (c) Surendranath Banerjea (d) Badruddin Tyabji Q.4. During the tenure of which Governor General were the railways introduced in India? (a) Lord Dalhousie (b) Warren Hastings (c) Lord William Bentinck  (d) Lord Cornwallis Q.5. Who was the first President of the Asiatic Society of Bengal? (a) Sir William Jones  (b) Sir John Shore  (c) Sir Charles Wilkins (d) Sir John Anstruther Q.6. Who established the Arya Samaj in 1875? (a) Dayananda Sarasvati (b) Ram Mohan Roy (c) Gopal Krishna Gokhale (d) Swami Vivekanand Q.7. In which battle was the Bengal Nawab Mir Qasim finally defeated by the English East India Company? (a) Battle of Buxa