Indian History

Image Credit Located in the Hassan district of Karnataka, Shravanabelagola is a famous pilgrimage site of Jainism. 48 km from the Hassan city, Sravanabelagola is renowned for its imposing statue of Gomateswara , also referred to as Lord Bahubali.  Carved out of monolithic stone, the awesome 17 metre high statue was commissioned by Western Ganga minister Chavundaraya in 981 A.D and can be seen from a distance of 20km. Starkly simple, the beautifully chiselled features of the statue  atop Vindhyagiri hill  embody serenity. His perfect lips are turned out at the corners with a hint of a smile, viewing the world with detachment. Sri Gommateshwara was the son of the first Jain Tirthankara (Ford-Maker)  Rishavdev . The chief festival of Shravanabelagola is called Mahamastakabhisheka , or the 'Head Anointing Ceremony'. The next Mahamastakabhisheka ceremony, which involves bathing of the statue of Lord Gomateswara with bucketfuls of milk and honey, will be held in 20...

Hoysaleswara Temple in Halebidu Hoysaleswara Temple in Halebidu A must see destination in any cultural tour of India, Halebid, previously known as Dwarasamudra (the gateway to the sea), was the capital of the powerful south Indian dynasty of the Hoysalas who were famous temple builders. Halebid was the Hoysala capital before Belur (in Karnataka). Also known as Halebeedu, Halebid ( in Hassan District of Karnataka)  is home to the awe-inspiring Hoysaleswara temple. Places of attraction in Halebid Hoysaleswara Temple Halebid’s claim to fame, Hoysaleswara Temple, is a masterpiece of Hoysala architecture. Hoysaleswara temple is a cultural extravaganza. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple was also built during the reign of King Vishnuvardhana. Its construction started around 1121 CE and was complete in 1160 CE. Its construction was initiated by Ketmalla, a general of Hoysala ruler Vishnuvardhan who ruled for a long period from 1108 AD to  1152AD. The Hoysaleswara Temple, along wi...

1661- Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor, sends Sulaiman Shikoh, the eldest son of his elder brother Dara Shikoh, for imprisonment in Gwalior Fort on 15th January. During the course of the fratricidal war of succession among the sons of fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, (Murad, another brother of Aurangzeb) and Sulaiman Shikoh were executed on the orders of Aurangzeb in the Gwalior Fort. 1888- Indian independence activist and Congress leader Saifuddin Kitchlew was born on 15 January 1888.

That contact between the territory that constitutes the present-day state of Karnataka and the Harappan Civilization existed in earlier times can be ascertained from the fact that gold discovered in Harappa was found to be imported from mines of Karnataka. Before coming under the sway of the Mauryan Empire, Karnataka formed part of the Nanda dynasty whose last ruler Dhana Nanda was dethroned by Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Mauryan empire. Dhana Nanda is referred to as Xandrames or Aggrammes in ancient Greek accounts. Chandragupta Maurya had breathed his last in Shravanbelgola in Hassan District around 298 BCE where he spent last days of his life as a Jain ascetic. The edicts of Chandragupta Maurya’s grandson and greatest Mauryan emperor Asoka have been found in various places in Karnataka including Maski (Raichur district), Brahmagiri ( Chitradurga district ) , Siddapura (Uttara Kannada district), Jatinga Rameshwara, Udegolam and Nittur in Bellary district, Gavimutt a...

1551  - Birth of Abul Fazal (14 January 1551 – 22 August 1602), the Mughal historian during the the reign of Akbar. His notable works include the  Akbarnama  and  Ain-i-Akbari.  1641-   the Dutch East India Company conquered the city of Malacca in Southeast Asia from the Portuguese on 14th January i n  1641 .    1761 - The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761 between the Marathas and Afghan invader Ahmad Shah Abdali,  also surnamed Durrani . The Maratha supremacy was dented by their defeat in the Third Battle of Panipat.   Third Battle of Panipat  saw the largest number of soldiers killed in a single battle on one day. 1845-   Birth of  Lord Lansdowne, Governor General and Viceroy of India from 1888 to 1893, on 14th January in 1845. During his tenure, Indo-Afghan border {Durand Line} was set up. The Indian Council Act, 1892 was enacted and a system of indirect elections started in India.

Q.1. Which among the following Mughal Emperor was also known as Roshan Akhtar ? [A] Ahmed Shah [B] Muhammad Shah [C] Jahandar Shah [D] Shah Alam Q. 2.  Which Bahmani ruler granted the title of 'Chief of the Merchants' or Malikut-Tujjar to Mahmud Gawan? [A]  Humayun Shah [B]   Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah [C] Muhammad Shah I [D] Ahmah Shah Wali Q.3.During the reign of which of the following kings, Deccan brahmans became dominant in administration? [A] Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah [B] Taj-ud-din Firoz Shah [C] Muhammad Shah I [D] Ahmah Shah Wali Q.4.Todarmal was the famous revenue minister of which Mughal Emperor? [A] Shah Jahan [B] Bahadur shah jafar [C] Aurangzeb [D] Akbar Q.5.The spiritual way of life was adopted by individual Sufis in the ninth and tenth centuries came to be known as? [A] Tariqah [B] Haqiqah [C] Tasawwuf [D] None of the above Q.6.For the first time, a Famine-code was formulated in the Delhi Sultanate during the reign of __? [A] Slaves [B] Tughlaqs [C] ...

1849 -  The bloody battle of Chillianwala was fought at Chillianwala (now in Pakistan) between the British and Sikh armies on  January 13, 1849  during the  Second Anglo-Sikh war . The British and Sikh armies were respectively commanded by Sir Hugh Gough and the Raja Sher Singh Attariwala. Following the battle, both sides  claimed victory. The British won the battle though it was a "pyrrhic victory" for them.  According to the historians, 757 soldiers of British army were killed, 1,651 were wounded and 104 went missing. Sikhs lost near 3,600  soldiers.  Lord Dalhousie  was the Governor-General of India during the Battle of Chillianwala.   1907 - Birth of Manindra Nath Banerjee on 13th January 1907 . Manindra Nath Banerjee was a revolutionary who had shot his maternal uncle J.N. Banerji , the Deputy Superintend of Police investigating the Kakori Conspiracy case. O n August 9th, 1925, a train carrying government money was passing...