Indian History

Vulture’s Peak, Rajagriha|Wikimedia Commons The most remarkable king of the Haryanka dynasty of the great Magadhan kingdom in the 6th century BC was Bimbisara, also known as Srenika. He ascended the throne in c 545 B.C. He was the first Indian ruler who conceived the idea of an extensive empire.  He embarked on a policy of imperialism by conquering the little kingdom Anga which had its capital at Champa near modern Bhagalpur in Bihar. In ancient times, the port city of Champa was of substantial commercial significance. Though Anga was the only conquest of Bimbisara, he strengthened his position by matrimonial alliances with other kingdoms. His marriage with Kosala Devi, a sister of Prasenjit of Kosala, brought him the part of Kasi (Varanasi). He was also married to Chellana, the daughter of Chetaka, the Licchavis king of Vaishali. Another wife of Bimbisara was Khema who was born into the royal family of Madra in central Punjab.  Bimbisara's  capital was Raagriha , the modern Rajgir

Q.1 The Battle of Plassey was fought in (a) 1782 (b) 1757 (c) 1748 (d) 1764 Answer (b) 1757 Q. 2 Plassey is situated in which state of India? (a) Bihar (b) West Bengal (c) Odisha (d) Andhra Pradesh Answer (b) West Bengal Q. 3 Battle of Plassey was fought between (a) Siraj-ud-Doula and British East India Company (b) Mirzafar and British East India Company (c) Mir Kasim and British East India Company (d) Shuja-ud-daulah and British East India Company Answer (a) Siraj-ud-Doula and British East India Company Q. 4 Battle of Buxar was fought in (a) 1764 (b) 1757 (c) 1748 (d) 1764 Answer (a) 1764 Q. 5 Buxar is situated in which state of India? (a) Bihar (b) West Bengal (c) Odisha (d) Andhra Pradesh Answer (a) Bihar

Charles Wilkins was a famous British scholar and Orientalist who played an important part in instilling interest in Oriental studies in the Europe. His claim to fame rests in being the first translator of Bhagavad Gita into English. Completed in 1784, this translation is considered the first direct one of a Sanskrit work into English.   Charles Wilkins, an employee of the East India Company, learnt Sanskrit, Bengali and helped William Jones found the Asiatic Society of Bengal on 1 st January, 1784.   In 1787, Wilkins translated Hitopadesha.

Veerashaivism or Lingayatism is one of the important Shaivite sects having its followers in the state of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Veerashaivism was founded by Basava, a minister of King Bijjala Kalchuri who usurped the throne of Chalukyas of Kalyani in 1156. The theology of this sect is ‘qualified monism’. However, it is more famous for its social doctrines. Basava repudiated caste system instituted complete equality among his followers, opposed image worship, pilgrimage, sacrificial rituals.  In Veerashaivism, the linga of Shiva is the only sacred symbol a small specimen of which is carried around the neck of the adherents. Here authority of the Vedas is rejected and the followers of either sex are allowed to remarry after the death of their spouses.  Basava also condemned cremation of the dead and burial is the usual practice among its followers even today. In recent years, orthodoxy has crept into Veerashaivism to some extent. The sacred literature of the sect is pri

1.   Which of the following Slave Sultans of Delhi Sultanate did not belong to Ilabari Tribe of Turks? (a)     Qutbuddin Aibak (b)     Iltutmish (c)   Ghiyasuddin Balban (d)     Nasiruddin Mahmud Answer:   Qutbuddin Aibak 2. Which Slave ruler called himself Naib-i-Khudai or Deputy of the God? (a)     Iltutmish (b)     Qutbuddin Aibak (c)   Ghiyasuddin Balban (d)     Kaiqubad Answer: Ghiyasuddin Balban 3. Amir-i-Chahalgan or The Group of Forty was eliminated by? (a)     ltutmish (b)     Ghiyasuddin Balban (c)   Razia (d)      Qutbuddin Aibak Answer: Ghiyasuddin Balban 4. Who among the following Slave Sultan was the first to issue regular currency? (a)     Iltutmish (b)     Ghiyasuddin Balban (c)   Aram Shah (d)     Razia Answer: Iltutmish 5. Who was the first sovereign ruler of Delhi Sultanate? (a)      Qutbuddin Aibak (b)     Iltutmish (c)   Razia (d)     Kaiqubad Answer: Iltutmish

        1.      Who defended Aurobindo Ghosh in the Alipur Bomb Conspiracy case?                (a)    Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee                (b)    Chittaranjan Das                (c)    Motilal Nehru                (d)    Tej Bahadur Sapru    Answer: Chittaranjan Das                2.      Dadabhai Naoroji entered the British House of Commons as a member of the …….. Party?                (a)    Liberal                (b)    Conservative                (c)    Labour (              (d)    Labour-Liberal combine    Answer: Liberal                3.      Who gave the title of Rani to the Naga woman leader Gaidinliu?                (a)    Jawaharlal Nehru                (b)    Subhash Chandra Bose                (c)    Mahatma Gandhi                (d)    Vallabh Bhai Patel    Answer: Jawaharlal Nehru                4.      Who was the founder President of Harijan Sevak Sangh, founded by Mahatma Gandhi

Several regional kingdoms came into being in northern, central and eastern India between the eighth and thirteenth centuries. One of them was the Rajput kingdom of Paramaras who ruled in Malwa. The origin of the Paramaras is shrouded in obscurity. However, it seems probable that since Malwa formed part alternately of the domains of Pratiharas and Rashtrkutas, they must have been the feudatories of either of the two. Though the Paramara Dynasty owes its origin to a chief named Upendra or Krishnaraja at the beginning of the 9th century AD, it was  as a result of the collapse of the Rashtrakuta power in the second half of the 10th century that Paramaras became an independent power. Ujjain was their earlier capital and later Dhar became their seat of power. Both these places are in Madhya Pradesh. The first great Paramara ruler of note was Vakapati Munja , (c 974-997-8) who was in constant war with Tailapa or Taila II, founder of the later western Chalukyan dynasty of Kalyani . It is sai