Indian History

 Q.1. In ancient India the only Mahajanapada to be located in south India was  (A) Kamboja (B) Asmaka (C) Matsya  (D) Surasena Q.2. The capital of Panchala Mahajanapada was Ahichatra which is in the state of  (A) Bihar (B) Punjab (C) Uttar Pradesh (D) Gujarat Q.3. Which of the following Kingdoms were associated with the life of the Buddha?   (1) Gandhara (2) Avanti (3) Magadha (4) Kosala Select the correct answer using the code given below. (A) 1, 2 and 3 (B) 2 and 4 (C) 3 and 4  (D) 1, 3 and 4 Q.4. Which among the following was the capital of Mahajanapada of Vatsa? (A) Kausambi (B) Viratnagar (C) Kusinara (D) Rajapura Q.5.  Which of the following Buddhist text has referred to the existence of the 16 Mahajanapadas on the sixth century BC? (A) Khuddaka Nikaya  (B) Anguttara Nikaya (C) Sutta Piṭaka (D) None of the above Answer Q. 1. - B Asmaka or Assaka is one of the 16 Janapadas that existed in the sixth century BC in ancient India. It include...

Q.1. Ajivika sect was founded by which of the following? (A) Ajita Kesakambalin (B) Pūraṇa Kassapa,  (C) Makkhali Gosala (D) Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta  Q.2. Which among the following rulers is associated with the Sudama Caves in Bihar? (A) Chandragupta Maurya (B) Bimbisara (C) Bindusara (D) Ashoka Q.3.  "As long as he lives a man should live happily And drink ghee, though he run into debt, For when the body is turned to ashes How can there be any return to life?” This rejection of after-life is an aphorism of which of the following sects? (A). Kapalika sect.  (B) Sunyavada of Nagarjun (C)  Ajivikas.  (D) Charvakas Q.1. Answer: C Notes: Ajivikas were a religious sect founded in the 5th century BC by Goshala Maskariputra (Makkhali Gosala), a contemporary of the Buddha and Mahavir.  Q.2. Answer: D Notes: The 3rd century BC Mauryan emperor Ashoka had dedicated the Sudama cave as evidenced in Brahmi featuring his protocol name (Priyadarsin who brings joy) fou...

Q.  1. The term used to describe an email that is targeting a specific person is known as (A) Spam (B) Phishing (c) Vishing (D) Spear phishing   Q.  2. Machine learning is a subset of which of the following. (A) Deep learning (B) Data learning (C) Artificial intelligence (D) None of the above Q.  3. What is the term used when a cybercriminal sends a fraudulent email disguised as being from a legitimate, trusted source? (A) Trojan (B) vishing (C) Phishing (D) backdoor   Q.  4. Who is the father of Machine Learning? (A) Geoffrey Everest Hinton (B) Howard Hinton (C) George Everest (D) Colin Clarkf   Q.  5.Personal Identifiable Information (PII) is used to distinguish one person from another and verify your identity. Which of the following is an example of PII? (A) ID Number (B) Date of Birth (C) Home Address (D) All of the answers are correct   Q.  6.Who is responsible for information security within your company? (A) IT Security Department...

Q.1. Which of the following tribal assemblies completely disappeared during the later Vedic Period? 1. Sabha 2. Samiti 3. Vidhata Select the correct option from the codes given below: (A) Only 1 (B) Only 1 and 2 (C) Only 2 and 3 (D) Only 3 Q.2. On the bank of which river the Battle of Ten Kings (Dasrajan Yudha), referred to in the Rig Veda, was fought? (A) Parushni  (B) Vitasta (C) Vipasa (D) Asikni Q.3. In which among the following sacrifices, the sacrificial materials used was sura in Vedic Era? A. Agnistoma B. Rajasuya C. Sautramani D. Vajapeya Q.4.  The number of hymns (suktas) Rig Veda contains are __. (A) 1124 (B) 1028 (C) 1149 (D) 1024 Q.5. How many Mandalas were in Rig Vedic Samhita? (A) 10 (B) 11 (C) 12 (D) 13 Answers: Q. 1. - D In  later Vedic Period  the Rig Vedic assemblies lost importance and royal power increased. The vidatha completely disappeared; the sabha and samiti continued to exist with changed character.  Q.  2. - A The Battle of Ten K...

Q. 1. Who among the following was the founder of Rashtrakuta dynasty ? (A) Dantidurga (B) Krishna I (C) Krishna II (D) Amoghavarsha Q. 2. Kailasanatha Temple at Ellora was built by  (A) Krishna I  (B) Krishna II (C) Mahendravarman I (D) Vishnuvardhana II Q. 3.  Manyakheta (modern Malkhed in Gulbarga (modern Kalaburagi) district in Karnataka) was the capital of the Rasstrakuta dynasty. Which Rashtrakuta   ruler transferred regnal capital from Mayurkhandi (in the Bidar district of Karnataka) to Manyakheta. (A)  Govinda II   (B)   Indra III (C)  Amoghavarsha I (r. 814 – 878 CE) (D)  Amoghavarsha II (r. 929–930 CE)  Q. 4. Which of the following languages was the mother tongue of Rashtrakutas? (A) Tamil (B) Telgu (C) Malayalam  (D) Kannad Q. 5. At the court of which Rashtraluta ruler did Halayudha , author of ancient Sanskrit text Kavirahasya, reside? (A) Govinda II (B) Indra III (C) Amoghavarsha (D) Krishna III Answers Q. 1. - A...

Q.1.- Who is the founder of Vikramshila University?  (A) Chandragupta II (B) Harshavardhana (C) Samudragupta (D) Dharampala Q.2. - Which Pala ruler is said to have granted 5 villages for the upkeep of a Buddhist monastery commissioned by Balaputradeva, the king of Sumatra and Java, at Nalanda. (A) Gopala  (B) Dharampala  (C) Devapala  (D) Mahipala  Q.3. - Which Pala ruler was elected by the public?  (A) Gopala  (B) Devapala  (C) Narayanapala (D) Mahendrapala  Q.4. - Which region of India was ruled by the Pala Dynasty? (A) Karnataka (B) Madhya Pradesh  (C) Maharashtra (D) Bihar and Bengal Q.5. Somapura Mahavihara, built by Pala ruler Dharampala, is located in which country? (A) Bangladesh (B) Mayanmar (C) Pakistan (D) India Answers 1- (D)  Pala ruler Dharampala (r. 770- c.810) had built the famous monastery of Vikramshila (in the Bhagalpur district of Bihar).   2- (C)  Devapala (ruled from 815 to 855 AD.), the most pow...

 Q.1. - Which of the following was the much talked about river in the Rig Veda? (A) Sindhu (B) Ganga (C) Yamuna (D) Godavari Q.2. - The early Vedic god Indra was the god of  (A) Fire  (B) Wind (C) Rain and Thunder (D) None of the above Q.3. - Gayatri Mantra has been taken from which Veda? (A) Samveda (B) Rigveda (C) Atharva Veda (D) Yajur Veda Q.4. - Mundaka Upanishad and Prashna Upanishad were part of which Veda? (A) Yajurveda (B) Samveda (C) Atharva Veda (D) Rig Veda Q.5. - The term Gotra was first used  in_?  (A) Rig Veda (B) Sam Veda (C) Yajur Veda (D) Atharva Veda Answer  Q.1.- A  Sindhu river or Indus River has been mentioned in the Rig Veda. Q.2.- C Indra is one of the main gods of the Rigveda. He was known as the protector of cows and priests in the Vedic religion. Indra brought rain as god of the thunderbolt.  Q.3.- B The Gayatri Mantra first appeared in the Rig Veda Q.4.- C Atharva Veda comprises three fundamental Upanishads – Mundaka Up...

Q.1. Which of the following was the leading disciple of Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti?] Iltutmish? [A] Ahmad Sirhindi  [B] Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki [C] Nizamuddin Auliya [D] Fariduddin Ganj-i- Shakar Q. 2. Alauddin Khilji attacked and captured Chittorgarh in Mewar (in Rajasthan) in 1303 AD and changed its name to [A] Khizrabad [B]  Shadiabad  [C]  Khairabad [D] Kasganj Q. 3.  Who among the following is considered as the “mixture of opposites”.? [A] Balban  [B] Mohammed bin Tughlaq [C] Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq [D]  Firuz Tughlaq Q. 4.  Who among the following led a military expedition campaign to Warangal in 1309?  [A]  Mohmmad bin Tuglaq [B] Firoz Shah Tughlaq [C] Malik Kafur [D]  Khusrav Khan  Q.5. Bahmani Sultanate was established during the period of which Sultan of Delhi Sultanate? [A]  Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq   [B] Mohammed bin Tughlaq [C]  Firoj Shah Tughlaq [D]  Muhammad Shah Answer Q.1- [B] Muinud-din-Chisti ...

 Q.1. Who was the founder of the Kushana dynsty? [A] Kujula Kadphises [B] Kanishka [C] Vasudeva [D] Vāsishka Q.2. During the reign of which Kushana ruler, the Fourth Buddhist Council was held? [A] Kanishka I [B] Huvishka [C] Vasudeva I [D] Vāsishka Q.3. Who among the following patronised Buddhist scholars Vasumitra and Asvaghosha? [A] Ashoka [B] Kanishka I  [C] Chandragupta I [D] Harshavardhan Q.4. Who among the following was not ruler of the Kushana dynasty? [A] Sadashkana  [B] Huvishka [C] Nahapana [D] Vāsishk Q.5. Which of the following cities emerged as the second capital of the Kushanas? [A] Mathura [B] Kannauj [C] Purushpur [D] Patliputra Answers Q.1 [A]   Kujula Kadphises Q.2 [A]  The Fourth Buddhist Council was held at Kundalvana, Kashmir in 72 AD during the reign of Kushan king Kanishka. It was held under the Presidentship of Vasumitra to compose commentaries on the Tripitika. Here at this council Savastivadin doctrines were codified in a s...

Q.1. Which of the following women authored the biography of Humayun during Mughal period?  [A] Gulbadan Begum [B] Jahanara Begum [C] Zebun-nissah Begum [D] Noorjahan Begum Q.2. Who among the following Mughal emperors discontinued the practice of inscribing Islamic creed (Kalima) on coins?  [A] Akbar [B] Jahangir [C] Shahjahan [D] Aurangzeb Q.3. Who among the following assumed the title of Islam Shah Suri? [A] Jalal Khan [B] Sikandar Shah Suri  [C] Firuz Shah Suri [D] Sher Shah Suri Q.4. Who had introduced Ain-i-Dahsala system of land revenue assessment during the reign of Akbar? [A] Raja Todar Mal [B] Birbal [C] Raja Man Singh [D] Murshid Quili Khan Q.5. Who among the following accepted Din-i-Ilahi? [A] Raja Man Singh [B] Birbal [C] Raja Tansen [D] Raja Todarmal Answer:  Q.1 (A)  Ahval-i-Humayun Badshah or Humayun-Nama was written by Babur's daughter and Humayun’s half- sister, Gulbadan Begam, who stayed with Akbar, son and successor of Humayun, from 1556 to ...

Birth of Suraj Mahal, the ruler of the Rathore kingdom of Marwar, on 24 April in 1571. He was the brother of Jagat Gosain, the consort of Mughal emperor Jahangir. Jagat Gosain was the mother of Shah Jahan, the successor of Jahangir. 

Khwajah Nizamuddin Ahmad was a medieval writer who has written Tabaqat-i-Akbari , dealing with the event from early Muslim invasions to the 38th year of the reign of Akbar (1593-4). He held the military title of Mir Bakhshi during Akbar's region. Tabaqat-i-Akbari  was translated into English by Dr.Brajendranath De (1852-1932). 

Some 60km from Mangalore in Karnataka is the Vaishnavite pilgrimage town of Udupi, a sanctum of Madhvacharya, founder of Dvaita school of philosophy .  A 13 th  century Sanskrit philosopher,  Madhva charya  called his philosophy Tattvavāda meaning "arguments from a realist viewpoint". He had authored several texts including  Tantrasara Sangraha.  Also known as Rajata Peetha ( silver seat)   and Shivalli , Udupi is famous for its Krishna Temple. The main attraction at this temple is the 'Kanakana Kindi (Kanaka's window), ' - a small window through which Krishna is believed to have given darshan to his ardent devotee, Kanakadasa, the sixteenth century Bhakti saint and philosopher. Kanakadasa belonged to Kuruba (shepherd) community.

Execution of young Indian revolutionary Anant Laxman Kanhere on 19th April in 1910 by the British colonial government for shooting Nashik district collector Arthur Mason Tippetts Jackson on 21 December 1909. Born on 7 January 1892 in a Chitpavan Brahmin family in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, Anant Laxman Kanhere or Anantrao was 18 years old when he was executed. 

Today is the birth anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar who was a leader of the depressed classes throughout his life. He worked for the moral and material progress of the 'untouchables'. B. R. Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891 in Mhow (now officially known as Dr Ambedkar Nagar) in Madhya Pradesh. He belonged to the 'untouchable' Mahar caste. Ambedkar was a great scholar who studied economics at Columbia University and the London School of Economics.  In 1924 Ambedkar founded the Depressed Classes Institute (Bahishkrit Hitkarni Sabha) in Bombay. Three years later in 1927 he established the Samaj Samta Sangh to propagate the gospel of social equality between caste Hindus and worked for the uplift of the 'untouchables'. In December 1927, he led a satyagraha in Mahad to fight for the rights of the 'untouchables' to draw water from public wells and tanks. In 1928 he organized temple entry movement named  Parvati temple satyagraha. He started Kalasam temple ...

Jallianwala Bagh / Amritsar The infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on 13 April 1919 when troops of the British colonial power under the command of Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer opened fire on thousands of people who had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh public gardens in Amritsar to protest against the Rowlatt Act and arrest of pro-independence leaders of Amritsar, Saifuddin Kitchlew and Satyapal. Passed in 1919, the Rowlatt Act was a repressive law passed by the British colonial government in India which gave the police sweeping powers to arrest and detain people without trial. Brigadier General Reginald Dyer, the military commander of Amritsar, had ordered the firing on the innocent people who have gathered here to protest the arrest of Congress leaders Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satya Pal under Rowlatt Act. 1919 soldiers of the British Army in India had opened fire on the crowd in a walled public garden and killed over 1,000 of them. This became known variously as th...

Ancient Times  Karnasuvarna (কর্ণসুবর্ণ), currently located in the present day Murshidabad district, was the capital of Gauda Kingdom,  ruled by Sasank, a contemporary of Harshvardhan (Harsha) of Kanauj and his arch enemey. Sasank had killed Rajyavardhana, elder brother and predecessor of Harsha. Sasank ruled in the first half of the seventh century AD.   It was after the death of Sasank that the Gauda kingdom of Karnasuvarna became a part of the Assam's Kamarupa kingdom which was ruled by Bhaskaravarman.  Mughal Period  Named after Murshid Quli Khan, the Diwan of Bengal under Aurangzeb, Murshidabad came to the forefront of attention in 1704 when the former transferred his capital from Dacca to this place and renamed it Murshidabad. Murshid Quli Khan was the first Nawab of Bengal and the founder of the Nasiri dynasty which ruled Bengal from 1717 until 1740. Siraj ud Daula became the Nawab of Bengal after the death of his grandfather Alivardi Khan who died i...

1796 -  First Elephant arrives in U.S. on April 13 in  1796 1919 - The infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on  13 April 1919  when troops of the British colonial power under the command of Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer opened fire on thousands of people who had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh public gardens in Amritsar to protest against the Rowlatt Act and arrest of pro-independence leaders of Amritsar, Saifuddin Kitchlew and Satyapal.

1482 - Birth of Rana Sanga on 12 April in 1482. Ruler of Mewar from 1508 to 1528, Rana Sanga was the grandson of Rana Kumbha (1417–1468) and grandfather of Maharana Pratap.  1801 - Declaration of Ranjit Singh as the Maharaja of Punjab on 12 April in 1801.  Born on November 13, 1780, in Gujranwala, which is now in modern-day Pakistan, Ranjit Singh is one of the most remarkable rulers in Indian history,  Maharaja Ranjit Singh  was the only son of Maha Singh, the leader of the Sukerchakia Misl, one of the several Sikh confederacies (misls) that existed in Punjab at the time. Often referred to as the "Lion of Punjab," Ranjit Singh ruled from 1801 to 1839.  1885 - Birth of Indian archaeologist R. D. Banerji (Rakhal Das Banerji)  on 12 April in 1885 in  Murshidabad .  Mohenjo-daro was discovered by R.D. Banerji, . The Moenjodaro was discovered in 1922, while R.D. Banerji, an officer of the Archaeological Survey of India, was excavating a Buddhist stupa....

After the death of sixth Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1707, the disintegration of the Mughal Empire was rapid.  Delhi, the seat of power of the Mughals, gave way to Bengal as the centre of political importance in India. It can be ascertained from the fact that the British win over Siraj ud Daula in the Battle of Plassey in 1757, which took place just 50 years after death of Aurangzeb, laid the foundation of the British Empire in India. During the period, Bengal was ruled by the Nawabs with their capital at Murshidabad. Though nominally governors or viceroys of the Mughals, the Nawabs were independent heads of state for all practical purposes.  Siraj ud Daula became the Nawab of Bengal after the death of his grandfather Alivardi Khan who died in 1756. He was the son of latter's youngest daughter. This was not liked by his near relations including his mother’s eldest sister, Ghasiti Begum, and his cousin Shaukat Jung who went all length to conspire against him.  In addition ...

1827-   Birth of anti-caste social reformer Jyotirao Phule on 11 April in 1827. Also known as Jyotiba Phule, Jyotirao Phule was born in Pune. He formed the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Truth Seekers) to attain equal rights for people from lower castes.  Critical of the prevailing Hindu religion and custom, Jyotirao Phule along with her wife , Savitribai Phule,  were pioneers of women's education in India and established educational trusts.  

1857 - Establishment of Arya Samaj in Bombay in 1857 on April 10 by Swami Dayananda Saraswati.  

1606 - After unfurling the banner of revolt against his father and Mughal emperor Jahangir, Khusrau escapes from Agra on 6 April, 1606. After the death of his grandfather, Akbar, in 1605, Khusrau was imprisoned in Agra Fort by Jahangir who had succeeded Akbar as the Mughal emperor. Khusrau was later defeated by the Mughal forces in 1606.  The fifth Sikh Guru Arjan Dev was sentenced to death by Jahangir in 1606, since he had blessed Khusrau during his rebellion against the emperor. Khusrau was later blinded and was forced into the custody of his brother Khurram (future Shah Jahan) who eventually strangled him at Burhanpur in 1621 .  On the orders of Jahangir, Khusrau was buried in a tomb adjoining his mother's in a garden (now called Khusrau Bagh) in Prayagraj (Allahabad).

1663 - Shaista Khan was wounded by the Maratha chief Shivaji who made a surprise night attack in Poona on 5 April, 1663 , wounding him.  After his accession to the throne, Aurangzib sent Shayista Khan (Shaista Khan was the son of Asaf Khan and brother of Mumtaz Mahal) as viceroy of the Deccan with instruction to crush Shivaji. However, Shayista Khan had to retreat when Shivaji embarked on a surprise attack at the well-guarded mansion of Shayista Khan in Poona. In the scuffle Shaista Khan lost his thumb and his son, Abul Fath, was killed. This incident served a body-blow to the Mughal prestige in the Deccan. Aurangzeb recalled Shayista and transferred him to Bengal.  1930 - Mahatma Gandhi reached Dandi on 5th April 1930 to break the salt law. Led by Mahatma Gandhi, The famous 1930 "salt march" ( Dandi March) was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience to defy the monopoly on salt production by the British colonial rulers. Dandi March is also called Salt Satyagraha. ...

1944 - The Battle of Kohima took place in three stages from 4 April to 22 June 1944 around the town of Kohima , now the capital city of Nagaland in Northeast India . The Battle of Kohima was the turning point of the Japanese U-Go offensive into India in 1944 during the Second World War.

1680 -  Shivaji died a premature death at the age of fifty-three (or fifty, according to some) on the 3rd April, 1680. One of the most famous figures of Indian history, Shivaji was the founder of the Maratha kingdom.

1870 - Poona Sarvajanik Sabha was founded on April 2, 1870 in the Pune district of Maharashtra. It was one of the first Indian socio-political organisations formed to represent the interests of the Indian people during the British rule. It was by Mahadev Govind Ranade  and his associates G V Joshi, S H Sathe, and S H Chiplonkar.