Indian History

Anantadeva Varma or Anantavarman Chodagangadeva was an Odia emperor of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. He was the son of Eastern Ganga ruler Rajaraja I and Rajasundari, the grand daughter of illustrious Chola emperor Rajendra Chola (ruled 1014–1044) and daughter of Virarajendra Chola who ruled from 1065 to 1070.  Anantavarman Chodagangadeva was so called because he was the son of Rajaraja I (a Ganga ruler) and Rajasundari (a Chola princess). Anantavarman Chodagangadeva is known for starting the construction of famed Jagannatha Temple at Puri. He ruled for 72 years from  17 February 1078 to 1150 .  In 2024 Anantavarman's inscriptions were found in Jami village of Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh. Written in  both Sanskrit and Telugu t hese inscriptions were preserved in the premises of Venugopala Swamy, Triuparantaka Swamy and Janardana Swamy temples of Jami, which is 20 km away from Vizianagaram.

Rani ki Vav / Image Credit Situated in the town of Patan in Gujarat, Rani Ki Vav is an intricately designed step well built in the 11th century by Queen Udayamati, wife of Bhima-I of the Chalukya (Solanki) Dynasty. It was during the reign of Bhima I (Bhimadeva) that Muslim invader Mahmud Ghazni overran Gujarat and plundered the great temple of Somanath.  That Bhimadeva’s queen Udaymati caused this step-well to be built has been referred to in a text named Prabandhachintamani, written by the Jain scholar Merutunda, in 1304 AD. In 1986, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had carried out  excavation of this stepwell. An image of Udayamati was recovered during the excavation.  Rani ki Vav was declared a UNESCO's World Heritage Site in 2014.

Veerabhadra Temple, Lepakshi / Image Credit Located at Lepakshi in the Sri Sathya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh, the 16th century Veerabhadra temple is a famous shrine built  by Virupanna, a governor under the Vijayanagar Empire during the reign of Achyuta Deva Raya.   Executed in the Vijayanagar style, the temple,  dedicated to the Virabhadra, a form of the god Shiva,  is known for the monolithic statue of Nandi, the largest in the country.  Paintings in the  Veerabhadra Temple Coiled multi-hooded serpent providing an umbrella cover over a Linga

Sembiyan Mahadevi / Image Credit Sembiyan Mahadevi was the wife of the Chola ruler Gandaraditya Chola who succeeded to the Chola throne in 955 AD. At the time of Gandaraditya’s reign, the Chola kingdom was reduced to the size of a principality. Gandaraditya, with his wife Sembiyan Mahadevi, is more known for his work in the field of culture and religion.  Sembiyan Mahadevi was the mother of Uttama Chola who had become the Chola ruler in 973 after the death of the incumbent Chola monarch Parantaka Chola II who succeeded his father Arinjaya who became the ruler after the death of his brother Gandaraditya. Sembiyan Mahadevi was instrumental in constructing many temples in South India including the  Umamaheswarar   at  Konerirajapuram, 30min drive from Kumbakonam In Tamil Nadu.  Umamaheswarar  temple has been the famous abode   of Lord Nataraja.

Q.1. Jahangir's eldest son Khusrau was forced to watch as his supporters were put to death by ____________on the Chandni Chowk  street   in Delhi. (A) Crucifixion (B) Boiling  (C) Hanging (D) Impalement Khusrau was the eldest son of the fourth Mughal emperor Jahangir. With the support of the powerful nobles  Khusrau  eyed the Mughal throne and unfurled a  banner of rebellion against his father . After the death of his grandfather, Akbar, in 1605, he was imprisoned in Agra Fort by Jahangir who had succeeded Akbar as the Mughal emperor. However, though he managed to escape, he was defeated by the Mughal forces in 1606. He was taken to Delhi  where he was paraded  down  Chandni Chowk   on an elephant while his supporters were impaled on stakes through their bowels.    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. (The official...

Veeranam Lake / Iamge Source   Q.1. Which of the following Chola princes died in the battle field? (A) Rajaditya Chola  (B) Aditya Karikala, alias Aditya II,  (C) Rajendra Chola (C) Parantaka I Answer: A  Parantaka I ascended the Chola throne in 907 and ruled for forty-eight years till 955. In 949 he suffered defeat at the hands of Rshtrakuta king Krishna III in the battle of Takkolam. Rajaditya , eldest son of Parantaka I, lost his life in the battle  when a well-aimed arrow by Butuga II (Western Ganga king and brother-in-law of Krishna III) struck him while he was on an elephant back. After his success in the battle, Krishna III adopted the title of ‘Conqueror of  Kanchi (Kanchipuram) and Thanjai (Thanjavur)’.  Rajaditya earned the title ‘Yanaimel Thunjiya Devar’ (The king who died on the back of an elephant) in the Chola inscriptions at Kumbakonam and Thirunageswaram.  Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)  has recently named  its...

                                                                                Lotus Mahal in Hampi.                               Photograph by John Gollings from the George Michell Collection Q. 1.- Where are the ruins of Vijayanagar empire found ? (A) Bijapur (B) Bidar  (C) Golconda (D) Hampi Q. 2.-  Lotus Mahal is an important monument in___ (A) Pattadakal  (B) Hampi (C) Badami (D) Aihole Q.3.- Which among the following was the single biggest item of import to the Vijayanagar empire? (A) Cotton and silk clothes (B) Spices (C) Horses (D) Sugar  Q.4.- Who was the most famous ruler of the Vijayanagar Empire? (A) Krishnadeva Raya (B) Harihara...