Indian History and Static General Knowledge

Chand Bardai (often transliterated as Chandra Vardai) was the court poet of the Rajput king Prithviraj Chauhan. He composed the epic poem Prithviraj Raso, which is one of the earliest works of Hindi literature.

The First Carnatic War (1746-1748) was concluded by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which also ended the War of the Austrian Succession in Europe. Under this treaty, Madras was returned to the British in exchange for Louisbourg in North America.

Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement in Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha in 1793. This system fixed the land revenue to be paid by zamindars to the British East India Company in perpetuity.

Lord Ripon is known as the 'Father of Local Self-Government' in India due to his 1882 resolution. He aimed to provide popular political education and improve administration by involving local people in municipal and district boards.

The Tashkent Declaration was a peace agreement signed in January 1966 by Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Pakistani President Ayub Khan. It was mediated by the Soviet Union to resolve the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.

The Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy applied by Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856. It stated that any princely state under British influence would be annexed if the ruler died without a natural male heir.

The Sino-Indian War took place in 1962, primarily over disputed Himalayan borders in Aksai Chin and the North-East Frontier Agency. The conflict ended after China declared a unilateral ceasefire and withdrew to its claimed lines.

Xerophthalmia is a condition where the eyes fail to produce tears, often leading to corneal damage and blindness, caused by Vitamin A deficiency. Scurvy is caused by Vitamin C deficiency, Rickets by Vitamin D, and Beriberi by Vitamin B1.

The Carius method is a quantitative analytical technique used to determine the amount of halogens, phosphorus, or sulfur in organic compounds. Dumas and Kjeldahl methods are specifically used for the estimation of nitrogen.

White blood cells (leukocytes) are essential components of the immune system. They protect the body by producing anti-toxins and antibodies to neutralize pathogens and by engulfing foreign particles.

Jim Corbett National Park is located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, which was previously known as Uttaranjal. It is the oldest national park in India, established in 1936 to protect the endangered Bengal tiger.

Prataparudra II was indeed the last ruler of the Kakatiya dynasty, which fell to the Delhi Sultanate in 1323 CE. Rudramadevi was a famous queen but not the last ruler. Mahadeva and Ganapatideva were earlier rulers.

Megasthenes was the Greek ambassador to the court of Chandragupta Maurya and wrote the famous account 'Indica' about India. Ashoka was a Mauryan emperor but did not write Indica. Chandragupta Maurya was the ruler Megasthenes wrote about, and Kautilya (Chanakya) was the prime minister who wrote Arthashastra.

The Second Buddhist Council was held at Vaisali (Vaishali) around 383 BCE, about 100 years after the Buddha's death. The First Council was at Rajagriha, the Third at Pataliputra, and Vallabhi hosted a later Jain council, not a Buddhist one.

Ramaraya was the de facto ruler and regent of Vijayanagara at the time of the Battle of Talikota (1565 CE). Though Sadasivaraya was the名义上的 emperor, Ramaraya held actual power and led the military, which is why he is credited as the ruler during this decisive battle. Krishnadevaraya and Achutadevaraya were earlier rulers.

Samudragupta (reigned 335-380 CE) is called the 'Indian Napoleon' because of his extensive military conquests across India, much like Napoleon's European campaigns. He conquered nearly the entire Indian subcontinent. Ashoka was great but not called Napoleon, Sreegupta was his father, and Chandragupta I was the founder of the dynasty.

Muhammad bin Tughlaq earned the epithet 'wisest fool' due to his brilliant ideas that failed in execution. His schemes like shifting the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad and introducing token currency showed vision but poor practical planning, causing immense suffering. The title reflects his reputation for being learned yet making disastrous administrative decisions.

Qutb-ud-din Aibek built the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque in Delhi to commemorate his victory over Prithviraj Chauhan and capture of Delhi. This mosque, begun in 1193, was the first Islamic monument in India and stands within the Qutub Minar complex. It symbolized the establishment of Muslim rule in northern India.

Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi was written by Ziauddin Barani, a 14th-century court historian during Muhammad bin Tughlaq's reign, though dedicated to Firoz Shah Tughlaq. It covers the history of the Delhi Sultanate from Balban to Firoz Shah Tughlaq and is a crucial primary source for medieval Indian history.

The Second Battle of Tarain (1192) between Muhammad Ghori and Prithviraj Chauhan was a decisive moment in Indian history. Ghori, having been defeated by Prithviraj in the First Battle of Tarain (1191), returned with a stronger army and cavalry tactics, defeating and killing Prithviraj. This victory opened northern India to Islamic conquest and established the Delhi Sultanate.

 Option (4) is correct.

Ibn Battuta visited India during Muhammad bin Tughlaq's reign (1325-1351), arriving in 1333. He spent about eight years in the subcontinent, serving as a qadi (judge) in the Sultanate court. His travelogue 'Rihla' provides valuable insights into 14th-century India under Tughlaq rule, describing administration, society, and the Sultan's ambitious schemes.

Option (3) is correct.

The Zabt (or Zapti) system was introduced by Akbar as part of his administrative reforms, implemented by his finance minister Todar Mal. Under this system, land was surveyed and categorized based on soil fertility and crops cultivated, with fixed revenue demand in cash. This system brought predictability and stability to revenue collection, enhancing agricultural productivity and state revenue.

Ashtapradhan (council of eight ministers) was the administrative council of the Maratha Empire under Shivaji Maharaj. The eight ministers included the Peshwa (prime minister), Amatya (finance minister), Sachiv (home secretary), Mantri (foreign minister), Senapati (commander-in-chief), and others. This system ensured balanced governance and prevented concentration of power in one individual.

Jahangir ordered the execution of Guru Arjan Dev (not 'Singh') in 1606, making him the first Sikh martyr. The Guru was arrested for refusing to remove a verse from the Guru Granth Sahib that Jahangir found objectionable and for allegedly supporting Prince Khusrau's rebellion against Jahangir. He was tortured and made to sit on a hot iron plate, marking the beginning of Mughal-Sikh conflicts.

Ustad Isa (or Ustad Ahmad Lahori) was the chief architect of the Taj Mahal, commissioned by Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The construction began in 1632 and took approximately 22 years to complete. Isa led a team of over 20,000 workers and craftsmen, creating this masterpiece of Mughal architecture that combines Persian, Islamic, and Indian styles.