General Awareness

Kharoshti, an ancient script used in the Gandhara region of the Indian subcontinent, was written from right to left.

The Milindapanho (Questions of King Milinda) records a dialogue between the Indo-Greek King Menander I and the Buddhist sage Nagasena.

The Maski edict is famous for being one of the few edicts that explicitly mentions the name 'Asoka' alongside his title 'Devanampriya'.

In Mahayana Buddhism, Avalokiteswara is often depicted holding a lotus, which is why he is known as Padmapani (the lotus-bearer).

The Kathopanishad contains the famous philosophical dialogue between the young boy Nachiketa and Yama, the god of death, regarding the nature of the soul.

Manigramam was a prominent guild or corporation of merchants in South India during the medieval period, involved in trade.

The Mughal Empire was founded by Babur in 1526 after his victory over Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat. This event marked the beginning of Mughal rule in India.

Balban adopted the title Zil-i-Ilahi, which means Shadow of God on Earth, to enhance the prestige and divine status of the Sultanate. Tute-i-Hind was a title associated with Amir Khusru.

Abul Fazl, the court historian of Akbar, mentions the discovery of America in his work, the Akbarnama. He provides a brief account of the European voyages of discovery.

Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti established the Chishti Order in India in the late 12th century. He settled in Ajmer, which became the center of his missionary activities.

Sittanavasal, located in Tamil Nadu, is famous for its rock-cut Jain temple and ancient frescoes. It is a significant site for early South Indian art.

The Three Jewels (Triratna) of Jainism are Right Faith (Samyak Darshana), Right Knowledge (Samyak Jnana), and Right Conduct (Samyak Charitra). Right intentions is not one of the three.

The Mir Bakshi was the head of the military department under the Mughal administration. He was responsible for intelligence, military appointments, and salary disbursements.

Dayananda Saraswathi founded the Arya Samaj in 1875. The organization aimed to reform Hinduism by returning to the Vedas.

Gautam Buddha was born in Lumbini, which is located in present-day Nepal. It is one of the four major pilgrimage sites associated with his life.

The Paradesi Synagogue in Cochin (Kochi), Kerala, is the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations. It was built in 1568.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak wrote the Gita Rahasya while he was imprisoned in Mandalay. It is a scholarly commentary on the Bhagavad Gita emphasizing karma yoga.

The Bara Imambara is located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. It was built by Asaf-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh, in 1784.

The Rig Veda is the oldest of the four Vedas. It consists of a collection of hymns dedicated to various deities.

Chandra Gupta I was the first Gupta ruler to adopt the title Maharajadiraja (King of Kings) after his marriage to the Lichchhavi princess Kumaradevi.

Sher Shah Suri rebuilt and extended the ancient road known as the Sadak-e-Azam, which later became famous as the Grand Trunk Road.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy is widely regarded as the father of the Indian Renaissance for his efforts in social and religious reform, including the abolition of Sati.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak famously declared, Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it, during the Indian Home Rule movement.

The Dandi March, led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930, was a protest against the British salt tax and the monopoly on salt production.

The first session of the Indian National Congress was held in Bombay in December 1885, presided over by W.C. Bonnerjee.

Alexander the Great's advance in India was halted at the Beas River, as his troops refused to proceed further due to exhaustion and the fear of the powerful Nanda Empire.

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to establish direct trade relations with India after Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in 1498.

Lord Curzon was the Viceroy of India who implemented the partition of Bengal in 1905, which led to widespread protests and the Swadeshi movement.

The decision to form the Indian National Army (INA) was taken in Tokyo, following the conferences held by Rash Behari Bose and other Indian nationalists in Japan.

The Treaty of Srirangapatanam was signed in 1792 between Tipu Sultan and Lord Cornwallis after the Third Anglo-Mysore War.