history Online Quiz - 8

Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913, becoming the first non-European to receive this honor. He was recognized for Gitanjali, his collection of poems. The other Indian Nobel laureates listed won in different categories: C.V. Raman (Physics, 1930), Mother Teresa (Peace, 1979), and Amartya Sen (Economics, 1998).

C.V. Raman won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for his discovery of the Raman Effect - the scattering of light and the change in wavelength. This was a groundbreaking contribution to optical physics. The other options are Indian Nobel laureates in different fields: Tagore (Literature), Mother Teresa (Peace), and Amartya Sen (Economics).

Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work through the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata. She founded the order to serve 'the poorest of the poor' and was recognized for her lifelong dedication to helping the destitute and dying. The other options are Indian Nobel laureates in science fields.

Amartya Sen won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1998 for his contributions to welfare economics, including his work on poverty, inequality, and famine. He developed methods for measuring poverty that influenced global policy. The other options include Indian Nobel laureates: Tagore (Literature, 1913), C.V. Raman (Physics, 1930), and Har Gobind Khorana (Medicine, 1968).

Subramanyan Chandrasekhar won the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physics for his theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of stars. The other options are Nobel laureates in different fields: V.S. Naipaul (Literature, 2001), Amartya Sen (Economics, 1998), and Mother Teresa (Peace, 1979).

Bhishma actually died on the 10th day of the Kurukshetra war, not on the 13th, 15th, or 16th day. He had the boon of choosing the time of his death (Ichcha Mrityu) and lay on a bed of arrows for several days before choosing to die. Since none of the specific dates given (13th, 15th, 16th) are correct, 'None of the above' is the right answer.

Karna was Kunti's first child, born through her invocation of Surya (the sun god) before she married Pandu. Kunti had received a boon from Durvasa rishi that allowed her to invoke any deity and bear a child. She tested this boon and had Karna, but fearing social stigma as an unwed mother, she abandoned him in a basket on the river. He was later found and raised by Adhiratha and Radha, a charioteer couple.

Shantanu married Satyavati after his first wife Ganga left him. Satyavati was the daughter of a fisherman chief and became queen of Hastinapura. She was the mother of Bhishma's half-brothers Chitrangada and Vichitravirya.

Krishna was the eighth child of Vasudeva and Devaki. Devaki's brother Kamsa had killed their first seven children due to a prophecy that the eighth child would kill him. Krishna was smuggled across the Yamuna to Gokul to be raised by Yashoda and Nanda.

Balarama, Krishna's elder brother, is traditionally depicted with a plough (hal) as his primary weapon. He is also associated with a club (gada), but the plough is his distinctive attribute. Unlike Krishna who wielded the Sudarshana Chakra, Balarama's iconography prominently features the plough.

Bhishma (Bheesma) was the first commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army in the Kurukshetra war. He led the army for the first 10 days before falling. After him, Drona took command, followed by Karna, and finally Shalya.

Eklavya, a gifted archer who learned by practicing before a clay statue of Drona, cut off his right thumb and gave it to Drona as his guru dakshina (offering). This was done when Drona demanded his thumb as fee to ensure Arjuna would remain the greatest archer.

Urvashi, a celestial nymph (apsara), was attracted to Arjuna when he visited Indraloka (heaven) as his father Indra's guest. When Arjuna rejected her advances calling her a mother figure, she cursed him to become a eunuch for a year, which later became useful during his Agyatvas period.

Kampilya (also spelled Kamapilya) was the capital of the Panchala kingdom. King Drupada ruled from here, and his daughter Draupadi (also known as Panchali) was born in this kingdom. Panchala was the sworn enemy of the Kuru kingdom.

Ghatotkacha was the son of Bhima and the rakshasi Hidimba. Hidimba was a demoness who fell in love with Bhima after her brother Hidimbasura was killed. Ghatotkacha inherited both human strength and rakshasa powers, becoming a key warrior in the Kurukshetra war.

Tamarindus indica is the correct Latin (scientific) name for the tamarind tree, commonly known as 'Imli' in Hindi. The other options are incorrect: Felis domesticus is the domestic cat, Naja naja is the Indian cobra, and Phycus Bengalensis appears to be a fabricated name.