Indian History Quiz

Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343-1400) is widely regarded as the father of English poetry. His work 'The Canterbury Tales' established English as a legitimate language for literature, helping standardize Middle English. John Milton and John Keats were important poets who came much later.

In the Mahabharata, Virata and Drupada were both Maharathis (great warriors) commanding the Pandava army. Virata ruled Matsya kingdom; Drupada ruled Panchala and fathered Draupadi. Option B is correct.

Bhishma (Bheeshma) was the first commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army, appointed by Duryodhana at the start of the Kurukshetra war. He led the Kaurava forces for the first 10 days of battle before falling to Arjuna. Drona succeeded him as commander after his injury, and Karna took command later. Ashvathama became commander only much later, after Drona's death.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna was initially hesitant to fight. It was only after Lord Krishna revealed his Vishwaroopa (Universal Form), showing that all beings originate from and return to Him, that Arjuna's doubts were cleared and he took up arms.

Yudhistra's weakness for gambling led to the catastrophic dice game where he lost his kingdom, wealth, and even staked Draupadi. This fatal flaw drove a major plot point in the Mahabharata. His adherence to truth was his greatest strength, but his addiction to gambling caused immense suffering for the Pandavas and ultimately led to the Kurukshetra war.

Urvashi was the celestial nymph who fell in love with Arjuna when he was training in Indraloka (heaven) under his father Indra. When Arjuna rejected her advances as she was like a mother to him, Urvashi cursed him to become a eunuch. This curse later became a boon during the Pandavas' exile year in the Virata kingdom, allowing Arjuna to live as Brihannala teaching dance to the princess Uttara.

Each elephant in the Kurukshetra war carried seven warriors: the mahout (elephant driver) and six soldiers equipped with weapons. Elephants were the tanks of ancient Indian warfare, used to charge and break enemy formations. The massive animals required multiple handlers and warriors to maximize their battlefield effectiveness in the 18-day war.

To answer this question, the user needs to have knowledge about the Indian epic Mahabharata. The question is asking about the person who narrated the events of the war to King Dirtharashtra.

Option A, Bhalikha, is not correct. There is no character by this name in the Mahabharata.

Option B, Vidura, is a well-known character in the Mahabharata, as he was the half-brother of King Dirtharashtra and a wise counselor to the Pandavas. However, he did not narrate the events of the war to King Dirtharashtra.

Option C, Sanjaya, is the correct answer. Sanjaya was a minister of King Dirtharashtra and was blessed with divine vision by the sage Vyasa. He was able to narrate the events of the war to King Dirtharashtra, who was blind, through this divine vision.

Option D, Kripacharya, was a character in the Mahabharata who fought on the side of the Kauravas in the war and was the teacher of the Kaurava princes. However, he did not narrate the events of the war to King Dirtharashtra.

Therefore, the correct answer is:

The Answer is: C. Sanjaya

Bheemasena (Bhima) made this terrible vow when Dushasana dragged Draupadi by her hair and attempted to disrobe her in the Hastinapura court. Bhima swore to kill Dushasana in battle, drink his blood, and use it to wash Draupadi's hair. On the 16th day of the Kurukshetra war, Bhima fulfilled this gruesome vow, avenging Draupadi's humiliation.

Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee (W.C. Banerjee) was the first president of the Indian National Congress, elected in 1885 at its inaugural session in Bombay.

Sucheta Kriplani became the first woman Chief Minister in India when she led the Uttar Pradesh government from 1963 to 1967. Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister (not CM), Vijaylakshmi Pandit was a diplomat and Governor, and Sarojini Naidu was a freedom fighter and poet. This is a significant milestone in Indian women's political history.

Harshavardhana (606-647 CE), the emperor of Kannauj, composed the Sanskrit play Ratnavali. Kalidas wrote works like Abhijnanashakuntalam, Tulsidas wrote Ramcharitmanas, and Premchand was a modern Hindi writer.

Razia Sultan (1236-1240 CE) was the first and only female ruler of the Delhi Sultanate. She succeeded her father Iltutmish and ruled efficiently, adopting male attire and leading armies herself. Noorjahan was a Mughal empress who influenced power from behind the throne but never ruled Delhi directly.

Quli Qutb Shah (Sultan Quli), a Turkmen governor appointed by the Bahmani sultan, declared independence in 1518 CE and founded the Qutb Shahi dynasty that ruled Golconda for nearly 170 years. Ibrahim Qutb Shah was a later ruler (1550-1580 CE).