Indian History and Mythology

Indonesia was historically known as the Dutch East Indies when it was a Dutch colonial colony from 1800 to 1945. The name accurately describes the East Indies territories under Dutch colonial rule. Andaman and Nicobar were British, Cuba was Spanish then American, and Falkland Islands were British.

Lal Bahadur Shastri, the second Prime Minister of India, died in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on January 11, 1966, hours after signing the Tashkent Declaration with Pakistan. At the time, Tashkent was part of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic within the USSR, and is now the capital of independent Uzbekistan.

Malik Kafur, a slave general who became the most trusted commander of Alauddin Khalji, was given the title 'Malik Naib' which means deputy ruler or vice-regent. He led successful military campaigns in South India and was one of the most powerful figures in the Delhi Sultanate. Iltutmish was a Sultan himself, Tantia Topi was a Maratha leader, and Todar Mal was Akbar's finance minister.

Nur Jahan, the favorite wife of Emperor Jahangir, is credited with introducing and popularizing chikan embroidery to Lucknow. She was a patron of arts and crafts, and under her influence, Lucknow became renowned for this delicate embroidery style that involves white threadwork on white fabric.

The Peshwa was the head of the council of ministers (Ashtapradhan) in the Maratha administration and served as the prime minister. Under Chhatrapati Shahu, the Peshwa became the de facto ruler of the Maratha Empire. The other options were lower-ranking ministers: Mahamantri (chief minister), Amatya (finance minister), and Rajamatya (foreign minister).

Vellore Fort was built by Sinna Bomma Nayak, a chieftain of the Vijayanagara Empire, in the 16th century. The fort is known for its strong granite construction and later became famous for the Vellore Mutiny of 1806. The other forts listed are in different regions: Gulbarga and Bidar are in Karnataka, while Lalgarh is in Rajasthan.

Todar Mal served as Akbar's finance minister (Diwan) and was one of the Navratnas (nine jewels) in Akbar's court. He reformed the revenue system and introduced the zabt system of land revenue assessment. Birbal was known for his wit, Man Singh was a military commander, and Tansen was the legendary musician.

Ibn Battuta, the Moroccan traveler, visited India during Muhammad bin Tughluq's reign (1325-1351). He stayed in India for several years and served as a qazi (judge) under the Sultan. Fa-Hien visited during the Gupta period, Hiuen Tsang during Harsha's reign, and I-Tsing came later in the 7th century.

Maham Anga was the foster-mother of Akbar who served as his wet nurse and cared for him during his childhood. She was a significant figure in Akbar's early life and held considerable influence in the Mughal court during his reign. Humayun was Akbar's father, Babur his grandfather, and Aurangzeb his great-grandson, ruling much later.

The Dandi March (1930) was Gandhi's direct action against the British Salt Law which gave the British monopoly on salt production and sale. The 240-mile march to Dandi to make salt symbolically defied this unjust tax. The Arms Act regulated weapons, Pitts India Act dealt with company administration, and Vernacular Press Act censored Indian-language newspapers.

Rabindranath Tagore won the 1913 Nobel Prize for Literature for Gitanjali becoming the first non-European and first Asian laureate. Mirza Ghalib was a 19th-century Urdu poet who died in 1869, Debendranath was Rabindranath's father (not the laureate), and Mohammad Iqbal was a poet-philosopher who wrote in the early 20th century.

After Rama banished Sita, she took refuge in Valmiki's ashrama where she gave birth to Lava and Kusha. Valmiki, who authored the Ramayana, provided her protection and guidance during her exile. Visvamitra was Rama's guru in his youth, Gautama was a sage, and Kashyapa was another ancient rishi.

Shukracharya is the guru of the asuras in Hindu mythology, while Brihaspati is the guru of the devas. Chandra is the moon god, Agastya is a revered sage, and Brihaspati guides the gods. Shukracharya possessed the knowledge of Sanjivani which could revive the dead.

Abhimanyu was Krishna's nephew being the son of Krishna's sister Subhadra and Arjuna. Sudama was Krishna's poor Brahmin friend, Ekalavya was the archer who learned from Drona indirectly, and Sisupala was Krishna's cousin whom he killed. Abhimanyu's parentage makes him the maternal nephew.

Ravana was the son of the sage Vishrava and Kaikasi making him a Brahmin by birth though he became a rakshasa king. Sampati was Jatayu's brother, Satyaki was a Yadava warrior, and Bali was the monkey king Sugriva's brother. Ravana's parentage is well-documented in the Ramayana.

Dronacharya demanded Ekalavya's thumb as guru dakshina after learning Ekalavya had mastered archery by practicing before Drona's statue. This ensured Ekalavya could never surpass Arjuna. Karna was Drona's student who was rejected, Satyaki was a warrior, and Balarama was Balarama was Krishna's brother who taught Duryodhana mace-fighting.

Perseus was the Greek hero who slew Medusa the Gorgon using Athena's shield to see her reflection and Hermes's sickle to behead her. Hercules performed the Twelve Labors, Zeus was the king of gods, and Pegasus was the winged horse born from Medusa's blood. Perseus's myth is one of the most famous Greek hero stories.

Sanjna was the wife of Surya the sun god in Hindu mythology. Unable to bear his brilliance, she created a shadow named Chhaya and left. Arundhati was Vashishta's wife, Saraswati was Brahma's consort, and Siddhi is an abstract concept representing spiritual power. Sanjna's name literally means 'knowledge' or 'consciousness'.

Damayanti was the wife of Nala in their famous love story from the Mahabharata. She chose Nala in a swayamvara from among gods and kings. Mahashweta was a wife in Hindu mythology, Ahalya was Gautama's wife turned to stone, and Kesini was a queen in the Ikshvaku dynasty. Their story symbolizes marital devotion overcoming adversity.