Indian History and Mythology

Vijay was Karna's legendary bow, given to him by his guru Parshuram. Gandiv was Arjuna's bow, created by Vishvakarma and previously owned by various deities including Shiva. This is a key distinction in the Mahabharata.

Lord Indra is Arjuna's divine father. Kunti invoked Indra through a mantra to receive Arjuna as his son, as part of the boon she received to call upon any deity. Lord Surya is Karna's father, not Arjuna's.

In the Ramayana, Lord Rama killed Bali, the powerful Vanara king of Kishkindha. Rama sided with Sugriva, Bali's brother who had been wronged, and shot Bali with an arrow while the two brothers were fighting. This enabled Sugriva to regain his kingdom.

Parshuram was Karna's guru who taught him archery and warfare skills. Since Dronacharya refused to teach Karna due to his low caste, Karna approached Parshuram and lied about being a Brahmin to receive training. Parshuram eventually discovered this deception but blessed Karna.

Kunti was biologically the daughter of King Shursen, who was also the father of Vasudeva (Krishna's father). Since Shursen's cousin Kuntibhoj had no heir, Kunti was given to him and raised as his daughter, which is why she was called Kunti (after Kuntibhoj's kingdom).

Vrushali (also called Uruvi or Supriya) was Karna's wife. She was the daughter of a charioteer and chose to marry Karna despite his low status and the challenges he faced. Unlike the more famous Draupadi, Vrushali remained loyal to Karna throughout his life.

Kunti had 4 sons - Yudhishthira (from Yama/Dharma), Bhima (from Vayu), Arjuna (from Indra), and the twins Nakula and Sahadeva (from the Ashwini Kumaras). The 5th Pandava, Karana, was also biologically her son from Surya but was raised by a charioteer. So counting only the sons she raised, the answer is 4.

In the Mahabharata war, Bhishma (Pitamah) was killed by Arjuna. However, this was only possible because Arjuna fought from behind Shikhandi, whom Bhishma refused to attack due to his vow not to fight against women (Shikhandi was born female). Krishna guided Arjuna's arrows, which ultimately incapacitated Bhishma.

Balram (Baladeva), brother of Krishna, was the martial arts teacher of both Bhima and Duryodhana in mace warfare (Gada-yuddha). Duryodhana specifically learned the powerful mace fighting techniques under Balram's guidance, making him a formidable warrior equal to Bhima.

Jayadratha was killed by Arjuna on the 14th day of the Kurukshetra war. Krishna used his Sudarshana Chakra to temporarily hide the sun, creating the illusion of sunset. When Jayadratha emerged from hiding thinking the battle was over, the sun reappeared and Arjuna killed him with a single arrow, fulfilling his vow.

Ashwatthama was the only son of Dronacharya, the guru of both Pandavas and Kauravas. Ashwatthama was a mighty warrior who fought on the Kaurava side in the Kurukshetra war and was one of the few survivors. The other options are incorrect: Shona and Samarveera are not Dronacharya's sons, and Drupad was Dronacharya's friend turned enemy.

James Hicky, an Irishman, introduced India's first printing press in 1780 with 'Hicky's Bengal Gazette'. Lord Canning was a Governor-General, while S.P. Sinha and S.H.F. Manekshaw were not associated with printing press introduction.

Field Marshal S.H.F. Manekshaw (Sam Manekshaw) was India's first Field Marshal, appointed in 1973. C.V. Raman was a physicist, C. Rajgopalachari a Governor-General, and General Cariappa the first Indian Commander-in-Chief.

Ganesh Vasudeva Mavalankar was the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha (1952-1956). Dr. Zakir Hussain was India's third President, Satyendra Nath Tagore a jurist, and Badruddin Tayyabji a judge and diplomat.

Lord Mountbatten served as the last Viceroy and first Governor-General of independent India (1947-1948). James Hicky founded a newspaper, Gen. Maharaj Rajendra Singhji was a military leader, and Nehru became the first Prime Minister.

Dr. Zakir Hussain was India's first Muslim President, serving from 1967-1969. Badruddin Tayyabji was a judge, S.H.F. Manekshaw a military leader, and Abul Kalam Azad a freedom fighter and Education Minister.

In the Mahabharata, Ashwathama (Aswathama) was the son of Dronacharya, the guru of the Pandavas and Kauravas. Ashwathama was a skilled warrior who fought in the Kurukshetra war and was one of the seven Chiranjeevis (immortals) in Hindu mythology.

Shah Jahan built the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) inside the Red Fort in Delhi around 1660. It is a beautiful white marble structure known for its architectural elegance.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was India's first Home Minister, serving from 1947 to 1950. He played a crucial role in integrating princely states into the Indian Union and is known as the 'Iron Man of India'.

Gautam Buddha was born in Lumbini, which is located in present-day Nepal. Lumbini is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites. Bodh Gaya is where he attained enlightenment, Pataliputra was a major ancient city, and Vaishali was where he preached his last sermon.