Indian History: Mughal and Ancient Empires

Qutub Minar was started by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1193 to mark his victory over the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi. Though he only completed the first storey, his successors Iltutmish and Firoz Shah Tughlaq added the remaining storeys later. Sher Shah Suri, Bahadur Shah Zafar, and Shah Jahan ruled centuries later and had no connection to its construction.

Agra Fort was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar between 1565 and 1573. It served as the main residence of the Mughal emperors until Shah Jahan moved the capital to Delhi and built the Red Fort. Jehangir and Humayun were Akbar's predecessor and successor respectively, while Shah Jahan built the Red Fort, not Agra Fort.

The Red Fort in Delhi was built by Shah Jahan between 1638 and 1648 when he shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi. The fort's red sandstone walls give it its name. Akbar built the Agra Fort, Qutb-ud-din Aibak built Qutub Minar, and Sher Shah Suri built Sher Mandal and the old fort (Purana Qila) in Delhi.

The Battle of Haldighati (1576) was fought between Maharana Pratap of Mewar and the Mughal forces led by Akbar's general Man Singh I. Though Maharana Pratap lost the battle, he continued his resistance and never surrendered to the Mughals. Kalinga was fought by Ashoka, Panipat battles were later, and Plassey was a British battle.

Zend Avesta is the sacred text of Zoroastrianism (Parsi religion), containing prayers, hymns, and teachings of the prophet Zoroaster. The Bible is Christian, the Koran (Quran) is Islamic, and Guru Granth Sahib is the Sikh holy scripture. Parsis are followers of Zoroastrianism who fled Persia and settled in India.

Jodha Bai (also spelled Jhoda Bai) was a Rajput princess from Amber who married Emperor Akbar in 1562. This marriage was significant as it formed a strategic alliance between the Mughals and the Rajputs. She was also known by the name Mariam-uz-Zamani after marriage.

Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last Mughal emperor, ruling from 1837 to 1857. He was a titular ruler with limited power, and the Mughal dynasty effectively ended after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, when he was exiled to Rangoon by the British.

Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, was assassinated on August 27, 1979, by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). They planted a bomb on his boat, Shadow V, in Donegal Bay, Ireland. Mountbatten, his grandson Nicholas, and two others were killed in the attack.

Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, lived during the 6th century BCE (approximately 563-483 BCE according to Buddhist tradition). Historical sources place him in this era, reigning as a prince in what is now Nepal/Northern India before his enlightenment.

The Maurya Empire was founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE with help from his advisor Chanakya (Kautilya). He overthrew the Nanda Empire and went on to conquer most of the Indian subcontinent. Ashoka was his grandson (3rd ruler), and Bindusara was Chandragupta's son and successor.

Humayun, the second Mughal emperor, had several brothers. Kamran, Hindal, and Askari were indeed his brothers from the same father (Babur). Murad was not Humayun's brother. The question correctly identifies three of his four brothers who were significant figures in Mughal politics.