Indian History Quiz

The Gayatri Mantra is found in Rig Veda (Book 3, Hymn 62.10), composed by sage Visvamitra. It is considered one of the most sacred mantras in Hinduism, dedicated to Savitr (the sun deity).

Both Buddhism and Jainism emerged as reform movements emphasizing ahimsa (non-violence) as a core principle. They rejected Vedic ritual sacrifices and promoted peaceful living, compassion toward all beings, and ethical conduct as the path to liberation.

The Tripitakas (meaning 'three baskets') are the primary sacred texts of Buddhism, containing the teachings of Gautama Buddha. They consist of three collections: Vinaya Pitaka (monastic rules), Sutta Pitaka (discourses of Buddha), and Abhidhamma Pitaka (philosophical analysis). Jainism has sacred texts called Agamas, while Hinduism has the Vedas, Upanishads, and other scriptures. Shaivism is a Hindu tradition, not a separate religion with Tripitakas.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) united various Sikh misls (confederacies) and founded the Sikh Empire in Punjab in the early 19th century. He was a skilled military and political leader who established a secular kingdom. Guru Nanak was the founder of Sikh religion (15th-16th century), Guru Gobind Singh was the 10th Sikh Guru who formalized the Khalsa, and Guru Tegh Bahadur was the 9th Guru - none of these founded a political kingdom.

The Constituent Assembly of India was formed on 9 December 1946 under the Cabinet Mission Plan. It first met on 9 December 1946 and had 389 members who drafted the Indian Constitution. Option D (15 Aug 1947) is Independence Day, while Option C (26 Jan 1948) is Republic Day - but the Assembly was formed earlier.

Dadabhai Naoroji was among the earliest leaders to formally demand Swaraj (self-rule) for India. As early as 1906, he articulated the demand for self-governance and founded the Swaraj Party. While Tilak later popularized the slogan 'Swaraj is my birthright' and Gandhi made it a mass movement, Naoroji's early economic critique (Drain Theory) and formal proposals laid the foundation.

The Interim Government of India was formed on September 2, 1946, as part of the Cabinet Mission Plan. It was headed by Jawaharlal Nehru and served as a transitional government before full independence in 1947. The other years are incorrect - 1947 marks independence, 1948 marks Gandhi's assassination, and 1945 was the end of World War II.

The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre occurred on April 13, 1919, when British troops under General Dyer fired on a peaceful gathering of unarmed Indians in Amritsar, Punjab. The tragic event killed hundreds and marked a turning point in India's freedom struggle, leading to the Non-Cooperation Movement. The other dates are incorrect historical dates for other events.

The Non-Cooperation Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi in August 1920, in response to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre and the Rowlatt Act. It was the first mass movement under Gandhi's leadership and involved boycotting British institutions, schools, courts, and goods. The movement was eventually called off in 1922 after the Chauri Chaura incident.