Indian History: Ancient to Modern

Ashoka was called 'Chanda Ashoka' (fierce/terrible Ashoka) because of his brutal path to the throne. According to Buddhist and historical traditions, he killed 99 of his 100 brothers to eliminate rivals, beheading Susima and throwing bodies in a well. The Kalinga war came later, as did his conversion to Buddhism and marriage to Devi. 'Chanda' reflects his cruelty before embracing Buddhism.

Emperor Ashoka (r. 268-232 BCE) belonged to the Mauryan dynasty, founded by Chandragupta Maurya. The Mughal dynasty ruled much later (1526-1857 CE). 'Wadohar' appears to be a misspelling - possibly intended to be 'Shunga' or another dynasty. Arcot Nawabs were a regional power in much later periods. The Mauryans were one of India's greatest empires.

The Mauryan dynasty was replaced by the Sunga (or Shunga) dynasty after Brihadratha, the last Mauryan emperor, was assassinated by his commander Pushyamitra Sunga around 185 BCE. The Mughal dynasty came much later (16th century CE). 'Wadohar' appears to be a misspelling. Option C incorrectly lists Mauryan again, which cannot replace itself.

The question has grammatical issues and unclear phrasing. Ashoka did not create a 'written language' - he used the existing Brahmi script for his edicts. His rock edicts (c. 260 BCE) are among the earliest extensive decipherable inscriptions in India, but the undeciphered Harappan script predates him by over a millennium. The question seems to ask about Ashoka's historical significance in written records.

Babar's father was Omar Sheikh Mirza II, who was the ruler of the Ferghana Valley (in present-day Uzbekistan). Babar inherited this small kingdom and later went on to found the Mughal Empire in India after defeats in his homeland led him to seek new territories.

Razia Sultan (Sultana Razia) was the daughter of Iltutmish, the third Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate (1211-1236). She was the first and only female ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, ruling from 1236-1240. Her rule was remarkable in an era when female leadership was uncommon in Islamic kingdoms.

Samudragupta (reigned 335-375 CE) is called the Napoleon of India due to his vast military conquests and empire expansion. Like Napoleon, he defeated numerous kings and expanded the Gupta Empire significantly across the Indian subcontinent. His conquests are detailed in the Allahabad Pillar inscription by Harishena.

Rahul was the son of Gautama Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama). The name Rahul means 'fetter' or 'attachment', and Siddhartha named him so because the birth of his son was seen as an attachment that tied him to the material world, prompting him to eventually renounce his princely life and seek enlightenment.

Shashanka (reigned circa 600-625 CE) was the first independent ruler of the Bengal kingdom after the Gupta Empire's decline. He established the first independent Bengal polity and is known for his resistance against Harsha's expansion. Dharma Pal was a later Buddhist Pala king, while the others were from different periods.

Former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31, 1984, by her bodyguards Satwant Singh and Beant Singh. This event occurred at her residence in New Delhi and had significant political repercussions for India.

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated at an election rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991. The assassination was carried out by a suicide bomber from the LTTE during the 1991 general election campaign.

A.O. Hume (Allan Octavian Hume), a British civil servant, founded the Indian National Congress in 1885. Annie Besant was a later president (1917). Motilal Nehru and Lala Lajpat Rai were prominent Congress leaders but not founders. The Congress was initially formed to provide a platform for political dialogue.

Lord George Curzon, Viceroy of India from 1899-1905, implemented the controversial partition of Bengal on October 16, 1905, dividing it along Hindu-Muslim lines. Bentinck (1830s), Warren Hastings (1770s), and Dalhousie (1848-1856) served much earlier. The partition was annulled in 1911 due to massive opposition.

The Indian National Congress split into extremists (led by Tilak) and moderates (led by Gokhale) at the Surat Session in 1907. The split occurred over methods of achieving independence - moderates favored constitutional methods while extremists demanded swaraj. Banaras, Pune, and Bombay sessions did not see this formal split.

Operation Polo (1948) was the Indian military action to integrate the princely state of Hyderabad, whose ruler Nizam Osman Ali Khan wanted to remain independent rather than join India or Pakistan. It lasted just 5 days (September 13-17, 1948) and resulted in Hyderabad's accession to India. Kashmir faced a different conflict (with tribal invaders from Pakistan), Junagadh had a different integration process (Operation Vijay), and Mysore had already signed the Instrument of Accession.

Samudragupta's father was Chandragupta I and his son was Chandragupta II, making him the emperor whose father and son had the same name. Option B is correct.

The invention of writing systems is generally accepted as marking the end of the Prehistoric Age and the beginning of recorded history. Without writing, we rely solely on archaeological evidence. Option C is correct.

Andhra Pradesh was the first state formed on linguistic basis in 1953, carved out of Madras State for Telugu-speaking people. This preceded the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. Option A is correct.

C. Rajagopalachari's daughter Laxmi married Devdas Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's son. Therefore, Laxmi was the daughter-in-law of Mahatma Gandhi. Option B is correct.