general knowledge Online Quiz - 4193

The Republic of Congo was known as Zaire from 1971-1997 under Mobutu's regime. Despite the name 'Zaire' now referring to the Democratic Republic of Congo, historically it was this country's official name. The other options are fictional.

Uttar Pradesh was known as the United Provinces during British rule, referring to the Agra and Awadh provinces being united. This name continued until shortly after independence when it was renamed. The other options don't match the historical name.

Varanasi, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities, was historically known as Banaras. This name appears in ancient texts and during the Mughal and British periods. The other options are either incomplete or incorrect variations.

Myanmar was formerly known as Burma, a name given during British colonial rule. The military government changed the official name to Myanmar in 1989. The other options are incorrect or refer to different countries.

Kozhikode in Kerala was historically known as Calicut, an important spice trade center mentioned in accounts of Marco Polo and Vasco da Gama. The name Calicut was anglicized during the Portuguese and British periods. The other options are invented.

Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon until 1972 when it changed its name. The name Ceylon was derived from the ancient Tamil name 'Ceilao' and was used throughout British colonial rule. The other options are misspellings of Ceylon.

Constantinople was the former name of Istanbul, the capital of the Byzantine Empire before being captured by the Ottomans in 1453. The city was officially renamed Istanbul after the Turkish Republic was established, though 'Constantinople' remained in common usage in the West for decades.

Taiwan was known as Formosa, derived from the Portuguese 'Ilha Formosa' meaning 'beautiful island'. Portuguese sailors named it in the 16th century when they sighted the island. The name was commonly used in Western maps and literature until the mid-20th century.

Holland is commonly used as a synonym for the Netherlands, though technically it refers only to two provinces (North and South Holland). These were the most prosperous and internationally prominent provinces during the Dutch Golden Age, leading foreigners to use 'Holland' for the entire country. The Dutch government sometimes uses 'Netherlands' officially but accepts 'Holland' informally.

Malagasy is the Austronesian language and ethnic identity of Madagascar. The question appears to ask about historical naming, though the framing is unclear - Malagasy has long been the name of Madagascar's people and their language, not a former name for the country itself. Option C (Madagascar) is marked correct but this conflates the language/people with the place.

The Hawaiian Islands were historically called the Sandwich Islands, named by Captain James Cook in 1778 after the Earl of Sandwich. This name was used throughout the 19th century before eventually being replaced by the indigenous name Hawaii. The other options are fictional or incorrect variants.

The song 'Vizhi Moodi' from the Tamil film Ayan (2009) was sung by Karthik. The film's soundtrack composed by Harris Jayaraj featured several notable vocalists, and Karthik was the singer for this particular track.

The song 'Excuse Me Mr.Kanthaswamy' from the Tamil film Kanthaswamy (2009) was sung by Vikram (the lead actor) and Suchitra. The film's soundtrack featured multiple vocalists, and this particular duet track was performed by these two artists.

The song 'Mazhaye Mazhaye' from the Tamil film Eeram (2009) was sung by Ranjith. The film's soundtrack composed by Thaman S featured various playback singers, and Ranjith was the vocalist for this particular rain-themed song.

"Oh...Ho...Sanam" is a song from the 2008 Tamil film Dasavathaaram, sung by Kamal Haasan and Mahalakshmi Iyer. The music was composed by Himesh Reshammiya. This duet features Kamal Haasan's vocals alongside a prominent female playback singer.

"Anbe En Anbe" from the 2008 Tamil film Dhaam Dhoom was sung by Harish Raghavendra. The music was composed by Harris Jayaraj. Harish is a well-known playback singer in Tamil cinema, particularly for romantic melodies.

"Ava Enna" from Vaaranam Aayiram (2008) was sung by Karthik and Prasanna. The music was composed by Harris Jayaraj. This romantic melody features Karthik's vocals alongside Prasanna, both established playback singers in Tamil cinema.

Salaam-e-Ishq (2007) was directed by Nikhil Advani. It was a multi-starrer romantic film featuring an ensemble cast including Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, and others. Karan Johar, Abhishek Kapoor, and Kunal Kohli were not involved in directing this film.