Ancient and Medieval Indian Rulers

Indrajit (also called Meghanada), Ravana's eldest son, defeated Indra, the king of the Devas, in battle. His victory earned him the name 'Indrajit' - conqueror of Indra. He was a master of illusion warfare and had received powerful boons from Brahma, making him nearly invincible. The Ramayana describes how he temporarily captured Indra before being released due to Brahma's intervention.

Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Mauryan Empire, abdicated his throne around 298 BCE and became a Jain ascetic under the sage Bhadrabahu. He migrated to Shravanabelagola in Karnataka where he spent his final years in meditation and attained sallekhana (voluntary fasting). This historical fact makes option B correct, despite the typo 'caca' instead of 'Jaina'.

Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Mauryan Empire, abdicated his throne around 298 BCE and became a Jain ascetic under the sage Bhadrabahu. He migrated to Shravanabelagola in Karnataka where he spent his final years in meditation and attained sallekhana (voluntary fasting). This historical fact makes option B correct, despite the typo 'caca' instead of 'Jaina'.

King Dasharatha had three wives: Kousalya (mother of Rama), Sumitra (mother of Lakshmana and Shatrughna), and Kaikeyi (mother of Bharata). Surpanakha was Ravana's sister, not Dasharatha's wife, making her the correct answer for the 'except' option.

After killing Ravana, Lord Rama crowned Vibhishana as the King of Lanka because Vibhishana had righteousness on his side and had advised Ravana to return Sita.

Adi Shankaracharya established four mathas (monasteries) at four corners of India: Sringeri (Karnataka), Dwarka (Gujarat), Puri (Odisha), and Jyotirmath (Uttarakhand). Himachal Pradesh was never a site for any of his mathas, making it the correct answer.

During their 13th year of exile, the Pandavas took refuge in the court of King Virat of Matsya kingdom, each disguised in different roles. This period, known as the 'Agnyatavas' (hidden exile), is a crucial part of the Mahabharata leading up to the Kurukshetra war.

Maya, the divine architect of the Asuras (demons), built the magnificent palace and assembly hall for the Pandavas at Indraprastha. As gratitude for saving his life from a forest fire that Arjuna started, Maya constructed this architectural marvel that became known for its illusions.

This question refers to characters from the famous Tamil historical novel 'Ponniyin Selvan' by Kalki Krishnamurthy. In the story, Naganandhi Adigal is portrayed as the elder brother of Pulikesi (also known as Pandiyan). The other options (Vajrabahu, Kannabhiran, Kundotharan) are characters from the novel but are not Pulikesi's elder brother.

King Harishchandra, known for his absolute truthfulness, donated his entire kingdom to the sage Vishwamitra as part of a test of his integrity. He even sold himself and his family to honor his word. Indra, Durvasa, and Vishnu are not associated with receiving this donation.

Vamana, the dwarf avatar of Lord Vishnu, approached King Mahabali and requested just three paces of land as charity. When granted, Vamana grew to cosmic size and covered the heavens, earth, and underworld in three steps, thereby sending Mahabali to the netherworld.

Bhishma (Bheesma), the grandsire of both the Pandavas and Kauravas, was appointed the first commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army. He led the army for the first 10 days of the Kurukshetra war before falling. His appointment was due to his unbeatable prowess and experience.

Raja Wodeyar established the Kingdom of Mysore in 1578, marking the beginning of the Wodeyar dynasty that ruled Mysore until 1947. The kingdom became one of the most powerful Hindu states in South India, later known for rulers like Tipu Sultan.

Basavanna (Basaveshwara) was a 12th-century philosopher and social reformer from Karnataka. His statue was unveiled in Parliament House, New Delhi, recognizing his contributions to social equality and the Veerashaiva faith.