Modern Indian Historical Figures

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan served as Governor General of India from 1947-1948 before becoming President. Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy and first Governor General but not President. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was India's first President but never Governor General.

Abbas Kazmi was the court-appointed lawyer for Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving terrorist from the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Kazmi, a former president of the Bombay Bar Association, defended Kasab during most of the trial until he was removed in 2010. Ujwal Nikam was the public prosecutor.

Hafeez Saeed is the founder and leader of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), which is widely believed to be a front organization for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). After the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, he was put under house arrest multiple times in Pakistan. He is a UN-designated terrorist.

Sher Shah Suri built the Grand Trunk Road in the 16th century to connect his empire from Bengal to Punjab. It was one of the most important trade routes and highways in medieval India.

Sher Shah Suri built the Grand Trunk Road in the 16th century to connect his empire from Bengal to Punjab. It was one of the most important trade routes and highways in medieval India.

India Gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the British architect who designed much of New Delhi. It was built in 1931 as a war memorial to honor Indian soldiers who died in World War I and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. The foundation stone was laid by the Duke of Connaught.

Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan dynasty won the Kalinga War (261 BCE) but was so horrified by the bloodshed and destruction that he renounced war and adopted Buddhism. He then embraced the policy of Dhamma and non-violence, becoming one of history's most famous examples of a ruler converting to pacifism after witnessing the horrors of conquest.

C. Rajagopalachari was the first Indian Governor-General of India, serving from 1948-1950 after independence. Lord Mountbatten was the last British Viceroy, General Auchinleck was a military commander, and Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister. The position of Governor-General existed until India became a Republic in 1950.

Lord Mountbatten served as the last Viceroy of India before independence and partition in 1947.

Lala Lajpat Rai died in 1928 after being severely injured during a protest demonstration against the Simon Commission in Lahore. The police lathi-charge on the protesters caused his injuries, and he died shortly after, making him a martyr in India's independence struggle.

Sir Cyril Radcliffe headed the Boundary Commissions in 1947 that drew the Radcliffe Line separating India and Pakistan. The border was named after him. Durand (B) created the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, and McMahon (C) defined the India-China border.

Udham Singh assassinated General Dyer in 1940 in London to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919. Singh waited 21 years to carry out his revenge and was subsequently hanged. Hasrat Mohani (A) and VVS Iyer (D) were freedom activists, not assassins.

General Ved Prakash Malik was the Chief of Army Staff during the Kargil War in 1999. He led the Indian Army during Operation Vijay. General Joginder Jaswant Singh became Army Chief later (2000-2005), General Padmanabhan served after Malik (2000-2002), and General Chaudhuri was from a much earlier era (1960s).

Velupillai Prabhakaran was the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), killed by the Sri Lankan military in May 2009, ending the 26-year civil war. General Fonseka was the Sri Lankan Army commander who led the offensive against the LTTE. Vikramtunge and Jaisurya are not associated with LTTE leadership.