Modern Indian Historical Figures

Major General Rajinder Singh was given the title 'Sparrow' - a reference to his light, fast-moving cavalry tactics. This nickname honored his military service and distinctive leadership style.

Lord Mountbatten served as the last Viceroy of India from 1947 to 1948, overseeing the partition of India and Pakistan. He presented the Mountbatten Plan for the transfer of power. Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856) was known for doctrine of lapse, Lord Wellesley (1798-1805) for subsidiary alliances, and Lord William Bentinck (1828-1835) for social reforms like sati abolition.

Lala Lajpat Rai earned the title 'Punjab Kesari' (Lion of Punjab) for his fearless leadership in the Indian independence movement, particularly in Punjab. He was a key figure in the Lal-Bal-Pal triumvirate along with Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal, and died in 1928 after injuries sustained during a lathi charge protest against the Simon Commission.

Khudiram Bose, at the age of 16-18, became one of the youngest revolutionaries in the Indian independence movement. He threw a bomb at a carriage carrying British magistrate Kingsford in 1908, though it mistakenly killed two British women instead. He was arrested and hanged at age 18.

Glenn Turner, the legendary New Zealand opener, married Sukhinder Kaur, a Punjabi woman, in 1973. Their marriage was notable as a cross-cultural union in international cricket during the 1970s.

Sunil Gavaskar named his son Rohan after the West Indies legend Rohan Kanhai. Gavaskar had immense admiration for Kanhai, whom he considered one of the finest batsmen he had ever seen play.

The Treaty of Srirangapatna was signed in 1792 after the Third Anglo-Mysore War between Tipu Sultan and Lord Cornwallis, the British Governor-General of India. This treaty marked a humiliating defeat for Tipu, forcing him to surrender half his territories and pay a large indemnity. Robert Clive was active earlier (1750s), Dalhousie much later (1840s-1850s), and Warren Hastings was Cornwallis's predecessor.

C. Rajagopalachari was the first Indian Governor General of independent India (1948-1950). Before him, the position was held by British appointees including Lord Mountbatten. Dr. Rajendra Prasad became President when India became a Republic in 1950.

Sir Osborne Smith was the first Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, serving from 1935-1937. He was a professional banker from Australia. The RBI was established in 1935, and Smith was appointed as its first chief. Note that he's not the same as 'George Smith' in option D.

Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar were executed by the British colonial government on March 23, 1931, in Lahore. Their martyrdom became a rallying point for India's independence movement.

Mihir Sen was the first Indian to swim across the English Channel in 1958. He was a renowned long-distance swimmer who also swam across other important water bodies worldwide.

The Permanent Settlement (also known as the Permanent Settlement of Bengal) was introduced in 1793 by Lord Cornwallis. This system fixed land revenue demands and created a class of zamindars (landlords), fundamentally altering the agricultural economy of Bengal.

Milkha Singh is famously known as the 'Flying Sikh of India' for his exceptional speed and achievements in athletics. He represented India in the 1960 Rome Olympics and was a legendary track and field sprinter. The other options are not associated with this title.