Modern Indian Historical Figures

Alberuni (973-1048 CE) accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni during his invasions of India (1000-1027 CE). He spent years in India studying Sanskrit, astronomy, and Indian culture, producing his famous work 'Tarikh al-Hind'. The other rulers lived in different centuries.

Maharaj Sri Nagendra Singh was president of the International Court of Justice. Singh served on the United Nations International Law Commission from 1967 to 1972. He joined the International Court of Justice in 1973 and was its presiding judge between February 1985 and February 1988. 

Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856) earned the title 'Maker of Modern India' because he introduced massive infrastructure and administrative reforms: railways, telegraph, postal system, public works department, and modern education. Cornwallis and Warren Hastings were earlier Governors General; Ripon focused on liberal reforms.

Lord Ripon is called the 'Father of Local Self-Government in India' because he introduced the Local Self-Government Act of 1882, which laid the foundation for democratic local governance institutions in India. His reforms established elected local bodies with powers to administer local affairs, marking a significant shift toward representative government at the municipal and district levels. This Act created the framework for panchayats and municipalities that continues to influence local governance in modern India.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was the first to explicitly term the 1857 revolt as the 'First War of Indian Independence' in his 1909 book 'The History of the War of Indian Independence'. This re-framing was significant in nationalist historiography, moving away from colonial characterizations as merely a 'sepoy mutiny'. While Nehru and others later used similar terminology, Savarkar was the pioneer in this conceptual reframing.

Correct Answer: V. Kurien

The Treaty of Sreerangapattam (1792) ended the Third Anglo-Mysore War and was signed between Tipu Sultan and Lord Cornwallis. Cornwallis was the Governor-General of India at that time. Clive was earlier (1757 Battle of Plassey), Warren Hastings preceded Cornwallis, and Wellesley came later (1798-1805).

Sher Shah Suri constructed the Grand Trunk Road during his brief reign (1540-1545) to improve trade and military movement across northern India. Babar, Nadir Shah, and Aurangzeb did not undertake such infrastructure projects.

Option 1: The first survey of the island city was conducted by British officer Pringle in 1827. This resulted into the misclassification of land after Pringle's survey. Option 2: In 1820, Thomas Munro was appointed governor of Madras, where he founded systems of revenue assessment and general administration which substantially persisted into the twentieth century. Option 3: In October 1901, the Secretary of State for India in Council appointed Sir Thomas Robertson, C.V.O, as Special Commissioner for Indian Railways to enquire into and report on the administration and working of the Indian Railways. Option 4: Philip Francis was one of the "advisors" of Warren Hastings. Hence, the correct option is 1.

Lord Dalhousie's annexation of Oudh in 1856 under the Doctrine of Lapse was widely criticized as arbitrary and unjust. The claim of misuse was exaggerated, and this annexation was a major factor contributing to resentment among Indian rulers and soldiers, ultimately leading to the 1857 Revolt.

After the failure of the Cripp's Mission, the Cabinet Mission was sent to India. It consisted of three members - Lord Pethick Lawrence (Head of the Mission), Sir Stafford Cripps and A V Alexender.

The Treaty of Amritsar (1809) was negotiated between Charles T. Metcalfe (representing the British East India Company) and Maharaja Ranjit Singh. This treaty defined the boundaries of British and Sikh territories. Lord McCartney and Major Broodfoot are not associated with this treaty.

Guru Tegh Bahadur, the 9th Sikh Guru, was executed by order of Aurangzeb in 1675 at Chandni Chowk, Delhi. He was executed for refusing to convert to Islam and for defending the rights of Hindus, particularly Kashmiri Pandits who were facing forced conversions. This martyrdom is a significant event in Sikh history.

Warren Hastings served as the first Governor-General of Fort William in Bengal from 1773 to 1785, making him the first British Governor-General of India under the Regulating Act of 1773. Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy and first Governor-General of independent India. General K.M. Cariappa was the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.

Akbar abolished the pilgrim tax (jizya) in 1564 CE as part of his policy of religious tolerance and administrative reforms. The tax had been levied on non-Muslim pilgrims visiting holy sites, and its removal was a significant step toward Akbar's syncretic approach to governance.