GK & Current Affairs Test - 2

Explanation:

• Al-Biruni was born in 973, in Khwarizm in present-day Uzbekistan.
• He was well versed in several languages: Syriac, Arabic, Persian, Hebrew and Sanskrit.
• Al-Biruni’s expertise in several languages allowed him to compare languages and translate texts.
• He translated several Sanskrit works, including Patanjali’s work on grammar, into Arabic.
• For his Brahmana friends, he translated the works of Euclid (a Greek mathematician) into Sanskrit.
• Al-Biruni’s Kitab-ul-Hind is written in the Arabic language.
• The book is simple and lucid.
• It is a voluminous text and divided into 80 chapters on subjects such as religion and philosophy, festivals, astronomy, alchemy, manners and customs, social life, weights and measures, iconography, laws and metrology.
• Al-Biruni adopted a distinctive structure in each chapter, beginning with a question, following this up with a description based on Sanskritic traditions, and concluding with a comparison with other cultures.

The correct answer is Vijayalaya.Key Points

• Chola Empire:
  • The Chola Dynasty was revived by Vijayalaya in the 9th century
  • A minor chiefly family known as the Muttaraiyar held power in the Kaveri delta.
  • They were subordinate to the Pallava kings of Kanchipuram.
  • Vijayalaya, who belonged to the ancient chiefly family of the Cholas from Uraiyur, captured the delta from the Muttaraiyar in the middle of the ninth century.
  • He built the town of Thanjavur and a temple for goddess Nishumbhasudini there.
  • The successors of Vijayalaya conquered neighboring regions and the kingdom grew in size and power.
  • The Pandyan and the Pallava territories to the south and north were made part of this kingdom. 
  • The Cholas are believed to have overthrown the Pallavas in south India.
  • They became prominent in the 9th century and established an empire comprising the major portion of South India.
  • They also extended their control in Sri Lanka and the Malay peninsula and are thus called ‘Imperial Cholas’.
  • Thousands of inscriptions found in the temples provide detailed information regarding the administration, society, economy, and culture of the Chola period.
  • The founder of the Imperial Chola line was Vijayalaya.

The correct answer is Alauddin Khilji.

Key Points

• Alauddin Khalji introduced Market Control Policy.
• Market/Economic Reforms:
  • Alauddin controlled the market with many regulations.
  • Fixed the cost of all commodities.
  • All goods for sale were brought to the open market called ‘Sarai Adi’.
  • He established the market control department under a minister called Diwani-i-Riya sat.

Additional Information

• Alauddin Khilji (1296 AD-1316 AD):
  • He was the nephew and son-in-law of Jalaluddin Khilji, Alauddin Khilji killed him and succeeded the throne in 1296.
  • He first conquered Gujarat then he captured Ranthambhor, Chittor and Malwa.
  • He was the first Turkish Sultan who separated religion from politics.
  • Alauddin strengthened the northwest frontier under his trusted commander Ghazi Mallik. 

The correct answer is Hampi.

Key Points

• The Vijaynagar empire was established in the year 1336 AD. It was established by the Sangama Dynasty brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I, members of a cowherd pastoralist group claiming Yadava lineage.
• The evidence of the Vijayanagara empire is found in Hampi. The Vijaynagar empire belonged to the Sangama dynasty which exercised control till the year 1485 AD.
• They were supplanted by the Saluvas, military commanders, who remained in power till 1503 AD.
• The founders of the Vijaynagar kingdom, the Sangama brothers (Harihara I and Bukka Raya I) came from a pastoral history of cowherds (people of the Kuruba) claiming descent of Yadava.
• The people of the Vijaynagar empire were dedicated to Shaivas (worshippers of Lord Shiva) but made grants to Sringeri's Vaishnava order with Vidyaranya as their patron saint, and named Varaha (the boar, a Vishnu Avatar) as their symbol.
• The later Saluva and Tuluva kings were Vaishnava by faith but worshipped at the feet of Lord Virupaksha (Shiva) at Hampi as well as Lord Venkateshwara (Vishnu) at Tirupati.

Additional Information

•  There were five dynasties that ruled over the Vijaynagar kingdom:

The correct answer is Ramanujacharya.

• The first Bhakti Movement was organised by Ramanujacharya.

Key Points

• Bhakti movement 
  • The Bhakti Movement originated in the seventh century in Tamil, South India (now parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala), and spread northwards.
  • It swept over east and north India from the 15th century onwards reached its peak between the 15th and 17th centuries CE.
  • The first Bhakti Movement was organised by Ramanujacharya.​
    • ​He was an exponent of the Vishitadvaita philosophy.
• Founders of the Bhakti Movement in different parts of the country:

Additional Information

• Guru Nanak was the founder of the Sikh faith in India.
  • He named the formless God as Akal Purush.
  • His teachings are compiled in Adi‑Granth.
• Meerabai was a contributor to the Bhakti movement by her music.
• Ramdas was an exponent of Bhakti Yoga in the Bhakti movement.

The correct answer is Babur.

• Aram Bagh was built by Babur.

Key Points

• The Aram Bagh is the oldest Mughal Garden in India.
• Originally built by the Mughal Emperor Babur in 1528, located about five kilometers northeast of the Taj Mahal in Agra.
• The garden is a Persian garden, where pathways and canals divide the garden to represent the Islamic ideal of paradise.
• It is also variously known as Bagh-i Nur Afshan 'Light-Scattering Garden', Aalsi Bagh or 'Lazy Garden':
• The preserved, surviving architecture dates to Jahangir's reign and demonstrates the skill of his wife Nur Jahan as a garden designer.

Important Points

• Mughals belonged to a branch of the Turks called Chagatai.
• Which is named after the second son of Genghis Khan, the famous Mongol Leader.
• The Foundation of the Mughal Empire in India was laid by Babur, who was a Chagatai Turk.
• In 1504, Babur occupied Kabul.
• On 21st April 1526, Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat.
• The First Battle of Panipat marked the foundation of Mughal dominion in India.
• Babur announced himself as “Emperor of Hindustan”.

Additional Information

The correct answer is ​Murshid Quli Khan.

• Murshid Quli Khan was the first Nawab of Bengal who reigned from 1717 to 1727.
• He also renamed the town Makshudabad (given by Akbar) to Murshidabad and became the Nawab Nazim of the city by Farrukshiyar.
• He transferred the capital from Dhaka, Bangladesh to Murshidabad as per Aurangazeb’s order and named the town ‘Murshidabad’.

Additional Information

Alivardi Khan

• He was the nawab of Bengal who reigned from 1740 to 1756.
• He was one of the Mughal leaders who is known for the victory in the Battle of Burdwan against Maratha at the time of the Maratha invasions of Bengal.

Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan 

• He was the second Nawab of Bengal of the Nasiri dynasty.
• He ruled from 1727 to 1739.
• He was appointed as the Subedar of Odisha and as the Subedar of Bengal in the year 1727.
• He was also appointed as the Subedar of Bihar in the year 1731.
• He married the daughters of Murshid Quli Khan, Azmat un-Nisa Begum and Zainab un-Nisa Begum.

Nadir Shah

• He was the king of Iran from 1736 to 1747.
• He was also the founder of the Turkic Afsharid Empire.
• He attacked India and defeated Muhammad Shah, conquered Delhi, and agreed to retreat for Indian wealth and gold.​ 

The Correct Answer is ​Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah Tughluq.Key Points

• Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah Tughluq was the last sultan of the Tughlaq dynasty.
• It was during the reign of him Timur invaded India in 1398 A.D.
• He crossed Indus and captured Multan, and just walked over to Delhi without much resistance.

Important Points

Akbar

• Akbar was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605.
• Akbar was crowned at the age of fourteen.
• Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expand and consolidate Mughal domains in India.

Alauddin Khilji

• Ala-ud-din Khalji ruled from 1296–1316.
• Alauddin was a nephew and a son-in-law of his predecessor Jalaluddin.
• Ala-ud-din was the first Sultan to pay his soldiers in cash rather than give them a share of the booty.

Feroz Shah Tughlaq

• Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq was a Muslim ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty, who reigned over the Sultanate of Delhi from 1351 to 1388.
• He established Sharia across his realm.

The Correct Answer is First Anglo Maratha War.

Key Points

The correct answer is Tulsidas.

• Tulsidas wrote Ramcharitmanas, the second version of Ramayana.
• The word Ramcharitmanas literally means "Lake of the deeds of Rama".
• It is written in the Awadhi language.
• The work has variously been acclaimed as "the living sum of Indian culture" or "the tallest tree in the magic garden of medieval Indian poetry".

Additional Information

Some important works of other authors: