Another Bite of Indian History Quiz

Answer: Battle of Hydapes

Alexander, the king of Macedonia, destroyed the Iranian empire. From Iran, he marched towards India, attracted by its great wealth and its weakness resulting from divisions. He conquered Kabul in 328 BC and then moved to India across the unguarded Khyber Pass and reached Orhind near Attock in 326 BC.

Ambhi, the ruler of Taxila, readily submitted to Alexander. Alexander got the first and strongest resistance from Porus. Alexander defeated Porus in the Battle of Hyaspes on the bank of River Vitasta (Jhelum), but he was impressed by Porus' bravery, so he restored Porus to his kingdom and made him an ally.
After that Alexander proceed up to Beas River with a view to conquer further east, but his exhausted army refused to cross the river and he was therefore forced to retreat. He placed north-western India under the Greek governor Selucus Nikator.
He remained in India for 19 months and died in Babylon at the age of 33 years.

Answer: Rishabnat

The religion Jainism was founded by Rishabnath. Rishabnath is described as an incarnation of Narayana in Vishnu Purana and the Bhagvat Purana.

There were 24 Trithankaras (gurus) and the first one was Rishabnath. Rigveda (the longest of the Vedas) mentions two Trithankaras-Rishabnaths and Arishtanemi.

The 23rd Trithankara was Parsavanath. He was the prince of Banaras who had abandoned the throne and led the life of a hermit.

The 24th and the last Trithankara was Mahavir and the most important one. Mahavir was born to Siddhartha and Trishala in 540 BC at Kundalgran at Vaishali in Bihar as Vardhman.

Answer: Gautama Buddha

Buddha was born in 563 BC at Lumbini on Vaiskha Purnima day in Kshatriya clan. His birth name was 'Siddhartha', which literally means 'one with true meaning'. His father's name was Suddhodana and mother's name was Mahamaya. His mother died five years after his birth and he was cared for by his stepmother, Gautami. He was married to Yashodhara at the age of 16. He also had a son named Rahul. He renounced the world at the age of 29 years after witnessing the four 'scenes' in sequence (the old man, the sick man, the dead body and an ascetic). He attained enlightenment at the age of 35 years at Bodh Gaya under a peepal tree (bodhi tree) on the banks of River Niranjan on his 49th day of meditation. He died at the age of 80 years in 483 BC at Kusinagar, Uttar Pradesh, India.

The teaching of Buddha includes the four noble truths, the eightfold path, three jewels (which includes the enlightened, doctrine and order), belief in Nirvana and belief in Ahimsa (non-violence).

Answer: Chandra Gupta Maurya

Chandra Gupta Maurya was also called as Androcottus by Greek Scholars. With the help of Chanakya he dethroned last Nanda ruler Dhanananda and founded Mauryan Dynasty with capital at Patliputra. Chandragupt Maurya defeated Selucus Nikator, the general of Alexander in North-West India in 305 BC. Selucus surrendered a vast territory in return for 500 elephants. Selucus also sent a Greek Ambassador, Megasthenese to the court of Chandragupta Maurya.

Chandragupta Maurya was the first Indian ruler to unite the whole of North India. Both trade and agriculture flourished during his reign. During his reign weights and measures were standardized, money came into use and sanitation as well as anti-famine measures were undertaken by the states.

Chandragupta Maurya embraced Jainism and went to Chandragiri Hill where he died of slow starvation.

Answer: Ashoka

Ashoka was a great ruler of Mauryan Empire. He was Governor of Taxila and also Ujjain. His rule extended to the whole sub-continent except the extreme south. It also included modern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir and Nepal.

A Buddhist text, "Dipavasma", says that he usurped the throne after killing his 99 brothers except the youngest one, Tissa, in the war of succession that lasted for four years.

He fought Kalinga War in 9th year of his rule. The miseries of the war totally changed him and he gave up war and abandoned his policy of physical conquest.

He then embraced Buddhism and sent his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) as a Buddhist missionaries with a sapling of the original peepal (bodhi) tree. He died in 232 BC.

Answer: Kanishka

Kanishka was a famous ruler of Kushan dynasty. He was also known as second Ashoka. There were two capitals of his Empire, Purushpur and Mathura. Kanishka started a new era in AD 78 which is now known as Saka era.

He patronized the fourth Buddhist Council in Kashmir where the doctrine of Mahayana form of Buddhism was finalized. At that council Kanishka patronized Ashwaghosa (author of "Buddhacharitra"), Nagarjuna (author of "Madhyamik Sutra"), Vasumitra (chairman of the fourth Buddhist council) and Charakha (author of "Charakhsamhita").

The last Kushan ruler was Vasudeva I. Kanishka died in AD 101.

Answer: Vasudeva

Kanva was a minor dynasty founded by Vasudeva, who killed the last Shunga King Devabhuti. The capital of Kanva Dynasty was at Patliputra. Bhumimitra and Narayana succeeded Vasudeva. All the rulers of Kanva Dynasty were Brahmins.
The last ruler of the Kanva dynasty was Susarman, who was killed by Andhra King Simuka.

Answer: Simuka

The founder of the Satvahan Dynasty was Simuka following the assassination of last Kanava king, Susarman. Gautamiputra Satkarni was the greatest ruler of this dynasty. The rulers of this empire assumed the title 'raja' or 'maharaja'. The capital of this Empire was at Paithan on the bank of the River Godavari in Aurangabad.
Vasishtaputra Sri Satkarni, the 24th ruler of the Satvahan dynasty married the daughter of Saka Satrap Rudradaman, but was defeated by Rudradaman twice.

Yajna Sri Satkarni, the later king of Satvahanas, recovered the areas of Northern Konkan and Malwa from Shaka rulers.

Pulamayi III was the last Satvahanas ruler.

Answer: Samudragupta

Samudragupta was the son and the successor of Chandragupta I. He was a great conqueror. The long inscription on the pillar of Allahabad by his court poet Harisena informs about the people and countries conquered by Samudragupta. If only because of his bravery Samudragupta was called the Napoleon of India. Virasena was his commander-in-chief and Vasubandhu, a famous Buddhist scholar was his minister.

Samudragupta's conquests reached as far as Kanchi, Tamil Nadu, where the Pallavas dynasty was compelled to recognize his suzerainty.

Samudragupta annexed territories after defeating monarchs in Northern India, but did not annex territories of South India. His authority over Java, Sumatra and Malay island proves that he maintained a strong navy.

Samudragupta is said to have composed numerous poems of high merit. Some of the coins made during his reign represent him playing the veena.

According to Chinese sources, Meghavarman, the ruler of Sri Lanka sent a missionary to Samudragupta for permission to build a Buddhist Temple at Gaya.

Answer: Kumargupta

During the reign of Kumargupta Nalanda University was built. Kumargupta was the son of Chandragupta II and grandson of Samudragupta. He was a worshipper of Lord Kartikeya (the son of Lord Shiva and brother of Lord Ganesha). In the last year of his reign the empire was invaded by the Turco-Mongol Tribe, Hunas. Kumargupta died in 455 AD during the battle with Hunas.

His son was Skandgupta repulsed the attack of ferocious Hunas twice. The heroic feat of Skandgupta entitled him the title Vikramaditya (according to the Bhitari pillar inscription).