Saturday, August 15, 2009

Happy 62nd anniversary of India's independence!!


[1] When mutinies against British rule broke out in northern India in 1857, the Bengal Army, composed of Indian soldiers under British command, had 139,000 soldiers. How many sided with Britain, and how many with the mutineers?
(a) 78,000 for Britain; 61,000 for the mutineers
(b) 7,800 for Britain; 131,200 for the mutineers
(c) 110,000 for Britain; 29,000 for the mutineers
(d) 23 for Britain; 138,977 for the mutineers

[2] In 1901 India's population was 300m. How many Britons lived in India and ruled over them?
(a) 1.2m
(b) 239,000
(c) 154,000
(d) 28,900
[3] Mohandas Gandhi is more commonly known by the honorific "Mahatma", which means what?
(a) "National father"
(b) "Spiritual leader"
(c) "Great soul"
(d) "Child of God"
[4] What was Gandhi holding on March 12th 1930 when he announced to a crowd, "With this _____ I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire"?
(a) A policeman's collar
(b) A document pronouncing India's independence
(c) A handful of salt
(d) A length of spun cotton
[5] What did Gandhi say "accentuate[s] the evil nature of man" and lets "bad men fulfil their designs with greater rapidity"?
(a) Trains
(b) Wristwatches
(c) Assembly lines
(d) Shoes
[6] Which of these most accurately describes Mahatma Gandhi's murderer?
(a) He was a Muslim who believed he was waging a "holy war" against Hindu occupation
(b) He was a spurned political rival
(c) He was a Hindu enraged by the creation of Pakistan
(d) He was a Sikh enraged that the partition of India created separate Hindu and Muslim countries, but denied self-rule to the Sikhs
[7] About how many people were uprooted during the sectarian violence that broke out during the partition of British India into independent India and Pakistan in 1947?
(a) 500,000
(b) 2m
(c) 5m
(d) 12m
[8] How did Kashmir, with its predominantly Muslim population, come to have a Hindu ruler at the time of partition?
(a) The British hastily installed a puppet maharajah as they were leaving
(b) The same family ruled Kashmir for a millennium; they resisted the spread of Islam and remained Hindu
(c) The British had awarded the state to a Hindu soldier 50 years earlier
(d) The British had sold the state to a Hindu maharajah 100 years earlier
[9] Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, wrote that religion:
(a) "Is, as a Russian said, the opiate of the masses"
(b) "Waters the rich and loamy soil of our Mother India"
(c) "Has not only broken our backs but stifled and almost killed all originality of thought or mind"
(d) "Thrives in our beloved India as nowhere else on Earth, and without it we would be immeasurably poorer"
[10] In a letter to his wife from a colonial jail, Nehru wrote that he saw himself as:
(a) "A traveller, limping along in the dark night"
(b) "A warrior of the spirit, bound to call our nation to greatness"
(c) "An attendant lord, one that will do to swell a progress, start a scene or two"
(d) "One fated to make a lasting mark"
[11] What happened on April 7th 2005 for the first time since the partition of India and Pakistan?
(a) Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged fire across the Siachen glacier in Kashmir
(b) A passenger bus drove between the capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir and the capital of Pakistani-controlled Kashmir
(c) A gate at the Kashmiri border was left open all night
(d) England won a test match against India
[12] Rahul Gandhi, a young MP, is sometimes rumoured to be a possible candidate for prime minister. Which of his blood relations did not hold that office?
(a) His great-grandfather
(b) His grandfather
(c) His father
(d) His grandmother
Source: Economist
I scored 8/12 and they say I have not missed your tryst with destiny! Wut's your score?
Find the answers in the comment section.

26 comments:

Anil Sawan said...

Answers:
-------
1) 7,800 for Britain; 131,200 for the mutineers
2) 154,000
3) "Great soul"
4) A handful of salt
5) Trains
6) He was a Hindu enraged by the creation of Pakistan
7) 12m
8) The British had sold the state to a Hindu maharajah 100 years earlier
9) "Has not only broken our backs but stifled and almost killed all originality of thought or mind"
10)"A traveller, limping along in the dark night"
11)A passenger bus drove between the capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir and the capital of Pakistani-controlled Kashmir
12)His grandfather

Journo? said...

6/12 . Hows was that?

bondgal_rulz said...

6/12. What's the passing score?? ;)

Anil Sawan said...

Test your score:
---------------

0-3 Sorry, cowboy: these Indians do not live in teepees and they never did

4-6 Not too shabby. You’ve got your chicken tikka masala straight—if barely

7-9 Pukka. You have not missed your tryst with destiny. And you know what we mean

10-12 Excellent. You have the blessings of Saraswati and the memory of an elephant

Naina said...

5/12 :(

Ashwathy said...

7 !!
barely there i guess... :-(

pathetic... and we call ourselves indians... we dont know half the facts! :P

Anonymous said...

I am not too at history,but it was informative! :)
Thanks :)

Shaunak Mukherjee said...

8/12
not bad considering I slept during History in school :P

Anil Sawan said...

Manjari, 6/12 => Not too shabby. You’ve got your chicken tikka masala straight—if barely :) btw wer is ur blog? it says No Access :(

Anil Sawan said...

Isha, 6/12 => Not too shabby. You’ve got your chicken tikka masala straight—if barely :) No passing score. it gives us an idea on how much we know about our countries independence and we are celebrating 62nd independence day!!! :)

Anil Sawan said...

Kajal, 5?? girl, thts the lowest till now!! :) history books pado :)

Anil Sawan said...

Ash, 7=> Pukka. You have not missed your tryst with destiny. And you know what we mean!! Not bad not bad :)

Anil Sawan said...

M, u cud have given it a try!

Anil Sawan said...

Shaunak, bro, 8 => Pukka. You have not missed your tryst with destiny. And you know what we mean!! congratz bro, u scored the highest till now :P

Anonymous said...

You know how I am! Lazy :P

Toon Indian said...

7....just missed the highest score :(..nice quiz bro!!

Anil Sawan said...

M, :)

Anil Sawan said...

Rahul, awe mised by one ans! no worries bro, i am sure you are more enlightened now :)

Urmi said...

Thanks for the useful and informative post.Wish you a very Happy Independence Day.

Veda said...

i have not missed my tryst with destiny!! woohoo!!!

btw i tot that was fantastic..lovely idea! :D

Escapist said...

Oo ! yuh so mathematically sound !


thats occupying !!!


Joliiieesss:-)

Anil Sawan said...

Babli, u din tell me how much did ya score :)

Anil Sawan said...

ME, thnx grl :)

Anil Sawan said...

Escapist, have fun grl :)

Intern said...

i got 8 :D

yay!

Anil Sawan said...

Shimmer, yay.. u r on the elite group :P