Important Foreign Travellers / Envoys

Megasthenes (302-298 BC) : An ambassador of Selecus Nikator, who visited the court of Chandragupta Maurya and wrote an interesting book ‘Indica’ in which he gave a vivid account of Chandragupta Maurya’s reign.

Fa-Hien (405-411 AD) : He came to India during the reign of Chandragupta II Vikramaditya. He was the first Chinese pilgrim to visit India to collect Buddhist texts and relics

Hiuen-Tsang (630-645 AD) : He visited India during the reign of Harshavardhana.

I-tsing (671-695 AD) : A Chinese traveller, he visited India in connection with Buddhism.

Al-Masudi (957 AD) : An Arab traveller, he has given an extensive account of India in his work ‘Muruj-ul-Zehab’.

Al-beruni (1024-1030 AD) : He came to India along with Mahmud of Ghazni during one of his Indian raids. He travelled all over India and wrote a book ‘Tahqiq-i-Hind’.

Macro Polo (1292-1294 AD) : A Venetian traveller, visited South India in 1294 A.D. His work ‘The Book of Sir Marco Polo’ gives an account of the economic history of India.

Ibn Batuta (1333-1347 AD) : A Morrish traveller, his book ‘Rehla’ (the Travelogue) throws a lot of light on the reign of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq and the geographical, economic and social conditions of that time.

Shihabuddin al-Umari (1348 AD) : He came from Damascus and he gives a vivid account of India in his book, ‘Masalik albsar fi-mamalik al-amsar’.

Nicolo Conti (1420-1421 AD) : A Venetian traveller, gives a comprehensive account of the Hindu kingdom of Vijaynagar.

Abdur Razzaq (1443-1444 AD) : He was a Persian traveller, came to India and stayed at the court of the Zamorin at Calicut. He has given a vivid account of the Vijaynagar empire.

Athanasius Nikitin (1470-1474 AD) : He was a Russian merchant, describes the condition of the Bahmani kingdom under Muhammad III (1463-82).

Durate Barbosa (1500-1516 AD) : He was a Portuguese traveller, has given a valuable narrative of the government and the people of the Vijaynagar empire.

Dominigo Paes (1520-1522 AD) : He was Portuguese traveller, visited the court of Krishnadeva Raya of the Vijaynagar Empire.

Fernao Nuniz (1535-1537 AD) : A Portuguese merchant, He wrote the history of the empire from its earliest times of the closing years of Achyutdeva Raya’s reign.

John Hughen Von Linschotten (1583 AD) : He was a Dutch traveller, has given a valuable account of the social and economic life of South India.

William Hawkins (1608-1611 AD) : He was an English ambassador of British King James I to the court of Jahangir (1609).

Sir Thomas Roe (1615-1619 AD) : He was an ambassador of James I, King of England, at the court of Jahangir, (the Mughal Emperor).

Fransciso Palsaert (1620-1627 AD) : He was a Dutch traveller, stayed at Agra and gave a vivid account of flourishing trade at Surat, Ahmedabad, Broach Cambay, Lahore, Multan, etc.

Peter Mundy (1630-34 AD) : He was an Italian traveller to the Mughal empire in the reign of Shahjahan, he gives valuable information about the living standard of the common people in the Mughal Empire.

John Albert de Mandesto (1638 AD) : He was German traveller, who reached Surat in 1638.

Jeen Baptiste Travernier (1638-1663 AD) : He was a French traveller, his account covers the reign of Shahjahan and Aurangzeb.

Nicolao Manucci (1653-1708 AD) : He was an Italian traveller, got service at the court of Dara Shikoh.

Francois Bernier (1656-1717 AD) : He was French physician and philosopher. Danishamand Khan, a noble of Aurangzeb, was his patron.

Jean de Thevenot (1666 AD) : He was French traveller, has given a good account of cities like Ahmedabad, Cambay, Aurangabad and Goloconda.

John Fryer (1672-1681 AD) : He was an English traveller, has given a vivid account of Surat and Bombay.

Gemelli Careri (1693 AD) : He was an Italian traveller, his remarks on the Mughal emperor’s military organisation and administration are important.

List of 100 Important GK questions about Indian History (With Answers) | SSC Exam Preparation

1. Sea route to India was discovered by
A. Columbus
B. Amundsen
C. Vasco–da–gama
D. None of these

 Answer:C 

2. The Aryans came from Central Asia to India around
A. 8000
B. 6500 B.C
C. 3500 B.C.
D. 2500 B.C.

Answer:D 

3. Which one of the following was the port city of the Indus Valley Civilisation?
 A. Harappa
B. Kalibangan
C. Lothal
D. Mohenjodara

 Answer:C

4. Rig Veda is believed by the historians to have been written when it was
A. Stone Age
B. Copper Age
C. Bronze Age
D. Beginning of Iron Age

Answer:D

5. Babar entered India for the first time through
A. Sind
B. Punjab
C. Kashmir
D. Rajasthan

Answer:B 

6. Who said that there was no Slavery in India?
A. Fahien
B. Strabo
C. Heiun Tsang
D. Megasthenese

Answer:D

7. Mahabharata war took place in
A. 500 AD
B. 900 BC
C. 1000 BC
D. 1200 BC

 Answer:B 

8. The magnificient temple at Halebid was established by
A. Cholas
B. Pandyas
C. Hosysalas
D. Naickers

Answer:C 

9. India derives its name from
A. The Hindus
B. The Aryans
C. Lord Indra
D. The River Indus

Answer:D 

10. A national religion called Din–i–Illahi was promulgated by
A. Akbar
B. Babur
C. Humayun
D. Aurangazeb

Answer:A

11. Who introduced English in India?
A. Lord Rippon
B. Lord Dalhousie
C. Lord Canning
D. Lord William Bentick

Answer:D

12. The foundation for the Vijayanagar city and kingdom was laid by
A. Sadasiva Raya
B. Krishnadevaraya
C. Rama Raya
D. Harihara and Bukka

Answer:D

13. The quit India movement was started in the year
A. 1942
B. 1945
C. 1943
D. 1939

 Answer:A

14. A council of Eight Ministers known as the Ashta Paradhan assisted?
A. Sher Shah
B. Balaji Baji Rao
C. Shivaji
D. Ahmad Shah Abdali

Answer:C 

15. Lord Buddha made his first sermon at
A. Sarnath
B. Pataliputra
C. Kapilavasthu
D. Lumbini Gardens

Answer:A

16. Taj Mahal is on the banks of
A. Tapti
B. Ganges
C. Jamuna
D. Cauvery

Answer:C 

17. Panipat is modern
A. Delhi
B. Kurukshetra
C. Sonepat
D. Faridabad

Answer:B 

18. Indian Napoleon was
A. Chandra Gupta I
B. Samudra Gupta
C. Skanda Gupta
D. Chandra Gupta

Answer:B

19. Kanishka followed
A. Jainism
B. Sikhism
C. Hinduism
D. Buddhism

Answer:D

20. The Mughal Empire reached its zenith of expansion under
A. Akbar
B. Humayun
C. Aurangazeb
D. Shahjehan

Answer:C 

21. Do or Die slogan is associated with
A. Mahatma Gandhi
B. Bala Gangadhara Tilak
C. Jawaharlal Nehru
D. Nethaji

Answer:A

22. Who established the Mughal Dynasty?
A. Akbar
B. Babur
C. Humayun
D. Bahadur Shah

Answer:B 

23. The Indian National Congress was founded by
A. Mahatma Gandhi
B. Annie Besant
C. W.C.Bannerji
D. A.O.Hume

Answer:D

24. The Civil services in India was established by
A. Lord Rippon
B. Lord Dalhousie
C. Lord William Bentick
D. Lord Cornwallis

 Answer:A

25. The founder of Portuguese power in India was
A. Danes
B. Salsette
C. Albuquerque
D. Vasco–da–gama

Answer:C 

26. Whose teachings inspired the French Revolution?
A. Locke
B. Plato
C. Rousseau
D. Hegel

Answer:C

27. The well known king of slave dynasty was
A. Alaudhin
B. Balban
C. Mahmud Lodi
D. Muhamad–bin–Tughlaq

Answer:B 

28. The famous king of the Kushana dynasty was
A. Pushya
B. Kanishka
C. Harisha Vardhana
D. Kuvishka

Answer:B

29. In 1498, vasco da gama landed at
A. Delhi
B. Nalanda
C. Calcutta
D. Calicut

Answer:D 

30. Indus valley civilization might have been destroyed by

A. Mughals
B. Aryans
C. Mongols
D. Dravidians

Answer:B

31. The Indus Valley houses were built of
A. Bamboos
B. Wood
C. Bricks
D. Stone

Answer:C 

32. The French made their advent through
A. Mahe
B. Yenam
C. Karaikal
D. Pondicherry

Answer:D

33. The last Mughal Emperor was
A. Akbar
B. Babur
C. Bahadur Shah
D. Noor Jehan

Answer:C 

34. The first wave of Aryan immigration into India began in
A. 500 BC
B. 1000 BC
C. 1500 BC
D. 1000 A.D.

 Answer:C

35. Aryans lived in
A. Maharashtra
B. South India
C. Central India
D. Gangetic Valley

Answer:D

36. The brain trust of Chandra Gupta Maurya was
A. Fahien
B. Megasthanes
C. Nandagopala
D. Kautilya

Answer:D 

37. The musical instruments used by the Aryans was
A. The Drum
B. The Lute
C. The cymbal
D. All the above

Answer:D 

38. Chanakya was known as
A. Rajasekhara
B. Bhattasvamin
C. Vishnugupta
D. Visakhadatta

Answer:C 

39. The first to start a joint stock company to trade with India were the
A. French
B. Dutch
C. Portuguese
D. Danish

Answer:B

40. The capital of the kingdom of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was
A. Lahore
B. Amrister
C. Patiala
D. Amristar

Answer:A

41. In the Battle of Wandiwash, the English defeated
A. the Dutch
B. the French
C. the Portuguese
D. None of these

Answer:B 

42. Indian Navy Act was passed on
A. 1921
B. 1925
C. 1927
D. 1930

Answer:C

43. The first president of the Republic of India was
A. V.V.Giri
B. Zakir Hussain
C. Dr.Radhakrishnan
D. Dr.Rajendra Prasad

Answer:D 

44. The first ruler of Pala dynasty was
A. Gopala
B. Dharmapala
C. Bhaskaravarman
D. None of these

Answer:A

45. The first to establish regular trade with India was
A. Dutch
B. Portuguese
C. French
D. English

Answer:B

46. The king of Kalinga in the Maurya period was
A. Simuka
B. Kharavela
C. Kuvishka
D. Kanishka

Answer:B

47. Sea route in India was discovered by
A. Columbus
B. Amundsen
C. Vasco–da–gama
D. None of these

Answer:C 

48. The treaty of Seringapatnam was between Cornwallis and
A. Haider Ali
B. Chand Bibi
C. Tipu Sultan
D. Nizam of Hyderabad

Answer:C

49. Ashoka conquered Kalinga in the year
A. 231 AD
B. 127 AD
C. 261 BC
D. 327 BC

Answer:C 

50. Chand Bibi was the ruler of
A. Satara
B. Bijapur
C. Golconda
D. Ahmednagar

Answer:D 

51. Rice cultivation is associated with the Harappan site of
A. Kalibangan
B. Harappa
C. Lothal
D. Mohenjodaro

 Answer : C

52. The Mauryan dynasty was overthrown by
A. Kanishka
B. Harsha
C. Samudragupta
D. Pushyamitra Sunga

Answer : D

53. Who among the following was not an exponent of Bhakti movement?
A. Shankaracharya
B. Nanak
C. Ramanada
D. Kabir

Answer : A

54. The Bhakti Movement was first organized by
A. Nanak
B. Kabir
C. Ramanuja
D. Ramananda

Answer : C

55. An example of Chola architecture cab be seen at
A. Kanchipuram
B. Mahabalipuram
C. Tanjore
D. Ellora

 Answer : C

56. Panchantra was written by
A. Kaladisa
B. Vishnu Sharma
C. Tulsidas
D. Banabhatta

Answer : B. 

57. Decimal system was introduced by
A. Aryabhatta
B. Brahmagupta
C. Bhaskara
D. None of these

Answer : C

58. Who is known as the “Napoleon of India”?
A. Samudragupta
B. Akbar
C. Chandragupta
D. Ashoka

Answer : A.

59. Who was the founder of the Gupta dynasty?
A. Chandragupta I
B. Chandragupta II
C. Samudragupta
D. Skandgupta

Answer : A

60. Who was the greatest Buddhist commentator of the Buddhist canonical literature?
A. Euddhaghosha
B. Vasumitra
C. Nagaijuna
D. Ashvaghosha

Answer : D. 

61. The stone Age people had the first domestic
A. Asses
B. Dogs
C. Horses
D. Sheep

Answer : D. 

62. The Government invention of man in Palaeolithic Age was
A. potter’s Wheel
B. Fire
C. metal implements
D. spinning of cloth

Answer : B.

63. Which was the first metal used by man?
A. Copper
B. Silver
C. Bronze
D. Brass

Answer : A. 

64. Which of the following Vedas is a collection of spells and incantations?
A. Rig Veda
B. Sama Veda
C. Yajur Veda
D. Atharva Veda

Answer : D. 

65. At which place was Akbar born?
A. Delhi
B. Agra
C. Amarkot
D. Kannauj

Answer : C. 

66. In which language were the Sangam classics written?
A. Tamil
B. Telugu
C. Kannada
D. Malayalam

Answer : A. 

67. Which one of the following divinity of Rigveda?
A. Marut
B. Agni
C. Shakti
D. Varuna

Answer : D. 

68. The Indus valley civilization flourished during
A. 5000 – 3500
B. 3000 – 1500 B.C
C. 2500 – 1750 B.C
D. 1500 – 500 B.C

Answer : C.

69. The Indus valley civilization was discovered in
A. 1902
B. 1921
C. 1922
D. 1932

Answer : B.

70. The main occupation of the people of the Indus valley civilization was
A. agriculture
B. cattle rearing
C. hunting
D. trade

Answer : A.

71. Which one of the following Harappan sites had a dock?
A. Harappa
B. Mohenjodaro
C. Lothal
D. Alamgirpur

Answer : C. 

72. Which one of the following contains the Gayatri Mantra?
A. Rigveda
B. Yajurveda
C. Upanishad
D. Samaveda

Answer : A. 

73. The extreme form of Ahimsa or non violence is practiced in
A. Jainism
B. Hinduism
C. Buddhism
D. Sikhism

Answer : C. 

74. The Aryans at first settled in
A. Gujarat
B. Punjab
C. Sindh
D. Kashmir

Answer : B

75. Rabi crops of the Indus Valley are
A. Rice and wheat
B. Wheat and cotton
C. Barley and rice
D. Wheat and Barley

Answer : D

76. The famous temple of Kailasa, hewn out of the rock, is at
A. Ellora
B. Badami
C. Mahabalipuram
D. Elephanta

Answer : A. 

77. The Aryans came to India from
A. South East Asia
B. Eastern Europe
C. Central Asia
D. None of the above

Answer : C. 

78. The earliest example of a land grant is provided by an inscription
A. the guptas
B. the mauryas
C. the satavahanas
D. the mahameghavahanas

Answer : C. 

79. Alexander died at
A. Patala
B. Taxila
C. Babylon
D. Gedrosia

Answer : C

80. The Gandhi Mandapam where Gandhiji’s ashes were placed before immersion is in
 A. Kanyakumari
B. Gandhinagar
C. Ahmedabad
D. Ganga

Answer : A. 

81. Everyone knows ‘The Taj Mahal’. It was built by the Emperor Shah Jahan, but for whom?
A. Jahani Mahal
B. Farida Mahal
C. Mumtaz Mahal
D. Toba Begum

Answer : C. 

82. Who introduced the system of Local boards or Local Bodies in India?
A. Lord Lytton
B. Lord Ripon
C. Lord Curzon
D. Lord Mayo

Answer : B. 

83. Which of the following Harappan sites had a dock?
A. Lothal
B. Harappa
C. Alamgirpur
D. Mohenjodaro

Answer : A. 

84. The Indus Valley Civilization belongs to the
A. Palaeolithic Age
B. Mesolithic Age
C. Neolithic Age
D. Chalcolithic Age

Answer : C. 

85. The family of the Rig Vedic Aryans was
A. Matriarchal
B. Matrilineal
C. Patrilineal
D. Patriarchal

Answer : D 

86. The fourth Buddhist Council was held by
A. Chandragupta
B. Ashoka
C. Harashavardhana
D. Kanishka

Answer : D. 

87. The fourth Buddhist Council was held at
A. Rajagriha
B. Vaishali
C. Kundalavana
D. Patliputra

Answer : C. 

88. The first to establish regular trade with India was
A. Dutch
B. English
C. Portugese
D. French

Answer : C. 

89. The Widow Remarriage Act was passed by
A. Lord Wavell
B. Lord Canning
C. Lord Dalhousie
D. Lord Auckland

Answer : C

90. Who introduced English in India?
A. Lord Canning
B. Lord Dalhousie
C. Lord Rippon
D. Lord William Bentick

Answer : D 

91. The first Buddhist Council was held in the reign of
A. Ajatashatru
B. Ashoka
C. Kanishka
D. Bimbisara

Answer : A. 

92. Lord Buddha was born in
A. Vaishali
B. Pataliputra
C. Lumbini
D. Bodh Gaya

Answer : C. 

93. The largest grant of villages to temples and brahmana was given by the ruling dynasty known as A. The Palas
B. The Guptas
C. Pratiharas
D. Rashtrakutas

Answer : B. 

94. The first ruler of Pala dynasty was
A. Dharmapala
B. Gopala
C. Bhaskaravarman
D. None of the above

Answer : B. 

95. Adigranth is the religious book of
A. Parsis
B. Sikhs
C. Hindus
D. Buddhists

Answer : B. 

96. The first President of the Republic of India was
A. V.V. Giri
B. Dr. Radhakrishnan
C. Dr. Rajendra Prasad
D. Zakir Hussain

Answer : C. 

97. The French Revolution took place in the year
A. 1647
B. 1729
C. 1775
D. 1789

Answer : D. 

98. Which metal was first used by the Indus people?
A. Gold
B. Silver
C. Tin
D. Carlinean

Answer : B.

99. Which of the following regions did not form the part of Ashoka’s empire?
A. Taxila
B. Kanauj
C. Kashmir
D. Madras

Answer : D.  

100. The founder of the first Afghan rule in India was
A. Sikandar Lodi
B. Sher Shan Suri
C. Bahlul Lodi
D. Ibrahim Lodi

Answer : C. 

List of presidents of India

No	Name		From	To
1	Dr. Rajendra Prasad		January 26, 1950	May 13, 1962
2	Dr. S. Radhakrishnan		May 13, 1962	May 13, 1967
3	Dr. Zakir Hussain		May 13, 1967	August 24, 1969
4	Shri Varahagiri Venkata Giri		August 24, 1969	August 24, 1974
5	Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed		August 24, 1974	February 11, 1977
6	Shri Neelam Sanjiva Reddy		July 25, 1977	July 25, 1982
7	Shri Giani Zail Singh		July 25, 1982	July 25, 1987
8	Shri R. Venkataraman		July 25, 1987	July 25, 1992
9	Dr.S.D. Sharma		July 25, 1992	July 25, 1997
10	Shri K R Narayanan		July 25, 1997	25 July 2002
11	Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam		25 July 2002	25 July 2007
12	Pratibha Patil		25 July 2007	25 July 2012
13	Pranab Mukherjee		25 July 2012	Incumbent

ANCIENT HISTORY

2350 - 1750 B.C. --> Indus Valley Civilization
563 B.C --> Birth of Goutam Buddha, Nirvana in 483 B.C
540 B.C. --> Birth of Mahavir, Nirvana in 468 B.C.

327 - 326 B.C --> Alexander's India invasion

326 B.C --> Hydaspas War --> Alexander vs Porus (punjab) -- Alexander won
323 B.C ---> Alexander died
321 B.C. ---> Chanakya wrote Arthashastra

Seleucus  wants to fulfill the wish of Alexander i.e. Whole India invasion

305 B.C ---> Battle :Chandragupta Mourya Vs Seleucus -- Mourya won & married to helena daughter of seleucus 

258 B.C. ---> Chandragupta Died
273 B.C. ---> Bindusar Died
269 B.C. ---> Ashoka seized throne after killing all brothers
261 B.C ---> Kalinga War - Ashoka vs Raja Padmanabha - Ashoka won
Ashoka adopts Buddhism………… End of Mourya 


320 A.D ---> beginning of Gupta Era
380-413 A.D -----> rule of Chandragupta vikramaditya
606-647A.D ------> rule of Harshavardhana
629-645 A.D. ------> Hieun tsang Visit


1001- 1027 ----> repeated attack of Mohd. Ghori
1191 -----> 1st Battle of Tarain --- Prithviraj Chauhan defeated Ghori
1192 -----> 2nd battle of Tarain -- Ghori defeated Prithviraj Chauhan

  
1294 --> The First Turkish Invasion of The Deccan, Devgiri - winner was Alauddin Khilji
1308 --> Alauddin Khilji invaded Kakatiya kingdom
1320 ---> Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq raised a revolt against the Khilji dynasty and put an end to it.. 



1398 ---> Timur invades India
1498 --> Vasco da Gama lands in Calicut    

Mughal Dynasty 



1526 --> 1st battle of Panipat -- Babar vs Ibrahim Lodi --- Babar won
1527 --> Battle of Khanwa ---> Babar vs Rana Sanga -- Babar won
1529 --> BAttle of Gaghra --> Babur defeated and dispersed Afghans
1539 ---> BAttle of Chausa --> Humayun vs Sher shah suri-- S.suri won , Humayun escaped
1540 ---> Battle of Billgram --> Sher shah Vs Humayun --> Sher shah won. Occupied only Agra city.
1545 --> Battle of Kalinjar --> Sher Shah vs Kirat singh -- sher shah won & died
1556 --> Battle of Delhi ---> Hemchandra vikramaditya Vs Akbar--> Hemu won
1556 --> 2nd Battle of Panipat --> Akbar vs Hemu --> Akbar won
1576 --> BAttle of Haldighati --> Akbar vs Maharana Pratap --> Maharana Won & treaty made
1600 --> East India Company Enters