•He was born to Mahim Begam and Babur. The throne inherited by Humayun was not a bed of roses.
• Babar had practically got no time to consolidate his position and authority. Before he could put the whole country on a stable basis, he was gone.
• He did a blunder by dividing his empire among his three brothers – Kamran, Hindal and Askari.
• Built Dinpanah at Delhi as his second capital.
• Defeated the Afghan forces at Daurah in 1532.
The Afghan Interlude
Sher Shah Suri History(1540 – 1545) :
•Real name was Farid. Given the title Sher Khan by Babar Khan Lohani (Governor of Bihar) who appointed him Vakil (deputy).
• Became the master of Delhi after the exit of Humayun.
• Crushed the Rajput forces of Marwar at Samel in 1544.
• Died in 1545 while campaigning against Kalinjar Fort.
Shershah’s Administration :
• For administrative convenience, Shershah divided his whole empire into 47 divisions called sarkars, and sarkars into smaller parganas. In the field of central administration, Shershah followed the Sultanate pattern. There were – four main central departments, viz, Diwan – i – wizarat, Diwan – i – arz, Diwan – i – insha and Diwan – i – rasalat.
• His Land Revenue System is noteworthy as he classified his land under 3 heads – good, middle and bad, and claimed 1 / 3rd of the produce. Land was measured by using the Sikandari – gaz (32 points). Todarmal contributed greatly in the development of revenue policy of Shershah. Akbar also adopted the same revenue policy, albeit with some amendments.
• Shershah personally supervised the recruitment of the soldiers and paid them directly, He revived Alauddin’s system of branding the horses (daag) and keeping a descriptive roll of soldiers (chehra).
• Shershah introduced a regular postal service. He also attempted to fix standard weights and measures.
• Introduced the silver ‘Rupaya’ and the copper ‘Dam’ and abolished all old and mixed metal currency. He promoted the cause of trade and commerce by reducing the number of the customs duty collection points to just two :
1. Goods produced in Bengal or imported from outside had to pay customs duty at Sikrigali (at the border of Bengal and Bihar).
2. For the goods coming from West and Central Asia at the Indus.
• Shershah improved communication by building roads. The roads built by Shershah are called ‘the arteries of the empire’. Sarais were built on roads. He restored the old imperial road called Grand Trunk road, from the Indus River to Sonargaor, in Bengal.
• Built his tomb at Sasaram in Bihar.
• Built a new city on the bank of Yamuna River (present day Purana Qila).
• Malik Mohammad Jaisi composed Padmavat (in Hindi) during his reign.
• Abbas Khan Sarwani was his historian, who wrote Tarikh – i – SherShahi.
• Sher Shah Suri gradually gained power during his time.
• He was attacked by Sher Shah at Chausa (Battle of Chausa) in 1539, but escaped. Here Humayun was saved by Nizam, a water carrier (saqqa).
• But in the Battle of Kannauj (also called Battle of Bilgram) in 1540, he was defeated by Sher Shah and had to flee.
• Passed nearly 15 years (1540 – 1555) in exile.
• First fled to Sind, which was under Shah Hussain Arghuna. In 1545, he went to the Persian emperor’s court.
• Had the chance to return in 1555. Sher Shah, the victor of Kannauj, died in 1545. He was succeeded by his son Islam Shah, who ruled up to 1553. He was succeeded by Muhammad Adil Shah.
• He was very fond of pleasures and left the affairs of his government in the hands of Hemu, his minister. His authority was challenged by Ibrahim Shah and Sikandar Shah. There were a large number of bloody battles among the various rivals. The net result of all this was that the Suri Empire was broken up.
• Bairam Khan, his most faithful officer, helped him in this.
• Died in 1556, due to a fall from his library building stairs (Sher Mandal, Delhi) seven months after he captured Delhi. It is said about him that “Humayun tumbled through life and he tumbled out of it”.
•Gulbadan Begum, his half – sister, wrote Humayun – nama.
•Was a descended of Timur on his father’s side and Chengiz Khan on his mother’s side. His family belonged to the Chaghtai section of the Turkish race and were commonly known as Mughals.
• Originally ruledover Ferghana (Afghanistan). He became the Sultan at the early age of 12, when his father Sultan Umar Shaikh Mirza died.
• He was invited to attack India by Daulat Khan Lodhi (Subedar of Punjab), Alam Khan (uncle of Ibrahim Lodhi) and Rana Sanga. Defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526.
• In this Babar used the Rumi (Ottoman) device of lashing a large number of carts to form a defending wall with breastwork in between to rest guns (Tulghama system of warfare). His artillery was led by Ustad Ali and Mustafa.
• Defeated Sangram Singh (Rana Sanga) of Mewar in the Battle of Khanua in 1527. This weakened the Rajput confederacy and strengthened Babar’s position. Babar took the tide of “Ghazi” after that.
• Defeated another Rajput ruler, Medini Rai (of Chanderi) in the Battle of Chanderi in 1528.
• Defeated the Afghan chiefs under Mahmud Lodi brother of Ibrahim Lodi) in the Battle of Ghagra in 1529.
• His victories led to rapid popularization of gunpowder and artillery in India.
• Died in 1530. Buried at Aram Bagh in Agra; later his body was taken to Aram Bagh, Kabul.
• His memoir, the Tazuk – i – Baburi in Turki language is a classic of world literature. It shows his humane outlook and sensitivity to the beauty of nature. Also wrote ‘Masnavf.
Note : After the Kushans, Babur was the first to bring Kabul and Kandahar into the Indian Empire, which provided stability since it was the staging post of invasions of India.
This helped in promoting trade since these towns were the starting points of caravans meant for China in the east and Mediterranean in the west.
•They were Afghans by race (considered the first Afghan dynasty of India).
•They were ruling over Sirhind when Sayyids were in India.
History of Bahlul Lodhi (1451 – 1489):
•Conquested Jaunpur by ousting Sharqui dynasty.
•Revived Sultanate to quite an extent.
History of Sikandar Lodhi (1489 – 1517):
•Real name was Nizam Khan. Noblest of the three Lodhi rulers.
•Introduced the Gaz-i-Sikandari (Sikandar’s yard) of 32 digits for measuring cultivated fields.
•In 1504, he founded the city of Agra and made it his capital.
•Set up an efficient espionage system and introduced the system of auditing of accounts.
•Took care of department of Justice and department of agriculture.
•Was a poet himself and wrote verses in Persian under the pen-name of Gulrukhi.
•Repaired Qutab Minar.
Ibrahim Lodhi (1517 – 1526):
•Repressive ruler.
•Was defeated and killed by Babur in the I Battle of Panipat in 1526.
•With this the Sultanate of Delhi ended.
Administration, Society and Economy Under the Delhi Sultanate :
•The country was divided into iqtas which was distributed among the nobles, officers and soldiers for the purpose of administration and revenue collection. Iqtadars could also be transferred. Iqtadars maintained the iqtas, kept a certain sum for the cost of administration and their personal expenses, and sent the rest to the Sultan.
•Civil administration was headed by Wazir (Chief Minister) who supervised the collection of revenue, the checking of the accounts and the regulation of expenditure. His office was known as Diwan-i-wizarat.
•The next important department was diwan-i-arz headed by ariz-i-mumalik, who was responsible for the recruitment, payment and inspection of troops.
•Diwan-i-Insha headed by dahir-i-mumalik managed the royal correspondence.
•Religious matters and endowments were dealt with by the diwan-i-rasalat headed by sadr-us-sadur.
•Barid-i-mumalik was the head of the state news agency.
•The provinces were divided into shiqs under the control of shiqdars. The next unit was parganas, groups of hundred villages, headed by cbaudhary. The village was the smallest unit of administration.
Lodhi Dynasty Cultural Development (13th – 15th Century)
Art and Architecture India :
•The use of arch and the dome is the special feature of the Muslim architecture. As the arch and dome needed strong cement finer quality of mortar became wide-spread in north India.
•For decoration, the Turks used geometrical and floral designs (instead of human and animal figures in Hindu temples), with verses from Quran. They also used some Hindu motifs like bel motifs, lotus, swastik, etc.
•The Tughlaq built sloping walls called battar combining the principles of arch and the lintel and beam.
Music :
•New musical modes and instruments like rabab and sarangi were introduced.
•Amir Khusro introduced many Persian Arabic ragas. Also invented the sitar.
Painting in India : Paper was introduced by the Arabs in the 15th century and this patronized painting.
Literature India :
•Udayaraja wrote Raja Vinoda on Mahmud Begarha.
•Merutanga’s Prabandha Chintamani
•A no. of Sanskrit works – Rajatarangani, Mahabharata, Koka Shastra – were translated into Persian.
•Zai Nakshabi’s TutiNama (a translation of Sanskrit stories into Persian) was very popular.
China Developed the Fastest Computer of the World Called Tianhe-2 A survey conducted by Top 500, revealed on 17 June 2013 that the Chinese supercomputer is the fastest computer of the world. This Chinese supercomputer is called Tianhe-2 and it replaced US machine called Titan, which was earlier said to be the fastest computer of the world.
India to be most Populous Country by 2028 The UN report titled World Population Prospects was released on 13 June 2013, forecasted that India will be the most populous country of the world by 2028 leaving behind China. The report also claimed that by 2025 the world population will increase by one billion and reach to 8.1 billion from 7.2 billion at present. By 2050, the world population will be 9.6 billion as per the report.
"The Orphan Master's Son" won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Adam Johnson's novel The Orphan Master's son won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2013. Last year, judges had failed to select a winner of the award for fiction for the first time in 35 years. The book carries the reader on an adventuresome journey into the depths of totalitarian North Korea and into the most intimate spaces of the human heart. Johnson teaches creative writing at Stanford University. He spent time in North Korea to research his book. Other books in contention were, What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, by Nathan Englander and The Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey.
Indian-Origin Economist Raj Chetty Won John Bates Clark Medal For 2013 Delhi-born Raj Chetty, the professor in the Department of Economy at the Harvard University won John Bates Clark medal for 2013, also called Baby Nobel. Raj Chetty's work was also cited by the US President Barack Obama in State of the Union Address. John Bates Clark medal is conferred upon the American economist whose age is below 40 years and the one who has made crucial contribution to economic knowledge and thought. Baby Nobel is one of the most prestigious awards of economy. Infact, it is second only after Nobel Prize in economic science. Raj Chetty, 33, is the first Indian-origin person to win this high honour. His areas of work include social insurance, tax policy as well as education policy.
Pope Benedict XVI announced his Resignation because of Poor Health
4. Where are the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee located?
(A) Italy (B) Switzerland
(C) Belgium (D) France
Ans : (B)
5. What is common about famous personalities Manish Malhotra, J. J. Valya and Rohit Bal?
(A) Male Modelling (B) Film Direction
(C) Novel Writing (D) Fashion Designing
Ans : (D)
6. Which Indian State is the leading Cotton producer ?
(A) Gujarat (B) Maharashtra
(C) Andhra Pradesh (D) Madhya Pradesh
Ans : (A)
7. Mahindra & Mahindra has acquired the manufacturing of ………. by naming its next generation electric car as the Mahindra e2o that is ‘E-too-oh’.
(A) Reva (B) Punto
(C) Nano (D) Bolero
Ans : (A)
8. World’s largest roller coaster named ‘Ferrari World’ is located in–
(A) Tokyo (B) Abu Dhabi
(C) Mumbai (D) Beijing
Ans : (B)
9. Who won the men’s national table tennis championship in January 2013 held in Raipur?
(A) Soumyajit Ghosh (B) Sharat Kamal
(C) Sourabh Chaktaborty (D) G Jalyan
Ans : (A)
10. Who won the reality TV show “Bigg Boss Season 6” in January 2013 hosted by actor Salman Khan ?
(A) Sana Khan (B) Urvashi Dholakia
(C) Imam Siddique (D) Niketan Madhok
Ans : (B)
11. ‘Canterbury’, the premium Indian brand of woollen cardigans and pullovers is from the house of–
(A) Monte-Carlo (B) Woodland
(C) Digjam (D) OCM
Ans : (A)
12. Which state has the traditional dress of men known as “Sola or Fotua” and “Eri-Chaddar” ?
(A) Assam (B) Tripura
(C) Nagaland (D) Meghalaya
Ans : (A)
13. Which one of the following cosmetic companies has launched Color Riche Nail Collection “Le nail Art” ?
(A) Lakme (B) L’Oreal
(C) Garnier (D) Clinique
Ans : (B)
14. The ‘more mega store’ retail chain belongs to which Indian Industry?
(A) Reliance Industry (B) Bharti Enterprises
(C) Aditya Birla Group (D) None of these
Ans : (C)
15. Who is the brand ambassador of the Hockey India League (HIL) 2013 ?
(A) Pargat Singh (B) Dhanraj Pillai
(C) Navjot Singh Sidhu (D) Virat Kohli
Ans : (C)
16. ‘Van Heusen’ is a leading International brand of–
(A) formal wear (B) fashion accessories
(C) jewellery (D) None of these
Ans : (A)
17. ‘Sonata’, ‘Ajanta’ and ‘Maxima’ are the well-known Indian brands of–
(A) jewellery (B) watches
(C) cosmetics (D) home furnishing
Ans : (B)
18. Lionel Messi, the winner of four FIFA-Ballon d’Or and World Player of the Year belongs to–
(A) Brazil (B) Spain
(C) Argentina (D) Germany
Ans : (C)
19. Who has been crowned ‘Miss Earth’ Beauty Pageant at the 12th edition held in November 2012 ?
(A) Stephany Stetanowitz (B) Tereza Fajksova
(C) Osmariel Villalobos (D) Camila Brant
Ans : (B)
20. FDI stands for–
(A) Fashion Directorate of India (B) Foreign Direct Investment
(C) Fashion Designer’s Initiative (D) Foreign Directory of Industries
Ans : (B)
21. The international awards given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, California (USA) for excellence in the field of cinema are popularly known as–
(A) IIFA Awards (B) Oscar Awards
(C) BAFTA Awards (D) Grammy Awards
Ans : (B)
22. The largest continent in terms of area is–
(A) Asia (B) Africa
(C) Australia (D) North America
Ans : (A)
23. The space agency NASA belongs to–
(A) Germany (B) USA
(C) Russia (D) France
Ans : (B)
24. The basic function of technology ‘Blue tooth’ is to allow–
(A) landline phone to mobile phone communication
(B) signal transmission on mobile phones only
(C) satellite television communication
(D) wireless communication between equipment
Ans : (D)
25. Which among the following is the source of a non-conventional energy?