Matrubhoomi - The India Quiz

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ROUND 1
• 8 questions
• +10/0
• Part points at QM’s discretion
• Good Luck!

Q1
• His divine theory of 'Padshahat', presents the concept of royalty.
According to him 'Padshahat' meant 'an established owner' who cannot
be eliminated by anyone and works as agent of God, for the welfare of
his subjects and maintains peace and harmony in his empire.
• However, he is more well-known for creating a 16th century document
whose first volume was translated by Heinrich Blochmann in 1873 and
the remaining volumes by Col. Henry Jarrett.
• Currently, the document is kept at a place that houses the second
largest chandelier in the world after the Buckingham Palace.
• Who proposed the theory? Which document? Which place?

Abu’l Fazl ; Ain-i-akbari ; Hazarduari Palace

Q2
• The story has almost turned into a folklore in Brazil due to an import
that happened nearly 58 years ago. But a little known fact is that, it was
the ‘darbar saheb’ of Jasdan who introduced it to the Maharaja of
Bhavnagar.
• Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji, the first Indian Governor of Madras,
changed the fortunes of a certain industry in Brazil by gifting it to Celso
Gracia Cid, an icon in the Brazilian history and a successful
entrepreneur, in the 18th century. Celso brought it to Brazil in 1960 and
the combination with a Dutch alternative, Holstein started a revolution
in that industry. In order to commemorate the Maharaja’s contribution,
a statue was erected for the later near Brazil’s Parliament House and
coins were also minted to signify the gift’s contribution in the economy.
• What was the gift?

Gir Cows
They started the White Revolution in Brazil and contribute to nearly
80% of the country’s milk production.

Q3
• Said to have originated in France during the 1950s, and
introduced to the city by an Australian firm, the Indian version of
this army came up between 1998-2004. The current army of
grey sentinels has a staff population of approximately 6500 and
initially were the reason behind the discontentment of the locals.
• Criticized for impeding the natural cycle of erosion and
nourishment, particularly in Japan, the Japanese army covers 40
per cent of the land.
• Which “massive” army is this? Where have they been posted in
India?

Q4
• Originally a little-known town, this mica mining center once
called as ‘Abrak Nagri’, became famous in the 1950s owing to
its connection with Radio Ceylon and Vividh Bharati. The trend
started in the early 1950s, which brought fame to 3 residents
of this city that led to the emergence of a song-request fad
among the people of the town. Because of a large number of
song requests and the town's unusual name, many listeners of
Vividh Bharti used to doubt its existence and thus it was
associated with less-known or insignificant people.
• Which place are we talking about?

Q5
• Allan Joseph Champneys was a British mathematician who
started his career in the military with EIC’s Bengal Engineers.
From 1871-1881 he was Instructor in Mathematics at
the Thomason College of Civil Engineering. After leaving the
army in 1891, he spent rest of his life studying number theory
and applied his expertise to finding factors of numbers like
Mersenne and Fermat numbers.
• However, his father is more well known than him. He was a
British-army engineer and established the Ladakh-Tibet
boundary in 1847 and also worked as the Director of the Delhi-
London Bank in the 1870s. Armed with the knowledge of
Brahmi, he was instrumental in the creation of X that started in
1861 and was precursored by an appendix to James Prinsep's
article.
• Who? What did he do?

Q6
• The term was applied to a large, incoherently defined group, who was
rejected by most of the writers to whom it was applied because
their political views were usually seen as identifying with the left,
sometimes anarchistic. Said to have been coined by the Royal Court
Theatre's press officer in order to promote Osborne's 1956 play, it
traces its origins from the autobiography of Leslie Paul.
• Originally used to denote a group of mostly working- and middle-class
British playwrights in the 1950s, it gained prominence in India during
the 1970s at the time of Emergency to symbolize the youth that
strongly advocated freedom.
• What term/catchphrase?

Q7
• Sir Henry Bartle Frere was a British Colonial
administrator who served as the High Commissioner for
Southern Africa in 1877. He also had a successful career
in India, rising to become the Governor of Bombay in
1862.
• However, his most important contribution to India was
during his tenure as the Chief Commissioner of a certain
province in 1850. Following the English example set
by Rowland Hill, Frere improved upon a certain system
whose origins can be traced in Atharvaveda and
Chanakya’s Arthashastra. Under his leadership, Sir Henry
Edward Landor Thuillier created something in 1854 that
was the first of its kind in Asia.
• What was Frere’s most significant contribution to India?

He introduced the first adhesive stamp of Asia
“The Scinde Dawk”

Q8
• “The Phantom ________ and Other Tales”, is a
collection of short stories by Rudyard Kipling,
first published in 1888.
• The main theme of this book revolves around the
eerie experiences of the narrator with X. The
background of the plot spans from Shimla (that is
the first place where X originated in India) to
Katmal and Lahore.
• Who is considered to be the protagonist of this
story, who even provided livelihood to the
immigrants during the 1971 Liberation War?

ROUND 2
• 8 questions
• +10/-5
• Good Luck!

Q9
• Founded in 1969 by a chemist working for the government of
Gujarat, this company sold a certain type of commodity at ₹3.5
per kg as compared to ₹13 per kg by other firms. Eventually, the
demand for this company’s commodity increased and by 1985, it
became one of the sort after brands in India. The founder started
packing the formulation in a 10*10 feet room in his house.
• Moreover, a Pune resident is credited to have given this company
its current face. By the November of 2007, it purchased a famous
American raw materials firm, enlisting itself among the top 7
companies of its kind in the world.
• Which company are we referring to?

Q10
• Some people believe that this town may be the
Camanes of Ptolemy. James Tod believed that the
name comes from the Sanskrit word meaning 'City
of the Pillar'. In the early 1340s, the Moroccan
traveller Ibn Battuta remarked on its impressive
architecture and cosmopolitan population.
• It was the capital of a princely state that was the only
state in the Kaira Agency and was ruled by the
descendants of Mumin Khan, the last of the Mughal
governors of Gujarat. The sport of cricket in India
was first played in this State in 1721.
• Which city/princely state?

Q11
• This classification which represents different states or avastha is
detailed in later works like Dasarupaka, Sahityadarpan and various
other treatises on poetics as well as erotic Kamashastras. It forms a
central theme in Pahari embroidery used to decorate the Chamba
Rumal, usually portrayed in panels on the Rumal. Further classified
in two varieties : Sambhoga and Vipralambha, the respective
elements have a myriad of meanings as listed below – one dressed up
for union, one distressed by separation, one having her husband in
subjection, one separated by quarrel, one enraged with her lover, one
deceived by her lover, one with a sojourning husband and one going
to meet her lover.
• How do we better know this classification?

Q12
• According to Hindu legends, this creature is
scared of Vishnu, and used to be caught and
released during the festivals such as
Dussera. A local Hindi name of this bird is
associated with the Samudra Manthan
episode. It is also believed that adding its
chopped feathers to grass and feeding them
to cows increases their milk yield.
• What am I talking about?

Indian Roller/ Neel Kantha / Pallapitta

Q13
• Earlier made out of Granite and later in 1985, it was covered by a
composition of five metals called ‘Panchaloha’. The first five of them
represent the ‘Panchendriyas’, which are the five human senses. The
next eight represent ‘Ashtaragas’ which includes Kama
(desire), Krodha (anger), Lobha (inordinate desire), Moha
(attachment), Madha (pride), Matsarya (unhealthy competition),
Asuya (jealousy) and Dhumb (braggy). The next three represent
'Thrigunas' or the three qualities of Sathva, Rajas and Thamas. The
final two indicate Vidya (knowledge) and Avidya (ignorance of
knowledge). They also symbolise a certain number of summits that
surround their location.
• What are we talking about or how do we collectively know them?

18 steps of the Sabarimala Temple
Pathinettampadi

Q14
• Since 1948, it has gone through various stages of development.
The first modification was carried out with the motive to address
the problem of food shortage in the country, and thus a portion
was used to cultivate wheat. In 1992, Rainwater harvesting for
recharging groundwater was done in collaboration with the Centre
for Science and Environment. Herbal, Tactile, Musical, Spiritual and
Nutritional aspects were added in the early part of 2000. During
2010, Project Roshni was implemented which aimed at making an
environment-friendly habitat by efficient use of resources and use of
renewable energy sources.
• Whose development is being described above?

Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhawan

Q15
• Soon after establishing his Hartford factory, this American inventor
and businessman decided to establish a factory in London. He
organized a large display of his invention/products at the Great
Exhibition of 1851 at Hyde Park and ingratiated himself by presenting
cased gifts to appropriate officials such as Britain's Master General of
the Ordnance.
• He established his London operation near Vauxhall Bridge on the
River Thames and began production on January 1, 1853. During a tour
of the factory, Charles Dickens was so impressed with the facilities
that he recorded his comments of the products in an 1852 edition
of Household Words.
• However, he never claimed to have invented the products that were
the reason behind his fame. His goal was an assembly line that can be
shown by an 1836 letter that he wrote to his father.
• Who is this industrialist? What did he create, whose idea struck him
while on a voyage to Calcutta?

Q16
• X’s grandfather Gurucharan moved to Calcutta in 1854 and built up a
business, starting a chemist shop in 1860. He was deeply influenced by
Debendranath Tagore and was actively involved in social movements
such as the Brahmo Samaj acting as its treasurer and president. His
house on 210 Cornwallis Street was the centre of the Brahmo Samaj.
• Moreover, X also had an abiding interest in cultural pursuits and served
as secretary to Rabindranath Tagore, particularly during the latter’s
foreign travels, and also worked at his Visva-Bharati University.
• However, he also founded something of national importance that grew
out of a lab in the Presidency College under the 1959 act of Indian
Parliament, and thus the GOI conferred him with a title.
• Identify X. What title was bestowed upon him?

P.C.Mahalanobis ; Father of Modern Statistics

ROUND 3
• 8 questions
• +20/-10
• Good Luck!

Q17
• Beau Geste is a 1926 American Silent Drama film directed by Herbert
Brenon and based on the 1924 novel Beau Geste by P.C. Wren. The
film was well received by the critics who remarked it as a skillfull
pictorial translation of the novel. Mordaunt Hall, critic for The New
York Times, complimented many of the principal performers :
Colman (who played the titular role) was described as “easy and
sympathetic” , Joyce “charming” , Powell “an excellent character
study of Boldini”.
• However, the actor who played the role of Major de Beaujolais was
regarded as “effective”. This actor, studied at the St. Xaviers College
and is credited with the first hat-trick in an open football tournament
in India. Having excelled in Rugby as well, one of his achievements
has been a topic of debate among the historians of Great Britain since
2005.
• Who is this actor?

Norman Gilbert Pritchard well known as
Norman Trevor
• The first Indian athlete to participate in the Olympic Games and was
also the first to win an Olympic medal and also represent an Asian
nation.

Q18
• The Company, Eastern Scales Private Limited, was founded in Calcutta in
1939 by J.H. Somerville, an Australian who had migrated to India looking
for work during the Great Depression. Once had a flourishing business, it
has now shut down its factory and its products can be traced in certain
parts of the sub-continent. Installed in 1950s, these products have been a
huge attraction ever since. However, according to the officials, these were
outdated and there was a decline in their usage and thus, were
discontinued since 2013.
• A few years later, the Efficiency and Research wing announced their
restoration making their antique value a priority. Initiatives have been
taken to conserve them and as per sources, they are to be displayed in
Museums as a part of country’s heritage.
• What?

Weighing Machines at Railway Stations

Q19
• The name of this village was changed during the 1940s by the
government after unofficial consultation with a resident owing to
a practical difficulty. There was another village named ‘Shegaon’,
which was made famous by the residence of Saint Gajanan
Maharaj. Due to this confusion of names, letters addressed to
this village used to get misdirected to Shegaon creating a chaotic
situation in the postal department of that region. Located near
the Dhaam river , this village is present in the neighbourhood of
Param Dham Ashram.
• Which place are we talking about?

Sevagram
(The Village of Service ; Earlier known as Segaon)

Q20
• There exists a myriad of ‘large figures’ attributed to “Son and Hobbs” with
the welcoming figure holding a caduceus symbolising barter. Next to it is the
structure representing trade while on the left is a Britannia structure
suggesting mastery over seas. The remaining groups symbolise agriculture
and civil engineering.
• Heading them is a female figure, executed by Thomas Earp in 1887. It has a
star above her forehead in flowing classical robes and a winged wheel at her
side suggests change, forward movement and speed. Looking down from her
great height, she wears a benign expression and holds aloft a flaming copper
gilt torch to illuminate the way and lead the advance towards the future.
• What does this leading lady symbolize? Where would you come across this
collection of allegorical figures?

Q21
• As per a Koraput tribal legend, long ago, the Pengu, Muria and Bhattra tribes
had a leader called Chaitu Bhattra, whose daughter was married against her
wishes. Soon after her marriage she fell in love with a Muria boy and the two
used to meet secretly. The couple was seen by the villagers who informed
about this to her husband. The urge to find the truth, made him set a trap for
his wife, where he told her that he was going to his sister’s house for a few
days, but returned the same night and found the boy in his hut. The husband
was furious and beat the couple with his stick till they were dead and then
threw the corpses in the forest. Blood from both the bodies flowed and
joined into a single stream and gave rise to X.
• What thus originated according to this folklore, that forms the basis of the
first sloka in the Yajurveda and was used as a symbol of poetry by Harinder
Singh Mahboob?

Q22
• For the first 50 years after independence, this phenomenon
occured thrice, with the first one spanning over a period of 144
hours in 1959. The second one lasted for 23 hours which also
had previous associations in 1964 and 1967, but they were not
certainly savoury, with the third instance occurring in 1978.
• However, with the beginning of the 21st century, this
phenomenon has repeated itself with a greater frequency and
larger magnitude, the notable ones being in 2006, 10 and 15
respectively, each having lasted for nearly 72 hours.
• What phenomenon is this?

US President’s India Tour/Visits

Q23
• Indian languages are sometimes graded on a Tatsama
scale. Bengali is 40% Tatsama, for instance. Telugu
words are divided into Prakriti which have high Tatsama
scores (60%), and Vikruti (meaning distorted) which
have lower scores.
• What exactly does Tatsama measure?

• Sanskrit loan words into other Indian languages
which sometimes give impression that languages
such as Tamil originated from Sanskrit.

Q24
• “Saints of Maharashtra” is a book that is simply a collection of the
articles that appeared in the Bhavan’s Journal published by the
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, an Indian Educational Trust founded by Dr.
K.M. Munshi in 1938. The book is an outcome of regular
contribution by an European who acquired Indian citizenship in
1932 and had an ardent knowledge of Indian mythology. In 1952,
the author, repaired to the Ramakrishna Vedanta Ashram in
Darjeeling and later settled down in Maharashtra and it was during
this stay at Wai, that developed a great reverence for the Saints.
• An artist, painter and social worker, who worked for the betterment
of the refugees during partition, this author’s most integral
contribution was not in the field of literature but had associations
with something else.
• Who is this author?

Savitribai Khanolkar
Designer of Paramvir Chakra

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