One of the stalwarts of India’s freedom movement, Bal Gangadhar Tilak also known as Lokmanya Tilak was born in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra on July 23, 1856. He is known for his famous quote ” Self Rule is our birthright, and We shall have it! ” He was reverently addressed as Lokmanya (or “Beloved of the people” or “Revered by the world”). After completing his graduation, Tilak began teaching in a private school in Pune and went [...]
Bairam Khan Biography Bairam Khan was an extraordinary military general who served for Mughal emperors Humayun and his son Akbar and had great contributions in expanding their kingdom. Bairam led Akbar to his victory against Hemu in the second battle of Panipat. As an able regent, he guided Akbar during hostile situations. Bairam was loyal to the Mughal Empire until Akbar came close to his nurse Mahan Anga’s that developed differences between the two. When [...]
Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last Mughal emperor of India who was born in 1775 at Delhi. He was named Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar during his birth but was more popular as Bahadur Shah Zafar. His father was Akbar Shah and his mother was Lalbai. He ascended the throne at a very advanced age, after the death of his father, in 1837. He was last ruler of the Mughal Dynasty, which ruled [...]
Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babar Biography Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babar, founder of the Mughal dynasty in India was an excellent general and a wise ruler. He was born on 14th February 1483 and was a Chughtai Turk, descendant of king Taimur on his father’s side and Chengez Khan on his mother’s side. Thus conquest and efficient administration was in his blood. He succeeded to the throne of Farghana, a small state in Central Asia, when his father Umar [...]
Among the mughal rulers, Aurangzeb took the Mughal empire to its zenith. He was born on 21st October, 1618 and was the third son of the emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. He had three brothers Dara Shukoh, Shah Shuja, and Murad Baksh and three sisters Jahanara, Roshanara and Gauharara. He married Rabia Daurani and had six children, five sons and a daughter. He was superior to his elder brothers Dara Shikoh and Shuja in [...]
Ghiasuddin Balban Biography Ghiasuddin Balban is the greatest Sultan of the Slave dynasty and an extremely shrewd military chief. He belonged to the Ilbari tribe of a well-to-do Turk family. But unfortunately he was captured by the Mongols and sold to Khwajah Jamal-ud-din Basri in Baghdad and later brought to Delhi by Iltutmush, who purchased him as as lave. From the very beginning he was favored by master and soon became one of the Chalgan(forty [...]
Women of the Vedic period were prominent with their exemplary intellectuality and supreme spiritual attainment. Gargi is one of those exceptional women and one of the well known scholars and prophetess. Gargi was the daughter of sage Vachaknu and her inclination towards academics was very conspicuous from an early age. Gargi composed several hymns, questioning the origin of all existence. When King Janak of Videha organized a ‘Brahmayajna’- a philosophic meet, her participation was highly [...]
Dadabhai Naoroji was born to a poor Parsi family in Bombay, Maharashtra on September 4, 1825. When Dadabhai Naoroji was just four years, his father Naoroji Palanji Dordi died and all the responsibilities fell on his mother Maneckbai. His mother never complained and carried out her responsibilities with great courage. Naoroji’s marriage was fixed at the very young age of 11 to Gulbai. Dadabhai Naoroji had a wonderful academic career at the Elphinstone Institution. When [...]
The great lawyer Chittaranjan Das was born on Nov 5, 1870.He belonged to a highly educated family with rich cultural surroundings. Bhuvan Mohan, his father was a solicitor by profession and also worked as a reporter and editor in the English church weekly, the Brahmo Public Opinion. Chittaranjan Das completed his graduation in 1890 from Presidency College, Kolkata, West Bengal. He went abroad to England to sit for the Indian Civil Service examination. He failed [...]
Chhatrapati Shivaji was the famous Maratha king who had the utmost courage to stand against the vast ocean of Mughal rule, single-handedly. Although his original name was Shivaji Bhosle, his subjects lovingly gave him the title of ‘Chatrapati’ or the ‘Chief of the Kshatriyas’ for his undaunted ability to protect them all under the safe shelter of his leadership. Born on 19th February 1680 at the Shivneri Fort to a valiant Maratha regent Shahaji Raje [...]
