Who was the first Mughal emperor?

The correct answer is A, Dhondo Keshav Karve. Maharshi Karve, a social reformer from Maharashtra, founded India's first women's university at Pune in 1916, inspired by the Japan Women's University. In 1920 the industrialist Sir Vithaldas Thackersey donated fifteen lakh rupees, and the university was renamed after his mother as Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey (SNDT) Women's University; it later moved to Mumbai. Karve had earlier married a widow in 1893, started the Widow Remarriage Association and, in 1896, a home and school for widows at Hingne near Pune. He received the Bharat Ratna in 1958, in his hundredth year. B is wrong because Ashutosh Mukherjee was the famous Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University, known as the 'Tiger of Bengal'. C is wrong because William Hunter headed the Hunter Commission of 1882 on education. D is wrong because Sayed Ahmed Khan founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh in 1875, which became Aligarh Muslim University. Exam tip: first women's university, Pune 1916, D.K. Karve, later SNDT; Bharat Ratna 1958.

The correct answer is D, Annie Besant. Annie Besant, an Irish-born theosophist, was the first woman to preside over the Indian National Congress, at its Calcutta session in 1917. She had started the Home Rule League in 1916, founded the newspaper 'New India', and set up the Central Hindu College at Banaras, which later grew into Banaras Hindu University. The first Indian woman to become Congress president was Sarojini Naidu, at the Kanpur session of 1925. A is wrong because Indira Gandhi became Congress president much later, in 1959. B is wrong because Sucheta Kripalani was India's first woman Chief Minister, of Uttar Pradesh in 1963, and never headed the Congress. C is wrong because Nellie Sengupta presided over the Calcutta session of 1933, making her the third woman president, not the first. Exam tip: first woman Congress president Annie Besant, Calcutta 1917; first Indian woman Sarojini Naidu, Kanpur 1925.

The correct answer is B, Bindusara. Bindusara was the son of Chandragupta Maurya and became the second ruler of the Mauryan Empire in about 297 BCE, ruling till about 273 BCE. Greek writers called him Amitrochates, from the Sanskrit 'Amitraghata', which means slayer of enemies. He kept up friendly ties with the Greek kingdoms of West Asia, and the Greek ambassador Deimachus lived at his court at Pataliputra. He is said to have extended the empire into the Deccan, and his son Ashoka served as viceroy at Ujjain before taking the throne. A is wrong because Kumaragupta I was a Gupta ruler of the fifth century CE, remembered for founding Nalanda. C is wrong because Ashoka was Bindusara's son and succeeded him in about 273 BCE, being crowned in 268 BCE. D is wrong because Kanishka was a Kushan king who ruled from 78 CE, the year the Saka era begins. Exam tip: the Mauryan order is Chandragupta (322 BCE), Bindusara (297 BCE), Ashoka (273 BCE); father, son, grandson.

The correct answer is B, Mughal's Rule in India. On 21 April 1526 Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last Sultan of Delhi, at Panipat in present-day Haryana, and this victory ended the Delhi Sultanate and started Mughal rule in India. Babur's army was much smaller, but he won with field guns handled by the Ottoman experts Ustad Ali and Mustafa and with the 'tulughma' tactic of encircling the enemy from the flanks. Ibrahim Lodi died on the battlefield, the only Delhi Sultan to die in battle. Panipat saw two more decisive battles: 1556, when Akbar's general Bairam Khan defeated Hemu, and 1761, when Ahmad Shah Abdali defeated the Marathas. A is wrong because the French never ruled India; their power ended with the Battle of Wandiwash in 1760. C is wrong because British East India Company rule began after the Battle of Plassey in 1757. D is wrong because the Delhi Sultanate began in 1206 with Qutb-ud-din Aibak and actually ended at Panipat in 1526. Exam tip: Panipat 1526 Babur beats Ibrahim Lodi; 1556 Akbar beats Hemu; 1761 Abdali beats the Marathas.

The correct answer is B, Lord Cornwallis. Lord Cornwallis, Governor-General from 1786 to 1793, introduced the Permanent Settlement on 22 March 1793 in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. It made the zamindars the owners of the land and fixed the land revenue permanently: the zamindar kept one-eleventh and paid ten-elevenths to the Company, and under the 'sunset law' his estate was auctioned if the money was not paid by sunset of the due date. Cornwallis also issued the Cornwallis Code of 1793, separated revenue and judicial work, reorganised the police under darogas, and is called the father of the Indian civil services. Option A is wrong because Warren Hastings (1774 to 1785) was the first Governor-General of Bengal and used annual and five-year revenue farming. Option C is wrong because Sir John Macpherson was only the acting Governor-General in 1785 to 1786. Option D is wrong because Sir John Shore helped design the scheme but became Governor-General only after Cornwallis, in 1793 to 1798. Exam tip: Permanent Settlement 1793 = Cornwallis, Ryotwari = Munro (Madras), Mahalwari = Holt Mackenzie (North-West Provinces).