Quiz

What is X?

In rural folklore, __X__ was often regarded as an evil place, the site of black magic. This notion dated back to early mythology in Africa and Europe. As these pagan cultures were forcibly assimilated by Christian society, some of their original beliefs were blended with the new religion.

According to the legend, Robert Johnson went down to __X__ and made a pact with Satan. The devil promised to fulfill his dreams, thus Johnson traded his eternal soul for his extraordinary talents.

Of course, the devil wouldn't allow him to enjoy his success and the lord of the underworld soon claimed his prize. Even though Johnson's musical legacy would eventually earn worldwide acclaim, he never had a chance to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Name the report

With more money flowing into consumers’ pockets, the country’s urban market place has expanded from metros to smaller cities. The increased affluence and the resulting change in consumption patterns in these towns have forced marketers to devise new ways of exploiting this emerging opportunity. A report by Ernst and Young cites examples from industries such as telecom where subscriber growth in the top four metros was at a scorching 58%, but at a much higher rate of 93% in the rest of India.

August 18 1913, Monday. In one of the casinos at Monte Carlo, it was chaos, hustle and madness. Something unprecedented had taken place, the roulette wheel had landed on black 26 times in a row.

What happened after this (the first instance of something which has entered mathematical folklore hence) ?

What?

People have been fascinated by __X__ for centuries. Some Native Americans believed that a spirit lived inside each kernel of __X__. When heated, the spirit grew angry and would eventually burst out of its home and into the air as a disgruntled puff of steam.

In 2006, Ben and Jerry's introduced an ice cream called __X__, whose label states: "The revolutionary struggle of the cherries was squashed as they were trapped between two layers of chocolate. May their memory live on in your mouth." As you finish the ice cream you're left with a wooden stick with the words "We will bite to the end!"

X

In a literal sense, there is no such type of fish as a __X__; rather it refers to a particularly strong kipper, meaning a fish that has been strongly cured in brine and/or heavily smoked. It was used to train young scent hounds: the pungent __X__ would be dragged along a trail until a puppy learned to follow the scent. Later, when the dog was being trained to follow the faint odour of a fox or a badger, the trainer would drag a __X__ (whose strong scent confuses the animal) perpendicular to the animal's trail to confuse the dog

What has been greyed out?

ID this budding scientist, who used to play the guitar in a skiffle band in his teens

Take up skiffle?

History

Topics

● Ancient India

● Medieval India

● British India

● India after WW2

● US

● Middle East

● British

● Greco-Roman

● Medieval Europe

● Europe (15th-19th century)

● Europe 20th century

● Misc

● Misc II

Ancient India

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Tribute to the invincible

The __X__ are sometimes described as the first empire builders in the recorded history of India. They inherited the large kingdom of Magadha and wished to extend it to yet more distant frontiers. According to Plutarch, the __X__ army numbered 200,000 infantry, 80,000 cavalry, 8,000 war chariots, and 6,000 war elephants. However, the __X__ never had the opportunity to see their army up against Alexander, since Alexander had to confine his campaign to the plains of Punjab, for his forces, frightened by the prospect of facing a formidable foe, mutinied at the Hyphasis River (the modern Beas River) refusing to march any further.

Age of civilizations

In 1974, a group of French archaeologists discovered one of the most important neolithic sites in Balochistan.

__X__ was inhabited in various periods from 7000 BC to 2600 BC. It is one of the earliest sites with farming and herding. The location and timescale suggests that __X__ was a precursor to the Indus valley civilization.

"Discoveries at __X__ changed the entire concept of the Indus civilization. There we have the whole sequence, right from the beginning of settled village life."

Who?

"It was to a land of dark people he was sent, to clothe them by Baptism in white robes. His grateful dawn dispelled India's painful darkness. It was his mission to espouse India to the One-Begotten. The merchant is blessed for having so great a treasure. Edessa thus became the blessed city by possessing the greatest pearl India could yield. __X__ works miracles in India, and at Edessa __X__ is destined to baptize peoples perverse and steeped in darkness, and that in the land of India."

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Medieval India

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Who, and what is going on?

On the outskirts of Ghazni are two domed tombs. The larger was of Ghori and few meters away was a second smaller tomb of __B__. “In the centre of the second tomb was a bare patch of earth where the actual grave should have been. Hanging over this spot from the top of the dome is a long, thick rope ending in a knot at shoulder height. Local visitors would grab hold of this knot in one hand and stamp vigorously and repeatedly with one foot on the bare patch in the centre of the tomb”

ID the system

The popularity of the __X__ system derived from the fact that

● If parents were childless, they vowed to dedicate their first child if it happened to be a girl.

● If there were no sons in the family, the girl child was dedicated and could not marry as she becomes a 'son' for the family (earning the livelihood)

The practice was outlawed in India in 1988, because after initiantion of __X__, women migrate either to nearby towns or far off cities to practise prostitution.

Which fort is being talked about?

__X__ was the second city of Delhi. Alaud'din Khilji created __X__ between 1297 and 1307 to defend against Mongol invasions of India and Delhi. The __X__ fort served as a seat of his power. According to the legend of Ala-ud-din’s war exploits, the name __X__ given to the Fort was because the foundation of the fort was built on the severed heads of over 8000 Mongol soldiers killed in the war.

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British India

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ID X

__X__ was the founding editor of the Journal of Asiatic Society of Bengal, and best remembered for deciphering the Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts of ancient India. He studied, documented and illustrated many aspects of numismatics, metallurgy and meteorology apart from pursuing his career in India as an assay master at the mint in Benares.

Excerpt from a certain biographical account. What did this lead to?

“Information and warning came to him from a very special source, that is, from the leaders among those devoted, in all parts of India, to a religious life. Among the heads or Gurus of these sects are to be found men of the highest quality who, like the ancient Hebrew prophets, have purged themselves from earthly desires, and fixed their aspirations on the highest good. These religious leaders, through their Chelas or disciples are fully informed of all that goes on under the surface, and their influence is great in forming public opinion. It was with these men that Mr. __X__ came into touch, towards the end of Lord. Lytton's viceroyalty. "The jingle is all dry," they said; "fire does spread wonderfully in such when the right wind blows, and it is blowing now, and hard".”

ID X

The __X__ was an organization founded by Punjabi Indians in the United States and Canada with the aim to liberate India from British rule. Many of them were students of UC Berkeley. After the outbreak of World War I, __X__ members returned to Punjab to agitate for rebellion. In 1915 they conducted revolutionary activities in central Punjab and attempted to organize uprisings, but their attempts were crushed by the British Government

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India after WW2

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Newspaper report of which incident?

“We wrote two days ago that conditions in Calcutta were horrifying. They have gone beyond since. What ever the appropriate adjective is, they were nothing in comparison with what we have subsequently seen. The last estimate of dead in 3000, who have lain thick about the streets. The injured number many thousands and it is impossible to say how many business houses and private dwellings have been destroyed. This is not a riot. This needs a word found in medieval history, a fury.”

The other side, which incident?

“You understand the bitterness with which I send you this message. It is horrible to think that this may mean total sacrifice, but I believe that sacrifice is the only way for us to keep up to the highest traditions and provide service to the future of the Nation. Do not expect the possibility of truce or of ____ prisoners, as there will be no surrender rendered because I feel that our soldiers and sailors can be either victorious or dead. These words could, by their seriousness, be directed only to a soldier of higher duties fully prepared to fulfill them. God will not allow you to be the last Governor of the State of India”

Jai Maharashtra

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In 1963, the government of Maharashtra passed an act in the Legislature which started with the following declaration -

“Whereas the agricultural situation of the State is constantly watched by the State Government, and relief measures as warranted by the situation are provided as soon as signs of scarcity conditions are apparent...”

The act was a aimed at providing a permanent solution for the persistent problem of famines. What was the proposed solution?

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US

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Which phrase?

In 1956, the nation was at a particularly tense time in the Cold War. Paranoia prevailed over the Soviet Union's place in the world. As a result, the 84th Congress passed a joint resolution to start using __X__ as the national motto. The move was politically motivated, unlike popular belief – an attempt to distance themselves from Soviet ideologies. The use of __X__ has come under scrutiny and criticism, at times being labelled 'un-American', however it stands tall till date.

Precedent

President Hayes was the first to use the coat of arms on presidential invitations (1877). The insignia was used till 1945 when President Truman redefined the seal. Which legend did this new definition spawn, which has found its way into popular stories like Deception Point among others?

Flogging Mollies

The Molly Maguires was a 19th century secret society of mainly Irish-American coal miners. It was a time of rampant beatings and murders in mining districts, some committed by the Mollies.

Franklin B. Gowen, the President of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, "the wealthiest anthracite coal mine owner in the world", hired Allan Pinkerton's services to deal with the Molly Maguires. Pinkerton assigned McParland to the job.

McParland successfully infiltrated the secret organization, becoming a secretary for one of its local groups, and led to the arrest of several Maguires. What did his success inspire?

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Middle East

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Herodotus

In the reign of Atys the son of Manes their king there came to be a grievous dearth over the whole of Lydia; and the Lydians for a time continued to endure it, but afterwards, as it did not cease, they sought for remedies; and one devised one thing and another of them devised another thing. And then were discovered, they say, __X__. These they invented as a resource against the famine, and thus they used to do:--on one of the days they would ____ all the time in order that they might not feel the want of food, and on the next they ceased from their ____ and had food: and thus they went on for eighteen years

ID X

__X__ rose to power during a period of anarchy in Iran. He managed to overthrow the invaders: Russians and Ottoman Turks, and overthrew the ruling dynasty to become the ruler himself. He expanded his empire to include Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, India, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Oman and the Persian gulf. His victories made him the Middle East's more powerful sovereign, and he has been declared as "the last great Asian military conqueror" by the Cambridge History of Iran.

Of horses and men

__X__ was a military tactic made famous by the Parthians, an Iranian people. The Parthian archers mounted on light horse, while retreating at a full gallop, would turn their bodies back to shoot at the pursuing enemy. The maneuver required superb equestrian skills, since the rider's hands were occupied by his bow. As the stirrup had not been invented at the time of the Parthians, the rider relied solely on pressure from his legs to guide his horse.

Which English phrase originates from this?

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British

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Which fair?

During the late Middle Ages the seaside town of __X__, in Yorkshire, was an important venue for tradesmen from all over England. It was host to a huge 45-day trading event, starting August 15, which was exceptionally long for a fair in those times. Merchants came to it from all areas of England, Norway, Denmark, the Baltic states and the Byzantine Empire. Naturally, such a large occasion attracted a lot more than just tradesmen; they needed to be entertained and fed, therefore large crowds of buyers, sellers and pleasure-seekers attended the fair.

ID X

Under the Third Succession Act, Elizabeth was the heir tothe English throne, and Henry VIII's last will and testament had excluded the Stuarts from succeeding to the English throne. Yet, in the eyes of many Catholics, Elizabeth was illegitimate, and __X__, as the senior descendant of Henry VIII's elder sister, was the rightful queen of England. Henry II of France proclaimed his eldest son and his daughter-in-law (__X__) king and queen of England, and in France they quartered the royal arms of England with their own. Her claim to the English throne was a perennial sticking point between her and Elizabeth I

Which folk tale?

The third Crusade was led by king Richard I of England against the Muslims united under Saladin. During his absense, king John seized the throne. He was a considerable failure as a king, and failed to inspire trust.

The Victorians latched on to John's moral failings like his cruelty and his sexual deviancy, taking mistresses married to barons, and this repulsed their newly formed idea of medieval knights as perfect gentlemen. This led to the fixing of the timescale of a certain folklore, with king John as the villain.

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Greco-Roman

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Which legendary surrender?

__X__ is any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. The medieval __X__ emerged in 10th-century Europe, deriving from the Byzantine lira. Lira spread widely westward to Europe; in the 11th and 12th centuries European writers use the terms __X__ and lira interchangeably when referring to bowed instruments.

A popular story from the ancient times records the usage of __X__; however the tale has clearly been fabricated, since __X__ had not been invented yet.

What is X?

It's all greek to them

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Ptolemy came to power in Egypt after Alexander. The Ptolemies, throughout their dynasty, refused to speak in Egyptian languages, and spoke Greek. While this habit was downright insolent, it has proved to be priceless in recent times. Why?

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Medieval Europe

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X & Y

Apart from two or three representations of ritual __X__, no depictions or preserved __X__ have horns. The myth was promulgated by 19th century enthusiasts of Geatish society, founded in 1811. They promoted the use of mythology as the subject of high art and moral aims. The __Y__ were depicted wearing clothing taken from classical antiquity. especially norse gods. This was done to legitimize the __Y__ by associating them with the classical world, which was idealized in Europe.

Which notorious family name?

The Order of the Dragon was a monarchical chivalric order for selected nobility. It was fashioned after the military orders of the Crusades, requiring its initiates to defend the cross and fight the enemies of Christianity, in particular the Ottoman Turks. One of the most important rulers of the Basarab dynasty, Mircea cel Bătrân, joined the Order of the Dragon. This is how he earned his name __X__.

What is X?

In ancient times, __X__ was represented as an armed attendant who sat on the back of an elephant. The problem was that in Central Europe elephants were not known, so they could not recognize the figure. __X__ was interpreted differently by the different nations. That is why the __X__ came to be known as "Läufer" (runner) in Germany, a "fou" (fool) in France and a "alfiere" (standard-bearer) in Italy. The British felt that projections at the top resembled a mitre, and hence called it a __X__

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Europe (15th-19th century)

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What is being depicted?

X,Y and the myth

__X__ arrived at Versailles from Austria in 1770. __Y_'s Confessions were finished in 1769, so he could not have mentioned the young archduchess. Letters from __X__ to her family in Austria at this time reveal an attitude totally different - "It is quite certain that in seeing the people who treat us so well despite their own misfortune, we are more obliged than ever to work hard for their happiness. The king seems to understand the truth."

Which commonly held myth does this dispel?

Who, and which request?

The last Moorish territory in Spain was Granada. The fall of Granada marked the end of the eight hundred year old Moorish occupation in the Iberian Peninsula. The king and queen of Spain, returning from the conquest, were jubilant but tired and financially broke. They finally gave in to the impractical requests of __X__, and the rest is history.

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Europe in the 20th century

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Famous photos, which places?

Epic Fall in the 50s: Who, and where?

Harry Elmer Barnes, an American, was at one time a mainstream historian. Between World War I and World War II, Barnes became well known as an anti-war writer and a leader in the historical revisionism movement, where he had worked closely from 1924 onwards with Centre for the Study of the Causes of the War. This institute was a pseudo-historical think-tank based in Berlin, secretly funded by the German government and headed by a former völkisch activist named Major Alfred von Wegerer, whose sole purpose was to prove Germany was the victim of Allied aggression in 1914

Which controversial school of thought did Barnes father after WW2?

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Misc

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To liberty and beyond

According to English labour lawyer Peter Benenson, he was travelling in the London Underground on 19 November 1960, when he read of two Portuguese students from Coimbra who had been sentenced to seven years of imprisonment in Portugal for allegedly "having drunk a toast to liberty". In 1960, Portugal was ruled by the Estado Novo government of António de Oliveira Salazar. The government was authoritarian in nature and strongly anti-communist, supressing enemies of the state as anti-Portuguese.

This appalling violation of human rights led to Mr. Benenson founding __X__

Explain

In 1540, Gonzalo Pizarro was made the governor of the provenance of Quito in northern Ecuador. One of Gonzalo Pizarro's lieutenants, Francisco de Orellana, set off in 1541 to explore east of Quito into the South American interior.

He was ordered to follow the Coca River and return when the river reached its confluence. However, his men threatened to mutiny if he turned back; and he carried his journey onwards. Despite threats from the natives, they kept going downstream, and eventually discovered the Amazon.

What was the real purpose of the journey, the reason behind the mutinous sailors?

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Misc II

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The soviet cluster bomb, used in the Winter War in Finland (1939) was known as the __X__ bread basket. As a reply, the Finns invented the __X__ __Y__ , “a drink to go with the food”

ID

Once King Bimbisara decided to give gifts to his children, he gave an 18 fold Divine Necklace to Hallakumara and one White elephant to Vihallakumara, which cost more than half of Magadha. As the king wanted to surprise Ashokcahandra by giving him the entire kingdom, he did not give anything to him on that day. Ashokchandra, failing to understand his father, imprisoned him and enthroned himself. Horrified, Queen Chelna cursed him that for rest of his life and in history he will be known as __Y__ i.e.-one who is an enemy of his own clan from even before his birth.

How is this relevant?

Scheele's Green was a colouring pigment that had been used in fabrics and wallpapers from about 1770. The pigment was easy to make and was a bright green colour but under certain circumstances the copper arsenite could be deadly. Gosio discovered that if wallpaper containing Scheele's Green became damp and then became mouldy, the mould could carry out a chemical process to get rid of the copper arsenite. It converted it to a vapour form of arsenic, normally a mixture of arsine, dimethyl and trimethyl arsine which was very poisonous.

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