JIshnu's Quiz meet

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

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

Topics

● Ancient India ● British
● Medieval India ● Greco-Roman
● British India ● Medieval Europe
● India after WW2 ● Europe (15th-19th century)
● US ● Europe 20th century
● Middle East ● 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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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
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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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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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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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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What is X?
__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.

It's all greek to them
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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th th
Europe (15 -19 century)

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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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th
Europe in the 20 century

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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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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__

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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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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