The Tata Story (1868 -2018)

In 1868, Jamsetji Tata, a visionary of his time, lit the flame that went on to become Tata and its group of companies. This business grew into an extraordinary one. One that some may even call ‘the greatest company in the world’. Over the decades, the business expanded and prospered under the leadership of the various keepers of the flame, such as Sir Dorabji Tata, J.R.D. Tata and Ratan Tata. 

Now the Tata group is a global enterprise, headquartered in India, comprising 30 companies across 10 verticals. The group operates in more than 100 countries across six continents.

Total Revenue: $110.7 billion ( Rs 8,03,000 Cr)

Total Employees: Over 7,00,000

Combined Market Cap: $145.3 billion (Rs 10,58,500 Cr)

Tata Owner: Tata Sons

Tata Sons is the principal investment holding company and promoter of Tata companies. Sixty-six percent of the equity share capital of Tata Sons is held by philanthropic trusts, which support education, health, livelihood generation, and art and culture.

The Tata Story 150 Years (1868-2018) journey of the Tata group in two format FREE. The illustrated classic is produced by Amar Chitra Katha, and available in a PDF and a Kindle format:

Download PDF

Download Kindle Format [.mobi]

As an individual other Indian might be richer, but in turnover as a group of companies TATA group is miles ahead of others. 

Disclaimer: These are official links of copyrights owner. All credits go to Tata!

The Naval Journey of India (all 3 parts) and some more books by Indian Navy

Indian Navy (made by ACK) has released three-book series that takes a deep and detailed look at India's Naval History and a deep insight into the lives of Indian Navy men and women in white. 

The Naval Journey of India Book I: Millennia of Sea Travels

Any series on the Indian Navy has to start at the very beginning - exploring India's celebrated maritime history.

Download Part 1

The Naval Journey of India Book II: Tacking to the Blue Waters 

Tacking to the Blue Waters is a comprehensive history of the Indian Navy since Independence. It follows the journey of a small Navy with big dreams in 1947 to the multi-dimensional force the Indian Navy is today. It looks at all the action, the growth and the glory of the Indian Navy as they navigate through the wars the Navy fought, the roles they play and the Navy built.

Download Part 2

The Naval Journey of India Book III: Tales of Glory

Download Part 3 

(This part is not available in ACK app/site)

Can collect 9 more books by Indian Navy : HERE

Disclaimer: All information used here under fair use policy, not for personal gain including any monetary. All links shared in this post are direct links of Indian Navy (the copyrights owner). 

If still anyone has objection, can file cases against Indian Navy. At it order ACK mefia had made it, copyrights owner Indian Navy is distributing digital (and some printed) copies FREE. 

According to my understanding of copyrights LAW, anyone (including ACK media) is selling these digital illegally. 

ACK-104: Ramanuja

ACK #243 (#715)

Sri Ramanuja Acharya (1017 - 1137 AD)

"Let noble thoughts come to us from every side" - Rigveda (1,89,1)

Sri Ramanuja is known as the greatest exponent of Visistadvaita Vedanta. He appeared around 1017 A.D in a pious brahmana family. He became the formost Acarya in the Sri Sampradaya and was reputed to be the incarnation of Sri Laksmana, the younger brother of Lord Sri Rama.

ACK-103: Adi Shankara

ACK #060(#656)
Shri Adi Shankaracharya (788-820)

Shri Adi Shankaracharya or the first Shankara with his remarkable reinterpretations of Hindu scriptures, especially on Upanishads or Vedanta, had a profound influence on the growth of Hinduism at a time when chaos, superstition and bigotry was rampant. Shankara advocated the greatness of the Vedas and was the most famous Advaita philosopher who restored the Vedic Dharma and Advaita Vedanta to its pristine purity and glory.

Shri Adi Shankaracharya, known as Bhagavatpada Acharya (the guru at the feet of Lord), apart from refurbishing the scriptures, cleansed the Vedic religious practices of ritualistic excesses and ushered in the core teaching of Vedanta, which is Advaita or non-dualism for the mankind. Shankara restructured various forms of desultory religious practices into acceptable norms and stressed on the ways of worship as laid down in the Vedas.

ACK-102: Madhvacharya

ACK #153 (#579)

Madhvacharya was born around 1238 A.D. eight miles south-east of the modern town of Udupi, in the Karnataka State. He is reputed to be the incarnation of Bhima, taking birth in Kali-yuga to destroy the daityas. Others refer to him as Vayu himself and it w as his life's mission to defeat the followers of Sankaracharya.

He was born in the family of very elevated brahmanas and from his early childhood performed many amazing pastimes, such as the killing of a huge serpentine demon named Maniman, simply with the big toe of his left foot.

Madhva was only eight years old when he received spiritual initiation and at the age of twelve he accepted the sannyasa order and began to travel the length and breadth of India.

ACK-100: Jallianwala Bagh - The Beginning of the end of the British Raj

Here is 100th ACK online by HMIndia TEAM- PBC.
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ACK #358

Amritsar Massacre or Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, the shooting of unarmed Indian demonstrators by the British army on April 13, 1919, an incident that contributed to the downfall of the British Indian empire.

Prehistory

The events of the Amritsar Massacre arose from the British government’s struggle to maintain control over its Indian colony in the face of a growing movement for Indian independence after World War I (1914-1918). During the war, India contributed extensively to Britain's war effort, and Indian political leaders expected democratic concessions and greater opportunities for self-government after the war ended. However, the British government in India was worried about subversive activities that could destabilize its rule, because it had faced German-supported terrorist disturbances during the course of the war.

(from encarta.msn.com )

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"The impossible men of India shall rise and liberate their Motherland"
Mahatma Gandhi, after the Amritsar Massacre.

"The incident in Jallian Wala Bagh was 'an extraordinary event, a monstrous event, an event which stands in singular and sinister isolation"...Winston Churchill

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Jallianwalla Bagh massacre

ACK-099: Chandrapeeda and other Tales of Kashmir

An out of print ACK #320

This ACK is based on Kalhana's Rajatarangini. One more ACK based on same book is available in this blog here.

This Amar Chitra Katha is based on Kalhana's Rajatarangini. Another ACK based on same book is available here.

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Rajatarangini

historical chronicle of India (Sanskrit: “River of Kings”)

Main

historical chronicle of early India, written in Sanskrit verse by the Kashmiri Brahman Kalhana in 1148, that is justifiably considered to be the best and most authentic work of its kind. It covers the entire span of history in the Kashmir region from the earliest times to the date of its composition.

Kalhana was excellently equipped for the work. Uninvolved personally in the maelstrom of contemporary politics, he nevertheless was profoundly affected by it and stated the following to be his ideal:

That noble-minded poet alone merits praise whose word, like the sentence of a judge, keeps free from love or hatred in recording the past.

His access to minute details of contemporary court intrigues was almost direct: his father and uncle were both in the Kashmir court. Regarding the events of the past, Kalhana’s search for material was truly fastidious. He delved deep into such model works as the Harsacarita and the Brihat-samhita epics and used with commendable familiarity the local rajakathas (royal chronicles) and such previous works on Kashmir as Nripavali by Kshemendra, Parthivavali by Helaraja, and Nilamatapurana. He displayed surprisingly advanced technical expertise for the time in his concern for unconventional sources. He looked up a variety of epigraphic sources relating to royal eulogies, construction of temples, and land grants; he studied coins, monumental remains, family records, and local traditions. But his traditional conceptual framework, using uncritical assumptions and a belief in the role of the poet as an exponent of moral maxims, makes the idealizing content in his narrative, particularly for the early period, rather dominant.

Rajatarangini, which consists of 7,826 verses, is divided into eight books. Book I attempts to weave imaginary tales of Kashmir kings into epic legends. Gonanda was the first king and a contemporary and enemy of the Hindu deity Krishna. Traces of genuine history are also found, however, in references to the Mauryan emperors Ashoka and Jalauka; the Buddhist Kushan kings Hushka (Huviska), Jushka (Vajheska), and Kanishka (Kaniska); and Mihirakula, a Huna king. Book II introduces a new line of kings not mentioned in any other authentic source, starting with Pratapaditya I and ending with Aryaraja. Book III starts with an account of the reign of Meghavahana of the restored line of Gonanda and refers to the brief reign of Matrigupta, a supposed contemporary of Vikramaditya Harsha of Malwa. There too, legend is mixed with reality, and Toramana Huna is incorporated into the line of Meghavahana. The book closes with the establishment of the Karkota Naga dynasty by Durlabhaka Pratapaditya II, and it is from Book IV on that Rajatarangini takes on the character of a dependable historical narrative. The Karkota line came to a close with the usurpation of the throne by Avantivarman, who started the Utpala dynasty in 855. In Books V and VI the history of the dynasty continues to 1003, when the kingdom of Kashmir passed on to a new dynasty, the Lohara. Book VII brings the narrative to the death of King Harsha (1101), and Book VIII deals with the stormy events between the death of Harsha and the stabilization of authority under Kalhana’s contemporary Jayasimha (reigned 1128–49).

In style the Rajatarangini narrative is sometimes considered as versified prose on a massive scale, yet its strong structural appeal made it a model for later historians. In fact, the history of Kashmir was continued, along Kalhana’s line, down to some years after the annexation of Kashmir by the Mughal emperor Akbar (1586) in the following works: Rajatarangini (by Jonaraja), Jainatarangini (by Shrivara), and Rajavalipataka (by Prajyabhatta and Shuka). Neither in style nor in authenticity do these works approximate the quality of Kalhana’s Rajatarangini.

(~ From www.britannica.com)

Many many thanks to “Apoorva Chandar” for providing ACK scan.

ACK-098: Babur

An out of print ACK #134

Babur Biography

Babur, alternately spelt Babar and Baber (c.1483 - 1530) was a famous conqueror of India and founder of the Mogul dynasty.

His name was Zahir ud-din-Mahomet, and he was given the surname of Babur, meaning "the tiger". Born on February 14, 1483, he was a descendant of both Timur, the legendary Turk warrior, and Genghis Khan, the legendary Mongolian warrior. He was also the grandson of Ulugh Beg, the grandson of Timur. His father, Omar Sheik, was king of Ferghana, a district of what is now Russian Turkestan. Omar died in 1495, and Babur, though only twelve years of age, succeeded to the throne. An attempt made by his uncles to dislodge him proved unsuccessful, and no sooner was the young sovereign firmly settled than he began to meditate an extension of his own dominions.

In 1497 he attacked and gained possession of Samarkand, to which he always seems to have thought he had a natural and hereditary right. A rebellion among his nobles robbed him of his native kingdom, and while marching to recover it his troops deserted him, and he lost Samarkand. After some reverses he regained both these places, but in 1501 his most formidable enemy, Shaibani (Sheibani) Khan, ruler of the Uzbegs, defeated him in a great engagement and drove him from Samarkand. For three years he wandered about trying in vain to recover his lost possessions; at last, in 1504, he gathered some troops, and crossing the snowy Hindu Kush besieged and captured the strong city of Kabul. By this dexterous stroke he gained a new and wealthy kingdom, and completely re-established his fortunes.

In the following year he united with Hussain Mirz of Herat against Shaibani. The death of Hussain put a stop to this expedition, but Babur spent a year at Herat, enjoying the pleasures of that capital. He returned to Kabul in time to quell a formidable rebellion, but two years later a revolt among some of the leading Moguls drove him from his city. He was compelled to take to flight with very few companions, but through courage and daring struck the army of his opponents with such dismay that they again returned to their allegiance and Baber regained his kingdom. Once again, in 1510, after the death of Shaibani, he endeavoured to obtain possession of his native country. He received considerable aid from Shah Ismael of Persia, and in 1511 made a triumphal entry into Samarkand. But in 1514 he was utterly defeated by the Uzbegs (Uzbeks) and with difficulty reached Kabul.

He seemed now to have resigned all hopes of recovering Ferghana, and although at the same time he dreaded an invasion of the Uzbegs from the west, his attention was more and more drawn towards India. Several preliminary incursions had been already made, when in 1521 an opportunity presented itself for a more extended expedition. Ibrahim Lodi, sultan of the Delhi Sultanate, was detested, even by his Afghan nobles, several of whom called upon Baber for assistance. He at once assembled his forces, 12,000 strong, with some pieces of artillery and marched into India. Ibrahim, with 100,000 soldiers and numerous elephants, advanced against him. The great battle was fought at Panipat on the April 21, 1526, when Ibrahim was slain and his army routed. Babur at once took possession of Agra.

A still more formidable enemy awaited him; the Rana Sanga of Mewar collected the enormous force of 210,000 men, with which he moved against the invaders. On all sides there was danger and revolt, even Babur's own soldiers, worn out with the heat of this new climate, longed for Kabul. He restored their courage, though he was inwardly losing confidence, and in his distress he renounced the use of wine, to which he had been addicted. At Kanwaha, on the 10 March 1527, he won a great victory and made himself absolute master of northern India. The remaining years of his life he spent in arranging the affairs and revenues of his new empire and in improving his capital, Agra. He died on the December 26, 1530 in his forty-eighth year.

Babur wrote his memoirs, the Baburnama, in Chaghatay Turkish.

(~From www.biographybase.com)

Read more at: dictionary.sensagent.com; Wikipedia, islamicart.com, www.storyofpakistan.com, www.geocities.com, www.edwebproject.org, www.indiasite.com

Many many thanks to “Apoorva Chandar” for providing ACK scan.

ACK-095: Harsha - The Great Ruler of Thaneshwar

ACK #033 (627)

Harsha or Harshavardhana (हर्षवर्धन) or "Harsha vardhan" (590–657) was an Indian Rajput emperor who ruled Northern India for fifty seven years. He was the son of Prabhakar Vardhan and younger brother of Rajyavardhan, a king of Thanesar. He was born into a royal family of the Bais Rajput, a royal Rajput clan. At the height of his power his kingdom spanned the Punjab, Bengal, Orissa and the entire Indo-Gangetic plain North of the Narmada River. After the downfall of the Gupta Empire in the middle of the sixth century C.E., North India reverted back to small republics and small monarchical states. Harsha united the small republics from Punjab to Central India, and they, at an assembly, crowned Harsha king in April 606 AD when he was merely 16 years old.

Harshavardhana's Ancestors

The origin of Harsha's ancestors is obscure and little is known about them. According to Banabhatta, Harshaćárita they were descended from a certain Pushpabhuti who founded and ruled the kingdom of Sthanvisvara or modern Thanesar, an ancient Hindu pilgrimage centre and one of the 51 Shaktipeeth's, now a small town in the vicinity of the newly created Kurukshetra in the state of Haryana north of Delhi. The name Pushpabhuti is the key to Harsha's origins and the relevant reference point is an inscription dated 181 AD and found at Gunda in the state of Gujarat. That inscription mentions a general of Rudrasimha I or Rudrasingh by the name Rudrabhuti. Rudradaman I, an ancestor of Rudrasimha I had conquered the Yaudheya, who were the original masters of Haryana.

The famous Chinese Buddhist pilgrim monk, Xuanzang, states that Harsha was a 吙舍 feishe or of the Vaishya caste^[4] but makes no comment about his family's origins.

According to Alexander Cunningham, in 1871 Xuanzang must have mistaken the Vaisa for Bais Rajput. Thomas Watters has pointed out this is most unlikely as Xuanzang, "had ample opportunities for learning the antecedents of the royal family, and he must have had some ground for his assertion." However, Banabhatta clarifies that the Bais Rajput descent must have been correct considering the Harshacarita the author Bâna never stated his background to be strangely non Kshatriya. Harsha's Royal descent being known (rulers of Sthanvisvara, modern Thanesar) and his sister being married into prominent Kshatriya families of Maukharis. (a highly contentious occurrence, had Harsha's family not been of royal or Kshatriya descent).

Moreover, upon his formal coronation ceremony, Harsha took the title Rajputra.

Pre Harsha Vardhan rule

After the downfall of the Gupta Empire in the middle of the sixth century CE, North India was split into several independent kingdoms. The Huns had established their supremacy over the Punjab and parts of central India. The northern and western regions of India passed into the hands of a dozen or more feudatory states.

Prabhakar Vardhan, the ruler of Sthanvisvara, who belonged to the Pushyabhuti family, extended his control over neighbouring states. Prabhakar Vardhan was the first king of the Vardhana dynasty with his capital at Thaneswar.

After Prabhakar Vardhan’s death in 606 CE, his eldest son, Rajya Vardhan, ascended the throne. Harsha Vardhana was Rajya Vardhan’s younger brother.

This period of kings from the same line has been referred to as the Vardhan dynasty for distinction purposes in some publications though the dynasty was not necessarily known as the Vardhan dynasty in its era.

Harsha's Ascension

Rajya Vardhan’s and Harsha’s sister Rajyasri had been married to the Maukhari king, Grahavarman. This king, some years later, had been defeated and killed by king Deva Gupta of Malwa and after his death Rajyasri had been cast into prison by the victor. Harsha's brother, Rajya Vardhan, then the king at Thanesar, could not stand this affront on his family, marched against Deva Gupta and defeated him. But it so happened at this moment that Sasanka, king of Gauda in Eastern Bengal, entered Magadha as a friend of Rajya Vardhana, but in secret alliance with the Malwa king. Accordingly, Sasanka treacherously murdered Rajya Vardhan.

On hearing about the murder of his brother, Harsha resolved at once to march against the treacherous king of Gauda and killed Deva Gupta in a battle. Harsha ascended the throne at the age of 16.

Harsha's Wars

Though quite a young man when he came to power, Harsha proved himself a great conqueror and an able administrator. After his accession, Harsha united the two kingdoms of Thanesar and Kanauj and transferred his capital from Thanesar to Kanauj. Harsha defeated Shashanka, the ruler of Bengal. He also brought Bengal, Bihar and Orissa under his control. He conquered Dhruvasena of Gujarat and gave his own daughter in marriage to him. He also conquered Ganjam, a part of the modern Orissa State.

Harsha's ambition of extending his power to the Deccan and Southern India were stopped by Pulakeshi II, the Chalukya king of Vatapi in Northern Karnataka. Pulakeshi defeated Harsha's army on the banks of the river Narmada in 620 AD. A truce was agreed upon and the river Narmada was marked as the southern boundary of Harsha's kingdom.

Patron of Buddhism and Literature

Harsha's father, Prabhākara was, apparently a sun-worshipper and of Bargujar clan, his brother followed Hinayana Buddhism while, according to Bana, Harsha himself was a Mahayana Buddhist. Harsha was a tolerant ruler and supported all faiths - Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. Early in his life, he seems to have been a follower of Sun Worship, becoming a patron of Shaivism and Buddhism later on.

His sister Rajyashri's conversion to Buddhism presumably had a positive effect on his support to the religion. His approach to religion is evident in his celebrated play Nagananda. The play's theme is based on the Jataka tale of the Bodhisattva Jimutavahana, but Harasha introduces the Goddess Gauri, Shiva's consort, as the saviour of Jimutavahana, a feature not found in the Jataka.

According to the Chinese Pilgrim Xuanzang, who visited his kingdom in 636 CE, Harsha built numerous stupas in the name of Buddha. Xuanzang entered a grand competition organized by Harsha and won the theological debate. Harsha also became a patron of art and literature. He made numerous endowments to the University at Nalanda. Two seals of Harsha have been found in Nalanda in the course of the excavations. All these favours and donations of the great emperor were crowned by the construction of a lofty wall enclosing all the buildings of the university to defend the institution from any other possible attack. In 643 he held a Buddhist convocation at Kanauj which was reputedly attended by 20 kings and thousands of pilgrims.

In 641, following Xuanzang's visit, Harsha sent a mission to China which established the first diplomatic relations between China and India. The Chinese responded by sending an embassy consisting of Li Yibiao and Wang Xuanze, who probably traveled through Tibet and whose journey is commemorated in inscriptions at Rajagriha - modern Rajgir, and Bodhgaya.

Harsha was a noted author on his own merit. He wrote three Sanskrit plays – Nagananda, Ratnavali and Priyadarsika. His reign is comparatively well documented, thanks to his court poet Bana and Xuanzang. Bana composed an account of Harsha's rise to power in Harsha Charitha, the first historical poetic work in Sanskrit language. Xuanzang wrote a full description of his travels in India.

After Harsha

Harsha died in the year 647 AD. He ruled for 57 years. After Harsha's death, apparently without any heirs, his empire died with him. The kingdom disintegrated rapidly into small states. The succeeding period is very obscure and badly documented, but it marks the culmination of a process that had begun with the invasion of the Huns in the last years of the Gupta Empire.

Neither Bana's nor Huan Tsang's account gives any details of this period. A few tantalising glimpses are offered in some ancient Chinese and Tibetan Books. The one in the Tibetan book The White Annals tells that Harsha had sent an envoy to the Chinese Emperor, who in turn sent a Chinese one(named in the Chinese sources as Wang Xuance) with a convoy of thirty horsemen. When they reached India they found that Harsha was dead and his minister Arjuna had usurped the throne. Arjuna is said to have been persecuting the Buddhists and attacked the envoy who had to flee to Tibet. The Tibetan king decided to avenge the insult to the Chinese emperor and sent the envoy back with an army that finally managed to defeat and take Arjuna and his family as prisoners, and sent them back as prisoners to the Chinese emperor. Historians have not yet managed to unravel what the facts were from these meagre accounts.

~ From Wikipedia

Another Harsha related article is available in blog: Here

Many many thanks to “Apoorva Chandar” for providing ACK scan.

ACK-094: The Legend of Maarthaanda Varma

Out of print ACK #346

Marthanda Varma (1729-1758) unified the erstwhile state of Travancore strong enough to stem the Dutch advance in India. The resourceful Ramayyan Dalawa (prime minister) and able commander Delannoy helped him modernize his army, fortify strategic points of his kingdom and initiate reforms to help his land prosper while checking dissent. The reign of Marthanda Varma is marked as the golden age of Travancore dynasty.

Marthanda Varma had to overcome formidable challenges in the form of opposition from ‘Ettuveettil Pillamar’ (eight mighty chieftains) who supported the rival claimants to the throne, Pappu and Raman Thampis, the sons of King Ravi Varma. Once he ascended the throne, he strengthened his forces and annexed the petty states near his kingdom and gradually advanced through offensives and tact to become one of the three major kingdoms in Kerala state, which scenario prevailed till the formation of independent India.

One of the highlights of his military campaigns was the victory over the Dutch forces at Colachel in Tamil Nadu in 1741. Despite lacking the modern weapons of the Dutch, Marthanda Varma’s strategies so impressed the Dutch commander Eustchices Delannoy that he joined Marthanda Varma and attained renown as ‘Valia Kappithan’ (Chief Captain). This defeat, the first of a western power by any Asian state, sealed the fate of Dutch ambitions in India.

After expanding his kingdom, Marthanda Varma surrendered his kingdom—‘Thrippadidanam’ (surrender at the holy feet)—to Lord Padmanabha (Lord Vishnu) at Thiruvananthapuram whose temple he renovated. He continued to rule as the envoy of the Lord and earned the title of ‘Sri Padmanabha Dasa’ (servant of Lord Padmanabha), passed on to his successors.

(~ From India9.com)

Read more details: Wikipedia

Many many thanks to “Apoorva Chandar” for providing ACK scan.

ACK- 093: Vivekanand

ACK # 146 (517)

"Let us proclaim to every soul..- Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached. Arise, Awake from hypnotism of this weakness.
None is really weak; the soul is infintes, omnipotent and omniscient. Stand up, assert yourself, proclain the GOD within you, do not deny him!
Too much of inactivity, too much of weakness, too much of hypnotism, has been & is upon our race. O ye morden Hindus, de-hypnotise yourselves.
The way to do that is found in your own sacred books. Teach yourself, teach everyone his real nature, call upon the sleeping sould and see how it awakes.Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity will come, everything that is excellent will come when this sleeping soul is roused to self-consicous activity.
Ay, If there is anything in the Gita that I like , it is these verses, coming out strong as the very gist, the very essence, of Krishana's teaching "He who sees the supreme Lord dwelling alike in all beings, the Imperishable in the things that perish, he sees indeed. For seeing the Lord as the same, everywhere present, he does not destory the self by the self, and thus he goes to the highest goal."

-Swami Vivekananda (from www.vkendra.org)

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Vivekanand

Narendra was born to Bhuvaneshwari Devi and Vishwanath Datta. This was the January of year 1863, in Calcutta. He was a very sharp child and a natural leader. One of his plays as a child was to meditate! He would do that with such concentration that, not even a snake crawling around could disturb him. He would give anything he had if asked for. Beggars would line up by his window for alms. Narendra excelled in sports and studies. He knew not what fear was.

Narendra started studying in college after he passed the matriculation exam. He read books on philosophy, religion, history, creation, science and western philosophy. He asked more and more questions about Religion and God. No body was able to satisfy him.

In early 1882, Narendra went his friends to Dakhsineshwar, to meet Sri Ramkrishna Paramahans. The Paramahans was the priest at the Kali temple. More than Narendra, the Pramahans was glad to meet Narendra! The Guru tested Narendra time and again, and the disciple tested his master. By the time Narendra completed his BA, he had also become the best disciple of Shri Pramhans.

Narendra's father died as soon as Narendra completed his BA. Narendra's family was overcome by grief and soon by poverty. Narendra started in search for job. So bad was the state of this family, that they went without meals for days. On many incedents Narendra, without food, fainted on the streets. But even in such condition, his faith in God did not decrease. Later, He took up teaching in Vidyasagar School and also started studying law.

In 1886, Sri Ramkrishna left this world. Narendra became a monk and was named "Vivekanand". Vivekanand then started travelling to spread the knowledge and teachings of his Guru. He travelled to Vrindavan, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Jaipur, Ajmer, Hyderabad, Madras, Mysore and Kanyakumari.

In Mysore it was suggested that he attend the Conference of World Religions and represent Hiduism. Vivekanand reached Chicago in July of 1893. The Conference was still 2 months away. With resources not enough to last for 2 months, Vivekanand moved to Boston, a cheaper city. Vivekanand's stay in the America was very hard. He was out of money, with no friends, hungry and without shelter.

His famous lecture at the conference that started with "Brothers and Sisters of America" received a three minute applause! Newspapers carried his photographs and speech. People flocked to hear him speak. He spoke about the culture of India and Hindu philosophy. He cleared the impression of India that had been created by the Christian missionaries. On his way back to India, he went to England. There too the people had nothing but praise for him. He found many followers in England and America.

While on this tour abroad, Vivekanand, could not help but remember the poverty of India. He would be much troubled by it and spend sleepless nights sheding tears.

Swami Vivekanand returned to India after four years. He recieved a kings welcome in Madras. He eastablished the Ramkrishna Mission in 1897. The goals of this mission included eradicating castisim, poverty. He visited the norther parts of India and established the work of Ramkrishna mission there. He then again travelled to America, and then to Paris to attend the next Religious Conference there.

At the age of 39, he attained samadhi.

(~ from www.geocities.com)

Read more about Vivekananda at: Wikipedia, vivekananda.org, freeindia.org, ramakrishnavivekananda.info, vivekananda.net, belurmath.org, btinternet.com.

It's contributed by Shailendra Rao. Apoorva send the cover & Ajnaabi cleaned with PhotoShop. Thanks friends, you are really a team.

ACK-084:Raj Singh

An out of print ACK #099

This Amar Chitra Katha is an adaptation of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyaya's famous Bengali novel RAJ SINGH (link to a Hindi site).

According to the publisher, they tried their best to be authentic in this ACK & the incidents involving the princess of Roop Nagar are found in Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan –Volume I.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
Biography

June 27, 1838
Died: April 8, 1894
Achievements: Author of Vande Mataram, the national song of India

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee also known as Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was one of the greatest novelists and poets of India. He is famous as author of Vande Mataram, the national song of India.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was born on June 27, 1838 in the village Kantalpara of the 24 Paraganas District of Bengal. He belonged to a family of Brahmins. The word 'Bankim Chandra' in Bengali means 'the moon on the second day of the bright fortnight'. Bankim Chandra's father Yadav Chandra Chattopadhyaya was in government service. After his birth he was posted to Midnapur as Deputy Collector.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee had his early education in Midnapur. He was a brilliant student. After his early education in Midnapur Bankim Chandra Chatterji joined the Mohsin College at Hoogly and studied there for six years. Apart from his textbooks, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, used to read other books in his leisure time. He was very much interested in the study of Sanskrit. His study of Sanskrit stood him in good stead. Later, when he wrote books in Bengali his knowledge of Sanskrit helped him immensely.

In 1856, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee joined the Presidency College in Calcutta. In 1857, there was a strong revolt against the rule of East India Company but Bankim Chandra Chatterjee continued his studies and passed his B.A. Examination in 1859. The Lieutenant Governor of Calcutta appointed Bankim Chandra Chatterjee as Deputy Collector in the same year. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was in Government service for thirty-two years and retired in 1891. He was a very conscientious worker.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was married when he was only eleven . At that time his wife was only five years old. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was only twenty two when his wife died. After some time he married again. His second wife was Rajlakshmi Devi. They had three daughters but no son.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee began his literary career as a writer of verse. He then turned to fiction. Durgeshnandini, his first Bengali romance, was published in 1865. His famous novels include Kapalkundala (1866), Mrinalini (1869), Vishbriksha (1873), Chandrasekhar (1877), Rajani (1877), Rajsimha (1881), and Devi Chaudhurani (1884). Bankim Chandra Chatterjee most famous novel was Anand Math (1882). Anand Math contained the song "Bande Mataram", which was later adopted as National Song.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee wanted to bring about a cultural revival of Bengal by stimulating the intellect of the Bengali speaking people through literary campaign. With this end in view he brought out monthly magazine called Bangadarshan in 1872.

Bankim Chatterjee was superb story-teller, and a master of romance. No Bengali writer before or since has enjoyed such spontaneous and universal popularity as Chatterjee. His novels have been translated in almost all the major languages of India. He passed away on April 8, 1894.

(~ From www.iloveindia.com)

Read more about Bankim Chatterjee at Wikipedia

Many many thanks to “Ajay Misra” for providing ACK scan.

ACK-074: Jagadis Chandra Bose

ACK #325 (#699)

Sir Jagadis Chandra Bose: Indian physicist, plant physiologist & Science fiction writer

Jagadis Chandra Bose was a physicist at Presidency College in Calcutta, India, who pioneered the investigation of microwave optics in the later 1800's. He invented radio communication before Marconi (check links: 1, 2, 3). Many of his instruments are still on display and remain largely usable now, over 100 years later. They include various antennas, polarizers, and waveguides, all of which remain in use in modern forms today.

He was also known as an excellent teacher who believed in the use of classroom demonstrations, a trait apparently picked up while studying with Lord Rayleigh at Cambridge. He influenced many later Indian physicists, including Satyendra Bose (no relation) who later went on to be an influential figure in 20th century physics.

Later he turned his attention to plant physiology, where he gained a new sort of fame with continued claims that plants had nervous responses (of a sort) similar to those of animals. This led him to explore the effects of drugs on plants, and later, non-organic materials such as metals, which he claimed showed similar effects. Much of this was demonstrated through the use of a device he invented called the crescograph, which magnified mechanical movements many times and allowed for the direct study of plant growth.

(~ From Knowledgerush.com)

Life Summary

1858 - Born on the 30th of November, in Mymensingh (now in Bangladesh), Bengal. Indian plant physiologist and physicist whose invention of highly sensitive instruments for the detection of minute responses by living organisms to external stimuli enabled him to anticipate the parallelism between animal and plant tissues noted by later biophysicists.

1880 - He was later sent to a hostel in an English school in Calcutta. After his graduation from Sr. Xavier’s College in Calcutta, Bose left for England for further studies.

1884 - Bose took his B.A. degree in the natural sciences with Physics, Chemistry, and Botany, from Cambridge, and simultaneously a B.Sc. degree from the University of London.

1885 - Bose became the officiating Professor of Physics at the prestigious Presidency College in Calcutta.

1895 - Bose designed a wireless telegraphy system with very sensitive receivers.

1896 - Bose wrote Niruddesher Kahini, the first major work in Bangla science fiction. Later, he added the story in the Obbakto book as Polatok Tufan. He was the first science fiction writer in the Bengali language.

1902-1906 - Sir Jagadis Chandra Bose had two of his pioneering books published. The first, Response in the Living and Non-Living was published and Plant Responses. He was the first Indian to get a US Patent (No: 755840) for "detector for electrical disturbances" in 1904.

1917 - He set up the Bose Temple of Learning in Calcutta which trains international scientists even today.

1920 - He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society.

1937 - Died on November 23rd on Giridih, Bengal Presidency, British India.

1997 - According to the June edition of the journal published by the U.S.-based Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers (IEEE), one of the most powerful radio telescopes in the world, installed at the National Astronomy Observatory in Tucson, Arizona, U.S., was built on a device originally developed by Bose.

Read about more at Banglapedia, Wikipedia, Answers.com, Findarticles.com, Light-science.com, novelguide.com

Many many thanks to “Apoorva Chandar” for providing ACK scan.

ACK-057,058 & 059: Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das; The March to Freedom (2: A Nation Awakes & 3: The Saga of Indian Revolutionaries)

28 States & 7 Union Territories,
18 major languages,
More than 6 religions,
More than 6 ethnic groups,
29 major festivals &
1 country!

Be proud to be an Indian!
Great REPUBLIC...
Happy Republic Day!

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On the eve of 60th Republic day (26 January) of India, like to recall some informations & facts about India:

Few countries in the world have such an ancient and diverse culture as India's, stretching back in an unbroken sweep over 5000 years.

India is the largest democracy, the second-most populous country, and the seventh-largest country by geographical area in the world.

Capital: New Delhi

Population : Over 1 billion (2001 Census)

Area : 32,87,263 square kilometers

Geographical Location : Lies between latitudes 8 ° 4' and 37 ° 6 ' north and longitudes 68 ° 7 ' and 97 ° 25' east

Coastal Length : 7,600 kilometers

Languages : 18 major languages, 1,652 dialects

Religions : India is a secular country and has no state religion. Religions represented in India include Hinduism (80.456%), Islam (13.434%), Christianity (2.341%), Sikhism ( 1.868%), Buddhism ( 0.773%), Jainism (0.411%) and religion not stated (0.07%).

National Anthem : Jan gana mana written by Rabindranath Tagore

Natioanl Emblem : Replica of the Lion Capital of Sarnath

National Flag : Horizontal tricolor in equal proportion of deep saffron on the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom. In the center of the white band is a wheel in navy blue color.

National Animal : Tiger, Panthera tigris

National Bird : Peacock

National Flower : Lotus

National Tree : Banyan

National Fruit : Mango

National Currency : Rupees (One Rupees=100 paise)

Political Structure : Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic

Indian Union : 28 States and seven centrally administered Union Territories

Legislature : Parliament, consists of President and the two Houses, known as Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and Lok Sabha (House of the People )

Executive : Consists of President, Vice-President and Council of Ministers led by the Prime Minister

Judiciary : Independent of executive

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Physical Features

Location
Lying entirely in the northern hemisphere, the mainland extends between latitudes 8°4' and 37°6' north, longitudes 68°7' and 97°25' east, and measures about 3,214 km from north to south between the extreme latitudes and about 2,933 km from east to west between the extreme longitudes. It has a land frontier of about 15,200 km. The total length of the coastline of the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is 7,516.6 km. Andaman and Nicobar islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea are parts of India. It is bounded on the south west by the Arabian Sea and on the south east by the Bay of Bengal. On the north, north east and north west lie the Himalayan ranges. Kanyakumari constitutes the southern tip of the Indian peninsula where it gets narrower and narrower, loses itself into the Indian Ocean.

Coastline: Claims and Boundaries

Coastline: 7,516.6 km
Maritime claims (Contiguous zone): 24 NM
Territorial sea: 12 NM
Continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Neighbours
India shares its political borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan on the west and Bangladesh and Burma on the east. The northern boundary is made up of the Sinkiang province of China, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. India is seperated from Sri Lanka by a narrow channel of sea formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.

Total Land boundaries 14,103 km.

Border Shared With Countries

1. Bangladesh 4,053 km
2. Bhutan 605 km
3. Burma 1,463 km
4. China 3,380 km
5. Nepal 1,690 km
6. Pakistan 2,912 km

Physiographic regions
The mainland comprises seven regions. (1) Northern Mountains including the Himalayas and the North Eastern mountain ranges, (2) The Indo Gangetic plain, (3) The Desert, (4) Central highlands and Peninsular plateau, (5) East Coast, (6) West Coast, (7) Bordering seas and islands.

Mountain ranges
They are seven. The Himalayas, the Patkai and other ranges bordering India in the north and north east, the Vindhyas, which separate the Indo Gangetic plain from the Deccan Plateau, the Satpura, the Aravalli, the Sahyadri, which covers the eastern fringe of the West Coast plains and the Eastern Ghats, irregularly scattered on the East Coast and forming the boundary of the East Coast plains.

Seas/Oceans: Arabian Sea (West), Bay of Bengal (East), Indian Ocean (South)

Islands: Lakshadweep Islands in Arabian Sea, Andaman and Nicobar Islands in Bay of Bengal

Terrain
Upland Plain (Deccan Plateau) in South,
Flat to Rolling Plain along the Ganges,
Deserts in West,
Himalayas in North.

Elevation extremes

Lowest point Indian Ocean: 0 m
Highest point Kanchenjunga: 8,598 m

Natural resources
Coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), Iron Ore, Manganese, Mica, Bauxite, Titanium Ore, Chromite, Natural Gas, Diamonds, Petroleum, Limestone, Arable Land

Industries:
Textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery.

Agriculture:
principal crops- rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugar cane, potatoes;
livestock–cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, poultry;
fish catch of about 3 million metric tons ranks India among the world's top 10 fishing nations.

Climate: Varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north Terrain Upland Plain (Deccan Plateau) in South, Flat to Rolling Plain along the Ganges, Deserts in West, Himalayas in North.

Mainly tropical in Southern India but temperatures in the north range from sub-zero degrees to 50 degrees Celsius.

There are well defined seasons in the northern region :

Winter (Dec – Feb),

Spring (Mar – Apr),

Summer (May – Jun),

Monsoons (Jul – Sep) and

Autumn (Oct – Nov).

Time zone: GMT +5,5 hours.

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With a billion people, with a population nearly four times that of the United States, India modeled its government on the British parliamentary system, with a healthy dose of influences from the United States and the rest of Europe.

The Constitution of India is the longest written constitution of any sovereign nation in the world, containing 395 articles, 12 schedules and 94 amendments, for a total of 117,369 words in the English language version.

It was the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress at midnight of December 31, 1929 - January 1, 1930, that the Tri-Colour Flag was unfurled by the nationalists and a pledge taken that every year on January 26, the "Republic Day" would be celebrated and that the people would unceasingly strive for the establishment of a Sovereign Democratic Republic of India. The professed pledge was successfully redeemed on 26 January, 1950, when the Constitution of India framed by the Constituent Assembly of India came into force, although the Independence from the British rule was achieved on August 15, 1947.

The National Flag of India is in tricolour ( TIRANGA) of deep saffron (Kesari) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal propotions.

The Indian flag is a horizontal tricolour in equal proportion of deep saffron on the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom. The ratio of the width to the length of the flag is two is to three. In the centre of the white band, there is a wheel in navy blue to indicate the Dharma Chakra, the wheel of law (a Buddhist symbol dating back to 200th century BC) in the Sarnath Lion Capital.

Its diameter approximates the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes, which intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation. The saffron stands for courage, sacrifice and the spirit of renunciation; the white, for purity and truth; the green for faith and fertility.

The twenty four spokes in this chakra (wheel) represent twenty four virtues:

• Love
• Courage
• Patience
• Peacefulness
• Kindness
• Goodness
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness
• Self-control
• Selflessness
• Self sacrifice
• Truthfulness
• Righteousness
• Justice
• Mercy
• Graciousness
• Humility
• Empathy
• Sympathy
• Godly knowledge
• Godly wisdom
• Godly moral
• Reverential fear of God
• Hope/trust/faith in the goodness of God.

The design of the National Flag of India was adopted by India's constituent assembly on 22nd july, 1947. It's use and display are regulated by a code.

The late Prime Minister Pandit Nehru called it a flag not only of freedom for Indians, but a symbol of freedom for all people.

The National Symbol of India comes from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Emperor Ashoka. Ashoka ruled the land from 272 BCE to 232 BCE. The original sculpture shows four lions on a pillar with an elephant, horse, bull, and lion separated by a lotus on the base. A Dharma Chakra (wheel of law) is also carved into the stone.

The emblem was adopted on January 26, 1950 by the Indian Government. The official symbol now shows three of the four lions with the Dharma Chakra ( the Wheel of Dharma) in the center of the base and a bull and horse on either side. The base is also engraved with the phrase "Satyameva Jayate" in the Devanagari script of India. This simple phrase represents a powerful idea for the Indian people: "Truth alone triumphs".

The origin of the motto is a well-known mantra 3.1.6 from the Mundaka Upanishad. Full mantra as follows.

satyameva jayate naanritam
satyena pantha vitato devayanah
yenaa kramantyarishayo hyaaptakaamaa
yatra tat satyasya paramam nidhaanam

Meaning:
Truth alone triumphs; not falsehood.
Through truth the divine path is spread out by which
the sages whose desires have been completely fulfilled,
reach where that supreme treasure of Truth resides

Indian national anthem :"Jana gana mana adhinayak jayahe" was first sung by Rabindra Nath Tagor in 1911. The song is adopted as national song in 24 January 1950.There are total five stanza in this anthem and total duration is 52 seconds.

The National Bird is the Indian peacock (Pavo cristatus). Peacocks symbolize grace, pride, and beauty. They are a sign of joy for all who see them. Peacocks are often used in Indian mythology and folk stories. This bird is about the size of a swan, with a long neck and a fan-shaped array of feathers. Male peacocks are brightly colored, with blue fronts and green-bronze feathers. The female (peahen) is smaller and brown in color. The

peacock may be found throughout India, especially south and east of the Indus River. It is heavily protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. It also enjoys great sentimental protection from the nation at large.

The National Animal is the tiger, officially known as Panthera tigris. It is respected in India for its strength and grace, as well as its incredible power. The Indian tiger is also called the Royal Bengal Tiger.

Indians are conscious of the threat that hunters and others pose to this special animal. Although once popularly killed for its skin, there is now a movement to protect the tiger population. To this end, the government began "Project Tiger" in 1973. The project is also supported by the World Wildlife Federation. This project has created a network of tiger reserves throughout the country and implemented a plan to help tigers and humans coexist. India is working hard to preserve its national animal, but sadly, only 2,000 to 2,500 tigers remain.

The lotus (Nelumbo Nucifera) is the official flower of India. It represents long life, honor, and good fortune. It is also a symbol of triumph, since the lotus is rooted in the mud and can survive to regerminate for thousands of years. Even though it grows in mud, it remains pure and produces beautiful flowers. Thus, it symbolizes purity of heart and mind.

The lotus holds additional significance for Hindus, as it is a symbol of God and used often in religious practices.

The National Tree of India is the banyan. This huge tree towers over its neighbors and has the widest reaching roots of all known trees, easily covering several acres. It sends off new shoots from its roots, so that one tree is really a tangle of branches, roots, and trunks. The banyan tree regenerates and lives for an incredible length of time - thus it is thought of as the immortal tree.

Its size and leafy shelter are valued in India as a place of rest and reflection, not to mention protection from the hot sun! It is still the focal point and gathering place for local councils and meetings. India has a long history of honoring this tree; it figures prominently in many of the oldest stories of the nation.

The mango is the national fruit. It has been cultivated in India since time immemorial. There are over 100 varieties of mangos in India, in a range of colors, sizes, and shapes. Common in the tropical part of the world, mangos are savored for their sweet juice and bright colors.

People in India eat mangos ripe, or prepare them green as pickles or chutneys. They are rich in vitamin A, C, and D.

The Polity: India, a Union of States, is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic. The Constitution of India, which came into force on January 26, 1950, provides for a parliamentary system of Government and a federal structure. India comprises 28 States and 7 Union Territories. There is a bicameral parliament and three independent branches of Government: the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. The President of India is the Constitutional Head of Executive of the Union. The Constitution provides for a Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister to aid and advise the President who shall in exercise of his functions, act in accordance with such advice. The real executive power thus vests in the Council of Ministers which is collectively responsible to the lower house of Parliament (Lok Sabha). Similarly, in states, Governor is the head of the executive, but it is the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister in whom the real executive power vests. The Council of Ministers of a State is collectively responsible to the State Legislative Assembly.

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Presidents of India

#	Name	Portrait	Took office - Left office	Vice President	Note
1	Dr. Rajendra Prasad		26 January 1950 - 13 May 1962	Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan	Bharat Ratna (1962) Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first President of independent India. A lawyer turned journalist, He was also an independence activist of the Indian Independence Movement. He served as President of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the constitution India. He was unanimously elected president in 1950 and, after the first general election (1952), was chosen by an overwhelming majority of the new electoral college; in 1957 he was elected to a third term. Prasad was the only president who took oath 26 January & elected for three terms in office.
2	Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan		13 May 1962 -13 May 1967	Dr. Zakir Hussain	Bharat Ratna (1954) Dr. Radhakrishnan was a prominent philosopher, writer, a Knight of the Realm and also held the position of vice chancellor of the Andhra University and Banaras Hindu University. He was also made a Knight of the Golden Army of Angels by Pope Paul VI.
3	Dr. Zakir Hussain		13 May 1967 - 3 May 1969	Varahagiri Venkata Giri	Bharat Ratna (1963) Dr. Zakir Hussain was vice chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University and a recipient of Padma Vibhushan and Bharat Ratna. He died before his term of office was ended.
	Varahagiri Venkata Giri *		3 May 1969 - 20 July 1969		Giri was appointed as acting president following the death of Hussain. He resigned in a few months to take part in the presidential elections.
	Muhammad Hidayatullah *		20 July 1969 - 24 August 1969		Hidayatullah served as the Chief Justice of India, and was a recipient of the Order of the British Empire. He served as acting president until the election of Giri as the President of India. He was also the Vice-President of India for one complete term.
4	Varahagiri Venkata Giri		24 August 1969 - 24 August 1974	Gopal Swarup Pathak	Bharat Ratna (1975) Varahagiri Venkata Giri is the only person to have served as both an acting president and president of India. He was a recipient of the Bharat Ratna, and has functioned as Indian Minister of Labour and High Commissioner to Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
5	Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed		24 August 1974 - 11 February 1977	Basappa Danappa Jatti	Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed served as a Minister before being elected as president. He died in 1977 before his term of office ended, and was the second Indian president to have died during a term of office.
	Basappa Danappa Jatti *		11 February 1977 - 25 July 1977		Jatti was the vice president of India during Ahmed's term of office, and was sworn in as acting president upon Ahmed's death. He earlier functioned as the Chief Minister for the State of Mysore.
6	Neelam Sanjiva Reddy		25 July 1977 - 25 July 1982	Muhammad Hidayatullah	Reddy was the only Member of Parliament from the Janata Party to get elected from Andhra Pradesh.th President of India. He was unanimously elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha on 26 March 1977 and relinquished this office on 13 July 1977 to become the 6
7	Giani Zail Singh		25 July 1982 - 25 July 1987	Ramaswamy Venkataraman	In March 1972, Singh assumed the position of chief Minister of Punjab, and in 1980, he became Union Home Minister.
8	Ramaswamy Venkataraman		25 July 1987 - 25 July 1992	Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma	In 1942, Venkataraman was jailed by the British for his involvement in the India's independence movement. After his release, he was elected to independent India’s Provisional Parliament as a member of the Congress Party in 1950 and eventually joined the central government, where he first served as Minister of Finance and Industry and later as Minister of Defence.
9	Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma		25 July 1992 - 25 July 1997	Kocheril Raman Narayanan	Dr. Sharma was Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, and the Indian Minister for Communications. He has also served as the governor of Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Maharashtra.
10	Kocheril Raman Narayanan		25 July 1997 - 25 July 2002	Krishan Kant	Narayanan served as India's ambassador to Thailand, Turkey, China and United States of America. He received doctorates in Science and Law and was also a chancellor in several universities. He was also the vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University.
11	Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam		25 July 2002 - 25 July 2007	Bhairon Singh Shekhawat	Bharat Ratna (1997) Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam is a scientist who played a leading role in the development of India's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.
12	Pratibha Patil		25 July 2007 ~ till today	Mohammad Hamid Ansari	Patil is the first woman to become the President of India. She was also the first female Governor of Rajasthan.

• The symbol (*) with a light brown background indicates an acting president (therefore not numbered.).

(~ Based on information from Wikipedia & Government of India sources.)

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Top present functionaries of Government of India are:

President: Mrs. Pratibha Patil
Vice-President: Mr. Mohammad Hamid Ansari
Prime Minister: Dr. Manmohan Singh
Speaker (Lower House): Mr. Somnath Chatterjee
Chief Justice of India: Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan

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Civilian Awards in India

1. Bharat Ratna
Bharat Ratna (translates to Jewel of India or Gem of India in English) is India’s highest civilian award, awarded for the highest degrees of national service. This service includes artistic, literary, and scientific achievements, as well as “recognition of public service of the highest order.” The award was established by the first President of India, Rajendra Prasad, on January 2, 1954. The honour has been awarded to forty persons, a list which includes two non-Indians and a naturalized Indian citizen. Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh are the states with the most number of awardees (8 each). The actual award is designed in the shape of a peepul leaf and carries the Hindi-written words “Bharat Ratna” on the front. The reverse side of the medal carries the state emblem and motto. The original statutes of January 1954 did not make allowance for posthumous awards (and this perhaps explains why the decoration was never awarded to Mahatma Gandhi), though this provision was added in the January 1955 statute. Subsequently, there have been ten posthumous awards, including the award to Subhash Chandra Bose in 1992, which was later withdrawn due to a legal technicality, the only case of an award being withdrawn. While there was no formal provision that recipients of the Bharat Ratna should be Indian citizens, this seems to have been the general assumption. There has been one award to a naturalized Indian citizen — Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, better known as Mother Teresa (1980); and two to non-Indians — Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987) and Nelson Mandela (1990). No one has been conferred with Bharat Ratna since 2001.

2.Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan is India’s second highest civilian honour. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on January 2, 1954. It is awarded to recognize exceptional and distinguished service to the nation in any field, including government service. As of Feb 2008, 235 people have received the award.
3.Padma Bhushan
This is awarded to recognize distinguished service of a high order to the nation, in any field. It stands third in the hierarchy of civilian awards. As of 2008 Feb, 1003 people have received the award.

4. Padma Shri
This award is given by the Government of India generally to Indian citizens to recognize their distinguished contribution in various spheres of activity including the Arts, Education, Industry, Literature, Science, Sports, Social Service and public life. (Padma = Lotus, in Sanskrit). As of 2008 Feb, 2095 people have received the award.

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Indian Armed Forces

India maintains the world's third largest armed forces (after China & USA). The President of India serves as the de jure commander-in-chief of the armed forces while the de facto executive power is held by the Union Government headed by the Prime Minister of India.

Components

• Indian Army (second largest army in terms of military personnel after China)
• Indian Air Force (fourth largest air force in the world)
• Indian Navy (world's fifth largest navy)
• Indian Coast Guard
• Paramilitary Forces of India (PMF)
• Strategic Nuclear Command
• Integrated Space Cell

Gallantry awards

The highest wartime gallantry award given by the Military of India is the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), followed by the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) and the Vir Chakra (VrC). Its peacetime equivalent is the Ashoka Chakra.

The highest decoration for meritorious service is the Param Vishisht Seva Medal.

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States & Union Territories (administered directly by the central Government) of India:

Andaman & Nicobar (UT)	Haryana	Mizoram
Andhra Pradesh	Himachal Pradesh	Nagaland
Arunachal Pradesh	Jammu and Kashmir	Orissa
Assam	Jharkhand	Puducherry (UT)
Bihar	Karnataka	Punjab
Chandigarh (UT)	Kerala	Rajasthan
Chhattisgarh	Lakshadweep (UT)	Sikkim
Dadra and Nagar Haveli (UT)	Madhya Pradesh	Tamil Nadu
Daman and Diu (UT)	Maharashtra	Tripura
Delhi (UT)	Manipur	Uttar Pradesh
Goa	Meghalaya	Uttarakhand
Gujarat		West Bengal

(~ from GOI Directory)

Some more facts about States & Union Territories of India:

• Rajasthan is the biggest state.
• Uttar Pradesh is the highest populated state.
• West Bengal is the most dense state.
• The highest per capita income in Maharashtra.
• The fastest growth per capita income in Gujarat
• Chandigarh is both the capital of Haryana and Punjab, and a separate Union Territory of itself.

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There are many diverse ethnic groups among the people of India. The 6 main ethnic groups are as follows.

1. Negrito

2. Proto - Australoids or Austrics

3. Mongoloids

4. Mediterranean or Dravidian

5. Western Brachycephals

6. Nordic Aryans

Also read more about Ethnic groups in South Asia: Wikipedia

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Population

The population in India as at 0:00 hours on 1st March 2001 stood at 102,70 ,15, 247 persons. With this, India became only the second country in the world after China to cross the one billion mark. ( India is the 2nd most populated country in the world). Although India occupies only 2.4% of the world's land area, it supports over 15% of the world's population.

Population growth rate: 1.95 per cent (1991 – 2001)

Population density: 324 persons per square kilometre

India's estimated population in July 2007: 1,129,866,154 .

India's population rose by 21.34 % between 1991 - 2001. The sex ratio (i.e., number of females per thousand males) of population was 933, rising from 927 as at the 1991 Census. Total literacy rate in India was returned as 65.38%.

Life expectancy: 60.4 years (male: 61.8 years, female: 59 years)

Literacy rate: 65.38 %

(Kerala has the highest literacy rate of 90.92 %. As per 2001 census all state and Union Territories have achieved a male literacy rate of 60 % and most of the states have attained a female literacy rate of over 50 %).

(Source: Provisional Population Totals : India . Census of India 2001, Paper 1 of 2001)

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Languages spoken: The official language of the Republic of India is Hindi, and its subsidiary official language is English. The individual states can legislate their own official languages, depending on their linguistic demographics.

India is a multilingual society with 18 principal languages recognised by the constitution. Hindi is the language of a large percentage of people (40 percent), while English is the preferred business language.

Languages recognised by the Indian constitution:

1. Assamese.
2. Bengali.
3. Gujarati.
4. Hindi.
5. Kannada.
6. Kashmiri.
7. Konkani.
8. Malayalam.
9. Manipuri.
10. Marathi.
11. Nepali.
12. Oriya.
13. Punjabi.
14. Sanskrit.
15. Sindhi.
16. Tamil.
17. Telugu.
18. Urdu.

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Classic Dances of India

Kathak Dance

Bharata Natyam Dance

Kathakali Dance

Kuchipudi Dance

Odissi Dance

Chau Dance

Folk Dances of India

Dances of Rajasthan

- Kalbelia Dance
- Chari Dance
- Ghoomar Dance
- Fire Dance
- Kachhi Gori

Dances of Gujarat

- Garba Dance
- Dandiya Dance

Dances of Punjab

- Bhangra
- Gidda

Dances of Manipur

- Manipuri Dance

Dances of Maharashtara

- Tamasha/Lavani Dance
- Dindi Dance

Dances of Assam

- Bihu Dance

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International airports: Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Ahmedabad, Goa, Amritsar, Guwahati.

Major ports of entry: Kandla, Mumbai, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Kochi, Tuticorin, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Paradip, Kolkata, and Haldia.

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THE INDIAN ECONOMY

India is today the second fastest growing economy of the world. The country ranked fourth in terms of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) in 2005. The business and regulatory environment is evolving and moving towards constant improvement. A highly talented, skilled and English-speaking human resource base forms its backbone. Far-reaching measures introduced by the government over the past few years to liberalise the Indian market and integrate it with the global economy are widely acknowledged. The tenth five year plan document targets a healthy growth rate of above 8% for the Indian economy during the plan period 2002 – 07. According to some experts, the share of the US in world GDP is expected to fall (from 21 per cent to 18 per cent) and that of India to rise (from 6 per cent to 11 per cent in 2025), and hence the latter will emerge as the third pole in the global economy after the US and China. By 2025, the Indian economy is projected to be about 60 per cent the size of the US economy. The transformation into a tripolar economy will be complete by 2035, and India is likely to be a larger growth driver than the six largest countries in the EU to become the third largest economy with a share of 14.3 per cent of global economy by 2015 and graduate to become the “third pole” and growth driver by 2035.

A growth rate of above 9 % was achieved by the Indian economy during the year 2006-07 and 8.6 % in 2007-08. Many factors are behind this robust performance of the Indian economy since in 2001. High growth rates in Industry & Services sector and a benign world economic environment provided a backdrop conducive to the Indian economy. Another positive feature was that the growth was accompanied by continued maintenance of relative stability of prices.

ECONOMIC PROFILE:
GDP at current prices: US$ 1005 billion (2007-08)
Composition of GDP: Services 56%, Agriculture 22% and Industry 22%
Estimate of GDP growth: 8.8 percent (2007-08)
Cumulative FDI inflow: US$ 38.9 million (upto March 2006)
Foreign exchange reserves: US$ 262.4 billion (October 2007)
Exchange rate: Rs 39.32 per US$ (November 2007)
Foodgrain production: 211.8 million tonnes (2006-2007)
Buffer foodgrain stock: 17.73 million tones (March 2007)

Principal exports: Traditional exports include cotton yarn and textiles, readymade garments, leather goods, gems and jewellery and agricultural and processed food products. However, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, automotive components, transport equipment, software, electronic goods and manufactured metals constitute the rapidly growing export segments.

Principal markets for exports: USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Japan, Russia, Belgium, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

Imports: US$ 140 billion (2007-08)

Principal imports: Capital goods, crude oil, lubricants and other petroleum products, precious and semi-precious stones, chemicals, edible oils and fertilizers.

Principal markets of imports: USA, UK, Japan, Germany, Nigeria, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Ghana, South Africa, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

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Many ACKs were published which reflects about British period of India. Some of these are already posted, many are coming soon. To understand why these people or movements were so important for Indians, read following article by Vinay Lal (ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UCLA Department of History, Los Angeles). Do you find any similarity with contemporary period? Is it history of only old India? Is it history of only India?

Think about it.

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BRITISH INDIA

The British presence in India dates back to the early part of the seventeenth century. On 31 December 1600, Elizabeth, then the monarch of the United Kingdom, acceded to the demand of a large body of merchants that a royal charter be given to a new trading company, "The Governor and Company of Merchants of London, Trading into the East-Indies." Between 1601-13, merchants of the East India Company took twelve voyages to India, and in 1609 William Hawkins arrived at the court of Jahangir to seek permission to establish a British presence in India. Hawkins was rebuffed by Jahangir, but Sir Thomas Roe, who presented himself before the Mughal Emperor in 1617, was rather more successful. Two years later, Roe gained Jahangir's permission to build a British factory in Surat, and in 1639, this was followed by the founding of Fort St. George (Madras). Despite some setbacks, such as the Company's utter humiliation at the hands of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, with whom the Company went to war between 1688-91, the Company never really looked back.

In 1757, on account of the British victory at Plassey, where a military force led by Robert Clive defeated the forces of the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-daulah, the East India Company found itself transformed from an association of traders to rulers exercising political sovereignty over a largely unknown land and people. Less than ten years later, in 1765, the Company acquired the Diwani of Bengal, or the right to collect revenues on behalf of the Mughal Emperor, in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. The consolidation of British rule after the initial military victories fell to Warren Hastings, who did much to dispense with the fiction that the Mughal Emperor was still the sovereign to whom the Company was responsible. Hastings also set about to make the British more acquainted with Indian history, culture, and social customs; but upon his return to England, he would be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors. His numerous successors, though fired by the ambition to expand British territories in India, were also faced with the task of governance. British rule was justified, in part, by the claims that the Indians required to be civilized, and that British rule would introduce in place of Oriental despotism and anarchy a reliable system of justice, the rule of law, and the notion of 'fair play'. Certain Indian social or religious practices that the British found to be abhorrent were outlawed, such as sati in 1829, and an ethic of 'improvement' was said to dictate British social policies. In the 1840s and 1850s, under the governal-generalship of Dalhousie and then Canning, more territories were absorbed into British India, either on the grounds that the native rulers were corrupt, inept, and notoriously indifferent about the welfare of their subjects, or that since the native ruler had failed to produce a biological male heir to the throne, the territory was bound to "lapse" into British India upon the death of the ruler. Such was the fate of Sambalpur (1849), Baghat (1850), Jhansi (1853), Nagpur (1854), and - most tragically - Awadh (1856). The Nawab of Awadh [also spelled as Oudh], Wajid Ali Shah, was especially reviled by the British as the worst specimen of the Oriental Despot, more interested in nautch girls, frivolous amusements - kite-flying, cock-fighting, and the like - and sheer indolence than in the difficult task of governance. The British annexation of Awadh, and the character of the Nawab, were made the subjects of an extraordinary film by Satyajit Ray, entitled The Chess Players ("Shatranj ke Khilari").

Shortly after the annexation of Awadh, the Sepoy Mutiny, more appropriately described as the Indian Rebellion of 1857-58, broke out. This was by far the greatest threat posed to the British since the beginnings of their acquisition of an empire in India in 1757, and within the space of a few weeks in May large swathes of territory in the Gangetic plains had fallen to the rebels. Atrocities were committed on both sides, and conventionally the rebellion is viewed as marking the moment when the British would always understand themselves as besieged by hostile natives, just as the Indians understood that they could not forever be held in submission. If in the early days of the Company's rule a legend was constructed around the Black Hole of Calcutta, so signifying the villainy of Indians, the Rebellion of 1857-58 gave rise to an elaborate mythography on both sides. Delhi was recaptured by British troops in late 1857, the Emperor Bahadur Shah, last of the Mughals, was put on trial for sedition and predictably convicted, and by mid-1858 the Rebellion had been entirely crushed. The East India Company was abolished, though John Stuart Mill, the Commissioner of Correspondence at India House, London, and the unacknowledged formulator of British policy with respect to the native states, furnished an elaborate but ultimately unsuccessful plea on behalf of the Company. India became a Crown colony, to be governed directly by Parliament, and henceforth responsibility for Indian affairs would fall upon a member of the British cabinet, the Secretary of State for India, while in India itself the man at the helm of affairs would continue to be the Governor-General, known otherwise in his capacity as the representative of the monarch as the Viceroy of India.

The proclamation of Queen Victoria, in which she promised that she and her officers would work for the welfare of their Indian subjects, ushered in the final phase of the British Raj. Among Indians, there were debates surrounding female education, widow remarriage, the age of consent for marriage, and more generally the status of women; and in the meanwhile, with increasing emphasis on English education, and the expansion of the government, larger numbers of Indians joined government service. There was, similarly, a considerable increase in both English-language and vernacular journalism, and in 1885 the Indian National Congress, at first an association comprised largely of lawyers and some other professionals, was founded in order that educated Indians might gain something of a voice in the governance of their own country. However, nationalist sentiments could not be confined within the parameters set by a gentlemanly organization such as the Congress, and both in Maharashtra, where the radicals were led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and in Bengal armed revolutionaries attempted to carry out a campaign of terror and assassination directed at British officials and institutions. In 1905, on the grounds that the governance of Bengal had become impossible owing to the large size of the presidency, the British partitioned Bengal, and so provoked the first major resistance to British rule and administrative policies in the aftermath of the Rebellion of 1857-58. It is during the Swadeshi movement that Indians deployed various strategies of non-violent resistance, boycott, strike and non-cooperation, and eventually the British had to agree to revoke the partition of Bengal. The partition itself had been attempted partly with a view to dividing the largely Muslim area of East Bengal from the western part of Bengal, which was predominantly Hindu, and the communalist designs of the British were clearly demonstrated as well in their encouragement of the Muslim League, a political formation that came into existence in 1907, on the supposition that the interests of the Muslims could not be served by the Indian National Congress. The capital of the country was shifted as well from Calcutta to Delhi, where a new set of official buildings designed to reflect imperial splendor led to the creation of New Delhi.

During World War I, when Britain declared that India was at war with Germany as well, large number of Indian troops served overseas, and the declaration by the Secretary of State Montagu in 1917 to the effect that it would be the intent of the Government of India to increase gradually Indian participation in the administration of the country was seen as an encouragement of Indian ambitions of eventual self-rule. But following the conclusion of the war, the British sought to introduce draconian legislation to contain the activity of people presumed to be political extremists, and the Punjab disturbances of 1919, including the notorious massacre by General Dyer of nearly 400 unarmed Indians at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in April, marked the emergence of a nation-wide movement against British rule. The events of 1919 also brought to the fore Mahatma Gandhi, who would henceforth be the uncrowned king of the Indian nationalist movement. Gandhi led the non-cooperation movement against the British in 1920-22, as well as a campaign of civil disobedience in 1930-31, and in 1942 he issued the call to the British to 'Quit India'. Negotiations for some degree of Indian independence, led by Gandhi, first took place in 1930 at the Round Table Conferences in London, but shortly thereafter the Congress decided to adopt a resolution calling for purna swaraj, or complete independence from British rule. Meanwhile, relations between the Hindus and Muslims had deteriorated, and during the latter years of World War II, when the leaders of the Congress, including Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Patel were incarcerated, the Muslim League, which declared itself in support of the British war effort, had a free hand to spread the message of Muslim separatism. When, in the aftermath of the war, and the triumph of the Labor party, the British Prime Minister Clement Atlee declared that the British would grant India its independence, negotiations were commenced with all the major political parties and communities, including the Sikhs, the Congress, and the Muslim League. In launching Direct Action Day in 1946, which led to immense communal killings in Calcutta, the Muslim League sought to convey the idea that an undivided India was no longer a possibility; and the eventual attainment of independence from British rule on 15 August 1947 was accompanied not only by the creation of the new state of Pakistan, comprised of Muslim-majority areas in both the eastern and western parts of India, but by the unprecedented horrors of partition. At least 500,000 people are estimated to have been killed, and many women were abducted or raped; and it is estimated that no fewer than 11 million Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs crossed borders, which to this day remains the single largest episode of migration in history.

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ACK # 344 (#738)

Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das (1870-1925)

Chittaranjan Das, a revolutionary freedom fighter, was endearingly called ‘Deshabandhu’ (Friend of the Nation). Born on 5 November 1870 in Calcutta, he belonged to an upper middle-class family of Telirbagh, in Dacca district.

Chittaranjan’s patriotic ideas were greatly influenced by his father, Bhuban Mohan Das, a reputed Solicitor of the Calcutta High Court. It was Bankim Chandra who influenced him in his political ideas. It was not before 1917 that Das came to the forefront of nationalist politics. In that year he was invited to preside over the Bengal Provincial Conference held at Bhowanipore. His political career was brief but meteoric. In the course of only eight years he rose to all-India fame by virtue of his intense patriotism, sincerity and oratorical power.

He wanted "Swaraj for the masses, not for the classes". To him, "Swaraj is government by the people and for the people". An advocate of communal harmony and Hindu-Muslim unity, Das effected, in 1923, the Bengal Pact between the Hindus and Muslims of Bengal, though opposed by a section of the Congress. A champion of national education and the vernacular medium, he felt that the masses should be properly educated to participate in the nationalist movement. He deprecated the prevalent western system of education that would only promote "a kind of soulless culture". His religious and social outlook was liberal. He was against caste-discrimination and untouchability. A believer in women’s emancipation and widow re-marriage, he supported the spread of female education and widow remarriage.

Great as a jurist, and dynamic as a leader of Bengal, Chittaranjan was an apostle of Indian nationalism. In the words of Rabindranath Tagore (1913 Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature), " the best gift that Chittaranjan left for his countrymen is not any particular political or social programme but the creative force of a great aspiration that has taken a deathless form in the sacrifice which his life represented".

The country lost one of its great sons in the passing away of C.R. Das on 16 June 1925. The funeral procession in Calcutta was led by Mahatma Gandhi, who said:

"Deshbandhu was one of the greatest of men... He dreamed... and talked of freedom of India and of nothing else... His heart knew no difference between Hindus and Mussalmans and I should like to tell Englishmen, too, that he bore no ill-will to them."

Read some more details at Wikipedia

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Out of print ACKs #356 & #360

Many many thanks to “Apoorva Chandar” for providing all these ACK scans.