Key N

Nadir Shah: invaded India in 1739.

Nagananda: or 'Serpent's Bliss' a Sanskrit play attributed to king Harsha Vardhana concerns the conversion of a Buddhist priest, of Garuda the serpent-eating bird, to the principles of ahimsa or non-injury.

Nagarjuna: was the philosopher scientist and a great figure of the court of Kanishka whom Hieun-Tsang called "one of the four lights of the world" and who also enunciated the theory of Relativity in his great work called Madhyamika Sutra. He is rightly called the Indian Einstein.

Naidu, Sarojini: She was a gifted Indian poetess of English language, commonly known as the Nightingale of India. She was the second woman President of the Indian National Congress in 1925 and the first woman Governor of an Indian State (Governor of U.P.) after independence.
(The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was Annie Besant in 1917).

Nalanda University: In ancient India, this University was a great centre for the study of Mahayana Buddhism.

Namdev: hailed from the State of Maharashtra.

Nanak, Guru: started the religion Sikhism. He is patronised even by Muslims.

Nanda dynasty: was ruling in India at the time of Alexander's invasion.
The last king of the Nanda dynasty was Dhana Nanda.

Naoroji, Dadabhai: popularly known as the "Grand Old Man" of India was a great nationalist. He was also President of the Indian National Congress. He was earlier elected to the British Parliament.
He propounded the theory of "Economic Drain" of India during the British Rule.
(He estimated Indian national income and criticized the constant drain of wealth from India to England.)

Narasimhavarman-I: (630-660) son of Mehendravarman-I , was the greatest of the Pallava kings. He defeated and slew the redoubtable Chalukya, Pulakesin-II in 640 A.D.He was patron of the Sasnkrit poet Dandin. Hieun-Tsang, the Chinese traveller, visited the kingdom during his reign and was impressed by the splendour of Kanchipuram (capital of Pallavas).

Nasik inscription: The achievements of Gautamilputra Satakarni are detailed in Nasik inscription. Also refer Pulumayi, Sri.

Nastaliq: was a Persian script used in medieval India.

Nataraja bronze image: is a fine example of Chola art, considered to be the world's greatest iconographical creations made by sthapatis (architects) of south India.

National Conference: The first session of the National Conference was held in 1883 at Calcutta.

National Movement in India: The international events which influenced national movement in India before the advent of Mahatma Gandhi were: (1) Italian-Abyssinian War, 1898; (2) Boxer Movement in China; (3) Revolutionary Movement in Ireland; and (4) Victory of Japan in the Russo-Japanese War.

NAUROJ festival in India: Balban introduced the famous Persian festival of Nauroj in India.

Navasahasanka-charit: was written by Padmagupta.

Navya-Nyaya: The founder of school of Navya-Nyaya was Gangesh.

Nehru, Jawahar Lal: (1889-1964) was one of the world's greatest statesmen who emerged as the first Prime Minister of India when the country became independent in 1947.

In the interim government formed in 1946, he was the Vice-President of the Executive Council.
He is considered to be the maker of modern India.

Neolithic Age: belongs to the period between 4,000 B.C. and 1,000 B.C. The people of this age used tools and implements of polished stone. The cutting tools were used to various uses by the people of this Age.

Nevali Cori Valley: is in Turkey. The recent excavations here have revealed remarkable influence of advanced Vedic culture with traces of agrarian settlements. The site is dated back to 7000 B.C.

Nisha: The term nisha which meant an ornament in the Vedic period was used in later times to denote a coin (a metal piece of definite weight).

Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah: is known for his introduction of a new calendar, a new system of coinage and new scales of weights and measures.

Non-cooperation Movement: was launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920 against the British for attainment of Swaraj. The movement received support from large number of Muslims also.

Already, there was widespread unrest among industrial workers&endash;Bombay Mill strike affected more than one lakh twenty-five thousand workers at the beginning of 1919 and there were about 200 strikes during the first six months of 1920.

Mahatma Gandhi surrendered the title of "Rt. Honourable" given to him by the British Government.
The Movement led to the Congress becoming a mass movement for the first time and removed fear of theBritish 'might' from the minds of the people.
Non-cooperation Movement was, however, withdrawn because of violence at Chauri-Chaura.

Non-cooperation Movement Resolution was passed in the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress in September 1920.

Nur Jahan:originally known as Mihr-ul-nisa, whom Jahangir married in May 1611, was formerly wife of Sher Afghan.