Random Facts About Anything
Who lives at 221B Baker Street?
Sherlock Holmes
Define "British Raj"
The government of India after the 1857 uprising when it was ruled directly by the Crown
The Mughal Emperors were historically of what religion?
Muslim
What is the distinction between an index and an indicator?
An indicator is any one variable (GDPPP)
An index is a combination of different indicators used to assess something; indices are often expressed as numbers that you can compare (The GINI coefficient)
Which US state is named after a King of France?
Louisiana
What Greek God is the god of wine?
Extra Timmons Points: What is his Roman name?
Dionysus.
Bacchus.
In what town did the most famous violence against British women and children take place? The reports outraged the British and intensified the backlash to the uprising.
Khanpur/Cawnpore
Name the major religions present in India between 1000 BC and 1857 AD
Hinduism, Islam, Bhuddism, Christianity
What are the components of the HDI?
GNI per capita, Life expectancy, Expected years of education
In what year did the Norman conquest of Britain occur?
Extra Timmons Points: What piece of art that lives in Normandy depicts this event?
Extra-Extra Timmons Points: Why is this piece of art misnamed?
1066.
The Bayeux Tapestry.
It's not a tapestry.
What was the original name for New York?
New Amsterdam
Identify four kinds of infrastructure developed by the British in India
Postal system, Telegraph lines, Railroads, Canals
Before the East India Trading company gained control, which other European powers had trading power in India? There are four- name at least two.
Dutch, Portugese, French, Danish
Expand all of the following:
NIC, GNP, MEDC, PPP, TNC
Newly-industrialized country
Gross National Product
More economically developed country
Purchasing power parity
Transnational corporation
James the 1st of England is James the ___ of Scotland.
James the 1st of England is James the 6th of Scotland.
What eight countries border Austria?
Italy, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary, Germany, Slovakia
Why are the following dates significant?
1600
1833
1863
1600- Foundation charter of the East India Company
1833- Charter Act made the EIC an administrative body
1863- First Indian joins Indian Civil Service after reforms
What is the difference between an Aryan and a Dravidian?
Dravidians are native Indian inhabitants who were pushed south by the Aryans, who migrated from Central Asia.
List at least four health-specific indicators that are useful for understanding development gaps
Infant mortality, maternal mortality, immunization rates, average proximity to hospital, doctors per population, average daily caloric intake, etc.
Who was the first British monarch to live in Buckingham Palace?
Queen Victoria
Which two novels by Jane Austen were published after she died?
Persuasion and Northanger Abbey
Describe all four terms of the "Subsidiary Alliance System"
Local princes cannot have personal troops. They must rely on the assistance of British troops in these territories
Local princes must pay for the garrison with taxes
Princes cannot perform diplomatic relations with other kingdoms without British involvement
The British helped states in fight against one another. Annexed territories when they won.
What are the four social classes/functions of the Indo-Aryan caste system?
Priests (Bhramins), Warriors/Rulers (Ksatriyas), Peasants/traders (Vishyas), Laborers (Shudras/"untouchables")
What does the HSI measure that the HDI does not?
OR
What does the Gini coefficient help us to understand that GDP per capita might obscure?Quality of life indicators like access to clean water, average daily caloric intake, civil rights, immunization levels, etc.
Gini gives an idea of wealth distribution and inequalities of wealth in a country. GDPPC only averages, which might hide the fact that very few people have most of the money
What is the oldest known (surviving) work of literature?
The Epic of Gilgamesh (c. 2100 B.C.)