06 May - Motilal Nehru birth anniversary

 

Motilal Nehru was a prominent figure in Indian politics during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born on 06 May 1861, in Agra, India, and passed away on 06 February 1931. Nehru was the father of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, and the grandfather of Indira Gandhi, who also served as Prime Minister.

Motilal Nehru was a lawyer by profession and became involved in the Indian National Congress, the leading political party in the Indian independence movement. He played a crucial role in shaping the party's policies and strategies. Nehru was known for his moderate views and his advocacy for constitutional reforms within the British colonial framework.

One of Motilal Nehru's significant contributions was the Nehru Report of 1928, which outlined proposals for the future constitution of India. Although the report was not accepted by the British government, it laid the groundwork for future discussions on India's constitutional development.

Motilal Nehru's legacy extends beyond his political activities. He was a key figure in the Indian nationalist movement and contributed to shaping the vision of an independent and democratic India. His family continued to play a central role in Indian politics for generations to come.

 

06 May - Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj death anniversary

 

Rajarshi The Maharaj of the Bhonsle dynasty was Shahu Chhatrapati, sometimes referred to as Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj. He was the country's first Maharaja of the Kolhapur Princely State. He was a strong leader who made a lot of improvements to society. Shahu Maharaj was a capable leader who implemented a number of progressive laws while in power.

He fought for justice for the Indian people throughout the British occupation, as well as for the advancement of the underclass. He also encourages inter-caste and inter-religious marriage during his reign. In 1919, he enacts the "Legal Sanction to Inter-caste and Inter-religious Marriage Act." This action is regarded as one of the most daring ones to bring about social change.  Once he said “I am the man of no caste and I will certainly encourage such things..”. He died on 6 May 1922 at the age of 47 in Bombay.

This commemorative stamp was issued by India in 1979, to commemorate him and his work.

06 May - Francis Xavier reaches Old Goa in 1542 , the capital of Portuguese India at the time.

 

Francis Xavier (7 April 1506 – 3 December 1552) venerated as Saint Francis Xavier, was a Spanish Navarrese Catholic missionary and saint who was a co-founder of the Society of Jesus.

Born in Javier (Xavier in Old Spanish and in Navarro-Aragonese, or Xabier, a Basque word meaning "new house"), in the Kingdom of Navarre (in present-day Spain), he was a companion of Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits who took vows of poverty and chastity at Montmartre, Paris in 1534.[3] He led an extensive mission into Asia, mainly the Portuguese Empire in the East, and was influential in evangelisation work, most notably in early modern India. He was extensively involved in the missionary activity in Portuguese India. In 1546, Francis Xavier proposed the establishment of the Goan Inquisition in a letter addressed to the Portuguese King, John III.

Francis Xavier left Lisbon on 7 April 1541, his thirty-fifth birthday, along with two other Jesuits and the new viceroy Martim Afonso de Sousa, on board the Santiago. As he departed, Francis was given a brief from the pope appointing him apostolic nuncio to the East.From August until March 1542 he remained in Portuguese Mozambique, and arrived in Goa, then capital of Portuguese India, on 6 May 1542, thirteen months after leaving Lisbon.

06 May - Battle of Ghaghra started in year 1529

 

The Battle of Ghaghra was a major battle for the conquest of India by the Mughal Empire. It is fought between Babur and the Eastern Afghan Confederates under Sultan Mahmud Lodi and Sultanate of Bengal under Sultan Nusrat Shah, which results in Mughal victory. After that Bihar was annexed by the Mughal Empire including surrounding territories and a Peace settlement with the Sultanate of Bengal

05 May - Pritilata Waddedar birth anniversary

 

Pritilata Waddedar (5 May 1911 – 24 September 1932), a Bengali revolutionary nationalist from the Indian subcontinent who was influential in the Indian independence movement. After completing her education in Chittagong and Dhaka, she attended Bethune College in Kolkata. She graduated in philosophy with distinction and became a schoolteacher. She is known for leading fifteen revolutionaries in the 1932-armed attack on the Pahartali European Club, during which one person was killed and eleven injured. The revolutionaries torched the club and were later caught by the British police. To avoid arrest, Pritilata consumed cyanide and died. She was born on 5 May 1911.

05 May - Naushad Ali death anniversary

 

Naushad Ali was a renowned Indian music director and composer, widely regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Indian cinema. Born on 26 December 1919, in Lucknow, India, Naushad made significant contributions to the Hindi film industry, particularly in the realm of film music.

Naushad's musical journey began in his early years when he started learning classical music. He moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) in pursuit of a career in music, where he initially struggled but eventually found success. Naushad's breakthrough came with the film "Rattan" in 1944, where his compositions, including the song "Aaj Ki Raat Mere Dil Ki Salami Lele," became immensely popular.

Throughout his illustrious career, Naushad composed music for numerous hit films, collaborating with legendary playback singers like Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, and Mukesh. His compositions were known for their rich melodies, intricate arrangements, and blending of classical and folk elements. Some of his most famous works include the music for films like "Mughal-e-Azam," "Mother India," and "Baiju Bawra."

Naushad's contributions to Indian cinema were widely recognized, and he received several prestigious awards during his lifetime, including the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award. He continued to compose music until his later years, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the world of Indian music.

Naushad Ali passed away on 05 May 2006, leaving behind a treasure trove of timeless melodies that continue to enchant audiences even today.

05 May - Giani Zail Singh birth anniversary

 

Giani Zail Singh ( 05 May 1916 – 25 December 1994) was the seventh President of India serving from 1982 to 1987. He was born as Jarnail Singh. Prior to his presidency, he was a politician with the Indian National Congress Party, and had held several ministerial posts in the Union Cabinet, including that of Home Minister. He also served as the Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1983 to 1986. His presidency was marked by Operation Blue Star, the assassination of Indira Gandhi, and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He was born on 5 May 1916.

05 May - Kublai Khan was became Mongolian Emporer in 1260

 

Kublai (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder of the Yuan dynasty of China and the fifth khagan-emperor of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294, although after the division of the empire this was a nominal position. He proclaimed the empire's dynastic name "Great Yuan" in 1271, and ruled Yuan China until his death in 1294.

Kublai was the second son of Tolui by his chief wife Sorghaghtani Beki, and a grandson of Genghis Khan. He was almost 12 when Genghis Khan died in 1227. He had succeeded his older brother Möngke as Khagan in 1260, He became emporer pn on 05 May 1260 ,but had to defeat his younger brother Ariq Böke in the Toluid Civil War lasting until 1264.

05 May - Guru Amar Das birth anniversary

 

Guru Amar Das (5 May 1479 – 1 September 1574), also known as Guru Amardas, was the third of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Sikh Guru on 26 March 1552 at age 73. He was an important innovator in Sikhism, who introduced a religious organization called the ‘manji system by appointing trained clergy, a system that expanded and survives into the contemporary era. He wrote and compiled hymns into a Pothi (book) that ultimately helped create the Adi Granth. Guru Amar Das remained the leader of the Sikhs till age 95 and named his son-in-law Bhai Jetha later remembered by the name Guru Ram Das as his successor. He was born on 5 May 1479.

05 May - Sir Douglas Mawson birth anniversary

 

Sir Douglas Mawson (5 May 1882 – 14 October 1958) was an Australian geologist, Antarctic explorer, and academic. Along with Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Sir Ernest Shackleton, he was a key expedition leader during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

Mawson was knighted in 1914 and during World War I worked with the British and Russian militaries. He returned to the University of Adelaide in 1919 and became a full professor in 1921, contributing much to Australian geology. He returned to the Antarctic as the leader of the British Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (1929–1931), which led to a territorial claim in the form of the Australian Antarctic Territory. Mawson is commemorated by numerous landmarks and from 1984 to 1996 appeared on the Australian $100 note.