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Quiz about Renamed in India
Quiz about Renamed in India

Renamed in India Trivia Quiz


A number of Indian cities and territories have been renamed over the years, mostly in an effort to erase the supposed 'colonial hangover'. This quiz deals with some of the more popular name changes over the years.

A multiple-choice quiz by zorba_scank. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
zorba_scank
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
258,922
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
12262
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Suhaila11 (7/10), Guest 174 (5/10), Guest 122 (6/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. After contributing a new word to the English language, which Indian city decided to officially change its name on 1 November 2006? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. It is well known that Mumbai was known as Bombay before being renamed in December 1995. What was the name given to Bombay by the Portuguese before it passed into the hands of the British? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Karnataka is one of the 29 states of India. What was it known as before being renamed in 1973? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. One of India's newly formed states Uttaranchal was renamed Uttarakhand on 1st January 2007.


Question 5 of 10
5. Until 1973, the Union Territory of Lakshadweep was known as the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindive Islands or the anglicized version, Laccadives. What is the literal translation of the name Lakshadweep? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The name of a type of cotton textile was derived from the former name of the coastal city of Kozhikode. What is the name of the textile? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. What was Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of the Indian peninsula, known as during the British rule? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The state of Tamil Nadu was formerly known as Madras.


Question 9 of 10
9. Kochi is located in the state of Kerala. Known as the 'Queen of the Arabian Sea', Kochi was an important port on the spice trade route. What was it called before being renamed in 1996? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. This holy Indian city was renamed Varanasi in 1956. Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Today : Suhaila11: 7/10
Oct 30 2024 : Guest 174: 5/10
Oct 30 2024 : Guest 122: 6/10
Oct 29 2024 : Guest 103: 5/10
Oct 26 2024 : NumanKiwi: 6/10
Oct 25 2024 : Guest 72: 9/10
Oct 25 2024 : Guest 61: 7/10
Oct 22 2024 : Guest 86: 10/10
Oct 22 2024 : Guest 103: 6/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. After contributing a new word to the English language, which Indian city decided to officially change its name on 1 November 2006?

Answer: Bangalore

Bangalore was renamed Bengaluru which has been the city's name in the local dialect for years. On December 11, 2005, the Government of Karnataka accepted the proposal of U. R. Anathamurthy, a Jnanpith Award winner (the highest literary award in India) regarding the name change. On 1 November 2006 ten different cities in the state of Karnataka were renamed.
To be 'Bangalored' is a recently coined term to refer to a job layoff due to outsourcing.
2. It is well known that Mumbai was known as Bombay before being renamed in December 1995. What was the name given to Bombay by the Portuguese before it passed into the hands of the British?

Answer: Bom Bahia

Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand de Almeida, reached Bombay in 1508. The group of islands was named Bom Bahai which meant 'good harbour'. Later the British anglicized the name to Bombay. Bombay has always been known as 'Bambai' in Hindi and 'Mumbai' in Marathi and Gujarati.
3. Karnataka is one of the 29 states of India. What was it known as before being renamed in 1973?

Answer: Mysore

Prior to independence, the Kingdom of Mysore was a princely state within the British Empire. In 1947, the Maharaja of Mysore decided to merge his kingdom with the newly formed country of India. When India was divided into states on the basis of language, people speaking Kanada formed the Mysore state. In 1973, the Government decided to rename the state Karnataka.
4. One of India's newly formed states Uttaranchal was renamed Uttarakhand on 1st January 2007.

Answer: True

The state of Uttaranchal was formed on 9th November 2000 and became India's 27th state. The region has traditionally been referred to as Uttarakhand meaning 'Northern Country' in Sanskrit. The state contains some important Hindu pilgrimage sites.
5. Until 1973, the Union Territory of Lakshadweep was known as the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindive Islands or the anglicized version, Laccadives. What is the literal translation of the name Lakshadweep?

Answer: Hundred thousand islands

Lakshadweep is the smallest Union Territory of India consisting of a small group of islands in the Arabian Sea. The Arab traveller, Ibn Batuta, has described them in great detail in his works.
6. The name of a type of cotton textile was derived from the former name of the coastal city of Kozhikode. What is the name of the textile?

Answer: Calico

Calicut is the nearest city to Kappad, a coastal town where Vasco da Gama landed on his voyage to India. Calico was one of the first commodities to be exported to European countries from India. When the cloth is painted with flowers and other designs, it is known as chintz.
Madras cloth is also a type of cotton fabric which was named after the Indian city of Madras.
Cashmere is derived from the archaic spelling of Kashmir, Nankeen from the Nanking region of China and Muslin from the city of Mosul which is now a part of Iraq.
7. What was Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of the Indian peninsula, known as during the British rule?

Answer: Cape Comorin

Cape Comorin was renamed after Indian independence. Islam reached southern India through Cape Comorin and St. Francis Xavier is also believed to have preached extensively in this region.
8. The state of Tamil Nadu was formerly known as Madras.

Answer: True

Tamil Nadu was a part of the Madras Presidency during the British rule. When India became independent, the state of Madras was created in 1956 on linguistic basis. Later in 1969 it was renamed Tamil Nadu which means 'Land of the Tamils'. Its capital city, which was also known as Madras, was renamed Chennai in August 1996.
However, there still exists a city named Madras in the US state of Oregon.
9. Kochi is located in the state of Kerala. Known as the 'Queen of the Arabian Sea', Kochi was an important port on the spice trade route. What was it called before being renamed in 1996?

Answer: Cochin

The name Kochi may have been derived from the Malayalam word kochazhi meaning 'small lagoon'. Like most other Indian cities, it is still widely known by both names.
10. This holy Indian city was renamed Varanasi in 1956.

Answer: Benares

Varanasi is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities of the world. The original name Varanasi was known as Baranasi in the Pali language. This gave rise to alternate spellings like Benares, Banaras and Benaras which were used during the British rule.

In literature, Varanasi is often referred to as Kashi which means 'luminous' due to the city's historical status as a centre of learning, literature, and culture.
Source: Author zorba_scank

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Exit10 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
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