UIL Social Studies Terms 2023-2024
Subhas Chandra Bose
"Netaji" or Respected Leader of the Indian independence movement and an enigma due to his view as a popular folk hero among Indians and partnership with the Nazi and Japanese regimes during WW2
Mahinda Rajapaksa
a politician who served as president, prime minister, opposition leader, minister of finance, and a member of parliament in the Sri Lankan government; led the fight against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), often using violent military tactics that were investigated by the United Nations as war crimes
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
a politician who served as prime minister of India three times and was a member of parliament for over 50 years; he led many economic and infrastructural reforms, encouraged research, and attempted to reduce waste and is considered one of the most successful prime ministers of India, even being praised b opposition political parties
Pratibha Patil
a politician who served as the 12th president of India from 2007-2012 and was the first woman to be president of India and also served as the first woman to be governor of Rajasthan; built educational institutions and established colleges and hostels for women, expanded foreign connections through many trips abroad to meet with delegates from around the world
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
a politician who served as the president of the Maldives from 1978-2008 and used autocratic policies to maintain control with a one-party system; arrested in 2018 for conspiring to overthrow the government
Sayyid Ahmad Khan
a reformer and philosopher in British India who began the Pakistan movement for a separate Muslim nation; wrote a booklet following the mutiny in 1857 that criticized British policies; his religious reforms, philosophies, and interpretations have continued to influence Islamic reformation today
Mohammad Iqbal
a scholar, writer, and philosopher of South Asian Muslim works who worked alongside Jinnah and the Muslim League; ideological founder of Pakistan and has an honorific name of Allama (Learned)
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
a scietnist and engineer who became a politician and eventually the president of India from 2002-2007; known as the "Missile Man of India" for developing ballistic missiles and launching nuclear tests and known as the "People's President" and was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award
Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi
a singer of Carnatic Indian music and avid performer who traveled around the world giving concerts and actress in many Tamil films who was the first musician to be awarded India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna
Mangal Pandey
a soldier in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry who inspired the Rebellion of 1857 by his actions as he rallied the sepoys to rebel against the British East India Company and was executed for his role in the rebellion
Abdus Salam
a theoretical physicist who won the Novel Prize in Physics in 1979 for work on electroweak unification theory and began the space program and nuclear program in Pakistan
Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami
a writer and novelist of stories that describe everyday life in a town called Malgudi in southern India whose works have been adapted for films and received the second- and third-highest Indian civilian awards
Aurobindo Ghose
an Indian philosopher and Indian nationalist who was a member of the Indian independence movement and then became a spiritual reformer whose practice was called Integral Yoga, and his teachings were formed into an organization called Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Rabindranath Tagore
an Indian polymath who was an active composer, writer, poet, playwright, philosopher, social reformer, educationist, and painter during the age of the Bengal Renaissance who helped reshaped Bengali literature and music as well as Indian art
Vallabhbhai Patel
an activist in the Indian independence movement, advisor to Nehru and Gandhi, and was the first deputy prime minister of India from 1947-1950; known as the patron saint of India's civil servants
Kalpana Chawla
an astronaut and aerospace engineer who was the first Indian woman to fly to space; she died in 2003 aboard the Columbia Space Shuttle when it disintegrated during reentry
J.R.D. Tata
an aviator and industrial entrepreneur who expanded the Tata Group to new industries; helped launch the first Indian flight in 1932 and was awarded India's highest civilian awards
Siddhartha Gautama
born around 563 BCE in Lumbini, Shakay Republic (present-day Nepal) and is commonly known as Buddha, the original enlightened one of the Buddhist religion whose teachings built a monastic order and the Middle Path to nirvana by using the Noble Eightfold Path
Narendra Modi
current prime minister of India who began his term in May 2014; first prime minister born after India's independence and the only non-Congress leader to serve for so long as he is extremely popular in India; despite his clout, he has a reputation of Hindu-nationalism at the expense of Indian minorities
Mohamed Nasheed
helped found the Maldivian Democratic Party and served as the president of the Maldives from 2008-2012; first democratically elected president, only to resign in 2012; found guilty of the Anti-Terrorism Act of Maldives in 2015 but was granted asylum
King Mahendra
king of Nepal from 1955 until his death in 1972; allowed the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal to be created which established a democracy; dissolved the constitution and took control of the government in 1960
Milkha Singh
known as a track and field sprinter that competed in many inernational sporting events including the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and Summer Olympics; known as the "Flying Sikh" and set the Indian national record for the 400-meter sprint at 45.73 seconds which lasted for 40 years
Dadabhai Naoroji
known as the "grand old man" of the Indian National Congress (INC) and served as its president three times; the first MP in the UK of Indian descent when he was elected in 1892; his writings helped show the negative impact of the economic exploitation of India happening through colonization
Muhammad
known as the prophet of the Islamic religion, and his teachings make up the Quran; his death led to an eventual division amongst Muslims into Shia and Sunni sects
Ibrahim Nasir
served as prime minister, minister of finance, and president of the Republic of the Maldives; he led the depopulation and destruction of the island and brought in television and radio broadcasting, a new curriculum for the education system, and changed the tax system for the atolls; helped the Maldives gain independence and modernized the entire island nation with greater opportunity
Pervez Musharraf
the 10th president of Pakistan from 2001-2008 and was able to take the presidency after a coup led by his military troops; supported liberalism, allied with the U.S. in the War on Terror, and conducted negotiations to end conflicts with India in the Kashmir region; used emergency powers to dissolve the constitution so he could remain in power
Jigme Dorji Wangchuck
the Dragon King of Bhutan from 1952 until his death in 1972 who led political and social reforms to open Bhutan to the world and expand democracy as well as expanded educational opportunities while keeping Buddhism as a central theme
Cyril Radcliffe
the chairman of the committee to draw and negotiate the border between India and Pakistan in 1947; his map split the regions of Punjab, Kashmir, and Bengal between India and Pakistan which led to over 14 million people migrating across the new boundaries and widespread violence between the various religious and ethnic groups
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
the father of the nation of Bangladesh and is still referred to as Bangabandhu (Friend of Bengal) as he gave a voice to the demand of a people for recognition from a Frankenstein-style nation state brought to life by partition political scientists unaware of what they were creating
Chandrika Kumaratunga
the fifth president of Sri Lanka from 1994-2005 and was the first female president who was engaged in the Sri Lankan Civil War; able to get the LTTE banned internationally and reestablished international ties with the U.S., UK, and Israel
Sarojini Naidu
the first Indian woman and first overall governor of Uttar Pradesh from 1947 to 1949; advocated for civil rights, women's rights, and India's independence from Britain; worked alongside Mahatma Gandhi during the non-cooperation movement, and Salt Satyagraha, while following the ideals of non-violent resistance
Muhammad Amin Didi
the first president of the Maldives who was deposed after 8 months and beaten by a crown upon his return from medical treatment
A.K. Fazlul Huq
the first prime minister of Bengal from 1937-1943 during the British Raj; fundamental participant in the Indian independence movement and Pakistan movement and he participated in the Quit India movement, the Bengali Language movement, and continued to be politically active until his death in 1962
Guru Nanak
the founder of Sikhism and was the first of the Sikh Gurus whose teachings are collected in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book for Sikhism
Velupillai Prabhakaran
the founder of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the military organization that sought an independent Tamil state; killed during an offensive attack by the Sri Lankan Army
Bahadur Shah Zafar
the last Mughal emperor in India who hesitantly agreed to assist or at least lend his title to revolutionaries during the Rebellion of 1857; he took ownership of the actions of the mutineers and was arrested, put on trial, and exiled to Rangoon
Muhammad Fareed Didi
the last sultan of the Maldives from 1954-1968 who was dethroned in 1968 when the Maldives voted in favor of becoming a republic
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
the leader and icon of the Indian independence movement against the British Empire who advocated non-violent resistance, peaceful civil disobedience, and a traditional village-centric way of life; often called "Mahatma" or Great Spirit
Hussain Muhammad Ershad
the president of Bangladesh from 1983-1990 after he led a coup against the former president (Adus Sattar) and suspended the constitution to declare himself leader
Asif Ali Zardari
the president of Pakistan from 2008-2013 and was a strong ally of the U.S. in the War on Terror in Afghanistan; his term saw floods, terrorism, bombings, and protests and was the first president to complete his constitutional term; still active within the Pakistan People's Party but has been arrested for money laundering and corruption charges
Khaleda Zia
the prime minister of Bangladesh in the 1990s and 2000s and was the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party that was founded by her late husband and former president of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman; led educational and economic reforms, improved relations with the neighboring countries, and traveled abroad to meet with other political leaders many times; investigated for corruption, misusing funds, and graft
Rajiv Gandhi
the prime minister of India from 1984-1989 and dealt with anti-Sikh riots, Kashmir riots, relations with Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and the Bhopal chemical disaster
Ayub Khan
the second president of Pakistan from 1958 to 1969 and improved Pakistan's infrastructure with dams and reservoirs while also privatizing industries; allowed the U.S. to begin using bases in Pakistan to spy during the Cold War; led Pakistan in the unsuccessful Second Kashmir War in 1965 which led to his loss of power
Zulifikar Ali Bhutto
a politician who served as Pakistani president and prime minister in the 1970s and helped draft the Constitution for Pakistan and founded the Pakistan People's Party
Sheikh Hasina Wazed
a politician and current prime minister of Bangladesh since 2009; she is now the longest-serving prime minister in Bangladesh's history and the world's longest servicing female head of government in history; she's received criticism for her human rights violations while also being praised for reducing poverty and helping Rohingya refugees
G.G. Ponnambalam
a politician and leader of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress which rivaled the United National Party; advocated for minority rights and equality in government with his 50-50 speech in 1939
Abdul Qadeer Khan
a nuclear scientist who was instrumental in Pakistan's nuclear weapons program; he used his knowledge of nuclear engineering and access to classified materials while working in the Netherlands to become the architect of Pakistan's nuclear program when he returned in the mid-1970s; after leading the creation of the bomb for Pakistan, he used his knowledge to sell nuclear secrets to countries such as North Korea and Iran
Indira Gandhi
a politician and India's first female prime minister who oversaw border disputes with China, navigated East Pakistan's independence, and sought to quell religious violence; she was arguably the most powerful woman of the 20th century
Jawaharlal Nehru
a leader of the Indian independence movement and became the first prime minister of Inida in 1947; worked alonside Mahatma Gandhi and raisd the Indian flag at Red Fort following India's independence after a decades-long effort to end the British Raj
William Jones
a mathematician, linguistics scholar, and judge on the Supreme Court of Judicature; he established the Asiatic Society of Bengal and helped influence the widespread study of South Asian culture
Liaquat Ali Khan
a member of the All-India Muslim League alongside Jinnah during the Indian independence movement; became the first prime minister of Pakistan from 1947-1951 and established Pakistan as an Islamic democracy who was assassinated during a speech
Shehbaz Sharif
a politician and the current prime minister of Pakistan since 2022 after a no-confidence vote against Imran Khan; there have been many investigations into his political association including money laundering, acceptance of gifts and bribes, and stole funds for earthquake victims
Ziaur Rahman
a military officer and politician who was the 7th president of Bangladesh from 1977 until his assassination in 1981; established free press, free speech, a free market economy, and many government programs to improve the standard of living in Bangladesh; survived over 20 coups to remove him from power but was eventually assassinated by a group of army officers
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
a military officer who became the president of Pakistan in 1978 until his death in 1988; organized Operation Fair Play to remove the current prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, which allowed him to become the leader then be elected the following year; helped industrialize Pakistan, increased its atomic projects, and helped Afghanistan fight against the Soviet Union
Kazi Nazrul Islam
a Bengali author and artist and is the national poet of Bangladesh; poems, music, and novels all share the theme of equality, justice, and humanity against oppression; his writings helped inspire the Bangladesh Liberation War
Lord Louis Mountbatten
a British naval officer and statesman who served as the last viceroy of British India in 1947 during the Indian independence movement; oversaw the partition, then served as the first governor-general of India, and was assassinated by nationalists in Ireland
Lord Curzon
a British politician and viceroy of India from 1899-1905 who proposed the disastrous partition of Bengal in 1905 and expanded the Indian Army to recruit Indian aristocrats as officers
Allan Octavian Hume
a British politician who worker in British India who helped found the Indian National Congress (INC) and was an ornithologist and studied the birds across India and donated all of his collections and notes on birds to the Natural History Museum in London
Mother Teresa
a Catholic nun who founded Missionaries of Charity that worked to help he poor, the dying, and those with leprosy in India; she received the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize and was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta in 2016
Swami Vivekananda
a Hindu monk and philosopher who spread Hindu teachings, Vedanta, and yoga across the world and a philosopher and social reformer who helped contribute to the nationalist movement in colonial India by focusing on the power of Indian culture, with a focus on Hinduism
Solomon Bandaranaike (SWRD)
a Sri Lankan politician known as "the Silver Bell of Asia" and served as the prime minister of Sri Lanka from 1956 until his assassination in 1959 and founded the pro-Sinhalese Sri Lanka Freedom Party
Sirimavo Bandaranaike
a Sri Lankan stateswoman and politician and the modern world's first female head of government
Nawaz Sharif
a businessman and politician who served as prime minister of Pakistan three separate times; he led the conservative movement to reduce government corruption and privatization of industries and expanded nuclear energy and atomic programs, which led to tense relations with the U.S.
Ravi Shankar
a composer and Indian sitarist who wrote many songs and helped popularize Indian instruments while pushing for social reform and relief for victims in Bangladesh
Imran Khan
a cricket player who became the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan from 2018-2022; the firstprime minister to be removed by a no-confidence motion and was charged under anti-terror laws; arrested on corruption charges which led to widespread protests and has been accused by the government of supporting anti-government forces in May 2023
Malala Yousafzai
a famous Pakistani female leader and activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 as the youngest laureate for her advocacy of human rights and education of women and children in Pakistan after she survived an assassination attempt in 2012 by the Taliban where she was shot in the head at close range
Begum Rokeya
a feminist and writer that supported women's liberation in South Asia and advocated for gender equality and increased educational support for women
B.R. Ambedkar
a key national leader and a major social activist, known for his staunch opposition to caste hierarchies, who served as chair of the committee that drafted India's constitution immediately after independence
Mohammed Ali Jinnah
a lawyer, politician, leader, and the founder of Pakistan who was the leader of the All-India Muslim League and fought for sovereignty, independence, and eventually to create a Muslim-led nation
B.P. Koirala
a leader for the revolution movement of Nepal in 1951 and was the first democratically elected prime minister until King Mahendra dissolved the constitution and parliament; imprisoned until 1968 then continued to be politically active while fighting cancer until his death in 1982
Benazir Bhutto
a politician that served as prime minsiter of Pakistan and was the first woman elected to lead a democratic government in a Muslim country
