a
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Syed Ahmed Khan
Educator, Judge, Political Leader, Writer / 1817 - 1898
Syed Ahmed Khan was an Indian educator, politician and Islamic reformer whose work inspired a new generation of Muslims and pioneered the revival of Indian Islam in the late 19th century.
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(1817-1898)
Educator, Judge, Political Leader, Writer
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Akbar the Great
Political Leader, Emperor / 1542 - 1605
Akbar the Great, Muslim emperor of India, established a sprawling kingdom through military conquests, but is known for his policy of religious tolerance.
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(1542-1605)
Political Leader, Emperor
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Amitabh Bachchan
Film Actor, Entrepreneur, Political Leader / 1942 -
Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan is known for his roles in action movies like Zanjeer, and for hosting the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.
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(1942-)
Film Actor, Entrepreneur, Political Leader
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Bhaskara II
Mathematician, Astronomer / 1114 - 1185
Bhaskara was a 12th century Indian mathematician who established the decimal system.
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(1114-1185)
Mathematician, Astronomer
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Satyendra Nath Bose
Physicist / 1894 - 1974
Indian physicist Satyendra Nath Bose is known for working with Albert Einstein on the Bose-Einstein Condensate and as namesake of the boson, or “God particle.”
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(1894-1974)
Physicist
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Subhas Chandra Bose
Military Leader, Political Leader / 1897 - 1945
Subhas Chandra Bose was a 20th century organizational and military leader who fought for India’s freedom from British rule.
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(1897-1945)
Military Leader, Political Leader
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Buddha
Religious Leader / 600 - 300
Born in India in the 6th century B.C., Buddha was a spiritual leader and teacher whose life serves as the foundation of the Buddhist religion.
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(600-300)
Religious Leader
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Deepak Chopra
Doctor, Journalist / 1947 -
An expert in the field of mind-body healing, Deepak Chopra is a world-renowned speaker and author on the subject of alternative medicine.
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(1947-)
Doctor, Journalist
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Kiran Desai
Author / 1971 -
Kiran Desai is an author. Her second novel, The Inheritance of Loss, was short-listed for the Orange Broadband Prize in 2007, a year after it was published.
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(1971-)
Author
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Indira Gandhi
Prime Minister / 1917 - 1984
Indira Gandhi was India's third prime minister, serving from 1966 until 1984, when her life ended in assassination. She was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister.
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(1917-1984)
Prime Minister
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Mahatma Gandhi
Anti-War Activist / 1869 - 1948
Mahatmas Gandhi was the primary leader of India's independence movement and also the architect of a form of civil disobedience that would influence the world.
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(1869-1948)
Anti-War Activist
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Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Lawyer, World Leader / 1876 - 1948
Muslim statesman Muhammad Ali Jinnah led Pakistan’s independence from India, and was its first governor-general and president of its constituent assembly.
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(1876-1948)
Lawyer, World Leader
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A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Engineer, World Leader, Scientist / 1931 -
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is an Indian scientist and politician who served his country as president from 2002 to 2007.
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(1931-)
Engineer, World Leader, Scientist
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Raj Kapoor
Film Actor, Director, Producer / 1924 - 1988
Raj Kapoor was an Indian film director and producer of Hindi-language films. He is best known as the "Charlie Chaplin of Indian cinema."
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(1924-1988)
Film Actor, Director, Producer
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Mohammad Ayub Khan
General, World Leader / 1907 - 1974
Mohammad Ayub Khan was president of Pakistan from 1958 to 1969, giving birth to modern-day Pakistan. He introduced a system of basic democracies in 1960.
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(1907-1974)
General, World Leader
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Padma Lakshmi
Film Actress, Chef, Model, Reality Television Star, Author / 1970 -
Padma Lakshmi may be best known as a model and the host of Top Chef, but she also launched her own jewelry and kitchenware line.
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(1970-)
Film Actress, Chef, Model, Reality Television Star, Author
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Ismail Merchant
Director, Producer / 1936 - 2005
Ismail Merchant was an Indian-born film producer. Two of his most famous films are A Room With A View and The Remains of the Day.
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(1936-2005)
Director, Producer
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Mother Teresa
Nun, Saint / 1910 - 1997
Mother Teresa was the founder of the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic congregation of women dedicated to helping the poor.
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(1910-1997)
Nun, Saint
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Pervez Musharraf
General, World Leader / 1943 -
Pervez Musharraf went from military leader to president of Pakistan after a bloodless coup in 1998.
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(1943-)
General, World Leader
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Sarojini Naidu
Activist, Political Leader, Poet / 1879 - 1949
Sarojini Naidu was an India political leader best known as the first female President of the India National Congress.
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(1879-1949)
Activist, Political Leader, Poet
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R.K. Narayan
Journalist, Author / 1906 - 2001
Indian author R.K. Narayan is widely considered to be one of India's greatest English language novelists known for his simple and unpretentious writing style.
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(1906-2001)
Journalist, Author
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Jawaharlal Nehru
Activist, Prime Minister / 1889 - 1964
Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi’s father, was a leader of India’s nationalist movement and became India’s first prime minister after its independence.
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(1889-1964)
Activist, Prime Minister
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Motilal Nehru
Activist / 1861 - 1931
Motilal Nehru was leader of the Indian independence movement, cofounder of India's Swaraj Party, and father of its first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
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(1861-1931)
Activist
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Asra Nomani
Women's Rights Activist, Academic Author, Blogger, Journalist / 1965 -
Asra Nomani is known for her fight for women's equality in the American Islamic community.
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(1965-)
Women's Rights Activist, Academic Author, Blogger, Journalist
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Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
Diplomat / 1900 - 1990
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was an Indian political leader and diplomat, one of the world's leading women in public life in the 20th century.
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(1900-1990)
Diplomat
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Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
Criminal, Cult Leader, Religious Leader / 1931 - 1990
Indian cult leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh created the spiritual practice of dynamic meditation. He started the Rancho Rajneesh commune in Oregon in the 1980s.
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(1931-1990)
Criminal, Cult Leader, Religious Leader
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Rammohun Roy or Raja Ram Mohan Rai
Women's Rights Activist, Religious Leader, Publisher, Journalist / 1772 - 1833
Indian philosopher Rammohun Roy was best known for working to abolish sati, in which the Hindu widow immolates herself on her husband's funeral pyre.
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(1772-1833)
Women's Rights Activist, Religious Leader, Publisher, Journalist
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Ravi Shankar
Musician / 1920 - 2012
Ravi Shankar was an Indian musician and composer best known for popularizing the sitar and Indian classical music in Western culture.
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(1920-2012)
Musician
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Shekhar, Chandra
Prime Minister / 1927 - 2007
Chandra Shekhar Singh was a politician and legislator who served as Prime Minister of India from 1990-1991.
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(1927-2007)
Prime Minister
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Debendranath Tagore
Theologian / 1817 - 1905
Debendranath Tagore was an Indian religious reformer and Hindu philosopher.
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(1817-1905)
Theologian
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Rabindranath Tagore
Painter, Author, Playwright, Poet, Screenwriter
Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali poet, novelist and painter best known for being the first non-European to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913.
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Painter, Author, Playwright, Poet, Screenwriter
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Sachin Tendulkar
Athlete / 1973 -
Sachin Tendulkar is an Indian professional cricket player, considered by many to be one of the greatest batsmen of all time.
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(1973-)
Athlete
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Vivekananda
Activist, Religious Leader / 1863 - 1902
Vivekananda was a spiritual leader and activist who attempted to combine Indian spirituality with Western ideas.
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(1863-1902)
Activist, Religious Leader