SSC
The Manora Fort, built by the Maratha ruler Serfoji II to commemorate the British victory over Napoleon, is located in:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option A — Tamil Nadu
Detailed Solution
The Manora Fort is located near Sethubavachatram, on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu.
About the Manora Fort:
- It was built in 1814-15 by Serfoji II, the Maratha king of Thanjavur.
- It was built to commemorate the victory of the British over Napoleon Bonaparte, an ally of the British in Europe; Serfoji II was a close friend of the British.
- It is an eight-storeyed hexagonal tower, about 23 metres (75 feet) high, surrounded by a moat and walls.
- It was used as a watchtower and lighthouse.
- Its name "Manora" is believed to come from the word "minar" (tower).
- It is now a tourist spot, and the area around it has a beach.
About Serfoji II (ruled 1798-1832):
- He was the last effective ruler of the Bhonsle (Maratha) dynasty of Thanjavur, which was founded by Venkoji (Ekoji), the half-brother of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
- He was educated by the Danish missionary Christian Friedrich Schwartz.
- He was a great patron of learning, arts and science.
- He greatly expanded the Saraswathi Mahal Library in Thanjavur, one of the oldest libraries in Asia, with rare manuscripts in Tamil, Sanskrit, Marathi and other languages.
- He set up one of the first printing presses in south India using Devanagari type (1805).
- He supported Carnatic music, Bharatanatyam (the "Tanjore Quartet" of dance masters worked at his court) and Thanjavur painting.
- He was interested in medicine, and his court physicians kept records of treatments.
- Under a treaty of 1799, he handed over the administration of most of his kingdom to the British East India Company, keeping only Thanjavur fort and its surroundings.
Other places in Thanjavur:
- Brihadeeswarar Temple (built by Rajaraja Chola I, completed in 1010), part of the UNESCO site "Great Living Chola Temples".
- Thanjavur Palace (Maratha Palace) and the Saraswathi Mahal Library.
- Thanjavur is called the "Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu".
Why not the other options?
- ✗Maharashtra was the homeland of the Marathas, but Manora Fort is in Tamil Nadu.
- ✗Karnataka has forts such as Chitradurga and Bidar.
Kerala has forts such as Bekal and St. Angelo.
Quick tip
Remember: Manora Fort = Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu (built 1814-15 by Serfoji II to mark the British victory over Napoleon); Serfoji II expanded the Saraswathi Mahal Library.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Monuments & Religious Places Questions
View all ›- Q1.The Somnath Jyotirlinga temple is located in which state?
- Q2.The Kamakhya Temple is located in:
- Q3.The brick temple of Bhitargaon, one of the oldest surviving brick temples of India, is situated in:
- Q4.The Mahabodhi Temple is situated at:
- Q5.The famous Brihadeeswara Temple, built by Rajaraja Chola I, is situated in:
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.