The question asks to identify the Indian Prime Minister who succeeded Jawaharlal Nehru, led India during the 1965 War, and died shortly after signing the Tashkent Declaration. This requires knowledge of key historical events and the timeline of Indian Prime Ministers.
Based on these points, Lal Bahadur Shastri fits all the criteria mentioned in the question.
Correct Option: C) Lal Bahadur Shastri
The question asks about a major power that offered diplomatic support to Pakistan during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War, specifically excluding the United States. To answer this, one needs to recall the geopolitical alignments and foreign policy stances of major global powers during the Cold War era, particularly concerning the Indian subcontinent.
A) China — China provided significant diplomatic support to Pakistan during the 1965 War, leveraging its own strained relations with India following the 1962 Sino-Indian War. This support was a key aspect of China-Pakistan relations during that period.
The question asks about the origin of the political and military crisis that led to the 1971 India-Pakistan War. This requires knowledge of the historical context and the primary cause of the conflict.
Correct Option: D) The 1971 India-Pakistan War was directly caused by the political and military crisis that erupted in East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh). The denial of electoral results, subsequent human rights abuses, and the refugee crisis in East Pakistan were the primary triggers for India's involvement and the ensuing war.
The question asks for the codename of the Pakistani military operation in March 1971 against the Bengali population in East Pakistan, which led to the Bangladesh Liberation War and a massive refugee crisis. This is a direct factual recall question related to a significant historical event in South Asia.
Correct Option: B) Operation Searchlight was the codename for the brutal military crackdown launched by the Pakistani army against the Bengali population and political movement in East Pakistan in March 1971. This operation aimed to suppress the Bengali nationalist uprising and resulted in widespread atrocities and a significant refugee crisis.
The question asks about the approximate number of refugees who fled from East Pakistan to India in 1971 due to violence. This is a historical fact related to the Bangladesh Liberation War. Recalling the scale of this humanitarian crisis is key to answering correctly.
D) Approximately 10 million. This figure is widely accepted by historians and international bodies as the approximate number of refugees who fled from East Pakistan to India during the 1971 crisis.
The question asks for the specific event that is generally considered the formal beginning of the full-scale war between India and Pakistan in December 1971. This requires knowledge of the chronology of events leading up to and during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
Correct Option: D) Pakistan launched pre-emptive airstrikes on Indian airbases on 3 December 1971