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Top 10 Generals of Western History

Top 10 Generals of Western History

In our modernized, mechanized age of warfare, where decisions are made by civilians, officers far from any line of combat, congressional committees, and unknown military strategists in committee, an army is a faceless thing. For the last six decades, the idea of massed armies doing battle has been considered a curiosity of the past, and warfare is often viewed more as an endemic state of some sort rather than a series of events.

Once, however, responsibility and consequence were not so diffused. Brilliant strategic, tactical, and logistical minds had immediate and total control of large armies, and those armies became victorious or defeated because of one man’s ability. In our attempt to survey the great generals of history, we must limit ourselves, or at least agree to common terms. For the purposes of this list, those eligible for inclusion must have been field commanders, with undeniable autonomy in their battles; no armchair generals or errand boys here.

10. Attila the Hun

Leader of the Hunnish empire that stretched from the borders of modern day France to the steppes of Russia, this thorn in the side of both Roman and Byzantine empires assembled a massive force of all the tribes and nations traditionally viewed as provincial savages – Huns, Goths, Ostrogoths, Vandals, and many more, and nearly conquered mainland Europe. In the template of other “barbarian” conquerors to come after him, like Genghis Khan, he showed the lie of assumed Western superiority; and whenever your enemies names you “the Scourge of God”, you can assume you’ve proved yourself a respected threat. More images after the break...

9. Frederick the Great

Frederick II of Prussia was a student of modern warfare, and later its guiding voice in the late 18th century. He modernized the army of his disjointed pseudo-German kingdom, and fought continuous wars against Austria, the dominating power of the Holy Roman Empire at the time. Known for both his books and treatises on warfare, as well as leading troops into battle personally (he had six horses shot from under him), Frederick was a force to be reckoned with

8. George S. Patton

The most controversial figure of the Allied forces in WWII, Patton himself may have believed himself to be reincarnated from more ancient warriors, carrying their bravery and experience into his battles. A promising early career helping Pershing hunt Pancho Villa jumpstarted Patton into the armored corps, where he became a mentor to Eisenhower (later promoted over his head). In WWII, he gladly used the Germans’ blitzkrieg against them, using the maneuverability of American armored units to out maneuver German lines and gaining large amounts of ground over short periods of time. His infamous incidents, including troops under his command executing more than one massacre, and Patton’s slapping of a supposedly cowardly soldier in a field hospital, contributed to his decline, but more than anyone else, he led the Allies to victory in Europe.

Notable contemporaries: Benard Montgomery, British general and competitior; Erwin Rommel, Nazi tank commander and adversary

7. Joan of Arc

 The maid of Orleans is the only commander on this list to have had to share command in even her finest moments of victory, but as she is also the only woman, one feels an exception is in order. A French peasant girl who claimed visions from God, she traveled to Charles II, the French king losing the war to the English. Though she was hampered by skepticism at first, Joan influenced several important French victories, leading charges personally, and inspiring French troops to renewed fervor. Tried and executed by an English court for witchcraft, she was later exonerated, beatified, and made the patron saint of France

6. Julius Caesar

 The famed consul of Rome was perhaps the ablest of the late Republic’s military leaders, vying with his co-consul, Pompey for glory in subjugating territory to Rome’s expansionist will. His campaign against the Gauls is still required reading in many military academies, and his defeat of Pompey nearly granted him the kingship of firmly republican Rome. The political and personal treachery that ended his life and provided the opportunity for his nephew, Octavian, to become emperor, is legendary, but Caesar’s successes were more reliant on the loyalty and victory of his armies than political maneuvering.

Notable contemporaries: Pompey the Great (adversary), Marc Antony (protégé)

5. George Washington

 Washington was the pivotal, and probably most successful, leader of the American revolutionary forces vying for independence from the British Empire. Though ably assisted by several subordinates (including Benedict Arnold, whose military acumen has been overshadowed by his famous betrayal), Washington proved the uniting force of the Continental Army, leading it to victory at Trenton and Yorktown, and holding the piecemeal forces together in the hard winter at Valley Forge. Being elected President twice without serious opposition seemed the least Americans could do for their war leader

4. Robert E. Lee

Lee, perhaps the most successful commander in history against numerically and materially superior forces, was the gentle genius in charge of the Army of Northern Virginia and most Confederate forces during the Civil War. He developed a reputation of near omniscience among both enemies and allies, and soundly thrashed Union forces soundly on numerous occasions. His losses, few as they were, were generally more devastating to his opponents than himself, and Ulysses S. Grant, the only general to successfully corner Lee, was forced to adopt a strategy of attrition, rather than any attempt to outfight Lee.

3. Salah ad Din

Saladin, as he is known in our language, was the most outstanding leader of the Crusades, hampering the fledgling crusader states and European invasions with equal aplomb. Known for his calm and rationality, his lack of fanaticism, and his respect for his opponents, he conquered Syria, Egypt, and most of modern day Israel steadily and without great difficulty. He was enormously respected by nearly all of his rivals, and maintained an epistolary friendship with Richard the Lionheart, sending him gifts, horses, and his own physician.

2. Hannibal Barca

The most feared opponent Rome ever faced, this Carthaginian general was raised to the task of defeating the Romans from early childhood by his father, Hasdrubal. Hannibal abandoned previous Carthaginian tactics of passive naval superiority, and marched a force on elephants over the Italian Alps. Defeating the Romans at nearly every battle he fought, he made a Roman general, Quintus Fabius Maximus, famous merely for being able to delay Hannibal’s advance without enormous loss of life (Fabius was granted the title “Cunctator”, or delayer, by the Roman senate). At Cannae, Hannibal’s forces, cobbled together and suffering from losses, routed an enormous Roman army, killing or capturing upwards of fifty thousand enemies. Eventually defeated by Scipio Africanus and deserted by his government, he remained a scourge the Romans invoked to justify razing Carthage.

1. Napoleon Bonaparte

Born a Corsican, Napoleon became by far the most able general of the modern age, rising from obscurity during the Revolution to Consul and Emperor of the French Empire which spanned from Madrid to Moscow and from Oslo to Cairo. Originally an artilleryman, he led campaigns that conquered the Italian States, Austria, Egypt, Prussia, Spain, the Netherlands, Swedish Pomerania, parts of the Caribbean, and large swathes of Russia. Leading brilliant campaigns, using concentrated force in lightning strikes on the field, developing independent and complete army corps (a system still modeled today), installing puppet rulers, conscripting troops from each nation he subdued, and inspiring a host of marshals who were all able tacticians themselves (Murat, Massena, Bernadotte, Ney, and many others), Napoleon revolutionized warfare. No less than four international alliances of powers were required to bring his empire to its knees, and without the simultaneous pressure or Russian winter, British naval domination, Spanish guerillas, and Wellington’s stolid and unbreakable Anglo-Spanish-Portuguese Army, very likely Bonaparte would have sat astride the his European conquests for years to come.

Sadly, this list cannot be exhaustive; our knowledge comes to us through dubious historians, and a mythos that may deny some great leaders their due. Notables who missed the top ten by a hair: Alexander the Great, who conquered most of Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, and large parts of India in a single sweeping campaign, before dying in tears that “there were no more worlds to conquer”; Genghis Khan, whose horde took most of China and Russia; Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, who took Western Europe in the late Dark Ages, defeating native tribes, isolated kingdoms, and Moorish conquerors alike; and of course, contemporaries and rivals of those in the top ten. Wellington, Jackson, Pericles, Leonidas, Grant, Pompey, Garibaldi, and Tokugawa all played their roles, and should not be underestimated lightly. But the ten we have inscribed are perhaps the most iconic, representative, and beloved (or feared) of conquerors, a breed of men that knew the direst times of human history, and thrived in them. We shall not see their like again.

facts you need to know

• The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
• The military salute originated during the medieval times. Knights in armor used to raise their visors to reveal their identity, and the motion later evolved into the modern-day salute.
• The Mills Brothers have recorded the most songs of any artist: about 2,250.
• The minarets ofthe Taj Mahal in India are angled at 88 degrees outwards so that they would not collapse into the structure should an earthquake occur. Read more after the break...

• The minimum number of darts that need to be thrown to complete a single in, double out game of 501 is nine.
• The Miss America Contest was created in Atlantic City in 1921 with the purpose of extending the tourist season beyond Labor Day.
• The model of King Kong used in the original movie was only 18 inches tall.
• The modern Olympic Games were held in the first time in 1896 at Athens and were then followed by the 1900 Paris games. The winter games were added in 1924.
• The mola mola or ocean sunfish lays up to 5,000,000 eggs at one time.
• The Mona Lisa, by daVinci, is 2'6" by 1'9".
• The Mona-Lisa, now hanging in the Louvre museum in Paris, is valued today at $100,000,000.
• The monastic hours are matins, lauds, prime, tierce, sext, nones, vespers and compline.
• The Montreal Canadians of the mid-1950s are the only team to win five straight Stanley Cup championships.
• The Monty Python movie "The Life of Brian" was banned in Scotland.
• The moon actually has mirrors on it. They were left there by astronauts who wanted to bounce laser beams off them, so that the distance to the moon can be measured.
• The most abundant metal in the Earth's crust is aluminum.
• The most collect calls are made on father's day.
• The most common blood type in the world is Type O. The rarest, Type A-H, has been found in less than a dozen people since the type was discovered.
• The most common disease in the world is tooth - decay.
• The most common injury in bowling is a sore thumb.
• The most common street name in the United States is Second Street. First Street isn't first because many times the designation is replaced with the name Main Street.
• The most expensive book or manuscript ever sold at an auction was The Codex Hammer, a notebook belonging to Leonardo da Vinci. It sold for $30.8 million.
• The most expensive movie memorabilia ever sold at an auction was Clark Gable's Academy Award for It Happened One Night. It sold for$607,500 on December 15, 1996.
• The most expensive painting ever sold at auction was Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent van Gogh. On May 15, 1990, Ryoei Saito paid $75 million for it. He followed up that spending spree by paying the second-highest price ever, $71 million for Au Moulin de la Galette by PierreAuguste Renoir, just two days later.
• The most frequently seen birds at feeders across North America last winter were the Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch and American goldfinch, along with downy woodpeckers, blue jays, mourning doves, black-capped chickadees, house sparrows, northern cardinals and european starlings. 
• The most searched thing on yahoo.com every year is p0rn.
• The most snow accumulation in a one-day period was 75.8 inches at Silver Lake, Colorado, in April 1921.
• The most used line in the movies is "Lets get out of here."
• The most widely accepted legend associated to the discovery of coffee is of the goatherder named Kaldi of Ethiopia. Around the year 800-850 A.D., Kaldi was amazed as he noticed his goats behaving in a frisky manner after eating the leaves and berries of a coffee shrub. And, of course, he had to try them!
• The most widely culticated fruit in the world is the Apple.The second is the Pear.
• The motto for the Olympic Games is Citius Altius Fortius. Translated, it means Faster Higher Stronger.
• The mouse is the most common mammal in the US.
• The movie As Good As It Gets is called Mr. Cat Poop in China.
• The movie Quo Vadis had 30,000 extras.
• The Museum of Modern Art in New York City hung Matisse's 'Le Bateau' upside-down for 47 days before an art student noticed the error.
• The muzzle of a lion is like a fingerprint no two lions have the same pattern of whiskers.
• The nail of our middle finger grows the fastest and the nail of our thumb grows slowest.
• The name "Uncle Sam" for the U.S. came from a person known as Uncle Sam Wilson of Troy, NY, who supplied food for the U.S. army in the war of 1812.
• The name for Oz in the Wizard of Oz was thought up when the creator Frank Baum looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N and O-Z.
• The name for the middle part of the nose (the part that separates the nostrils) is called a chaffanu.
• The name 'Intel' stems from the company's former name, 'Integrated Electronics'.
• The name of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.
• The name of the dog from "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" is Max.
• The name of the dog on the Cracker Jack box is Bingo.
• The name of the first airplane flown at Kitty Hawk by the Wright Brothers, on December 17, 1903, was Bird of Prey.
• The name of the Russian space station, Mir, means "peace."
• The name Santa Claus is a corruption of the Dutch dialect name for Saint Nicholas Sint Klass.
• The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan". There was never a recorded Wendy before.
• The name Wendy was made up for the book 'Peter Pan'. It came from the author's friends, whom he called his "fwendy" (friend)
• The name Wendy was made up for the book Peter Pan. There was never a recorded Wendy before it.
• The nation of Monaco on the French Riviera, is smaller than Central Park in New York. Monaco is 370 acres and Central Park is 840 acres.
• The national anthem of Greece has 158 verses.
• The national dish of Scotland, haggis, is made of the heart, liver, lungs and small intestines of a calf. It's then boiled in the stomach of the animal, and seasoned with salt, pepper and onions. Oh, and don't forget to add the suet and oatmeal.
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced in 1978 that it would alternate men's and women's names in the naming of hurricanes. It was seen as an attempt at fair play. Hurricanes had been named for women for years, until NOAA succumbed to pressure from women's groups who were demanding that Atlantic storms be given unisex names.
• The national sport of Nauru, a small Pacific island, is lassoing flying birds.
• The Navy SEALs were formed in 1962.
• The Neanderthal's brain was bigger than yours is.
• The nearest relative of the hippopotamus is the common pig.
• The Netherlands is the lowest country in the world. An estimated 40% of its land is below sea level.
• The New York City Chamber of Commerce is the oldest chamber of commerce in the United States. King George III granted a royal charter for it in 1770.
• The New York phone book had 22 Hitlers listed before World War II .. and none after.
• The New York Yankees have won the most champoinships (26 times) in their respected sport (MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL) for any professional sports team.
• The Nile catfish swim upside down.
• The number 111,111,111 multiplied by itself will result in the number 12,345,678,987,654,321.
• The number 2,520 can be divided by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 without having a fractional leftover.
• The number 37 will wholly divide (no decimals) into 111, 222, 333, 444, 555, 666, 777, 888, and 999.
• The number of atoms in a pound of iron is nearly five trillion trillion: 4,891,500,000,000,000,000,000,000.
• The number of cricket chirps you count in a fifteen-second span, plus 37, will tell you the approximate current air temperature.
• The number of possible ways of playing just the first four moves on each side in a game of chess is 318,979,564,000.
• The number of times a drowning person will rise to the surface depends on how much air is in his lungs. He could rise once, twice, or five times. Or not at all. Obese people will stay afloat longer than skinny people because fat contains air molecules.
• The number of triplets born in the US in 1994 (4,594) was more than triple the number born in 1971 (1,034), an increase attributed to older age of the mothers and the use of fertility-enhancing drugs and techniques.
• The number of VCRs in the United States grew from 52,565,000 in 1987 to 86,825,000 in 1997, a 39.5% increase.
• The numbers "172" can be found on the back of a US $5 bill, in the bushes at the base of the Lincoln memorial.
• The numbers 111 222 333 444 555 666 777 888 999 are all multiples of 37.
• The numbers on opposite sides of a die always add up to seven.
• The nursery rhyme Ring Around the Rosy is a rhyme about the plague. Infected people with the plague would get red circular sores ("Ring around the rosy..."), these sores would smell very badly so common folks would put flowers on their bodies somewhere (inconspicuously), so that it would cover the smell of the sores ("...a pocket full of posies..."), People who died from the plague would be burned so as to reduce the possible spread of the disease ("...ashes, ashes, we all fall down!")
• The Oblivion ride at Alton Towers has a G-force of 5. Thats higher than the G-force of an average NASA take-off!
• The occupations of the three men in a tub were butcher, baker, and candlestick maker.
• The odds against a royal flush in poker are exactly 649,739 to 1.
• The odds of being born male are about 51.2%, according to census.
• The official definition of a desert is any land that where more water evaporates than is acquired through precipitation.
• The official name of the St. Louis Gateway Arch is "The Jefferson National Expansion Monument." The Gateway Arch looks taller than it is wider, but it is exactly 630 feet by 630 feet.
• The official sport for the State of Maryland is jousting.
• The official state song of Georgia since 1922 has been "Georgia on My Mind".
• The Ohio river forms at the confluence of the Allegheny and the Monongahela.
• The oiuja board was invented by Isaac and William Fuld, and was patented July 1, 1892.
• The oldest "cricket" match was played between the USA and Canada in 1844.
• The oldest continuous comic strip still in existence is The Katzenjammer Kids. It first appeared in newspapers in 1897.
• The oldest exposed surface on earth is New Zealand's south island.
• The oldest goldfish lived for 14,795 days.
• The oldest living thing in existence is not a giant redwood, but a bristlecone pine in the White Mountains of California, dated to be aged 4,600 years old.
• The oldest man-made building of any kind still existing is the central edifice of the 4,600-year-old mastaba (a tomb for kings) built at Sakkara, Egypt. It was created to honor King Zoser, the first ruler of the Third Dynasty.
• The oldest musical instrument is probably the flute. It's been discovered that primitive cave dwellers made an instrument from bamboo or some other small hollow wood.
• The oldest person to live was Jeanne Louise Calment, she lived for a whopping 122 years until she died of sm0king related complications. Don't Sm0ke! 
• The oldest recorded document on paper made from fibrous material was a deed of King Roger of Sicily, in the year 1102.
• The oldest tennis court in the world is the one built at Hampton Court in 1530 for Henry VIII.
• The oldest works of art are pictures of animals found in caves in Spain and France. They have been dates as far back as 18,000 years ago.
• The olive branch in the eagle's right talon has 13 leaves.
• The Olympic Games were held in St. Louis, MO. In 1904, the first time that the games were held in the United States. 
• The Olympic was the sister ship of the Titanic, and she provided twenty-five years of service.
• The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is "uncopyrightable"!
• The only animals that can naturally sleep on their backs are humans. No other animal actually does--apes usually sleep sitting up and leaning on something.
• The only big cat that doesn't roar is a Jaguar.
• The only bird that can fly backwards is the hummingbird.
• The only bird that cannot fly is the penguin.
• The only bone in the human body not connected to another is the hyoid, a V-shaped bone located at the base of the tongue between the mandible and the voice box. Its function is to support the tongue and its muscles.
• The only bone not broken so far during any ski accident is one located in the inner ear.
• The only continent without reptiles or snakes is Antarctica.
• The only countries in the world with one syllable in their names are Chad, France, Greece, and Spain.
• The only difference between brown eyes and every other colored eyes is that brown eyes have more pigment.
• The only dog to ever appear in a Shakespearean play was Crab in The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
• The only domestic animal not mentioned in the Bible is the cat.
• The only father and son to hit back-to-back home runs in a major league baseball game: Ken Griffey, Jr., and his father, Ken Griffey, Sr., both of the Seattle Mariners in a game against the California Angels on September 14th, 1990.
• The only food cockroaches won't eat are cucumbers.
• The only jointless bone in your body is the hyoid bone in your throat.
• The only loss Packers' coach Vince Lombardi ever suffered in the postseason was to the Philadelphia Eagles, 17-13, in the 1960 NFL championship game.
• The only member of the British House of Commons who is not allowed to speak is the man called the Speaker of the House.
• The only MLB team to have both its city's name and its team name in a foreign language is the San Diego Padres.
• The only mobile national monuments in the United States are the cable cars in San Francisco.
• The only one of his sculptures that Michelangelo signed was the "The Pieta," completed in 1500.
• The only painting by Leonardo da Vinci on permanent display in the United States hangs in the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. It's a portrait of Ginevra di Benci, the wife of a politician in Florence.
• The only president buried in Washington, D.C. proper: Woodrow Wilson, who was laid to rest in the National Cathedral.
• The only president buried on the grounds of a state capitol: James Polk in Nashville, Tenn.
• The only President in office to weigh less than 100 pounds was James Madison.
• The only President to be head of a labor union was Ronald Reagan.
• The only presidents buried together: John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams are in a basement crypt in Quincy, Mass.
• The only real person to be a PEZ head was Betsy Ross.
• The only repealed amendment to the US Constitution deals with the prohibition of alcohol.
• The only rock that floats in water is pumice.
• The only state allowed to fly its flag at the same height as the U.S. flag is Texas.
• The only three non-Presidents pictured on U.S. paper money are: Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill, Benjamin Franklin on the $100 bill, and Salmon Chase on the $10,000 bill.
• The only time the human population declined was in the years following 1347, the start of the epidemic of the plague 'Black Death' in Europe.(I dont know these are really true or not, i got this mail in my Mail Box, Just enjoy)

Amazing facts about India

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The official Sanskrit name for India is Bharat.  INDIA has been called Bharat even in Satya yuga ( Golden Age ) More INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT India : - 

• The name `India’ is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.
• The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name `Hindustan’ combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.
• The number system was invented by India. Aryabhatta was the scientist who invented the digit zero. More facts after the break...

• Sanskrit is considered as the mother of all higher languages. This is because it is the most precise, and therefore suitable language for computer software. ( a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987 ).
• Chess was invented in India.
• Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies which originated in India.
• The' place value system' and the 'decimal system' were developed in 100 BC in India.
• The first six Mogul Emperor's of India ruled in an unbroken succession from father to son for two hundred years, from 1526 to 1707.
• The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara temple at Tanjavur in Tamil Nadu. The shikhara is made from a single ' 80-tonne ' piece of granite. Also, this magnificient temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola.
• India is.......the Largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest country in the world AND one of the most ancient and living civilizations (at least 10, 000 years old).
• The game of snakes & ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat.' The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. Later through time, the game underwent several modifications but the meaning is the same i.e good deeds take us to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.
• The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after levelling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.
• India has the most post offices in the world !
• The largest employer in the world is the Indian railway system, employing over a million people !.
• The World's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
• Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The father of medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
• Although modern images & descriptions of India often show poverty, India was one of the richest countries till the time of British in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth and was looking for route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
• The art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh 6000 over years ago. The very word 'Navigation' is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.
• Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. His calculations was - Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: ( 5th century ) 365.258756484 days.
• The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, which was long before the European mathematicians.
• Algebra, trigonometry and calculus also orignated from India. Quadratic equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 ( i.e 10 to the power of 53 ) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C. during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera: 10*12( 10 to the power of 12 ).
• Until 1896, India was the only source for diamonds to the world. ( Source . Gemological Institute of America )
• The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.
• Sushruta is regarded as the father of surgery. Over 2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones and also plastic surgery and brain surgeries.
• Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism, physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.

great founders from india

Great Founders

ARYABHATT (476 CE)

MASTER ASTRONOMER AND MATHEMATICIAN

Born in 476 CE in Kusumpur ( Bihar ), Aryabhatt's intellectual brilliance remapped the boundaries of mathematics and astronomy. In 499 CE, at the age of 23, he wrote a text on astronomy and an unparallel treatise on mathematics called "Aryabhatiyam." He formulated the process of calculating the motion of planets and the time of eclipses. Aryabhatt was the first to proclaim that the earth is round, it rotates on its axis, orbits the sun and is suspended in space - 1000 years before Copernicus published his heliocentric theory. He is also acknowledged for calculating p (Pi) to four decimal places: 3.1416 and the sine table in trigonometry. Centuries later, in 825 CE, the Arab mathematician, Mohammed Ibna Musa credited the value of Pi to the Indians, "This value has been given by the Hindus." And above all, his most spectacular contribution was the concept of zero without which modern computer technology would have been non-existent. Aryabhatt was a colossus in the field of mathematics.

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BHASKARACHARYA II (1114-1183 CE)

GENIUS IN ALGEBRA

Born in the obscure village of Vijjadit (Jalgaon) in Maharastra, Bhaskaracharya's work in Algebra, Arithmetic and Geometry catapulted him to fame and immortality. His renowned mathematical works called "Lilavati" and "Bijaganita" are considered to be unparalled and a memorial to his profound intelligence. Its translation in several languages of the world bear testimony to its eminence. In his treatise " Siddhant Shiromani " he writes on planetary positions, eclipses, cosmography, mathematical techniques and astronomical equipment. In the " Surya Siddhant " he makes a note on the force of gravity: "Objects fall on earth due to a force of attraction by the earth. Therefore, the earth, planets, constellations, moon, and sun are held in orbit due to this attraction." Bhaskaracharya was the first to discover gravity, 500 years before Sir Isaac Newton . He was the champion among mathematicians of ancient and medieval India . His works fired the imagination of Persian and European scholars, who through research on his works earned fame and popularity.

ACHARYA KANAD (600 BCE)

FOUNDER OF ATOMIC THEORY

As the founder of " Vaisheshik Darshan "- one of six principal philosophies of India - Acharya Kanad was a genius in philosophy. He is believed to have been born in Prabhas Kshetra near Dwarika in Gujarat . He was the pioneer expounder of realism, law of causation and the atomic theory. He has classified all the objects of creation into nine elements, namely: earth, water, light, wind, ether, time, space, mind and soul. He says, "Every object of creation is made of atoms which in turn connect with each other to form molecules." His statement ushered in the Atomic Theory for the first time ever in the world, nearly 2500 years before John Dalton . Kanad has also described the dimension and motion of atoms and their chemical reactions with each other. The eminent historian, T.N. Colebrook , has said, "Compared to the scientists of Europe , Kanad and other Indian scientists were the global masters of this field."

NAGARJUNA (100 CE)

WIZARD OF CHEMICAL SCIENCE

He was an extraordinary wizard of science born in the nondescript village of Baluka in Madhya Pradesh . His dedicated research for twelve years produced maiden discoveries and inventions in the faculties of chemistry and metallurgy. Textual masterpieces like " Ras Ratnakar ," "Rashrudaya" and "Rasendramangal" are his renowned contributions to the science of chemistry. Where the medieval alchemists of England failed, Nagarjuna had discovered the alchemy of transmuting base metals into gold. As the author of medical books like "Arogyamanjari" and "Yogasar," he also made significant contributions to the field of curative medicine. Because of his profound scholarliness and versatile knowledge, he was appointed as Chancellor of the famous University of Nalanda . Nagarjuna's milestone discoveries impress and astonish the scientists of today.

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ACHARYA CHARAK (600 BCE)

FATHER OF MEDICINE

Acharya Charak has been crowned as the Father of Medicine. His renowned work, the " Charak Samhita ", is considered as an encyclopedia of Ayurveda. His principles, diagoneses, and cures retain their potency and truth even after a couple of millennia. When the science of anatomy was confused with different theories in Europe , Acharya Charak revealed through his innate genius and enquiries the facts on human anatomy, embryology, pharmacology, blood circulation and diseases like diabetes, tuberculosis, heart disease, etc. In the " Charak Samhita " he has described the medicinal qualities and functions of 100,000 herbal plants. He has emphasized the influence of diet and activity on mind and body. He has proved the correlation of spirituality and physical health contributed greatly to diagnostic and curative sciences. He has also prescribed and ethical charter for medical practitioners two centuries prior to the Hippocratic oath. Through his genius and intuition, Acharya Charak made landmark contributions to Ayurvedal. He forever remains etched in the annals of history as one of the greatest and noblest of rishi-scientists.

ACHARYA SUSHRUT (600 BCE)

FATHER OF PLASTIC SURGERY

A genius who has been glowingly recognized in the annals of medical science. Born to sage Vishwamitra, Acharya Sudhrut details the first ever surgery procedures in " Sushrut Samhita ," a unique encyclopedia of surgery. He is venerated as the father of plastic surgery and the science of anesthesia. When surgery was in its infancy in Europe , Sushrut was performing Rhinoplasty (restoration of a damaged nose) and other challenging operations. In the " Sushrut Samhita ," he prescribes treatment for twelve types of fractures and six types of dislocations. His details on human embryology are simply amazing. Sushrut used 125 types of surgical instruments including scalpels, lancets, needles, Cathers and rectal speculums; mostly designed from the jaws of animals and birds. He has also described a number of stitching methods; the use of horse's hair as thread and fibers of bark. In the " Sushrut Samhita ," and fibers of bark. In the " Sushrut Samhita ," he details 300 types of operations. The ancient Indians were the pioneers in amputation, caesarian and cranial surgeries. Acharya Sushrut was a giant in the arena of medical science.

VARAHAMIHIR (499-587 CE)

EMINENT ASTROLOGER AND ASTRONOMERA

Renowned astrologer and astronomer who was honored with a special decoration and status as one of the nine gems in the court of King Vikramaditya in Avanti ( Ujjain ). Varahamihir's book "panchsiddhant" holds a prominent place in the realm of astronomy. He notes that the moon and planets are lustrous not because of their own light but due to sunlight. In the " Bruhad Samhita " and " Bruhad Jatak ," he has revealed his discoveries in the domains of geography, constellation, science, botany and animal science. In his treatise on botanical science, Varamihir presents cures for various diseases afflicting plants and trees. The rishi-scientist survives through his unique contributions to the science of astrology and astronomy.

ACHARYA PATANJALI (200 BCE)

FATHER OF YOGA

The Science of Yoga is one of several unique contributions of India to the world. It seeks to discover and realize the ultimate Reality through yogic practices. Acharya Patanjali , the founder, hailed from the district of Gonda (Ganara) in Uttar Pradesh . He prescribed the control of prana (life breath) as the means to control the body, mind and soul. This subsequently rewards one with good health and inner happiness. Acharya Patanjali 's 84 yogic postures effectively enhance the efficiency of the respiratory, circulatory, nervous, digestive and endocrine systems and many other organs of the body. Yoga has eight limbs where Acharya Patanjali shows the attainment of the ultimate bliss of God in samadhi through the disciplines of: yam, niyam, asan, pranayam, pratyahar, dhyan and dharna. The Science of Yoga has gained popularity because of its scientific approach and benefits. Yoga also holds the honored place as one of six philosophies in the Indian philosophical system. Acharya Patanjali will forever be remembered and revered as a pioneer in the science of self-discipline, happiness and self-realization.

ACHARYA BHARADWAJ (800 BCE)

PIONEER OF AVIATION TECHNOLOGY
Acharya Bharadwaj had a hermitage in the holy city of Prayag and was an ordent apostle of Ayurveda and mechanical sciences. He authored the " Yantra Sarvasva " which includes astonishing and outstanding discoveries in aviation science, space science and flying machines. He has described three categories of flying machines: 1.) One that flies on earth from one place to another. 2.) One that travels from one planet to another. 3.) And One that travels from one universe to another. His designs and descriptions have impressed and amazed aviation engineers of today. His brilliance in aviation technology is further reflected through techniques described by him:
1.) Profound Secret: The technique to make a flying machine invisible through the application of sunlight and wind force.
2.) Living Secret: The technique to make an invisible space machine visible through the application of electrical force.
3.) Secret of Eavesdropping: The technique to listen to a conversation in another plane.
4.) Visual Secrets: The technique to see what's happening inside another plane.
Through his innovative and brilliant discoveries, Acharya Bharadwaj has been recognized as the pioneer of aviation technology.

ACHARYA KAPIL (3000 BCE)

FATHER OF COSMOLOGY
Celebrated as the founder of Sankhya philosophy, Acharya Kapil is believed to have been born in 3000 BCE to the illustrious sage Kardam and Devhuti. He gifted the world with the Sankhya School of Thought. His pioneering work threw light on the nature and principles of the ultimate Soul (Purusha), primal matter (Prakruti) and creation. His concept of transformation of energy and profound commentaries on atma, non-atma and the subtle elements of the cosmos places him in an elite class of master achievers - incomparable to the discoveries of other cosmologists. On his assertion that Prakruti, with the inspiration of Purusha, is the mother of cosmic creation and all energies, he contributed a new chapter in the science of cosmology. Because of his extrasensory observations and revelations on the secrets of creation, he is recognized and saluted as the Father of Cosmology.

republic day

The year of 1950 was the time when Indian Republic came into existence. It was on 26th of January, 1950, when the Republic of India gained an official identity. However, the process of forming a Republican nation had been started much before the year of 1950.

Republic Day marks the adoption of India's republican

Definition of Republic

Connoting the basic right of the citizens of the country to vote and elect their representatives, the term Republic has a huge significance in context of India. With a parliament and well-scripted Constitution, the Republic of India had 565 Princely states in 1947. However, all these states had been unified afterwards to be included under the Indian Republic.

Territory of Indian Republic

The territory of India covers 3,287,590 sq km of total area. The coastline of the nation is 7516.5km long while the frontier of the land area is 15,200km long. The positional coordinates of India stretches to 2933 km on the east-west direction. Whereas, the north-south direction of the country is of 3214 km. Situated between the eastern longitude of 68°7' and 97°25', India is placed between 8°4' and 37°6' northern latitude.

Constituent Assembly of Indian Republic

The Constituent Assembly of India initiated the process of forming a full-fledged constitution for the country from 1946. The nation gained freedom on 15th August, 1947. It was on 26th November, 1949 that the Indian Constituent Assembly formed the Constitution of India with 8 schedules and 395 Articles.

States and Territories of Republic of India

The present infrastructure of the Republic of India constitutes 28 states and 7 Union Territories. The states of the country are Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Assam, Sikkim, West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The 7 Union Territories of India are National Capital Territory of Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Puducherry.

Detailed information on the states of Indian Republic and the year, and when they were formed, are given below:

• Bihar is the third most populated state of India. This state was established as a province along with Orissa in 1912 and afterwards became an individual administrative unit controlled by the British Empire.
• Andhra Pradesh, formed in the year of 1953 is the fourth largest state of the country. It is also the fifth most populated Indian state.
• Chhattisgarh, a state in the central India, was created as a separate state in 2000.
• Gujarat, the seventh largest state of India, was established as a state in the year of 1960.
• Assam with a total of 23 districts has been an Indian state since 1947, the year of independence.
• Goa is the smallest state of the country with an area of only 3,702 square kilometer. This state was formed as a state in 1987.
• Arunachal Pradesh came into being on 20th February, 1987
• Mizoram was formed in 1987 in the form of a state. Before that, it was an union territory since 1972.
• Haryana was created in the year of 1966 as a result of the Punjab Reorganisation Act of 1966, when it was separated from Punjab.
• Manipur gained statehood in the year 1972
• West Bengal is the fourth most populated Indian state with the highest population density, which emerged as a separate state after India got independence in 1947
• Punjab was established just after India became an independent nation in 1947
• Kerala came into existence as state in 1956 following the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
• Meghalaya was created with the Garo Hills and the United Khasi and Jaintia Hills, two districts of Assam. After gaining the semi-autonomous status in 1970, Meghalaya was given the status of an Indian state in the year 1972.
• An independent Tripuri Kingdom, Tripura was merged with the independent India in 1949 following the Tripura Merge Agreement. Tripura was given the status of an Indian state in 1972.
• Orissa was declared as a separate province in 1936 and in 1949 all the princely states surrounding Orissa were included in the state.
• Uttarakhand emerged as a state in the year of 2000, when it was separated from Uttar Pradesh.
• Karnataka was declared as a state in 1973. The state, initially known as the State of Mysore, was created after the States Reorganisation Act was passed in 1956.
• Sikkim, the second smallest state with the area of 7,096 square kilometer, was formed in the year 1975.
• Jammu and Kashmir was formed through the Treaty of Amritsar in the year 1847. It has been given status of a state of India in 1947 following the independence of the country.
• Uttar Pradesh, the fifth largest Indian state with the area of 238,566 square kilometer, was created in 2000 after Uttarakhand was separated from the state.
• Rajasthan, the largest Indian state with an area of 342,236 square kilometer, was declared a state in the year 1949.
• Tamil Nadu comprising a total of 30 districts was a part of the Madras state formed in 1947. However, in 1968, the Madras State was renamed as Tamil Nadu.
• Maharashtra, the second most populated state of the country was formed in the year 1960. The state was made from the Bombay Presidency and Central Provinces.
• Nagaland, initially a part of the Assam Province, was made a Union territory in 1957. The region was announced as a state in 1963 following the Naga People's Convention.
• Madhya Pradesh was created in 1950 and given the status of an Indian state in 1956. Madhya Pradesh along with Chhattisgarh was the largest Indian state till 2000, when Chhattisgarh was separated from the state following the Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act.
• Jharkhand, the 28th state of India was created in the year of 2000, when the Bihar Reorganisation Bill was passed.
• Himachal Pradesh was declared as a Union territory in 1956. After the State of Himachal Pradesh Act was passed in 1970, it was established as the eighteenth Indian state in 1971.

The 7 Union Territories of Indian Republic include:

• Delhi, which constitutes 9 districts, was declared as a Union territory in 1958.
• Puducherry including 4 districts was made a Union territory in 1963.
• Dadra and Nagar Haveli, which comprises only one district was given the status of an Indian Union territory in 1961.
• Andaman & Nicobar, which is divided into 2 districts, became an Indian Union territory in 1950.
• Lakshadweep which acquired its present name in 1973 and formed as an Union Territory in 1956
• Chandigarh which achieved the status of a Union Territory after 1947
• Daman & Diuwere which was declared as Union Territory in 1987

The date of January 26 was chosen as the Republic Day since on this very date the Indian National Congress unanimously voted to do away with the Dominion Status of the nation.

rajini baba

Name	Shivaji Gaekwad
Screen Name	Rajnikanth
Nick Names	Superstar
Profession	Actor
Date of Birth	12 Dec 1950
Mother Tongue	Marathi
Birth Place	Bangalore
Height	5 feet 9 inches
Education	* Early education in Acharya Patasala and later in  Raamakrishna Mission, Bangalore(PUC discontinued) * Studied in the Film Institute
Family	Father:Ramoji Rao Mother:Rambhai Sister: Shrimathi Aswathamma Brothers:Sathya Narayana Rao & Nageshwara Rao Wife:Latha Daughters:Aishwarya & Sowandarya Son-in-law:Dhanush Grandson: Yatra
Marriage date	26.02.1981
Earlier worked as	Carpenter, Bus Conductor
Guru	K.Balachander
Spiritual Guru	Satchithananda Swamiji
Debut	Tamil:Aboorva Ragangal Hindi:Andhaa Kanoon Telugu:Anthuleni Katah English: Blood stone Kannada:Katha Sangama Malayalam: Alavudheenum Arputha Vilakkum Bengali: BhagyaDevta
Career Firsts	Hero: Bhairavi Dual role: Billa Triple role:Moondru Mugam Positive role: Kavikuyil Singing: Adikuthu Kuliru (Mannan) Story and Screenplay: Valli Movie dubbed and released in Japan: Muthu
Ardent Devotee of	Shri Raghavendra
Director K.Balachander	* When he was studying in SIFCC institute of film acting, he met Mr.K.Balachander. * Gave him his screen name 'Rajnikanth' * Gave him his first role in films. * Was the only person to encourage him to act in films and gave him good advices. * In the beginning of his career he used to get nightmares of the film he is acting and also Mr.Balachander will be there screaming at him to act properly. * K.Balachander's 'Kavithalaya' started their productions with the film 'Netri kan'
Director S.P.Muthuraman	Directed 25 of his films. Most of them were turning points in his career.
His favourite film of his films	'Mullum Malluram'
Wish list	When he was working as a conductor he wished for Vespa scooter, a single-room apartment, and all the cigarettes money can buy.
Politics	Played a major part in putting together an alliance between the DMK and TMC which won the 1996 Tamil nadu elections.
Admires	Lee Kwan Yew(Former Singapore prime minister)
Dwaraka	The name of his private quarters in his home
Art Films	Does not like to do art films. Feels that the people involved in films should earn money and make people happy.
Health	Yoga and Meditation
Pets	loves dogs
Mannerisms	Swift movements, rapid-fire dialogue delivery
Books	* Autobiography of a Yogi * Gita as it was * Living with the Himalayan Masters' Swami Rama *  Books written by Shri Ramana Maharishi
Favourite	Colour: Black City: Chennai Place: Himalayas Food: Non-Vegetarian items Dress: White Khurtha
Cherishes	Appreciation Letter from K.Balachander for the film "Mullum Malarum"
Owns	Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam
Past time	Likes to spend time alone
Rajini 25	Latha Rajnikanth arranged a mega-show to celebrate 25 years of Rajni in tamil cinema
About him	"I saw a fire in his eyes and an enthusiasm coupled with an urge to prove himself. I immediately realized that he was not just one more run-of-the-mill aspirant" - K.Balachander
Awards	* 2000 Padma Bhushan award from the Govt of India. * Tamil Nadu Govt awards  1999 - Best Actor(Padayappa)  1989 - MGR award  1984- Kalaimamani award  1982- Best Actor (Moondru Mugam)  1978 - Best Actor(mullum Malarum) * Filmfare Awards  1984 - Best Actor(Nallavanuku Nallavan) * Cinema Express Awards  1995- Best Actor(Muthu)  1993 - Best Story writer (Valli)  1992 -  Best Actor( Annamalai)  1991 -  Best Actor(Thalapathy)  1988 - Best Achiever Award(Blood Stone)  1985 - Best Actor(Sri Raagavendirar)  1984 - Best Actor(Nallavanauku Nallavan) * 1995 Best Actor  Screen Awards(Peaddarayadu)
Facts	* Had a very troubled childhood. Lost his mother when he was only 5 years old. * His father was a police constable. * His ancestors were believed to be from a village called Nachiar Kuppam in Dharmapuri Dist. of Tamilnadu. * Got his diploma in acting from Dr.P.N.Reddy. * Was discouraged a lot by his fellow film institute students. * In the beginning he did not know to speak Tamil well. * His film 'Muthu' was dubbed as 'Dancing Maharaja' in Japan and it ran for 23 weeks in Tokyo. Film 'Yejaman' was dubbed as 'Dancing Maharaja II'' * Has acted in two malayalam films and one Bengali film. * Likes to drive on his own. * Had acted in 12 of Amitabh's remade movies in Tamil * When he was working as a conductor his salary was around Rs.750 and one his friends named Raj Bhadhur gave him money to study in the film institute in Chennai. * Always prefers Big banners.
Address	18, Ragaveera avenue, Poes Garden, Chennai- 600086
Quote	Happiness begins when ambition ends.

RAJNIKANTH ENTRY TO THE FILM INDUSTRY:

Rajnikanth was born on December 12 1949 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. He was the fourth child to his parents, Rambhai and Ramoji Rao.His original name was Sivaji Rao Gaekwad. He lost his mother at the age of five. He had his schooling at the Acharya Patasala in Bangalore and then at the Vivekananda Balak Sangh, a unit of the Ramakrishna Mission. His mother tongue is Marathi, though he has not done any films in it.Before starting his career in the film industry, he had to take up all sorts of odd jobs. He served as a bus conductor for Karnataka state transport corporation in Bangalore. It was during this time that he nurtured his acting interests by performing in various stage plays.




ACTING CAREER:

A friend helped him to join the Madras Film institute where Rajnikanth completed basic acting course in 1974 at the age of 25.He started his acting career in Kannada in the movie Kathaa Sangama, directed by Puttanna Kanagal, in 1976.In Tamil, he started with playing supporting roles, beginning as a cancer patient in Apoorva Raagangal (1975), directed by K. Balachander, who assigned him his stage name Rajnikanth. After several villainous roles, his first positive role was Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri (1979), in which Rajnikanth played a
failed lover in the first half and a do-gooder in the second.

The second phase of his life started with K Balaji’s Billa, a superhit disproving the canard spread by detractors that Rajnikant was “finished”. He was accepted as a full-fledged hero. Billa was followed by a row of hits like Pokkiri Raja, Thanikkattu Raja, Naan Mahaan Alla and the all-important Moondru Mugham, in which Rajni essayed a triple role. Even two decades after its release, the last continues to be a box-office draw and Rajni’s fans can never tire of the thalaivar’s verbal clash with villain Senthamarai. K Balachander’s first home production, Nettrikkam proved to be yet another milestone in Rajni’s career.As an actor, Rajnikant’s greatest asset, apart from his style is his sense of humour and comic timing. Like Amitabh Bachchan is popular for his drunken soliloquies, Rajnikant is famous for his comic encounters with snakes, repeated umpteen times.

In the early 80s, Rajnikant made a foray into Bollywood with Andhaa Kanoon, a superhit. But Rajnikant could not concentrate on Hindi films because he was already safely ensconced down South. He still made a few films in Hindi, to mention specially Chaalbaaz which had Sridevi in a dual role.After several films in the Eighties, he played a Hindu saint in his 100th movie, Sri Raghavendra. Many others followed, among them dramas, comedies and, at the end of the eighties, action-oriented family entertainers like Velaikkaran and Manidhan.Annamalai, which released in 1992, was the first Rajini film to gross almost Rs. 100 million at the box office.A new trend where his films’ collections exceed normal regional film expectations started off with Basha, followed by Annamalai, Arunachalam, Ejaman, Muthu and Padayappa. It’s now an accepted fact that only a Rajnikant film can break records set by his own films.Apart from Tamil, Rajnikanth has acted in over 160 movies, including Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and Bengali. He has also acted in a Hollywood movie Bloodstone in 1988.

Rajnikanth was awarded the Padma Bhushan award in the year 2000 and was rated as one of the most influential persons in South Asia by Asia week. Rajnikanth has won the Filmfare Best Actor Award, South on 2 occasions. He is the highest paid actor in India and the second
highest paid actor in Asia after Jackie Chan.

Unlike the eighties, several movies during his nineties were successful, like Muthu or Basha. At 53, his Baba released amid fanfare. Although the film grossed enough to cover its budget, it was viewed as a miserable showing and fell short of market expectations accumulating heavy losses for the distributors. Rajnikanth himself returned the losses back to the distributors who had immense faith in him. The whole affair cost him dear in terms of repute of making a comeback.

Chandramukhi, a remake of the Malayalam movie Manichitrathazhu. Chandramukhi was claimed as one of the most successful Tamil films ever as it ran in theatres for over 700 days since release and still running. His next film, Sivaji: The Boss, directed by S. Shankar will be released in 2007.

RAJNIKANTH FILMOGRAPHY:

DEBUT:

Tamil:Aboorva Ragangal
Hindi:Andhaa Kanoon
Telugu:Anthuleni Katah
English: Blood stone
Kannada:Katha Sangama
Malayalam: Alavudheenum Arputha Vilakkum
Bengali: BhagyaDevta

CAREER FIRSTS:

Hero: Bhairavi
Dual role: Billa
Triple role: Moondru Mugam
Positive role: Kavikuyil
Singing: Adikuthu Kuliru (Mannan)
Story and Screenplay: Valli
Movie dubbed and released in Japan: Muthu
First Film: Katha Sangama
50th Film: Tiger (Telugu)
100th Film: Shri Raghavendra
125th Film: Rajathi Raja
150th Film : Padyappa

AWARDS:

* 2000 Padma Bhushan award from the Govt of India-Tamil Nadu Govt awards
* 1999 - Best Actor(Padayappa)
* 1989 - MGR award
* 1984- Kalaimamani award
* 1982- Best Actor (Moondru Mugam)
* 1978 - Best Actor(mullum Malarum)-Filmfare Awards
* 1984 - Best Actor(Nallavanuku Nallavan)-Cinema Express Awards
* 1995- Best Actor(Muthu)
* 1993 - Best Story writer (Valli)
* 1992 - Best Actor( Annamalai)
* 1991 - Best Actor(Thalapathy)
* 1988 - Best Achiever Award(Blood Stone)
* 1985 - Best Actor(Sri Raagavendirar)
* 1984 - Best Actor(Nallavanauku Nallavan)
* 1995 Best Actor Screen Awards(Peaddarayadu)

AS AN ACTOR:

* Sivaji (2007) .... Shivaji
* Chandramukhi (2005) (as Super Star Rajinikanth) .... Dr.Saravanan/Vettaiyan Raja
* Baba (2002) (as Super Star Rajnikanth) .... Baba
* Bulandi (2000) (as Superstar Rajnikant) .... Ghajraj Thakur
* Padaiyappa (1999) .... Padaiyappa
* Krantikari (1997) (as Rajnikant)
* Arunachalam (1997) .... Arunachalam
* Aatank Hi Aatank (1995) .... Munna
* Badsha (1995) .... Badsha/Manickam
* Muthu (1995) .... Muthu
* Peda Rayudu (1995) .... Murdered Village Chief
* Zameen (1995) (as Rajnikant)
* Veera (1994) .... Muthuveerappan "Veera"
* Ejamaan (1993) .... Vanavarayan
* Insaniyat Ke Devta (1993) .... Anwar
* Uzhaippaali (1993)
* Valli (1993)
* Tyagi (1992) .... Shankar G. 'Dadhu' Dayal
* Mannan (1992) .... Krishna
* Annamalai (1992) .... Annamalai
* Pandian (1992) .... Pandiyan
* Thalapathi (1991) .... Surya
* Nattukku Oru Nallavan (1991)
* Khoon Ka Karz (1991) .... Kishan/Assistant Commissioner Yamdoot
* Farishtay (1991) .... Inspector Arjun Singh Tange
* Hum (1991) (as Rajnikant) .... Kumar
* Dharma Dorai (1991)
* Phool Bane Angaarey (1991) (as Rajnikant) .... Inspector Ranjeet Singh
* Shanti Kranti (1991)
* Adisaya Piravi (1990)
* ChaalBaaz (1989) (as Rajinikant) .... Jaggu
* Bhrashtachar (1989) .... Abdul Sattar
* Gair Kaanooni (1989) (as Rajani Kant) .... Azam Khan
* Kodiparakkudu (1989) .... Erode Shivagiri/Dada
* Mappilai (1989)
* Raajadhi Raaja (1989)
* Raja Chinna Roja (1989)
* Siva (1989)
* Bloodstone (1988) (as Rajni Kanth) .... Shyam Sabu
* Tamacha (1988) (as Rajanikant) .... Vikram Pratap Singh 'Vicky'
* Dharmathin Thalaivan (1988)
* Guru Sisyan (1988)
* Uttar Dakshin (1987)
* Daku Hasina (1987) .... Mangal Singh
* Velaikkaaran (1987)
* Asli Naqli (1986) (as Rajnikant) .... Birju Ustad
* Bhagwan Dada (1986) .... Bhagwaan Dada
* Dosti Dushmani (1986)
* Maaveran (1986)
* Mr. Bharath (1986/I)
* Naan Adimai Illai (1986)
* Geraftaar (1985) (as Rajanikanth) .... Inspector Hussein (Guest Appearance)
* Wafadaar (1985) (as Rajani Kant) .... Ranga
* Bewafai (1985) .... Ranvir
* Mahaguru (1985) .... Vijay (Maha Guru)
* Aaj Ka Dada (1985)
* Ek Saudagar (1985) .... Kishore
* Naan Sigappu Manithan (1985)
* Padikkathavan (1985)
* Sree Raaghavendar (1985) .... Venkatanathan
* Unn Kannil Neer Vazhindal (1985)
* John Jani Janardhan (1984) .... Janardhan Gupta
* Gangvaa (1984)
* Insaaf Kaun Karega (1984) (as Rajnikant) .... Police Inspector Vikram Singh
* Meri Adalat (1984) (as Rajnikant)
* Aakhri Sangram (1984) .... Bholu Pandit
* Anbulla Rajanikant (1984)
* Bhooka Sher (1984)
* Kai Kodukkam Kai (1984) .... Kaalimuthu
* Naan Mahaan Alla (1984)
* Nallavanukku Nallavan (1984)
* Thambikku Entha Ooru (1984)
* Zulm Ki Zanjeer (1984)
* Jeet Hamaari (1983) (as Rajinikanth) .... Raju
* Adutha Varisu (1983)
* Andhaa Kanoon (1983) .... Vijay Kumar Singh
* Moondru Mugham (1983) .... Alex Pandiyan
* Paayum Puli (1983) (as Rajinikant)
* Sivappu Sooriyan (1983)
* Thanga Magan (1983)
* Agni Sakshi (1982)
* Engeyo Ketta Kural (1982)
* Pokkiri Raja (1982)
* Pudhu Kavithai (1982)
* Ranga (1982)
* Thanikatu Raja (1982)
* Thee (1981)
* Black Cobra (1981)
* Garjanai (1981)
* Kazhagu (1981)
* Netri Kann (1981)
* Ranuva Veeran (1981)
* Thillu Mullu (1981) .... Chandran/Indiran
* Kaali (1980) .... Kaali
* Anbukku Naan Adimai (1980)
* Billa (1980) .... Billa
* Ellaam Un Kairaasi (1980)
* Johnny/Jani (1980)
* Murattu Kaalai (1980) .... Kaaliyan
* Naan Potta Savaal (1980)
* Ram Robert Rahim (1980) .... Ram
* Aarilirindhu Aruvathu Varai (1979)
* Alavuddinum Athbutha Vilakkum (1979) .... Kamruddin
* Annai Oru Aalayam (1979)
* Dharma Yuddham (1979)
* Johnny (1979)
* Kuppathu Raja (1979)
* Naan Vaazha Vaippen (1979) .... Michael
* Ninaithale Inikkum (1979)
* Thai Illamal Naan Illai (1979)
* Shankar Saleem Simon (1978)
* Aval Appadithaan (1978) .... Advertising Boss
* Bhairavi (1978)
* Ilamai Oonjal Aadukirathu (1978) .... Murli
* Mullum Malarum (1978) .... Kali
* Priya (1978)
* Thappitha Thala (1978)
* Aadu Puli Atham (1977)
* Avargal (1977) .... Ramnath
* Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri (1977)
* Chilakamma Cheppindi (1977) .... Kasi
* Gayatri (1977)
* Pathinaru Vayathinile (1977) .... Parattayan
* Anthuleni Katha (1976) .... Murthy
* Moondru Mudichu (1976)
* Apoorva Raagangal (1975)
* Katha Sangama (1975)

AS A WRITER:

1. Baba (2002) (screenplay) (story)

AS PRODUCER:

1. Baba (2002) (producer)