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Generate QuizLiterature – Medium Level – GK Questions
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Which Sufi saint and poet wrote the famous Awadhi romantic epic 'Padmavat'?
- Amir Khusrau
- Malik Muhammad Jayasi
- Qutb
- Manjhan
Answer: Malik Muhammad Jayasi
Malik Muhammad Jayasi composed 'Padmavat' in 1540 in the Awadhi dialect. It is an allegorical epic about the Queen of Chittor, Padmini.
The 'Tevaram' is a collection of hymns composed by the Vaishnavite Alvars.
- True
- False
Answer: False
The Tevaram is a collection of hymns composed by the three prominent Nayanars (Shaivite saints: Appar, Sambandar, and Sundarar). The Alvars composed the Divya Prabandham.
Alberuni's 'Kitab-ul-Hind' is primarily a study of:
- The military conquests of Mahmud of Ghazni
- Indian culture, science, and religion
- The genealogy of the Delhi Sultans
- The administrative system of the Cholas
Answer: Indian culture, science, and religion
Alberuni, an 11th-century Persian scholar, wrote Kitab-ul-Hind (Tarikh al-Hind) to provide a comprehensive account of Indian society, culture, and sciences to the Islamic world.
The Persian epic 'Shahnameh' (The Book of Kings) was composed by ________.
- Amir Khusrau
- Firdausi
- Alberuni
- Abul Fazl
Answer: Firdausi
Firdausi composed the Shahnameh, the national epic of Greater Iran. It is the longest epic poem ever written by a single poet.
Who wrote the Sanskrit play 'Mrichchhakatika' (The Little Clay Cart)?
- Bhasa
- Shudraka
- Bhavabhuti
- Vishakhadatta
Answer: Shudraka
Mrichchhakatika is a Sanskrit play attributed to Shudraka. It is a rare ancient Indian play that focuses on the lives of commoners and merchants rather than royalty or heroes.
Kalhana's 'Rajatarangini' is a historical chronicle of the kings of Kashmir.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Written in Sanskrit by Kalhana in the 12th century, Rajatarangini (River of Kings) is a metrical historical chronicle of the north-western Indian subcontinent, particularly the kings of Kashmir.
The early Buddhist texts, collectively known as the Tripitaka, were originally written in the ________ language.
- Sanskrit
- Pali
- Prakrit
- Ardhamagadhi
Answer: Pali
The Tripitaka (Three Baskets) is the traditional term for the Buddhist scriptures. The version most commonly known is the Pali Canon of the Theravada school.
Which of the following is considered the oldest extant Tamil grammar book?
- Tirukkural
- Tolkappiyam
- Silappatikaram
- Manimekalai
Answer: Tolkappiyam
The Tolkappiyam, attributed to Tolkappiyar, is the oldest extant Tamil grammar book and the oldest extant long work of Tamil literature.
Who wrote the novel 'The Brothers Karamazov'?
- Leo Tolstoy
- Fyodor Dostoevsky
- Anton Chekhov
- Ivan Turgenev
Answer: Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote 'The Brothers Karamazov', his final novel, exploring faith, doubt, and morality.
The Man Booker Prize was originally open only to writers from the Commonwealth, Ireland, and Zimbabwe.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Until 2014, the Man Booker Prize was restricted to Commonwealth, Irish, and Zimbabwean writers. It is now open to all English-language novels.
Who wrote the Odia novel 'Chha Maana Atha Guntha'?
- Fakir Mohan Senapati
- Gopinath Mohanty
- Surendra Mohanty
- Kanhucharan Mohanty
Answer: Fakir Mohan Senapati
Fakir Mohan Senapati wrote 'Chha Maana Atha Guntha' (Six Acres and a Third), a classic of Odia literature.
The novel 'Beloved' was written by ________.
- Toni Morrison
- Alice Walker
- Maya Angelou
- Zora Neale Hurston
Answer: Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize for 'Beloved' in 1988. She later won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Who wrote the novel 'The Room on the Roof'?
- Ruskin Bond
- R.K. Narayan
- Premchand
- Khushwant Singh
Answer: Ruskin Bond
Ruskin Bond wrote 'The Room on the Roof' in 1956. It is a semi-autobiographical novel about an Anglo-Indian boy.
Who wrote the novel 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'?
- Oscar Wilde
- Lewis Carroll
- Robert Louis Stevenson
- Arthur Conan Doyle
Answer: Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde published 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' in 1890. It is a philosophical novel about vanity and moral corruption.
Jayadeva wrote the 'Gita Govinda'.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Jayadeva, a 12th-century poet, wrote the 'Gita Govinda', a song about the love of Krishna and Radha.
The Costa Book Awards are primarily associated with which country?
- USA
- UK
- Canada
- Australia
Answer: UK
The Costa Book Awards (formerly Whitbread) are literary awards in the United Kingdom.
The book 'The Great Indian Novel' was written by ________.
- Shashi Tharoor
- Salman Rushdie
- Vikram Seth
- Amitav Ghosh
Answer: Shashi Tharoor
Shashi Tharoor wrote 'The Great Indian Novel' in 1989, reimagining the Mahabharata in the context of the Indian independence movement.
Who wrote the novel 'Jane Eyre'?
- Emily Bronte
- Charlotte Bronte
- Anne Bronte
- George Eliot
Answer: Charlotte Bronte
Charlotte Bronte published 'Jane Eyre' in 1847. It is a novel about the experiences of the titular character.
The 'Kural' (Thirukkural) was written by:
- Ilango Adigal
- Thiruvalluvar
- Kamban
- Subramania Bharati
Answer: Thiruvalluvar
Thiruvalluvar wrote the Thirukkural, a classic Tamil sangam literature consisting of 1,330 couplets on ethics, politics, and love.
Franz Kafka wrote 'The Metamorphosis'.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Franz Kafka published 'The Metamorphosis' in 1915. It tells the story of Gregor Samsa, who turns into a giant insect.