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Generate QuizLiterature – GK Questions
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Vikram Seth's novel 'A Suitable Boy' is notable for which of the following reasons?
- It is the longest novel ever published in a single volume in English.
- It won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
- It was banned in India upon release.
- It was written entirely in verse.
Answer: It is the longest novel ever published in a single volume in English.
Published in 1993, 'A Suitable Boy' is one of the longest novels in the English language, spanning over 1,300 pages and exploring post-independence Indian society.
The novel 'Kanthapura', which narrates the impact of Gandhian philosophy on a South Indian village, was written by ________.
- R.K. Narayan
- Raja Rao
- Vikram Seth
- Arundhati Roy
Answer: Raja Rao
Raja Rao published 'Kanthapura' in 1938. It is celebrated for its unique narrative style that attempts to capture the rhythm of Indian speech in English.
Who is the author of the novel 'Untouchable' (1935), which depicts a day in the life of a sweeper named Bakha?
- Raja Rao
- Mulk Raj Anand
- Premchand
- Khushwant Singh
Answer: Mulk Raj Anand
Mulk Raj Anand wrote 'Untouchable' to highlight the social stigma and discrimination faced by the Dalit community in India. E.M. Forster wrote its preface.
R.K. Narayan's fictional town 'Malgudi' was first introduced in the novel 'Swami and Friends'.
- True
- False
Answer: True
R.K. Narayan introduced the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi in his debut novel 'Swami and Friends' published in 1935.
Which book by Mahatma Gandhi outlines his vision of an ideal, self-reliant Indian society?
- My Experiments with Truth
- Hind Swaraj
- Constructive Programme
- Key to Health
Answer: Hind Swaraj
Written in 1909, 'Hind Swaraj' (Indian Home Rule) expresses Gandhi's thoughts on civilization, machinery, and the nature of true independence (Swaraj).
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's controversial and highly influential speech, later published as a book, is titled ________.
- Annihilation of Caste
- Waiting for a Visa
- Who Were the Shudras?
- The Untouchables
Answer: Annihilation of Caste
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar wrote 'Annihilation of Caste' in 1936 as an undelivered speech for the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal. It is a foundational text against the caste system.
The collection of poems 'The Golden Threshold' was authored by:
- Sarojini Naidu
- Toru Dutt
- Kamini Roy
- Cornelia Sorabji
Answer: Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu, known as the Nightingale of India, published her first collection of poems, 'The Golden Threshold', in 1905.
Bharatendu Harishchandra is often referred to as the father of modern Hindi literature.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Bharatendu Harishchandra was a pioneering Hindi writer and playwright whose works initiated the modern literary era in Hindi, known as the 'Bharatendu Yug'.
Who wrote the play 'Neel Darpan' which highlighted the plight of indigo cultivators?
- Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
- Dinabandhu Mitra
- Rabindranath Tagore
- Girish Chandra Ghosh
Answer: Dinabandhu Mitra
Dinabandhu Mitra wrote 'Neel Darpan' (The Indigo Mirror) in 1860. It exposed the brutal exploitation of indigo farmers by British planters, sparking public outrage.
The song 'Vande Mataram' was originally published in the novel ________.
- Anandamath
- Kapalkundala
- Durgeshnandini
- Gora
Answer: Anandamath
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee wrote 'Vande Mataram' and included it in his 1882 Bengali novel 'Anandamath'. It became a major rallying cry for the Indian independence movement.
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 'Buddhacharita', an epic poem in Sanskrit narrating the life of Gautama Buddha, was written by:
- Kalidasa
- Banabhatta
- Ashvaghosha
- Harsha
Answer: Ashvaghosha
Ashvaghosha was an Indian philosopher and poet who wrote the Buddhacharita in the early 2nd century CE. It is one of the earliest examples of Sanskrit epic poetry (Kavya).
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.