Table of Contents
- Question 29: Languages in Abhijnanasakuntalam
- Question 30: Official Language Replacement in 1835
- Question 31: The "Magna Carta" of Indian Education
- Question 32: Chronology of Indian English Novels
- Question 33: Shakespearean Play Translated by Girish Chandra Ghosh
- Question 34: Match List - Indian Poets and their Works
- Question 35: Statements about R.K. Narayan
- Question 36: Works NOT written by Kamala Markandaya
- Question 37: Plays NOT written by Mahesh Dattani
- Question 38: Books written by Aravind Adiga
- Question 39: Author of Tribute to Papa
Question 29
Abhijnansakuntalam makes use of the following four languages:
Kalidasa's masterpiece Abhijnanasakuntalam (The Recognition of Sakuntala) is a classical Sanskrit play that utilizes a polyglossic structure typical of ancient Indian drama.
In classical Sanskrit theater, language is dictated by the social status and gender of the characters. High-status male characters (like King Dushyanta) speak formal Sanskrit. Women and lower-status characters speak various Prakrits (vernacular dialects), primarily Shauraseni (spoken by the heroines in prose), Maharashtri (used for women's songs/verses), and Magadhi (spoken by menial characters or guards).
Question 30
In 1835, which of the following languages was replaced by English as the official language of the East India Company?
In 1835, following Thomas Babington Macaulay's famous "Minute on Indian Education," the British East India Company passed the English Education Act, replacing Persian with English as the official language of administration and the higher courts.
Prior to this, Persian had served as the administrative and court language for centuries under the Mughal Empire. This shift marked a definitive turning point in colonial India, cementing English as the language of power, governance, and modern education.
Question 31
Choose the correct option from the following options:
Wood's Despatch (1854) is historically designated as the "Magna Carta of English Education in India."
Sent by Sir Charles Wood (President of the Board of Control) to Lord Dalhousie, this landmark document systematically laid out the framework for India's educational system from primary schools to universities. It led to the creation of education departments in every province and the establishment of the Universities of Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras in 1857.
Question 32
Arrange the works in chronological sequence:
A. Rajmohan's Wife
B. A Bend in the Ganges
C. Kanthapura
D. Untouchable
E. Distant Drum
Choose the correct answer from the options given below
The correct chronological sequence of these significant Indian novels is:
- (A) Rajmohan's Wife (1864): Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's work, widely considered the first Indian novel written in English.
- (D) Untouchable (1935): Mulk Raj Anand's groundbreaking novel detailing a single day in the life of Bakha, an outcast sweeper.
- (C) Kanthapura (1938): Raja Rao's classic depicting the impact of Gandhian non-violent resistance on a South Indian village.
- (B) A Bend in the Ganges (1964): Manohar Malgonkar's epic novel spanning the Swadeshi movement to Partition.
- (E) Distant Drum (1960/1975): Manohar Malgonkar's novel chronicling the transition of the British Indian Army into the post-independence Indian Army.
Question 33
Which of the following plays of William Shakespeare was translated into Bengali and directed by Girish Chandra Ghosh?
Girish Chandra Ghosh, a towering figure and the "father of Bengali theater," famously translated and directed William Shakespeare's Macbeth in 1893.
The play was staged at the Star Theatre in Calcutta. Ghosh aimed for a highly faithful, literal translation to introduce Bengali audiences to the raw dramatic power of Shakespeare, playing the title role of Macbeth himself, alongside the legendary actress Tinkari Dasi as Lady Macbeth.
Question 34
Match List I with List II
| List I (Author) | List II (Work) |
|---|---|
| A. Sri Aurobindo | I. Other Poems |
| B. Kamala Das | II. Calcutta: A Long Poem |
| C. P. Lal | III. A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields |
| D. Toru Dutt | IV. Savitri |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Matching major Indian poets to their foundational works:
A. Sri Aurobindo — (IV) Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol. An epic, blank-verse philosophical poem based on the Mahabharata.
B. Kamala Das — (I) Summer in Calcutta and Other Poems. Known for her intensely personal, confessional English poetry.
C. P. Lal — (II) Calcutta: A Long Poem. P. Lal was an influential poet and the founder of the Writers Workshop in Calcutta.
D. Toru Dutt — (III) A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields (1876). A pioneering volume of English translations of French poetry by the young prodigy.
Question 35
Which among the following is correct in the context of R. K. Narayan?
A. His The Guide is an open-ended novel.
B. Most of the characters of his novels are from elite section of society.
C. He wrote a short story titled "The Martyr's Corner."
D. He received the Booker's prize for his novel The Vendor of Sweets.
E. Malgudi is a real-life city in Karnataka.
Choose the correct option given below:
Analyzing the facts regarding R.K. Narayan:
- (A) True: The Guide is an open-ended novel. It ends ambiguously as Raju collapses during his fast; it is left unresolved whether it actually rains or if he survives.
- (C) True: "The Martyr's Corner" is one of his famous short stories, focusing on a street food vendor whose livelihood is destroyed by a political riot.
Why B, D, and E are incorrect: Narayan's characters primarily belong to the middle and lower-middle classes, not the elite. He did not win the Booker Prize (he won the Sahitya Akademi Award for The Guide). Finally, Malgudi is a completely fictional town (though heavily inspired by Mysore and other South Indian locales).
Question 36
Which among the following is NOT written by Kamala Markandaya?
A Time to be Happy (1958) is a novel written by Nayantara Sahgal, not Kamala Markandaya.
Kamala Markandaya, famous for Nectar in a Sieve, is indeed the author of the other three novels listed: Some Inner Fury (1955), exploring the Quit India movement; The Nowhere Man (1972), focusing on racism and immigrant isolation in London; and The Golden Honeycomb (1977), a historical novel about a princely state.
Question 37
Which of the following have NOT been written by Mahesh Dattani?
A. Dance Like a Man
B. Fire and the Rain
C. On A Muggy Night in Mumbai
D. A Touch of Brightness
E. Bravely Fought the Queen
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Mahesh Dattani is the first playwright in English to be awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award. His major plays include Dance Like a Man, On A Muggy Night in Mumbai, and Bravely Fought the Queen.
The plays NOT written by him are:
- (B) The Fire and the Rain was written by the legendary Kannada playwright Girish Karnad.
- (D) A Touch of Brightness was written by Partap Sharma in 1965 (a highly controversial play set in Mumbai's red-light district).
Question 38
Which of the following books are written by Aravind Adiga?
A. The Blue Bedspread
B. Between the Assassinations
C. The House of the Blue Mangoes
D. Last Man in Tower
E. The White Tiger
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Aravind Adiga is a contemporary Indian writer and journalist known for exploring the stark class divides in modern India.
- (E) The White Tiger (2008): His debut novel that won the Man Booker Prize.
- (B) Between the Assassinations (2008): A collection of short stories set in the fictional town of Kittur.
- (D) Last Man in Tower (2011): A novel about the destructive real estate boom in Mumbai.
Why A and C are wrong: The Blue Bedspread is a highly acclaimed novel by Raj Kamal Jha. The House of Blue Mangoes is a multi-generational epic by David Davidar.
Question 39
Tribute to Papa is a book of poems written by:
Tribute to Papa and Other Poems (1970) was written by the prominent bilingual (Hindi and English) author and poet Mamta Kalia.
The collection is known for its candid, ironic, and often rebellious tone against patriarchal norms and middle-class Indian hypocrisy, establishing her as an important, sharp voice in post-independence Indian English poetry alongside her contemporaries like Kamala Das.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the significance of Macaulay's Minute of 1835?
Thomas Babington Macaulay's Minute on Education fundamentally shifted the colonial administration's educational policy in India. It successfully argued that British funds should exclusively support Western education imparted through the medium of the English language, disparaging traditional Sanskrit and Arabic learning as inferior. This led to English replacing Persian as the language of the higher courts.
Who was Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay?
He was a towering 19th-century Bengali novelist, poet, and journalist. While famously known for composing India's national song Vande Mataram in his Bengali novel Anandamath, he also wrote Rajmohan's Wife (1864), which is widely credited as the very first Indian novel written in the English language.
What themes are common in Mahesh Dattani's plays?
Mahesh Dattani focuses heavily on the invisible, marginalized, or taboo aspects of urban Indian society. His plays critically examine gender identity, homosexuality (On a Muggy Night in Mumbai), the lingering trauma of Partition (Final Solutions), and the suffocating weight of traditional patriarchal expectations on individuals (Dance Like a Man).
