1. Consider the following pairs:
| Amir Khusrau | Father of Urdu Literature |
| Yahya ibn Ahmad Sihrindi | Author of Tarikh-i Mubarak Shahi |
| Khwaja Abu Malik Isami | Wrote the Futuh-al-Salatin |
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
[A] Only one pair
[B] Only two pairs
[C] All three pairs
[D] None of the pairs
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [All three pairs]
Notes:- Amir Khusrau: He is often referred to as the Father of Urdu Literature due to his contributions to the development of the language and poetry.
- Yahya ibn Ahmad Sihrindi: He is indeed the author of the Tarikh-i Mubarak Shahi, which provides valuable insights into the Sayyid rulers of Delhi.
- Khwaja Abu Malik Isami: He is the author of Futuh-al-Salatin, which is a comprehensive account of the Delhi Sultanate.
Thus, all three pairs are correct.
2. Consider the following statements:
- The Dawoodi Bohras are members of the Muslim community’s Sunni sect.
- Their leader is known as the Al-Dai-Al-Mutlaq.
- The main language of the community is Lisan al-Dawat, a dialect of Urdu.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] Only 2
[B] Only 1 & 3
[C] Only 2 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Only 2]
Notes:- The Dawoodi Bohras are members of the Muslim community’s Shia
- The Dawoodi Bohra community have inherited a distinguished heritage and rich historical legacy which traces to the Fatimi imams.
- Their leader is known as the Al-Dai-Al-Mutlaq, who first operated from Yemen and then, for the last 450 years, from India.
- The current and the 53rd leader is His Holiness Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin.
- The main language of the community is Lisan al-Dawat, a dialect of Gujarati with inclusions from Arabic and Urdu.
- The leader of the community has the right to excommunicate its members.
- Excommunication includes the action of
- not being allowed to access a mosque belonging to the community
- not being allowed to a burial dedicated to the community
- The Bombay Prevention of Excommunication Act, 1949was enacted to stop the practice of excommunication prevalent in certain communities. It was later repealed.
- This is because, excommunication is said to deprive the legitimate rights and privileges of its members.
3. Which of the following given pairs about poets and their respective languages is/are correct?
- Kayyara Kinhanna Rai – Kannada
- Syed Fazl-ul-Hasan – Urdu
- Ambikagiri Raichoudhury – West Bengal
- Subramania Bharathi – Kerala
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 2 & 3
[C] Only 1 & 4
[D] Only 3 & 4
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Only 1 & 2]
Notes:
Kayyara Kinhanna Rai was a Kannada poet and independence activist, known for works like Aikyagana and Shreemukha. Syed Fazl-ul-Hasan, or Hasrat Mohani, was an Urdu poet and independence activist recognized for his Ghazals. Ambikagiri Raichoudhury, an Assamese poet and independence activist, was called ‘Assam Kesari’ and authored works such as Tumi and Beena. Subramania Bharathi, a Tamil poet and independence activist, was known as ‘Mahakavi Bharathi’ and wrote notable pieces like Kuyil Pattu and Panchali Sabatam.
4. The Ghadar Movement was an important episode in India’s freedom struggle. Consider the following statements regarding Ghadar Movement:
- A weekly paper called “The Ghadar” was started and had its headquarter at San Francisco.
- The first issue of Ghadar was published in Gurumukhi language.
- The Ghadar was published only in Gurumukhi and Urdu Language
- Ghadarites adopted nationalist salute “Bande Mataram”
Which of the above is / are correct?
[A] Only 1 and 4
[B] Only 2 and 3
[C] Only 1, 2, and 4
[D] All of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Only 1 and 4]
Notes:
The first issue of Ghadar was published in Urdu language and then the second issue in Gurumukhi language. The Ghadar was published in Gurumukhi, Urdu, Gujarati and Hindi Language.
5. Consider the following obituaries and associated fields:
- Bilquis Bano – Judge
- Gopi Chand Narang – Urdu writer
- Bhajan Sopori – Instrumentalist
- Anjalai Ponnusamy – Freedom fighter
Which of the pairs given above are matched correctly?
[A] Only 1, 2 & 3
[B] Only 2, 3 & 4
[C] Only 1, 2 & 4
[D] 1, 2, 3 & 4
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Only 2, 3 & 4]
Notes:- Bilquis Bano Edhi often referred to as the ‘mother of orphans’ was a Pakistani nurse. Following her death, Pakistan’s National Assembly passed a resolution recommending that she posthumously receive the country’s highest civilian award, the Nishan-e-Pakistan, for her “unparalleled services to the country”. During her lifetime, Bilquis was conferred the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 1986. She was also recognised with the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice in 2015. One of the hallmarks of Bilquis’ work was the ‘jhoola’ (cradle) project — the placing of metal cribs across Pakistan in an attempt to fight infanticide, specifically female infanticide.
- Gopi Chand Narang was an eminent Urdu scholar, literary critic and former chairperson of Sahitya Akademi. He was awarded the prestigious Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) (2012) by the Government of Pakistan and Padma Bhushan (2004) and Padma Shri (1990) by the Government of India.
- Pandit Bhajan Sopori was an Indian instrumentalist. He was a player of the santoor.
- Anjalai Ponnusamy was a freedom fighter, who fought for India’s independence from colonial Britain.
6. Which organisation adopted an India-sponsored resolution on multilingualism that mentions Hindi, Bangla and Urdu Language?
[A] United Nations
[B] World Economic Forum
[C] International Monetary Fund
[D] World Trade Organisation
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [United Nations]
Notes:
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted an India-sponsored resolution on multilingualism that mentions the Hindi, Bangla and Urdu language for the first time.
The resolution encourages the UN to provide important communications and messages in official and in non-official languages, including in Hindi language. ‘Hindi @ UN’ project was launched in 2018 to enhance the public outreach of the UN in the Hindi language.
7. In which states do people speak Urdu language?
[A] Andhra Pradesh
[B] Delhi
[C] Tamil Nadu
[D] All the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [All the above]
Notes:
In Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Tamil Nadu, people speak Urdu language.
8. Which is the first state in India to make Urdu as the second official language of the state?
[A] Haryana
[B] Uttar Pradesh
[C] Bihar
[D] Tamil Nadu
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Bihar]
Notes:
Bihar is the first state in India to make Urdu as the second official language of the state. Urdu was declared as the second official language of the state in 1981. Before 1981, Hindi was the sole official language of Bihar. Hindi was made sole official language of Bihar after independence through the Bihar Official Language Act, 1950.
9. Which was the first Urdu newspaper of Bihar?
[A] Nurul Anwar
[B] Sad-e-Aam
[C] Inquilab-e-Jadid
[D] Agra Akhbar
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Nurul Anwar]
Notes:
The first Urdu newspaper of Bihar was Nurul Anwar. It was published by Mohammad Hashim from Ara.
10. In which year, first Urdu daily of Bihar was started?
[A] 1880
[B] 1947
[C] 1876
[D] 1850
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [1876]
Notes:
The first Urdu daily of Bihar was started in 1876. During the national struggle Urdu daily played important role in mobilizing the masses. The first Urdu newspaper, Nurul Anwar, was published by Mohammad Hashim from Ara. Sad-e-Aam was published in Patna during the freedom movement. It is published even today. Inquilab-e-Jadid was published from Patna in 1948.
