Who among the following is associated with 'Songs from Prison', a translation of ancient Indian religious lyrics in English?
- A.Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- B.Jawaharlal Nehru
- C.Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
- D.Sarojini Naidu
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. While held in Yerwada jail, Gandhi translated old Indian hymns and devotional lyrics into English, and these were published as 'Songs from Prison'.
Gandhi spent long spells in Yerwada Central Jail near Poona in the 1930s and used the time to render Sanskrit and other devotional verses, including passages from the Upanishads and the songs sung at his ashram prayers, into simple English prose. The British writer John S. Hoyland put them into English verse, and the collection appeared in 1934 under the title 'Songs from Prison'. It shows how closely Gandhi's politics were tied to his daily prayer.
A is wrong: Tilak's prison writing was the Gita Rahasya, a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita written in Mandalay jail. B is wrong: Nehru wrote Glimpses of World History and The Discovery of India in prison, not translations of hymns. D is wrong: Sarojini Naidu was a poet of her own English verse, such as The Golden Threshold and The Bird of Time.
Exam tip: prison writings = Gandhi (Songs from Prison, Yerwada), Tilak (Gita Rahasya, Mandalay), Nehru (Discovery of India, Ahmednagar Fort).
Practice Questions
View allWho among the following is the author of the Kiratarjuniya?
- A.Magha
- B.Bharavi
- C.Bhasa
- D.Bhavabhuti
Show answer
The Kiratarjuniya, a Sanskrit epic poem of the sixth century, was written by Bharavi. The Kiratarjuniya tells, in 18 cantos, a story from the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata: Arjuna performs penance to win divine weapons, and Shiva tests him by appearing as a Kirata, a mountain hunter.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is a work attributed to playwright Bhasa ?
- A.Kavyalankara
- B.Natyashastra
- C.Madhyama-vyayoga
- D.Mahabhashya
Show answer
Madhyama-vyayoga is a one-act Sanskrit play by Bhasa, based on an episode from the Mahabharata. Bhasa is one of the earliest known Sanskrit dramatists, admired by Kalidasa himself.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following is the author of the book, Bandi Jivan ?
- A.Rash Behari Bose
- B.Veer Savarkar
- C.Aruna Asaf Ali
- D.Sachindranath Sanyal
Show answer
The revolutionary Sachindranath Sanyal wrote Bandi Jivan, an account of his life as a prisoner. Sanyal was closely linked with Rash Behari Bose in the Banaras conspiracy and was sent to the Cellular Jail in the Andamans.
Read the full explanation →With reference to ancient Indian History, consider the following pairs:
Literary work : Author
1. Devichandragupta : Bilhana
2. Hammira-Mahakavya : Nayachandra Suri
3. Milinda-panha : Nagarjuna
4. Nitivakyamrita : Somadeva Suri
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
- A.Only one
- B.Only two
- C.Only three
- D.All four
Show answer
Pairs 2 and 4 are right; pairs 1 and 3 name the wrong authors. The Hammira-Mahakavya, a Sanskrit poem on the Chauhan ruler Hammira of Ranthambore, was written by the Jain poet Nayachandra Suri in the fifteenth century.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following pairs of books and their authors is not correctly matched?
- A.Bandi Jiwan : Sachindranath Sanyal
- B.The Philosophy of the Bomb : Bhagwati Charan Vohra
- C.Indian Unrest : Annie Besant
- D.Desher Katha : Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar
Show answer
'Indian Unrest' (1910) was written by the British journalist Valentine Chirol, not by Annie Besant. Chirol, a writer for The Times, collected his articles on the rise of Indian nationalism into this book and called Bal Gangadhar Tilak the 'father of Indian unrest'.
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