General Awareness · English Language

Indian Literature and Authors

9,599 Questions

Indian Literature and Authors is a crucial topic for competitive exams, focusing on famous writers, notable books, and literary awards. Questions cover various regional, postcolonial, and historical texts. This collection helps test takers prepare effectively for general awareness sections.

Famous Indian authorsNotable Indian novelsPostcolonial literatureLiterary award winnersRegional Indian literature

Indian Literature and Authors Questions

Multiple choice

Gul-i-Naghma is a well known work by

  1. Mirza Ghalib

  2. Bahadur Shah Zafar

  3. Firaq Gorakhpuri

  4. Ahmed Faraz
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Gul-i-Naghma is a renowned poetic work by Raghupati Sahay 'Firaq Gorakhpuri' (1896-1982), one of the most celebrated Urdu poets of the 20th century. He received the Jnanpith Award in 1968 for his contributions to Urdu literature.

Multiple choice

The book ' Meghdoot' is written by

  1. Ravi Shankar

  2. Kalidas

  3. Munshi Prem Chand

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Meghdoot (Meghaduta) is a Sanskrit lyric poem written by the ancient Indian poet Kalidasa around the 4th-5th century CE. It's about a cloud messenger (megh-doot) carrying a message from an exiled yaksha to his wife. Kalidasa is considered one of India's greatest Sanskrit poets, also known for works like 'Abhijnanasakuntalam' and 'Raghuvamsa'.

Multiple choice

Who is the author of 'Ashtadhyai'?

  1. Charak

  2. Aryabhatta

  3. Vishnu Sharma

  4. Panini
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Panini, the ancient Sanskrit grammarian from Gandhara (modern Pakistan/Afghanistan region), wrote Ashtadhyayi around 500 BCE. This work is a comprehensive treatise on Sanskrit grammar and linguistics, consisting of eight chapters. Charak was a physician (Ayurveda), Aryabhatta was an astronomer-mathematician, and Vishnu Sharma wrote Panchatantra.

Multiple choice

The author of “A Town Called Malgudi” is

  1. Mulk Raj Anand

  2. R.K. Narayan

  3. Salman Rushdie

  4. Khushwant Singh
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

R.K. Narayan is the author of 'Malgudi Days' and created the fictional town of Malgudi where many of his stories are set. His works capture everyday life in small-town India. 'A Town Called Malgudi' is one of his famous collections.

Multiple choice

The film 'Devdas' is based on a novel written by

  1. Sarat Chandra Chatterji

  2. Bankim Chandra

  3. Mahashweta Devi

  4. Rabindra Nath Tagore
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Devdas is based on the famous Bengali novel 'Devdas' written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (also spelled Chatterji). The novel has been adapted into films multiple times in Indian cinema. Bankim Chandra wrote 'Anandamath', Mahashweta Devi was a renowned feminist writer, and Rabindranath Tagore wrote 'Ghare Baire' and 'Gitanjali'.

Multiple choice

Who wrote 'Indica'?

  1. Seleuccus

  2. Kautilya

  3. Chandra Gupta

  4. Megasthenese
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Megasthenes wrote 'Indica' around 300 BCE as an account of his observations in India during his time as the Greek ambassador to the court of Chandragupta Maurya. Although the original text is lost, fragments quoted by later authors provide valuable insights into ancient Indian society, geography, and politics.

Multiple choice

'The Man-Eaters of Kumaon' is a well-known book by

  1. Edmund Hillary

  2. JP Dalvi

  3. Jim Corbett

  4. Kailash Sankhla
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Jim Corbett (1875-1955) was a British-Indian hunter and conservationist who authored 'The Man-Eaters of Kumaon' (1944). The book chronicles his experiences hunting man-eating tigers and leopards in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Corbett later became a prominent wildlife conservationist, and India's oldest national park is named in his honor.