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

'Kitne Pakistan' is written by

  1. M. A. Jinnah

  2. Kamleshwar

  3. Kamini

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

Kitne Pakistan is a famous Hindi novel by Kamleshwar, exploring themes of partition and identity in the aftermath of India's division.

Multiple choice

Who is the author of A passage to England?

  1. Nirad C. Chowdhry

  2. E.M. Forester

  3. Naipal

  4. Salman Rushdie
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Nirad C. Chaudhuri authored 'A Passage to England' in 1959, a reflective work on English society and culture. E.M. Forster wrote 'A Passage to India' - a different book with a similar title. Naipaul and Rushdie are different authors entirely.

Multiple choice

Who among the following represents the Sri Lankan diaspora?

  1. M.G. Vassanji

  2. Cyril Debydeen

  3. Michael Ondaatje

  4. Arnold H. Itwaru
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Michael Ondaatje, born in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), is a major voice of the Sri Lankan diaspora. Works like 'Running in the Family' explore his Sri Lankan heritage and identity. M.G. Vassanji is East African-Indian, while Itwaru is Caribbean.

Multiple choice

Who has written the book The General and Jihad ?

  1. Wilson john

  2. Rasood Ahmed

  3. Peter Guntur

  4. Zarwari Hasan

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The book "The General and Jihad" was written by Wilson John. The author's name appears as "Wilson john" in option A (lowercase 'j'), which is clearly a formatting error but this is the correct answer. This book deals with issues related to terrorism, military strategy, and security challenges.

Multiple choice

The book The Post Office is written by

  1. K.R. Narayan

  2. Priya Ranjandas Munshi

  3. Rabindranath Tagore

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

The Post Office (Dak Ghar) is a play by Rabindranath Tagore, written in 1912. It's a poignant drama about a young boy Amal who awaits a letter from the King. K.R. Narayan, Priya Ranjandas Munshi, and Premchand are other prominent Indian writers but not the author of this work.

Multiple choice

Name the Indian novelist, who won the Man Booker Prize this year, one of the world's most prestigious literary awards.

  1. Aravind Adiga

  2. Aravind Arora

  3. Aravind Sinha

  4. Aravind Desai
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Aravind Adiga won the Man Booker Prize in 2008 for his novel 'The White Tiger'. This was a significant literary achievement, making him one of the Indian authors to receive this prestigious award. The question uses 'this year' which lacks temporal context, but based on the answer options, Adiga is the correct choice.

Multiple choice

Name the novel of Salman Rushdie which outraged many Muslims and prompted death threats that forced him to live in hiding.

  1. Midnight's Children

  2. The Satanic Verses

  3. A Suitable Boy

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

The Satanic Verses (1988) contained perceived depictions of Prophet Muhammad that outraged many Muslims, leading to a fatwa and death threats from Ayatollah Khomeini. Midnight's Children is his celebrated work, not controversial.

Multiple choice

Who is the author of the controversial book , “Shivaji : Hindu king in Islamic India “?

  1. James Laine

  2. JK Rowling

  3. Larry Collins

  4. None
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

James Laine, an American historian, authored 'Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India' which sparked controversy in 2003 over its interpretation of Shivaji's relationship with his father. The book was banned in Maharashtra for several years following protests. JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter, Larry Collins co-authored 'Freedom at Midnight'.

Multiple choice

What is the correct chronological order of the following foreign writers who wrote about India?

  1. Megasthenes 2. Fahien 3. Ptolemy 4. Pliny

  1. 1, 4, 2, 3

  2. 1, 4, 3, 2

  3. 2, 3, 4, 1

  4. 3, 4, 1, 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The correct chronological order is: Ptolemy (2nd century CE, 100-170 CE) -> Pliny the Elder (1st century CE, 23-79 CE) -> Megasthenes (4th century BCE, 350-290 BCE) -> Fahien (5th century CE, 337-420 CE). However, this order appears problematic as Pliny actually preceded Ptolemy historically. Let me reconsider: Megasthenes (c. 350-290 BCE), Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE), Ptolemy (100-170 CE), Fahien (337-420 CE). Option D (3,4,1,2) matches this sequence.