Daily Prelims MCQs – History & Culture – 22nd August 2025
- TPP
- Aug 22
- 7 min read
Welcome to this daily set of UPSC Prelims History & Culture MCQs (22nd August 2025). This quiz features 8 carefully designed questions with detailed explanations, focusing on India’s literary heritage, nationalist writings, and cultural expressions that shaped the freedom struggle and modern Indian thought.
This set covers important topics such as:
Khooni Vaisakhi by Nanak Singh and its vivid description of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
In Gokhale’s Garden by Sarojini Naidu and her tribute to moderate nationalist Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
Derozio’s To India: My Native Land and its role in the Bengal Renaissance.
Bharat Bharti by Maithili Sharan Gupt and its influence on nationalist poetry.
Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’s Vijay Sandesh inspired by the Bardoli Satyagraha.
The origin and authorship of iconic patriotic songs like Vande Mataram and Jhanda Uncha Rahe Hamara.
The distinction between Bismil Azimabadi and Ram Prasad Bismil in relation to Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna, and Hasrat Mohani’s slogan Inquilab Zindabad.
Works of Premchand, Manto, and Raja Rao that depict colonial oppression, Gandhian ideals, and the nationalist spirit.
Tagore’s Ghare Baire, set against the Swadeshi movement, and its critique of aggressive nationalism.
These questions are highly relevant for UPSC Prelims 2026, as they integrate static literary knowledge with freedom movement context, strengthening both factual recall and conceptual clarity.
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QUESTION 1
Consider the following pairs of literary works and their authors/poets:
Khooni Vaisakhi – Nanak Singh
In Gokhale’s Garden – Sarojini Naidu
To India: My Native Land – Henry Louis Vivian Derozio
Bharat Bharti – Maithili Sharan Gupt
Which of the above mentioned pairs are correctly matched?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1, 2 and 4 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer (d)
Explanation:
Pair 1 – Khooni Vaisakhi : Nanak Singh
Nanak Singh (1897–1971), later hailed as the “Father of Punjabi Novel,” survived the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919).
He wrote Khooni Vaisakhi (“Bloody Baisakhi”), a long poem describing the horror of the massacre and condemning colonial brutality.
Definition parallelly: Baisakhi is a major Punjabi harvest festival, which in 1919 coincided with the day of the massacre.
Pair 2 – In Gokhale’s Garden : Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu, the “Nightingale of India,” wrote this poem in memory of Gopal Krishna Gokhale, a moderate nationalist leader.
She praised him as “steadfast, serene, dauntless, supremely wise.”
Definition parallelly: Moderate leader refers to early Indian National Congress leaders (like Gokhale, Ranade) who believed in constitutional reforms rather than immediate confrontation.
Pair 3 – To India: My Native Land : Henry Louis Vivian Derozio
Written by Derozio (1809–1831), a pioneering Indian poet of the Bengal Renaissance.
The poem mourns India’s lost ancient glory and expresses grief at its colonised state.
Definition parallelly: Bengal Renaissance was a 19th-century social reform and literary movement in Bengal that promoted education, rationalism, and nationalism.
Pair 4 – Bharat Bharti : Maithili Sharan Gupt
Published in 1912, this poetry collection awakened patriotic feelings by contrasting India’s rich civilisational past with its colonial decline.
It became so influential that Mahatma Gandhi once said Maithili Sharan Gupt “brought poetry to the masses.”
QUESTION 2
Which of the following literary works is a collection of poems inspired by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s Bardoli Satyagraha in Gujarat — the historic peasant movement against the excessive land revenue (tax) demands of the colonial administration?
(a) Poos ki Raat
(b) Khooni Vaisakhi
(c) Vijay Sandesh
(d) Bharat Bharti
Answer (c)
Explanation:
In 1928, peasants in Bardoli, Gujarat, under the leadership of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, launched a Satyagraha (non-violent protest) against a sharp hike in land revenue by the British government.
This episode is remembered as a turning point in Patel’s political journey, earning him the title “Sardar” (leader).
Definition parallelly: Satyagraha means “truth-force,” a Gandhian method of peaceful resistance against injustice.
Literary contribution
The struggle inspired Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’ (1908–1974), a leading nationalist poet often called Rashtrakavi (national poet).
He composed Vijay Sandesh (Message of Victory) in 1928, a collection of poems celebrating the courage of the farmers and criticizing colonial oppression.
Definition parallelly: Collection of poems means not a single poem, but a book compiling multiple poetic compositions with a common theme.
Other options (to avoid confusion):
(a) Poos ki Raat → A famous short story by Munshi Premchand, focused on rural poverty, not Bardoli.
(b) Khooni Vaisakhi → A Punjabi poem by Nanak Singh, written after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919).
(d) Bharat Bharti → A 1912 patriotic poetry collection by Maithili Sharan Gupt, praising India’s cultural heritage.
QUESTION 3
Consider the following statements:
Vande Mataram, India’s national song that inspired countless freedom fighters, originally appeared in Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s Bengali novel Anandmath (1882).
The patriotic composition “Vijayi Vishwa Tiranga Pyara / Jhanda Uncha Rahe Hamara”, frequently sung at national events, was authored by Hasrat Mohani.
Which of the above given statements is/are true?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer (a)
Explanation:
Vande Mataram, India’s national song that was very popular during the freedom struggle, is from Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s Bengali novel Anandmath (1882).
The famous song “Vijayi Vishwa tiranga pyara/jhanda uncha rahe hamara”, often sung during important events, was written by Hindi poet Shyamlal Gupta in 1924 and was later adopted by the Indian National Congress.
QUESTION 4
Consider the following statements:
Ram Prasad Bismil, a freedom fighter and poet, wrote the ghazal “Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna” in 1921 after the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy.
“Inquilab Zindabad”, the patriotic war cry (a rallying slogan used to inspire mass action) of revolutionaries during the freedom movement, was coined by Hasrat Mohani in 1921.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer (b)
Explanation:
The celebrated ghazal “Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna” (ghazal: a poetic form in Urdu with rhyming couplets and a refrain) was written in 1921 by the Urdu poet Bismil Azimabadi of Patna, in the shadow of the Jallianwala Bagh (1919) atrocity.
It later became iconic because Ram Prasad Bismil (1897–1927)—a leading revolutionary—popularised it; he famously recited lines from it before his execution on 19 December 1927 for the Kakori train robbery (1925) (also called the Kakori Conspiracy, a revolutionary attempt to seize government funds).
Note on organisations (for precision): Ram Prasad Bismil co-founded the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) in 1924, which was later reorganised as the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) in 1928. (Bismil’s association thus links to HSRA through HRA’s reorganisation.)
“Inquilab Zindabad” (translation: “Long live the revolution”) was coined by Maulana Hasrat Mohani in 1921.
The slogan was later popularised by Bhagat Singh and other revolutionaries, becoming a defining war cry (parallelly: a stirring slogan used to mobilise support) of the freedom struggle.
QUESTION 5
Naya Qanoon, 1919 ki ek Baat and Tamasha — short stories reflecting on the events of the Indian freedom movement — were written by:
(a) Saadat Hasan Manto
(b) Premchand
(c) Mulk Raj Anand
(d) Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
Answer (a)
Explanation:
Naya Qanoon (“The New Law”) critiques the hollowness of colonial reforms and indirectly refers to the Government of India Act, 1935.
Tamasha and 1919 ki ek Baat were set against the backdrop of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919), exploring the pain, trauma, and disillusionment caused by British brutality.
About the Author
Saadat Hasan Manto (1912–1955), one of the most influential Urdu short-story writers, is known for his sharp, realistic portrayals of Partition, colonial oppression, and the contradictions of Indian society.
Through these stories, he used allegory (parallelly: symbolic storytelling where characters or events stand for deeper political meanings) to expose the false promises of British “reforms” while capturing the mood of unrest among ordinary people.
QUESTION 6
Many of Premchand’s writings reflect his deep patriotism and his strong anti-colonial stance. Which of the following literary works was not authored by him?
(a) Soz-e Watan
(b) Karmabhumi
(c) Karbala
(d) Kanthapura
Answer (d)
Explanation:
Soz-e Watan (1907): Premchand’s first collection of short stories in Urdu, banned by the British for its nationalist tone.
Karmabhumi (1932): A Hindi novel centred around social reform, untouchability, and Gandhian ideals of non-violence.
Karbala: A historical play written by Premchand, based on the tragedy of Imam Husain at Karbala, blending history with moral lessons of sacrifice.
Kanthapura (1938): Written by Raja Rao, a noted English-language novelist.
The novel portrays how Gandhian ideas influenced a South Indian village.
It is equally famous for Rao’s use of de-anglicised English (parallelly: a style of English that adopts Indian idioms, rhythms, and cultural expressions rather than strictly Western forms).
QUESTION 7
Which of the following literary works, written in the context of Gandhiji’s Satyagraha and Dandi March, shows the impact of the movement on a village and the enthusiasm of ordinary villagers in welcoming the Satyagrahis and supporting their cause?
(a) Nil Darpan
(b) Dasher Katha
(c) Bharat Bharti
(d) Samar Yatra
Answer (d)
Explanation:
Premchand’s story “Samar Yatra”, written in the context of Gandhiji’s Satyagraha and Dandi March, shows the impact of the movement on a village and the enthusiasm of ordinary villagers to welcome the Satyagrahis and their cause. The story also presents an old and ailing woman, Nohari, who welcomes the freedom fighters, overcoming her physical limitations.
QUESTION 8
Ghare Baire (translated into English as Home and the World), set against the backdrop of the Swadeshi movement in Bengal, was authored by:
(a) Chittaranjan Das
(b) Sarat Chandra Chatterjee
(c) Rabindranath Tagore
(d) Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
Answer (c)
Explanation:
Ghare Baire was written in 1916 by Rabindranath Tagore, and later translated into English as Home and the World.
The story is set during the Swadeshi movement (1905–1911) in Bengal, which emerged as a protest against the partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon.
Through the characters, the novel presents contrasting views:
Nikhilesh represents reason, restraint, and ethical commitment.
Sandip embodies aggressive nationalism and manipulation of Swadeshi for personal gain.
Tagore here critiques the Western idea of nationalism, suggesting that unbridled nationalism could lead to moral corruption and violence.
Engagement with Earlier Literature
The novel dialogues with Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s Anandmath (1882), which celebrated militant nationalism through Vande Mataram.
Tagore, however, offers a more nuanced and critical perspective, warning against fanaticism while affirming the moral dimension of patriotism.
Chittaranjan Das: A nationalist leader, not a novelist.
Sarat Chandra Chatterjee: Author of Devdas and Pather Dabi, but not Ghare Baire.
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee: Wrote Anandmath, but not this novel.
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