Associations, Journals, Books and Plays: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Modern History)

Explanation

The statement in Option (c) is incorrect. Navanna is a play written by Nabin Chandra Das, but it is not based on the famine of Bengal. It is a social drama that depicts the conflict between tradition and modernity in Bengali society. Statements in Options (a), (b) and (d) are correct:

Neel Darpan was a play based on the exploitation of Indigo farmers in Bengal by the British planters, written by Dinbandhu Mitra. Ghashiram Kotwal was a famous Marathi play, written by Vijay Tendulkar, which deals with the issues of corruption and power in the context of the Maratha empire. The Parsi theatre influenced the development of Urdu theatre, which gained prominence in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Explanation

A is matched with 4: The First Indian War of Independence was written by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. It is a seminal work that describes the 1857 revolt as the first war of Indian independence. B is matched with 3: Anand Math was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterji. It is a famous Bengali novel that inspired the Swadeshi movement and features the iconic patriotic song Vande Mataram. C is matched with 2: Life Divine was written by Sri Aurobindo. The Life Divine explores the evolution of consciousness and the integration of spiritual and material life. D is matched with 1: Sadhana was written by Rabindranath Tagore. It is a collection of essays that reflects his thoughts on humanism and spirituality.

Explanation

In 1904, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and his brother Ganesh founded the Abhinav Bharat Society (Young India Society) as a secret organization during India’s struggle for independence. The organization was inspired by Giuseppe Mazzini’s Young Italy and aimed to overthrow British rule in India through armed revolution. Initially started as "Mitra Mela" in Nashik while Savarkar was a student, it was involved in assassinations of British officials. The group aimed to overthrow British rule. In 1904, Vinayak Savarkar named it Abhinav Bharat, inspired by Giuseppe Mazzini’s Young Italy. Prafulla Chaki and Khudiram Bose were associated with Jugantar Party (Bengal Revolutionaries) Bhagat Singh was a member of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).

Explanation

A is matched with 2: Shyamji Krishna Varma is associated with the journal Indian Sociologist, which advocated for India’s independence. B is matched with 3: Madame Bhikaji Cama is linked with The Talwar, a journal promoting nationalist ideas. C is matched with 4: Annie Besant published the Commonweal to support the Indian independence movement. D is matched with 1: Aurobindo Ghosh is known for the journal Bande Mataram, which was a platform for nationalist activism.