UPSC 2008 Modern History Questions with Answers

Explanation

Abul Kalam Azad, a prominent freedom fighter and scholar, brought out the journal Al-Hilal in 1912. It was a weekly published in Urdu, aimed at promoting political consciousness among Muslims and opposing British colonial rule. Other works of Abul Kalam Azad were Al-Balagh, Gubhar-e-Khatir, and India wins Freedom.

Option (b),(c) and (d) are incorrect:

Muhammad Ali Jauhar published and edited the weekly English-language newspaper "The Comrade." The newspaper was banned in 1914 under the Press Act. Shyamji Krishna Verma served as the editor of "The Indian Sociologist" journal. The Zamindar newspaper was edited by Zafar Ali Khan but started by his father, Maulvi Sirajuddin Ahmad, in Sialkot as a farmer’s paper.

Explanation

Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984) was one of the most celebrated Urdu poets of the 20th century. He was a prominent figure in progressive literature and a vocal advocate for social justice, human rights, and anti-imperialism. The poem "Subh-e-Azadi" (Dawn of Freedom) was written by Faiz in 1947 which reflects on the partition of India and the bittersweet nature of independence. The poem captures the disillusionment and pain of partition, juxtaposing the joy of freedom with the tragedy of communal violence and displacement. The opening lines of the poem, "Ye daagh daagh ujala, ye shab-gazida sahar" (This stained light, this night-bitten dawn), are iconic and encapsulate the mixed emotions of the time.