Language and Literature of Rajasthan: RAS Prelims MCQs
112 RAS Prelims MCQs on Rajasthani language and literature cover the origin and dialects of the language, the Dingal and Pingal styles, bardic and Jain literature and major authors. Questions pair works with their writers and dialects with regions, so remember each text with its author, its language form and its theme.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 11–20 of 112 questions
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Language and Literature of Rajasthan
Q11. Consider the following statements about the Dhundhari dialect: I. It is spoken mainly in the Jaipur, Dausa, and Tonk regions. II. The literary compositions of the Dadu Panth are largely written in this dialect. III. It is locally known as Jharshahi. IV. It has heavy phonetic influences from the Sindhi language. Which of the following combinations of statements is incorrect?
Explanation
Dhundhari is spoken mainly in Jaipur, Dausa and Tonk, it is the dialect of Dadupanth writings and it is also called Jharshahi. It has no strong Sindhi influence, so IV is incorrect.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Language and Literature of Rajasthan
Q12. Which poetic form in Bardic literature specifically laments the death of a brave warrior or patron?
Explanation
A Marsiya is a poem of lament for the death of a brave warrior or a patron. Khyat, Vata and Davavet are prose forms.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Language and Literature of Rajasthan
Q13. Which early Jain text is considered the first literary work in the Old Western Rajasthani (Maru-Gurjar) language?
Explanation
Bharateshwar Bahubali Ghora is regarded as the first literary work of Old Western Rajasthani (Maru-Gurjar). It is a Jain work.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Language and Literature of Rajasthan
Q14. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer.
Dialect
Region of prominence
A. Hadoti
i. Sikar, Jhunjhunu
B. Shekhawati
ii. Pratapgarh, Jhalawar
C. Vagadi
iii. Dungarpur, Banswara
D. Malvi
iv. Kota, Bundi
Explanation
Hadoti is spoken in Kota and Bundi, Shekhawati in Sikar and Jhunjhunu, Vagadi in Dungarpur and Banswara and Malvi in Pratapgarh and Jhalawar. This gives A-iv, B-i, C-iii, D-ii.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Language and Literature of Rajasthan
Q15. In which of the following texts is the term ‘Maru Bhasha’ first historically mentioned to describe the language of western Rajasthan?
Explanation
The term Maru Bhasha for the language of western Rajasthan appears early in the Kuvalayamala, written by Udyotana Suri in 778 AD.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Language and Literature of Rajasthan
Q16. Consider the following literary forms prominent in Charan literature: I. Khyat II. Veli III. Marsiya IV. Davavet V. Vata Which of the following combinations correctly identifies the historical prose forms in Rajasthani literature?
Explanation
Khyat, Davavet and Vata are the historical prose forms of Rajasthani literature. Veli and Marsiya are verse forms of Charan poetry, so the combination of I, IV and V is correct.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Language and Literature of Rajasthan
Q17. Meera Bai’s literary compositions, predominantly known as Padavali, are heavily influenced by a mixture of which languages?
Explanation
Meera Bai’s Padavali is composed in a blend of Marwari, Braj and Gujarati. This mixture reflects her travels and her devotion to Krishna.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Language and Literature of Rajasthan
Q18. Given below are two statements, one labeled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R): Assertion (A): Dingal became the standard literary language of western Rajasthan during the medieval period. Reason (R): Dingal evolved directly from the Nagari Apabhramsha and exclusively utilized the Braj vocabulary for romantic poetry. Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
Explanation
Dingal, the literary form based on Marwari, was the standard literary language of western Rajasthan in the medieval period, so the assertion is true. The reason is false, because Dingal did not use only Braj vocabulary or take only romantic themes.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Language and Literature of Rajasthan
Q19. Among the folk literature of Rajasthan, which term refers to traditional riddles?
Explanation
Riddles in Rajasthani folk literature are called Aadi or Paheli. A Kahavat is a proverb.
RAS PrelimsRajasthan History, Art and Culture · Language and Literature of Rajasthan
Q20. Which of the following represents the correct chronological order of the evolutionary stages of the Rajasthani language?
Explanation
Rajasthani developed from Gurjari Apabhramsha, then passed through Old Western Rajasthani and Middle Rajasthani to Modern Rajasthani. That is the correct order.
Answer key for these questions
Q
Correct answer
11
(c) IV only
12
(c) Marsiya
13
(d) Bharateshwar Bahubali Ghora
14
(a) A-iv, B-i, C-iii, D-ii
15
(b) Kuvalayamala
16
(a) I, IV and V
17
(c) Marwari, Braj, and Gujarati
18
(c) A is true but R is false.
19
(c) Aadi or Paheli
20
(a) Gurjari Apabhramsha - Old Western Rajasthani - Middle Rajasthani - Modern Rajasthani
Key facts from Language and Literature of Rajasthan
The Rajasthani language is traced to Sauraseni (Gurjari) Apabhramsha.
George Abraham Grierson classified the dialects of Rajasthan in the Linguistic Survey of India.
Dingal is the literary style based on Marwari used by the Charans; Pingal is the style used for Prithviraj Raso.
Veli Krisan Rukamani ri was written by Prithviraj Rathore.
Batan ri Phulwari, a collection of folk tales, is by Vijaydan Detha.
Early Jain literature flourished in forms such as Ras, Phagu and Charchari.
Frequently asked questions
How many RAS Prelims practice MCQs are there on Language and Literature of Rajasthan?
This page has 112 practice MCQs on Language and Literature of Rajasthan (Rajasthan History, Art and Culture). Each has the correct answer, and most have an explanation.
Who classified the dialects of Rajasthan?
George Abraham Grierson, in the Linguistic Survey of India. His grouping of the dialects of Rajasthani into regional families is still the starting point for questions on dialects such as Marwari and Dhundhari.
Who wrote Batan ri Phulwari?
Vijaydan Detha, a well-known Rajasthani author. The work is a large collection of traditional folk tales retold in Rajasthani, and it is one of the most quoted books in modern Rajasthani literature.
Is Rajasthani in the Eighth Schedule?
No. As of now Rajasthani has not been added to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, though its inclusion has long been demanded. The language is nevertheless spoken by millions and has a rich literary tradition of bardic and Jain works.
