1999 General Studies, all questions
UPSC Prelims 1999 · General Studies
Question 33: History and Culture
The first writer to use Urdu as the medium of poetic expression was
aAmir Khusru
bMirza Ghalib
cBahadur Shah Zafar
dFaiz
AnswerThe answer is (a).
Amir Khusrau (1253-1325), the poet and musician of the Delhi Sultanate, is traditionally credited as the first to use the language that grew into Urdu, which he called Hindavi, in verse, in his riddles, songs and couplets. Ghalib and Bahadur Shah Zafar wrote in the 19th century and Faiz in the 20th, long after. Remember: Khusrau is the earliest, and a disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Right. Khusrau is traditionally credited with the first poetry in the Urdu-Hindavi speech.
- (b) Wrong. Ghalib wrote in the 19th century.
- (c) Wrong. Bahadur Shah Zafar was a 19th-century poet.
- (d) Wrong. Faiz was a 20th-century poet.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1999, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.