Books and Authors General Knowledge Questions

Notes:
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a renowned devotee of Lord Krishna and founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, had his life and teachings documented in a biography written by Krshnadas Kaviraj. This biography, entitled Chaitanya Charitamrita, provides detailed insights into his life, contributions, and teachings, validating Krshnadas Kaviraj as the author.

Notes:
The primary focus of Gaudiya Vaishnavism is the devotional worship (bhakti yoga) of Radha and Krishna, and their many divine incarnations as the supreme forms of God. This worship predominantly takes the form of singing and chanting the holy names of Radha and Krishna, often through the Hare Krishna mantra or kirtan, and dancing. It is a religious movement primarily rooted in the Gaura or Gauḍa region of Bengal and was inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Notes:
Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, wrote Majm-ul-Bahrain (or the Mingling of the two Oceans). Some of the famous works done by him are Safinat ul- Awliya, Sakinat ul-Awliya, Hasanaat ul-Aarifin, Risaala-i Haq Numa, Iksir-i ‘Azam (Diwan-e-Dara Shukoh), etc.

Notes:
Dhurjati composed Sri Kalahasteeshwara Mahatyam (The grace/miracles of lord Shiva) and Sri Kalahasteeshwara Satakam (100+ poems in the praise of lord Shiva). He was in the court of the Emperor Krishnadevaraya (1509-1529 AD) and was one of the Ashtadiggajas (the group of eight Telugu poets).

Notes:
Atin Bandyopadhyay (85), the renowned Bengali writer, has passed away in Kolkata on 19th January, 2019. Born in 1934 in Dhaka, he had taken up various jobs as a sailor, school teacher, factory manager, journalist to finally became a writer. He won the 2001 Sahitya Akademi award for his compilation of short stories ‘Panchashati Galpo’. His masterpiece is considered to be a four-part tetralogy on the Partition: “Nilkantha Pakhir Khonje”, ”Manusher Gharbari”, “Aloukik Jalajan” and “Ishwarer Bagan”.

Notes:
Amitav Ghosh is a renowned Indian author known for his rich and complex novels that weave together personal stories and historical events. His literary works also include “The Shadow Lines”, “The Hungry Tide” and the “Ibis Trilogy”. Ghosh’s novels have been translated into more than twenty languages and have won him numerous awards. His unique literary style blends historical detail, political commentary, and elements of the surreal.

Notes:
Bipin Chandra Pal wrote The Soul of India. The book was published in 1911. Pal was a leader of the nationalist movement in India in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The book is written as four letters to a young English friend. It reflects Pal’s belief that writing could inspire people in the struggle for independence.

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Jagadish Bhagawati is an Indian-born American economist. He wrote In “Defense of Globalization” in 2007.

Notes:
The book ‘Zij Muhammad Shahi’ related to knowledge of Astrology was written by Sawai Jai Singh of Jaipur. Zij is the generic name applied to Islamic astronomical books that tabulate parameters used for astronomical calculations of the positions of the Sun, moon, stars, and planets.

Notes:
Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India, wrote the book Discovery of India.