Abul Kalam Azad

Multiple-Choice Questions

1 Abul Kalam Azad was born in:
(a) Mecca (b) Delhi
(c) Lahore (d) None of these

2 Abul Kalam Azad was born in:
(a) 1888 (b) 1877
(c) 1905 (d) None of these

3 Abul Kalam Azad’s original name was:
(a) Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin (b) Muhammad Iqbal
(c) Abul A’la Maududi (d) None of these

4 Abul Kalam Azad was a prominent:
(a) Scholar, journalist and political leader (b) Ottoman military commander
(c) Medieval Sufi master (d) None of these

5 Azad’s father was:
(a) Khairuddin (b) Mir Muttaqi
(c) Sheikh Noor Muhammad (d) None of these

6 Abul Kalam Azad’s family moved to India when he was:
(a) A young child (b) An elderly scholar
(c) A university professor (d) None of these

7 Azad became associated with the Indian independence movement through:
(a) Journalism and political activism (b) Ottoman military service
(c) The Aligarh Movement alone (d) None of these

8 Azad founded the journal Al-Hilal in:
(a) 1912 (b) 1928
(c) 1947 (d) None of these

9 Al-Hilal was published in:
(a) Persian (b) Urdu
(c) Arabic (d) None of these

10 Al-Hilal primarily addressed:
(a) Islamic thought, anti-colonial politics and public affairs (b) European fashion
(c) Commercial shipping (d) None of these

11 The British government restricted Al-Hilal because of:
(a) Its anti-colonial political content (b) Its promotion of colonial rule
(c) Its commercial advertisements (d) None of these

12 After Al-Hilal was banned, Azad started:
(a) Al-Balagh (b) Al-Manar
(c) Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq (d) None of these

13 Al-Balagh began publication in:
(a) 1915 (b) 1886
(c) 1930 (d) None of these

14 Azad’s political thought strongly supported:
(a) Indian independence and Hindu-Muslim unity (b) Permanent British rule
(c) Religious isolation from national politics (d) None of these

15 Azad was a leading figure in:
(a) The Indian National Congress (b) The Muslim League
(c) The Ottoman Committee of Union and Progress (d) None of these

16 Azad became President of the Indian National Congress in:
(a) 1923 (b) 1930
(c) 1947 (d) None of these

17 Azad was one of the youngest presidents of:
(a) The Indian National Congress (b) The All-India Muslim League
(c) The Ottoman Parliament (d) None of these

18 Azad presided over the Congress during the crucial period of:
(a) 1940–1946 (b) 1912–1915
(c) 1920–1923 (d) None of these

19 Azad opposed:
(a) The partition of India (b) Indian independence
(c) Modern education (d) None of these

20 Azad’s political position emphasised:
(a) Composite Indian nationalism (b) Exclusive ethnic nationalism
(c) Colonial political supremacy (d) None of these

21 The term composite nationalism refers to:
(a) Shared national identity among different religious communities (b) Political separation of all communities
(c) Rule by a single religious institution (d) None of these

22 Azad’s major Qur’anic commentary is:
(a) Tarjuman al-Qur’an (b) Tafsir al-Manar
(c) Al-Musawwa (d) None of these

23 Tarjuman al-Qur’an is written in:
(a) Persian (b) Urdu
(c) Turkish (d) None of these

24 Azad’s commentary emphasised:
(a) The universal ethical and spiritual message of the Qur’an (b) Rejection of Qur’anic guidance
(c) Exclusive political history (d) None of these

25 Azad’s autobiographical work is:
(a) India Wins Freedom (b) The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam
(c) Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind (d) None of these

26 India Wins Freedom is associated with:
(a) Abul Kalam Azad (b) Muhammad Iqbal
(c) Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (d) None of these

27 Azad served as India’s first:
(a) Minister of Education (b) Minister of Defence
(c) President (d) None of these

28 Azad became India’s Education Minister in:
(a) 1947 (b) 1923
(c) 1935 (d) None of these

29 Azad served as Education Minister until:
(a) 1958 (b) 1949
(c) 1965 (d) None of these

30 National Education Day in India is observed on:
(a) 15 August (b) 11 November
(c) 26 January (d) None of these

31 National Education Day commemorates:
(a) The birth anniversary of Abul Kalam Azad (b) The founding of Al-Azhar
(c) The beginning of the Khilafat Movement (d) None of these

32 Azad supported:
(a) Expansion of education and scientific learning (b) Restriction of education to elites
(c) Abolition of universities (d) None of these

33 Azad’s educational vision included:
(a) Universal access to education (b) Exclusive education for colonial officials
(c) Rejection of technical education (d) None of these

34 Azad was associated with the establishment and development of:
(a) Institutions of higher and technical education in independent India
(b) The Abbasid court
(c) The Ottoman military academy
(d) None of these

35 Azad’s political and religious thought was influenced by:
(a) Islamic scholarship and anti-colonial nationalism (b) Ancient Roman imperialism
(c) European feudalism alone (d) None of these

36 Azad’s early journalism was known for:
(a) Strong literary style and political argument (b) Avoidance of public issues
(c) Exclusive focus on commercial news (d) None of these

37 Azad was associated with the Khilafat Movement:
(a) As a supporter and political participant (b) As its Ottoman caliph
(c) As a British colonial governor (d) None of these

38 The Khilafat Movement in India was primarily concerned with:
(a) The position of the Ottoman Caliphate after World War I (b) The establishment of the Mughal Empire
(c) The French Revolution (d) None of these

39 Azad’s approach to Hindu-Muslim relations emphasised:
(a) Shared political struggle and national cooperation (b) Permanent hostility
(c) Complete political disengagement (d) None of these

40 Azad’s religious interpretation placed emphasis on:
(a) Qur’anic principles of unity and human moral responsibility (b) Racial hierarchy
(c) Colonial law as religious authority (d) None of these

41 Azad was imprisoned by the British during:
(a) The Indian independence struggle (b) The First Crusade
(c) The Abbasid Revolution (d) None of these

42 Azad died in:
(a) 1958 (b) 1947
(c) 1965 (d) None of these

43 Azad died in:
(a) Delhi (b) Lahore
(c) Mecca (d) None of these

44 Azad’s political thought is particularly associated with:
(a) Anti-colonial nationalism and communal harmony (b) Colonial expansion
(c) The restoration of the Ottoman Empire (d) None of these

45 Azad’s literary and intellectual contribution includes:
(a) Journalism, Qur’anic commentary and political writing (b) Medical textbooks alone
(c) Military manuals alone (d) None of these

46 Azad’s educational policies promoted:
(a) Scientific, technical and higher education (b) Abolition of scientific institutions
(c) Restriction of literacy (d) None of these

47 Azad’s political position differed from advocates of partition because he:
(a) Favoured a united and independent India (b) Supported permanent colonial rule
(c) Rejected Indian independence (d) None of these

48 Azad’s contribution to modern Indian history is significant because he:
(a) Combined Islamic scholarship with anti-colonial political leadership (b) Founded the Mughal dynasty
(c) Served as an Ottoman sultan (d) None of these

49 Which book presents Azad’s reflections on the events surrounding India’s partition?
(a) India Wins Freedom (b) Asrar-i-Khudi
(c) Al-Khilafah (d) None of these

50 Abul Kalam Azad is remembered in India particularly as:
(a) A freedom fighter and the first Education Minister (b) The first President of India
(c) Founder of the Indian National Congress (d) None of these

Answer Key

1 (a) Mecca
2 (a) 1888
3 (a) Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin
4 (a) Scholar, journalist and political leader
5 (a) Khairuddin
6 (a) A young child
7 (a) Journalism and political activism
8 (a) 1912
9 (b) Urdu
10 (a) Islamic thought, anti-colonial politics and public affairs
11 (a) Its anti-colonial political content
12 (a) Al-Balagh
13 (a) 1915
14 (a) Indian independence and Hindu-Muslim unity
15 (a) The Indian National Congress
16 (a) 1923
17 (a) The Indian National Congress
18 (a) 1940–1946
19 (a) The partition of India
20 (a) Composite Indian nationalism
21 (a) Shared national identity among different religious communities
22 (a) Tarjuman al-Qur’an
23 (b) Urdu
24 (a) The universal ethical and spiritual message of the Qur’an
25 (a) India Wins Freedom
26 (a) Abul Kalam Azad
27 (a) Minister of Education
28 (a) 1947
29 (a) 1958
30 (b) 11 November
31 (a) The birth anniversary of Abul Kalam Azad
32 (a) Expansion of education and scientific learning
33 (a) Universal access to education
34 (a) Institutions of higher and technical education in independent India
35 (a) Islamic scholarship and anti-colonial nationalism
36 (a) Strong literary style and political argument
37 (a) As a supporter and political participant
38 (a) The position of the Ottoman Caliphate after World War I
39 (a) Shared political struggle and national cooperation
40 (a) Qur’anic principles of unity and human moral responsibility
41 (a) The Indian independence struggle
42 (a) 1958
43 (a) Delhi
44 (a) Anti-colonial nationalism and communal harmony
45 (a) Journalism, Qur’anic commentary and political writing
46 (a) Scientific, technical and higher education
47 (a) Favoured a united and independent India
48 (a) Combined Islamic scholarship with anti-colonial political leadership
49 (a) India Wins Freedom
50 (a) A freedom fighter and the first Education Minister