प्रश्न बैंक - सह - उत्तर पुस्तक (Question Bank-Cum-Answer Book)
Class 11 English Elective (ESSAY)
4. TRIBAL VERSE - G.N.Devy
MAIN POINTS
☞ In
this chapter the writer G.N. Devy tells us about the different tribes of India.
☞ He
says that all these tribes have one thing in common.
☞ They
are free from the vices of the modern world.
☞ Tribals
believe in intuition rather than logic.
☞ He
says that most of their literature is in oral form and have survived for
several years.
☞ It
is transmitted from one generation to the other orally.
☞ The
forces of urbanisation, print culture and commerce have resulted in not just
the marginalisation of these communities but also of their languages and
literary cultures.
☞ Though
many critics don't consider their literature as literary work, yet it has deep
roots and it is very rich in its tradition.
☞ Devy
describes in detail about the Munda tribe, Kondh tribe and Adi tribe.
☞ All
these tribes are spread over many parts of India.
☞ He
says that Munda tribe is the most studied tribe.
☞ They
also revolted against the British.
☞ Kondh
tribe is a mixture of adivasis and Hinduism.
☞ Adi
tribe is mostly found in Arunachal Pradesh.
☞ Three
verses are discussed in the essay. One is sung on the occasion of childbirth by
Munda tribals and the other on the occasion of death of Kondh tribals.
☞ The
third verse is a chanting in the ritualistic religious language of the Adi
tribe which is not the same as their language of conversation.
☞ The
three selected songs give us a small glimpse into the rich repository of folk
songs that is an expression of the tribal vision.
☞ Nature
for them is living and responsive to human existence and human actions. It also
demands respect for coexistence.
☞ In
this way Devy describes the literature of the tribals and says that their
literature is not a new one. It has been in existence for many centuries.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. Who wrote the essay 'Tribal Verse'?
a.
Arundhati Roy
b. G. N. Devy
c.
Mahashweta Devi
d.
John Ruskin
2. Where can the roots of India's traditions be traced?
a. To the rich oral literature of the tribes
b.
To the rich written literature of tribes
c.
Both A and B
d.
None of the above
3. How have the tribal verses been transmitted from generation
to generation?
a. In oral way
b.
In written way
c.
Both A and B
d.
None of the above
4. Which tribal society (ies) was/were bilingual?
a.
Munda
b.
Kondh
c.
Adi
d. Munda, Kondh, Adi, Bondo
5. In which literature does Santhal group become some important
subject?
a. Bangla literature
b.
Marathi literature
c.
Kannada literature
d.
Tamil literature
6. Where is Santhal tribe found?
a. Jharkhand
b.
Madhya Pradesh
c.
Gujarat
d.
Uttar Pradesh
7. Where does Munda tribe belong to?
a. Jharkhand
b.
Madhya Pradesh
c.
Gujarat
d.
West Bengal
8. Who was Birsa Munda?
a. Freedom fighter
b.
Politician
c.
Teacher
d.
Officer
9. When was Birsa Munda Born?
a. 1874
b.
1875
c.
1876
d.
1877
10. How did Birsa Munda live his whole life
a. In fighting against colonialism
b.
In fighting against materialism
c.
In fighting against socialism
d.
In fighting against racism
11. How many folk songs are mentioned in the essay?
a.
One
b.
Two
c. Three
d.
Four
12. How is nature to the tribal people?
a.
Living
b.
Responsive
c.
Dead
d. Both A and B
13. How are most tribal communities in India?
a. Culturally similar to tribal communities elsewhere in the
world
b.
Culturally different to tribal communities elsewhere in the world
c.
Culturally poor to tribal communities elsewhere in the world
d.
None of the above
14. How do the tribals live?
a. In groups
b.
Individually
c.
Separately
d.
In isolation
15. In what type of groups do the tribals live?
a. Cohesive and Organically Unified Groups
b.
Cohesive Groups
c.
Organically Unified Groups
d.
None of the above
16. In what do the tribal people show little interest?
a. In accumulating wealth
b.
In accumulating jewels
c.
In accumulating clothes
d.
In accumulating gold
17. How do the tribal people live?
a. Live more by intuition than reason
b.
Live more by reason than intuition
c.
Both A and B
d.
None of the above
18. How do the tribals consider the space around them?
a. More sacred than secular
b.
More secular than sacred
c.
Both A and B
d.
None of the above
19. How is the tribal people's sense of time?
a. Personal
b.
Objective
c.
Permanent
d.
Subjective
20. In tribal stories, fly in the sky as birds, swim in the
water as fish, ..... speak as humans and grow like plants. Fill in the blanks
with correct options.
a. oceans, mountains, animals, stars
b.
stars, animals, mountains, oceans
c.
animals, mountains, oceans, stars
d.
mountains, oceans, stars, animals
21. What does/do not restrict the tribal narrative?
a. Spatial order and temporal sequence
b.
Spatial order
c.
Temporal sequence
d.
None of the above
22. How is the tribal art described?
a. Hallucinatory
b.
Real
c.
Factual
d.
None of the above
23. What is the soul of the tribal arts?
a.
Seriousness
b. Playfulness
c.
Poorness
d.
None of the above
24. The writer did not want to classify the Adivasi literature
as?
a.
Old Literature
b. New Literature
c.
Ancient Literature
d.
None of the above
25. Which song(s) is/are mentioned in the essay?
a.
Munda Song
b.
Kondh Song
c.
Adi Song
d. All of the above
26. With what the roots of India's literary traditions can be
traced to?
a. Oral literatures of Adivasis
b.
Bangla literature
c.
Urdu literature
d.
Tamil literature
27. What has caused the marginalisation of the tribes?
a.
The forces of urbanisation
b.
Print culture
c.
Commerce
d. All of the above
28. What is the meaning of the term "bilingual"?
a.
Speaking five languages
b. Speaking two languages fluently
c.
Speaking multiple languages fluently
d.
Speaking one language fluently
29. What characteristics could be hard to understand about
tribals?
a.
They are capable of singing and dancing
b.
They are capable of speaking their language so well
c.
They are capable of building their own houses
d. All of the above
30. Which tribes are especially mentioned in the essay?
a.
Bhumij, Khasi and Munda
b.
Garo, Adi and Kondh
c. Munda, Kondh and Adi
d.
Baiga, Santhal and Munda
31. What is the theme of Kondh song?
a. Sung at the death of a person
b.
Sung at the birth of a person
c.
Sung at the marriage of a person
d.
Sung at the victory of the tribe
32. Which tribe believes that every object in the universe needs
to be nourished?
a.
Munda
b.
Kondh
c. Adi
d.
Santhal
33. Who was the leader of the Munda Tribe, who fought for their
welfare?
a.
Veer Narayan Singh
b.
Rani Gaidinlu
c.
Shri Alluri Seetha Ram Raju
d. Birsa Mund
34. What are the two main languages spoken by Adi Tribe?
a.
Miri Agom
b.
Adi Agom
c. Both a and b
d.
Santhal
35. What are the expression of the verses of the tribal people
a.
Their close relation with nature
b.
Their close relation with modern world
c.
Their close relation with spiritual world
d. Both a and c
36. Which tribe is the most studied tribal communities of India?
a. Munda
b.
Kondh
c.
Adi
d.
All of the above
37. What is the theme of Adi sing
a.
Sung at the marriage of a person
b. Sung for the recovery of lost health
c.
Sung at the death of a person
d.
Sung at the birth of a person
38. The term 'Kondh' is most probably derived from the word,
konda
a. Dravidian
b.
Sanskrit
c.
Arabic
d.
Sindhi
39. The meaning of the word konda is
a.
Sun
b.
Warrior
c. Hill
d.
Wind
40. Which tribe was the first of the adivasis to resist
colonialism and revolted repeatedly over agrarian issues?
a.
Kondh
b. Munda
c.
Adi
d.
Bondo
VERY SHORT QUESTIONS
1. With what the roots of India's literary tradition can be
traced?
Ans.
The roots of India's literary tradition can be traced to the rich oral
literature of the Adivasis (tribes).
2. What are the expression of the verses by the tribals?
Ans.
The verses in the form of songs or chants express the close relationship
between the world of tribal existence and the world of nature.
3. What has caused the marginalisation of the tribes?
Ans.
The forces of urbanisation, print culture and commerce have resulted in the
marginalisation of the tribes, their literary cultures as well as their
languages.
4. Why are efforts made to conserve tribes?
Ans.
Various efforts have been made to conserve tribes because they are different
from the materialistic world. They have their own communities and rules and
rituals all over the world. The government and various human rights
organisations are making attempts to collect and conserve tribal languages and
their literature.
5. What are some languages spoken by different tribes?
Ans.
Some languages spoken by different tribes are Munda, Kondh, Adi, and Bondo.
However, they are bilingual and speak the language of the state too.
6. What is a feast for the folklorists, anthropologists, and
linguists, but not for a literary critic?
Ans.
The literary composition of languages that are not considered literature are a
feast for folklorists, anthropologists, and linguists, but not for a literary
critic.
7. How are nomadic Indian communities united?
Ans.
Some nomadic Indian communities are broken up and spread over long distances,
but survive as communities because they are united by their oral epics.
8. What characteristics could be hard to understand about the
tribes?
Ans.
It can be hard to understand how the tribes are capable of dancing, singing,
crafting, building and speaking so well without any guidance or tutoring or
institutional training.
9. What is a belief about the tribal creations concerning
conventions or rules?
Ans.
It is a belief that tribal creations do not have any rules or regulations, but
they do accept the principle of association between emotion and descriptive
patterns.
10. What is G.N.Devy's opinion about tribal literature?
Ans.
G.N. Devy opines that there is a need to create a space for the study of tribal
literature. He argues that there is the need for a new method to identify and
read literature in which orality is not dismissed as casual utterances in
different dialects.
SHORT QUESTIONS
1. How have tribal groups like Munda and Santhal become
important subjects?
Ans.
The tribal groups have become important for the following reasons:-
(i)
Some tribes, such as the Santhal, have become important subjects in leading
fictional streams such as Bangla literature and even a well-developed Santhali
literature.
(ii)
Tribes such as the Munda and Santhal have played a major role in the
socio-political movements of their regions.
(iii)
Birsa Munda spent his whole life fighting against colonialism and exploitation
of labour.
(iv)
Through their participation in the Jharkhand movement, the Santhals have
emerged as a prominent regional and state-level group.
2. What do you know about the Munda song of the Munda tribe?
Ans.
The ceremonies and rituals of the Munda tribes are linked to birth, death and
marriage. They live in close harmony with nature and their lives are
synchronised with the changing measures of nature, the seasons, and the rising
and setting of the sun. The specific Munda song is sung to rhythmic folk tunes
at the time of the birth of a daughter or a son. It is believed that while
doing this, the tribe connects itself with nature. A cowshed full of cows is
related to the birth of a daughter, whereas its depletion is associated with
the birth of a son. This is because a daughter is considered a more precious
asset than a son.
3. What do you know about the Kondh tribe?
Ans.
The Kondh tribe is distributed over the districts of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, and Chhattisgarh. People of this tribe speak the
Kondh language, though most of them are bilingual. The Kondh tribe have faith
in performing various rituals on the occasion of birth, death, puberty, and
marriage. Each has specific folk songs and dances for the specific occasion.
This tribe believes in the presence of gods and spirits in both kind
(benevolent) and spiteful (malevolent) manners.
4. What do you know about the Kondh song discussed in the text?
Ans.
The Kondh song is sung by the Kondh tribes at the death of a person to stop
troubling the living. The song begins by stating that the dead spirit will only
accept offerings if the other members of the family continue to live and
prosper. They disclose their readiness to do anything to make the spirit happy,
but, in return, the spirit must also guarantee not to cause any nuisance with
their visits.
5. What do you know about the Adi song of the Adi tribe?
Ans.
The Adi song (Recovery of lost health) is sung by the Adi tribe. It is actually
a mantra that is recited in Miri Agom to tempt the spirit of good health back
into the body of an ill person. They believe that a person falls ill when the
spirit of good health discards the body due to some shock. The song is chanted
in a ritual and is performed by the maternal uncle of the ailing person. The
Adi tribe has two major languages-Adi Agom and Miri Agom. Miri Agom is a highly
rhythmic language used for chanting during their rituals, while Adi Agom is a
language for a routine conversation.
LONG QUESTIONS
1. Identify the common characteristics shared by the tribal
communities all over the world.
Ans.
There are many different tribal communities found all over the world. Due to
different types of living conditions and other local influences, it is natural
that they are diametrically opposite to each other. However, there are many
things that are common in almost all the tribal communities. All the tribal
communities live in well-knit societies. They live in the world of their own
which is isolated and different from the world around them. They live close to
nature and for them nature is God. Most of the tribal communities are free from
the vices of the world. They are free from greed, they do not believe in
accumulating money. They believe more in intuition than reason. For them space
around them is sacred. They do not believe in secularism.
2. What distinguishes the tribal imagination from the secular
imagination?
Ans.
The tribal imagination is still dreamlike and hallucinatory. It admits fusion
of various plains of existence and levels of time in a natural way. In tribal
stories, oceans fly in the sky like birds, mountains swim in water like fish,
animals speak like humans and stars grow like plants. The stars, seas,
mountains, animals, etc. can have emotions like human beings. However, secular
imagination is based on logic. In it the creator is not God, but human being.
So, tribal imagination is different from secular imagination.
3. How does G.N. Devy bring out the importance of the oral
literary tradition?
Ans.
Most of the tribal literature is in the oral form. Therefore, many literary
critics do not consider their literature as literary work. A tribal epic can
begin its narration based on the everyday trivial incident. In a tribal epic an
episode from the Mahabharat may make appearance in the epic of the Ramayana.
However, the tribals follow strict principles in their literature. To a casual
spectator it might look absurd, but each story in their literature belongs to
the story from the previous occasion.
4. List the distinctive features of the tribal arts.
Ans.
Playfulness is the soul of tribal arts. Their oral and pictorial art creations
are intimately related to rituals. The tribal arts hardly even assume a serious
love. Listening to the tribal epics can be a great fun since the heroes can be
mocked by the artist. The reason for this is that tribal arts are not for the
purpose of any commercial gain. 'Art for the art's sake' is the soul behind
each tribal art. Tribal arts are always relaxed. They are never tense. They are
dynamic. They are tradition-bound, however experimentation is allowed in them
5. 'New literature' is a misnomer for the wealth of the Indian
literary tradition. How does G.N. Devy explain this?
Ans. Many western literary critics consider Indian literature as a 'New literature'. However, their assumption is not true at all. The Indian literature in general and the tribal literature in particular is not new. It has been in existence for many centuries. However, it is true that most of this literature is in the oral form. Most of the literary critics do not consider it even literature. For them only written form of literature is true literature. However, G.N. Devy says that there is nothing new in this sort of literature. He asserts that the only thing that might be new is the attempt to see the tribal language not as folklore but as literature and to hear tribal speech not as a dialect but as a language.
English Elective (CONTENTS)
WOVEN WORDS | ||
CH. NO. | NAME OF CHAPTERS | AUTHOR |
PROSE | ||
1. | ||
2. | ||
3. | ||
4. | ||
5. | ||
6. | ||
POETRY | ||
1. | ||
2. | ||
3. | ||
4. | ||
5. | ||
6. | ||
7. | ||
8. | ||
ESSAY | ||
1. | ||
2. | ||
3. | ||
5. | ||
6. | ||
7. | ||
DRAMA | ||
1. | ||
NOVEL | ||
1. | ||
