Culture
Results
#1. Iqbal’s Persian work Asrar-e-Khudi develops the philosophy of:
Asrar-e-Khudi expounds Iqbal’s concept of khudi or selfhood. It urges the cultivation of individuality and purposeful action.
#2. Faiz Ahmed Faiz is best known as a poet of:
Faiz was a leading figure of the Progressive Writers’ Movement. His verse combined lyrical form with political themes.
#3. Sachal Sarmast was a Sufi poet writing principally in:
Sachal Sarmast was a Sindhi Sufi poet known for his mystical verse. His shrine is at Daraza in Khairpur.
#4. Basant, traditionally celebrated in Lahore, is associated with:
Basant marks the arrival of spring and is associated with kite flying in Lahore. The festival has faced restrictions on safety grounds.
#5. The Rohtas Fort was built by:
Rohtas Fort near Jhelum was built by Sher Shah Suri in the sixteenth century. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
#6. The Urdu poet known for his marsiya, elegiac poetry commemorating Karbala, is:
Mir Anis is regarded as the foremost writer of marsiya in Urdu. The form commemorates the events of Karbala.
#7. Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s collection written largely in prison is titled:
Dast-e-Saba was composed largely during Faiz’s imprisonment in the 1950s. Naqsh-e-Faryadi was his first collection.
#8. The national anthem of Pakistan was written by:
Hafeez Jalandhri wrote the lyrics of the national anthem. The music was composed by Ahmed G. Chagla.
#9. The historic fort at Derawar is located in which desert?
Derawar Fort stands in the Cholistan Desert near Bahawalpur. Its massive bastions are a well-known landmark.
#10. Saraiki is spoken mainly in which region of Pakistan?
Saraiki is spoken across southern Punjab including Multan and Bahawalpur. It has a substantial literary tradition.
#11. Balochi and Brahui are languages spoken principally in:
Balochi and Brahui are the main indigenous languages of Balochistan. Brahui belongs to a different language family from Balochi.
#12. Which language is the provincial language of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?
Pashto is the principal language of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is also spoken widely in northern Balochistan.
#13. Manto’s celebrated short story dealing with Partition and an exchange of mental asylum inmates is:
Toba Tek Singh is among Manto’s most famous stories about Partition. It uses an asylum to comment on the absurdity of division.
#14. The shrine of Data Ganj Bakhsh is located in:
The shrine of Ali Hujwiri, known as Data Ganj Bakhsh, is in Lahore. He was an eleventh-century Sufi scholar.
#15. Intizar Hussain is best known for fiction dealing with:
Intizar Hussain’s fiction centres on migration and cultural memory after Partition. Basti is among his major novels.
#16. Shina and Balti are languages spoken chiefly in:
Shina and Balti are among the principal languages of Gilgit-Baltistan. Balti is related to Tibetan.
#17. Bulleh Shah was a celebrated Sufi poet of which language?
Bulleh Shah is among the greatest Punjabi Sufi poets. His kafis remain widely sung across the region.
#18. The collected poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai is known as:
Shah Jo Risalo is the compiled poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. It is central to Sindhi literary and spiritual tradition.
#19. Harappa, another major Indus Valley site, is located in which province?
Harappa is located in Sahiwal district of Punjab. It gives its name to the Harappan civilisation.
#20. Allama Muhammad Iqbal is recognised in Pakistan as the:
Iqbal is honoured as Pakistan’s national poet and the intellectual precursor of the Pakistan idea. His Allahabad Address of 1930 outlined the concept of a separate Muslim state.
#21. Waris Shah is remembered chiefly for composing:
Waris Shah composed the celebrated Punjabi version of the Heer Ranjha romance. It is a foundational text of Punjabi literature.
#22. Khowar is the principal language of which district?
Khowar is spoken mainly in Chitral. It belongs to the Dardic group of languages.
#23. The Badshahi Mosque was built during the reign of:
The Badshahi Mosque at Lahore was completed in 1673 under Aurangzeb. It remained the largest mosque in the world for centuries.
#24. Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali is best known for which long poem on Muslim decline?
Musaddas-e-Hali lamented the decline of Muslims and urged reform. It was written at Sir Syed’s encouragement.
#25. Brahui is linguistically notable because it belongs to which language family?
Brahui is a Dravidian language spoken in Balochistan. Its presence far from the Dravidian south has long interested linguists.
#26. Taxila is chiefly associated with which ancient civilisation?
Taxila was a major centre of the Gandhara civilisation and Buddhist learning. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
#27. The Makli Necropolis, one of the largest funerary sites in the world, is located near:
Makli lies near Thatta in Sindh and contains hundreds of thousands of tombs. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
#28. Allama Iqbal’s first published collection of Urdu poetry was:
Bang-e-Dara, published in 1924, was Iqbal’s first Urdu poetry collection. It includes his early nationalist and philosophical verse.
#29. Takht-i-Bahi, a Buddhist monastic complex, is located in which province?
Takht-i-Bahi lies in Mardan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
#30. The archaeological site of Mohenjo-daro is located in which province?
Mohenjo-daro lies in Larkana district of Sindh. It is a major site of the Indus Valley Civilisation.
#31. The Shalimar Gardens at Lahore were built during the reign of:
The Shalimar Gardens were laid out in 1641 during Shah Jahan’s reign. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
#32. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s journal promoting social and educational reform was titled:
Sir Syed launched Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq to promote social reform among Muslims. It was central to the Aligarh Movement’s intellectual programme.
#33. Deputy Nazir Ahmed is remembered as a pioneer of the:
Deputy Nazir Ahmed is regarded as a pioneer of the Urdu novel. Mirat-ul-Uroos is among his best-known works.
#34. Iqbal’s poems Shikwa and Jawab-e-Shikwa are written in the form of:
Shikwa presents a complaint to God about the decline of Muslims, and Jawab-e-Shikwa gives the divine reply. Both are among Iqbal’s best-known works.
#35. The novel Khuda Ki Basti was written by:
Khuda Ki Basti by Shaukat Siddiqui depicts urban poverty in Pakistan. It was adapted for television.
#36. The national language of Pakistan is:
Article 251 of the Constitution declares Urdu the national language. English continues to be used for official purposes.
#37. The Shah Jahan Mosque, noted for its tilework, is located at:
The Shah Jahan Mosque at Thatta is celebrated for its blue tilework and acoustics. It was built in the seventeenth century.
#38. Ashfaq Ahmed is known in Urdu literature chiefly for:
Ashfaq Ahmed wrote fiction, radio and television drama, and reflective prose. Zavia is among his best-known works.
#39. Mirza Ghalib is regarded as a master of which poetic form?
Ghalib is considered among the greatest ghazal poets of Urdu and Persian. He lived during the final years of Mughal rule.
#40. The Kalash festival celebrated in spring is known as:
Chilam Joshi is the Kalash spring festival held in May. It attracts visitors from across Pakistan and abroad.
#41. Ahmed Faraz was a prominent poet writing chiefly in:
Ahmed Faraz was among the most popular Urdu poets of the later twentieth century. He was known for both romantic and political verse.
#42. Truck art is a distinctive folk art form of Pakistan characterised by:
Pakistani truck art features vivid painting, poetry and ornamentation. It has gained international recognition as a folk art form.
#43. The devotional music performed at Sufi shrines in Pakistan is known as:
Qawwali is the devotional music tradition associated with Sufi shrines. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan brought it international recognition.
#44. Mian Muhammad Bakhsh is best known for composing:
Mian Muhammad Bakhsh composed the Punjabi narrative poem Saif-ul-Malook. It remains a beloved work of Punjabi literature.
#45. The Shandur Polo Festival is held at a pass located between Chitral and:
The Shandur Polo Festival is held at Shandur Pass between Chitral and Gilgit. It is described as the world’s highest polo ground.
#46. Bano Qudsia, a noted Urdu novelist, wrote which celebrated novel?
Raja Gidh is Bano Qudsia’s best-known novel. It explores moral and philosophical themes.
#47. The shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar is located at:
The shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar is at Sehwan Sharif in Sindh. Its annual urs draws large numbers of devotees.
#48. The novel Udaas Naslein was written by:
Udaas Naslein by Abdullah Hussain is regarded as a landmark Urdu novel. It examines the generation that experienced Partition.
#49. The Sindhi cap worn along with ajrak is known as:
The Sindhi topi is worn with ajrak as a marker of Sindhi identity. Sindhi Culture Day celebrates both.
#50. Mohenjo-daro belongs to which ancient civilisation?
Mohenjo-daro was a principal city of the Indus Valley Civilisation. It flourished around the third millennium BCE.
#51. Ismat Chughtai is associated with which literary movement?
Ismat Chughtai was a leading figure of the Progressive Writers’ Movement. Her fiction addressed gender and social themes candidly.
#52. Saadat Hasan Manto is best known as a writer of:
Manto is regarded as one of the greatest Urdu short story writers. His Partition stories are especially renowned.
#53. Sultan Bahu was a Punjabi Sufi poet known particularly for his:
Sultan Bahu is known for his abyat, short mystical verses in Punjabi. His shrine is in Jhang district.
#54. Multan is particularly famous among Pakistani crafts for its:
Multan is known for blue pottery, camel skin lamps and glazed tilework. These crafts date back several centuries.
#55. Ralli quilts are a traditional craft of:
Ralli quilts are patchwork textiles made in Sindh and adjoining regions. They feature bold geometric patterns.
#56. The script in which Urdu is conventionally written is called:
Urdu is traditionally written in the Nastaliq calligraphic style. Arabic is more commonly written in Naskh.
#57. Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai wrote chiefly in which language?
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai is the foremost classical poet of the Sindhi language. His shrine is at Bhit Shah.
#58. The traditional embroidered work known as phulkari is associated with:
Phulkari is a traditional embroidery of Punjab. The word refers to floral work.
#59. Khushal Khan Khattak is regarded as the national poet of which language?
Khushal Khan Khattak is the foremost classical poet of Pashto. He was also a tribal chief and warrior of the seventeenth century.
#60. Faiz Ahmed Faiz was imprisoned in connection with the:
Faiz was arrested in connection with the 1951 Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case. He wrote significant poetry during his imprisonment.
#61. Khwaja Ghulam Farid wrote principally in which language?
Khwaja Ghulam Farid is the foremost classical poet of Saraiki. His kafis are widely sung in southern Punjab.
#62. Ajrak is a traditional block-printed textile associated chiefly with:
Ajrak is a traditional Sindhi block-printed shawl with distinctive geometric patterns. It is a cultural symbol of Sindh.
#63. Rahman Baba was a celebrated Sufi poet of which language?
Rahman Baba is among the most revered Pashto Sufi poets. His shrine is near Peshawar.
#64. Iqbal’s philosophical lectures published in English are titled:
This 1930 work presented Iqbal’s reinterpretation of Islamic thought for the modern age. It was based on lectures delivered in Madras, Hyderabad and Aligarh.
#65. The Gandhara civilisation is particularly noted for its:
Gandhara art combined Hellenistic techniques with Buddhist subjects. Its sculptures are among the region’s most distinctive artistic achievements.
#66. The most widely spoken language in Pakistan by number of native speakers is:
Punjabi has the largest number of native speakers in Pakistan. Urdu, though the national language, is the mother tongue of a smaller proportion.
#67. The Progressive Writers’ Movement in South Asia was founded in the:
The Progressive Writers’ Association was founded in the mid-1930s. It shaped Urdu literature for several decades.
#68. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is internationally renowned as a performer of:
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was the most celebrated qawwal of his generation. He introduced qawwali to worldwide audiences.
#69. Habib Jalib is remembered chiefly as a poet of:
Habib Jalib wrote verse opposing authoritarian rule across several regimes. His poem Dastoor remains widely quoted.
#70. The Kalash people, known for their distinct culture, live in:
The Kalash inhabit valleys in Chitral district. They maintain distinct religious and cultural traditions.