A History of Indian English Literature by M.K. Naik with Questions and Answers
- PAUL MASIH
- 5 days ago
- 9 min read
A History of Indian English Literature
Introduction
Indian English Literature is a vibrant and evolving field that reflects the journey of India’s cultural, social, and political consciousness through the medium of English. One of the most authoritative works that traces this development is M.K. Naik’s A History of Indian English Literature. This landmark study maps the beginnings of Indian writing in English in the early 19th century, the impact of colonial encounters, the rise of nationalism, the Gandhian era, and the flourishing of modern poetry, fiction, and drama after Independence.
Naik’s book not only documents the major writers and their works—from pioneers like Raja Rammohun Roy and Henry Derozio to modern masters such as R.K. Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand, Raja Rao, Nissim Ezekiel, Kamala Das, and Girish Karnad—but also highlights the social and historical forces that shaped Indian English literature. For students, teachers, and literature enthusiasts, it serves as both a comprehensive guide and a critical analysis of how Indian creativity found its unique voice in English.
This blog explores the key themes, writers, timelines, and exam resources from Naik’s work, making it a valuable companion for academic study as well as general reading.
Study Notes on A History of Indian English Literature – M.K. Naik
A History of Indian English Literature – M.K. Naik
Structure
Preface – Explains the purpose, scope, and challenges in writing a comprehensive history of Indian English literature.
Chapter 1: The Literary Landscape – Defines the nature and scope of Indian English literature, debates over names (Indo-Anglian, Indian Writing in English, etc.), and its relationship with British/Anglo-Indian writing.
Chapter 2: The Pagoda Tree (Beginnings to 1857) – Traces the early prose and poetry traditions, influence of English education, Raja Rammohun Roy, Henry Derozio, Kashiprasad Ghose, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, etc.
Chapter 3: The Winds of Change (1857–1920) – Examines impact of 1857 revolt, rise of social reform movements (Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission), and new directions in poetry, prose, drama, and fiction.
Chapter 4: The Gandhian Whirlwind (1920–1947) – Focuses on Gandhi’s influence on literature, nationalist writings, Tagore, Aurobindo, Sarojini Naidu, novelists and dramatists of the period.
Chapter 5: The Asoka Pillar (Independence and After) – Discusses post-independence Indian English writing in poetry, fiction, drama, short story, and prose up to 1979.
Key Points
Indian English literature is defined as original writing in English by Indians (not translations unless done by the authors themselves).
Early milestones:
C.V. Boriah’s “Account of the Jains” (1809) – considered the first extended English work by an Indian.
Raja Rammohun Roy’s essays (1817 onwards) – foundation of Indian English prose.
Henry Derozio (1827–1831) – pioneer Indian English poet with nationalistic zeal.
Major historical influences:
English education (Macaulay’s Minute, 1835).
Social reform and renaissance movements.
Freedom struggle and Gandhian ideals.
Post-1947: Indian English writing consolidated into poetry (Nissim Ezekiel, Kamala Das), fiction (R.K. Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand, Raja Rao), drama, and criticism.
Detailed Notes on A History of Indian English Literature – M.K. Naik
Chapter 1 – The Literary Landscape: Nature & Scope
🔹 Summary
Indian English Literature (IEL) began in late 18th century with Britain–India encounter.
Defined as original creative writing in English by Indians (birth, ancestry, nationality).
Excludes:
Anglo-Indian Literature (e.g., Kipling, Forster).
Translations by others (Tagore’s works translated into English by others).
🔹 Key Debates on Naming
Indo-Anglian Literature → coined 1883, popularized by K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar (1943).
Indian Writing in English → Iyengar’s later preference (1962).
Indo-English Literature → compact but often confused with translations.
Indian English Literature → now official (Sahitya Akademi).
🔹 Special Cases
Ananda Coomaraswamy – half-English but deeply Indian in orientation.
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala – German-born, married Indian, wrote sensitively about India.
V.S. Naipaul – Indian ancestry but belongs to West Indian literature.
❓ Likely Questions
Define Indian English Literature.
Why is “Indo-Anglian Literature” considered misleading?
Distinguish between Anglo-Indian and Indian English Literature.
Chapter 2 – The Pagoda Tree: Beginnings to 1857
🔹 Historical Context
British rule (East India Company), rise of English education (Macaulay’s Minute, 1835).
Raja Rammohun Roy championed English education.
Universities (Calcutta, Bombay, Madras) set up in 1857 → Indian renaissance.
🔹 Early Prose
C.V. Boriah (1809) – Account of the Jains (first long English work by Indian).
Raja Rammohun Roy (1772–1833) – Father of Indian Renaissance.
Works: Defence of Hindu Theism (1817), Precepts of Jesus (1820), Appeals to the Christian Public (1820–23), essays against Sati.
Style: clear, logical, moderate, Burkean eloquence.
🔹 Early Poetry
Henry Derozio (1809–1831) – First authentic Indian English poet.
Works: Poems (1827), The Fakeer of Jungheera (1828).
Themes: Romanticism, Nationalism (To India – My Native Land, The Harp of India).
Kashiprasad Ghose (1809–1873) – The Shair or Minstrel (1830).
Michael Madhusudan Dutt (1824–1873) – The Captive Ladie (1849), Visions of the Past (1849). Later turned to Bengali.
❓ Likely Questions
Discuss Rammohun Roy’s contribution to Indian English prose.
Evaluate Derozio as the “first Indian English poet.”
Which is the first Indian English novel? (Rajmohan’s Wife, 1864 – Bankim Chandra).
Chapter 3 – The Winds of Change: 1857–1920
🔹 Historical Context
Revolt of 1857 → end of East India Company, British Crown rule.
Rise of reform movements: Brahmo Samaj (Rammohun, Keshub Sen), Arya Samaj (Dayanand), Ramakrishna Mission (Vivekananda).
🔹 Literature
Prose:
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee – Rajmohan’s Wife (1864), first Indian English novel.
Poetry:
Toru Dutt (1856–1877) – A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields (1876), Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan (1882).
Romesh Chunder Dutt – Lays of Ancient India.
Drama:
Michael Madhusudan Dutt – English plays, though greater in Bengali.
❓ Likely Questions
Who wrote the first Indian English novel?
Discuss the contribution of Toru Dutt to Indian English poetry.
Explain the impact of 1857 on Indian English writing.
Chapter 4 – The Gandhian Whirlwind: 1920–1947
🔹 Historical Context
National movement under Gandhi → literature inspired by truth, non-violence, rural life.
🔹 Literature
Prose:
M.K. Gandhi – Hind Swaraj (1909), Autobiography (1927).
Poetry:
Rabindranath Tagore – Gitanjali (Nobel Prize, 1913).
Sri Aurobindo – Savitri.
Sarojini Naidu – The Golden Threshold.
Fiction:
Mulk Raj Anand – Untouchable (1935), Coolie (1936).
R.K. Narayan – Swami and Friends (1935), The Bachelor of Arts (1937).
Raja Rao – Kanthapura (1938).
Drama: T.P. Kailasam, Harindranath Chattopadhyaya.
Short Story: Premchand (self-translations).
❓ Likely Questions
How did Gandhi’s ideas influence Indian English literature?
Evaluate the contribution of Tagore to world literature.
Discuss the “trio” of Anand, Narayan, and Raja Rao.
Chapter 5 – The Asoka Pillar: Independence and After (Post-1947)
🔹 Historical Context
Partition, Independence, modernist experimentation.
🔹 Literature
Poetry:
Nissim Ezekiel – father of modern Indian English poetry.
Kamala Das (My Story), A.K. Ramanujan, R. Parthasarathy, Jayanta Mahapatra.
Fiction:
R.K. Narayan – Malgudi novels (The Guide).
Khushwant Singh – Train to Pakistan (1956).
Anita Desai – Cry, the Peacock (1963).
Arun Joshi – The Foreigner.
Drama:
Girish Karnad – Tughlaq (1964).
Vijay Tendulkar, Mohan Rakesh, Badal Sircar (parallel theatre, often bilingual).
Prose & Criticism:
K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar – Indian Writing in English.
M.K. Naik – literary historian.
❓ Likely Questions
Who is the father of modern Indian English poetry?
Write a short note on Indian English novel after 1947.
Discuss the role of Indian English drama post-independence.
📌 Quick Timeline for Revision
1809 – C.V. Boriah’s Account of the Jains.
1817 – Rammohun Roy’s Defence of Hindu Theism.
1827–28 – Derozio’s Poems and The Fakeer of Jungheera.
1830 – Kashiprasad Ghose’s The Shair.
1864 – Bankim’s Rajmohan’s Wife.
1870s–80s – Toru Dutt, Romesh Dutt.
1909 – Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj.
1913 – Tagore wins Nobel.
1930s–40s – Anand, Narayan, Raja Rao.
Post-1947 – Ezekiel, Kamala Das, Desai, Karnad.
Exam Preparation Toolkit – A History of Indian English Literature (M.K. Naik)
30 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Chapter 1 – The Literary Landscape
Indian English Literature is defined as:
a) Translations into English by others
b) Anglo-Indian writings
c) Original works in English by Indians ✅
d) All of the above
Which body officially accepted the term Indian English Literature?
a) Oxford University
b) Sahitya Akademi ✅
c) Cambridge University
d) British Council
Who called Indo-Anglian Literature “a not altogether happy expression”?
a) Toru Dutt
b) Raja Rao
c) K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar ✅
d) M.K. Naik
Chapter 2 – The Pagoda Tree (Beginnings to 1857)
4. The first long English work by an Indian was:
a) The Shair
b) Account of the Jains ✅
c) Rajmohan’s Wife
d) Precepts of Jesus
Raja Rammohun Roy’s essay A Defence of Hindu Theism was published in:
a) 1816
b) 1817 ✅
c) 1820
d) 1823
Who is considered the first Indian English poet?
a) Toru Dutt
b) Kashiprasad Ghose
c) Henry Louis Vivian Derozio ✅
d) Michael Madhusudan Dutt
Derozio’s long narrative poem is:
a) The Guide
b) The Fakeer of Jungheera ✅
c) Ancient Ballads
d) Visions of the Past
Which poet wrote The Shair or Minstrel?
a) Kashiprasad Ghose ✅
b) Toru Dutt
c) R.C. Dutt
d) Sarojini Naidu
Chapter 3 – The Winds of Change (1857–1920)
9. The first Indian English novel is:
a) Coolie
b) Rajmohan’s Wife ✅
c) Kanthapura
d) Swami and Friends
Toru Dutt’s posthumous work is:
a) The Golden Threshold
b) Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan ✅
c) Cry, the Peacock
d) The Guide
Which reformer founded Arya Samaj in 1875?
a) Rammohun Roy
b) Keshub Chandra Sen
c) Swami Dayanand Saraswati ✅
d) Swami Vivekananda
Who wrote Lays of Ancient India?
a) R.C. Dutt ✅
b) Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
c) Michael Madhusudan Dutt
d) Sarojini Naidu
Chapter 4 – The Gandhian Whirlwind (1920–1947)
13. Which Indian English writer won the Nobel Prize in 1913?
a) Sarojini Naidu
b) Rabindranath Tagore ✅
c) Sri Aurobindo
d) R.K. Narayan
Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj was first published in:
a) 1913
b) 1909 ✅
c) 1920
d) 1935
The trio of Indian English novelists in the Gandhian period are:
a) Tagore, Aurobindo, Naidu
b) Anand, Narayan, Raja Rao ✅
c) Ezekiel, Kamala Das, Ramanujan
d) Desai, Karnad, Joshi
Sarojini Naidu’s first collection of poems was:
a) The Broken Wing
b) The Golden Threshold ✅
c) Savitri
d) Voices of the Night
Chapter 5 – The Asoka Pillar (Post-1947)
17. Who is regarded as the father of modern Indian English poetry?
a) Tagore
b) Nissim Ezekiel ✅
c) R. Parthasarathy
d) Kamala Das
Khushwant Singh’s Train to Pakistan deals with:
a) Industrial India
b) Partition of India ✅
c) Rural poverty
d) Women’s rights
Anita Desai’s Cry, the Peacock was published in:
a) 1956
b) 1963 ✅
c) 1970
d) 1981
Which dramatist wrote Tughlaq?
a) Vijay Tendulkar
b) Girish Karnad ✅
c) Mohan Rakesh
d) Badal Sircar
Who wrote The Foreigner?
a) R.K. Narayan
b) Arun Joshi ✅
c) Raja Rao
d) Khushwant Singh
Mixed Questions
22. Who wrote Precepts of Jesus? → Rammohun Roy ✅
23. Which Indian English poet is called the “Nightingale of India”? → Sarojini Naidu ✅
24. Who edited Indian Writing in English (1962)? → K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar ✅
25. Kanthapura depicts: → Gandhi’s influence in a South Indian village ✅
26. Who wrote My Experiments with Truth? → Gandhi ✅
27. Who translated Gitanjali into English? → Tagore himself ✅
28. First woman poet of IEL with sustained success → Toru Dutt ✅
29. Which work is subtitled “A Metrical Tale”? → The Fakeer of Jungheera ✅
30. Which critic wrote this very book, A History of Indian English Literature? → M.K. Naik ✅
✍️ Short Notes (5–6 sentences each)
Indo-Anglian vs Indian English Literature – Indo-Anglian once referred to Indian writing in English, but caused confusion. Now, Indian English Literature is standard.
Rammohun Roy – Reformist, father of Indian renaissance, pioneer of Indian English prose.
Henry Derozio – Romantic poet, nationalist, wrote The Harp of India and To India, My Native Land.
Toru Dutt – First woman poet of IEL, blended Indian legends with European forms.
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee – Wrote Rajmohan’s Wife, first Indian English novel.
Sri Aurobindo – Mystic poet, author of epic Savitri.
Mulk Raj Anand – Social realist, exposed caste injustices in Untouchable.
R.K. Narayan – Known for Malgudi setting, simple yet profound storytelling.
Nissim Ezekiel – Introduced modernism, irony, realism in Indian English poetry.
Girish Karnad – Brought history and myth into contemporary drama (Tughlaq).
Conclusion
M.K. Naik’s A History of Indian English Literature remains an essential resource for anyone seeking to understand the origins, growth, and richness of Indian writing in English. By tracing the journey from the early pioneers of prose and poetry through the nationalist phase and into the post-Independence modern era, the book offers both historical depth and literary insight.
For students preparing for examinations, teachers designing lessons, or readers passionate about Indian literature, this work provides the foundation to appreciate the voices, themes, and cultural influences that have shaped Indian English literature over two centuries.
To make your learning journey more engaging, explore the 50 MCQs with answers, study notes, and infographic timelines we’ve prepared based on Naik’s book. These resources are designed to help you revise effectively, visualize literary milestones, and practice for competitive exams or classroom tests.
By blending scholarship with accessibility, our blog aims to be a complete guide to Indian English Literature—a space where knowledge, preparation, and passion meet.