RAS question
In which year was Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's 'Vande Mataram' written?
Correct answer: (B) 1875.
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's Vande Mataram is believed to have been written on 7 November 1875.
Explanation
The date matters because Vande Mataram has two commonly tested milestones: its composition and its later publication history. The PIB note from the Ministry of Culture says the national song Vande Mataram, by Bankimchandra Chatterji, is believed to have been written on Akshaya Navami, which fell on 7 November 1875. It then appeared in the literary journal Bangadarshan as part of Anandamath in serialised form and later came out as a standalone book in 1882. So, for a question asking when it was written, the answer is 1875, not the year of publication or the later 1896 Congress-session singing.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 1890 is neither the composition year nor the publication year of Vande Mataram.
- (C) 1882 refers to the standalone book publication linked with Anandamath, not the year in which Vande Mataram was written.
- (D) 1905 is not the writing date; the timeline gives 1875 for composition, 1882 for standalone publication and 1896 for its first Congress-session singing.
Concept
This tests the chronology of cultural nationalism in modern Indian history. RAS often asks such dates because songs, novels and public symbols connect literary culture with the growth of anti-colonial nationalism.