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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 4: Part II, Chapters 5-8.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Besides their money, what does Begam Nihal like about Meraj's family?
(a) The father is an important religious leader.
(b) The sisters are all well-married.
(c) They are related to Begam Waheed's in-laws.
(d) They have connections abroad.

2. What causes Mir Nihal to be so depressed that he does not fly his pigeons one afternoon in Chapter 2?
(a) His concern over the illness of Begam Jamal and Masroor.
(b) His worries over Babban Jan.
(c) The diminishing role he plays in his own household.
(d) The heat-related deaths of some of his birds.

3. What is the "prescription written on the southern gate of the Jama Masjid" a recipe for (88)?
(a) Gold.
(b) A "universal elixir."
(c) An antidote to poison.
(d) A powerful charm.

4. What is implied by the snippet of poetry that Mir Nihal thinks about at the end of Part II, Chapter 1?
(a) His mental state is much more precarious than others realize.
(b) He understands that his love for Babban Jan is impious.
(c) He is unlikely to recover well from any further disappointments.
(d) He wishes that he felt about Begam Nihal the way he feels about Babban Jan.

5. What quality does the narrator claim is "peculiar to Delhi-ites alone of all the peoples of India" (99)?
(a) Their extreme piousness and religious faith.
(b) Their love of poetry and music.
(c) Their eagerness to have fun and enjoy themselves.
(d) Their willingness to accept the rule of the English.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the Eed (Eid) referred to in Part II, Chapter 6?

2. What is the main idea of the epigraph on the book's title page?

3. What is significant about the year that Begam Nihal compares the summer's heat to?

4. What is the Jama Masjid?

5. When Begam Waheed tells her mother that Asghar is in love with Bilqeece, what does Begam Nihal accuse Bilqeece's mother of?

(see the answer key)

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