1. Read the passage and answer the questions A and B:
According to some myths and legends, GaziPir was a Muslim saint who is said to have spread Islam in the parts of Bengal close to the Sundarbans.He was credited with many miracles. For example, he could supposedly calm dangerous and make them docile. He is usually depicted in paats or scroll paintings riding a fierce-looking Bengal tiger, a snake in his hand, but in apparent danger. According to some stories, he also fought crocodiles who threatened the people of a region full of canals and creeks, indeed, a kind of watery jungle bordering the Bay of Bengal. Because of his alert and vigilant presence, all predatory animals were said to have been kept within bounds. It was also believed that he enabled villagers to live close to forests and jungles and cultivate their lands. Consequently, people of these regions would pray to him for protection. The story of GaziPir has been preserved in folk literature as well as art and has been performed in indigenous theatre. In fact, some Gazirpaat scrolls are part of the collection of the British Museum.
Bangla Translation: কিছু পুরাণ এবং কিংবদন্তি অনুযায়ী, গাজী পীর ছিলেন একজন মুসলিম সাধক, যিনি সুন্দরবনের নিকটবর্তী বঙ্গ অঞ্চলে ইসলাম প্রচার করেছিলেন। তাকে অনেক অলৌকিক কাজের জন্য কৃতিত্ব দেওয়া হয়েছে। উদাহরণস্বরূপ, তিনি বিপজ্জনক প্রাণীদের শান্ত করতে এবং তাদের অনুগত করতে পারতেন। সাধারণত, তাকে পাটবা স্ক্রোল চিত্রকলায় একটি ভয়ঙ্কর চেহারার বাঘের পিঠে চড়ে, হাতে সাপ নিয়ে, কিন্তু স্পষ্টতই বিপদের মধ্যে প্রদর্শিত করা হয়। কিছু গল্প অনুযায়ী, তিনি কুমিরদের সাথেও লড়াই করেছিলেন যারা খাল এবং খাড়িতে পূর্ণ একটি অঞ্চলের মানুষের জন্য হুমকি ছিল। প্রকৃতপক্ষে, এটি বঙ্গোপসাগরের সন্নিকটে একটি জলময় জঙ্গল।
তার সজাগ এবং সতর্ক উপস্থিতির কারণে, সকল শিকারি প্রাণীকে সীমার মধ্যে রাখা হতো। এছাড়াও, তিনি গ্রামবাসীদের বনের কাছাকাছি বসবাস করতে এবং তাদের জমি চাষ করতে সক্ষম করেছিলেন বলে বিশ্বাস করা হতো। ফলস্বরূপ, এই অঞ্চলের মানুষ তার কাছে সুরক্ষার জন্য প্রার্থনা করতো। গাজী পীরের গল্প লোকসাহিত্য এবং শিল্পে সংরক্ষিত হয়েছে এবং এটি দেশীয় থিয়েটারে অভিনয় করা হয়েছে। প্রকৃতপক্ষে, কিছু গাজীর পাট স্ক্রোল ব্রিটিশ মিউজিয়ামের সংগ্রহের অংশ।
A. Choose the correct answer from the alternatives. 1X5=5
a. Who was Gazi Pir according to myths and legends?
i) A Hindu deity ii) A Buddhist monk iii) A Muslim saint iv) A Christian missionary
b. Where did Gazi Pir spread Islam according to the legends?
i) Northern India ii) The Sundarbans region of Bengal iii) Western Pakistan iv) Southern Bangladesh
c. What was Gazi Pir credited with?
i) Building temples ii) Writing holy texts iii) Performing miracles iv) Leading armies
d. What ability was Gazi Pir said to possess regarding dangerous animals?
i) He could train them for hunting ii) He could calm and make them docile
iii) He could transform into them iv) He could communicate with them
e. How is Gazi Pir usually depicted in scroll paintings?
i) Meditating under a tree ii) Riding a fierce-looking Bengal tiger
iii) Standing by a river iv) Sitting on a throne
f. What animal is often shown with Gazi Pir in his hand in the paintings?
i) A bird ii) A lizard iii) A snake iv) A fish
g. What kind of danger is Gazi Pir depicted in, according to the paintings?
i) Apparent danger ii) No danger iii) A flood iv) A fire
h. According to some stories, who did Gazi Pir fight?
i) Tigers ii) Elephants iii) Crocodiles iv) Wolves
i. Why did Gazi Pir fight crocodiles, according to the legends?
i) To protect his village ii) To gather food iii) To show his strength iv) To threaten the people
j. What type of region is described where Gazi Pir fought the crocodiles?
i) Mountainous ii) Dry desert iii) Full of canals and creeks iv) Urban city
k. What kind of jungle is mentioned in the passage?
i) Rainforest ii) Sandy desert iii) Watery jungle iv) Grassland savanna
l. What did Gazi Pir’s vigilant presence supposedly keep within bounds?
i) Farm animals ii) Predatory animals iii) Forest fires iv) Water levels
m. What was believed to be enabled by Gazi Pir’s presence for villagers?
i) Trade and commerce ii) Living close to forests and jungles and cultivating lands
iii) Building large monuments iv) Performing religious rituals
n. For what did people of the region pray to Gazi Pir?
i) Rain ii) Harvest iii) Protection iv) Wealth
o. Where has the story of Gazi Pir been preserved?
i) Royal archives ii) Folk literature and art iii) Academic journals iv) Government records
p. In what form has the story of Gazi Pir been performed?
i) Opera ii) Ballet iii) Indigenous theatre iv) Symphony
q. Where are some Gazir paat scrolls held?
i) The Louvre ii) The British Museum iii) The Smithsonian Institution iv) The Vatican Museum
r. Which of the following is NOT associated with Gazi Pir’s legends?
i) Riding a Bengal tiger ii) Calming dangerous animals iii) Fighting crocodiles iv) Performing medical miracles
s. What geographical feature borders the region where Gazi Pir is said to have spread Islam?
i) The Himalayas ii) The Bay of Bengal iii) The Arabian Sea iv) The Indian Ocean
t. What kind of animals are said to have been kept within bounds by Gazi Pir’s presence?
i) Domestic animals ii) Predatory animals iii) Exotic birds iv) Aquatic creature
(u) Gazi Pir is known to people through ––– i. folk music ii. Painting iii. Literature iv. Museum
(v) What was Gazi Pir credited with?
i. Having extraordinary and mysterious power ii. Protecting people from danger
iii. Calming dangerous animals iv. Knowing magic
(w) Who did Gazi Pir enable to live close to the forests?
i. Rural people ii. Rustic folk iii. Tigers iv. Crocodiles
(x) The word ‘docile’ is––– i. an adjective ii. a noun iii. a verb iv. an adverb
(y) The best synonym of ‘predatory’ is–––
i. precursory ii. arbitrary iii. restless iv. preying upon others
(z) With which of the following was Gazi Pir credited? –
(i) made the ferocious animals obedient (ii) threatened the people to obey him
(iii) Compelled the inhabitants to receive Islam (iv) could calm the unrest nature
(z1) The word „shimmering „in the text could be best replaced by ——
(i) a heavenly oasis (ii) rounded with the Sundarbans
(iii) surrounded with swamp forest (iv) surrounded with the Bay of Bengal
(z2) “Gazir Paat” is one kind of —.
(i) story about supernatural beings (ii) series of events making up a person’s life
(iii) traditional story accepted as history (iv)short moral story
(z3) Which is the meaning of the word „indigenous‟ ? —- (i)native (ii)pure (iii) pure (iv) village
(z4)The word „myth‟ means —- (i) folk story (ii) reality (iii) truth (iv)non-fiction
(z5)What is Gazi Pir said to have done in the Sundarbans region?
i) Built temples ii) Spread Islam iii) Fought wars iv) Started trade
(z6)What was Gazi Pir credited with?
i) Establishing schools ii) Performing miracles iii) Writing religious texts iv) Discovering new lands
(z7)How is Gazi Pir typically depicted in scroll paintings?
i) Riding a horse ii) Sitting in meditation iii) Riding a tiger with a snake in his hand iv) Flying in the sky
(z8)What type of animals did Gazi Pir supposedly fight according to some stories?
i) Lions ii) Elephants iii) Crocodiles iv) Bears
(z9)What kind of environment is described as Gazi Pir’s area of influence?
i) A desert ii) A mountain range iii) A watery jungle with canals and creeks iv) A city
(z10)What was believed about Gazi Pir’s influence on predatory animals?
i) He relocated them to other regions ii) He made them friendly to humans
iii) He kept them within bounds iv) He eliminated them completely
(z11)What benefit did Gazi Pir reportedly provide to villagers near forests?
i) Helped them build houses ii) Enabled them to live safely and farm the land
iii) Provided them with fishing equipment iv) Organized community festivals
(z12)Why did people of the region pray to Gazi Pir?
i) For wealth and prosperity ii) For protection from predatory animals
iii) For blessings to travel iv) For success in war
(z13)In which forms has the story of Gazi Pir been preserved?
i) Religious texts and temples ii) Folk literature and art
iii) Modern novels and cinema iv) Historical documents
(z14)Where can some scrolls depicting Gazi Pir be found today?
i) The British Museum ii) The Louvre Museum
iii) The Smithsonian Institution iv) The National Museum of Bangladesh
(z15)What kind of theatrical performance is associated with Gazi Pir’s story?
i) Classical theatre ii) Indigenous theatre
iii) Modern musicals iv) Religious plays
B. Answer the following questions 2X5=10
(a) What was the specialty of Gazi Pir?
(b)How is usually Gazi Pir depicted? And why?
(c) How did Gazi Pir help the local people?
(d) How can you know about Gazi Pir more?
(e) “People of these regions would pray to him for protection” – what do you understand by this statement?
(f) What kind of extraordinary power did Gazi Pir have?
(g) What was Gazi Pir famous for?
(h) Why did people seek help from Gazi Pir?
(i) What was the belief of the people about Gazi Pir?
(j) What are the different art forms in which the myth of GaziPir is kept alive?
(k) According to some myths and legends, what kind of extraordinary power did Gazi have?
(l) What was the geographical nature of the region where Gazi performed his miracles?
(m) Why, do you think, was Gazi admired in parts of rural Bangladesh for a long time?
(n) What are the different art forms in which the myth of Gazi is kept alive in Bangladesh and even outside the country?
(o) What do some myths and legends say about Gazi Pir?
Ans. About Gazi Pir, some myths and legends say that he was a Muslim saint who might have spread Islam in the parts of Bengal close to the Sundarbans.
(p) What are the prevailing miracles about Gazi Pir? How is he depicted on paats?
Ans. The prevailing miracles about Gazi Pir are that he could supposedly calm dangerous animals and make them docile. Moreover, he is usually depicted in paats or scroll paintings riding a fierce looking Bengal tiger, a snake in his hand, but in no apparent danger.
(q) What do some stories say about his fight against crocodiles?
Ans. About his fight against crocodiles, some stories say that he fought crocodiles that threatened the people of that region full of canals and creeks, indeed, a kind of watery region bordering the Bay of Bengal.
(r) Why would people of these regions would pray to him?
Ans. People of these regions would pray to him for their protection. They, living in the regions full of canals and creeks, were frightened with the dangers of crocodiles.
(s) Where have the stories of Gazi Pir been preserved?
Ans. The stories of Gazi Pir have been preserved in folk literature as well as art. They also have been performed in indigenous theatre. Moreover, some Gazir paats scrolls are part of the collection of the British Museum.
2. Read the following text and make a flow-chart showing the specialties of Gazi Pir
The Specialties of Gazi Pir
i. Being credited with miracles
ii. Could supposedly calm dangerous animal
iii. Make the dangerous animal docile
iv. Usually depicted in paats or scroll paintings
v. Seen as riding a fierce – looking Bengal tiger and a snake in his hand
v1. Fought crocodiles
or
i. Being credited with miracles
ii. Ability to calm dangerous animals and make them docile
iii. Having bravery and heroism
iv. Daring to fight crocodiles
v. Ability to control all predatory animals
v1. Having tendency to help and protect endangered people
More questions:
A. Make a flowchart showing the beliefs surrounding Gazi Pir’s protection. (One is done for you.)
i. Believed to protect villagers
ii. Enabled villagers to live near forests
iii. Helped villagers cultivate their lands
iv. Kept predatory animals within bounds
v. Fought threats from wild animals
v1. Prayed to by villagers for protection
C. Create a flowchart outlining Gazi Pir’s influence in literature and art. (One is done for you.)
i. Preserved in folk literature
ii. Depicted in indigenous theatre performances
iii. Stories performed as cultural narratives
iv. Shown in scroll paintings (paats)
v. Artwork displayed in the British Museum
D. Make a flowchart showing Gazi Pir’s connection with the Sundarbans.
i. Operated near the Sundarbans
ii. Controlled dangerous wildlife like tigers and crocodiles
iii. Lived in a watery jungle with canals and creeks
iv. Helped local people navigate forest dangers
v. Provided safety for cultivation and habitation near the forest