SSC
'Freedom in Exile' and 'My Land and My People' are the autobiographies of:
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Answer: Option A — The 14th Dalai Lama
Detailed Solution
"My Land and My People" (1962) and "Freedom in Exile" (1990) are the two autobiographies of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism.
About the books:
"My Land and My People" was written a few years after he fled Tibet. It describes his childhood, his recognition as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, life in Tibet, and the Chinese takeover of Tibet in 1950.
"Freedom in Exile" describes his life in more detail, including his escape to India in March 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, and his life as the head of the Tibetan community in exile.
About the 14th Dalai Lama:
- He was born Lhamo Thondup on 6 July 1935 in Taktser village, in the Amdo region of north-eastern Tibet.
- He was recognised as the 14th Dalai Lama at the age of two.
He has lived in India since 1959. The Central Tibetan Administration (Tibetan government-in-exile) is based at McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala, in Himachal Pradesh.
He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his non-violent struggle for the freedom of Tibet.
He received the Congressional Gold Medal of the USA in 2006.
His other books include "The Art of Happiness" (with Howard Cutler), "Ethics for the New Millennium", "Beyond Religion" and "The Book of Joy" (with Archbishop Desmond Tutu).
In July 2025, around his 90th birthday, he stated that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue after him.
Autobiographies of other world leaders:
- Nelson Mandela: "Long Walk to Freedom" (1994).
- Aung San Suu Kyi: "Freedom from Fear" (essays).
- Thich Nhat Hanh: a Vietnamese Buddhist monk known for books on mindfulness, such as "The Miracle of Mindfulness".
- Barack Obama: "Dreams from My Father".
Why not the other options?
- ✗Nelson Mandela's autobiography is "Long Walk to Freedom".
- ✗Aung San Suu Kyi wrote "Freedom from Fear".
- ✗Thich Nhat Hanh wrote books on mindfulness.
Quick tip
Remember: "My Land and My People" (1962) and "Freedom in Exile" (1990) = 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso, in India since 1959, Nobel Peace 1989); "Long Walk to Freedom" = Mandela.
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Books & Authors — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Books & Authors, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers famous books and their authors, including ancient Indian texts, works of the freedom struggle, classic and modern literature, autobiographies of famous people, and recently published books by well-known personalities. Questions usually name a book and ask for its author, or the other way round. Ancient and historical books, such as Arthashastra (Kautilya), Indica (Megasthenes) and Gitanjali (Rabindranath Tagore), are tested most often. Autobiographies are another favourite, so learn titles such as 'My Experiments with Truth' (Mahatma Gandhi) and 'Wings of Fire' (A. P. J. Abdul Kalam). Practise the books and authors questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.