Quiz 2 : 10 questions on Handkerchiefs

There is a ghost
That eats handkerchiefs;
It keeps you company
On all your travels.

Christian Morgenstern  in "Gespenst"

1.This was a secret organization of robbers in India, who always strangled their victims by throwing a handkerchief around their necks. In October, they would meet in bands of from 10 to 200 and set out on the highways, where they would set upon wealthy travelers, strangle them , distribute the booty, and flee. A portion of the booty was always presented as an offering to the goddess Kali. Later Lord William Bentinck, began to investigate the organization and the campaign against the organisation, directed by Sir W. H. Sleeman, was remarkably successful. Within seven years more than 3000 of them had been imprisoned or hanged, and the organisation was wiped out. Which organisation ?

2.In 18th and 19th century France, vocabulary was divided into “noble” and“common” and was also mentioned likewise in dictionaries. Common vocabulary was unfit for poetry and could not be used in plays etc. This French romantic writer led a band of writers who opposed such a classification and used the prohibited words whenever they saw fit. In 1830, in his verse drama 'Hernani', he created a scandal in the audience when the heroine spoke of her handkerchief (mouchoir) , a strict no no during that time. Which playwriter?

 

3. On January 11th 2013 Indian President Pranab Mukherjee released a Commemorative Postage Stamp on ‘Silk Letter Movement’. Originally called Tehrek-e-Reshmi Rumal (which translates to Silk handkerchief) this movement was started by a religious group in India, with the intention of overthrowing the British rule by allying with Ottoman Turkey, Imperial Germany, and Afghanistan. The plot was uncovered by Punjab CID, with the capture of letters written in silk cloth from Ubaidullah Sindhi, one of the religious leaders. After the leakage of the plan, the top leaders were arrested and were exiled to Malta. Which religious sect am I talking about ?

4.This is a  large, colorfully patterned handkerchief. Its name is derived from the Hindi word for a method of tie-dyeing. In this dyeing,  parts of a silk or cotton cloth are tied tightly with wax thread before the whole cloth is dipped in a dye vat; the threads are then untied, the parts so protected being left uncoloured. Which hanky?

5. This Jazz musicians happy-go-lucky disposition and good humor which provided a convenient reinforcement for the racial prejudices of many white listeners, was criticized by many other black Jazz musicians. One of them was “Dizzy” Gillespie one of the greatest trumpeter in the history of jazz, who criticized his "plantation image," that "public image of him, handkerchief over his head, grinning in the face of white racism." Which genius was thus condemned for 'Tomming'?
(Tomming is used in US for a black person who behaves in an excessively obedient or servile way.)

6.Where will you find  people called 'Jatravartids', who live in perpetual fear of the time they call 'The Coming of The Great White Handkerchief '?

7.Before the time of this queen, handkerchiefs came in many sizes and shapes. So in 1785, she had her husband issue a law which stated, "the length of handkerchiefs shall equal their width, throughout my entire kingdom." After this most handkerchiefs have been square. Which queen?

8.In this drama a handkerchief play's a pivotal role.The twist in the play occurs when the wife of the main character in the play cannot produce a handkerchief once given to her and it is later found among her alleged lovers, possessions. Thus resulting in the wife's murder by her husband. Which play?

9. This word formerly stood for handkerchief or a cloth used as a patch. Today it means political influence, and its present definition originates from Chicago, during the time of its Mayor Richard J. Daley, the archetypal city “boss.” Its use then spread throughout Illinois and the United States and is widely used around English speaking world today. which word ?

Jimmy Carter and Daley

10.In the late 19th century, a new imported cloth became popular in Zanzibar.The cloth was actually a handkerchief and called as lesos.  Since six lesos were cheaper than one piece of imported fabric of the same size, enterprising Swahili women began to sew brightly colored lesos into larger pieces of fabric. This stitched fabric was worn mainly by women eager to establish their emancipated identity after the abolition of slavery in Zanzibar. They wrapped one piece around the waist, another around the upper body, and a third around the head and thrown over the shoulder, covering the body in the Muslim fashion. The cloth also had proverbs and other sayings printed at the bottom. Today this dress is widely worn in East Africa and most are either produced by domestic industries in Kenya or Tanzania, and customers are always in search of new designs and new printed proverbs.Which piece of clothing thus grew from a handkerchief ?

Happy Quizzing and Have a nice day.