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© NATIONAL DEFENCE INSTITUTE | MODERN INDIA TEST ANSWER KEY WITH EXPLANATION

MODERN INDIA TEST SOLUTION Q 1.C

The Indian army was carefully reorganised after 1858. Some changes were made necessary by the transfer of power to the

Crown. Firstly, the domination of the army by its European branch was carefully guaranteed. The proportion of Europeans

to Indians in the army was raised. Moreover, the European troops were kept in key geographical and military positions.

Hence, statement 1 is not correct. The organisation of the Indian section of the army was based on the policy of divide and rule so as to revent its chance of

uniting again in an anti-British uprising. Communal, caste, tribal and regional loyalities were encouraged amongst the

soldiers so that the sentiment of nationalism would not grow among them. For example caste and communal companies

were introduced in most of the regiments. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

The older policy of excluding Indians from the officer corps was strictly maintained. Till 1914, no Indian could rise higher

than the rank of a subedar. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Q 2.B

In May 1873, an agrarian league or combination was formed in Yusufshahi Parganah in Pabna district of Bengal to resist

the demands of the zamindars of enhanced rents.The league organized mass meetings of peasants.and large crowds

gathered and then they marched towards the villages frightening the zamindars. The league organized a rent-strike- the ryots

refused to pay the enhanced rents - and challenged the zamindars in the courts. The struggle gradually spread throughout

Pabna and then to the other districts of East Bengal.

Everywhere agrarian leagues were organized, rents were withheld and zamindars fought in the courts. The main form of

struggle was that of legal resistance. There was very little violence - it only occurred when the zamindars tried to compel

the ryots to submit to their terms by force.

In the course of the movement, the ryots developed a strong awareness of the law and their legal rights and the ability to

combine and form associations for peaceful agitation.

Q 3.A

The Congress had resolved on the boycott of Simon Commission at its annual session in December 1927 at Madras.The

Civil Disobedience Movement was started by Gandhi ji in March 1930 with his famous Dandi March and in 6th April he

broke the Salt law. Gandhi-Irwin Pact (in March 1931) was signed between Mahatma Gandhi and the then Viceroy of

India Lord Irwin by which he agreed to take part in the Second Round Table Conference (Sept. – Dec 1931).

Q 4.B

In January 1926, Jayakar, the officer charged with the duty of reassessment of the land revenue, recommended a thirty

percent increase over the existing assessment. This led to the resentment among the local peasants, leading to Bardoli

Satyagraha.

The issue of withdrawal of plague bonus was taken up during Ahemdabad mill strike. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

Vallabhbhai Patel‘s capacities as an organizer, speaker, campaigner was so inspiring that the women of Bardoli gave him

the title of Sardar. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Q 5.C

A revolutionary phase in Bengal saw large scale participation of young women under Surya Sen's leadership, they

provided shelters, acted as messengers and custodians of arms and fought guns in hand. Preetilata Waddekar died while

conducting a raid, while Kalpana Dutt was arrested and tried along with Surya Sen and given a life sentence. In December

1931, two school girls Commilla, Shanti Ghosh and Suniti Chaudhary, shot dead the district magistrates. In December 1932,

Beena Das fired point blank at the Governor while receiving her degree at the convocation.


Q 6.B

The leading figures during the first phase of the National Movement (1885-1905) were moderates. Leading moderates

were A.O. Hume, W.C. Banerjee, Surendra Nath Banerjee, Pherozeshah Mehta, Gopalakrishna Gokhale, Pandit Madan

Mohan Malaviya, Badruddin Tyabji, Justice Ranade, G.Subramanya Aiyar.

The closing decade of the nineteenth century and early years of the twentieth century witnessed the emergence of a new

and younger group within the Indian National Congress, which was sharply critical of the ideology and the methods of the

old leadership. These extremists were Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal and Aurobindo Ghose.

Q 7.D

The important contributions of early nationalists in Indian National Movement were:

To provide leadership to the movement in the early stage.

To provide economic criticism of colonial government.

To create public interest in political questions and organization of public opinion.

The early nationalists did not believe in the capacity of masses and considered them as uneducated. It was the major

weakness of early nationalists most of whom were elite educated Indians. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Q 8.A

Lord Cornwallis, who came to India as Governor-General in 1786, was determined to purify the administration, but he

realised that the Company's servants would not give honest and efficient service so long as they were not given adequate

salaries. He therefore enforced the rules against private trade and acceptance of presents and bribes by officials with

strictness. At the same time, he raised the salary of the Company‘s servants. For example, the Collector of a district was to

be paid Rs. 1500 a month and one per cent commission on the revenue collection of his district. In fact the Company's Civil

Service became the highest paid service in the world. Cornwallis also laid down that promotion in the Civil Services

would be by seniority so that its members would remain independent of outside influence. Hence, statement 1

is correct.

In 1800, Lord Wellesley pointed out that even though civil servants often ruled over vast areas, they came to India at the

immature age of 18 or so and were given no regular training before starting on their jobs. They generally lacked knowledge

of Indian languages. Wellesley therefore established the Fort William college at Calcutta for the education of young

recruits to the Civil Services. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Civil services examination started to be held in India from 1922 (Lord Reading) onwards. It was not introduced by Lord

Cornwallis . Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Q 9.A

The new political thrust in the years between 1875 and 1885 was the creation of the younger, more radical nationalist

intellectuals most of whom entered politics during this period. They established new associations for their programmes and

political activities as well as social bases.

1836-Bangabhasha Prakasika Sabha.

1838 - Zamindari Association or Landholders' Society in Calcutta. The promotion of landholders' interests through

petitions to government and discreet persuasion of the bureaucracy was its professed object.

1843-Bengal British India Society

In 1873-74, the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, led by Justice Ranade, organized a successful campaign among the peasants, as

well as at Poona and Bombay against the land revenue settlement of 1867.

The British Indian Association of Bengal was established in 1851.

The younger nationalists of Bengal, led by Surendranath Banerjea and Anand Mohan Bose, founded The Indian

Association in 1876.

Younger men of Madras - M. Viraraghavachariar, G. Subramaniya Iyer, P. Ananda Charlu and others - formed the Madras

Mahajan Sabha in 1884.


In Bombay, the more militant intellectuals like K.T. Telang and Pherozeshah Mehta broke away from older leaders like

Dadabhai Naoroji and Dinshaw Petit on political grounds and formed the Bombay Presidency Association in 1885.

1883-India National Conference- Surendranath Banerjee

All India Muslim League was formed in 1906 at Dacca.

Q 10.B

Early nationalists were critical of large scale investment in Railways and plantation as it resulted into drain of wealth.

These investments facilitate easy export of raw material and came at high interest rate. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

They saw solution to poverty in India in the development of domestic industries. So they promote the idea of Swadeshi.

Hence, statement 2 is correct . They supported Indian capitalist class but were critical of British capitalist class. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

They demanded abolition of salt tax since starting. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

Q 11.B

In 1873-74, the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha (Poona Public Society), led by Mahadev Govind Ranade, who organized a

successful campaign among the peasants, as well as at Poona and Bombay against the land revenue settlement of 1867.

The Servants of India Society was formed in Pune, Maharashtra, on June 12, 1905 by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, who left the

Deccan Education Society to form this association.

This agitation had generated a mentality of resistance among the peasants which contributed to the rise of peasant protest

in 1875. The Sabha as well as many of the nationalist newspapers also supported the Deccan Agriculturists‘ Relief Bill.

Under its impact, a large number of peasants refused to pay the enhanced revenue.

Q 12.A

The Indian capitalist class had its own notions of how the anti-imperialist struggle ought to be waged. It was always in

favour of not completely abandoning the constitutional path and the negotiating table and generally preferred to put its

weight behind constitutional forms of struggle as opposed to mass civil disobedience. This was due to several reasons

First, there was the fear that mass civil disobedience, especially if it was prolonged, would unleash forces

which could turn the movement revolutionary in a social sense (i.e., threaten capitalism itself). Second, the capitalists were

unwilling to support a prolonged all-out hostility to the government of the day as it prevented the continuing of day-

to-day business and threatened the very existence of the class. The Indian capitalists‘ support to constitutional participation, whether it be in assemblies, conferences or even joining the

Viceroy‘s Executive Council, is not to be understood simply as their getting co-opted into the imperial system or

surrendering to it. Further, however keen the capitalists may have been to keep constitutional avenues open, they clearly

recognized the futility of entering councils.

Finally, it must be noted that for the capitalist class constitutionalism was not an end in itself, neither did it subscribe to

what has often been called ‗gradualism‘ in which case it would have joined hands with the Liberals and not supported the

Congress which repeatedly went in for nonconstitutional struggle including mass civil disobedience.

The Indian capitalist class grew from about the mid 19th century with largely an independent capital base and not

as junior partners of foreign capital or as compradors. The capitalist class on the whole was not tied up in a subservient

position with pro-imperialist feudal interests either economically or politically.

Q 13.C

The Government of India Act 1935 provided for the establishment of on All India Federation which was to be based on

union of princely states. There was to be a bicameral federal legislature in which states were given disproportionate

weightage. The representatives of the states were not to be elected by the people but appointed directly by the rulers. It also

provided for a new system of government for the provinces on the basis of provincial autonomy.

The franchise was restricted and only about 14 percent of the total population in British India was given the right to

vote.There were restrictions on the basis of tax, property and educational qualifications.


Q 14.D

Gaffar Khan, also called Badshah Khan and Frontier Gandhi, had started the first Pushto political monthly Pukhtoon and

had organised a volunteer brigade 'Khudai Khidmatgars', popularly known as the 'Red-Shirts', who were pledged to the

freedom struggle and non-violence.

They played an extremely active role in the Civil Disobedience Movement. The atmosphere created by their political work

contributed to the mass upsurge in Peshawar during which the city was virtually in the hands of the crowd for more than a

week.

Q 15.D

All the statements are not correct.

The British guaranteed the Princes against any threat to their autocratic power, internal or external. Most of the princely

States were run as unmitigated autocracies, with absolute power concentrated in the hands of the ruler or his favorites. The

burden of the land tax was usually heavier than in British India and there was usually much less of the rule of law

and civil liberties. The rulers had unrestrained power over the state revenues for personal use, and this often led to

ostentatious living and waste. Some of the more enlightened rulers and their ministers did make attempts, from time to time,

to introduce reforms in the administration, the system of taxation and even granted powers to the people to participate in

government. But the vast majority of the States were bastions of economic, social, political and

educational backwardness, for reasons not totally of their own making.

Q 16.D

Statements 1 and 3 are correct: An important aspect of the swadeshi Movement was the emphasis placed on self-reliance

or ‗Atmasakti‘, which means assertion of national dignity, honour and selfconfidence.

In economic field, fostering of indigenous industries was emphasised.

Statement 2 is correct: Nationalists opened National Education institutions who regarded the existing education system

as inadequate. To this effect, National Council of Education was setup in 1906. Also active participation of women and

many prominent muslims such as Abdul Rasul, Liaquat Hussain, Guznavi etc. was seen.

Q 17.C

As the World War II situation worsened, President Roosevelt of the USA and President Chiang Kai-Shek of China as also

the Labour Party leaders of Britain put pressure on Churchill to seek the active cooperation of Indians in the War. To

secure this cooperation the British Government sent to India in March 1942 a mission headed by a Cabinet minister Stafford

Cripps, a leftwing Labourite who had earlier actively supported the Indian national movement. Hence, statement 1 is

correct. Even though Cripps announced that the aim of British policy in India was ‗the earliest possible realization of self-

government in India,‘ the Draft Declaration he brought with him was disappointing. The Declaration promised India

Dominion Status and a constitution-making body, after the war, whose members would be elected by the provincial

assemblies and nominated by the rulers in case of the princely states. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Q 18.B

The British introduced the modern concept of the rule of law. This meant that their administration was to be carried out,

at least in theory, in obedience to laws, which clearly defined the rights, privileges, and obligations of the subjects and not

according to the caprice or personal discretion of the ruler. One important feature of the concept of the rule of law was that

any official could be brought before a court of law for breaches of official duty or for acts done in excess of his official

authority. The rule of law was to some extent, a guarantee of the personal liberty of a person. Hence, statement 1 is

correct. The Indian legal system under the British was based on the concept of equality before law. This meant that in the eyes of

law all men were equal. The same law applied to all persons irrespective of their caste, religion, or class. Previously,


the judicial system had paid heed to caste distinctions and had differentiated between the high-born and low-born. For the

same crime lighter punishment was awarded to a Brahmin than to a non-Brahmin. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

There was one exception to this principle of equality before law. The Europeans and their descendants had

separate courts and even laws. In criminal cases they could be tried only by European judges. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Q 19.B

In 1916 at Lucknow, both the Congress and Muslim League signed a pact known as the Lucknow Pact, and put forward

common political demands before the Government including the demand for selfgovernment for India after the war. The

Pact accepted separate electorates and the system of weightage and reservation of seats for the minorities in the legislatures.

Q 20.C

In March 1919, the government passed the Rowlatt Act even though every single Indian member of the Central Legislative

Council opposed it. It aimed at severely curtailing the civil liberties of Indians in the name of curbing terrorist violence.

Thus, this Act authorised the Government to imprison any person without trial and conviction in a court of law. The Act

would thus also enable the government to suspend the right of Habeas corpus which had been the foundation of civil liberties

in Britain. Hence, option (c) is correct.

Q 21.B

Anglo-French rivalry in India coincided with the wars between the English and French in Europe for primarily two reasons

:

For protection of commercial interests.

Political developments in the south India and Europe provided pretexts to contest their claims which

culminated in the three Carnatic wars.

First Carnatic War (1740-48) - It was an extension of the Anglo-French rivalry in Europe and ended in 1748 with

the treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle.

Second Carnatic War (1749-54) - Although inconclusive, it undermined the French power in the south India vis-a-

vis the English.

Third Carnatic War (1758-63) - A decisive war, known for the Battle of Wandiwash. By the Treaty of Paris (1763),

the French were allowed to use Indian settlements for commercial purposes only and fortification of settlements

was banned.

Q 22.B

Raja Rammohan Roy was the first Indian to start an agitation for political reform. He advocated the substitution of English

in place of Persian language in courts of law, employment of Indian personnel in civil services, separation of offices of

judges and revenue commissioners. He also suggested consultation with Indian public before enactment of law in the

country.

Q 23.A

The safety valve theory is that the Indian National Congress was started by A.O. Hume and others under the official

direction, guidance and advice of Lord Dufferin, the Viceroy, to provide a safe, mild, peaceful, and constitutional outlet or

safety valve for the rising discontent among the masses, which was inevitably leading towards a popular and violent

revolution.

Q 24.D

Subhas Chandra Bose resigned from the presidentship of Congress in April, 1939 and founded the Forward Bloc.

Congress Socialist Party was founded in 1934 under the leadership of Acharya Narendra Dev and Jai


Prakash Narayan.

Communist Party of India grew under the leadership of P.C. Joshi after 1935.The first all India peasant organization,

the All India Kisan Sabha was formed in 1936 under the presidentship of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati.

Q 25.C

In 1903, in South Africa, Gandhi started a weekly newspaper, Indian Opinion. From India Gandhi continued supporting

Indian Opinion all his life by providing regular editorial materials and moral and financial support. In 1919, Gandhi started

two weeklies in India, Young India and Navjivan. In 1933, Gandhiji added a third weekly, Harijan(which means ‘the

children of God’) In early 1915, Annie Besant launched a campaign through her two papers, New India and Commonweal, and organized

public meetings and conferences to demand that India be granted self-government on the lines of the White colonies after

the War.

Q 26.B

In the first week of February in 1922 at Chauri-Chaura, demonstrators participating in the Noncooperation movement

attacked and set fire to a police station, killing all of its occupants. On 12 February 1922, the Congress leaders met at Bardoli

and Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-cooperation movement. By Bardoli resolution Non-cooperation movement

was withdrawn. Bardoli (Surat, Gujarat) satyagraha was a no-tax movement launched in mid-February 1928.

Q 27.D

All the statements are correct.

Following were the reasons for stagnation and deterioration of agriculture during the British period in India-

The destruction of the traditional industries resulted in unemployement among the handicraftsmen and rural artisans. This

forced them to crowd them into agriculture.

British government used to charge heavy taxation over peasantry.

The growth of subinfeudation or intermediaries was a remarkable feature of the spread of landlordism. Through this

process a large number of rent receiving intermediaries sprang up between the actual cultivator and the government. It was

the tenants who had to bear the burden of maintaining the horde of superior landlords.

Indian agriculture was technologically stagnating. There was absence of use of modern machinery to improve the status

of indian agriculture.

Q 28.B

The main provisions of Indian Councils Act 1892 were as follows:

Number of additional members in Imperial Legislative Councils and the Provincial Legislative Councils was raised. In

Imperial Legislative Council, now the governor-general could have ten to sixteen nonofficial (instead of six to ten

previously). Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Some of these additional members could be indirectly elected Thus an element of election was introduced for the first

time. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

But there were certain limitations of these reforms:

The officials retained their majority in the council, thus leaving ineffective the non-official voice.

The reformed Imperial Legislative Council met, during its tenure till 1909, on an average for only thirteen days in a year,

and the number of unofficial Indian members present was only five out of twenty-four.

The budget could not be voted upon, nor could any amendments be made to it. Hence statement 3 is not correct.

Q 29.B

The Swarajaya or Swarajist Party, established as the Congress-Khilafat Swarajaya Party, in January 1923 after the

Gaya session in December 1922 of the Indian National Congress included Motilal Nehru and C.R Das as its members.


They believed that nationalists should end the boycott of legislative councils, enter them, obstruct their working, expose

their weaknesses etc. However, Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr Rajendra Prasad opposed council entry.

Q 30.D

Both the statements are not correct.

The Indian press was freed of restrictions by Charles Metcalfe in 1835. He is called 'Liberator of India Press'. This

step had been welcomed enthusiastically by the educated Indians. It was one of the reasons why they had for some time

supported British rule in India. But the nationalists gradually began to use the press to arouse national consciousness among

the people and to sharply criticise the reactionary policies of the Government. This turned the officials against the Indian

press and they decided to curb its freedom. This was attempted by passing the Vernacular Press Act in 1878. This Act put

serious restrictions on the freedom of the Indian language newspapers only.

Q 31.D

The most militant and widespread of the peasant movements was the Indigo Revolt of 1859-60.

The planters forced the peasants to take a meager amount as advance and enter into fraudulent contracts which,

often he was not in a position to repay. The advance was used by the planters to compel them to go on cultivating indigo.

The price paid for the indigo plants was far below the market price.

The peasant was forced to grow indigo on the best land he had whether or not he wanted to devote his land and labour

to more paying crops like rice.

At the time of delivery, he was cheated even of the due low price. He also had to pay regular bribes to the planter‘s

officials.

Since the enforcement of forced and fraudulent contracts through the courts was a difficult and prolonged process, the

planters resorted to a reign of terror to coerce the peasants.

With a few exceptions, the magistrates, mostly European, favoured the planters with whom they dined and hunted

regularly. Those few who tried to be fair were soon transferred.

Q 32.B

Peasants were moved by strong notions of legitimacy, of what was justifiable and what was not. That is why they did not

fight for land ownership or against landlordism but against eviction and undue enhancement of rent. Hence, statement 1 is

not correct. Peasants did not object to paying interest on the sums he had borrowed; he hit back against fraud and chicanery by the

moneylender and when the latter went against tradition in depriving him of his land.

They did not deny the state‘s right to collect a tax on land but objected when the level of taxation overstepped all traditional

bounds. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

They did not object to the foreign planter becoming his zamindar but resisted the planter when he took away his freedom

to decide what crops to grow and refused to pay him a proper price for his crop. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Q 33.D

Komagatamaru incident occurred in 1914.

Mahatama Gandhi arrived India in January 1915.

Home Rule leagues were set up in 1916. (Tilak - April,1916 and Annie Besant - September,1916) Hence option (d) is

correct.


Q 34.B

Option (b) is the correct answer.

The most outstanding Rajput ruler of the 18th century was Raja Sawai Jai Singh of Amber (1681-1743). He was a

distinguished statesman, law-maker and reformer. But most of all he shone as a man of science in an age when Indians were

oblivious to scientific progress. He founded the city of Jaipur and made it a great seat of science and art. Jai Singh was

above all a great astronomer. He set up observatories with accurate and advanced instruments at Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain,

Varanasi and Mathura. Jai Singh was also a social reformer. He tried to enforce a law to reduce the lavish expenditure which

Rajputs had to incur on their daughters wedding and which led to female infanticide.

Q 35.C

The Indian Councils Act of 1909 increased the number of elected members in the imperial Legislative Council and

the provincial legislative councils. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Most of the elected members were still elected indirectly. An Indian was to be appointed a member of the Governor-

General‘s Executive Council. Of the sixty-eight members of the Imperial Legislative Council, thirty-six were officials and

five were nominated non-officials. Out of twenty seven elected members, 8 seats were reserved for the Muslims; six were

elected by big landlords and two by British capitalists. Separate electorates for Muslims, big landlords and by British

capitalists. Separate electorates means only Muslims/landlord/ British capitalists should vote for candidates for a seat

reserved for Muslim/landlord/ British capitalists respectively. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

The Act permitted members to introduce resolutions; it also increased their power to ask questions. Voting on

separate budget items was allowed. But the reformed councils still enjoyed no real power and remained mere advisory

bodies. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Q 36.B

The sudden suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement shattered the high hopes raised earlier. Many young people

began to question the very basic strategy of the national leadership and its emphasis on nonviolence and began to look for

alternatives. They were not attracted by the parliamentary politics of the Swarajists or the patient and undramatic

constructive work of the no-changers. Many were drawn to the idea that violent methods alone would free India. Hence,

statement 1 is correct. The Russian revolution and the success of the young Socialist State was a major influence. The revolutionaries were keen

to learn from and take the help of the Soviet state and its ruling Bolshevik party. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

There was no split in Congresss during 1920s. The National Congress also successfully avoided a split once the lessons

of the Surat split of 1907 had been learned. All this was possible because Congressmen after 1919 were as a whole

committed to mass politics and not to constitutional politics. Whenever the mass upsurge came, Congressmen abandoned

the legislatures and plunged into the mass movement. Hence, statement 2 is not correct

Q 37.A

The Communist Party of India, Congress Socialist Party and Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Bose and other Left leaders, all

shared a common political programme which enabled them, despite ideological and organizational differences, to work

together after 1935 and make socialism a strong current in Indian politics. The basic features of this programme were:

consistent and militant anti-imperialism, antilandlordism, the organization of workers and peasants in trade unions

and kisan sabhas, the acceptance of a socialist vision of independent India and of the socialist programme of the economic

and social transformation of society, and an antifascist, anti-colonial and anti-war foreign policy.

Q 38.D

Statement 1 is not correct: Swami Dayanand Saraswati favoured the study of western sciences as they deal with the

problems of men in real world instead of following traditional beliefs.


Statement 2 is not correct: Vedas were considered as infalliable by the institution, whereas Swami Dayanand Saraswati

believed that selfish and ignorant priests had perverted Hindu religion with the aid of Puranas, which were full of false

teachings.

Q 39.C

Edward Montagu (Secretary of State) and Lord Chelmsford (The viceroy) produced scheme of constitutional reforms

(Montagu-Chelmsford reforms) which formed the basis of the Government of India Act 1919. Under it the provincial

legislative councils were enlarged and the majority of their members were to be elected. The provincial governments

were given more powers under the system of Dyarchy (some subjects called reserved subjects remained under the direct

control of the governor and others called transferred were to be controlled by the ministers responsible to the legislatures.

At the centre there were to be two houses of legislature. The lower house (Legislative Assembly) and the upper house

(Council of State).

Q 40.A

Statement 1 is correct: The Labour Party, which had come to power in Britain after the War, was in a hurry to settle the

Indian problem. As a result the ban on the Congress was lifted and elections declared.

Statement 2 is not correct: The Indian National Army was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists in 1942 in

Southeast Asia during World War II. Its aim was to secure Indian independence from British rule.

Statement 3 is not correct: RIN revolt occurred after the elections. Hence, it was not responsible for the declaration of

elections by British government.

Q 41.D


The major cause of all the civil rebellions taken as a whole was the rapid changes the British introduced in the economy,

administration and land revenue system. These changes led to the disruption of the agrarian society, causing prolonged and

widespread suffering among its constituents

Another major cause of the rebellions was the very foreign character of British rule. Like any other people, the Indian

people too felt humiliated at being under a foreigner‘s heel. This feeling of hurt pride inspired efforts to expel the foreigner

from their lands.

The new courts and legal system gave a further fillip to the dispossessors of land and encouraged the rich to oppress the

poor. Flogging, torture and jailing of the cultivators for arrears of rent or land revenue or interest on debt were quite common.

The ordinary people were also hard hit by the prevalence of corruption at the lower levels of the police, judiciary and general

administration. The petty officials enriched themselves freely at the cost of the poor. The police looted, oppressed and

tortured the common people at will.

The ruin of Indian handicraft industries, as a result of the imposition of free trade in India and levy of discriminatory

tariffs against Indian goods in Britain, pauperized millions of artisans. The misery of the artisans was further compounded

by the disappearance of their traditional patrons and buyers, the princes, chieftains, and zamindars.

The scholarly and priestly classes were also active in inciting hatred and rebellion against foreign rule. The traditional

rulers and ruling elite had financially supported scholars, religious preachers, priests, pandits and maulvis and men of arts

and literature. With the coming of the British and the ruin of the traditional landed and bureaucratic elite, this patronage

came to an end, and all those who had depended on it were impoverished.

Q 42.A


Following were the reasons for 1857 revolt-

Limited territorial spread was one factor; there was no all-India veneer about the revolt. The eastern, southern and western

parts of India remained more or less unaffected.


The Indian soldiers were poorly equipped materially, fighting generally with swords and spears and very few guns and

muskets. On the other hand, the European soldiers were equipped with the latest weapons of war like the Enfield rifle. The

electric telegraph kept the commander-in-chief informed about the movements and strategy of the rebels.

The revolt was poorly organized with no coordination or central leadership.The principal rebel leaders- Nana Saheb,Tantia

Tope, Kunwar Singh,Laxmibai - were no match to their British opponents in generalship. On the other hand, the East India

Company was fortunate in having the services of men of exceptional abilities in the Lawrence brothers, John Nicholson,

James Outram, Henry Havelock, Edward, etc.

Q 43.B

Statement 1 is not correct: The Vaikom Satyagraha was launched in Kerala in 1924 and was led by K.P. Kesava.The

Vaikom Satyagraha created enthusiasm all over the country and volunteers began to arrive from different parts of India. An

Akali jatha arrived from Punjab. E.V. Ramaswami Naicker (popularly known as Periyar later) led a jatha from Madurai and

underwent imprisonment. Kandukuri Veeresalingam Pantulu was the great Social Reformer from the state of Andhra

Pradesh. He was not related with Vaikom Satyagraha.Veeresalingam took part in the controversy by championing women‘s

education.To propagate his views effectively Veeresalingam started his journal ‗Vivekavardhini‘ in 1874 at Rajahmundry.

Statement 2 is correct: It demanded the throwing open of Hindu temples and roads to the untouchables. Many savarna

organizations such as the Nair Service Society, Nair Samajam and Kerala Hindu Sabha supported the Satyagraha.

Yogakshema Sabha, the leading organization of the Nambudiri (highest Brahmins by caste), passed a resolution favoring

the opening of temples to avarnas (lower castes).

Q 44.D Nehru Report, 1928, was the first major attempt by the Indians to draft a constitutional framework for the country.

Recommendations:

Dominion status on lines of self-governing dominions as the form of government desired by Indians

Dissociation of the state from religion in any form.

Rejection of separate electorates which had been the basis of constitutional reforms so far; instead, a demand for joint

electorates with reservation of seats for Muslims at the centre and in provinces where they were in minority.

Responsible government at the centre and in provinces— the central government to be headed by a governor-general,

appointed by the British Government but paid out of Indian revenues, who would act on the advice of the central executive

council responsible to the Parliament.

Universal adult suffrage.

Equal rights for women

Freedom to form unions

Q 45.B

It was influenced by Non Cooperation Movement not Civil Disobedience Movement. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

The Akali movement was a campaign to bring reform in the Gurudwaras in India during the early 1920s. Hence, statement

2 is correct. It was based on Ahimsa and Satyagraha philosophy. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

It led to the introduction of the Sikh Gurdwara Bill in 1925 and achieved its objective.

Q 46.A

The first Indian Factory Act was passed in 1881. The Act primarily dealt with the problem of child labour. It laid down

that children below 7 could not work in factories, while children between 7 and 12 would not work for more than 9 hours a

day. Children would also get four holidays in a month. The Act also provided for the proper fencing off of dangerous

machinery. The second Indian Factories Act was passed in 1891. It provided for a weekly holiday for all workers. Hence,

statement 1 is correct.


The Factory Act 1881 did not provide for equal pay for equal work for men and women. Whereas,, the second Factory

Act, 1891 fixed working hours for women at 11 hours per day. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Q 47.D

The Congress met at Karachi on 29 March 1931 to endorse the Gandhi-Irwin or Delhi Pact. The session became

memorable for its resolution on Fundamental Rights and the National Economic Programme.

Q 48.D

All pairs are correctly matched.

Indian Association was founded by Surendernath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose.

Bombay Presidency Association was founded by Pherozeshah Mehta, K.T Telang and Badruddin Tyabji.

Poona Sarvajanik Sabha founded by Justice M.G Ranade.

Q 49.C

The Cabinet Mission arrived on March 24, 1946 ,discussed with the leaders of various political parties, but could not arrive

at any agreed solution. So finally it announced its own recommendations on May 16, 1946.

It proposed a federation of provinces and princely states, with the federal centre controlling only Defence,

communications and foreign affairs. The union would have powers necessary to raise the finances to manage the subjects.

Thus, the Cabinet Mission plan proposed a weak Centre.

It provided that all the members of the Interim cabinet would be Indians and there would be minimum interference by the

Viceroy. It also provided for formation of the constituent assembly on democratic principle of population.

It was accepted by both Indian National Congress and the Muslim league but the two could not agree on the plan for an

interim government which would convene a constituent assembly to frame a constitution for the free, federal India. It also

recommended an undivided India and turned down the Muslim league‟s demand for a separate Pakistan. The

Cabinet mission restricted the Communal representation.

Q 50.D

Statement 1 is correct: The quick collapse of the urban handicrafts was caused largely by competition with the cheaper

imported machine-goods from Britain. Indian goods made with primitive techniques could not compete with goods

produced on a mass scale by powerful steam-operated machines.

Statement 2 is correct: The ruin of Indian industries was also contributed by oppression practiced by the East India

Company. They forced craftsmen to sell their goods below the market price.

Statement 3 is correct: The gradual disappearance of Indian rulers and their courts who were the main customers of the

handicrafts also gave a big blow to these industries.

Q 51.B

Vasudev Balwant Phadke, an educated clerk, raised a Ramosi peasant force of about 50 in Maharashtra during 1879, and

organized social banditry on a significant scale. Hence, pair 1 is correctly matched.

The Kuka Revolt in Punjab was led by Baba Ram Singh and had elements of a messianic movement. It was crushed when

49 of the rebels were blown up by a cannon in 1872. Hence, pair 2 is correctly matched.

Displaced peasants and demobilized soldiers of Bengal led by religious monks and dispossessed zamindars were the first

to rise up in the Sanyasi rebellion, made famous by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in his novel Anand Math, that lasted from

1763 to 1800. Hence, pair 3 is incorrectly matched.


Q 52.D


Tolstoy Farm was established by Mahtma Gandhi in South Africa which was made possible through the generosity of

his German architect friend, Kallenbach, to house the families of the Satyagrahis and give them a way to sustain

themselves. Tolstoy Farm was the precursor of the later Gandhian ashrams that were to play so important a role in the

Indian national movement. Funds also came from India – Sir Ratan Tata sent Rs. 25,000 and the Congress and the

Muslim League, as well as the Nizam of Hyderabad, made their contributions and main purpose behind this was to house

the families of Satyagrahis and give them a way to sustain themselves.

Q 53.B

The spirit of reform embraced almost the whole of India beginning with the efforts of Raja Rammohan

Roy in Bengal leading to the formation of the Brahmo Samaj in 1828.

Raja Rammohan Roy considered different religions as national embodiments of universal theism. The

Brahmo Samaj was initially conceived by him as a universalist church. He was a defender of the basic and

universal principles of all religions - the monotheism of the Vedas and the Unitarianism of Christianity

and at the same time attacked polytheism and idolatry of Hinduism and the trinitarianism of

Christianity. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct. Swami Dayananda Saraswati gave the slogan - Go back to the vedas.

Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Q 54.B

Poona pact was signed by Pt Madan Mohan Malviya and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (on behalf of depressed classes) and some

Dalit leaders at Yerwada Central Jail in Pune, to break Mahathma Gandhi's fast unto death.

In Poona Pact the idea of separate electorates for the Depressed Classes was abandoned but the seats

reserved for them in the provincial legislatures were increased from 71 to 147 and in the Central

Legislature to 18 per cent of the total. Hence, statement 1 is not correct but statement 2 is correct.

Q 55.C

H.P Blavatsky was one of the founder of Theosophical Society in the United State of America in 1875. He was not

associated with Home Rule League.

Annie Besant and Tilak both had set up home rule leagues. She was joined by Arundale, C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyar, and

B.P. Wadia, Jawaharlal Nehru in Allahabad and B. Chakravarti and J. Banerjea in Calcutta joined the Home Rule League.

Q 56.D

While there was agreement among Congressmen on the question of attitude towards the World War II and the resignation

of the ministries, sharp differences developed over the question of the immediate starting of a mass satyagraha. Gandhiji

and the dominant leadership advanced three broad reasons for not initiating an immediate movement

First, they felt that since the cause of the Allies i.e. Britain and France, was just, they should not be embarrassed in the

prosecution of the War.

Second, the lack of Hindu- Muslim unity was a big barrier to a struggle. In the existing atmosphere any civil disobedience

movement could easily degenerate into communal rioting or even civil war.

Above all, they felt that there did not exist in the country an atmosphere for an immediate struggle. Neither the masses

were ready nor was the Congress organizationally in a position to launch a struggle. The Congress organization was

weak and had been corrupted during 1938-39. There was indiscipline and lack of cohesion within the Congress ranks. Under

these circumstances, a mass movement would not be able to withstand severe repressive measures by the Government.


Q 57.A

Statement (a) is correct: The Theosophists advocated the revival and strengthening of the ancient religions of Hinduism,

Zoroastrianism and Buddhism. They recognised the doctrine of the transmigration of soul.

Statement (b) is not correct: The movement was led by Westerners, but they made peculiar contribution to developments

in modern India. Their effort to glorify Indian religious and philosophical traditions helped Indians in recovering their self-

confidence.

Statement (c) is not correct: Ramakrishna Paramhansa subscribed to Vedanta which he declared to be a fully rational

system. Theosophical society aimed itself at the revival of ancient religions and wasn‘t based on any system.

Statement (d) is not correct: The society was founded in the United States whereas, later founded the headquarters at

Adyar near Madras in 1886.

Q 58.B

Before the Quit India Movement could be launched Gandhiji and all other leaders of the Congress were imprisoned. Thus,

the people were left leaderless. People took it as a challenge and resorted to hartals, mass meetings, processions etc. The

Government banned them all and imposed section 144 at most of the places. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

The people disrupted railway lines, burnt out police and railway stations, destroyed telephone and telegraph poles. The

revolt was spearheaded by the students, peasants, workers and lower middle class people. Hence, statement 2 is not

correct. People set up parallel government at some places. There were four parallel Governments established during the Quit

India Movement - a) Baliya (UP), b)Tamluk (Bengal), c) Satara (Maharashtra), d) Talchar (Orissa). The government was

able to crush the open movement with a heavy hand. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Q 59.B

The Indian National Congress, along with Indian business leaders, kept away from the conference. Many of them were

in jail for their participation in Civil Disobedience Movement.

In 1930, the FICCI (in sharp contrast to the Liberals) advised its members to boycott the Round Table Conference

(RTC) stating that ‗no conference, convened for the purpose of discussing the problem of Indian constitutional advance

can come to a solution, unless such a conference is attended by Mahatma Gandhi, as a free man, or has at least his approval.

This was partially because the capitalists did not want India to present a divided front at the RTC and because they knew

only the Congress could actually deliver the goods. As Ambalal Sarabhai put it in November 1929, 'Minus the support of

the Congress, the government will not listen to you.'

Muslim League, Hindu Mahasabha, Indian Liberal Party among others attended the conference.

Q 60.D

All the pairs are not correctly matched.

Kanpur : Nana Saheb

Bareilly : Khan Bahadur

Bihar : Kunwar Singh

Jhansi : Rani Laxmi Bai

Lucknow : Begum Hazrat Mahal

Faizabad : Maulvi Ahmedullah

Delhi : General Bakht Khan


Q 61.D

Following were the economic impact of the British rule in India:

Deindustrialisation- India was a major player in the world export market for textiles in the early 18th century, but by the

middle of the 19th century it had lost all of its export market and much of its domestic market. Other local industries also

suffered some decline, and India underwent de-industrialization as consequence. While India produced about 25 percent of

world industrial output in 1750, this figure fell to only 2 percent by 1900.

Ruralisation- Loss of peasantry during early years of British rule, along with the loss of handicrafts Industry in India led

to formation of new urban centres and ruralisation of many ancient and medieval towns in India.

Deterioration of Agriculture- Faulty Land revenue collection practices, plantation Crops cultivation with little or no

revenue for the farmers, transferability of land, little spending by Government on improvement of land productivity made

farmer miserable. The peasant turned out to be the ultimate sufferer under the triple burden of the Government, zamindar

and moneylender. His hardship increased at the time of famine and scarcity.

Rise of bourgeoisie class in India - There emerged the new class of Indian traders, moneylenders and bankers. But, the

colonial situation retarded the development of a healthy and independent industrial bourgeoisie, and its development was

different from other independent countries like Germany and Japan.

Famine and Poverty - Regular recurrence of famines became a common feature of daily existence in India. These famines

were not just foodgrain scarcity-based phenomena, but were a direct result of poverty unleashed by colonial forces in India.

Q 62.D

The Portuguese hold over the coastal areas and superiority in naval power helped them significantly. By the end of the

16th century, the Portuguese captured not only Goa, Daman, Diu, and Salsette but also a vast stretches along the Indian

coast.

The French establishments included Pondicherry, Karikal and Yanam on the Coromandel Coast, Mahe on the Malabar

Coast and Chandernagor in Bengal.

The Dutch, during their stay in India, tried their hands on the minting of coinages. As their trade flourished they established

mints at Cochin, Masulipattam, Nagapatam Pondicherry and Pulicat. Even more, Gold pagoda with an image of Lord

Venkateswara, (God Vishnu) was issued at Pulicat mint. The coins issued by the Dutch were all modelled on the local

coinages.

Q 63.C

The nineteenth century witnessed a cultural-ideological struggle against the backward elements of traditional culture, on

the one hand, and the fast hegemonizing colonial culture and ideology on the other.

Although religious reformation was a major concern of these movements, none of them were exclusively religious in

character. Strongly humanist in inspiration, the idea of otherworldliness and salvation were not a part of their agenda;

instead their attention was focused on worldly existence. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

Two important intellectual criteria which informed the reform movements were rationalism and religious universalism.

Social relevance was judged by a rationalist critique. It is difficult to match the uncompromising rationalism of the early

Raja Rammohan Roy or Akshay Kumar Dutt. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

If the reform movements had totally rejected tradition, Indian society would have easily undergone a process of

westernization. But the reformers were aiming at modernization rather tha westernization. A blind initiation of western

cultural norms was never an integral part of reform. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Q 64.C

Permanent Settlement System: The Permanent Settlement of Bengal was brought into effect by the East India Company

headed by the Governor-General Lord Cornwallis in 1793. This system was also called the Zamindari System. This was

basically an agreement between the company and the Zamindars to fix the land revenue.


First enacted in Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, this was later followed in northern Madras Presidency and the district of Varanasi.

Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Features of the system were as follows:

Landlords or Zamindars were recognised as the owners of the land. They were given hereditary rights of succession of the

lands under them. The Zamindars could sell or transfer the land as they wished. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

The Zamindars‘ proprietorship would stay as long as he paid the fixed revenue at the said date to the government. If they

failed to pay, their rights would cease to exist and the land would be auctioned off.

The amount to be paid by the landlords was fixed. It was agreed that this would not increase in future (permanent). The

fixed amount was 10/11th portion of the revenue for the government and 1/10th was for the Zamindar. (The revenue settled

under the Ryotwari settlement was periodically revised after 20-30 years when the revenue demand was usually raised.)


The Zamindar also had to give the tenant a patta which described the area of the land given to him and the rent he had to

pay the landlord.

Q 65.B

All India Muslim League was founded in 1906 by a group of big zamindars ex-bureaucrats and other upper class

Muslims like the Aga Khan, the Nawab of Dacca and Nawab Mohsin-uI-Mulk.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah served as leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until Pakistan's independence on 14

August 1947. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

Founded as a loyalist, communal and conservative political organization, the League supported the partition of Bengal,

raised the slogan of separate Muslim interests, demanded separate electorates and safeguards for Muslims in government

services, and reiterated all the major themes of communal politics and ideology enunciated earlier by Syed Ahmed and his

followers. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Though the interim government on 1946 was initially formed by the Congress, Muslim league joined it later. Liyaqat

Ali khan a Muslim league leader was finance minister in interim government during 1946. He was instrumental in

hamstringing interim government‘s decision. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Q 66.D

Swadeshi Movement 1905, declined due to several reasons.

First, the government, seeing the revolutionary potential of the movement, came down with a heavy hand. Repression

took the form of controls and bans on public meetings, processions and the press. Student participants were expelled from

Government schools and colleges, debarred from Government service, fined and at times beaten up by the police.

Second, the internal squabbles, and especially, the split, in 1907 in the Congress, the apex all-India organization,

weakened the movement.

Third, the Swadeshi Movement lacked an effective organization and party structure. The movement had thrown up

programmatically the entire gamut of Gandhian techniques. It was, however, unable to give these techniques a centralized,

disciplined focus.

Lastly, the British policy of consciously attempting to use communalism to turn the Muslims against the Swadeshi

Movement was to a large extent responsible for, breaking out of communal riots in Bengal at the height of the Swadeshi

Movement

Q 67.A

Some of the important outcomes of the pact are-

The pact involved immediate release of all political prisoners except those who were convicted on charge of violence.


The demand of Public inquiry into police excess was proposed by Congress but rejected by Lord Irwin. Hence, statement

3 is not correct


Discontinuation of Civil Disobedience Movement.

Conferring of right to peaceful and non aggressive picketing.

Return of confiscated properties not yet sold. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Q 68.C

Sanyasi rebellion was an early war against foreign rule and the affected areas included Murshidabad and Baikunthupur

forests of Jalpaiguri, in West Bengal. This rebellion was more focused on the interference of religious freedom of the

monks and fakirs. The holy men both Hindus and Muslim wanted to pursue their way of suvival which they had been

practicing for centuries and be left alone.

The Hindu sanyasis or monks and the Muslim fakirs protested against the tax collection by the British company soon

after Bengal famine of 1770. Both Hindu and Muslim holy men in those days used to go on a pilgrimage to various places

of worship in Bengal and en route they would accept sizeable money from rich landlords and Zamindars and this tradition

had continued for many centuries.

After Battle of Buxar 1763, under the new administration, the colonial rulers hiked the taxes and forced the

landlords/Zamindars to pay revised taxes thus, little money was left with them and they were unable to pay money to the

Sanyasis and fakirs.

Once British started collecting higher revenues the Sanyasis were not given any alms / money and numerous restrictions

were placed on their movements. Further, the British considered them as looters. The result was that these Sanyasis started

raiding the government treasuries and Company‘s factories.

Thus, displaced peasants and demobilized soldiers of Bengal, led by religious monks and dispossessed zamindars

were the first to rise up in the Sanyasi rebellion.

It was made famous by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in his novel Anand Math, that lasted from 1763 to 1800.

Warren Hastings contained the raids by the Sanyasis and his direct action resulted in the massacre of 150 sanyasi in 1771.

After this, half a century long strife – the Sanyasi Uprising finally came to an end in the second quarter of the nineteenth

century.

Q 69.B

The Indian National Congress and nationalists in Bengal firmly opposed the decision to partition Bengal in 1905. They

saw the act of partition as a challenge to Indian nationalism and not merely an administrative measure. Hence, statement 1

is not correct. They saw it as a deliberate attempt to weaken nationalism in Bengal and divide the bengalis as it was a big blow to bengali

culture and language. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Q 70.A

Statement 1 is correct: Workers‘ and Peasants‘ Party (WPP) became an all-India party in 1928. It was a merger of following

provincial organizations -

The Labour-Swaraj Party of the Indian National Congress organized by Muzaffar Ahmed, Qazi Nazrul Islam, Hemanta

Kumar Sarkar, and others in Bengal in November 1925.

Congress Labour Party was formed in Bombay and a Kirti-Kisan Party in Punjab in late 1926

A Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan of Madras -1923. Thus, by 1928 all of these provincial organizations had been renamed

as the Workers‘ and Peasants‘ Party (WPP), whose units were also set up in Rajasthan, UP and Delhi.

Statement 2 is correct: All Communists were members of this party.

Statement 3 is not correct: The basic objective of the WPPs was to work within the Congress to give it a more radical

orientation and make it ‗the party of the people‘ and independently organize workers and peasants in class organizations,

to enable first the achievement of complete independence and ultimately of socialism.


Q 71.B

Statement 1 is not correct: In the Haripura session of 1938, the Congress had reiterated its policy that movements in the

States should not be launched in the name of the Congress but should rely on their own independent strength and fight

through local organizations.

Statement 2 is correct: The outbreak of the Second World War brought about a distinct change in the political

atmosphere. Congress Ministries resigned, the Government armed itself with the Defence of India Rules, and in the States

as well there was less tolerance of political activity. Things came to a head again in 1942 with the launching of the Quit

India Movement. This time the Congress made no distinction between British India and the Indian States and the call for

struggle was extended to the people of the States. The people of the States thus formally joined the struggle for Indian

independence, and in addition to their demand for responsible government they asked the British to quit India and

demanded that the States become integral parts of the Indian nation.

Q 72.B

THE KANPUR COMMUNIST (BOLSHEVIK) CONSPIRACY CASE - The Peshawar Conspiracy cases failed, to

check the spread of communism in India. Communist activities again started in the metropolitan cities of Calcutta, Bombay,

Madras and other cities like Kanpur and Lahore. The communist groups in these city areas were involved in organising the

workers and educating them with communist ideology and politics. Particularly after the withdrawal of the first non-

cooperation movement, the radical sections of the Congress were gradually attracted towards the communist ideology.

Sensing the situation, the governor-general of India sent a message on 28 February, 1923 to the Home Secretary in London

to the effect that if mass movements started again, a section of non-cooperators and ex-terrorists will join hands with the

communists to launch a fresh offensive. So a new conspiracy case was master-minded to smash the budding communist

organisation.

It started with the arrests of Shaukat Usmani on 8 May and of Muzaffar Ahmad on 19 May, 1923. Ghulam Hussain was

also arrested about the same time and were immediately sent to Peshawar, Lahore and Dacca jails respectively. Muzaffar

made a statement to the police about his connections with Nalini Gupta, the linkman of Comintern and Roy with the Indian

communist organisers of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. But this information added nothing new to what the government

already knew about correspondence between MN Roy and the Indian communists. Nalini Gupta was arrested on 20

December, 1923 and he made a series of statements hi late December, 1923 and early January, 1924. A complaint under

section 121-A, IPC against these eight accused was made before the District Magistrate on 3 March, 1924. Dange

was arrested three days before and an warrant was issued on 6 March against Singaravelu Chettiar, who was arrested the

same day at Madras. So Usmani, Muzaffar Ahmad, Ghulam Hussain, Nalini Gupta, Dange and Singaravelu were

prosecuted.

But Ghulam Hussain made a confessional statement and appealed for mercy and wanted to help as an approver in the

Peshawar case against Md. Shafiq and he was never produced before the sessions judge for trial. As MN Roy who was then

in Germany and RL Sharma who was in Pondichery could not be produced before the court, their names did not figure in

the sessions trial. Singaravelu appealed for bail on health ground, and was also not produced in the sessions court. Thus ultimately the case “The Crown Vs. Bolsheviks” under section 121-A IPC was put up against Usmani,

Muzaffar Ahmad, SA Dange and Nalini Gupta at the sessions court of that notorious HE Holme (who had given

death sentences to 172 peasants in the Chauri-Chaura case) on 22 April, 1924. The appeal by the accused to transfer

the case to any metropolitan city was summarily rejected. After four weeks of sham trial, the sessions court gave its verdict

i.e. 4 years‘ Rigorous imprisonment to the four accused.

Bhagat Singh was part of Lahore Conspiracy case (1928-31).


Q 73.D

Under Morley-Minto reforms, number of elected members in the Imperial Legislative Council and Provincial legislative

Council was increased. In the Provincial Councils, non-official majority was introduced but since some of these non-official

were nominated and not selected, the overall non-elected majority remained. Hence, option (d) is correct.

Q 74.C

Dharasana Satyagraha was a protest against the British salt tax in colonial India in May, 1930. After the conclusion of

the Salt March to Dandi, Mahatma Gandhi chose a non-violent raid of the Dharasana Salt Works in Gujarat as the next

protest against the rule of the British Raj. But before it, he was arrested by Police. In the absence of Gandhi Ji, this unfinished

task was completed by Sarojini Naidu, Imam Saheb and Manilal. Hundreds of satyagrahis were beaten by Indian soldiers

under British command at Dharasana. The ensuing publicity attracted world attention to the Indian independence movement,

and brought into question the legitimacy of British rule in India.

Jawaharlal Nehru was not part of Dharsana Satyagraha.

Q 75.D

During Civil Disobedience Movement, Gandhiji was arrested on May 4, 1930 when he had announced that he would lead

a raid on Dharsana Salt Works on the west coast. His arrest was followed by massive protests in Bombay, Delhi, Calcutta

and in Sholapur, where the response was the fiercest. After Gandhi‘sarrest, the Congress Working Committee sanctioned:

non-payment of revenue in Ryotwari areas;

no-chowkidara tax campaign in zamindari areas - In Bihar, a campaign was organised for refusal to pay chowkidara tax

and a call was given for resignation of chowkidars and influential members of chowlcidari panchayat who appointed these

chowkidars. At Bengal, Anti-chowkidara tax and anti-union board tax campaign h was met with repression and confiscation

of property.

violation of forest laws in the Central Provinces.

In United Provinces: Non-revenue campaign by Zamindars against paying revenue to the government and a No-Rent

Campaign by tenants against Zamindars.

In Maharashtra, Karnataka and Central Provinces: the forest laws were defied.

Q 76.B

The East India company became the real master of Bengal at least from 1765. As the Diwan, the Company directly

collected its revenues, while through the right to nominate the Deputy Subahdar, it controlled the Nizamat or the police and

judicial powers. The virtual unity of two branches of Government under British control was signified by the fact that the

same person acted in Bengal as the Deputy Diwan on behalf of the Company and as Deputy Subahdar on behalf of the

Nawab. This arrangement is known in history as the Dual or Double Government. It held a great advantage for the British:

they had power without responsibility. They controlled the finances of the province and its army directly and its

administration indirectly. The Nawab and his officials had the responsibility of administration but not the power to discharge

it. The weakness of the government could be blamed on the Indians while its fruits were gathered by the British. The

consequences for the people of Bengal were disastrous: neither the Company nor the Nawab cared for their welfare. In any

case, the Nawab‘s officials had no power to protect the people from the greed and rapacity of the Company and its servants.

On the other hand, they were themselves in a hurry to exploit their official powers. Hence, statement 2 is

correct.

Q 77.A

K. Kelappan was a founding member and president of the Nair Service Society a reformer, an Indian freedom fighter,

educationist and journalist. He is also known as Kerala Gandhi.He was actively involved in Vaikom Satyagraha and also

walked from Calicut to Payannur to break salt law in response to Salt Satyagraha. He took up the question of temple entry

in 1931 during the period when the Civil Disobedience Movement was suspended. A vast campaign of public meetings was


organized throughout Malabar. The Kerala Provincial Congress Committee (KPCC) decided to make a beginning by

organizing a temple entry Satyagraha at Guruvayur on 1st November 1931 for which he also undertook fast unto death.

While in Tamil Naidu C. Rajagopalachari organized a Salt Satyagraha march from Trichinopoly to Vedaranniyam.

Q 78.C

Both the statements are correct.

The nationalists were unwilling to take up the question of labour versus the indigenous employer because they thought

doing so will reduce the competitiveness of Indian industries and in turn it will further help the British manufacturing

draining the of wealth out of India.

They also saw industrialization as the panacea for the problems of Indian poverty and degradation. Supporting the

regulation they thought will impede the pace of industrialization.

Q 79.A

Option (a) is correct.

Santhal Rising: The Santhals of Rajmahal Hills resented the oppression by revenue officials, police, money-lenders,

landlords - in general, by the 'outsiders' (whom they called diku). The Santhals under Sido and Kanhu rose up against their

oppressors, declared the end of the Company's rule and asserted themselves independent in 1854. It was only in 1856 after

extensive military operations that the situation was brought under control.Sido died in 1855, while Kanhu was arrested in

1866. A separate district of Santhal Pargana, was created by the Government to pacify the Santhals.

Q 80.B

Statement 1 is correct: Indian revolutionaries in the United States of America and Canada had established the Ghadar

(Rebellion) Party in 1913.

Statement 2 is not correct: The ideology of the party was secular. Sohan Singh Bakhna, one of its prominent leader said

―We are not Sikhs or Punjabis. Our religion was patriotism‖.

Statement 3 is correct: Along with Lala Hardyal and Ram Chandra, Mohammed Barkatullah, Bhagwan Singh and Sohan

Singh Bakhna were some of the prominent leaders of the Ghadar Party.

Q 81.D

There was the emergence of what came to be known as the Vande Mataram Movement in late 1930s. Students of colleges in Hyderabad city organized a protest strike against the authorities‟ refusal to let them sing Vande

Mataram in their hostel prayer rooms. This strike rapidly spread to other parts of the State and many of the students who

were expelled from the Hyderabad colleges left the State and continued their studies in Nagpur University in the Congress-

ruled Central Provinces where they were given shelter by a hospitable Vice-Chancellor. This movement was extremely

significant because it created a young and militant cadre that provided the activists as well as the leadership of the movement

in later years.

Q 82.D

The decision to effect the Partition of Bengal was announced in July 1905 by the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon. The

partition took place on 16 October 1905 and separated the largely Muslim eastern areas from the largely Hindu western

areas. The Communal Award was made by the British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald on 16 August 1932 granting

separate electorates in India for the Forward Caste, Lower Caste, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-

Indians, Europeans and Untouchables (now known as the Dalits) etc.

Indian Councils Act, 1909: The Indian Councils Act 1909 or Morley-Minto Reforms was passed by British Parliament

in 1909. For the first time, the Indian Councils act gave recognition to elective principle for the appointment of nonofficial

members to the councils. However, it introduced separate electorates.The electorate was decided on the basis of class &


community. For the provincial councils a provision of three categories was made viz. general, special and chambers of

commerce. However, for the central council, a fourth category Muslims was added.

Q 83.D

Madras Mahajan Sabha was founded by M. Viraraghavachari, G Subramanian Iyer and Ananda Charlu in 1884 to

promote the right of Indians. It was earlier known as Madras Native Association which was established by Gazulu

Lakshminarasu Chetty in 1849.

Q 84.C

Debendranath Tagore was a product of the best in the traditional Indian learning and the new thought of the West. In

1839 he founded the Tatvabodhini Sabha to propagate Rammohun Roy‘s ideas. The Tatvabodhini Sabha and its organ the

Tatvabodhini Patrika promoted a systematic study of India‘s past in the Bengali language. It also helped to spread a rational

outlook among the intellectuals of Bengal. Hence, both the statements are correct.

Q 85.C

Ilbert Bill proposed in 1883 that sought to allow senior Indian magistrates to preside over cases involving British

subjects in India.

British subjects in 1873 had been exempted from trial by Indian magistrates, and in cases involving death or transportation

they could only be tried by a high court.

But by 1883 the liberal Governor General and Viceroy, Lord Ripon, proposed to make British subjects amenable to

sessions courts, over which Indians were now senior enough in the civil service to preside.This proposal as embodied

in the Ilbert Bill provoked furious protests, especially among the Calcutta (Kolkata) European business community and the

Bengal indigo planters, and there was covert sympathy from many officials. The Ilbert Bill thus divided the Indian public

opinion sharply into two blocs'the Indian bloc which supported the Bill enthusiastically, and the European bloc which

opposed it tooth and nail. In the end, the European bloc won and succeeded in forcing the government for modifying the

Bill in the line of European demands. A compromise was reached by which a British subject could claim a jury, half of

which would be Europeans.

Q 86.D

Gandhiji wrote in his periodical Harijan that, if they (Royal Indian Navy) mutinied for freedom of India they were

doubly wrong, further he brought in Tilak's concept of Swaraj and reiterated that, swaraj can't be obtained by what is going

on now in Bombay, Calcutta and Karachi.

Vallabhbhai Patel asked the ratings to surrender because he saw the British mobilization for repression in Bombay.

Congress did not officially support RIN revolt as it felt their tactics and timing were wrong.

Muslim ratings went to the League to seek advice on future action. Mohmmad Ali Jinnah adviced Muslim ratings to

surrender.

Q 87.B

In an effort to reach all regions, it was decided to rotate the Congress session among different parts of the country. The

President was to belong to a region other than where the Congress session was being held. Hence, statement 1 is not

correct. To reach out to the followers of all religions and to remove the fears of the minorities a rule was made at the 1888 session

that no resolution was to be passed to which an overwhelming majority of Hindu or Muslim delegates objected. Hence,

statement 2 is correct.


Q 88.C

The strategy of Congress agrarian legislation was worked out within certain broad parameters. First, the Congress was

committed by its election manifesto and the election campaign to a policy of agrarian reform through reform of the

system of land tenures and the reduction of rent, land revenue and the burden of debt. The Congress had asked rural

voters to vote for its candidates by making large promises in this respect. The voters had taken them seriously; for example,

according to government reports from Pratapgarh in U.P., on election day ‗a very large number of voters had brought with

them pieces of dried cow dung to the various polling stations where these were lighted and, according to the

tenants, ―bedakhlis‖, i.e., ejectment orders, were burnt once for all.

The Congress could not attempt a complete overhaul of the agrarian structure by completely eliminating the

zamindari system. This was, for two reasons, according to the constitutional structure of the 1935 Act, the provincial

Ministries did not have enough powers to do so. They also suffered from an extreme lack of financial resources, for the

Government of India appropriated the lion‘s share of India‘s revenues. The Congress Ministries could also not touch the

existing administrative structure, whose sanctity was guarded by the Viceroy‘s and Governor‘s powers.

Q 89.B

Statement (b) is correct.

The mutinying sepoys appeared at the Red Fort to appeal to Bahadur Shah II, the Mughul Emperor- a pensioner of the

British East India Company, who possessed nothing but the name of the mighty Mughals - to become their leader, thus,

give legitimacy to their cause. Bahadur Shah vacillated as he was neither sure of the intentions of the sepoys nor of his

own ability to play an effective role. He was however persuaded, if not coerced, to give in and was proclaimed the

Shahenshah-e-Hindustan.

The capture of Delhi and the proclamation of Bahadur Shah as the Emperor of Hindustan gave a positive political meaning

to the revolt and provided a rallying point for the rebels by recalling the past glory of the imperial city.

Q 90.C

On 14 October 1919, Government of India announced the formation of a committee of inquiry into the events in Punjab

also known as Hunter Commission. The report of commission however condemned most of the decisions taken by General

Dyer, it agreed with imposition of the martial law in Punjab. It also criticized the method of Satyagraha adopted by Gandhi

and held Gandhi partially responsible for 'deteriorated' law and order situation. Even Britishers rewarded General Dyer.

Q 91.D


The colonial policies of the East India Company destroyed the traditional economic fabric of the Indian society. The

peasantry were never really to recover from the disabilities imposed by the new and a highly unpopular revenue settlement.

Impoverished by heavy taxation, the peasants resorted to loans from moneylenders/traders at usurious rates, the

latter often evicting the former on non-payment of debt dues. These moneylenders and traders emerged as the new landlords.

An Indian sepoy was made to feel a subordinate at every step and was discriminated against racially and in matters of

promotion and privileges. In this context, T.R. Holmes wrote 'he knew that he could never attain the pay of an English

subaltern and that the rank to which he might attain, after 30 years of faithful service, would not protect him from the

insolent dictation of an ensign fresh from England'.

The rumours about the Government‘s secret designs to promote conversions to Christianity further exasperated the sepoys.

The official-missionary nexus gave credence to the rumour. In some cantonments missionaries were permitted to preach

openly and their diatribe against other religions angered the sepoys. The reports about the mixing of bone dust in atta

and the introduction of the Enfield rifle enhanced the sepoys‘ growing disaffection with the Government.


Q 92.D

The Lahore session of the Congress gave voice to the new militant spirit. It passed a resolution declaring Poorna Swaraj

(Complete Independence) to be Congress objective. On 31st December 1929 newly adopted tricolor flag was hoisted. 26th

January fixed as first Independence Day, which was to be celebrated every year. Launching of civil disobedience

movement was also announced here, however it did not draw up a programme of struggle as it was left to Gandhiji.

Q 93.D

During the opening decades of 20th century revolutionary youth decided to copy the methods of the Irish nationalists and

Russian nihilists and populists. They decided to organize the assassination of unpopular British officials which would strike

terror into the hearts of the rulers, amuse the patriotic instincts of the people, inspire them and remove the fear of authority

from their minds.

A steadily increasing number of young men turned to this form of political struggle. In 1904, V.D. Sarvarkar organized

Abhinav Bharat as a secret society of revolutionaries. Very soon secret societies of revolutionaries came up all over the

country, the most famous and long lasting being Anushilan Samiti and Yugantar. Their activities took two forms---the

assassination of oppressive officials and informers and traitors from their own ranks and dacoities to raise funds for purchase

of arms etc.

Q 94.C

After World War Two, the British captured some 23,000 INA soldiers and charged them with treason. In November 1945,

the INA trials began at the Red Fort. SN Khan, PK Sahgal and GS Dhillon, the first three senior INA officers became

symbols of India fighting for her Independence.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) at its first post-War session held in Bombay from 21 to 23 September 1945, adopted

a strong resolution declaring its support for the INA prisioners. The defence of the INA prisoners was taken up by the

Congress and Bhulabhai Desai, Tej Bahadur Sapru, K.N. Katju, Jawaharlal Nehru and Asaf Ali. All appeared in court

at the historic Red Fort trials.

Q 95.C

Gandhiji, in an obvious reference to Chaturvarna and the inherent differences in quality between man and man, observed

that all leaves of the same tree are not identical in shape and texture. To this Narayana Gurupointed out that the difference

is only superficial, but not in essence: the juice of all leaves of a particular tree would be the same in content. It was he who

gave the call - „one religion, one caste and one God for mankind‟ which one of his disciples, Sahadaran Ayyapan,

changed into no religion, no caste and no God for mankind.‘

Narayana Guru was a social reformer in India. He led a reform movement in Kerala , rejected casteism, and promoted new

values of spiritual freedom and social equality.

He stressed the need for the spiritual and social uplift of the downtrodden by their own efforts through the establishment

of temples and educational institutions. In the process, he denounced the superstitions that clouded the fundamental Hindu

cultural convention of caste.

Q 96.B

Cripps Mission was sent by the British Government in March 1942.The radicals and leftists wanted to launch a mass civil

disobedience movement, but here Gandhi insisted on Individual Satyagraha by a few selected individuals. It was kept

limited so as not to embarrass Britain‟s war effort by a mass upheaval in India. The Individual Satyagraha was

not to seek independence but to affirm the right of speech.


Q 97.B

Statement 1 is correct and 2 is not correct: To conciliate the Moderates as well as to stave off any possible government

repression, he publicly declared Tilak stated publicly that he is trying in India, as the Irish Home-rulers had been doing in

Ireland, for a reform of the system of administration and not for the overthrow of Government.

Statement 3 is not correct: Many Moderate Congressmen, who were dissatisfied with the inactivity into

which the Congress had lapsed, joined the Home Rule agitation.

Q 98.B

The idea of the INA was first conceived in Malaya by Mohan Singh, an Indian officer of the British Indian Army, when

he decided not to join the retreating British army and instead went to the Japanese for help. Indian prisoners of war were

handed over by the Japanese to Mohan Singh who then tried to recruit them into an Indian National Army. Hence, statement

1 is not correct. The outbreak of Quit India Movement gave a fillip to the INA as well. Anti-British demonstrations were organized in

Malaya. On 1 September 1942, the first division of the INA was formed with 16,300 men. The second phase of the INA

began when Subhas Chandra Bose was brought to Singapore on 2 July 1943, by means of German and Japanese submarines.

Subhas Bose set up two INA headquarters, in Rangoon and in Singapore, and began to reorganize the INA. Hence,

statement 2 is correct. Recruits were sought from civilians, funds were gathered, and even a women‟s regiment called the Rani Jhansi

regiment was formed. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Q 99.B

Statement 1 is not correct: Muhammedan Literary Society was founded at Calcutta in 1863 by Nawab Abdul Latif. This

society is marked as beginning in the direction of western education. It promoted discussions of religious, social and political

questions.

Statement 2 is correct: In the wake of reconciliation of modern scientific thought with Islam, he first of all, declared

Quran alone as the authoritative work for Islam. Even the Quaran he interpreted in the light of contemporary rationalism

and science.

Statement 3 is not correct: He wrote in favour of raising women‘s status in society and condemned the customs of

polygamy and easy divorce along with removal of purdah as well.

Q 100.D


Champaran Satyagarh was started by Mahatma Gandhi in 1917 to look into the problem of Tinkathiya system in which

peasants of Champaran were forced to grow Indigo on 3/20th of the total land. In this background, Raj kumar shukla

persuaded Gandhi to look into the peasants problem. Later Rajendra Prasad, J.B Kripalni, Mahadeo Desai and Narhari

Parekh joined Gandhi in the movement.

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