Modern History- Solved Questions (2019-2024) | UPSC Topic Wise Previous Year Questions PDF Download

Ans: (d)
Charter Act of 1833

• This Act was the final step towards centralisation in British India.
• It made the Governor-General of Bengal as the Governor General of India and vested in him all civil and military powers. Thus, the act created, for the first time, Government of India having authority over the entire territorial area possessed by the British in India. Lord William Bentick was the first Governor-General of India.

Hence, option (d) is correct.

Ans: (a)

• Alexander Rea, a British archaeologist who worked in India, was known for unearthing a treasure of over 9,000 objects in Adichanallur in 1903-04.
• A. H. Longhurst was an archaeologist associated with the excavation in Chandraketugarh, Bengal.
• Robert Sewell: Robert Sewell (1845 – 1925) was a collector and magistrate in Madras Presidency in colonial India. Like many civil servants turned Indologists of those times, he was a scholar in history. Also in charge for the then archeology department.
• James Burgess: James Burgess was the founder of The Indian Antiquary in 1872 and an important archaeologist of India in the 19th century.
• Walter Elliot: He was a Scottish civil servant in India (based in Madras), archaeologist, numismatist and collector. He excavated at Amaravati in 1845. Some of his excavated pieces remain to this day in the collections of the Govt. Museum at Madras (Chennai).

Ans: (a)

• National Handloom Day is observed every year on 7th August with the objective of honouring the handloom weavers and creating awareness about the importance of handloom industry in the social development of the nation and to promote handloom industry. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• August 7 was designated to celebrate National Handloom Day to memorialize the 'Swadeshi' Movement. Therefore, there is a strong connection between National Handloom Day and the Swadeshi Movement. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Ans: (c)

• As per Government of India Act, 1919 the Subjects were divided into two lists: “reserved” which included subjects such as law and order, finance, land revenue, irrigation, etc., and “transferred” subjects such as education, health, local government, industry, agriculture, excise, etc.

Hence, option (c) is correct.

Ans: (d)

• Barindra Kumar Ghosh (Barindra Ghose) was a founding member of Jugantar, a Bengali revolutionary movement. He is not associated with Ghadar Party.
• Jogesh Chandra became a member of the Anushilan Samiti. He was one of the founder members of Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) (in 1924). He is not associated with Ghadar Party.
• Rash Behari Bose was an Indian revolutionary leader against the British Raj. He was one of the key organisers of the Ghadar Mutiny.

Hence, option (d) is correct.

Ans: (b)

• As per Cripps Mission, a Constituent Assembly would be formed to frame a new constitution for the country. This Assembly would have members elected by the provincial assemblies and also nominated by the princes. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• Also, the mission proposed that any province unwilling to join the Indian dominion could form a separate union and have a separate constitution. Hence statement 2 is correct.

Ans: (b)

• In orissa The Ganga dynasty was succeeded by another glorious dynasty known as the Suryavamsi Gajapatis. The last ruler Kakharua Deva was killed by Govinda Vidyadhara in 1541, who founded the Bhoi dynasty. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• Alfonso de Albuquerque had 23 warships and about 1000 soldiers. In January 1510 he attacked Goa. At that time the power of Goa was in the hands of the ruler of Bijapur, who was busy in suppressing the rebellion in his own state. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Alfonso de Albuquerque captured Goa. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• In 1611 AD, the British established their first factory in South India at Machilipatnam, but soon the main center of activities shifted to Madras. Francis Day leased Madras in 1639 from Chandragiri, the representative of the Vijayanagara Empire. He built a fortified kothi there, which was named 'Fort St George'. 

Hence statement 3 is correct.

Correct Answer is Option (a)

• Carnatic State emerged Independent out of Hyderabad State due to the later Mughal polity- weakness → #1 is right.
• Mysore Kingdom became independent from the Vijaynagar empire in the year 1612 → #2 is right
• Rohilkhand’s Afghan rulers existed during Mughal reign and they had offered their services / alliance to Ahmed Shah Durrani in 3rd Battle of Panipat. So, Rohilkhand was not carved from territories of Durrani. → #3 is wrong.

Correct Answer is Option (b)

• Mont-Ford Reforms- Also known as Government of India Act, 1919- didn’t gave voting rights to ’’all’’ women. Only limited franchise was given during this time, viz. voters qualification/criteria was the reason behind not giving universal adult suffrage
• Government of India Act, 1935- reservation of seats – system of weightage to Women Members.

Correct Answer is Option (a)

Quit India Movement- launched on 8th August 1942 at Gowalia Tank Bombay

Correct Answer is Option (c)

written during his imprisonment in Yeravada Jail, Poona. translated hymns from the Upanishada and poems by Indian saint poets into English and that collection was published as Songs from the prison

• Not given in any reference books
• Can be solved by elimination
• Tilak in Jail wrote- Gita Rahsya, Arctic home of the Aryans
• Sarojini Naidu wrote- the Bazars of Hyderabad

Correct Answer is Option (c)

• Bethune School was established by JED Bethune
• The first secretary of this School was Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
• IC Vidyasagar is also known for promoting girl child education and also for Widow Remarriage movement.

Correct Answer is Option (d)

officers of the Indian National Army

• Indian National Army – Azad Hind Fauj, was formed in 1942 by Captain Mohan Singh with the help of the Japanese, but due to differences it was disbanded.
• Again in July 1943, Netaji Subhash Chandrabose reorganised the Indian National Army along with Ras Behari Bose and Japanese help.
• The INA campaign was headed towards Kohima under the leadership of Capt. Shahnawaz Khan, which resulted into defeat.
• After the end of WW-2, the INA was had to surrender to the British Army and later on 3 officials were court-martialled by Lord Wavell at Red Fort
• Red Fort Trials - were defended by a series of lawerys, including KN Katju, Tejbahadur Sapru, JL Nehru- resulting into INA agitation across the country

Correct Answer is Option (a)

• 1st Quarter of 17th Century- refers to the period between 1601 to 1625. During this the East India Company had base in Surat, Bharuch (Broach), Ahmedabad etc. → #1 is right.
• Trichonopolly – Trichy came under the British Influence in the later part of 17th Century. It was under the control of the Carnatic State , came to prominence in the second Carnatic war – 1749 to 1754- can be easily eliminated. → #2: wrong.
• Chicacole- part of Northern Circars – known for textile centre. It was taken by British from the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1766, during the first Anglo Mysore war. → #3 is wrong.

Correct Answer is Option (c)

• Pingali Venkaya- hoisted the national presented and design the national flag in 1921 at Vijaywada to Gandhi, during the Non Cooperation Movement.
• Pattabhi Sitarramaya was arrested with the entire committee and incarcerated for three years without outside contact in the fort in Ahmednagar,  Can be eliminated, through the classes/ books
• Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott established the Theosophical Society of India at Adyar, near Madras- 1882.

Correct Answer is Option (a)

• Can be answered from elimination because BR Ambedkar & MK Gandhi worked in the 20th Century. And Jyotiba Phule wrote- Ghulam Giri (Book)
• Hence only (a) option is left, which is correct. 
• Gopal Baba Walangkar- leader of the Mahar Movement in 19th century. He was an ex-serviceman and demanded more jobs in the army and other government services. He was a contemporary of Jyotiba Phule. Gopal Baba published Vital- Vidhvanasak

Correct Answer is Option (a)

• Machines were very few. They were introduced at the starting of the 20th Century CE '! (b) is wrong. 
• Railway lines were laid post-1850s- i.e. second half of the 19th Century CE '! (c) is wrong. 
• The British goods were given duty-free trade permits '! (d) is wrong. 
• Since Option (b), (c) & (d) - Incorrect, Therefore we are left with the answer "(a)".

Correct Answer is Option (d)

• Lord Wellesley (1798-1805) wanted adequate training for the European civil servants. At Fort William College in Calcutta, the civil servants from all the presidencies took three years of training before getting their civil posting. 
• But the Court of Directors feared that such a training program might result in the loyalties of the civil servants shifting from London to Calcutta. So in 1802 Fort William College was closed.

Correct Answer is Option (a)

• 20th (twentieth) century means 1/1/1901 to 31/12/ 2000. We have to find out why Indigo cultivation declined by the beginning of 1901. 
• 1917: Gan dhi-ji’s Champar an Satyagraha. So, (c) is not fitting the timeline. 
• NCERT Our Past-III: Page 35-36: In March 1859 thousands of ryots in Bengal refused to grow indigo. As the rebellion spread, ryots refused to pay rents to the planters and attacked indigo factories armed with swords and spears, bows, and arrows......After the revolt, indigo production collapsed in Bengal. But the planters now shifted their operation to Bihar. With the discovery of synthetic dyes in the late nineteenth century their business was severely affected, but yet they managed to expand production. In other words, the invention of artificial dye did not affect them yet.

Correct Answer is Option (d)

• While in jail, Gandhi set up the All India An untouchability  League in September 19323 All India Kisan Congress/Sabha: This sabha was founded in Lucknow in April 1936 with Swami Sahjanand Saraswati as the president and N.G. Ranga as the general secretary. During the 1920s in South India, the non-brahmins organized the Self-Respect Movement led by E.V. Ramaswamy  Naicker. 
• So, (d): all three are correct.

Correct Answer is Option (a)
• The Company's monopoly over trade in India ended, but the Company retained the trade with China and the trade-in tea.  So #1 is right. 

• The Company was to retain the possession of territories and the revenue for 20 years more, without prejudice to the sovereignty of the Crown. So, #2 is right but #3 is wrong. Hence answer (a): 1 and 2 only.

Correct Answer is Option (b)

Bipan Chandra's India Since Independence, Ch.31 on Land Reforms (III) 

• In most states, initially, the ceilings were imposed on individual and not family holdings, enabling landowners to divide up their holdings 'notionally' in the names of relatives merely to avoid the ceiling. So, (a) is wrong. 
• A large number of exemptions to the ceiling limits were permitted by most states following the Second Plan recommendations that certain categories of land could be exempted from ceilings. These were tea, coffee, and rubber plantations, orchards, specialized farms, etc. So, (d) is wrong. 
• C is a 'hyperbole' wrong statement. Land reform is not responsible for cash crop cultivation becoming predominant in India. Besides, the majority of India's area under cultivation is foodgrains and cereals. (and not cash crops) as per Table3, page 101 of Economic Survey 2017-18. 
• Thus, (b) is the most suitable answer.