D.N. Kundra Textbook Solutions Struggle for Freedom - II - History Class

History - Chapter 10

Class 8 - DN Kundra History & Civics Solutions

Objective Type Questions

Read the two statements given below about the emergence of Mahatma Gandhi. Select the option that shows the correct relationship between (A) and (R).

Assertion (A): For the first time, the method of Satyagraha was used by Mahatma Gandhi during India's struggle for independence.
Reason (R): During the struggle against racial injustice in South Africa, he evolved a novel technique of struggle which he called 'Satyagraha'.

1. (R) contradicts (A)
2. (R) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (R) is false
4. (A) and (R) are independent of each other

Ans: (R) contradicts (A)

Explanation:
(i) Assertion: The assertion is incorrect because Satyagraha was first developed and practised by Mahatma Gandhi during his struggle against racial discrimination in South Africa, not first in India.
(ii) Reason: The reason is correct - Gandhi evolved the method of Satyagraha while fighting racial injustice in South Africa.
(iii) Justification: Since the reason gives the true origin of Satyagraha and that origin conflicts with the assertion's claim about its first use in India, the correct relationship is that the reason contradicts the assertion.

Identify the features of the Simon Commission.

P: Formed in November 1927
Q: It did not have a single Indian member.
R: Bal Gangadhar Tilak received fatal blows.
S: Slogan of 'Simon Come back' could be heard all over.

1. P and Q
2. R and S
3. P and R
4. Q and S

Ans: (a)

Explanation: The Simon Commission was formed in November 1927 (P is correct) and caused great anger because it included no Indian members (Q is correct). The absence of Indians led to widespread protests across the country. Statements R and S are incorrect here: Tilak had died long before, and the common slogan used by protesters was 'Simon, Go Back' rather than 'Simon Come back'.

Neha is doing a project on the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy. Which of the following British military officers is she MOST LIKELY to highlight?

1. General Hugh Rose
2. General William Taylor
3. General Dyer
4. Colonel Oncell

Ans: (c)

Explanation: General Reginald Edward Harry Dyer ordered troops to fire on a large, unarmed crowd at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, on 13 April 1919. His action caused large-scale deaths and injuries and became a symbol of British brutality in India.

Identify the ODD ONE out of the following movements against the British rule.

1. Non-cooperation Movement
2. Home Rule Movement
3. Civil Disobedience Movement
4. Quit India Movement

Ans: (b)

Explanation: The Home Rule Movement was an early nationalist movement (started before Gandhi's major campaigns) and aimed at self-government through constitutional means. The other three - Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and Quit India - were mass movements led directly by Mahatma Gandhi in the 1920s-1940s and used non-cooperation or civil resistance. Hence Home Rule Movement is the odd one out.

Which of the following aspects is being depicted by the given picture?

1. Statue of Unity, Gujarat
2. The Residency, Lucknow
3. The Martyr's Memorial, Patna
4. Dandi March Statue, Gyarah Murti, Delhi

Ans: (d)

Explanation: The image represents the Dandi March statue at Gyarah Murti in Delhi, which commemorates Mahatma Gandhi's Salt March to Dandi in 1930 - a key event in the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Rahul is preparing a speech on the formation of the Forward Bloc. Which of the following persons must he mention in his speech?

1. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
2. Jawaharlal Nehru
3. Subhas Chandra Bose
4. Dr. Rajendra Prasad

Ans: (c)

Explanation: Subhas Chandra Bose formed the Forward Bloc in 1939 after differences with the Congress leadership. The Forward Bloc aimed to consolidate the left-wing of the Congress and to press for more direct action for independence.

Consider the statements given below and choose the correct answer.

Statement I: The Indian National Army (INA) was formed with the aim to get freedom from British rule.
Statement II: The Indian National Army conquered Imphal and Kohima.

1. Statement (I) is correct and statement (II) is incorrect.
2. Statement (I) is incorrect and statement (II) is correct.
3. Both statements (I) and (II) are incorrect.
4. Both statements (I) and (II) are correct.

Ans: Statement (I) is correct and statement (II) is incorrect.

Explanation: Statement I is correct - the INA (Azad Hind Fauj), under Subhas Chandra Bose, was formed with the purpose of freeing India from British rule. Statement II is incorrect - the INA, though it advanced towards Imphal and Kohima along with Japanese forces, did not succeed in conquering these places; the Allied defence repulsed the advance.

Which among the following statements is incorrect?

1. A Cabinet Mission was a team of three members.
2. On 26th January 1950 India became a Sovereign, Democratic and Republic.
3. India gained independence on 15th August 1947.
4. The British government put five of the INA officers on trial at the Red Fort for fighting against the British.

Ans: (d)

Explanation: Options (a), (b) and (c) are essentially correct: the Cabinet Mission had three members; India became a Sovereign Democratic Republic on 26 January 1950; and India gained independence on 15 August 1947. Option (d) is incorrect in its detail - the most famous Red Fort trial involved three INA officers whose trials sparked nationwide protests, not five officers as stated.

The All India Congress Committee met at Bombay on August 8, 1942, and passed the

1. Quit India Resolution
2. Khilafat Resolution
3. Civil Disobedience Resolution
4. Indian National Army Resolution

Ans: (a)

Explanation: On 8 August 1942 the All India Congress Committee passed the Quit India Resolution demanding immediate British withdrawal from India. This led to the Quit India Movement with the rallying cry of 'Do or Die'.

Choose the correct statement:

1. In December 1929, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was made the President of the Indian National Congress.
2. In December 1935, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was made Prime Minister of the Indian National Congress.
3. In March 1945, Pandit Nehru was made leader of the Indian National Congress.
4. In January 1943, Pandit Nehru was made minister of the Indian National Congress.

Ans: (a)

Explanation: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was elected President of the Indian National Congress at the Lahore session in December 1929. This session also adopted the resolution for Purna Swaraj (complete independence) which was later proclaimed on 26 January 1930.

Fill in the blanks

Fill in the blanks.

1. The slogans 'Dilli Chalo' and 'Jai Hind' are associated with ............... .
2. The Quit India Movement took place in the year ............... .
3. The Chairman of the Simon Commission was ............... .
4. ............... was the last Viceroy of India.

Ans:

1. Subhas Chandra Bose
2. 1942
3. Sir John Simon
4. Lord Mountbatten

Match the following Question III

Match the contents of Column A and Column B.

Answer:

True or False

State whether the following statements are True or False.

1. Ans: True
   Explanation: The charkha (spinning-wheel) was promoted by Mahatma Gandhi as a symbol of self-reliance and social progress because it encouraged the production of khadi and boycott of foreign cloth.
2. Ans: False
   Explanation: Chauri Chaura is located in Uttar Pradesh, not in Madhya Pradesh.
3. Ans: False
   Explanation: The Rowlatt Act was passed in 1919; it allowed the government to imprison people without trial and led to widespread protests.
4. Ans: False
   Explanation: Sir Stafford Cripps was a British minister sent to India in 1942 with proposals for Indian participation in government; he was not American.
5. Ans: False
   Explanation: The Quit India Movement was started by Mahatma Gandhi in August 1942; Netaji (Subhas Chandra Bose) did not start it.

Answer the following questions

Discuss the main aspects of the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Ans: The main aspects of the Non-Cooperation Movement are given below:

1. Boycott of British institutions: Indians renounced titles, many resigned from government jobs, lawyers left the courts and students gave up British schools and colleges.
2. Economic boycott: People refused to buy British goods and promoted swadeshi (Indian-made) goods; many refused to pay certain taxes.
3. Mass participation: The movement attracted people from towns and villages and included many urban Muslims, bringing large sections of society into political action.
4. Goal of Swaraj: The movement aimed at achieving Swaraj (self-rule) through non-violent means.
5. Non-violent approach: The campaign followed Gandhi's principle of non-violence, though it was suspended after the Chauri Chaura incident when violence occurred.
6. Impact on people: The movement built confidence, reduced fear of British rule, strengthened unity among communities and transformed the freedom struggle into a mass movement.

How and when did the Civil Disobedience Movement start? How did the government suppress it?

Ans: The Civil Disobedience Movement began on 12 March 1930 when Mahatma Gandhi set out from Sabarmati Ashram with 78 followers and walked to Dandi to break the Salt Law by making salt from seawater. This act of making salt was a symbolic defiance of unjust British laws and inspired widespread civil disobedience across India.

Government suppression included declaring the Congress illegal, arresting Gandhi and thousands of protesters, carrying out lathi charges, imposing fines, and using force to disperse demonstrations. Many leaders and ordinary participants were imprisoned.

Eventually the conflict led to the Gandhi-Irwin Pact of 1931, under which the British agreed to release many political prisoners and permitted Indians to make salt for personal use; Gandhi agreed to suspend the movement temporarily.

Why did the Congress pass the Quit India Resolution? How did the government react to it?

Ans: After the failure of the Cripps Mission, which did not grant real power to Indians, the Congress decided a mass movement for immediate independence was necessary. At the All India Congress Committee meeting in Bombay on 8 August 1942, Congress passed the Quit India Resolution demanding that the British leave India at once. Mahatma Gandhi gave the slogan 'Do or Die' to stress that India must achieve freedom by all means necessary.

Government reaction:

1. The British arrested Gandhi and many leaders of the Congress immediately to prevent organised leadership.
2. Despite arrests, people across India held demonstrations, strikes, hartals and processions; the government used lathi charges, firing, censorship, and closed newspapers to suppress activities.

Write a short note on the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Ans: The Non-Cooperation Movement, launched on 31 August 1920 with the support of the Khilafat Committee and led by Mahatma Gandhi, asked Indians to refuse cooperation with the British administration. Key methods were renouncing titles, boycotting legislatures, resigning government posts, lawyers leaving courts, students leaving schools and colleges, and boycotting foreign goods. Many people also refused to pay certain taxes.

The movement spread widely, brought many people into the national struggle and strengthened Hindu-Muslim unity. However, after the Chauri Chaura incident on 5 February 1922, where violence led to the killing of policemen, Gandhi suspended the movement and was arrested. The campaign nevertheless transformed the freedom struggle into a mass movement and increased national confidence.

Explain the campaigns led by Mahatma Gandhi.

Ans: The major campaigns led by Mahatma Gandhi are summarised below:

Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22)

• Launched together with the Khilafat Movement.
• Methods: Boycott of British goods, schools, courts, government jobs and refusal to pay certain taxes.
• Aim: To attain Swaraj by non-violent means.
• Suspended after the Chauri Chaura incident (1922).
• Impact: Widespread mass participation and increased unity among Indians.

Civil Disobedience Movement (1930)

• Began with the Salt March from Sabarmati to Dandi on 12 March 1930 to break the Salt Law.
• Included women and peasants in large numbers, boycotts of foreign goods and refusal to pay taxes.
• Government response: Arrests, fines and force.
• Resulted in the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) with partial concessions and release of prisoners.

Quit India Movement (1942)

• Launched after the failure of the Cripps Mission.
• The All India Congress Committee passed the Quit India Resolution on 8 August 1942 with the slogan 'Do or Die'.
• Government suppression: Immediate arrests of leaders, police action, censorship and shutdown of many newspapers.
• Impact: It demonstrated the widespread resolve of Indians and was a major challenge to British rule.

Discuss the contributions of the INA in the freedom struggle.

Ans: The Indian National Army (INA), or Azad Hind Fauj, contributed to the freedom movement in these ways:

• It was formed to fight British rule and was led by Subhas Chandra Bose, who became its Supreme Commander.
• In 1943 the INA was reorganised in Singapore and used the slogan 'Dilli Chalo' and 'Jai Hind', which inspired many Indians.
• The INA advanced towards Imphal and Kohima alongside Japanese forces, challenging British control, though they did not win lasting victories there.
• The trial of INA officers at the Red Fort sparked mass protests across India, which increased Indian unity and pressured the British to change their stance on INA prisoners.
• The INA helped unite Indians of different communities under the common aim of independence and boosted national morale.

Discuss the main clauses of the Indian Independence Act of 1947.

Ans: The main clauses of the Indian Independence Act, 1947, included the following:

• Two independent dominions, India and Pakistan, were to be established on 15 August 1947; Pakistan was to include Sindh, Baluchistan, NWFP, West Punjab and East Bengal, while the rest formed India.
• The British government would transfer power to the dominions and would no longer exercise control over them.
• The office of the Viceroy was abolished; separate Governors-General were to be appointed - Lord Mountbatten for India and Muhammad Ali Jinnah for Pakistan.
• Each dominion's Constituent Assembly would frame its own constitution and decide whether to join the British Commonwealth.
• Each Constituent Assembly would exercise the powers of the central legislature and administrative authorities until new constitutions were adopted.