Test: Modern History- 1 - UPSC MCQ

The Gandhi Irwin Pact was endorsed by the Congress in the Karachi Session of 1931, that was held from March 26-31. Gandhi was nominated to represent Congress in the Second Round Table Conference. Just a week back, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru had been executed. So, there was anger in the public whose point was that why Gandhi did accept to sign the pact.

So, when Gandhi was on the way  to attend the Karachi session, all over the route, he was greeted with the Black flags. In the Karachi session, congress passed a resolution to dissociate itself from and disapprove the political violence in any shape. The resolution which was drafted by Gandhi, admired the bravery and sacrifice of the three martyrs. In the same line, the Congress endorsed the Gandhi-Irwin Pact and reiterated the goal of "Poorna Swaraj".

Answer: c

Explanation: It would be more correct to see Indian nationalism as a product of a mix of various factors.

1. Worldwide upsurge of the concepts of nationalism and right of self-determination initiated by the French Revolution.
2. Indian Renaissance.
3. Offshoot of modernisation initiated by the British in India.
4. Strong reaction to British imperialist policies in India.

Answer: d

Explanation: Lytton's reactionary policies such as reduction of maximum age limit for the I.C.S. examination 'from 21 years to 19 years (1876), the grand Delhi Durbar of 1877 when the country was in the severe grip of famine, and the Arms Act (1878) provoked a storm of opposition in the country.

In philosophy, rationalism is the epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification". 

Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively. The meaning of the term humanism has fluctuated according to the successive intellectual movements which have identified with it. The term was coined by theologian Friedrich Niethammer at the beginning of the 19th century to refer to a system of education based on the study of classical literature ("classical humanism"). 

Answer: b

Exp: In 1806 Wellesley's college was disapproved by the Court of Directors and instead the East India College was set up at Haileybury in England to impart two years' training to the recruits.

East India College was set up in 1806 at Hailebury. Here is a detailed explanation:
Background:
- East India College was established in 1806 in England.
- It was founded with the purpose of training and educating young men who would later serve in the civil and administrative services of the British East India Company.
Location:
- The college was located in Hailebury, a village in Hertfordshire, England.
- Hailebury was chosen as the site for the college due to its proximity to London and its peaceful environment, which provided a conducive atmosphere for learning.
Syllabus and Curriculum:
- The college offered a comprehensive curriculum that included subjects such as law, languages, history, geography, political economy, and mathematics.
- Students were trained in both theory and practice, with a focus on preparing them for the challenges they would face in India.
Faculty and Administration:
- The college had a distinguished faculty, consisting of renowned scholars and experts in various fields.
- The administration of the college was overseen by the Court of Directors of the East India Company, who ensured the smooth functioning of the institution.
Impact:
- East India College played a crucial role in shaping the British colonial administration in India.
- The college produced a generation of administrators who went on to hold key positions in the British Indian civil service.
- The knowledge and skills acquired at the college enabled these administrators to effectively govern and administer the vast territories under British rule.
In conclusion, East India College was established in 1806 at Hailebury, England, with the aim of training young men for service in the British East India Company. The college provided a comprehensive curriculum, had a distinguished faculty, and played a significant role in shaping the British colonial administration in India.

Satyendranath was selected for the Indian Civil Service in June, 1863. He completed his probationary training and returned to India in November 1864. Monomohun Ghose did not succeed in the examination for the ICS but was called to the bar.

It made the following recommendations in its report submitted in 1887: The two-tier classification of civil services into covenanted and uncovenanted should be replaced by a three-tier classification-Imperial, provincial and subordinate civil services. The maximum age for entry into civil services should be 23 years.

The first Indian cotton cloth mill was established in 1818 at Fort Gloaster near Kolkata, albeit this mill was a failure. The second mill which was established by KGN Daber in 1854 is called the true foundation of modern cotton industry in India. Its name was Bombay Spinning and weaving Company, Bombay.

India’s Reaction to August offer

• The Congress rejected the August Offer.
• The Congress Working Committee meeting at Wardha on 21st August 1940 rejected this offer, and asserted its demand for complete freedom from the imperial power.
• Gandhi viewed it as having widened the gulf between Nationalist India and the British ruler.
• It was also rejected by Muslim League. The Muslim League asserted that it would not be satisfied by anything short of partition of India.
• J. L. Nehru said, “Dominion status concept is dead as a door nail”.

On 8 August 1940, early in the Battle of Britain, the Viceroy of India, Lord Linlithgow, made the so-called "August Offer", a fresh proposal promising the expansion of the Executive Council to include more Indians, the establishment of an advisory war council, giving full weight to minority opinion, and the recognition 

Answer (D)

Explanation:

Suspension of the non-cooperation movement(1922)-The Non-cooperation movement was withdrawn because of the Chauri Chaura incident. Although he had stopped the national revolt single-handedly, on 10 March 1922, Mahatma Gandhi was arrested. On 18 March 1922, he was imprisoned for six years for publishing seditious materials.

• Bal Gangadhar Tilak: Born-  23 July 1856
  Died- 1 August 1920 (aged 64)

Non-cooperation movement suspended on 12 March 1922., so B.G Tilak not active after Non-cooperation movement.

Answer: b

Exp: The Partition of Bengal in 1905, was made on October 16, by then Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon. Partition was promoted for administrative regions; Bengal was as large as France but with a significantly larger population. By splitting the province, an improved administration could be established in the east where, subsequently, the population would benefit from new schools and employment opportunities. However, other motives lurked behind the partition plan. On 22 March 1911, a royal proclamation announced that the Durbar would be held in December to commemorate the coronation in Britain a few months earlier of King George V and Queen Mary and allow their proclamation as Emperor and Empress of India. Without public forewarning, the announcement of the move of India's capital from Calcutta to Delhi was also made at the Durbar.
 King George V also announced to annul the partition of Bengal.

Answer: b

Exp: The Lahore session of the Indian National Congress was held in 1929 under the Presidentship of Jawaharlal Nehru. It was in this session that the Congress for the first time raised the demand for complete independence. Such demand was not raised from the Congress platform earlier. The Purna Swaraj declaration, or Declaration of the Independence of India, was promulgated by the Indian National Congress on 26 January 1930, resolving the Congress and Indian nationalists to fight for Purna Swaraj, or complete self-rule independent of the British Empire (literally in Sanskrit, purna, "complete," swa, "self," raj, "rule," thus "complete self-rule"). The flag of India had been hoisted by Congress President Jawaharlal Nehru on 31 December 1929, in Lahore, modern-day Pakistan. The Congress asked the people of India to observe 26 January as Independence Day. The flag of India was hoisted publicly across India by Congress volunteers, nationalists and the public

A Hindu temple is a Panchayatana one when the main shrine is surrounded by four subsidiary shrines. Generally, the hindu temple are built along a west-east axis. So the four subsidiary shrines are at the north-east, south-east, south-west, north-west.

The three options given in this question are so close, that one would need to analyze each of them very carefully. The first statement is incorrect, because “appropriate petitions/representations” were the political functions, far from the objectives of National Social Conference. The second statement ” Indian National Congress did not want to include social reforms in its deliberations and decided to form a separate body for such a purpose” is a CORRECT statement. Please note that when Congress was founded in 1885 in Bombay, its organizers had a feeling that along with the political topic, a place should be given to the discussion of social topics also. So, R. Raghunath Rao and M G Ranade addressed the congress on subjects related to social reforms. But on a second consideration, the organizers of Congress felt that the Congress Platform should be devoted to political topics only. As those interested in the social freforms, also felt in a need for it, so it was decided to inaugurate the National Social Conference as a separate movement. Here we should also note that hostility to social-reform issues expressed by a majority of nationalists in the congress had led to the formation of the Indian National Social Conference. The National Social Conference met annually from 1887 to 1895 as part of the INC Sessions.

The correct option is C: 1 only. Dadabhai Naoroji's most effective contribution to the Indian National Movement was that he exposed the economic exploitation of India by the British. The other two statements are not correct.
Explanation:
1. Exposed the economic exploitation of India by the British: Dadabhai Naoroji was one of the first leaders to analyze and expose the economic drain of wealth from India to Britain. He wrote extensively on the subject and presented his findings in his book "Poverty and Un-British Rule in India." His work drew attention to the economic exploitation and helped create awareness among Indians about the need for economic independence.
2. Interpreted the ancient Indian texts and restored the self-confidence of Indians: Dadabhai Naoroji was primarily focused on the economic issues faced by India under British rule. While he was a scholar of ancient Indian texts, his main contribution was in the field of economics and not in interpreting ancient texts.
3. Stressed the need for eradication of all social evils before anything else: While social reforms were an important aspect of the Indian National Movement, Dadabhai Naoroji's main focus was on economic issues. He believed that the economic exploitation of India by the British was the root cause of many social problems and that addressing economic issues should be the priority.
Therefore, the correct statement is that Dadabhai Naoroji exposed the economic exploitation of India by the British.

The Lahore session of the Indian National Congress was held in 1929 under the Presidentship of Jawaharlal Nehru. It was in this session that the Congress for the first time raised the demand for complete independence. Such demand was not raised from the Congress platform earlier.

The Simon Commission was a group of seven British Members of Parliament of United Kingdom that came to India in 1928 to study constitutional reform. The people of India were outraged, as the Simon Commission, which was to determine the future of India, did not include a single Indian member in it.

Answer: c

Exp: During Lord Ripon’s time (1880-84), the first Factories Act was adopted in 1881.

The First Factory Act was passed in 1881 during the time of Lord Ripon. It was passed to improve the service condition of the factory workers in India. It fixed the working hours for women and children above the age of seven years.

The song was written in 1905 in Bangla. Rabindranath Tagore was the only person to write National Anthem of two countries, i.e. India and Bangladesh.

The correct option is C.
Gandhi first conceived satyagraha in 1906 in response to a law discriminating against Asians that was passed by the British colonial government of the Transvaal in South Africa. In 1917 the first satyagraha campaign in India was mounted in the indigo-growing district of Champaran.

The Montagu–Chelmsford reforms introduced by the British Government in India to introduce self-governing institutions gradually to India. The reforms take their name from Edwin Samuel Montagu , the Secretary of State for India during the latter parts of World War I and Lord Chelmsford , Viceroy of India between 1916 and 1921.

The reforms were outlined in the Montagu-Chelmsford Report prepared in 1918 and formed the basis of the Government of India Act 1919.

The All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) is a left-wing nationalist political party in India. It emerged as a faction within the Indian National Congress in 1939, led by Subhas Chandra Bose. The party re-established as an independent political party after the independence of India.