Modern History (Part-II)

Total Questions: 50

31. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding Brahmo Samaj? [2012-1]

1. It opposed idolatry.

2. It denied the need for a priestly class for interpreting the religious texts.

3. It popularized the doctrine that the Vedas are infallible. Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Correct Answer: (b) 1 and 2 only
Solution:

Statements 1 & 2 are correct.
About Brahmo Samaj
• In the nineteenth century, many individuals and several organisations took an active role in the social reform movement.
• However, the story of the Indian social reform movement practically began with Raja Rammohan Roy (1774-1833).
• The advent of Raja Rammohan Roy (father of the Indian Renaissance) marks the line of demarcation between the Dark Middle Ages and the modern age of ‘enlightenment’.
• In 1815, Rammohan Roy formed ‘Atmiya Sabha’ (Association of Friends), an association for religious discussions. In 1828, he formed ‘Brahmo Sabha’, later becoming famous as ‘Brahmo Samaj’.
• This movement is the most remarkable aspect of the nineteenth-century Indian awakening and reform.
• It was formed to reform and purify the Hindu religion. Through the Samaj, Roy emphasised rationalism and a modern scientific approach.
• Raja Ram Mohan Roy is India’s ‘First Modern Man’.
• Raja was awarded to Ram Mohan Roy by the then Mughal Emperor Akbar-II in 1831.
• The Calcutta Unitarian Committee was established by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dwarkanath Tagore and William Adam.
• Raja Ram Mohan Roy strongly opposed the Jury Act of 1826.

32. Consider the following: [2012-1]

1. Assessment of land revenue on the basis of nature of the soil and the quality of crops.

2. Use of mobile cannons in warfare.

3. Cultivation of tobacco and red chillies.

Which of the above was/were introduced into India by the English?

Correct Answer: (d) None
Solution:

• Ilbert bill was introduced in 1883, the then Viceroy Lord Ripon and Sir Courtenay Ilbert, the legal adviser to the Council of India, gave Indian judges the authority to hear cases against Europeans.
• However, there was a prominent backlash against the Ilbert Bill Controversy from Indian and the British citizens in Britain. The arguments raised in opposition to this law revealed the English’s pervasive racial prejudice against Indians.
• As a result, the educated Indians were also made aware of the true character of British colonialism.

33. The Ilbert Bill controversy was related to the [2013-1]

Correct Answer: (c) removal of disqualifications imposed on the Indian magistrates with regard to the trial of the Europeans
Solution:Ilbert bill exempted British subjects from trial by Indian magistrates and in cases involving death or transportation they could only be tried by a high court. This proposal provoked furious protests by the Indians.

34. The Radcliffe Committee was appointed to [2014-1]

Correct Answer: (c) delimit the boundaries between India and Pakistan
Solution:The Radcliffe Line is a boundary demarcation line between India and Pakistan upon the Partition of India. The Radcliffe Line was named after its architect, Sir Cyril Radcliffe.
The Radcliffe Commissions were two separate boundary commissions for the provinces of Bengal and Punjab. They were tasked with equitably dividing these provinces based on district-wise Hindu and Muslim majorities, to form the new nations of India and Pakistan.
The criteria used by Radcliffe were primarily based on religious majorities within districts. The aim was to create a boundary that would minimize the disruption caused by the division and reduce cross-border migration.
Sir Cyril Radcliffe completed the boundary demarcation within five weeks, despite having never visited India before his appointment and having no prior knowledge of Indian conditions.

35. The Partition of Bengal made by Lord Curzon in 1905 lasted until [2014-1]

Correct Answer: (b) King George V abrogated Curzon's Act at the Royal Durbar in Delhi in 1911
Solution:In 1911 King George V visited India. A durbar was held at Delhi and The capital of India was transferred from Calcutta to Delhi also Partition of Bengal was annulled.
Lord Curzon (1859-1925) served as Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905. Curzon held deeply racist views and believed in Britain’s “civilizing mission” in India. In 1901, he referred to Indians as possessing an “extraordinary inferiority in character, honesty, and ability.”
Despite this, Curzon’s legacy in India includes administrative reforms, infrastructure improvements, and controversial decisions, the most notable of which was the partition of Bengal in 1905.

36. What was/were the object/objects of Queen Victoria's Proclamation (1858)? [2014-1]

1. To disclaim any intention to annex Indian States.

2. To place the Indian administration under the British Crown.

3. To regulate East India Company's trade with India.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Correct Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
Solution:

The object/objects of Queen Victoria's Proclamation (1858) were to disclaim any intention to annex Indian States as the announcement reversed Lord Dalhousie's pre-war policy of political unification through princely state annexation.

It was also to place the Indian administration under the British Crown Therefore, statement 1 & 2 are correct. However it was not to regulate East India Company's trade with India so statement 3 is wrong.

37. A community of people called Manganiyars is well-known for their [2014-1]

Correct Answer: (b) musical tradition in North-West India
Solution:Manganiyars a tribal community from Rajasthan (North west) with a strong musical tradition.

38. The Ghadr (Ghadar) was a [2015-1]

Correct Answer: (a) revolutionary association of Indians with headquarters at San Francisco
Solution:
  • The Ghadar Party was a revolutionary group founded by Indians in the United States with the aim of securing India's independence from British rule.
  • Taraknath Das, a prominent Indian in the USA, established the Indian Independence League in California in 1907 and later began publishing the paper Free Hindustan.
  • In 1913, Sohan Singh Bhakna founded the Hind Association of America, which started the weekly publication Ghadar in English, Urdu, Marathi, and Gurmukhi.
  • This paper promoted revolutionary ideas and inspired the name of the Ghadar Party.
  • Lala Hardayal emerged as a key leader in the Ghadar movement, establishing a central committee with headquarters at the Yugantar Ashram in San Francisco.
  • The Ghadar Party also had notable figures such as Bhai Parmanand and Ram Chandra, and the publication Ghadar consistently encouraged armed struggle and revolt against British rule.
  • Revolutionaries Raja Mahendra Pratap and Barkatullah supported the Ghadar Party from abroad and, with the help of Germany and Russia, attempted to set up a provisional government of India in Kabul.

39. With reference to Indian history, which of the following is/are the essential element/elements of the feudal system? [2015-1]

1. A very strong centralized political authority and a very weak provincial or local political authority.

2. Emergence of administrative structure based on control and possession of land.

3. Creation of lord-vassal relationship between the feudal lord and his overlord.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Correct Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only
Solution:

A person became a vassal by pledging political allegiance and providing military, political, and financial service to a lord A lord possessed complete sovereignty over land or acted in the service of another sovereign, usually a king.

If a lord acted in the service of a king, the lord was considered a vassal of the king. As part of the feudal agreement, the lord promised to protect the vassal and provided the vassal with a plot of land. This land could be passed on to the vassal's heirs, giving the vassal tenure over the land.

40. Who of the following was/were economic critic/ critics of colonialism in India? [2015-1]

1. Dadabhai Naoroji

2. G. Subramania lyer

3. R. C. Dutt

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Correct Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Solution:Dadabhai Naoroji, R. C. Dutt, Ranade, Gokhale, G. Subramania Iyer, were among those who grounded Indian nationalism firmly on the foundation of anti-imperialism by fashioning the world's first economic critique of colonialism, before Hobson and Lenin.
  • Dadabhai Naoroji: Also known as the "Grand Old Man of India," he is most famous for his Drain of Wealth Theory, which explained how India's wealth was being drained to Britain through various economic policies and expenses.
  • R. C. Dutt: He focused on the increasing poverty and economic backwardness in India, attributing it to British economic exploitation and the failures of Indian industries and agriculture under colonial rule.
  • G. Subramania Iyer: A significant intellectual who contributed to the economic analysis of British rule and exposed the negative impacts of colonial policies on the Indian economy.