Indian History: Independence Movement and Social Reforms

Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the key social reformer who campaigned against the practice of Sati (widow immolation). His relentless efforts and advocacy led Lord William Bentinck to pass the Sati Regulation Act of 1829, which officially banned this custom in British India. He is often called the father of modern India for his progressive reforms.

Correct Answer: 1893 - Chicago

The Regulating Act of 1773 established the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William in Calcutta. This was the first Supreme Court in India and marked the beginning of the British judicial system in the country. The Act was passed by the British Parliament to regulate the affairs of the East India Company.

Lord Canning, the Viceroy of India from 1856 to 1862, announced the Queen's Proclamation of 1858 following the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. This proclamation was called the 'Magna Carta of the Indian People' because it promised equal treatment to all Indians, religious tolerance, and respect for ancient customs and rights.

In 1911, during the Delhi Durbar, King George V announced that the capital of India would be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi. The decision was made to counter the growing nationalist sentiment in Bengal and to have a more centrally located capital. The shift was completed in 1931 when New Delhi was inaugurated.

The Lucknow Pact of 1916 was signed between the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League. It was an agreement of cooperation between the two political organizations, with the Congress accepting the principle of separate electorates for Muslims. This pact marked a high point of Hindu-Muslim unity during the freedom struggle.

Dadabhai Naoroji is famously known as 'The Grand Old Man of India' for his pioneering contributions to the Indian nationalist movement. He was one of the founding members of the Indian National Congress and propounded the Drain Theory, which highlighted how Britain was draining wealth from India. He was also the first Indian to be elected to the British Parliament.

Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee (also spelled Bannerjee) was the first President of the Indian National Congress. He presided over the first session of the INC held in Bombay in December 1885. Bonnerjee was a prominent lawyer and one of the early leaders who shaped the nationalist movement in its initial years.

The first conference of the Indian National Congress was held at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay (now Mumbai) in December 1885. The college was chosen as the venue because it provided an appropriate space for the inaugural session. The conference was attended by 72 delegates from across India and marked the beginning of the organized nationalist movement.

The All India Muslim League was formed in Dhaka (now in Bangladesh) in December 1906. The founding meeting took place at the Ahsan Manzil palace during the All-India Muhammadan Educational Conference. The League was established to protect Muslim political interests and advocate for separate electorates in the aftermath of the partition of Bengal.

The Home Rule League was established by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1916 to demand self-rule (Home Rule) for India within the British Empire. Tilak founded the league in Pune (April 1916), while Annie Besant started another branch in Madras (September 1916). The movement aimed to unite Indians and mobilize public opinion for greater political autonomy.

The Khilafat Day was observed on August 31, 1919 to protest against the treatment of Turkey and the threat to the Caliphate after World War I. The Khilafat Movement was launched by Indian Muslims to pressure the British government to preserve the Ottoman Caliphate. This day was marked by demonstrations, meetings, and collection of funds to support the cause.

The Government of India Act 1935 created a federal structure dividing subjects into three lists: Federal (defense, foreign affairs, etc.), Provincial (health, education, etc.), and Concurrent (both could legislate). Option D correctly lists all three categories. Options A and C incorrectly use 'General' instead of 'Federal', while B incorrectly uses 'States' instead of 'Provincial'.

The First Round Table Conference (1930-31) was boycotted by the Congress because many Congress leaders were in jail due to the Civil Disobedience Movement, and the conference included no representatives of the Indian National Congress. Option A (1930) correctly identifies this year. 1919 was the Jallianwala Bagh massacre year, 1923 saw the Swaraj Party formation, and 1929 was the Lahore Session year.

The Ghadar Party was formed in 1913 by Lala Hardayal in San Francisco, USA to organize revolutionary activities against British rule in India. Option B is correct. 1917, 1918, and 1923 are incorrect years. Lala Lajpat Rai was a prominent Congress leader, Pandit Jugal Kishore was associated with Hindi journalism, and Udham Singh was a revolutionary who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in 1940.

The Sikh Kingdom (Punjab) was annexed by the East India Company in 1849 after the Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49). This followed Lord Dalhousie's Doctrine of Lapse policy. Option A is correct. 1842 was during the First Anglo-Afghan War, 1845 was the start of the First Anglo-Sikh War, and 1892 is too late.

The Indian Society of Oriental Art was established in 1907 by Abanindranath Tagore (also spelled Avanindra Nath Thakur) to promote traditional Indian art styles and counter Western influences. He was the principal figure of the Bengal School of Art. Option D is correct. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was a novelist, Surendra Nath Banerjee was a moderate leader, and Sisir Kumar Ghose founded The Hindu newspaper.

The Cripps Mission, led by Sir Stafford Cripps, visited India in 1942 during WWII to offer Dominion Status after the war with the right to opt out of the British Commonwealth. The Congress rejected it because it didn't promise immediate independence. Option A (1942) is correct. 1932 was the Civil Disobedience peak, 1937 saw provincial elections, and 1944 was the Gandhi-Jinnah talks.

The Pakistan (Lahore) Resolution was passed on March 23, 1940 at the Muslim League's Lahore session chaired by Jinnah. It demanded independent states for Muslim-majority areas in northwestern and eastern India. Option C is correct. The 1942 and 1938 options are wrong years/places, and Bombay was not the venue.

India's first successful cotton textile mill was established in Bombay (Mumbai) in 1853 by Cowasjee Nanabhoy Davar, marking the beginning of modern industrialization. Option D (1853) is correct. 1875 is too late, 1843 was earlier, and 1855 is close but not the exact year.

The 1929 Lahore Congress session was presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru, where the historic 'Purna Swaraj' (Complete Independence) resolution was passed and January 26, 1930 was fixed as Independence Day. Option C is correct. W.C. Bonnerjee was the first INC President (1885), A.O. Hume founded INC (1885), and Gandhi led the movement but wasn't president then.

The Harijan Sangh was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1932 to work for the upliftment of Dalits (then called 'Harijans' - children of God) and fight untouchability. He started the Harijan magazine and led temple entry movements. Option A is correct. Sardar Patel, Ambedkar, and Nehru were not its founders - Ambedkar actually opposed Gandhi's approach on separate electorates.

Udant Martand, India's first Hindi newspaper, was published in 1857 by Pandit Jugal Kishore Shukla from Calcutta. It marked the beginning of Hindi journalism. Option A is correct. Bal Gangadhar Tilak published Kesari (Marathi), Amrit Lal was associated with Urdu journalism, and Sikandar Hayat Khan was a Punjab politician.

Gandhiji founded the Harijan Sewak Sangh in 1932 to work for the upliftment of the 'Harijans' (as he called Dalits) and to campaign against untouchability. This was part of his broader social reform movement during the Civil Disobedience period. The other options (1918, 1924, 1934) do not correspond to this specific organization's founding.