General Studies Series Test - 15

The split between the Moderates and the Extremists in the Indian National Congress took place at the Surat session in December 1907. This historic session is known as the Surat Split, marking the formal division between the two ideological factions.

Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan was popularly known as 'Frontier Gandhi' or 'Badshah Khan' for his non-violent movement in the North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan). He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and followed his principles of non-violence.

Jawaharlal Nehru played the most important role in popularizing socialist vision within the national movement and throughout India. His socialist leanings were evident in his writings, speeches, and later as India's first Prime Minister, where he implemented socialist policies.

Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood (knighthood title awarded by the British Crown) in 1919 to protest the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. This was a powerful symbolic gesture against British brutality.

The Depressed Classes Mission Society was started in 1906 in Mumbai (then Bombay) by Shri Narayan Malhar Joshi. It was one of the earliest organizations working for the upliftment of the depressed classes (Dalits) in India.

The Muhammedan Literary Society was founded in 1863 in Kolkata (then Calcutta) by Nawab Abdul Latif. It was one of the earliest organizations working for the educational and social upliftment of Muslims in Bengal.

Dadabai Naoroji is widely regarded as India's first modern economic thinker. He developed the famous 'Drain Theory' in his seminal work 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India' (1901), which systematically documented how Britain was draining wealth from India through unfair trade practices and taxation policies.

G.V. Joshi attended the 1903 Imperial Durbar in Delhi dressed in handspun khadi as a form of protest against British rule and economic exploitation. This was an early expression of the swadeshi sentiment that Gandhi would later transform into a mass movement. His protest at this grand ceremony symbolizing British imperial power was a bold statement.

C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) founded the Swatantra Party in 1959 as a liberal alternative to the Congress Party's socialist policies. The party advocated for free enterprise, civil liberties, and limited government, becoming the primary opposition party in several states during the 1960s. Rajaji, the first Indian Governor-General, broke with Congress over ideological differences.

Madanlal Dhingra assassinated Sir Curzon Wyllie, a British official, at a public meeting in London in 1907. This was one of the most daring acts of revolutionary violence in the Indian independence movement and inspired other revolutionaries. Dhingra was subsequently arrested, tried, and hanged, becoming a martyr for the revolutionary cause.

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari presided over the historic 1927 Madras session of the Indian National Congress where the decision to boycott the Simon Commission was unanimously taken. The commission, formed to review constitutional reforms, had no Indian members, and its boycott united diverse political factions against British colonial rule. Ansari was a prominent Muslim leader and close associate of Gandhi.

Vallabhbhai Patel, who had presided over the historic Karachi session of Congress in 1931, was arrested along with Mahatma Gandhi on January 4, 1932 during the Civil Disobedience Movement. The British authorities arrested both leaders in a crackdown on the independence movement. Patel's arrest came shortly after his successful Congress presidency where the Gandhi-Irwin Pact was ratified.

The Gandhi Peace Foundation is headquartered in New Delhi and was established in 1962 to promote Gandhi's principles of truth, non-violence, and peace. As a national institution dedicated to preserving and propagating Gandhi's legacy, it is appropriately located in India's capital city. The foundation organizes programs, publications, and activities to spread Gandhi's message.

Annie Besant, a senior leader of the independence movement and president of the Indian National Congress in 1917, advised the young Gandhi to observe Indian politics and society for a year before actively participating. Her advice reflected the understanding that Gandhi, recently returned from South Africa, needed time to understand the complexities of the Indian political context and its various actors and movements.

Gandhi nominated Abbas Tyabji, a respected nationalist leader and retired judge, to lead the Dandi March (Salt Satyagraha) in the event of his own arrest. Tyabji was a trusted associate from Gujarat who had been actively involved in the independence movement. When Gandhi was indeed arrested during the march, Tyabji briefly took over leadership before being arrested himself.

The Gandhi Hindusthani Sahithya Sabha was established in New Delhi as part of Gandhiji's efforts to promote Hindi and Hindustani literature. New Delhi was the center of many such national institutions during the freedom movement.

Madan Mohan Malaviya, a prominent Congress leader and founder of Banaras Hindu University, served as Gandhiji's adviser at the Second Round Table Conference (1931). Malaviya was a senior leader whom Gandhi consulted frequently on important matters.

The All India Village Industries Association (AIVIA) was established in Wardha in 1934. Wardha became Gandhiji's base after 1934 and was the center for his village industries and rural reconstruction programs. Many Gandhian institutions were located in Wardha near Sevagram Ashram.

Gandhi Siksha Bhavan is located in Mumbai. While many Gandhian institutions were in Wardha, Mumbai (then Bombay) was also an important center with several Gandhi-related educational and cultural institutions established by his followers.

Gandhi Gram was established in 1947 in Madurai. This was one of several institutions founded in Gandhiji's name in different parts of India to promote his ideals of rural development, education, and community service after independence.

Annie Besant described the suspension of the Civil Disobedience Movement by Gandhiji following the Gandhi-Irwin Pact as a 'National Calamity'. She felt the movement was gaining momentum and should not have been suspended without achieving full independence.