GK (Indian History)

Lord Cornwallis introduced major administrative reforms in India, including the Permanent Settlement system and significant changes to the civil services. A key reform was providing good salaries to employees to reduce corruption. The other options refer to different administrative aspects but not his main reform.

The Dual System of Government (Dual Administration) was established in Bengal by Robert Clive in 1765 after the Battle of Buxar. Under this system, the Company controlled Diwani (revenue collection) while the Nawab retained Nizamat (judicial and executive powers). Warren Hastings later abolished this system.

Mangal Pandey is remembered as the first martyr of the 1857 revolt. He provoked his fellow soldiers in the Barrackpore army to revolt against British rule, which sparked the wider rebellion. He was not a social reformer, did not help the British, and while he was a soldier, his historical significance is specifically for provoking the revolt.

The Nand Kumar case (1775) was a controversial trial where Nand Kumar was executed on charges of forgery. Warren Hastings was denounced and criticized for his role in this case, which was seen as using judicial power for personal revenge. Wellesley, Cornwallis, and Dalhousie were not involved in this case.

The Doctrine of Lapse was a policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856). Under this doctrine, if a ruler died without a natural male heir, his kingdom would lapse to the Company and could not be adopted by an adopted heir. This led to the annexation of several states including Satara, Jhansi, and Udaipur.

Nana Sahib, the adopted son of the last Peshwa Baji Rao II, was denied his pension and the title by the British after Baji Rao's death in 1851. This denial of his pension and status was a major cause of his dissatisfaction and led him to become a key leader in the 1857 revolt. The territory issue and adoption rights were related but the pension abolition was the immediate cause.

Lord Canning was the Governor General of India during the 1857 revolt (he served from 1856-1862). The revolt began in May 1857 and Canning faced the full force of the rebellion, eventually suppressing it and earning the nickname 'Canning the Clemency' for his moderate policies afterward.

The War of Independence of 1857 began from Meerut on May 10, 1857, when Indian soldiers (sepoys) revolted against their British officers, refused to use the Enfield rifle cartridges, and marched toward Delhi. The revolt then spread to other cities including Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi, and Allahabad.

The 1857 revolt began prematurely before proper coordination could be established among various leaders and regions. The sepoys at Meerut mutinied earlier than planned, catching other participants unprepared and allowing the British to mobilize reinforcements quickly. While multiple factors contributed to the failure, the untimely outbreak was a significant blow to organizing a unified resistance.

Mir Jafar, the commander-in-chief of Siraj-ud-Daulah's army, secretly conspired with the British and betrayed his own leader during the battle. This internal betrayal, fueled by British bribery and political machinations, effectively neutralized the Nawab's military advantage and ensured Clive's victory despite facing a larger force.

The Government of India Act 1919 introduced the system of dyarchy (dual rule) in provinces, based on recommendations from the Montagu-Chelmsford Report. This report, published in 1918, proposed limited self-governance by transferring some subjects to Indian ministers while keeping others under British control.

The immediate cause of the Black Hole incident was the fortification of Calcutta by the British East India Company without Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah's permission. This unauthorized construction angered the Nawab and led to the conflict where 146 British prisoners were allegedly confined in a small dungeon, though historical debate exists about the actual event.

Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British civil servant, founded the Indian National Congress in 1885 with the goal of providing a platform for educated Indians to voice their political grievances. Hume believed this controlled outlet would help channel Indian discontent and prevent more radical movements against British rule.

The Subsidiary Alliance system, imposed by Lord Wellesley, served multiple objectives: it increased British Company resources through subsidiary payments, removed French and other European influence from Indian courts, and secured arbitrary control over Indian states' foreign affairs. Indian states lost sovereignty while becoming financially dependent on British support.

Annie Besant launched the Home Rule Movement in 1916-1917, demanding self-government for India within the British Empire. Working alongside Bal Gangadhar Tilak who led a parallel movement, Besant mobilized widespread support through her newspapers and organizational networks, making Home Rule a powerful mass movement.

Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Bipin Chandra Pal formed the extremist trio known as 'Lal-Bal-Pal' who advocated for more aggressive methods to achieve independence. They rejected the Moderates' approach of petitions and prayers, instead promoting swadeshi, boycott, and direct action against British rule.

The 1907 session of the Indian National Congress at Surat witnessed a historic split between Moderates and Extremists over the question of adopting more militant methods. The Extremists were expelled from the party, causing a decade-long division that only healed with the 1916 Lucknow Pact.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak made the famous declaration 'Swaraj is my birth right and I shall have it' asserting that self-rule was the natural entitlement of every Indian. This powerful slogan became a rallying cry for the independence movement and defined Tilak's legacy as a leader who inspired mass nationalism.

Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India from 1899-1905, ordered the partition of Bengal in 1905 into East and West Bengal provinces. This divisive administrative decision was seen as an attempt to split Bengali-speaking populations along religious lines and weaken nationalist sentiment, triggering massive protests and the Swadeshi movement.

Gandhiji called off the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1922 after the Chauri Chaura incident where protesters turned violent, setting fire to a police station. This was against his principles of non-violence. The other options are incorrect - he was not terrified by British policies, people were cooperating with him, and differences among leaders were not the main cause.

Lord William Bentinck, the Governor-General of India (1828-1835), declared Sati Pratha illegal through Regulation XVII in 1829. This social reform abolished the practice of widow immolation. Dalhousie, Canning, and Cornwallis were his predecessors/successors but did not abolish Sati.

The Government of India Act 1919 introduced Dyarchy in provinces, dividing subjects into 'reserved' (administered by Governor and executive council) and 'transferred' (administered by Indian ministers). This dual system of governance was not applicable to the central government or about centralization.