Modern Indian History

The first railway line in India was opened on April 16, 1853, running from Bombay (now Mumbai) to Thane. This 34-kilometer line marked the beginning of railway transport in India and was built by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company. The railway network expanded rapidly after this inaugural run.

In 1911, during the Delhi Durbar, King George V announced that the capital of British India would be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi, and this was completed in 1931. Bengal was partitioned in 1905 (and reunited in 1911), the Non-Cooperation Movement was in 1920-22, and Gandhi did not preside over a Congress session until later.

The Muslim League first openly demanded a separate homeland for Indian Muslims at its Lahore session in March 1940, where the Lahore Resolution (later called the Pakistan Resolution) was passed. This historic session called for independent Muslim-majority states in northwestern and eastern India, which ultimately led to the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875 at Aligarh, which later became Aligarh Muslim University in 1920. He was a reformer who believed in modern Western education combined with Islamic teachings to uplift Muslims in British India. The other figures were important but not the university's founder.

The Ghadar Party was organized in 1913 in San Francisco, USA by Lala Hardayal, a revolutionary nationalist who sought to mobilize Indians abroad for armed rebellion against British rule. The party published 'The Ghadar' newspaper and planned for an armed revolt during WWI. Other options were prominent leaders but not associated with founding the Ghadar Party.

Mahatma Gandhi first practiced Satyagraha in India at Champaran in 1917, organizing indigo farmers against oppressive plantation systems. This marked his return to Indian politics after South Africa and established his method of nonviolent resistance. Chauri Chaura (1922) came later, while Navkhali (1946) was post-independence partition violence.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak wrote 'Bhagavadgita-Rahasya' (The Secret of the Bhagavad Gita) during his imprisonment in Mandalay, Burma from 1908 to 1914. This work presented his interpretation of the Gita as a call for political action and resistance against British rule, deeply influencing the Indian nationalist movement.

The 1911-1921 decade experienced negative population growth due to the devastating impact of the influenza pandemic, World War I, and associated famines that claimed millions of lives. All other census decades showed positive population growth rates.

Only Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister and the others were Presidents.

The Universities of Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay were established in 1857 following the Wood's Despatch of 1854. This marked the beginning of modern university education in India. The year 1857 preceded all other options by several decades.

The Board of High School and Intermediate Education, established in 1929, was renamed as the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in 1952. This reorganization aimed to create a more centralized and structured secondary education system. The other years are incorrect.

Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917) was a prominent Indian political leader and mentor to Gandhi. He was affectionately called the 'Grand Old Man of India' for his foundational role in the Indian independence movement and economic critique of British rule. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was 'Frontier Gandhi', Vyomesh Chandra Banerjee was first INC president, and Subhas Chandra Bose was 'Netaji'.

Mahatma Gandhi said 'Gram swaraj is a pathway to Purna swaraj' - meaning village self-rule leads to complete independence. This reflects his philosophy that true freedom begins with self-governing villages. Tilak emphasized swaraj, Bhagat Singh was revolutionary, and Vinoba Bhave focused on land redistribution.

The Servants of India Society was founded in 1905 by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, a prominent social reformer and leader of the moderate wing of the Indian National Congress. The society aimed to train national missionaries for India's freedom and social reform. Gokhale was also a mentor to Mahatma Gandhi.

'My Experiments with Truth' (or 'The Story of My Experiments with Truth') is the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi, covering his life from early childhood through 1921. It details his philosophy of Satyagraha (truth-force) and his personal journey in developing his political and moral principles.