Modern Indian History

Correct Answer: Rowlatt Act

Fasting was indeed Gandhi's most effective weapon against injustice, which he called 'satyagraha' or 'soul force'. He used fasting effectively in various contexts - against the separate electorates for Harijans, during communal riots, and as a means of self-purification and moral persuasion. His fasts could mobilize millions and force authorities to address grievances.

Mahatma Gandhi first tried satyagraha in South Africa (1893-1914), particularly during the campaigns against discriminatory laws like the Asiatic Law Amendment Ordinance. The 1906-1913 satyagraha against the Asiatic Registration Act was his first large-scale application of this method. He only brought satyagraha to India later, starting with Champaran (1917), Bardoli (1918), and the Non-Cooperation Movement.

The Lucknow Pact was indeed concluded in 1916 between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League. This agreement was significant for Hindu-Muslim cooperation, with Congress accepting separate electorates and the League supporting Congress's demand for self-government. The pact was reached during the joint session of both parties in Lucknow.

All three high courts (Calcutta, Madras, Bombay) were established in 1861 through the Indian High Courts Act. This was a major judicial reform during Lord Canning's tenure that created the modern high court system in India.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale founded the Servants of India Society in 1905 to promote education and social reform. The organization aimed to train national missionaries for India's service through constitutional methods.

Correct Answer: 1931

Bihar and Orissa were carved out of Bengal as a separate province in 1912, following the annulment of the 1905 partition of Bengal. This administrative reorganization created a new province with Patna as its capital, acknowledging the distinct regional identity of these regions.

The All-India Muslim League was founded in December 1906 at Dhaka. It was established to protect Muslim political interests and promote Muslim representation. The formation was a response to the partition of Bengal and growing communal consciousness.

The partition of Bengal in 1905 by Lord Curzon was annulled in 1911 by King George V at the Delhi Durbar. This decision came in response to massive protests, the Swadeshi movement, and communal tensions that the partition had created. The annulment was a major victory for the nationalist movement.

Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati in 1875 to reform Hindu society and promote Vedic teachings. He emphasized the authority of the Vedas and opposed idol worship, caste discrimination, and child marriage. Swami Vivekananda founded Ramakrishna Mission, while Keshav Chandra Sen and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar were associated with Brahmo Samaj and social reform movements in Bengal.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad founded Al-Hilal in 1912 to promote Hindu-Muslim unity and Indian nationalism. When it was banned by the British government in 1914, he founded Al-Balagh in 1915 to continue his journalistic work against colonial rule. Both newspapers played important roles in the freedom movement.

Brahmo Samaj, founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in 1828, was the first major reform movement of 19th century India. It opposed idol worship, caste discrimination, sati, and child marriage while promoting rationalism and monotheism. Prarthana Samaj (1867), Arya Samaj (1875), and Ramakrishna Mission (1897) all came later in the century.

Dadabhai Naoroji propounded the theory of ‘Economic Drain of India’ during British imperialism.