History · Civics Polity

Modern Indian History

7,703 Questions

Modern Indian History covers the colonial period, the freedom struggle, and key political movements. It includes questions on important leaders, the Indian National Congress, and social reforms. Mastering these questions is vital for clearing competitive government exams.

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Modern Indian History Questions

Multiple choice

In the context of 1857 Revolt, the causes that led to the Sepoy Mutiny were

  1. the disparity in number of European and Indian troops in the British Indian Forces.
  2. the General Service Enlistment Act ordering all recruits to the Bengal Army to be ready for service both within and outside India.
  3. the introduction of the Enfield rifle. Which of the above are correct?

  1. 1 and 2

  2. 2 and 3

  3. 1 and 3

  4. 1, 2 and 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The General Service Enlistment Act (1856) and the introduction of the Enfield rifle (which used cartridges greased with animal fat) were major immediate causes of the 1857 Revolt. Disparity in troop numbers was a structural issue but not the primary cause of the mutiny.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements:

  1. The cancellation of regulations concerning Indian Press by Sir Charles Metcalfe liberated it from official control during the period 1835-1857.
  2. Under the Newspaper Act of 1908, the District Magistrate was empowered to confiscate the printing press where a newspaper containing an incitement to violence was printed.
  3. The Indian Press Act of 1910 was suspended by the Government of India during the World War I, so as to seek cooperation of Indian nationalists for war efforts. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 1 and 2

  2. 2 and 3

  3. 1 and 3

  4. 1, 2 and 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

All three statements are historically accurate regarding the evolution of press laws in India during the British period.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements:

  1. Raja Ram Mohan Roy opposed the Permanent Settlement in Bengal.
  2. Raja Ram Mohan Roy advocated the substitution of Persian for English as the official language of the courts of law. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only

  2. 2 only

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Raja Ram Mohan Roy criticized the Permanent Settlement for its negative impact on the peasantry. However, he advocated for English education and the use of English in courts, not Persian.

Multiple choice

His principle forte was social and religious reform. He relied upon legislation to do away with social ills and work unceasingly for the eradication of child marriage and the purdah system. To encourage consideration of social problems on a national scale, he inaugurated the Indian National Social Conference, which for many years met for its annual session alongside the Indian National Congress.

The reference in this passage is to

  1. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

  2. Behramji Merwanji Malabari

  3. Mahadev Govind Ranade

  4. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Ranade worked for social reform in the areas of child marriage, widow remarriage and women rights. He was a distinguished Indian scholar, social reformer and author.

Multiple choice

The educated middle class in India

  1. opposed the revolt of 1857

  2. supported the revolt of 1857

  3. remained neutral to the revolt of 1857

  4. fought against native rulers
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The revolt did not spread to all parts of the country. It was not supported by all groups and sections of the Indian society. South and West India remained largely outside the fold of the revolt. Many Indian rulers refused to help the rebels and some were openly hostile to the rebels and helped the British in suppressing the revolt. The middle and upper classes, and the modern educated Indians also did not support the revolt.

Multiple choice

Under the Permanent Settlement, 1793, the Zamindars are required to issue pattas to the farmers which were not issued by many of the Zamindars. What was the reason?

  1. The Zamindars were trusted by the farmers.

  2. There was no official check upon the Zamindars.

  3. It was the responsibility of the British government.

  4. The farmers were not interested in getting pattas.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

John Shore planned Permanent Settlement and it was introduced in 1793 by Lord Cornwallis. Zamindars were made the owners of the land and the British got a fixed share of 10/11th of the revenue collected by the Zamindars.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements about Shaikh Bahauddin Zakariya, the founder of Suharawardi Silsilah in India is not correct?

  1. He believed in self-mortification

  2. He did not consider poverty as a necessary means for spiritual life

  3. He justified his riches by saving that money enabled him to serve the poor better

  4. He did not reject the concept of sama
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Shaikh Bahauddin Zakariya, the founder of the Suharawardi Silsilah in India, did not believe in extreme asceticism or poverty. He believed that wealth could be used for the service of the poor and did not reject worldly life in the same way as the Chishti order.

Multiple choice

What was the immediate reason that resulted in the murder of Rand, the Chairman of the Plague Committee and Lt. Ayerst in 1898?

  1. Arrest of Bal Gangadhar Tilak for criticizing the government's handling of the plague situation which made the workers of the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha violent

  2. There was general resentment against the official plague measures

  3. Manhandling of the workers of the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha by the Police in plague-stricken areas provoked the people

  4. Some extremist leaders of Maharashtra showed over-enthusiasm to enhance the degree of conflict between the British rules and the Indian peopl
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The murder of Rand and Ayerst was a direct consequence of the oppressive and insensitive measures taken by the Plague Committee in Poona, which caused widespread resentment among the public.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements:

  1. The formal proclamation of the Swadeshi movement was made in 1905 in a conference convened by Surendranath Banerjee at Barishal
  2. On the day of partition of Bengal, the famous Boycott resolution was passed by the leaders of the Swasdeshi movement in Bengal
  3. Chidambaram Pillai took the Swadeshi movement to Madras Presidency. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only

  2. 1 and 3

  3. 2 and 3

  4. 2 and 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Multiple choice

Which among the following was/were the reason(s) for decline of the Swadeshi movement by mid 1908?

  1. Severe repression by the Government.
  2. Internal squabbles in the Congress.
  3. Lack of an effective organization and party structure. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. 1 only

  2. 1 and 2 only

  3. 2 and 3 only

  4. 1,2 and 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The decline of the Swadeshi movement by 1908 was due to a combination of government repression, internal divisions within the Congress, and the lack of a strong, centralized organizational structure.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements with reference to the extremists and moderates within the Congress during the years 1905-07;

  1. The extremists wanted to extend the Swadeshi and Boycott movement from Bengal to the rest of the country.
  2. The moderates wanted to gradually extend the boycott from foreign goods to every form of association or cooperation with the government. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only

  2. 2 only

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Extremists wanted to expand the movement nationwide, whereas the Moderates were generally cautious and did not support extending the boycott to all forms of cooperation with the government.