History · Civics Polity

Modern Indian History

8,159 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.

Indian freedom struggleIndian National CongressFamous historical leadersSocial reform movementsColonial administration

Modern Indian History Questions

Multiple choice

Which one of the following observations is not true about the Quit India Movement of 1942?

  1. It was a non-violent movement.

  2. It was led by Mahatma Gandhi.

  3. It was a spontaneous movement.

  4. It did not attract the labour class in general.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

All India Congress Committee met at Bombay and passed the famous Quit India Resolution and proposed the starting of non-violent mass struggle under Gandhi's leadership. Peasants and workers were at heart of movement. Hence, option 4 is the required answer.

Multiple choice

What was the purpose with which Sir William Wedderburn and W.S.Caine had set up the Indian Parliamentary Committee in 1893?

  1. To agitate for Indian political reforms in the House of Commons.

  2. To campaign for the entry of Indians into the Imperial Judiciary.

  3. To facilitate a discussion on India's Independence in the British Parliament.

  4. To agitate for the entry of eminent Indians into the British Parliament.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Sir William Wedderburn and W S. Caine had set up the Indian Parliamentary Committee in 1893 to agitate for Indian political reforms in the House of Common.

Multiple choice

Which amongst the following provided a common factor for tribal insurrection in India in the 19th Century?

  1. Introduction of a new system of land revenue and taxation of tribal products.

  2. Influence of foreign religious missionaries in tribal areas.

  3. Rise of a large number of money lenders traders and revenue farmers as middlemen in trible areas.

  4. The complete disruption of the old agrarian order to the tribal communities.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect. It used the term 'tribal products'. Statement 2 is incorrect. NOT in all areas, the impact of foreign missionaries was seen. Statement 3 is incorrect. This option is also not correct because not all areas saw the rise of moneylenders. Statement 4 is correct because it includes the foreign interference in the indigenous world of their own which dismantled the structure that existed since centuries.

Multiple choice

With reference to the period of India freedom struggle which of the following was/were recommended by the Nehru report?

  1. Complete Independence for India.
  2. Joint electorates for reservation of seats for minorities.
  3. Provision of fundamental rights for the people of India in the Constitution.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

  1. 1 only

  2. 2 and 3 only

  3. 1 and 3 only

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

The "Nehru Report" (1928) was a memorandum outlining a proposed new Dominion (see dominion status) constitution for India. It was prepared by a committee of the All Parties Conference chaired by Motilal Nehru with his son Jawaharlal acting as secretary. Some of the important elements of the report are:

  1. Dominion status 
  2. Not separate electorate but joint electorate with reserved seat for minorities
  3. Linguistic provinces 
  4. 19 Fundamental rights 
  5. Responsible government at centre and provinces
Multiple choice

What was the reason for Mahatma Gandhi to organize a satyagraha on behalf of the peasants of Kheda?

  1. The Administration did not suspend the land revenue collection in spite of a drought.
  2. The Administration proposed to introduce Permanent Settlement in Gujarat.

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

First Non-Cooperation. Because of drought in 1918, the crops failed in Kheda district of Gujarat. According to revenue code, if the yield was less than one fourth the normal produce, the farmers were entitled to remission. The authorities refused to grant remission.

Multiple choice

With reference to Indian freedom struggle, Usha Mehta is well-known for

  1. Running the secret Congress Radio in the wake of Quit India movement.

  2. Participating in the Second Round Table Conference.

  3. Leading a contigent of Indian National Army.

  4. Assisting in the formation of Interim Government under Pandit Jawahalal Nehru.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Usha Mehta actively supported the Quit India Movement and was an important member of a small group, which run the congress radio. Parameters 

Multiple choice

All of the following is true of the crisis from 1873 to 1878, except

  1. It was triggered when the government initiated a constitutional congress because ethnic minorities were not adequately represented.

  2. When the government raised taxes, ethnic-nationalist uprisings began in Montenegro, Serbia, and Romania.

  3. The reigning sultan was overthrown and a new sultan ascended the throne.

  4. It began when the Ottoman government defaulted on foreign loans.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Correct answer is option (1).

Multiple choice

What leads to the conclusion that Indians have a tendency to disown their problems as their own?

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

Apathy in addressing community matters has held us back from making progress which is otherwise within our reach. We see serious problems around us but do not try to solve them. We believe as if the problems do not exist or as if they belong to someone else. On the other hand, in the West, people approach societal problems proactively. There are several examples of our apathetic attitude. For instance, all of us are aware of the problem of drought in India. More than four decades ago, Dr. K.L.Rao, an irrigation expert, suggested the creation of a water grid connecting all the rivers in north and south India to solve this problem. Unfortunately, nothing has been done about this. The story of power shortage in Bangalore is another instance. In 1983, it was decided that a power plant would be built to meet Bangalore’s power requirements. Sadly, we have not yet started it. The Milan subway in Bombay has been in a deplorable state for the last four decades, and no action has been taken.
We Indians would do well to remember Thomas Hunter’s words that idleness travels very slowly and poverty soon overtakes it. What could be the reason for our apathy? We were ruled by foreigners for over a thousand years. So, we have always believed that public or societal issues belong to some foreign ruler and that we have no responsibility to solve them. We have got used to just executing someone else’s orders. ‘We are what we repeatedly do,’ said Aristotle. Having waited for some foreigner to tell us what to do over the last thousand years, the decision-makers in our society are not used to taking decisions on their own. They look to somebody else to take their decisions for them. Unfortunately, there is no body to look up to, and this is our tragedy.

 

  1. In India, we are not proactive in dealing with our problems as our counterparts in the West are.

  2. Decision taking is not an area where Indians show their dynamism.

  3. Our apathetic attitude towards issues that confront us.

  4. Our refusal to acknowledge existence of the problems around us.

  5. Our belief as if the problems do not exist or as if they belong to someone else.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

This is absolutely true and the author minces no words in saying that we believe problems which do not exist, or even if they exist, they belong to someone else. This clearly shows that we have a tendency of disowning our own problems. This is the most appropriate answer.

Multiple choice

Anna Hazare, aged 76, is a social activist. He started an indefinite hunger strike to exert pressure on the Indian government to enact a stringent anti-corruption law. He has a huge fan following among the Indian youth.

Anna Hazare has many followers because

  1. of his age

  2. he sat on a hunger strike

  3. he was ready to take on the government

  4. the youth, fed up of corruption, found a leader in him
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Anna Hazare fought against corruption and the youth supported him in this.

Multiple choice

One of the major failures of Zamindari System was the lack of ‘Pattas’ granted to the peasants by the Zamindars. Why did it happen?

  1. British Govt. later retracted on the decision of granting pattas

  2. Most of the farmers didn’t register for the grant

  3. Zamindars were not officially accountable to the British for the grant of pattas

  4. A nexus between Zamindars & British officials allowed them to allot land among themselves.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

 Permanent Settlement/Zamindari System Zamindars as the permanent owners of land Total revenue 89% paid to state, 11% kept with themselves. They were left independent in the internal affairs of their respective districts & hence the system of ‘Patta’, mentioning the area of the land to farmers was not enforced properly.

Multiple choice

In 1886, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan founded the All India Educational Conference in order to promote the educational objectives. What was this a part of?

  1. Vollore mutiny

  2. Aligarh movement

  3. Kakori conspiracy

  4. Begam Hazrat mahal rebellion
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The movement of Muslim awakening associated with Syed Ahmad Khan and Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College came to be known as Aligarh Movement. It influenced a number of other contemporary movements to a great extent that it caused the emergence of other socio-religious movements during the 19th century. The Aligarh Movement was the drive for modern Muslim education and made a weighty and lasting contribution to the political emancipation of Indian Muslims. In 1886, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan founded the All India Educational Conference in order to promote more broadly the educational objectives of Aligarh Movement. The Aligarh Movement introduced a new trend in Urdu literature.

Multiple choice

In 1940, which famous resolution was passed which demanded a separate Muslim nation?

  1. Poorna Swaraj

  2. United Nations Security Council Resolution

  3. Fight against fascism

  4. Lahore Resolution
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

By 1940, Jinnah had come to believe that Indian Muslims should have their own state. In that year, the Muslim League, led by Jinnah, passed the Lahore Resolution, demanding a separate nation. During the Second World War, the League gained strength, while the leaders of the Congress were imprisoned, and in the elections held shortly after the war, it won most of the seats reserved for Muslims. Ultimately, the Congress and the Muslim League could not reach a power-sharing formula for a united India, leading all parties to agree to separate independence of a predominantly Hindu India, and for a Muslim-majority state, to be called Pakistan.