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

What was the Ahmedabad mill-workers Satyagraha about?

  1. Wage revision

  2. Discrimination of workforce

  3. Holidays and bonus

  4. Control over mills by British
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In Ahmedabad, there were many textile mills. Prices had gone up and the mill workers were demanding higher wages. The mill owners would not agree. Gandhi sympathised with the workers and took up their cause. He launched a struggle and resorted to peaceful resistance. The workers proudly followed Gandhi and pledged their full support to him. 

Multiple choice

What was the first major reason for the boycott of Simon commission in India in 1927?

  1. No Indian was included in the commission.

  2. British were not in favour of equal salary compensation to Indians.

  3. Labour party wanted a free India.

  4. In 1927, famine problem took precedence.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Government of India Act 1919 had introduced the system of diarchy to govern the provinces of British India. The Indian public clamoured for revision of this form of government, and the Government of India Act 1919 itself stated that a commission would be appointed after ten years to investigate the progress of the governance scheme and suggest new steps for reform. In the late 1920s, the Conservative government then in power in Britain feared imminent electoral defeat at the hands of the Labour Party, and also feared the effects of the consequent transference of control of India to such an "inexperienced" body. Hence, it appointed seven British MPs to constitute the promised commission to examine the state of Indian constitutional affairs. Many in India were outraged and insulted that the Simon Commission, which was to determine the future of India, did not include a single Indian member. The Indian National Congress, at its December 1927 meeting in Madras (now Chennai), resolved to boycott the commission.

Multiple choice

Which freedom fighter is commonly referred to as “Desh Bandhu”?

  1. Lala Lajpat Rai

  2. Chittaranjan Das

  3. Subhash Chandra Bose

  4. Chandra Shekhar Azad
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Chittaranjan Das was a leading figure in Bengal during the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1919-1922, and initiated the ban on British clothes, setting an example by burning his own European clothes and wearing Khadi clothes. At one time, his clothes were tailored and washed in Paris and he maintained a permanent laundry in Paris to ship his clothes to Calcutta. He sacrificed all this luxury when he became attached to the Freedom Movement. He brought out a newspaper called 'Forward' and later changed its name to 'Liberty' to fight the British Raj. He is generally referred to by the honorific as Desh Bandhu meaning "Friend of the nation".

Multiple choice

Chandrashekhar Azad was an active member of “Hindustan Republican Association”. What was this organisation’s main aim?

  1. Avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai and other freedom fighters

  2. An independent India with equal rights and opportunity to everyone without discrimination of caste, creed, religion or social status

  3. Indian independence by hook or by crook

  4. Non-cooperation movement against British
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Chandrashekhar Azad committed himself to achieving complete independence by any means. Azad also believed that India's future lay in socialism. He met a young revolutionary, Pranvesh Chatterji, who introduced him to Ram Prasad Bismil who had formed the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), a revolutionary organisation. Azad was impressed with the aim of HRA, i.e. an independent India with equal rights and opportunity to everyone without discrimination of caste, creed, religion or social status. 

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements about Vallabhbhai Patel:

A. He opposed Gandhi's decision to suspend the Non-cooperation Movement in the wake of Chauri Chaura incident. B. As a commemoration of Patel, the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) was introduced by the Government of India in 2014 on his birthday, 31st October. C. He was the chairman of the committees responsible for minorities, tribal and excluded areas, fundamental rights and provincial constitutions in the constituent assembly.

Which of the above statements is/are true?

  1. A and B

  2. A and C

  3. B and C

  4. Only B

  5. All of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Both the statements are correct.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements about Madan Lal Dhingra:

A. He was under the influence of the Nationalist Movement of Swadeshi. B. He was the member of a secretive society, the Abhinav Bharat Mandal. C. He was sentenced to death for the assassination of Sir Curzon Wyllie, political aide-de-camp to the Secretary of State for India.

Which of the above statements is/are not true?

  1. Only A

  2. B and C

  3. A and B

  4. All of these

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

All the statements are correct.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements about Chandra Shekhar Azad:

A. Motilal Nehru regularly gave money in support of him. B. He was involved in throwing the bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly. C. He reorganised the Hindustan Republican Association under the new name of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).

Which of the above statements is/are true?

  1. Only C

  2. B and C

  3. A and C

  4. A and B

  5. All of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Both the statements are correct.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements about Jawaharlal Nehru:

A. He was the President of Indian Congress in Lahore Session in 1929 and he introduced a successful resolution calling for complete independence. B. He implemented policies based on import substitution industrialisation. C. 'Discovery of India' is his autobiography.

Which of the above statements is/are true?

  1. A and C

  2. A and B

  3. B and C

  4. Only A

  5. A, B and C
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Both the statements are correct.

Multiple choice

With reference to the Home Rule Movement during the Indian freedom struggle, consider the following statements:

  1. In his Home Rule Movement, Tilak linked up the question of Swaraj with the demand for the formation of linguistic States and education in the vernacular.
  2. At Allahabad, Jawaharlal Nehru joined Annie Besan:'s Home Rule League. 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
C Correct answer
Explanation

Both statements are historically accurate. Tilak emphasized linguistic states and vernacular education, and Jawaharlal Nehru became a secretary of the Allahabad branch of the Home Rule League.

Multiple choice

Which one of the following was not included in the terms of the Gandhi- Irwin Pact?

  1. Immediate release of all political prisoners not convicted for violence

  2. Payment of suitable compensation to the released prisoners

  3. Return of confiscated land not yet sold to third parties

  4. Remission of all fines yet not collected
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact did not include a provision for the payment of compensation to released prisoners. It focused on the release of prisoners, return of confiscated land, and remission of fines.

Multiple choice

In February 1943, while in jail, why did Gandhiji declare 21 days' fast?

  1. He wanted the people to stop violence in the Quit India Movement

  2. He was forcing the Hindu and Muslim separatists to shun divisive policies and to strive for united India

  3. This was his answer to the Government which had been constantly exhorting him to condemn the violence of the people during the Quit India Movement

  4. This was a part. of his non-violence strategy of forcing the. British Government to concede the Congress demand for complete independence of India
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The fast was a response to the government's attempt to force Gandhi to condemn the violence of the 1942 Quit India movement, which he refused to do, instead blaming the government for the repression that caused the violence.

Multiple choice

Which one of the following statements is not correct?

  1. Gandhiji suggested to the KhiIafat Committee that it should adopt a programme of Non-Violent Non-Cooperation to protest against the Government's unfavourable attitude

  2. n the Nagpur Session of the Congress in 1920, Motital Nehru moved the resolution of Non-Cooperation

  3. The programme of Non-Cooperation included the surrender of honours and titles

  4. After the Vijayawada Session of the Congress in 1921, charkhas were popularized on a wide scale and Khadi became the uniform of the national movement
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Statement B is indeed the incorrect one. At the Nagpur Session of the Congress in 1920, the resolution of Non-Cooperation was moved by C.R. Das, not Motilal Nehru. Motilal Nehru did support the Non-Cooperation Movement but he did not move the resolution at Nagpur. Statement A is correct - Gandhiji did suggest the Non-Cooperation programme to the Khilafat Committee. Statement C is correct - surrender of titles and honours was a key component. Statement D is correct about charkhas and khadi being popularized after the Vijayawada Session.

Multiple choice

Assertion (A): The Cabinet Mission rejected the Muslim League's demand for a separate State of Pakistan. Reason (R):The Cabinet Mission felt that a separate State of Pakistan would contain a large proportion of non-Muslim population, and a sizeable population of Muslims would be left in India.

  1. Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A

  2. Both A and R are individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A

  3. A is true but R is false

  4. A is false but R is true
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Cabinet Mission rejected the demand for a separate Pakistan primarily because it would create a state with a significant non-Muslim population and leave a large Muslim minority in India, which would not solve the communal problem. Both the assertion and the reason are historically accurate and linked.