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 civics india gains independence cabinet mission freedom and partition of india prominent leaders in indian freedom movement

Why did the Muslim League call for 'Direct Action Day' on August 16th, 1946?

  1. It wanted to hasten the process of Partition

  2. It wanted to teach the Congress a lesson

  3. It was unable to resolve differences over the formation of Coalition Interim Government.

  4. Both A and B
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The 1946 Cabinet Mission to India for the planning of the transfer of power from the British Raj to the Indian leadership proposed an initial plan of a composition of the new Dominion of India and its government. However, soon an alternative plan to divide the British Raj into a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan was proposed by the Muslim League. The Congress rejected the alternative proposal outright. The Muslim League planned a general strike on 16 August, terming it as Direct Action Day, to protest this rejection and assert its demand for a separate Muslim homeland.
The Action resulted in the worst communal riots that British India had seen.

Multiple choice civics india gains independence cabinet mission freedom and partition of india prominent leaders in indian freedom movement

On which date did the Muslim League call for 'Direct Action'?

  1. August 16th, 1946

  2. June 16th, 1946

  3. January 30th, 1946

  4. August 15th, 1947
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Direct Action Day (16 August 1946), also known as the Great Calcutta Killings, was a day of widespread communal rioting between Muslims and Hindus in the city of Calcutta in the Bengal province of British India.
The 'Direct Action' was announced by the Muslim League Council to show the strength of Muslim feelings both to British and Congress. Muslims feared that if the British just pulled out, Muslims would surely suffer at the hands of the overwhelming Hindu majority. The Action resulted in the worst communal riots that British India had seen.
Multiple choice civics india gains independence cabinet mission freedom and partition of india prominent leaders in indian freedom movement

When did the Congress Ministry resign after their formation in 1937?

  1. 1938

  2. 1937

  3. 1939

  4. 1940
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Provincial elections were held in British India in the winter of 1936-37 as mandated by the Government of India Act 1935. Elections were held in eleven provinces - Madras, Central Provinces, Bihar, Orissa, United Provinces, Bombay Presidency, Assam, NWFP, Bengal, Punjab and Sindh. The Indian National Congress emerged in power in eight of the provinces - the three exceptions being Bengal, Punjab, and Sindh. The Congress ministries resigned in October and November 1939, in protest against Viceroy Lord Linlithgow's action of declaring India to be a belligerent in the Second World War without consulting the Indian people.

 

Multiple choice civics india gains independence cabinet mission freedom and partition of india prominent leaders in indian freedom movement

In 1947 the leaders of the Indian National Congress accepted the partition because _________.

  1. They realised that the seeds of communalism had been sown too deep to solve in the country

  2. Fratricidal riots were taking place in many parts of the country

  3. An agreement was reached with the Muslim League about it

  4. Other political parties were pressing them
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Congress accepted the partition due to the long term failure t draw Muslim masses into the national movement. They realised that the seeds of communalism had been sown too deep and only partition could stop the spread of 'direct action' and communal violence.

Multiple choice civics india gains independence cabinet mission freedom and partition of india prominent leaders in indian freedom movement

Which of the following statements about the Indian nationalism and decolonization movement post World War II is most correct?

  1. The British Parliament was actively working toward passing decolonization legislation.

  2. B.G Tilak led the Quit India movement as a radical militant.

  3. Mohandas Gandhi led a violent resistance movement which included such feats as the Salt March.

  4. Events such as the Amritsar Massacre led the British public to demand that India be given immediate home rule.

  5. Muslims and Hindus worked together through the Indian National Congress for Indian Independence.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

After the World War II, the change in government took place in Britain. Conservative party was replaced by the Labour party. The new government supported the Demands of Congress. They started working on the demands of independence of India and other demands. The British Parliament was actively working towards passing decolonization legislation.

Multiple choice civics india gains independence cabinet mission freedom and partition of india prominent leaders in indian freedom movement

The cabinet mission plan of 1946 proposed that there shall be a Union of India which was to be empowered to deal with?

  1. Defense

  2. Foreign Affairs

  3. Communication

  4. All above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The cabinet mission plan of 1946 proposed that there shall be a Union of India which was to be empowered to deal with the defense, foreign affairs and communications.

 

Multiple choice civics india gains independence cabinet mission freedom and partition of india prominent leaders in indian freedom movement

Who rejected the idea of a weak centre and division of India in small states?

  1. Congress

  2. Muslim League

  3. None of above

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Congress  rejected the idea of a weak centre and division of India in small states. Congress was against decentralization and the idea was to have a strong centre.

 

Multiple choice civics india gains independence cabinet mission freedom and partition of india prominent leaders in indian freedom movement

Who said these words: "We are convinced that India is on the threshold of very great future."?

  1. Lord Curzon

  2. Lard Pathick Lawrence

  3. Edwin Samuel Montague

  4. Woodrow Wilson
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Cabinet Mission arrived in Karachi on 23 March 1946. Lord Pethick Lawrence, Secretary of State for India,  stated at Karachi "We are convinced that India is on the threshold of very great future."

Multiple choice civics india gains independence cabinet mission freedom and partition of india prominent leaders in indian freedom movement

Who started the Tebhaga movement?

  1. It was started by the farmers of Maharashtra that they won't pay heavy taxes on their produce.

  2. It was started by the sharecroppers of Bengal who declared that they would pay not one-half but one-third of the crop to the landlords.

  3. It was started by the farmers of Bengal who declared that they won't pay one-third of their production.

  4. It was started by the people of Madras that they won't pay the tax on the salt.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Tebhaga movement was due to the share cropping system that prevailed in the Bengal. It was initiated by Kisan Sabha in Bengal. It was the sharecroppers' movement demanding two thirds of the produce from land for themselves and one third for the landlords. By March 1947, the movement slowly disappeared due to government promises.

Multiple choice civics india gains independence cabinet mission freedom and partition of india prominent leaders in indian freedom movement

Which of the following is true?

  1. In July 1946, there was an all India strike by the postal and telegraph workers.

  2. Railway Workers in South India went on strike in August 1946.

  3. Peasant movement acquired a fresh thrust after 1945.

  4. All of the above.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

There are large-scale unrest all over the country on the eve of Cabinet Mission:
In July 1946, there was an all India strike by the postal and talagraph workers.
Railway Workers in South India went on strike in August 1946.
The peasant movement acquired fresh thrust after 1945.

Multiple choice civics india gains independence cabinet mission freedom and partition of india prominent leaders in indian freedom movement

Which of the following was not one of the recommendations of the Cabinet Mission $(1946)$ about the Constitution of India?

  1. There should be a Union of India embracing both British India and the States

  2. The Muslim majority provinces should be separately constituted into a Union of Pakistan

  3. The provinces should enjoy autonomy for all subjects and should be free to form groups

  4. Three basic Groups proposed by the Mission were Group A(Hindumajority Provinces) Group B(Muslim-majority Provinces) and Group C(Bengal and Assam)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Cabinet Mission Plan specifically rejected the demand for a separate sovereign state of Pakistan, proposing instead a loose federation with a central government limited to defense, foreign affairs, and communications.

Multiple choice civics india gains independence cabinet mission freedom and partition of india prominent leaders in indian freedom movement

The British attitude towards granting India independence changed partly owing to the _____.

  1. Change in the government of the UK

  2. Impact of World War II

  3. Growing tide of Indian Nationalism

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Towards the middle of the decade of 1940, the world war II was over and as a result of its impact, there was a wave of decolonization world over. The newly formed Labor Party, which replaced the Conservative Party, was in favor of granting independence to India. above all this there was a growing unrest all over the country against the British rule and the spirit of nationalism was on high.

Multiple choice civics india gains independence cabinet mission freedom and partition of india prominent leaders in indian freedom movement

The first interim government during the British rule in India was formed in _____________.

  1. September, $1945$
  2. November, $1945$
  3. September, $1946$
  4. January, $1947$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Interim Government of India, also known as the Provisional Government, formed in 2 September 1946 from the newly elected Constituent Assembly of India. It had the task of assisting the transition of British India to independence.

Multiple choice civics india gains independence cabinet mission freedom and partition of india prominent leaders in indian freedom movement

On Cabinet Mission, _________ observed, "the proposals preserve the essential unity of India which was threatened by the dispute between two major communities".

  1. Lord Wavell

  2. Nehru

  3. Patel

  4. Mahatma Gandhi
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Lord Wavell, the Viceroy of India at the time, expressed this view regarding the Cabinet Mission's proposals, as he believed they offered a framework to maintain Indian unity while addressing communal concerns.