Modern Indian History Question
1.The national anthem of India ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was first sung at __:
Calcutta, 1911
“Jana Gana Mana” is the national anthem of India. Written in highly Sanskritised (Tatsama) Bengali, it is the first of five stanzas of a Brahmo hymn composed and scored by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
It was first sung in Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress on 27 December 1911.
“Jana Gana Mana” was officially adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the Indian national anthem on 24 January 1950.
27 December 2011 marked the completion of 100 years of Jana Gana Mana since it was sung for the first time.
The original poem written by Rabindranath Tagore was translated into Hindi by Abid Ali.
2.The first meeting of Indian National Congress was held in Bombay in1885 A.D. under the leadership of __:
Vyomesh Chandra Banerjee
Under the Presidentship of Vyomesh Chandra Banerjee, the first meeting of Indian National Congress was held in Bombay in 1885.
The meeting was attended by 72 English-educated people that included advocates, traders and zamindars.
3.In context with the Constituent Assembly, which among the following observations is / are correct?
- The members of Constituent Assembly were elected directly
- The basis of seats allocation was population
- Composition of the Constituent Assembly was roughly in line with the suggestions of the Cabinet Mission plan
Choose the correct option from the codes given below:
Only 2 & 3 are correct
Election of the members of the Constituent assembly had been elected firstly, for undivided India. Its first sitting was held on December 9, 1946 and re-assembled as Constituent Assembly for divided India on 14 August 1947.
Its members were elected by indirect election by the members of the Provisional Legislative Assemblies that had been established in 1935.
The Constituent Assembly was composed roughly along the lines suggested by the plan proposed by the committee of the British cabinet, known as the Cabinet Mission.
As per the Cabinet Mission plan, each Province and each Princely State or group of States were allotted seats proportional to their respective population roughly in the ratio of 1:10 Lakh.
As a result the Provinces (that were under direct British rule) were to elect 292 members while the Princely States were allotted a minimum of 93 seats. The seats in each Province were distributed among the three main communities, Muslims, Sikhs and general, in proportion to their respective populations.
Members of each community in the Provisional Legislative Assembly elected their own representatives by the method of proportional representation with single transferable vote.
The method of selection in the case of representatives of Princely States was to be determined by consultation.
As a consequence of the Partition under the plan of 3 June 1947 those members who were elected from territories which fell under Pakistan ceased to be members of the Constituent Assembly.
The numbers in the Assembly were reduced to 299 of which 284 were actually present on 26 November 1949 and appended their signature to the Constitution as finally passed.
4.Who among the following introduced the subsidiary alliance system in India?
Lord Wellesley
The doctrine of subsidiary alliance was introduced by Lord Wellesley, British Governor-General of India from 1798 to 1805.
The Nizam of Hyderabad was the first to enter into such an alliance in 1798.Tipu Sultan of Mysore refused to do so, but after the British victory in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War, Mysore was forced to become a subsidiary state in 1799.
The Nawab of Awadh was the next to accept the Subsidiary Alliance, in 1801.
5.Which among the following observed the Direct Action Day on August 16, 1946?
Muslim League
Muslim League observed the Direct Action Day on August 16, 1946.
The objective of Muslim league was to create an environment of communal riots and terrorism to exhibit that Hindus and Muslims could not reside together.
6.The Indian National Association formed in Calcutta by whom among the following?
Surendranath Banerjee
On July 26 1876, Surendranath Banerjee, along with Anand Monah Bose, founded the Indian National Association in Calcutta.
In 1885, this organization was merged with the Indian National Congress.
7.Which among the following is India’s first Oil refinery?
Digboi Refinery
Digboi is a town and a town area committee in Tinsukia district in the north-eastern part of the state of Assam, India.
Crude oil was discovered here in late 19th century. Digboi is known as the Oil City of Assam where the first oil well in Asia was drilled.
The first refinery was started here as early as 1901. Digboi has the oldest oil well in operation. The Digboi Refinery modernization project was taken up in large scale in order to overcome the technological obsolescence of the old refinery.
Subsequently a number of other major projects were undertaken by Assam Oil Division to further revamp and modernize Digboi Refinery.
Digboi refinery has been awarded the ISO-14001 and OHSMC certificate.
8.With reference to the relations of the Princely states with British Crown, which among the following report said that “Paramountcy must remain paramount”?
Butler Commission Report
Harcourt Butler Committee A three -member committee headed by Harcourt Butler, appointed on December 16, 1927 to examine the relations between the native states and the paramount power, declined to define what paramountcy was but clearly and fortrightly stated that “paramountcy must remain paramount”.
The committee fully endorsed that the viceroy, not the governor general should remain the Crown agent in dealing with the native states.
In fact the right to protect includes right to internal intervention. Paramountcy is the supreme sovereign power which wa
ect to resiraints of morality and constitutional propriety against an erring ruler of a native statewhen other correctional means had proved to be futile.
It is a concept developed into a deterrent in the political relation between the British and the Indian rulers.
9.Who among the following was the author of Anand Math?
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
Anand Math was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
10.Who among the following had drafted the “Declaration of Independence” pledge in 1930?
Mahatma Gandhi
Declaration of Independence Pledge Though the congress passed the Poorna Swaraj Resolution in December 1929, it was a month later on January 26, 1930, when a Pledge of Indian Independence also known as Declaration of Independence was taken.
While the Poorna Swaraj Resolution was drafted by Jawaharlal Lal Nehru, the “Declaration of Independence” pledge was drafted by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930 and it echoed the essence of American Declaration of Independence.
After this pledge January 26, 1930 was declared as Independence Day by Indian National Congress.
11.Who among the following played a dominant role in the famous Vaikom Satyagraha of 1924–25?
K. Kelappan
Vaikom Satyagraha (1924–25) was a satyagraha (movement) in Travancore, India (now part of Kerala) against untouchability in Hindu society.
The movement was centered at the Shiva temple at Vaikom, near Kottayam.
The Satyagraha aimed at securing freedom of movement for all sections of society through the public roads leading to the Sri Mahadevar Temple at Vaikom.
K. Kelappan played a dominant role in the famous Vaikom Satyagraha and was the leader of the Guruvayur Satyagraha in 1932.
It was at Gandhiji’s request that he ended his fast at Guruvayur.
12.The objective of the Cripps Mission, headed by Sir Stafford Cripps was to __:
To persuade Indian Leaders to support the British War Efforts
Objective of Cripps Mission The Cripps mission was an attempt in late March 1942 by the British government to secure Indian cooperation and support for their efforts in World War II.
The mission was headed by Sir Stafford Cripps, a senior left-wing politician and government minister in the War Cabinet of Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The mission proved a failure.
13.During the independence movement, newspaper ‘Kesari’ was published by_:
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Kesari is a newspaper founded in 1881 by Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a prominent leader of the Indian Independence movement.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak used to run his two newspapers, the Kesari, in Marathi and Maratha in English from Kesari Wada.
The Wada still has the offices of Kesari, and mementos of Tilak, including his writing desk original letters and documents.
14.Which among the following Charter Acts ended the commercial monopoly of East India Company in India?
Charter Acts of 1813
Charter Acts of 1813 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which renewed the charter issued to the British East India Company, and continued the Company’s rule in India.
However, the Company’s commercial monopoly was ended, except for the tea trade and the trade with China. Reflecting the growth of British power in India.
15.In which among the following countries, Battaglione Azad Hindoustan, a legion unit of Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) was formed during the World War II?
Italy
The Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists in 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II.
The aim of the army was to secure Indian independence with Japanese assistance.
Initially formed in 1942 immediately after the fall of Singapore under Mohan Singh, the first INA collapsed in December that year before it was revived under the leadership of Subhas Chandra Bose in 1943 and proclaimed the army of Bose’s Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind.
The Battaglione Azad Hindoustan (Italian: “Free India Battalion”) was a foreign legion unit formed in Italy in July 1942.
It was headed by Mohammad Iqbal Shedai.
16.Which among the following books was authored by Mahatma Gandhi?
Hind Swaraj
Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule is a book written by Mohandas K. Gandhi in 1909.
It is a book in which he expresses his views on Swaraj, Modern Civilization, Mechanisation etc.
17.On which among the following dates, Jallianwala Bagh Massacre took place?
April 13, 1919
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre took place on April 13, 1919.
18.At which among the following places, All India Muslim League was established in 1906?
Dhaka
The All India Muslim League was rooted in 1906 at Dhaka. It emerged from the Aligarh Movement, formed originally to promote a modern education for Muslims.
Muslim League, political organization of India and Pakistan, founded 1906 as the All-India Muslim League by Aga Khan III.
Its original purpose was to safeguard the political rights of Muslims in India.
19.The Lucknow session of Indian National Congress that took place in 1916 was presided by__:
Ambika Charan Majumdar
Ambika Charan Majumdar was the president of the Indian National Congress for the Lucknow session 1916.
20.At which among the following places, Hindu Mela was started in 1867 by Nabagopal Mitra?
Calcutta
Hindu Mela was founded in 1867 in Calcutta by Nabagopal Mitra with the active support from the Tagore Family.
The Hindu Mela was also known as the Chaitra Mela.
It was largely the product of the combined efforts of Rajnarayan Basu, Dwijendranath Tagore, and Nabagopal Mitra.
21.Shivaji had formed a council of eight ministers that administered the Maratha empire. The council was named as:
Ashta Pradhan
Ashta Pradhan was a council of eight ministers that administered the Maratha empire. The council was formed in 1674 by founding Emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji.
The term Ashta Pradhan literally translates to “the Prime Eight”, from the Sanskrit ashta (“eight”) and pradhan (“prime”).
The body discharged the functions of a modern council of ministers; this is regarded as one of the first successful instances of ministerial delegation in India.
The council is credited with having implemented good governance practices in the Maratha heartland, as well as for the success of the military campaigns against the Mughal Empire.
22.Who among the following signed the Treaty of Bassein in 1802 with the British East India Company?
Baji Rao II
The Treaty of Bassein (Now called Vasai) was a pact signed on December 31, 1802 between the British East India Company and Baji Rao II, the Maratha peshwa of Pune (Poona) in India after the Battle of Poona.
The treaty was a decisive step in the dissolution of the Maratha Confederacy, which led to the East India Company’s usurpation of the peshwa’s territories in western India in 1818.
23.Who among the following poet and dramatist pioneered the Bengali drama?
Michael Madhusudan Dutta
Michael Madhusudan Dutta 25 January 1824 – 29 June 1873) was a popular 19th-century Bengali poet and dramatist.
He was born in Sagordari, on the bank of Kopotaksho River, a village in Keshobpur Upozila, Jessore District, East Bengal (now in Bangladesh).
His father was Raj Narayan Dutt, an eminent lawyer, and his mother was Jahnabi Devi. He was a pioneer of Bengali drama.
His famous work Meghnad Bodh Kavya is a tragic epic.
24.Martyrdom of Chandrashekhar Azad took place on which among the following dates?
February 17, 1931
The martyrdom of Chandrashekhar Azad took place on February 17, 1931.
25.Who among the following presided over the Surat Session of Indian National Congress in 1907?
Ras Bihari Ghosh
Ras Bihari Ghosh presided over the Surat session of Indian National Congress in 1907.
In this session, the Congress was divided into two wings viz. Moderates and Extremists.
26.Who among the following introduced the Vernacular Press Act?
Lord Lytton
In 1878, Lord Lytton introduced the Vernacular Press Act to ban the vernacular press in India.
The first victim was nationalist Newspaper ‘Soma Prakash’.
27.In which year, first census was conducted in India?
1872
The first census was conducted in India in 1872, but regular census started in 1881.
28.On which among the following dates, the Second Round Table Conference was held?
September 7, 1931
The second session opened on September 7, 1931.
There were three major differences between the first and second Round Table Conferences.
By the second namely Congress Representation, National Government and Financial Crisis.
29.Who among the following leaders joined Gandhiji in the Champaran Satyagraha held on April 10, 1917?
Rajendra Prasad
Gandhi arrived in Champaran 10 April 1917 with a team of eminent lawyers:
Brajkishore Prasad, Rajendra Prasad, Anugrah Narayan Sinha and others including Acharya kripalani.
30.The policy announcement of “progressive realization of responsible Government in India as an integral part of the British Empire” was embedded in __:
Montagu-Chelmsford Report
The policy announcement of “progressive realization of responsible Government in India as an integral part of the British Empire” was embedded in Montagu-Chelmsford Report.
31.On which among the following dates, execution of Bhagat Singh took place?
March 23, 1931
The execution of Bhagat Singh took place on March 23, 1931.
32.Who among the following played a dominant role in establishing the All India Trade Union Congress?
Lala Lajpat Rai
The All India Trade Union Congress is the oldest trade union federations in India and one of the five largest.
It was founded on 31 October 1920 in Bombay by Lala Lajpat Rai and Joseph Baptista.
It was the primary trade union organization in India. Since then it has been associated with the Communist Party of India.
33.On which among the following dates, National Development Council was set up?
6th August 1952
The National Development Council was set up on 6th August 1952.
34.“The Bengalee” Newspaper was started by which among the following activists in 1879?
Surendranath Banerjee
Surendranath Banerjee was one of the earliest political leaders during the British Rule.
He founded the newspaper “The Bengalee” in 1879 and founded the Indian National Association with Anandmohan Bose, the first Indian political organization of its kind on July 26, 1876.
He is renowned today as pioneer leader of Indian politics. He published an important work, A Nation in Making, which was widely acclaimed.
The British respected him and referred to him during his later years as “Surrender Not Banerjee”.
35.In which of the following languages was the Ghadar Journal was first published?
Urdu
Ghadar journal was published in Urdu in 1913.
After this, it was published in English, Punjabi, Marathi and Pushtu also.
36.Who among the following launched the Home Rule Movement in 1916?
Annie Besant
In 1916, Annie Besant launched the Home Rule Movement along with Lokmanya Tilak.
She was married at 19 to Frank Besant but separated from him over religious differences.
37.Who among the following presided the Karachi session of Indian National Congress in 1931?
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Karachi session of Indian National Congress was held on March 31, 1931 under the presidency of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
38.Who among the following started Ganapati Festival in 1893 and thereby gave it national character?
Lok manya Tilak
Bal Gangadhar Tilak also known as Lok manya Tilak started Ganapati festival in 1893.
By doing so, he transformed the traditional Ganapati festival of Maharashtra into a National festival.
39.Which among the following was the first registered Trade Union of India?
Madras Labour Union
The first registered Trade Union of India was Madras Labour Union which was founded in 1918 by B.P. Wadia along with V. Kalyanasundaram Mudaliar.
40.On which among the following dates, the Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed?
5 March 1931
The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was a political agreement signed by Mahatma Gandhi and the then Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin on 5 March 1931 before the second Round Table Conference in London.
41.Which among the following events was a major setback to Khilafat Movement?
Revolution in Turkey
In 1922, there was a revolution in Turkey under the leadership of Mustafa Kamal Pasha, under whom a secular government was established over there.
This government buried the concept of Khilafat within two years and the result was that Khilafat Conference had lost its raison d ‘etre and was dying thereafter.
42.Who among the following was nominated as first Satyagrahi by Mahatma Gandhi for the Individual Satyagarha of 1940?
Vinoba Bhave
Mahatma gandhi nominated Vinoba Bhave as first satyagrahI and Jawahar Lal Nehru as second satyagrahi.
43.Who among the following was the first Indian woman president to chair the Indian National Congress at Kanpur session of 1925?
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu presided the Indian National Congress at Kanpur session in 1925.
44.Who among the following presided the historic Lahore session of 1929 of Indian National Congress?
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
The Lahore session of Indian National Congress took place under the presidency of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
45.Who among the following resigned from the membership of the Viceroy’s Executive Council as a protest against Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?
Shankaran Nair
Shankaran Nair resigned from the membership of the Viceroy’s Executive Council as a protect against Jallianwala Bagh Massacre on April 13, 1919.
46.Which among the following events took place immediately before the massacre at Jallianwalla Bagh?
Passage of the Rowlatt Act
Rowlatt Act was passed just before the massacre at Jallianwalla Bagh.
47.Who among the following edited and published the newspaper Indian Mirror in 1861?
Manmohan Ghosh and Keshub Chunder Sen
In 1861, the newspaper, Indian Mirror, was edited and published by Manmohan Ghosh and Keshub Chunder Sen.
The two met while Monomohun Ghosh was a student at the Presidency College in Calcutta, India.
It is also interesting to note that the Indian Mirror was among the first Indian newspapers. The founder, Monomohun Ghosh, is no less distinguished.
He, along with Satyendranath Tagore, was the first Indian to appear for Indian Civil Services (though he failed in both his attempts).
He is also one of the founders of the Indian National Congress, the party that led India to independence.
48.Who among the following founded the Indian Society of Oriental Art to revive the ancient art traditions of India?
Abanindranath Tagore
Abanidranath Tagore had founded Indian Society of Oriental Art in Kolkata to revive the ancient art traditions of India.
He was the principal of government school of art and a great artist of modern India.
49.During the times of Governor-General Lord Ellenborough, which among the following acts declared slavery as illegal?
Act V
The Act V of 1843 declared slavery as illegal during the tenure of Governor-General Lord Ellenborough.
50.Who among the following founded the Madras Labour Union?
B.P. Wadia
The first Trade Union of India was Madras Labour Union which was founded in 1918 by B. P. Wadia along with V. Kalyanasundaram Mudaliar