Indian National Movement I (1905-1918): UPSC Previous Year Questions (Modern History)

Explanation

Ghadar Party was a revolutionary group organised around a weekly newspaper "The Ghadar" with its headquarters at San Francisco and branches along the US coast and in the Far East.

Option (d) is correct: The moving spirits behind the Ghadar Party were Lala Hardayal, Ramchandra, Bhagwan Singh, Kartar Singh Saraba, Barkatullah and Bhai Parmanand, Rash Behari Bose, etc. Barindra Kumar Ghosh was associated with a revolutionary group called Jugantar and Jogesh Chatterjee was associated with the Hindustan Republican Association/ Army (HRA).

Explanation

Swadeshi Movements were large-scale protests against the partition of Bengal. Later, the movement spread to other regions of the nation. New means of protest like processions, public meetings, and boycotts of imported goods were used.

Statement 1 is correct: Emphasis was placed on Self-Reliance (Atma Shakti), honour, social and economic regeneration of the villages. Swadeshi textile mills, banks, etc, were set up. At Tuticorin, V.O. Chidambaram Pillai founded the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company. This gave a boost to indigenous artisans.

Statement 2 is correct: The National Council of Education, established in 1906, was created to organize and promote national education in India, with a particular emphasis on teaching in the vernacular languages.

Explanation

Champaran Satyagraha (1917) was undertaken after Mahatma Gandhi learned about the abuses suffered by farmers, who were forced into growing indigo by British planters and estate owners. Under the Tinkathia system in Champaran, tenants were forced to grow indigo on 3/20th of their land for landlords. European planters imposed high rents and illegal fees, sparking passive resistance. This marked the beginning of Gandhian methods and the involvement of peasants in the Indian National Movement.

Explanation

Option (a) is incorrect: Morley-Minto Reforms, 1909 introduced separate electorates on the basis of religion, thus introducing a system of communal representation. This was not the reason for the Congress split in 1907.

Option (b) is correct: There were ideological differences between the Moderates and Extremists over the method of achieving self-rule, leadership struggles, and the evolving political climate under British rule. The Surat split was caused because of Extremists’ lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British Government’.

Option (c) is incorrect: Formation of Muslim League in 1906 at Dhaka was not the reason for Congress split in 1907.

Option (d) is incorrect: Aurobindo Ghosh’s inability to be elected as the President of the Indian National Congress was not a reason for the Surat Split.

Explanation

The ‘Swadeshi’ and ‘Boycott’ was a reaction to the British decision to partition Bengal, calling for the boycott of British goods and the promotion of indigenous industries. It played a significant role in uniting Indians against colonial rule and sparked a broader nationalistic awakening.

Explanation

The Swadeshi Movement (1905-1908) was a key turning point in the history of the Indian National Congress that later led to a split between the moderates and extremists in the party. The movement, which was sparked by the partition of Bengal by the British in 1905, saw the rise of extremist leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who advocated for more radical measures to achieve self-rule, while the moderates, led by figures like Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Dadabhai Naoroji, supported gradual reforms within the British system. The differences over the approach to achieving independence eventually led to the split at the Surat Session of 1907.

Explanation

Partition of Bengal (1905) was made public by the British Government in 1903 and partition came into force in October 1905. The reasons given by the British was that Bengal was too big to be administered and this division of Bengal into eastern and western Bengal would develop Assam. The Partition of Bengal was annulled during the visit of the Royal Majesties, George V and Queen Mary to India. King George V announced the abrogation in the Delhi Durbar in December, 1911.

Explanation

The Ghadar Party was a revolutionary organisation centred on the weekly newspaper "The Ghadr," which had branches in the Far East and along the US coast in addition to its San Francisco headquarters. The Ghadr programme aimed to organise official assassinations, disseminate anti-imperialist and revolutionary literature, coordinate with Indian troops stationed abroad, get weapons, and spark a simultaneous uprising across all British colonies. Their plans were encouraged by two events in 1914, the Komagata Maru incident and the outbreak of the First World War. The Ghadr Party’s inspirational forces were Lala Hardayal, Ramchandra, Bhagwan Singh, Kartar Singh Saraba, Barkatullah, etc.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: The Kheda Satyagraha (1918) was a protest against the British government’s tax demands on Gujarat farmers whose crops had failed due to drought. Despite the revenue code allowing remission, the government insisted on full payment, threatening to seize property. Led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and others, Gandhi encouraged farmers to resist paying taxes peacefully. The government eventually agreed to return confiscated property and suspend tax collection for the year.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Permanent Settlement was introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793 and it was confined in the areas of Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Varanasi (United Provinces), Northern Karnataka. It was never introduced in Gujarat.

Explanation

The Champaran Satyagraha was a significant event in India’s freedom struggle, marked by Mahatma Gandhi’s efforts to address the exploitation of indigo farmers.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Dr. Rajendra Prasad was not the one who persuaded Gandhi to visit Champaran. It was Raj Kumar Shukla, a local farmer and indigo cultivator, who approached Gandhi and urged him to look into the plight of the peasants suffering under the oppressive indigo cultivation system.

Statement 2 is correct: Acharya J.B. Kriplani was one of the leaders who supported Gandhi during the Champaran investigation. As a nationalist leader, Kriplani actively worked alongside Gandhi to address the grievances of the oppressed farmers and contribute to the success of the movement.