Indian National Movement I (1905-1918): UPSC Previous Year Questions (Modern History)
23 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on the national movement from 1905 to 1918 are on this page, from 1998 to 2022. UPSC asks about the Partition of Bengal and Swadeshi, the Surat split, revolutionary groups such as the Ghadar Party, the Home Rule Leagues and Gandhi’s early satyagrahas. The explanations give dates, places and who led what.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 21–23 of 23 questions
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UPSC 1999Modern History · Indian National Movement I (1905-1918)
Q21. The first venture of Gandhi in all-India politics was the:
Explanation
Option (b) is correct: The Rowlatt Satyagraha was a non-violent civil disobedience movement led by Mahatma Gandhi against the Rowlatt Act. It was the first venture of Gandhi ji in all-India politics. Mahatma Gandhi started a campaign and formed a Satyagraha Sabha against the Rowlatt Act. The Rowlatt Act, also known as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, was a repressive law that gave the British government the power to detain and imprison people without trial. Options (a), (c) and (d) are incorrect:
Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 predates Rowlatt Satyagraha but it did not have an all India character. Non-cooperation Movement (1920) and Dandi March (1930) happened after the Rowlatt Satyagraha.
UPSC 1998Modern History · Indian National Movement I (1905-1918)
Q22. What is the correct sequence of the following events? 1. Tilak’s Home Rule League 2. Komagatamaru Incident 3. Mahatma Gandhi’s arrival in India Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Explanation
The Komagata Maru Incident (1914) involved a Japanese steamship, the Komagata Maru, carrying 376 Indian passengers (mostly Sikhs) attempting to migrate to Canada but were denied entry to Canada under discriminatory immigration laws and were forced to return to Calcutta, India. Gandhi ji stayed in South Africa for 21 years and fought for the rights of the non-Europeans in South Africa. Gandhi returned to India in 1915 and toured India on the advice of Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Tilak established the Indian Home Rule League in April 1916 in Belgaum. The league focused its activities in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Central Province, and Berar, excluding Bombay. The objective was to achieve self-government for India.
UPSC 1998Modern History · Indian National Movement I (1905-1918)
Q23. The Indian Muslims, in general, were not attracted to the Extremist movement because of:
Explanation
Indian Muslims were generally not attracted to the Extremist movement because of the movement’s emphasis on Hindu symbolism, rituals, and historical references. The extremists believed in sacrificing everything including life for the cause of the motherland. They tried to instill self respect and patriotism in the people by invoking past heroes like Ashoka, Shivaji, Maharana Pratap, and this approach alienated many Muslims who felt that their religious and cultural identity was not adequately represented or respected.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
21
1999
(b) Rowlatt Satyagraha
22
1998
(d) 2, 3, 1
23
1998
(d) extremists’ policy of harping on Hindu aspect
What UPSC has tested in Indian National Movement I (1905-1918)
The Partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon came into effect on 16 October 1905 and lasted until King George V annulled it in 1911.
Swadeshi and Boycott were first adopted as methods of struggle in the agitation against the Partition of Bengal.
The Congress split at Surat in 1907 because the Extremists had lost faith in the Moderates’ methods.
The Ghadar Party was a revolutionary association of Indians in North America, led by Lala Har Dayal.
Champaran (1917) was Gandhi’s first satyagraha in India; his first all-India venture was the Rowlatt Satyagraha.
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Indian National Movement I (1905-1918)?
This page covers 23 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Indian National Movement I (1905-1918) (Modern History), asked from 1998 to 2022. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
Why did the Congress split at Surat in 1907?
The Extremists, led by Tilak, wanted to extend Swadeshi and Boycott to the whole country, while the Moderates opposed this and wished to follow constitutional methods. The disagreement over the session’s presidency caused the split.
Where did Gandhi start his first satyagraha in India?
At Champaran in Bihar in 1917, on behalf of indigo farmers forced to grow indigo on part of their land under the tinkathia system. It linked peasant unrest to the national movement for the first time.
What was the Ghadar Party?
A revolutionary organisation founded in 1913 in San Francisco by Indians in North America, with Lala Har Dayal and Sohan Singh Bhakna as leaders. It aimed to overthrow British rule by armed revolt and published the weekly Ghadar.
