35 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on the national movement from 1918 to 1929 appear here, from 1996 to 2025. The topics are the Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh, the Non-Cooperation and Khilafat movements, Chauri Chaura, the Simon Commission and the Lahore session of 1929. The explanations give causes, leaders and consequences.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 21–30 of 35 questions
The Montagu-Chelmsford Report, published in 1918, proposed constitutional reforms for India, recommending the introduction of dyarchy in provinces and expanding the legislative councils. These recommendations formed the basis for the Government of India Act, 1919.
Minto-Morley Reforms (1909) were constitutional reforms introduced by the British government to expand the legislative councils and include elected Indian representatives. The recommendations of the Montagu-Chelmsford Report (1919) led to the Government of India Act, 1919, and introduced dyarchy in the provinces. Chauri-Chaura Outrage (1922) occurred during the Non-Cooperation Movement. It was a violent incident where a police station was attacked by a mob, leading to a significant shift in Gandhi’s strategy. Gandhi called off the Non-Cooperation Movement across the country, as he felt that it had deviated from its non-violent goal. Dandi March (1930) led by Mahatma Gandhi, this was a major event in the Civil Disobedience Movement, aimed at protesting the British salt tax.
The Congress Session at Karachi (1931), under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, did not oppose the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. It supported the pact, which was an agreement between Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Irwin (the Viceroy), aimed at ending the Civil Disobedience Movement in exchange for certain concessions, including the release of political prisoners and the right to make salt for personal use. Statements (a), (b) and (c) are correct:
The Rowlatt Act (1919) led to widespread protests, which culminated in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in April 1919. Subhas Chandra Bose formed the Forward Bloc in 1939 to unite all like minded left-wing factions of the Indian National Congress. Bhagat Singh was one of the key members of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). Its members became symbols of sacrifice and resistance.
When the Congress leaders condemned the Montagu-Chelmsford Report (1918) for not granting enough self-governance to India, many moderate leaders led by Surendra Nath Banerjee who were dissatisfied with Congress’s position left the party and formed the Indian Liberal Federation. This organization aimed to support gradual constitutional reforms and believed in constitutional methods for achieving Indian self-rule.
All-India Muslim League, founded in 1906, did not oppose the partition of Bengal and separate electorates. In fact, the League supported these measures. The partition of Bengal in 1905, carried out by the British, was viewed by the Muslim League as a move that would benefit Muslims by providing a separate political identity and more representation in government, especially through separate electorates. Statements (a), (b) and (d) are correct:
Hakim Ajmal Khan was a leader in the Ahrar Movement, which was a nationalist militant movement aiming to oppose British rule. Syed Ahmed Khan felt that the Indian National Congress, with its Hindu majority, would neglect the interests of Muslims, especially in terms of education and hence opposed it. Maulana Barkatullah and Maulana Obeidullah Sindhi both were involved in the formation of a provisional government of India in Kabul during World War I as part of efforts to gain independence through an armed struggle against the British.
The Khudai Khidmatgars, led by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (the Frontier Gandhi), were a nonviolent movement advocating for Pashtun unity and independence from British rule. Inspired by Gandhian principles of non-violence, they focused on social reform and opposed British colonialism. Active in the North-West Frontier Province, they also opposed the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan, as reflected in the 1947 Bannu Resolution, which called for an independent Pashtunistan rather than joining Pakistan. The movement played a key role in the broader Indian independence struggle.
The moderate phase of the Indian National Congress, characterized by the policy of prayer and petition, ended as Bal Gangadhar Tilak and other Extremist leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal advocated for Swaraj (self-rule) and direct action. Extremists under Tilak’s leadership adopted a more assertive stance, focusing on mobilizing the masses and boycotting British institutions through the Swadeshi Movement.
The Simon Commission was set up in 1927 by the British government to review the working of the Government of India Act, 1919, and suggest constitutional reforms. However, it was boycotted by Indians across the political spectrum because all its members were British, and there was no Indian representation. This exclusion was seen as an insult to Indian self-respect and aspirations for greater autonomy. The boycott led to widespread protests, including the famous slogan "Simon Go Back."
Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of State for India, described the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of April 13, 1919 as "Preventive Murder". The massacre occurred when General Dyer ordered troops to open fire on a peaceful gathering in Amritsar, killing hundreds of unarmed Indians. This brutal act was carried out under the pretext of maintaining law and order but was widely condemned as a deliberate and excessive use of force. Montagu’s term reflected the British government’s internal criticism of this event, which intensified Indian demands for independence.
The Khilafat Movement (1919-1924) was a pan-Islamic political campaign led by Indian Muslims, aimed at preserving the Ottoman Caliphate after World War I. Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, British and Allied forces sought to dismantle the caliph’s power, prompting Indian Muslims, particularly under leaders like Ali Brothers (Shaukat Ali and Mohammad Ali), to demand its restoration. A is true: Khilafat Movement united urban Muslims with the broader National Movement, as leaders like Maulana Mohammad Ali and Maulana Shaukat Ali joined Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement. Cities like Delhi and Bombay saw significant participation in protests and boycotts. R is true: Both the Khilafat and the National Movement were united in their opposition to British imperialism, fostering Hindu-Muslim unity during the Non-Cooperation Movement. R is the correct explanation of A: The shared anti-imperialist goal served as a binding factor that drew urban Muslims into the larger nationalist fold.
| Q | UPSC year | Correct answer |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | 2004 | (b) the Government of India Act, 1919 |
| 22 | 2004 | (b) 2, 4, 1, 3 |
| 23 | 2003 | (d) In 1931, the Congress Session at Karachi opposed the Gandhi-Irwin Pact |
| 24 | 2003 | (d) Indian Liberal Federation |
| 25 | 2002 | (c) TheAll-India Muslim League which was formed in 1906 vehemently opposed the partition of Bengal and separate electorates |
| 26 | 2002 | (d) the Pathan regional nationalist unity and a struggle against colonialism. |
| 27 | 1999 | (b) Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| 28 | 1998 | (a) there was no Indian member in the Commission |
| 29 | 1998 | (b) Massacre at Jallianwala Bagh |
| 30 | 1998 | (a) Both A and R are true but R the correct explanation of A |
This page covers 35 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Indian National Movement II (1918-1929) (Modern History), asked from 1996 to 2025. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
The Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919 allowed the British to imprison suspects without trial and try political cases without juries. Popular anger against it led to the Rowlatt Satyagraha and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in April 1919.
Because the statutory commission of 1927 had no Indian member, even though it was to recommend constitutional reforms for India. The Congress and the Muslim League decided to boycott it, and protesters carried “Simon Go Back” banners.
Jawaharlal Nehru, at the Lahore session in December 1929. The Congress declared complete independence as its goal and decided to launch civil disobedience, with 26 January 1930 observed as Independence Day.
