Modern History: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Prelims)

Explanation

The Lahore session of the Indian National Congress was held in 1929 under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru. During this session, the Congress adopted the historic resolution to demand Purna Swaraj (complete independence) from British rule. It was also decided to celebrate 26th January 1930 as Independence Day, marking the declaration of India’s resolve for full sovereignty. This session marked a significant shift in the freedom struggle, moving away from dominion status demands to the goal of complete independence.

Explanation

Dr. Rajendra Prasad held the portfolio of Food and Agriculture in the Interim Government formed in the year 1946.

Explanation

The Revolt of 1857 was a major upheaval against the British Rule in India which is also called as "sepoy mutiny". The revolt started at Meerut(Uttar Pradesh). John Lawrence called it a sepoy mutiny.

Option (a) is correct: Lord Canning (1856-62) was the Governor-General of India during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. Establishment of three universities at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay in 1857 and enactment of Indian Councils Act of 1861 also happened during Canning’s time. Transfer of control from East India Company to the Crown through the Government of India Act, 1858 and ‘White Mutiny’ by European troops in 1859 were other notable events during his tenure as Governor General.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: Charter Act of 1853 did not abolish the East India Company’s monopoly of Indian trade. The company’s monopoly on trade with India was abolished earlier by the Charter Act of 1813, and the monopoly on trade with China ended with the Charter Act of 1833. The Charter Act of 1853 primarily focused on restructuring the administration of India and introduced a merit-based civil service.

Statement 2 is correct: Government of India Act, 1858 abolished the rule of the East India Company after the revolt of 1857 and transferred the administration of India directly to the British Crown. It marked the beginning of the British Raj.

Explanation

The Revolt of 1857, also known as the First War of Indian Independence, marked a major uprising against British rule in India. Triggered by political, economic, and social grievances, it united soldiers, peasants, and rulers.

Option (d) is correct: Tantia Tope, originally named Ramchandra Panduranga, was a prominent leader of the 1857 Revolt from Kanpur, alongside Nana Sahib and Azimullah Khan. Betrayed by Mansingh, Raja of Narwar, loyal to the Scindia of Gwalior who opposed the revolt, Tantia Tope was captured and hanged on April 18, 1859.

Explanation

Madame Bhikaji Cama, a Parsi revolutionary who had developed contacts with French socialists worked from Paris and Geneva. She published the journal Bande Mataram.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Madam Bhikaji Cama actually unfurled the first version of the Indian National Flag at the Second International Socialist Congress held in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1907, not Paris. The flag was co-designed by Madam Cama, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and Shyamji Krishna Varma. The flag had green, saffron, and red stripes, with "Vande Mataram" written on it in Devanagari script, and symbols representing different communities of India.

Statement 2 is correct: Madam Bhikaji Cama did serve as the private secretary to Dadabhai Naoroji, a key figure in the Indian National Congress and a prominent advocate for India’s independence.

Statement 3 is correct: Bhikaji Cama was born into a wealthy Parsi family in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1861. Her father, Sorabji Framji Patel was a well-known merchant and philanthropist.

Explanation

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s novel Anand Math (1882) is based on the historical events of the Sanyasi Rebellion. The Sannyasi Rebellion (1763-1800) was led by Hindu ‘sannyasis’ and Muslim ‘fakirs’ in Bengal against British economic oppression and restrictions on religious activities. It was triggered by the Bengal famine of 1770 and excessive taxation and it became an early symbol of resistance to colonial rule.

Explanation

Kochi, located on the Malabar Coast, was a key maritime hub during the colonial era due to its strategic location and spice trade. Over centuries, Kochi witnessed control by multiple European powers, including the Portuguese, Dutch, and British, each leaving a distinct mark on its history and architecture. Statement (a) is incorrect: The Dutch controlled Kochi after defeating the Portuguese in 1663, but their control ended long before India’s independence. Kochi later became a princely state under British suzerainty. Statement (b) is incorrect: The Portuguese built Fort Emmanuel in Kochi, not Fort William. Fort William, located in Kolkata, was constructed by the British. Statement (c) is incorrect: The Portuguese were the first Europeans to establish control over Kochi in 1503. The Dutch defeated the Portuguese in 1663 and took over, but Kochi was never a Dutch colony before the Portuguese. Statement (d) is correct: Kochi remained a princely state under British indirect rule, but it was never fully integrated as a part of British India. The local rulers retained nominal control, and Kochi maintained its identity distinct from direct British colonies.

Explanation

The 18th century in India was a tumultuous period marked by battles involving European powers and Indian states, vying for dominance over trade, territory, and political control. Key battles during this era shaped the trajectory of British colonial rule and defined European influence in India. The Battle of Ambur (1749), during the Second Carnatic War, marked the start of Anglo-French rivalry, with the French backing Chanda Sahib and the British supporting Muhammad Ali. The Battle of Plassey (1757) saw Robert Clive’s British East India Company defeat Siraj-ud-Daulah, establishing British political control in India. The Battle of Wandiwash (1760), in the Third Carnatic War, ended French ambitions in India with a British victory. The Battle of Buxar (1764) secured British control over Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha, defeating a coalition of the Nawab of Awadh, Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, and Mir Qasim.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of India, did not establish a regular police force. Instead, he reorganized the existing system of policing and appointed a superintendent of police for each district. The British-style police system was introduced later by Lord Cornwallis in 1786.

Statement 2 is correct: The Regulating Act of 1773 established the Supreme Court in Calcutta with jurisdiction over Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, hearing civil, criminal, and commercial cases, and exercising both original and appellate jurisdiction.

Statement 3 is correct: The Indian Penal Code (IPC) was drafted by the first Law Commission of India established in 1834 under the Charter Act of 1833 under the chairmanship Thomas Babington Macaulay and was formally enacted in 1860 during the time of the British East India Company.