Modern History: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Prelims)

Explanation

Between 1784 and 1857, the British passed several acts to centralize control, regulate the East India Company’s administration, and address rising unrest in India. These measures ultimately led to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, marking the end of Company rule and the beginning of direct British governance.

Option (a) is correct.

The Charter Act of 1813 abolished the East India Company’s monopoly on trade with India, except for certain key areas such as the trade in tea and commerce with China. The Regulating Act of 1773 was a key piece of legislation that aimed to improve the administration of the British East India Company. It required the Company to submit correspondence and documents to the British government for scrutiny. The Government of India Act 1858 transferred the governance of India from the East India Company to the British Crown following the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The dual system introduced by the Pitt’s India Act came to an end. The Governor-general became the Viceroy. The Pitt’s India Act of 1784 established a dual system of government, where the East India Company was controlled by both a Board of Directors and a Board of Control, with the latter controlling its policy and finances.

Explanation

In the latter part of the 18th century, following the grant of Diwani (revenue collection rights) of Bengal by the Mughal emperor in 1765, the British East India Company began establishing contact with the Garos. The estates bordering the Garo Hills, previously semi-independent, came under British control. However, like the Mughals, the British did not seek to directly govern these estates. Instead, the Zamindars were entrusted with maintaining order, including controlling the Garos. Conflict between the Zamindars and Garos continued until it escalated, leading to the British annexation of the Garo Hills in 1873.

Explanation

The extremist nationalist movement in India (late 19th to early 20th century) was marked by its Swadeshi spirit, emphasizing self-reliance, national education, and rural rejuvenation. A detailed analysis of the statements is as follows:

Statement (a) is incorrect: Aswini Kumar Dutta, a prominent leader during the Swadeshi movement led the agitations of Muslim peasants in Barisal, not Liaquat Hussain. Statements (b), (c) and (d) are correct:

In 1889, the scheme of national education was formulated by Satish Chandra Mukherjee. The Bengal National College was founded in 1906 with Aurobindo as the first Principal, which was established in the context of the Swadeshi movement to promote nationalistic education. Rabindranath Tagore actively advocated for the philosophy of Atmasakti (self-reliance), highlighting the need for the socio-economic development of villages to achieve national progress.

Explanation

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.

Explanation

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.

Explanation

Ever since the 1857 revolt, to secure princely states as a safeguard against potential political instability and to reward their loyalty the policy of annexation was discontinued. The Government of India Act of 1935 proposed a federal union (that never came to existence) that included both British India and the princely states, which were ruled by Indian monarchs but under British control. The 1935 Act did not aim for direct political control over the princely states. It allowed them autonomy while including them in the federal structure. The British sought to manage relations, not control them completely. The real intention behind including princely states into the proposed federal union, through Government of India Act, 1935, was to ensure that these states would act as a balance against the anti-imperialist nationalist movement.

Explanation

Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani ascended to a prominent position within the Congress Party. He was elected President of the Indian National Congress in November 1946 and steered the organisation through the critical days of the transfer of power and the partition of India in 1947.

Explanation

In the early 1930s, the Indian National Congress (INC) led India’s nationalist movement, while the labour movement grew with workers protesting for better conditions. Despite this, the labour movement had limited involvement in the broader nationalist struggle. They felt the Congress was not adequately addressing the issues important to workers, like social and economic reforms. Assertion (A) is true: The labour movement in the early 1930s was growing, but its participation in the larger Indian nationalist movement was weak. Workers were more focused on their immediate economic struggles, like better wages and working conditions, rather than the broader nationalist cause. Reason (R) is true: Some labour leaders criticised the Indian National Congress (INC) for representing the interests of the middle class and the bourgeoisie rather than the working class. Due to this the effect of labour participation in nationalist upsurge was weak. Thus, Reason (R) explains Assertion (A).

Explanation

The Cabinet Mission reached Delhi on March 24, 1946. The Mission engaged in extensive discussions with Indian leaders from all parties and groups on the following issues: the formation of an interim government, and the principles and processes for drafting a new constitution that would grant India independence. The Cabinet Mission (1946) proposed a federal union for India, with autonomy for provinces and safeguards for minorities. The Cabinet Mission Plan was initially accepted in principle by both the Congress and the Muslim League but disagreements soon emerged, particularly over the grouping of provinces. The Muslim League eventually rejected the plan, and Jinnah called for "Direct Action." This failure to agree on the plan is widely regarded as the last major chance to prevent the partition of India.

Explanation

A is matched with 2: Lord Macdonald was responsible for the Communal Award in 1932, which introduced separate electorates for different communities. B is matched with 3: Lord Linlithgow is associated with the August Offer (1940), which was a British offer to India’s political leaders during World War II to gain support. C is matched with 1: Lord Dalhousie is known for implementing the Doctrine of Lapse in the 1840s, which allowed the British to annex Indian princely states if a ruler died without a male heir. D is matched with 4: Lord Chelmsford is associated with the introduction of Dyarchy through the Government of India Act 1919, which divided the government into areas of central and provincial responsibilities.