Modern History: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Prelims)

Explanation

The Balkan Plan refers to a proposal that aimed at dividing India which was one of the strategies considered to address the political situation leading to the partition of India in 1947. The idea was inspired by the division of Balkan States in Europe. Balkan Plan (1947) was the brainchild of Lord Mountbatten. He proposed dividing India into smaller regions along religious lines and transferring power to separate provinces with Punjab and Bengal given the option to vote for partition of their provinces.

Explanation

The remark, "In this instance we could not play off the Mohammedans against the Hindus," by Sir Charles Aitchison, refers to the Revolt of 1857. During the rebellion, the British were frustrated because their usual strategy of dividing Hindus and Muslims was ineffective. Instead of fighting each other, both communities united against the British, which posed a significant challenge to British rule. This unity between Hindus and Muslims during the revolt was unexpected and disrupted British efforts to exploit religious divisions.

Explanation

Subhash Chandra Bose, while delivering the presidential address at the 51st Session of the Indian National Congress (INC) in Haripura (1938) proposed the introduction of the Roman script for Hindi to make the language more accessible especially for non-Hindi speakers. Bose believed that adopting the Roman script would help simplify learning Hindi for Indians from different linguistic backgrounds and improve its adaptability. He emphasized that language should not be a barrier in national unity and sought a pragmatic approach to linguistic communication. Most leaders and linguists, including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, opposed the idea of Romanizing Hindi. After independence, the Devanagari script was retained for Hindi, and English was kept as an associate official language to bridge linguistic diversity.

Explanation

A is matched with 1: The Chittagong Armoury Raid was led by Surya Sen and Kalpana Dutt, aimed at seizing arms from the British. The raid was conducted in April 1930 and involved 65 activists under the banner of Indian Republican Army--Chittagong Branch. B is matched with 3: Abhinav Bharat was set up by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and his brother Ganesh Damodar Savarkar in the year 1904, as a secret organization during the Indian War of Independence with the aim of overthrowing British rule. C is matched with 4: Anushilan Samiti traces its history back to 1902 when it was established by Barrister Promotha Mitter and his friends in present-day Kolkata. Aurobindo Ghosh was closely associated with the Samiti. D is matched with 2: Kuka Movement was a socio-religious reform movement led by Guru Ram Singh in Punjab.

Explanation

Statement (1) is incorrect: The first woman to preside over the Congress was Annie Besant in 1917. Sarojini Naidu became President in 1925. Sarojini Naidu was a prominent leader and the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress.

Statement (2) is correct: Chittaranjan Das (C.R. Das) was elected President of the Indian National Congress in 1922. However, he was imprisoned during the Non-Cooperation Movement and conducted his presidential duties from jail.

Statement (3) is incorrect: A.O. Hume was a founder but never served as its President. The first Britisher to preside over the Congress was George Yule in 1888.

Statement (4) is correct: Alfred Webb, an Irish nationalist, presided over the 10th session of the Congress in 1894. His election symbolized the solidarity between Indian nationalists and Irish freedom fighters.

Explanation

First Anglo Maratha War (1775-82) was fought between the British East India Company and Maratha Confederacy in India. The war began with the Treaty of Surat and ended with the Treaty of Salbai. The war saw British defeat and restoration of positions of both the parties before the war. The Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-1784) saw Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan fight the British after their betrayal. Hyder’s forces advanced to Madras (1780), but after his death (1782), Tipu continued the war. It ended with the Treaty of Mangalore (1784), restoring territories and maintaining the status quo. First Anglo Burmese War (1824-26) was the first of three Anglo-Burmese wars, which eventually led to British control over Burma. Anglo Afghan War (1838/1839-42) was fought between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Afghanistan, primarily over British concerns regarding Russian influence in Central Asia.

Explanation

Santhal Rebellion (1855-1856) also referred to as the Santhal Hul was a tribal uprising against oppressive landlords and colonial policies in the Bengal Presidency. Mutiny of the Sepoys (1857-1858) or the First War of Independence was a widespread revolt by Indian soldiers in the British East India Company’s army. It took place shortly after the Santhal Rebellion. Indigo Revolt (1859-1860) also called the Neel Bidroha, this uprising occurred in Bengal against the exploitation by British planters who forced farmers to grow indigo under harsh conditions. Deccan Riots (1875) erupted in western India as a protest against oppressive practices by moneylenders and increasing rural indebtedness.

Explanation

The Indian Councils Act of 1909, also known as the Minto-Morley Reforms, was the shortest-lived of all of Britain’s constitutional experiments in India. It lasted only 10 years, until the 1919 Montague Chelmsford Reforms that lasted for the next 16 years. The Indian Councils Act of 1861 lasted for 31 years and it was replaced by the Indian Councils Act of 1892 which lasted for next 17 years.

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.

Explanation

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.