Modern History: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Prelims)

Explanation

The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms which became the Government of India Act in 1919, defined the jurisdiction of the central and provincial governments. It introduced dyarchy in eight provinces, where executive powers were shared between the Governor and elected ministers. Subjects were divided into ‘reserved’ (e.g., law, finance) managed by the Governor and his council, and ‘transferred’ (e.g., education, health) handled by ministers from the legislative council, increasing provincial authority.

Explanation

Dadabhai Naoroji, R.C. Dutt, Ranade, Gokhale, and G. Subramania Iyer were among the moderate leaders who established Indian nationalism on the principles of anti-imperialism by formulating the first comprehensive economic critique of colonialism.

Option (d) is correct: Dadabhai Naoroji (Grand Old man of India) in "Poverty and UnBritish Rule in India" propounded Drain of Wealth Theory. Romesh Chandra Dutta in "The Economic History of India" pointed to the absence of protection for India’s infant industries, and the negative implications of even constructive efforts like the railways which facilitated the import of British manufactured goods.G. V. Joshi pointed out that the development in India was like a subsidy to the British Industries. Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade, G. Subramaniam Iyer, G.K. Gokhale etc. examined every facet of the economy and subjected the entire range of economic issues and colonial economic policies to minute scrutiny.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was Annie Besant in the 1917 Calcutta Session. Sarojini Naidu became the first Indian woman President of INC in 1925 Kanpur Session.

Statement 2 is correct: Badruddin Tyabji (1844-1906) was the first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress. He presided over the third session of the INC in 1887 (Madras Session). He was a progressive leader, reformist, and the first Indian to practice law in the Bombay High Court.

Explanation

Partition of Bengal (1905) was made public by the British Government in 1903 and partition came into force in October 1905. The reasons given by the British was that Bengal was too big to be administered and this division of Bengal into eastern and western Bengal would develop Assam. The Partition of Bengal was annulled during the visit of the Royal Majesties, George V and Queen Mary to India. King George V announced the abrogation in the Delhi Durbar in December, 1911.

Explanation

The Ghadar Party was a revolutionary organisation centred on the weekly newspaper "The Ghadr," which had branches in the Far East and along the US coast in addition to its San Francisco headquarters. The Ghadr programme aimed to organise official assassinations, disseminate anti-imperialist and revolutionary literature, coordinate with Indian troops stationed abroad, get weapons, and spark a simultaneous uprising across all British colonies. Their plans were encouraged by two events in 1914, the Komagata Maru incident and the outbreak of the First World War. The Ghadr Party’s inspirational forces were Lala Hardayal, Ramchandra, Bhagwan Singh, Kartar Singh Saraba, Barkatullah, etc.

Explanation

The Radcliffe Committee was appointed by the British government in 1947 tasked with demarcating the borders between the newly independent nations of India and Pakistan. The division primarily focused on the regions of Punjab and Bengal, where large Hindu and Muslim populations coexisted. The resulting Radcliffe Line was announced on August 17, 1947, two days after India’s independence. The border division led to massive population displacement, causing widespread violence and communal riots, with millions of people migrating across the new borders, resulting in significant loss of life and property.

Explanation

Queen Victoria’s Proclamation (1858) ended East India Company rule, bringing India directly under British Crown control. Lord Canning became the first Viceroy and Governor-General.

Statement 1 is correct: The proclamation was read out by Lord Canning at a durbar held on November 1, 1858 at Allahabad. The proclamation put an end to the era of further expansion of the British Empire in India.

Statement 2 is correct: Queen Victoria’s proclamation of 1858 aimed at ending the rule of the company and transferring all the powers to the British crown after the 1857 revolt. It also promised non- interference in the religious affairs of the people, grant of equal protection of law and respect for ancient rights and customs of the people.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Queen Victoria’s Proclamation (1858) is aimed at improving the administrative machinery of supervision and control over the Indian government.

Explanation

Tebhaga Peasant Movement (1946) in Bengal aimed to reduce landlords’ share of the harvest from one-half to one-third. The movement, led by the Bengal Provincial Kisan Sabha, called for the implementation of the Floud Commission recommendations, demanding two-thirds of the produce for sharecroppers (bargadars) instead of the previous one-half. The main slogan, "nij khamare dhan tolo," urged sharecroppers to keep their paddy in their own homes, not at the landlord’s. The movement was strongest in North Bengal, particularly among the Rajbanshis and Muslims.

Explanation

The Indian Statutory Commission, commonly referred to as the Simon Commission under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon arrived in British India in 1928. The Simon Commission originated as a result of the Government of India Act, 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms), which introduced Dyarchy in provinces. The Act had a provision that after ten years, its impact would be reviewed to decide further constitutional reforms. It was appointed by the British government to assess India’s constitutional development and recommend constitutional reforms. The main reason behind the agitation against the Simon Commission was that there were no Indian members of the panel and only seven British members of the British Parliament. This was viewed as racist and colonialist.

Explanation

In 1942, the British Government sent the Cripps Mission to India to secure Indian support for Britain’s war effort during World War II. The Cripps Proposals offered India dominion status after the war and promised a constituent assembly to frame a new constitution, but these were largely seen as insufficient and vague. The Congress (led by Mahatma Gandhi) demanded immediate independence and rejected the Cripps Proposals. When the British government failed to provide clear and concrete plans for independence, Gandhi called for a mass movement of civil disobedience, demanding that the British "Quit India".