Prominent Personalities in Modern History: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Modern History)
2 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on Prominent Personalities in Modern History (Modern History). Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 1–2 of 2 questions
UPSC 2004Modern History · Prominent Personalities in Modern History
Q1. The name of the famous person of India who returned the Knighthood conferred on him by the British Government as a token of protest against the atrocities in Punjab in 1919 was:
Explanation
Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel laureate and poet was knighted by the British Crown in 1915. However, in 1919 following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the repressive Rowlatt Act he renounced his Knighthood in a letter to the Viceroy, Lord Chelmsford as an act of powerful protest against British atrocities. His act was widely celebrated as a bold statement of defiance.
Additional insight:
In a strongly worded letter to the British Viceroy, Tagore wrote: "The time has come when badges of honor make our shame glaring in their incongruous context of humiliation, and I for my part wish to stand shorn of all special distinctions, by the side of my countrymen."
UPSC 2004Modern History · Prominent Personalities in Modern History
Q2. During the Indian freedom struggle, who among the following proposed that Swaraj should be defined as complete independence free from all foreign control?
Explanation
Maulana Hasrat Mohani, a prominent figure in the Indian freedom movement, was a strong advocate for complete independence from British rule. He was one of the key leaders who pushed for the idea that Swaraj, or self-rule, should be interpreted as absolute freedom, devoid of any foreign influence or control. His stance was a significant departure from the moderate demands for self-governance and paved the way for more radical calls for full sovereignty during the independence struggle. Hasrat Mohani started bringing out a magazine in the name of ‘Urdu-e-Mualla’ in 1903.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
2004
(c) Rabindra Nath Tagore
2
2004
(b) Maulana Hasrat Mohani
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Prominent Personalities in Modern History?
This page covers 2 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Prominent Personalities in Modern History (Modern History), asked from 1996 to 2021. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Which years are covered for Prominent Personalities in Modern History?
Questions on Prominent Personalities in Modern History (Modern History) are available for 17 years, from 1996 to 2021. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
