Prominent Personalities in Modern History: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Modern History)
This page lists 2 previous year UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination (General Studies Paper-I) questions on Prominent Personalities in Modern History (Modern History). Choose an option to see the correct answer and the full explanation on the same page.
Explanations state facts as they stood in the year each question was asked, so words like “recently” or “currently” refer to that year, not today. For the present position, check the latest Current Affairs.
Showing 1–2 of 2 questions
UPSC 2020Modern History · Prominent Personalities in Modern History
Q1. With reference to the book "Desher Katha" written by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar during the freedom struggle, consider the following statement: 1. It warned against the Colonial States hypnotic conquest of the mind. 2. It inspired the performance of swadeshi street plays and folk songs. 3. The use of ‘desh’ by Deuskar was in the specific context of the region of Bengal. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation
Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar, originally from Maharashtra but residing in Bengal, was aligned with the ideas of Aurobindo Ghosh. He published Desher Katha in 1904, which sold over 15,000 copies before it was banned by the colonial authorities in 1910. Deuskar is also credited with introducing the Shivaji festival in Bengal. Additionally, he is believed to be the first to use the term ‘swaraj’ in a modern political context, in his 1902 pamphlet on Shivaji.
Statement 1 and 2 are correct: In overwhelming detail, the book "Desher Katha" summarised the work of M. G. Ranade and D. Naoroji in a popular idiom and warned in its concluding chapter against the colonial state’s "hypnotic conquest of the mind". "Desher Katha" had an immense repercussion in Bengal, captured the mind of young Bengal and assisted more than anything else in the preparation of the Swadeshi Movement.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Deuskar uses the word ‘desh’ in the context of the whole country.
Exam tip:
For S3, If ‘desh’ referred only to Bengal, the book’s message wouldn’t inspire national Swadeshi sentiment. That’s a contradiction. Also, claiming Desh meant only Bengal may be over-narrow. Hence likely false.
UPSC 2020Modern History · Prominent Personalities in Modern History
Q2. The Vital-Vidhvansak, the first monthly journal to have the untouchable people as its target audience was published by:
Explanation
Gopal Baba Walangkar (1840-1900) was also known as Gopal Krishna, born into a family of the untouchable Mahar caste in Maharashtra. Gopal Baba Walangkar developed a racial theory to explain the oppression and also published the first journal targeted at the untouchable people. Vital-Vidhvansak (Destroyer of Brahmanical or Ceremonial Pollution), published in 1888 by Walangkar, was among the first journals targeted at the Dalit community, started publishing in 1888. He also wrote articles for Marathi-language newspapers such as Sudharak and Deenbandhu, as well as composed couplets in Marathi that were intended to inspire the people.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
2020
(a) 1 and 2 only
2
2020
(a) Gopal Baba Walangkar
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 between 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.
