UPSC 1999 Modern History Questions with Answers

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.

Explanation

The quotation refers to the Cabinet Mission of 1946. It proposed a Federal Union for India, which included both British provinces and the princely states. The mission, which visited India in 1946, aimed at resolving the political deadlock between the British government and Indian leaders and laid out plans for a united India with a federal structure while also suggesting a provision for autonomy for Muslim-majority areas. It did not propose partition, which was later carried out in 1947. The Simon Commission (1927) was tasked with reviewing constitutional reforms in India but faced widespread protests as it lacked Indian representation. It had no proposals for a federal union. Gandhi-Irwin Pact was an agreement between Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Irwin in 1931 to end the Civil Disobedience Movement. It focused on specific concessions rather than constitutional proposals. The Cripps Mission (1942) proposed dominion status for India with the option for provinces to secede. However, it did not advocate a federal union like the Cabinet Mission.

Explanation

Subhash Chandra Bose saw World War II as an opportunity for India to leverage Britain’s vulnerability. He believed the war could be exploited to push for India’s independence, leading to his efforts to collaborate with Axis powers like Germany and Japan to form the Indian National Army (INA).

Explanation

Sardar Patel was one of the prominent Congress leaders who supported the Cabinet Mission Plan. He saw it as a pragmatic approach to achieving independence while preserving India’s unity, even though it meant compromises like grouping provinces. Mahatma Gandhi was skeptical of the Cabinet Mission Plan as he felt it complicated India’s unity by endorsing groupings and did not adequately ensure safeguards for weaker sections. Jawaharlal Nehru initially supported the plan but later expressed reservations, particularly about the grouping of provinces, which he felt could weaken a strong central authority. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad supported the Cabinet Mission Plan but was more cautious about its implementation, especially due to the communal tensions it could exacerbate.

Explanation

The Quit India Movement (1942), also called the August Movement, saw widespread participation from peasants, students, and workers, making it a mass struggle. A is true: The Quit India Movement (1942 saw unprecedented participation from all sections of society, and its intensity led Lord Linlithgow to compare it to the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. R is true: Peasantry participation was significant in regions like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Bengal, as the movement mobilized rural masses. R the correct explanation of A: The scale of peasantry uprising during August Movement made it clear that independence was imminent, and rebellion against British rule was very serious.

Explanation

The Forward policy was a set of foreign policies that aimed to extend British control and influence in the region, especially towards Afghanistan and Central Asia. It was adopted during Viceroyalty of Lord Lytton (1876-1880) in India. The policy involved securing control of targeted territories through invasion, annexation, or by creating compliant buffer states. Other notable events that took place during his tenure as Viceroy include Great Indian Famine, Second Anglo-Afghan War, Arms Act, Vernacular Press Act.