UPSC 2005 Modern History Questions with Answers

Explanation

Kochi, located on the Malabar Coast, was a key maritime hub during the colonial era due to its strategic location and spice trade. Over centuries, Kochi witnessed control by multiple European powers, including the Portuguese, Dutch, and British, each leaving a distinct mark on its history and architecture. Statement (a) is incorrect: The Dutch controlled Kochi after defeating the Portuguese in 1663, but their control ended long before India’s independence. Kochi later became a princely state under British suzerainty. Statement (b) is incorrect: The Portuguese built Fort Emmanuel in Kochi, not Fort William. Fort William, located in Kolkata, was constructed by the British. Statement (c) is incorrect: The Portuguese were the first Europeans to establish control over Kochi in 1503. The Dutch defeated the Portuguese in 1663 and took over, but Kochi was never a Dutch colony before the Portuguese. Statement (d) is correct: Kochi remained a princely state under British indirect rule, but it was never fully integrated as a part of British India. The local rulers retained nominal control, and Kochi maintained its identity distinct from direct British colonies.

Explanation

The 18th century in India was a tumultuous period marked by battles involving European powers and Indian states, vying for dominance over trade, territory, and political control. Key battles during this era shaped the trajectory of British colonial rule and defined European influence in India. The Battle of Ambur (1749), during the Second Carnatic War, marked the start of Anglo-French rivalry, with the French backing Chanda Sahib and the British supporting Muhammad Ali. The Battle of Plassey (1757) saw Robert Clive’s British East India Company defeat Siraj-ud-Daulah, establishing British political control in India. The Battle of Wandiwash (1760), in the Third Carnatic War, ended French ambitions in India with a British victory. The Battle of Buxar (1764) secured British control over Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha, defeating a coalition of the Nawab of Awadh, Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, and Mir Qasim.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of India, did not establish a regular police force. Instead, he reorganized the existing system of policing and appointed a superintendent of police for each district. The British-style police system was introduced later by Lord Cornwallis in 1786.

Statement 2 is correct: The Regulating Act of 1773 established the Supreme Court in Calcutta with jurisdiction over Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, hearing civil, criminal, and commercial cases, and exercising both original and appellate jurisdiction.

Statement 3 is correct: The Indian Penal Code (IPC) was drafted by the first Law Commission of India established in 1834 under the Charter Act of 1833 under the chairmanship Thomas Babington Macaulay and was formally enacted in 1860 during the time of the British East India Company.

Explanation

The Ghadar revolutionaries were primarily based in North America, particularly in regions like California, USA, and British Columbia, Canada. They established the Ghadar Party in 1913 to organize revolutionary activities against British colonial rule in India specifically in cities like San Francisco and Vancouver. The party played a significant role in spreading revolutionary ideas and organizing uprisings, particularly during World War I, aiming to incite mutiny in the British Indian Army and disrupt British operations in India. Central America, West America, and South America regions did not serve as significant bases for the Ghadar revolutionaries.

Explanation

The resolution on Fundamental Rights and the National Economic Program was drafted by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for the Karachi session of the Indian National Congress in 1931. The Resolution on Fundamental Rights guaranteed free speech and free press, the right to form associations, the right to assemble, universal adult franchise, equal legal rights irrespective of caste, creed and sex, free and compulsory primary education, protection to culture, language, the script of minorities and linguistic groups

Explanation

In October 1920, M.N. Roy (Manabendra Nath Roy) headed a group of Indians in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to establish the Communist Party of India (CPI). This marked the formal introduction of communism in India. The party was founded with the support of the Comintern (Communist International), reflecting global efforts to spread Marxist ideologies. This group, influenced by the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 in Russia, sought to establish a Marxist-oriented political organization in India.

Explanation

The U.P. Kisan Sabha was formed in February 1918 to address the grievances of peasants in the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh). It was initiated by Madan Mohan Malviya, Gauri Shankar Misra, and Indra Narain Dwivedi, who worked together to mobilize the peasantry against oppressive taxes, such as high rents, land revenue, and exploitation by landlords. Jawaharlal Nehru was not directly associated with the formation of U.P. Kisan Sabha.

Explanation

Pair (1) is correctly matched: Rajendra Prasad actively participated in Champaran Satyagraha under Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership to address the grievances of indigo farmers against oppressive plantation laws.

Pair (2) is incorrectly matched: Ahmedabad Mill Workers Strike was led by Mahatma Gandhi to secure fair wages and better working conditions for mill workers in Ahmedabad in 1918. Morarji Desai was not involved in this movement.

Pair (3) is correctly matched: Vallabhbhai Patel, under Gandhi’s guidance, led the movement in 1918 to demand tax remission for peasants affected by famine in the Kheda district of Gujarat.

Explanation

The Quit India Movement (QIM) was a mass civil disobedience campaign launched by the Indian National Congress in August 1942, led by Mahatma Gandhi, demanding an end to British rule in India. Statements 1 and 2 are incorrect: Mahatma Gandhi promoted non-violent resistance during the Quit India Movement but did not ask government servants to quit their roles. He focused on mass civil disobedience and non-cooperation, urging Indians to refuse support for British rule and demand independence. Gandhi ji did not ask soldiers to leave their posts.

Statement 3 is correct: Gandhi preached self-rule (Swaraj) and independence from British rule, advocating for the princely states to embrace their people’s sovereignty.

Explanation

In the 1936-37 elections, the Indian National Congress formed a ministry in 8 out of 11 provinces under the Government of India Act, 1935. Congress did not secure a majority in Punjab. Instead, the Unionist Party, a coalition of landlords and representatives of various religious communities, led by Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan, formed the government with support from the Muslim League.