UPSC 2008 Modern History Questions with Answers

Explanation

Option (b) is correct: The First Session of the Indian National Congress (INC) took place in Bombay (now Mumbai) in December 1885. It was chaired by Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee. Other Key Congress Sessions:

Year Place President Highlights 1886(2nd Session) Calcutta Dadabhai Naoroji merger of National Congress and National Conference 1887 Madras Syed Badruddin Tyabji first Muslim President 1888 Allahabad George Yule first British President 1905 Benaras Gopal Krishna Gokhale expressed resentment against the partition of Bengal 1906 Calcutta Dadabhai Naoroji the word ‘swaraj’ mentioned for the first time. 1907 Surat Rash Behari Ghosh split in the Congress into the Moderates and the Extremists.

Explanation

The Rowlatt Act was passed in 1919 during the viceroyalty of Lord Chelmsford (1916-1921). Officially known as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, 1919, it aimed to curb revolutionary activities by allowing imprisonment without trial for up to two years, essentially denying people their basic civil rights.

Explanation

In June 1945, Lord Wavell, the Viceroy of India, proposed the Wavell Plan at the Simla Conference to reconstitute the Viceroy’s Executive Council. The plan’s key features included: 1. All members of the Executive Council would be Indian except the governor general and commander-in-chief. 2. Equal representation for Caste Hindus and Muslims. 3. All portfolios, including that of War Members were to be held by the Indians. 4. The Viceroy/Governor-General would retain veto power, but its use would be minimal.

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 ministries were formed, focusing on education, economic reform, and civil liberties. Assertion (A) is true: In 1939, all Congress ministries resigned from their positions in the provinces. The resignations marked the end of Congress-led governance under the Government of India Act, 1935, intensifying the freedom struggle. Reason (R) is true: Congress ministries resigned in 1939 because the Viceroy declared India a belligerent in WWII without consulting Indian leaders. While Congress believed India should decide independently, they also opposed supporting Britain’s war against Germany under colonial rule. This lack of consultation was the direct cause of their resignation. Therefore Reason (R) correctly explains the Assertion (A).

Explanation

Gopal Krishna Gokhale (1866-1915) was a moderate nationalist, social reformer, and one of the founding leaders of the Indian National Movement. He was a mentor to Mahatma Gandhi and played a key role in influencing early nationalist politics. The British government offered Gokhale the title of Knighthood and a position in the Council of the Secretary of State for India but he chose to decline both honors. His refusal was based on his commitment to India’s self-governance, as he believed accepting such honors would mean complicity with colonial rule. He was a strong advocate of constitutional reforms and gradual political progress, promoting Swaraj (self-rule) within the British Empire.

Explanation

During World War II, Subhas Chandra Bose (1897-1945) raised an army called the Free Indian Legion (Azad Hind Legion) with the help of Nazi Germany. This was part of his efforts to liberate India from British rule by seeking foreign assistance. In 1941 he escaped from British house arrest in India and reached Germany via Afghanistan and the Soviet Union. In 1942, he formed the Free Indian Legion (also called the "Legion Freies Indien" in German) composed of Indian prisoners of war (POWs) captured by German forces in North Africa. This legion was trained by the Nazis and was intended to be deployed in British India through Afghanistan. However, as the war situation changed he shifted his base to Japan in 1943, where he took charge of the Indian National Army (INA), which had been established earlier by Rashbehari Bose.

Explanation

Aurobindo Ghosh, a prominent figure in the Indian independence movement, provided a scathing critique of the moderate politics of the Indian National Congress in his series of articles titled New Lamps for Old. In these articles, he argued that the moderate approach of relying on petitions, prayers, and constitutional reforms was ineffective in achieving India’s independence. He advocated for a more aggressive and militant approach, including boycotts, strikes, and civil disobedience.

Explanation

Naoroji, the ‘Grand Old Man of India,’ pioneered the analysis of British rule’s economic impact in his work Poverty and Un-British Rule in India (1901). His theory of economic drain exposed the exploitation of India’s resources by the British, fueling nationalist sentiment. By calling British rule "Un-British," Naoroji critiqued the hypocrisy of colonial claims, challenging the narrative of British benevolence. His critique laid the foundation for future debates on colonial exploitation and inspired future leaders advocating for India’s self-rule.

Explanation

J B Kripalani started his career as a teacher and later became the principal of the Gujarat Vidyapith, a university established by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920. He was deeply influenced by Gandhi’s ideas and played a significant role in the freedom movement. He was the president of the Indian National Congress during the crucial phase of Indian independence in 1947.

Explanation

A is correctly matched with 2: Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay is known for writing the novel Debi Chaudhurani, which depicts the story of a woman’s empowerment and resistance. B is correctly matched with 3: Nil-Darpan is a famous play written by Dinabandhu Mitra, which highlights the plight of indigo farmers in Bengal under British rule. C is correctly matched with 1: Shatranj ke Khilari (The Chess Players) is a story written by Premchand that critiques the indifference of Indian rulers during the British colonial period.