UPSC 2018 Modern History Questions with Answers

Explanation

The Subsidiary Alliance was a diplomatic strategy introduced by Lord Wellesley in 1798, aiming to maintain British control over Indian states.

Option (c) is correct: The Subsidiary Alliance aimed to establish British paramountcy over the Indian States and to ensure their military and political subservience to the British East India Company. Securing a fixed income for the company was not the primary objective of the system. Hyderabad was the first state to come under it. The native Indian ruler had to pay for the maintenance of the British army and if he failed to make the payment, a portion of his territory was taken away and ceded to the British. They could not engage in alliances with other powers without British consent.

Explanation

The Santhal Rebellion (1855-56) in the Rajmahal Hills was sparked by the oppression of revenue officials, police, moneylenders, and landlords (referred to as "dikus" by the Santhals). Led by Sido and Kanhu, the Santhals revolted, declaring independence from the British. The rebellion was suppressed by 1856 after extensive military action.

Statement (1) is correct: After the Santhal Uprising (1855-56), the British created the Santhal Parganas in 1855 by carving out areas from Bhagalpur and Birbhum districts to provide the Santhals with a separate administrative region.

Statement (2) is correct: The British introduced legal restrictions on land transfers, making it illegal for a Santhal to transfer land to a non-Santhal. This was done to prevent exploitation by moneylenders (Mahajans) and landlords (Zamindars), which had been a major cause of the rebellion.

Explanation

Champaran Satyagraha (1917) was undertaken after Mahatma Gandhi learned about the abuses suffered by farmers, who were forced into growing indigo by British planters and estate owners. Under the Tinkathia system in Champaran, tenants were forced to grow indigo on 3/20th of their land for landlords. European planters imposed high rents and illegal fees, sparking passive resistance. This marked the beginning of Gandhian methods and the involvement of peasants in the Indian National Movement.

Explanation

The Government of India Act, 1935 divided powers between the Centre and provinces into three lists: Federal (59 items), Provincial (54 items), and Concurrent (36 items). It granted residuary powers to the Governor-General, who could authorize either legislature to legislate on such matters.

Explanation

Under British rule, Indian agriculture became increasingly commercialized. The traditional subsistence farming was replaced by large-scale cultivation of crops such as cotton, indigo, and jute for export purposes, often to meet the needs of British industries. Options (a), (b) and (d) are incorrect:

Indian handicrafts suffered during British rule due to the influx of cheap machine-made British goods, which displaced local handicrafts in domestic and international markets. The number of Indian-owned factories was very limited during the 19th century. Most of the industries, including textile mills, were controlled by the British. The urban population did not see a rapid increase during British rule. While some cities grew due to British administrative and military needs, the overall urbanization rate was low compared to European countries. Moreover, much of India’s population remained rural, engaged in agriculture.

Explanation

The East India Company was originally formed in Britain for pursuing trade with the East Indies in Southeast Asia. It ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China, where the main items of trade were cotton, silk, tea and opium. Also Bengal produced saltpeter, a key ingredient for making gunpowder, which was in high demand for both domestic use and export.

Explanation

Wood’s Dispatch (1854) is known as the Magna Carta of English Education in India. Under this government was to take up the responsibility for the Education of masses. It provided for hierarchy of Educational Institutions i.e. three tier education system. It also emphasised on Female, Vocational Education and teachers’ training. The Dispatch proposed secular education in Government Institutions.

Statement 1 is correct: The Despatch advocated for the introduction of a Grants-in-Aid system to encourage private and missionary enterprises in education. Under this scheme, financial assistance was provided to educational institutions that met certain standards thereby promoting the expansion and improvement of education.

Statement 2 is correct: It systematised the hierarchy from vernacular primary schools in villages at bottom, followed by Anglo-Vernacular High Schools and an affiliated college at the district level and affiliating universities in the presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The Woods Dispatch recommended English as the Medium of Instruction in higher studies and vernaculars language in at school level.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: The idea of supporting educated Indians and promoting knowledge of contemporary sciences in the country was enshrined into the Charter Act of 1813. The Charter Act of 1813 permitted Christian missionaries to propagate English and preach their religion. It mandated the company to allocate one lakh rupees annually for the revival and improvement of literature and the promotion of science among the inhabitants of British India. The Act emphasized the need to educate Indians in Western sciences and literature which indirectly laid the foundation for English education.

Statement 2 is correct: A "General Committee of Public Instruction" was established by the Governor-General-in-Council in 1823 with the task of allocating one lakh rupees for educational purposes under the Presidentship of Lord Macaulay. Lord Macaulay’s Minute resolved the debate in favor of the Anglicists, directing the limited government resources toward the teaching of Western sciences and literature through the medium of the English language.

Statement 3 is correct: The Orientalist-Anglicist Controversy in the early 19th century centered on the medium and content of education in India. Orientalists led by scholars like H.T. Prinsep advocated for preserving traditional Indian knowledge through Sanskrit, Persian, and Arabic. Anglicists led by Thomas Babington Macaulay, pushed for English education to create a class of Indians who were culturally English but Indian by birth. The debate culminated in Macaulay’s Minute of 1835 which favored English education. Governor-General Lord William Bentinck endorsed this view thereby officially making English the medium of instruction in higher education.

Explanation

Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: The Sanskrit College at Benaras was founded in 1791 by Jonathan Duncan (not William Jones). The objective was to promote the study of Hindu law and philosophy among the people of Benaras., Sir William Jones was a renowned philologist and scholar who founded the Asiatic Society in 1784 in Calcutta, aiming to encourage Oriental studies.

Pair 2 is correctly matched: The Calcutta Madrasah was established by Warren Hastings in 1781 for the study of Muslim law and related subjects to promote the study of Islamic law and jurisprudence among the Muslim population.

Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: Fort William College was set up by Lord Richard Wellesley in 1800 for training of civil servants of the Company in languages and customs of Indians.

Explanation

The Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), established in 1948, is one of the prominent trade union organizations in India. Founded by notable leaders such as Ashok Mehta, T.S. Ramanujam, and G.G. Mehta, HMS aimed to represent the interests of Indian workers and promote their rights and welfare. The organization played a vital role in advocating for labor reforms, improving working conditions, and securing fair wages for workers across various industries.