Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events: RAS Prelims MCQs
65 RAS Prelims MCQs on the Gandhian era follow Gandhi from South Africa to Noakhali. Champaran, the Ahmedabad Mill Strike, Non-Cooperation, the Dandi March, the Round Table Conferences, Quit India and the constitutional proposals from the August Offer to the Wavell Plan are asked as facts, sequences and statements.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 11–20 of 65 questions
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events
Q11. Consider the following statements regarding the Rowlatt Satyagraha: I. Gandhi organized the Satyagraha Sabha in Bombay to coordinate the movement. II. It marked Gandhi’s transition from localized campaigns to leading his first all-India mass strike. III. The movement remained completely non-violent across all provinces without any incidents of rioting. IV. Gandhi decided to suspend the Satyagraha following the widespread violence and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
Explanation
Gandhi founded the Satyagraha Sabha in Bombay to organize protests against the repressive Rowlatt Act. This movement represented his first attempt at a nationwide mass strike across India. Although intended to be non-violent, widespread riots occurred in various cities. These violent outbreaks, coupled with the tragic Jallianwala Bagh massacre, eventually forced Gandhi to suspend the movement after calling it a mistake.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events
Q12. Which of the following statements regarding the aftermath of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre is incorrect?
Explanation
In response to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood to express national grief and anger. Sir Shankaran Nair resigned from the Viceroy’s Executive Council in protest. While General Dyer was censured and removed from service by the British, he was never sentenced to life imprisonment. The Congress also established a parallel inquiry committee to investigate the British atrocity.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events
Q13. At the historic Nagpur session of the Indian National Congress in December 1920, a major constitutional change was adopted. What was the newly defined goal of the Congress?
Explanation
At the Nagpur session of December 1920, the Indian National Congress underwent a major constitutional transformation. It shifted its goal from achieving self-government within the British Empire to attaining Swaraj through peaceful and legitimate means. This change turned the Congress into a mass-based revolutionary organization, ready to launch a large-scale non-cooperation movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi across India.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events
Q14. Consider the following statements regarding the programmes of the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22): I. Surrender of titles and honorary offices conferred by the British. II. Boycott of government-affiliated schools and colleges by students. III. Boycott of law courts by prominent lawyers. IV. Immediate refusal to pay land revenue and taxes in the very first phase. V. Promotion of Swadeshi goods and boycott of foreign cloth. Which of the above statements are correct?
Explanation
The Non-Cooperation Movement involved surrendering British titles and boycotting government schools, colleges, and law courts. Promoting Swadeshi goods and boycotting foreign cloth were central to its economic program. However, a mass refusal to pay taxes was intended only as the final stage of the movement. Most areas focused on the initial boycott and constructive activities rather than immediate tax resistance campaigns.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events
Q15. Identify the incorrect statement regarding the Chauri Chaura incident of 1922:
Explanation
The Chauri Chaura incident occurred in February 1922 in the Gorakhpur district of the United Provinces. A clash between protesters and police led to a mob burning down a police station, killing twenty-two personnel. Although Gandhi was not physically present at the site, he was deeply distressed by the violence. He promptly decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement to maintain non-violence.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events
Q16. The following question consists of two statements, one labeled as Assertion (A) and the other labeled as Reason (R). Examine these two statements carefully and select the correct answer using the codes given below: Assertion (A): Mahatma Gandhi abruptly halted the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922 following the Chauri Chaura incident. Reason (R): He believed that the Indian masses had not yet fully understood the method of strict non-violence and the movement could turn into a violent rebellion.
Explanation
Gandhi abruptly stopped the Non-Cooperation Movement because he felt the country was not yet sufficiently trained for non-violence.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events
Q17. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Region of Salt Satyagraha
Key Leader
A. Tamil Nadu (Tiruchirappalli to Vedaranyam)
i. K. Kelappan
B. Malabar (Calicut to Payyanur)
ii. Sarojini Naidu
C. Dharasana Salt Works
iii. C. Rajagopalachari
D. Odisha (Balasore and Cuttack)
iv. Gopabandhu Chaudhuri
Codes:
Explanation
During the Salt Satyagraha, C. Rajagopalachari led a march from Tiruchirappalli to Vedaranyam in Tamil Nadu. K. Kelappan organized a similar march from Calicut to Payyanur in the Malabar region. Sarojini Naidu famously led the raid on the Dharasana Salt Works in Gujarat. In Odisha, the movement was spearheaded by Gopabandhu Chaudhuri, who organized salt making in Balasore and Cuttack during 1930.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events
Q18. Consider the following statements regarding the activities during the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-31): I. Wide-scale defiance of oppressive forest laws was seen in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and the Central Provinces. II. No-chowkidari tax campaigns were successfully organized in Eastern India, particularly Bihar and Bengal. III. The Indian National Congress fully participated in the First Round Table Conference to negotiate on the movement’s demands. Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?
Explanation
The Civil Disobedience Movement involved diverse forms of protest, including the violation of forest laws in Central India and no-tax campaigns in Bihar. While these activities gained massive participation, the Indian National Congress officially boycotted the First Round Table Conference held in London. The party’s absence meant that no meaningful constitutional progress could be achieved without the involvement of India’s largest organization.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events
Q19. Arrange the following major events of the Gandhian era in their correct chronological order: I. Signing of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact II. Execution of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru III. Karachi Session of the Indian National Congress IV. Second Round Table Conference Select the correct order from the options given below:
Explanation
The sequence of events in 1931 began with the signing of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact on March 5. This was followed by the tragic execution of Bhagat Singh and his comrades on March 23. Shortly after, the Karachi Session of the Congress was held to endorse the pact. Later that year, Gandhi traveled to London to attend the Second Round Table Conference.
RAS PrelimsModern Indian History · Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events
Q20. While the Indian National Congress boycotted the first and third Round Table Conferences, who among the following prominent Indian leaders attended all three Round Table Conferences in London?
Explanation
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was a key figure who represented the interests of the Depressed Classes at all three Round Table Conferences in London between 1930 and 1932. While the Indian National Congress only participated in the second conference, Ambedkar’s consistent presence allowed him to advocate for separate electorates and social rights for the marginalized sections of Indian society throughout.
Answer key for these questions
Q
Correct answer
11
(b) I, II and IV
12
(c) The British government immediately arrested General Dyer and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
13
(d) Attainment of Swaraj through peaceful and legitimate means
14
(a) I, II, III and V
15
(b) Mahatma Gandhi was physically present in Chauri Chaura when the violence broke out.
16
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
17
(a) A-iii, B-i, C-ii, D-iv
18
(c) III only
19
(a) I, II, III, IV
20
(d) B.R. Ambedkar
Key facts from Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events
Gandhi first used Satyagraha in South Africa against the Asiatic Registration Act; Gokhale advised him to spend a year travelling in India after his return in 1915.
Champaran (1917) was against the Tinkathia system; Gandhi used a fast in the Ahmedabad Mill Strike.
The Dandi March began from Sabarmati Ashram and covered about 240 miles.
Ambedkar attended the Round Table Conferences that the Congress boycotted.
The Quit India resolution was passed on 8 August 1942 at Gowalia Tank Maidan, Bombay; Usha Mehta ran the underground radio.
The order of plans is August Offer, Cripps Mission, C. R. Formula, Wavell Plan.
Frequently asked questions
How many RAS Prelims practice MCQs are there on Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events?
This page has 65 practice MCQs on Gandhian Era: Mass Movements and Major Events (Modern Indian History). Each has the correct answer, and most have an explanation.
Where did the Dandi March start?
At Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad, on 12 March 1930. Gandhi walked about 240 miles to Dandi on the Gujarat coast and broke the salt law, which began the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Where was the Quit India resolution passed?
At Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay on 8 August 1942, at a session of the All India Congress Committee. The senior leaders were arrested the next day, and the movement continued through underground work.
Who persuaded Gandhi to visit Champaran?
Rajkumar Shukla, a local indigo cultivator, who met Gandhi at the Lucknow session of the Congress in 1916. Gandhi’s investigation of the Tinkathia system led to the Champaran Satyagraha of 1917.
