Q201. The Arya Samaj was officially founded in the year 1875 in which of the following cities?
Modern Indian History: RAS Prelims MCQs
488 RAS Prelims practice MCQs on modern Indian history are on this page, in 12 chapters. They cover British expansion and early resistance, the Anglo-Sikh wars, the Revolt of 1857, colonial policies, reform movements, the rise of nationalism, the Gandhian era, revolutionary movements and Partition, and nation-building up to 2000. Each question has an answer and an explanation, in the formats the exam uses.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 201–210 of 488 questions
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Q202. Which of the following best exemplifies the application of the ‘Shuddhi’ movement launched by the Arya Samaj?
Explanation
The Shuddhi movement of the Arya Samaj brought back to Hinduism people who had converted to Islam or Christianity.
Q203. All of the following were educational initiatives associated with the Arya Samaj split, EXCEPT:
Explanation
The DAV College, Gurukul Kangri and the College Party’s English-with-Vedic-values education came out of the Arya Samaj split. The Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College was founded by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and has no link to it.
Q204. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa primarily emphasized which of the following paths to realize God?
Explanation
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa stressed devotion, universalism and the basic unity of all religions as the path to God.
Q205. Which is the most appropriate description of Swami Vivekananda’s ‘Neo-Vedanta’?
Explanation
Vivekananda’s Neo-Vedanta joined Vedantic spirituality with social service and humanism, taking religion to serve people.
Q206. In the context of Indian national awakening, consider the following statements, where one is labeled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): Swami Vivekananda laid great stress on national awakening and the physical strength of the youth.
Reason (R): He believed that a weak and hungry nation could not understand spirituality or uplift itself.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
Assertion (A): Swami Vivekananda laid great stress on national awakening and the physical strength of the youth.
Reason (R): He believed that a weak and hungry nation could not understand spirituality or uplift itself.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
Explanation
Vivekananda stressed national awakening and the strength of youth, because he believed a weak and hungry nation could not grasp spirituality or rise. R explains A.
Q207. Identify the incorrect statement regarding Swami Vivekananda.
Explanation
Vivekananda spoke at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in 1893, founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897 and attacked untouchability. He did not want to keep Western science apart from Eastern spirituality, so A is incorrect.
Q208. Match List-I (Book/Publication) with List- II (Author/Reformer) and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Codes:
| Book/Publication | Author/Reformer |
|---|---|
| A. Satyarth Prakash | i. Swami Vivekananda |
| B. Gulamgiri | ii. Dayananda Saraswati |
| C. Annihilation of Caste | iii. B.R. Ambedkar |
| D. Karma Yoga | iv. Jyotirao Phule |
Explanation
Swami Dayananda Saraswati authored Satyarth Prakash, which outlines the principles of the Arya Samaj. Jyotirao Phule wrote Gulamgiri to criticize the caste system. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste remains a seminal text on social reform. Swami Vivekananda’s Karma Yoga explains the path of spiritual realization through selfless action and service to humanity in the modern Indian world.
Q209. In the context of the history of social movements in India, consider the following statements regarding the Theosophical Society:
Statement I: The Theosophical Society was originally founded in the United States by Madame H.P. Blavatsky and Colonel H.S. Olcott.
Statement II: In India, the Society gained massive momentum by strongly opposing ancient Hindu and Buddhist philosophies.
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
Statement I: The Theosophical Society was originally founded in the United States by Madame H.P. Blavatsky and Colonel H.S. Olcott.
Statement II: In India, the Society gained massive momentum by strongly opposing ancient Hindu and Buddhist philosophies.
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
Explanation
The Theosophical Society was indeed founded in the United States by Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott. However, it did not gain momentum in India by opposing ancient philosophies. On the contrary, the Society actively promoted the study and appreciation of Hindu and Buddhist scriptures, helping many educated Indians regain confidence in their own cultural and spiritual traditions against Western influence.
Q210. Consider the following statements about Annie Besant’s contribution to Indian society:
I. She translated the Bhagavad Gita into English.
II. She founded the Central Hindu College at Varanasi, which later became the Banaras Hindu University.
III. She was staunchly opposed to the Indian national awakening and the Home Rule movement.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
I. She translated the Bhagavad Gita into English.
II. She founded the Central Hindu College at Varanasi, which later became the Banaras Hindu University.
III. She was staunchly opposed to the Indian national awakening and the Home Rule movement.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
Explanation
Annie Besant made significant contributions to Indian education and culture by translating the Bhagavad Gita and founding the Central Hindu College at Varanasi. Far from being opposed to national awakening, she was a central figure in the Home Rule movement and became the first woman president of the Indian National Congress. Her work focused on blending Indian tradition with modern education.Answer key for these questions
| Q | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| 201 | (c) Bombay |
| 202 | (c) Reconverting individuals who had previously left Hinduism for Islamic or Christian faiths. |
| 203 | (b) The establishment of the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College. |
| 204 | (d) Spiritual devotion, universalism, and the inherent unity of all major religious truths. |
| 205 | (a) It combined the spiritual teachings of Vedanta with practical social service and humanism. |
| 206 | (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. |
| 207 | (a) He advocated for the strict segregation of Western scientific materialism from Eastern spiritualism. |
| 208 | (a) A-ii, B-iv, C-iii, D-i |
| 209 | (c) Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect. |
| 210 | (a) I and II only |
Key facts from Modern Indian History
- The RPSC syllabus covers the period from the early 19th century to 2000: British imperialism, the Revolt of 1857, colonial policies, reform movements, nationalism, the freedom struggle, Partition and nation-building.
- Questions on colonial rule often turn on a single Act or reform and its year, such as the Government of India Act 1858 or the Indian Councils Act 1861.
- Freedom-struggle questions pair a movement with its leader, place and date, for example Champaran in 1917 and the Dandi March in 1930.
- Statement and chronology questions are common in the freedom struggle chapters, so learn events in order.
- The post-independence chapters cover state reorganisation, planning, bank nationalisation and the growth of science and technology.
Frequently asked questions
How many RAS Prelims practice MCQs are there on Modern Indian History?
This page has 488 practice MCQs on Modern Indian History. Each has the correct answer, and most have an explanation.
Which chapters does the modern Indian history set cover?
Twelve chapters: British imperialism and early resistance, Anglo-Sikh wars and the Doctrine of Lapse, the Revolt of 1857, political and administrative policies, economic policies, socio-religious reform movements, early nationalism, the Gandhian era, revolutionary and regional movements and Partition, state reorganisation, planning and reforms, and science and technology.
Which period does RAS Prelims modern history cover?
RPSC lists the modern period from the early 19th century to 2000, including British imperialism and resistance, the Revolt of 1857, British policies, nationalism, the freedom struggle, Partition and post-independence nation-building.
How should I prepare modern history for RAS Prelims?
Build a timeline of Acts, movements and leaders first. Then attempt each chapter, read the explanation for every miss and note the leader, place and year. Chronology questions are common, so revise the order of events a few times.