Modern History Set 111
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📌 Press & Literature • Social Reform
Q.1) The pioneering Bengali weekly newspaper Sambad Kaumudi, which actively campaigned for the abolition of Sati, was published by whom?
Ans > Raja Rammohan Roy
- Pioneering Publication and Inception: Sambad Kaumudi (meaning ‘The Moon of Intelligence’) was a highly influential Bengali weekly newspaper launched in 1821 by the great social reformer Raja Rammohan Roy. It stands as one of the very first Indian newspapers authored, edited, and published entirely by Indians, marking a watershed moment in the history of indigenous journalism.
- Crusade Against Sati: The publication is most historically celebrated for its relentless, fierce, and highly intellectual campaign against the barbaric orthodox Hindu practice of Sati (the immolation of widows). Roy utilized the newspaper to publish extensive articles proving that ancient Hindu scriptures (like the Vedas and Upanishads) did not sanction this practice.
- Impact and Abolition: The continuous public pressure generated by Sambad Kaumudi, combined with Roy’s persistent lobbying, profoundly influenced the British administration. It provided the necessary socio-religious backing for Governor-General Lord William Bentinck to officially pass the Bengal Sati Regulation (Regulation XVII) in 1829, legally banning the practice across British India.
📌 Press & Literature • Peasant Rights
Q.2) The prominent Bengali newspaper Som Prakash, known for its staunch support of the Indigo cultivators, was launched in 1858 by which social reformer?
Ans > Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
- Launch and Editorial Leadership: Som Prakash was launched in 1858 under the direct guidance and financial backing of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, while Dwarkanath Vidyabhusan served as its primary editor. It quickly became the leading voice of the Bengali intelligentsia.
- Pro-Peasant Stance and Indigo Revolt: The newspaper gained immense historical significance for its fearless reporting and staunch support of the oppressed rural peasantry. During the Indigo Revolt (1859-60), it actively exposed the brutal exploitation by British indigo planters, bringing rural grievances directly to the attention of the Calcutta educated elite.
- Target of the Vernacular Press Act: Because of its highly critical stance on British imperial policies and its massive influence in radicalizing the vernacular population, Som Prakash was heavily targeted. It became one of the primary reasons Lord Lytton hastily passed the draconian Vernacular Press Act in 1878 to suppress local-language journalism.
📌 Press & Literature • Freedom Struggle
Q.3) The Hindu Patriot, an English weekly that fearlessly exposed the atrocities of British indigo planters, was notably edited by whom?
Ans > Harish Chandra Mukherjee
- Founding and Fearless Journalism: Originally founded by Girish Chandra Ghosh in 1853, The Hindu Patriot became a formidable force in Indian journalism after Harish Chandra Mukherjee took over as its editor in 1855. It was an English-language weekly that became the primary voice of early Indian nationalism.
- Role in the Indigo Rebellion: Under Mukherjee’s editorship, the paper continuously published deeply investigated, harrowing accounts of the physical violence, illegal confinement, and economic exploitation inflicted upon Bengali peasants by European indigo planters. It served as the intellectual backbone of the Indigo Revolt (1859-60).
- Legal Battles and Legacy: Harish Chandra Mukherjee went beyond just writing; he provided free legal advice and financial support to the revolting peasants. His relentless activism drew the fury of the British planters, leading to numerous libel suits that eventually ruined his health and finances, but cemented his legacy as a patriot.
📌 Press & Literature • Extremist Phase
Q.4) During the Swadeshi Movement, the English-language daily Bande Mataram became a powerful voice for the Extremist faction. Who was its editor?
Ans > Aurobindo Ghosh
- Voice of Militant Nationalism: The Bande Mataram newspaper was initially founded in 1906 by Bipin Chandra Pal, but it reached its zenith of radical influence and intellectual depth under the brilliant editorship of Sri Aurobindo Ghosh.
- Ideology During the Swadeshi Movement: Emerging during the intense anti-partition Swadeshi Movement, the daily heavily propagated the ideals of absolute Swaraj (complete independence) rather than mere administrative reforms. It strongly advocated for militant nationalism, passive resistance, and the complete boycott of British goods and institutions.
- Sedition Trial and Closure: The British government, terrified by its immense popularity and revolutionary tone, frequently targeted the publication. Aurobindo was arrested for sedition in 1907 in connection with the paper’s articles, though he was acquitted. The paper was eventually forced to shut down in 1908 amidst heavy British crackdowns.
📌 Press & Literature • Revolutionary Movement
Q.5) The revolutionary publication Ghadar (Rebellion), which served as the mouthpiece of the Ghadar Party in North America, was first published in 1913 in which language?
Ans > Urdu
- Inception in San Francisco: The Ghadar newspaper, meaning ‘Rebellion’ or ‘Mutiny’, was first published on November 1, 1913, from the Yugantar Ashram in San Francisco, California. Its very first edition was printed entirely in the Urdu language.
- Multilingual Expansion for Maximum Reach: Realizing the need to reach a broader base of expatriate Indian laborers, students, and soldiers, the publication rapidly expanded. It was subsequently printed in Gurmukhi (Punjabi), Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, and even English to spread the message of armed rebellion.
- Content and Revolutionary Impact: The weekly paper featured fiery, anti-imperialist poetry, detailed accounts of British atrocities in India, and explicit calls for a violent uprising to overthrow colonial rule. It was secretly smuggled into India and distributed among soldiers in the British Indian Army to incite a mutiny during World War I.
📌 Press & Literature • Mass Awakening
Q.6) Bal Gangadhar Tilak used his powerful newspapers to awaken the masses. While Kesari was published in Marathi, in which language was Mahratta published?
Ans > English
- Dual Language Strategy: Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a towering leader of the Extremist faction, masterfully utilized a dual-publication strategy starting in 1881 to maximize his political reach. He used Kesari (The Lion), published in Marathi, to connect deeply and emotionally with the local masses in Maharashtra.
- The Purpose of Mahratta: The Mahratta, on the other hand, was published entirely in English. Its primary objective was to clearly articulate aggressive nationalist demands, political critiques, and economic grievances directly to the educated Indian elite and the British administrative establishment.
- Role in the Nationalist Struggle: Through both publications, Tilak popularized the iconic slogan “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it.” His fiery editorials in these papers led to his multiple arrests on charges of sedition, most notably in 1897 and 1908, heavily boosting his mass popularity.
📌 Press & Literature • Home Rule Movement
Q.7) The English weekly New India and the daily Commonweal, both instrumental in promoting the Home Rule Movement, were published by whom?
Ans > Annie Besant
- Establishing Ideological Platforms: British socialist, theosophist, and staunch Indian nationalist Annie Besant acquired the failing Madras Standard in 1914 and subsequently renamed it New India. Alongside her other publication, the Commonweal, these journals became her primary political tools.
- The Home Rule Demand: Through these highly influential publications, Besant relentlessly campaigned for self-government (Home Rule) for India along the specific lines of white dominions like Australia, New Zealand, and Canada within the British Empire.
- Catalyst for Mass Mobilization: Her powerful, persuasive editorials in New India effectively radicalized the moderate sections of the Indian National Congress and paved the way for the massive launch of the All India Home Rule League in 1916, marking a highly active phase in Indian politics during WWI.
📌 Press & Literature • Nationalist Unity
Q.8) The highly influential Urdu weekly Al Hilal, which played a vital role in forging Hindu-Muslim unity and spreading nationalist ideas, was started in 1912 by whom?
Ans > Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
- A Turning Point in Urdu Journalism: Started in Calcutta in 1912, Al Hilal (The Crescent) marked a massive turning point in Urdu journalism. Founded by the brilliant scholar Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, it featured unprecedented visual layouts, high-quality printing, and deeply intellectual content.
- Anti-Imperialist and Unifying Stance: The weekly was vehemently anti-British and sought to actively draw Indian Muslims away from the loyalist, pro-British politics associated with the Aligarh movement. It strongly advocated for Hindu-Muslim unity and urged Muslims to join the mainstream Indian nationalist struggle.
- Suppression and Censorship: Due to its fiery nationalist tone and massive popularity, the British government viewed Al Hilal as a severe threat. Under the draconian Press Act of 1910, they repeatedly demanded hefty security deposits and eventually confiscated its press entirely in 1914, forcing it to shut down.
📌 Press & Literature • Gandhian Era
Q.9) To propagate his ideas and social campaigns, Mahatma Gandhi edited several prominent journals. Which of the following was NOT edited by Gandhi?
Ans > The Independent
- Gandhian Journalism Fleet: Mahatma Gandhi was a prolific writer and editor who used journalism as a weapon for mass mobilization. His prominent edited journals include Indian Opinion (in South Africa), Young India (in English), Navjivan (in Gujarati), and later Harijan (to heavily campaign against untouchability).
- The Origins of ‘The Independent’: The Independent was actually started by the prominent lawyer and nationalist leader Motilal Nehru in 1919 in Allahabad. It was launched specifically to counter the moderate, pro-British leaning of the existing newspaper ‘The Leader’.
- Purpose of The Independent: Under Motilal Nehru’s direction, The Independent became a strong voice for the radical demands of the Indian National Congress, heavily criticizing British policies, especially in the wake of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the subsequent Rowlatt Satyagraha.
📌 Press & Literature • Dalit Emancipation
Q.10) The fortnightly Marathi newspaper Mooknayak (Leader of the Voiceless), launched in 1920 to champion the rights of the depressed classes, was founded by whom?
Ans > Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
- Voice for the Voiceless: Launched on January 31, 1920, Mooknayak was Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s very first major journalistic venture. The newspaper was established with the crucial financial assistance of the progressive ruler, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur.
- Fierce Social Critique: The fortnightly publication fiercely criticized the deeply entrenched orthodox Hindu social order and the caste system. It boldly exposed the daily humiliations faced by the untouchables (Dalits) and argued that mere political independence from the British was useless without establishing social equality.
- Foundation of Dalit Awakening: Mooknayak laid the heavy intellectual and ideological groundwork for the organized Dalit political movement in India. Through its columns, Ambedkar advocated for separate electorates and special provisions for the depressed classes, arguing they were a distinct minority needing political safeguards.
📌 Peasant & Tribal Uprisings • Bengal/Jharkhand
Q.11) The Santhal Rebellion (1855–56) was a massive uprising aimed at expelling the British and the dikus (outsiders) from the region extending from Bhagalpur to Rajmahal. What was this region called?
Ans > Damin-i-Koh
- The Demarcated Land of Santhals: Damin-i-Koh (meaning ‘skirts of the hills’ in Persian) was a heavily forested tract of land in the Rajmahal hills (present-day Jharkhand). It was officially demarcated by the British in the 1830s specifically for Santhal settlement to encourage them to practice settled agriculture and generate steady revenue.
- Causes of the Uprising: The Santhals soon found themselves trapped. They were ruthlessly exploited by ‘dikus’—outsider Hindu and Muslim money lenders (mahajans) who charged astronomical interest rates, corrupt local police (darogas), and brutal British revenue officials who confiscated their lands for unpaid debts.
- The Violent Explosion: Led by the charismatic brothers Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu, the Santhal ‘Hul’ (rebellion) erupted in 1855. Over 60,000 Santhals mobilized, armed with bows, arrows, and axes. They systematically attacked money lenders, zamindars, and British railway engineers before being brutally suppressed by the heavily armed British military under martial law.
📌 Peasant & Tribal Uprisings • Chotanagpur
Q.12) The Munda Ulgulan (Great Tumult) of 1899–1900 in the Chotanagpur region aimed at establishing a Munda Raj and driving out outsiders. Who was its charismatic leader?
Ans > Birsa Munda
- Erosion of Tribal Rights: The Ulgulan (Great Tumult) was primarily triggered by the systematic destruction of the traditional ‘Khuntkatti’ (joint landholding) system of the Munda tribe. The British administration had introduced outsider jagirdars, thikadars (contractors), and moneylenders who rapidly reduced the independent Mundas to landless bonded laborers.
- Birsa’s Prophetic Leadership: Birsa Munda emerged as a powerful, messianic figure. He combined a socio-religious reform movement—urging his followers to give up alcohol, clean their villages, and worship only one God (Singbonga)—with a highly militant agrarian and political struggle against British imperialism and Christian missionaries.
- The Rebellion and its Legacy: In 1899, Birsa mobilized thousands of Mundas in a guerilla war to establish a ‘Birsaite Raj’. They attacked churches, police stations, and British officials. Although Birsa was captured in 1900 and died in Ranchi jail, the uprising forced the British to pass the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act of 1908, which legally recognized the Khuntkatti rights and restricted the transfer of tribal land to non-tribals.
📌 Peasant & Tribal Uprisings • Agrarian Revolt
Q.13) The historic Indigo Revolt (1859-60) in Bengal, protesting the coercive cultivation of indigo by European planters, was initiated by which two leaders in the Nadia district?
Ans > Digambar Biswas and Bishnucharan Biswas
- The Fraudulent Dadon System: European planters forced Bengali peasants to sign fraudulent contracts and take small cash advances (‘dadon’) to cultivate indigo instead of food crops. Once a peasant took the advance, they fell into an inescapable debt trap, as planters paid rock-bottom prices for the indigo and used physical violence to ensure compliance.
- The Spark in Govindpur: In late 1859, the tipping point occurred in Govindpur village (Nadia district). Led by Digambar Biswas and Bishnucharan Biswas (former employees of an indigo planter), the peasants completely refused to take the advances and collectively resolved to stop sowing indigo entirely, regardless of the consequences.
- Mass Strike and the Commission: The strike spread like wildfire across Bengal. The peasants physically fought off the planters’ armed thugs (lathiyals) and initiated massive rent strikes. Backed heavily by the Calcutta intelligentsia (like Harish Chandra Mukherjee and Dinabandhu Mitra), the movement succeeded, forcing the government to appoint the Indigo Commission (1860) which ruled the system was deeply oppressive, ending indigo cultivation in Bengal.
📌 Peasant & Tribal Uprisings • Agrarian Leagues
Q.14) The Pabna Agrarian Leagues emerged in the 1870s in Bengal as a peaceful, legalistic peasant movement against the oppressive exactions of whom?
Ans > Local Zamindars
- Legalistic Nature of Protest: Unlike the earlier violent tribal uprisings, the Pabna peasant movement (1873-1876) was notable for its highly organized, peaceful, and legalistic approach. The peasants formed powerful agrarian leagues to organize massive rent strikes and raise common funds specifically to fight legal battles in British courts.
- Core Grievances Against Landlords: The uprising in the Yusufshahi pargana of Pabna district was directed entirely against the newly emerged, oppressive local Zamindars. These landlords frequently evicted tenants, destroyed occupancy rights granted by Act X of 1859, and ruthlessly extorted illegal cesses (abwabs) far beyond the legal rent limits.
- “The Queen’s Ryots Only”: The peasants remained strictly loyal to the British Crown, famously declaring they wished to be “the Queen’s ryots (tenants) and of Her only,” asking for government protection from the Zamindars. The movement ultimately led the British to pass the Bengal Tenancy Act of 1885, granting better occupancy rights to the cultivators.
📌 Peasant & Tribal Uprisings • Maharashtra
Q.15) The Deccan Riots of 1875 were an agrarian revolt by the peasants of Maharashtra directed primarily against which group?
Ans > Marwari and Gujarati moneylenders
- The Economic Catalyst: The end of the American Civil War in 1865 caused a sudden, catastrophic crash in international cotton prices. Simultaneously, the British Bombay government arbitrarily increased the land revenue assessment by up to 50%. This devastating combination forced the Deccan ryots (peasants) into severe, inescapable debt.
- Targeting the Outsiders: The ensuing riots, starting in Supa village in the Poona district in 1875, were heavily directed at the outsider moneylender class—primarily Marwaris and Gujaratis. The peasants viewed them as the immediate instruments of their misery due to their fraudulent accounting practices and exorbitant interest rates.
- Nature of the Riots: The uprising was unique; it was essentially a social boycott that turned into a systematic campaign of destruction of debt records. Peasants attacked the houses of moneylenders specifically to publicly burn debt bonds, decrees, and account books (bahi khatas), generally avoiding extreme physical violence against the moneylenders themselves. This led to the Deccan Agriculturists Relief Act of 1879.
📌 Peasant & Tribal Uprisings • Gandhian Method
Q.16) The Champaran Satyagraha of 1917, marking Mahatma Gandhi’s first civil disobedience movement in India, was launched against which oppressive agricultural system?
Ans > Tinkathia
- The Tinkathia Exploitation: European planters in the Champaran district of Bihar had established a deeply oppressive system known as ‘Tinkathia’. Under this system, local peasants were legally bound by contract to cultivate indigo on 3/20th (three kathas out of twenty) of their most fertile landholdings at heavily depressed prices fixed by the planters.
- Gandhi’s Arrival and Defiance: Invited by a local peasant leader, Rajkumar Shukla, Gandhi arrived in Champaran to investigate the conditions. When the British district magistrate ordered Gandhi to immediately leave the district, he famously refused and offered to face imprisonment, marking the first act of Civil Disobedience in the Indian freedom struggle.
- Victory and Abolition: The massive public pressure and Gandhi’s meticulous, systematic collection of testimonies from thousands of peasants forced the government to back down. They appointed the Champaran Agrarian Committee (with Gandhi as a member), which ultimately recommended the complete abolition of the Tinkathia system and partial refunds of illegal exactions to the peasants.
📌 Peasant & Tribal Uprisings • Gujarat
Q.17) The Kheda Satyagraha of 1918 was an agrarian movement where peasants demanded the remission of land revenue. It is famously known as Gandhi’s first experiment with what?
Ans > Non-Cooperation
- The Agrarian Crisis in Kheda: In 1918, the Kheda district of Gujarat was devastated by massive crop failures and a deadly plague epidemic. According to the official Bombay Revenue Code, if the crop yield was less than one-fourth of the normal yield, farmers were legally entitled to total remission of the land revenue. The British administration stubbornly refused to grant this relief.
- The First Non-Cooperation: Stepping in to lead the struggle, Mahatma Gandhi (assisted heavily by a young Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel) advised the peasants to completely withhold the payment of land revenue. This collective refusal to pay taxes to an unjust authority is historically recorded as Gandhi’s first major experiment with ‘Non-Cooperation’ in India.
- Resolution and Political Awakening: Despite severe government repression, including the confiscation of cattle and land, the peasants remained resolute and non-violent. Eventually, the government yielded to the pressure, issuing a secret order to suspend the tax for the year and return the confiscated property, thereby heavily awakening the political consciousness of the Gujarati peasantry.
📌 Peasant & Tribal Uprisings • Kerala
Q.18) The Moplah Rebellion of 1921 was an intense agrarian uprising by Muslim tenants against Hindu landlords (jenmis) and the British state. In which region did this occur?
Ans > Malabar (Kerala)
- Deep-Rooted Agrarian Grievances: The Moplahs (or Mappilas) were primarily poor Muslim cultivators and tenants in the Malabar region of North Kerala. For decades, they suffered under a deeply exploitative land tenure system controlled by upper-caste Hindu landlords (jenmis), who enjoyed the absolute backing of British colonial courts and police, leading to arbitrary evictions and extortionate rent demands.
- Intersection with Khilafat and Non-Cooperation: The simmering agrarian discontent exploded when the nationalist Khilafat and Non-Cooperation movements reached Malabar in 1921. The religious fervor of the Khilafat movement heavily mixed with the economic desperation of the tenants, providing the spark for a massive, organized uprising.
- Tragic Communal Shift: Initially, the rebellion was heavily directed against the symbols of the British state (police stations, courts, and treasuries). However, when the British clamped down with extreme military force, the movement lost its central leadership and tragically devolved into violent communal riots against the Hindu landlords, severely fracturing the nationalist unity in the region.
📌 Peasant & Tribal Uprisings • Sardar Patel
Q.19) In 1928, the peasants of Bardoli in Gujarat launched a highly successful no-tax campaign against an arbitrary increase in land revenue. Who led this Satyagraha?
Ans > Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- The Unjust Revenue Hike: In 1928, despite a severe drop in international cotton prices and agrarian distress, the Bombay Presidency arbitrarily increased the land revenue assessment in the Bardoli taluka (Gujarat) by a staggering 22%. The peasants’ pleas for a reassessment were entirely ignored by the British authorities.
- Masterful Organization and Leadership: Vallabhbhai Patel took charge of the movement and demonstrated unparalleled organizational skills. He divided the taluka into camps, published daily bulletins, mobilized massive numbers of women, and united different castes to initiate a complete, non-violent ‘no-tax’ strike, shutting down the local administration completely.
- Victory and the ‘Sardar’ Title: Unable to break the absolute solidarity of the peasants despite mass arrests and land confiscations, the government was forced to appoint the Maxwell-Broomfield commission, which declared the hike unjustified and reduced it to a mere 6%. Impressed by his incredible leadership, the women of Bardoli officially bestowed upon Patel the title “Sardar” (The Leader).
📌 Peasant & Tribal Uprisings • Bengal Sharecroppers
Q.20) The Tebhaga Movement of 1946 in Bengal was a militant campaign by sharecroppers demanding a larger share of the harvest. What was their specific demand?
Ans > A two-thirds share of the crop for themselves and one-third for the landlord
- The Plight of the Bargadars: In Bengal, sharecroppers (known as bargadars or adhiars) traditionally handed over half (50%) of their entire harvest to the wealthy jotedars (landlords) as rent. This was deeply unjust because the sharecroppers provided the labor, the cattle, the seeds, and bore all the costs of cultivation entirely themselves.
- The Tebhaga Demand: Guided by the Bengal Provincial Kisan Sabha (the peasant front of the Communist Party), the sharecroppers launched a militant movement demanding the immediate implementation of the Floud Commission’s recommendation. The demand was “Tebhaga” (three shares), meaning two-thirds of the harvested crop for the tiller and only one-third for the landlord.
- Direct Action and Legacy: The movement saw intense direct action, with sharecroppers harvesting the paddy and taking it directly to their own threshing floors (khalans) instead of the landlords’ compounds. Despite facing severe police firing and violence from landlords’ thugs, the movement laid the essential groundwork for post-independence land reform legislation in West Bengal.
📌 INC Sessions • Foundation
Q.21) The first session of the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1885 was attended by 72 delegates. Who presided over this inaugural session?
Ans > W.C. Bonnerjee
- The Historic Inauguration: The Indian National Congress (INC) was officially founded on the initiative of Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British civil servant. The inaugural session was originally planned for Poona but was shifted due to a cholera outbreak, eventually being held at the Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay from December 28-30, 1885.
- The First President: Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, a highly prominent, English-educated Bengali lawyer, was unanimously elected as the very first President of the INC. His presidency symbolized the pan-Indian, secular, and elite professional character of the early nationalist movement.
- Early Objectives and Moderation: Attended by 72 delegates (mostly lawyers, journalists, and educators) from across India, the first session focused on moderate demands. These included the expansion of legislative councils, the holding of simultaneous ICS examinations in India and England, and a reduction in massive military expenditure, firmly laying the foundation for organized Indian nationalism.
📌 INC Sessions • Swaraj Resolution
Q.22) The Indian National Congress’s resolution on ‘Swaraj’ (self-government within the British Empire) was formally adopted in its 1906 session held in Calcutta. Who presided over this session?
Ans > Dadabhai Naoroji
- A Congress on the Brink of Split: The 1906 Calcutta session took place amidst the fiery backdrop of the Swadeshi movement against the partition of Bengal. Tensions were incredibly high between the Moderates (who wanted to restrict protests to Bengal) and the Extremists (who wanted a nationwide boycott and mass mobilization).
- The Grand Old Man’s Compromise: To prevent a disastrous, early split in the party, the widely respected “Grand Old Man of India,” Dadabhai Naoroji, was brought in from London to preside. His immense stature temporarily pacified both warring factions.
- The Historic Declaration of Swaraj: In his presidential address, Naoroji made a monumental shift in Congress policy. He formally declared that the ultimate political goal of the Indian National Congress was “Swaraj or self-government like that of the United Kingdom or the colonies,” marking the first time the INC officially used the term Swaraj as a policy goal.
📌 INC Sessions • The Split
Q.23) The historic split between the Moderates and the Extremists occurred during the 1907 session of the INC. In which city was this chaotic session held?
Ans > Surat
- The Ideological Boiling Point: The compromise achieved in Calcutta in 1906 collapsed entirely by 1907. The Moderates (led by Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Pherozeshah Mehta) sought to backpedal on the radical resolutions of Boycott and Swadeshi, whereas the Extremists (led by the Lal-Bal-Pal triumvirate) wanted to aggressively escalate the nationwide militant struggle.
- The Surat Showdown: The session was deliberately shifted from Extremist-stronghold Nagpur to Surat (a Moderate stronghold). When the Moderates pushed to elect Rash Behari Ghosh as President instead of the Extremist choice (Lala Lajpat Rai), the session descended into utter chaos.
- Physical Altercations and the Aftermath: The meeting ended in physical fights on the stage, with chairs and shoes being thrown. The Extremists were formally expelled from the Congress. This tragic split massively weakened the nationalist movement for nearly a decade, allowing the British to ruthlessly crush the Extremist leaders with sedition charges and deportation.
📌 INC Sessions • Unity Restored
Q.24) The historic Lucknow Pact of 1916 brought the Moderates and Extremists together and forged an alliance between the Congress and the Muslim League. Who presided over this INC session?
Ans > Ambica Charan Majumdar
- The Reunion of Nationalist Forces: The 1916 Lucknow session, presided over by Moderate leader Ambica Charan Majumdar, was a watershed moment. After nine years of political exile, the Extremists, led by a newly released Bal Gangadhar Tilak and energized by Annie Besant, were officially readmitted into the Indian National Congress.
- Forging the Lucknow Pact: The session is most famous for the historic ‘Lucknow Pact’—a formal political alliance between the Indian National Congress and the All India Muslim League. This unity was primarily architected by Tilak and a young Muhammad Ali Jinnah (who was then a staunch ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity).
- The Controversial Compromise: To present a united front to the British demanding post-war political reforms, the Congress remarkably agreed to accept the Muslim League’s core demand for separate religious electorates (a concession they had fiercely opposed since 1909). While it achieved temporary unity, historians argue this concession legitimized communal politics in India.
📌 INC Sessions • Gandhian Leadership
Q.25) Mahatma Gandhi presided over the Indian National Congress session only once in his lifetime. In which year and location did this occur?
Ans > 1924, Belgaum
- The Context of the Divide: Following Gandhi’s sudden withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1922 and his subsequent imprisonment, a deep rift formed within the Congress. The ‘Pro-Changers’ (Swarajists like C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru) wanted to contest elections and enter legislative councils to wreck them from within, while the ‘No-Changers’ (like Rajendra Prasad) wanted to strictly focus on Gandhi’s constructive village programs.
- Gandhi as Peacemaker: Released from prison on medical grounds in early 1924, Gandhi found the Congress on the verge of another catastrophic split. To prevent this, he agreed to preside over the 1924 session held in Belgaum (Karnataka)—the only time he ever accepted the formal presidency of the INC.
- The Belgaum Compromise: Using his immense moral authority, Gandhi forged a vital compromise. He officially recognized the Swaraj Party as the legislative wing of the Congress, allowing them to contest elections on behalf of the INC. In return, he ensured the entire party formally committed to his mandatory spinning (Khadi) and untouchability eradication programs.
📌 INC Sessions • Purna Swaraj
Q.26) The historic Lahore session of the Indian National Congress in December 1929 is famous for passing a resolution declaring what as its ultimate political goal?
Ans > Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence)
- Frustration with Dominion Status: Throughout the 1920s, the Congress had officially demanded ‘Dominion Status’ (self-rule within the British Empire), culminating in the Nehru Report of 1928. However, following the arrogant British rejection of this report and Viceroy Irwin’s vague promises, the younger, radical wing of the Congress demanded a drastic shift in policy.
- The Purna Swaraj Resolution: Presided over by the youthful Jawaharlal Nehru, the Lahore session in December 1929 passed the monumental ‘Purna Swaraj’ resolution. The Congress definitively abandoned the demand for Dominion Status, declaring that their sole, uncompromising political goal was complete, absolute independence from the British Empire.
- The January 26th Declaration: To heavily mobilize the masses behind this new goal, the Congress declared that January 26, 1930, would be observed nationwide as ‘Independence Day’. On this day, public pledges of civil disobedience were taken across the country, setting the immediate stage for Gandhi’s iconic Salt March, and establishing the date that would later be chosen for India’s Republic Day.
📌 INC Sessions • Fundamental Rights
Q.27) At the 1931 Karachi session, the Congress passed landmark resolutions on Fundamental Rights and the National Economic Programme. Who presided over this session?
Ans > Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- A Session Under Tension: The Karachi session of March 1931 was held under incredibly tense circumstances. It took place just days after the controversial Gandhi-Irwin Pact (which suspended the Civil Disobedience Movement) and immediately following the British execution of the beloved revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev, which had deeply angered the youth and radical factions.
- Sardar Patel’s Leadership: Under the firm, stabilizing presidency of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Congress managed to endorse the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (paving the way for Gandhi to attend the Round Table Conference) while simultaneously passing a resolution strongly admiring the bravery and sacrifice of Bhagat Singh and his comrades.
- Defining the Meaning of Swaraj: The most historic achievement of the Karachi session was the adoption of the Resolution on Fundamental Rights and National Economic Programme (drafted primarily by Jawaharlal Nehru). It was the first time the Congress clearly spelled out what ‘Swaraj’ would actually mean for the common masses—guaranteeing civil liberties, universal adult franchise, free primary education, and state ownership of key industries.
📌 INC Sessions • Tripuri Crisis
Q.28) At the highly contested Tripuri Congress session in 1939, Subhas Chandra Bose was re-elected as President by defeating which candidate officially endorsed by Mahatma Gandhi?
Ans > Pattabhi Sitaramayya
- The Ideological Divide: In 1939, a massive ideological clash erupted within the Congress. Subhas Chandra Bose, seeking a second consecutive term, strongly advocated for taking advantage of the impending World War II by launching an immediate, militant mass struggle to overthrow the British. The conservative Old Guard, heavily backed by Gandhi, believed the masses were not ready for non-violent struggle and opposed an ultimatum to the British.
- The Electoral Upset: When Bose refused to step down, the Old Guard fielded Pattabhi Sitaramayya as their candidate, with Gandhi publicly declaring Sitaramayya’s defeat would be his own personal defeat. In a historic internal election, Bose decisively defeated Sitaramayya by 1580 to 1377 votes, heavily exposing the growing radical sentiment within the party ranks.
- Resignation and the Forward Bloc: Despite his electoral victory, Bose was completely paralyzed. The Gandhi-loyalist members of the Congress Working Committee resigned en masse and refused to cooperate with him. Realizing he could not function without Gandhi’s support in a deeply divided party, Bose resigned from the presidency in April 1939 and subsequently formed the left-wing ‘Forward Bloc’ within the Congress.
📌 INC Sessions • Final Struggle
Q.29) The historic ‘Quit India’ Resolution, launching the final mass struggle for independence, was passed by the Congress Working Committee on August 8, 1942, in which city?
Ans > Bombay
- The Breaking Point: By mid-1942, Indian frustration had reached a boiling point. The complete failure of the Cripps Mission to offer any real guarantee of immediate self-government, combined with wartime inflation, harsh British requisitioning policies in Bengal, and the terrifying, imminent threat of a Japanese invasion on India’s eastern borders, forced the Congress to take drastic action.
- The Gowalia Tank Maidan: The historic All India Congress Committee (AICC) session met at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay. On the night of August 8, 1942, they officially ratified the ‘Quit India’ Resolution. The resolution unequivocally demanded an immediate end to British rule in India to allow Indians to defend their own country against fascism.
- Gandhi’s “Do or Die” Call: Following the passing of the resolution, Mahatma Gandhi delivered a highly uncharacteristic, passionate, and militant speech, issuing his famous mantra: “Do or Die. We shall either free India or die in the attempt.” Before dawn the next morning, the entire top leadership of the Congress, including Gandhi and Nehru, were arrested in a massive British sweep, leaving the ensuing mass uprising completely leaderless but incredibly fierce.
📌 INC Sessions • Independence
Q.30) At the time of India’s independence in August 1947, who was serving as the President of the Indian National Congress?
Ans > J.B. Kripalani
- Leadership During Transition: Acharya J.B. Kripalani, a veteran Gandhian and long-serving General Secretary of the party, was elected as the President of the Indian National Congress at the highly consequential Meerut session in November 1946. He held this critical position throughout the chaotic and deeply violent period leading up to the partition and the official transfer of power on August 15, 1947.
- The Burden of Partition: During his presidency, Kripalani had the immensely difficult task of maintaining the party’s organizational coherence amidst the horrific communal violence of Partition. He was heavily involved in the agonizing debates within the Congress Working Committee that ultimately led to the bitter acceptance of the Mountbatten Plan and the division of the country.
- Post-Independence Friction: Kripalani’s tenure highlights the immediate post-independence friction between the party organization and the newly formed government. He strongly believed that the Congress President should be heavily consulted on all major government policies. When Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel insisted that the government must be independent of party dictation, Kripalani resigned from the presidency in November 1947.
📌 Quick Summary — Modern History Set 111
- Sambad Kaumudi: Raja Rammohan Roy’s Bengali weekly campaigning against Sati.
- Som Prakash: Launched by Vidyasagar, it supported the Indigo cultivators.
- Hindu Patriot: Edited by Harish Chandra Mukherjee; exposed Indigo planter atrocities.
- Bande Mataram: Extremist English daily edited by Aurobindo Ghosh.
- Ghadar: Revolutionary mouthpiece published in North America, first in Urdu (1913).
- Mahratta: Tilak’s powerful nationalist newspaper published in English.
- New India & Commonweal: Annie Besant’s journals promoting Home Rule.
- Al Hilal: Maulana Azad’s 1912 Urdu weekly promoting nationalism and unity.
- The Independent: Started by Motilal Nehru (NOT edited by Gandhi).
- Mooknayak: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s 1920 Marathi paper for the depressed classes.
- Santhal Rebellion: Centered in the Damin-i-Koh region against dikus.
- Munda Ulgulan: Led by Birsa Munda in Chotanagpur (1899–1900).
- Indigo Revolt: Initiated by the Biswas brothers in Nadia district, Bengal.
- Pabna Agrarian Leagues: Peaceful peasant protest against local Zamindars in the 1870s.
- Deccan Riots (1875): Agrarian revolt against Marwari and Gujarati moneylenders.
- Champaran Satyagraha: Gandhi’s first civil disobedience against the Tinkathia system.
- Kheda Satyagraha: Gandhi’s first experiment with Non-Cooperation over land revenue.
- Moplah Rebellion: Violent uprising in Malabar against jenmis and the state.
- Bardoli Satyagraha: Highly successful no-tax campaign led by Sardar Patel in 1928.
- Tebhaga Movement: Sharecroppers demanded a 2/3 share of the harvest in Bengal.
- INC 1885: The first session in Bombay was presided over by W.C. Bonnerjee.
- INC 1906: Swaraj resolution adopted under Dadabhai Naoroji in Calcutta.
- INC 1907: The historic Moderate-Extremist split occurred at Surat.
- INC 1916: Ambica Charan Majumdar presided over the Lucknow Pact session.
- INC 1924: The only session Mahatma Gandhi presided over was in Belgaum.
- INC 1929: Purna Swaraj resolution passed at Lahore under Nehru.
- INC 1931: Karachi session passed Fundamental Rights under Sardar Patel.
- INC 1939: Subhas Chandra Bose defeated Pattabhi Sitaramayya at Tripuri.
- Quit India 1942: The mass struggle resolution was passed in Bombay.
- Independence 1947: J.B. Kripalani was the INC President during the transfer of power.
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