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Modern History Set 64 | MROY Class

Modern History Set 64

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📌 Nationalism • Personalities

Q.1) Which prominent nationalist leader, who organized the ‘Red Shirts’ (Khudai Khidmatgars), was popularly known as the ‘Frontier Gandhi’?

Ans > C) Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
  • The Rise of Frontier Gandhi: Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was a towering, deeply respected Pashtun leader originating from the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). He earned the affectionate title “Frontier Gandhi” due to his absolute, unwavering commitment to Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violent resistance, even in a region traditionally known for its martial culture.
  • Formation of the Red Shirts: In 1929, he founded the Khudai Khidmatgar (Servants of God) movement. His dedicated volunteers were popularly referred to as the “Red Shirts” simply because their homemade uniforms were dyed with cheap red brick dust. They played an absolutely critical role in mobilizing mass civil disobedience against British imperial rule in the frontier region.
  • Post-Partition Legacy & Honor: Unlike many contemporary politicians, Ghaffar Khan vehemently and heartbrokenly opposed the 1947 partition of India, famously lamenting that his people had been “thrown to the wolves.” After independence, he endured decades of harsh imprisonment under the Pakistani government. In 1987, his monumental contributions to the unified freedom struggle were recognized when he became the very first non-Indian citizen to be awarded the Bharat Ratna.
📌 Freedom Struggle • Organizations

Q.2) The Swaraj Party was formed in 1923 by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru following the failure and suspension of which major mass movement?

Ans > B) Non-Cooperation Movement
  • The Vacuum Post-Suspension: The massive Non-Cooperation Movement was abruptly and controversially suspended by Mahatma Gandhi in February 1922 following the violent Chauri Chaura incident. This sudden halt left a massive political vacuum and caused deep frustration among younger leaders and radical factions who felt the movement was at its absolute peak.
  • The Genesis at the Gaya Session: During the December 1922 Gaya session of the Indian National Congress, C.R. Das (serving as the President) heavily advocated for ending the boycott of legislative councils. When his proposal was defeated by the “No-Changers” (orthodox Gandhians like Vallabhbhai Patel), Das and Motilal Nehru immediately resigned from their posts.
  • Strategy of Council Entry: In January 1923, they formally established the Congress-Khilafat Swarajya Party (popularly the Swaraj Party). Their core strategy was not to cooperate with the British, but rather to enter the legislative councils and practice “uniform, continuous and consistent obstruction” to thoroughly expose the utter hollowness of the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 from within the government machinery.
📌 Indian National Congress • History

Q.3) The Indian National Congress, founded in 1885, aimed to unite leaders from all communities. Who was elected as its first Muslim President in 1887?

Ans > C) Badruddin Tyabji
  • A Pioneer in Legal and Social Spheres: Badruddin Tyabji was a highly distinguished intellectual, becoming the very first Indian barrister to practice in the prestigious Bombay High Court. Alongside prominent leaders like Pherozeshah Mehta and K.T. Telang, he was deeply instrumental in founding the Bombay Presidency Association in 1885, a crucial precursor to organized nationalism in western India.
  • Historic 1887 Madras Session: Recognizing his massive influence, Tyabji was unanimously elected to preside over the third annual session of the Indian National Congress held in Madras in December 1887. This election was a powerful, deliberate statement by the Congress to strictly establish its secular credentials and represent all Indian demographics.
  • Bridging the Communal Divide: During his presidential address, Tyabji aggressively challenged the growing narrative (often pushed by figures like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan) that Muslims should remain aloof from the Congress. He passionately argued that the political and economic interests of Indian Muslims were absolutely identical to those of Hindus, urging massive Muslim participation in the nationalist struggle against colonial exploitation.
📌 INC Sessions • Purna Swaraj

Q.4) The famous ‘Purna Swaraj’ (Complete Independence) resolution was adopted by the Indian National Congress in 1929 at its historic session held in which city?

Ans > C) Lahore
  • The Shift from Dominion Status: Prior to 1929, the official demand of the Congress (as outlined in the 1928 Nehru Report) was limited to achieving “Dominion Status” within the British Empire. However, intense pressure from radical youth leaders, specifically Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru, forced the old guard to abandon this moderate stance.
  • The Midnight Declaration: Presided over by the young and dynamic Jawaharlal Nehru, the monumental Lahore session was held on the freezing banks of the River Ravi. At exactly midnight on December 31, 1929, Nehru proudly hoisted the newly designed tricolor flag, officially declaring that the ultimate, non-negotiable goal of the Indian freedom struggle was now ‘Purna Swaraj’ or absolute, complete independence.
  • The Legacy of January 26: During this historic session, the Congress working committee officially mandated that January 26, 1930, would be celebrated nationwide as the first “Independence Day.” Millions of Indians took public pledges of freedom on this date. Decades later, to honor this specific historic memory, the drafters of the Indian Constitution deliberately chose January 26, 1950, as the date to officially enact the Constitution, now celebrated as Republic Day.
📌 British Policies • Expansion

Q.5) Which British Governor-General systematically utilized the ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ to annex several Indian princely states?

Ans > B) Lord Dalhousie
  • The Mechanics of the Doctrine: Implemented ruthlessly during his tenure (1848–1856), Lord Dalhousie’s ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ was a heavily controversial annexation policy. It brazenly dictated that if the ruler of a dependent Indian princely state died without a natural, biological male heir, the state would “lapse” back to the British East India Company, strictly invalidating the ancient Hindu legal tradition of adopting an heir to inherit the throne.
  • A Trail of Annexations: Using this thinly veiled legal excuse for massive territorial expansion, Dalhousie systematically swallowed numerous prominent kingdoms. The most notable victims of this aggressive policy included Satara (1848), Jaitpur and Sambalpur (1849), Udaipur (1852), Jhansi (1853), and Nagpur (1854). This resulted in massive British land grabs across the subcontinent.
  • Fueling the 1857 Rebellion: The rampant application of this doctrine created intense paranoia, deep resentment, and utter insecurity among all Indian royalty and the aristocracy. The forceful dispossession of popular rulers, most famously Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, directly alienated powerful ruling houses, making this aggressive expansionist policy one of the primary, explosive political catalysts that ignited the massive Revolt of 1857.
📌 Tragic Events • Independence

Q.6) The tragic Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which deeply scarred the Indian psyche and shifted the course of the freedom struggle, took place in which year?

Ans > C) 1919
  • The Explosive Prelude: Tensions in Punjab were at an absolute boiling point due to the draconian Rowlatt Act and the sudden, unwarranted arrest of highly popular local nationalist leaders, Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal. The region had been placed under strict martial law, prohibiting public gatherings, a fact largely unknown to the rural populace.
  • The Brutal Executions on Baisakhi: On April 13, 1919, a massive, peaceful crowd of thousands of men, women, and children gathered at the enclosed Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar to celebrate the Baisakhi harvest festival. General Reginald Dyer marched his troops in, deliberately blocked the only narrow exit, and without any warning whatsoever, ordered his men to fire continuously until their ammunition was totally exhausted (1,650 rounds).
  • The National Aftermath: While the official British Hunter Commission vastly downplayed the death toll to 379, the Indian National Congress estimated well over 1,000 casualties. The sheer, unrepentant brutality of the event shattered any remaining Indian illusions regarding British justice. It prompted Rabindranath Tagore to publicly renounce his prestigious British Knighthood in sheer disgust and permanently transformed Mahatma Gandhi from a loyal subject into an uncompromising rebel.
📌 Political Organizations • Subhas Chandra Bose

Q.7) After resigning from the presidency of the Indian National Congress in 1939, Subhas Chandra Bose founded which political organization?

Ans > B) The Forward Bloc
  • The Intense Tripuri Crisis: At the highly contentious 1939 Tripuri session of the Congress, Subhas Chandra Bose audaciously ran for a second term as President. He dramatically defeated Pattabhi Sitaramayya, who was explicitly backed by Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi declared Sitaramayya’s defeat as his own personal defeat, triggering a massive internal crisis.
  • The Forced Resignation: Following his democratic victory, the entire conservative old guard of the Congress Working Committee (including Vallabhbhai Patel) essentially boycotted Bose, refusing to cooperate with his radical agenda of delivering a six-month ultimatum to the British. Realizing he could not function without Gandhi’s support, Bose voluntarily resigned from the presidency in April 1939.
  • Formation of the Forward Bloc: Immediately following his resignation, in May 1939, Bose founded the “All India Forward Bloc” functioning strictly as a radical, left-wing faction within the broader Indian National Congress. His primary, aggressive objective was to consolidate all divided socialist, youth, and anti-imperialist forces to launch an immediate, uncompromising mass struggle against British rule, specifically capitalizing on the chaos of the impending World War II.
📌 Treaties & Pacts • Civil Disobedience

Q.8) The Gandhi-Irwin Pact, which resulted in the temporary suspension of the Civil Disobedience Movement, was signed in which year?

Ans > B) 1931
  • The Context of the Negotiations: The massive, nationwide success of the 1930 Salt March and the ensuing Civil Disobedience Movement had deeply shaken the British administration. To break the resulting political deadlock and ensure Congress participation in the upcoming constitutional talks, moderate leaders like Tej Bahadur Sapru and M.R. Jayakar heavily mediated unprecedented, equal-level talks between Viceroy Lord Irwin and Mahatma Gandhi.
  • Terms of the Historic Truce: Signed on March 5, 1931, the pact mandated several massive concessions. The British agreed to immediately release all political prisoners not convicted of violent crimes, return confiscated properties, and permit coastal villagers the right to manufacture salt for personal consumption. In return, Gandhi agreed to unilaterally halt the Civil Disobedience Movement.
  • The Bhagat Singh Controversy: A highly critical and historically debated aspect of this pact was Gandhi’s agreement to attend the Second Round Table Conference in London. However, the pact faced massive, furious backlash from Indian youth because Gandhi utterly failed to secure the commutation of the death sentences of revolutionary heroes Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru, who were subsequently hanged just weeks later.
📌 Conferences • Constitutional Reforms

Q.9) In 1930, the First Round Table Conference was convened to discuss future constitutional reforms for India. In which city was it held?

Ans > C) London
  • The Intent and the Venue: The First Round Table Conference was officially inaugurated by King George V and chaired by the British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald in London, spanning from November 1930 to January 1931. Its primary agenda was to thoroughly discuss the deeply flawed constitutional reforms previously recommended by the boycotted Simon Commission.
  • A Conference Without the Main Actor: This conference was historically unique as it was the very first time Indian representatives were invited to sit as equals with British officials. However, it was fundamentally crippled from the start because the Indian National Congress—the absolute largest and most dominant political organization in India—strictly boycotted it, as its top leadership was imprisoned during the Civil Disobedience Movement.
  • Key Attendees and Outcomes: Despite the Congress boycott, the conference was heavily attended by representatives of the Muslim League (like Jinnah and the Aga Khan), the Hindu Mahasabha, the Liberals, representatives of the Princely States, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar representing the Depressed Classes. While it established the broad consensus for an “All-India Federation,” it was completely powerless to implement real change without the participation of the Congress.
📌 Commissions & Protests

Q.10) The Simon Commission (1927) was greeted with black flags and massive boycotts across India primarily because:

Ans > B) It had no Indian members
  • The Purpose of the Commission: Formally known as the Indian Statutory Commission, it was appointed by the British Conservative government in 1927, two full years ahead of schedule. Its strict mandate was to review the functioning of the dyarchy system introduced by the Government of India Act of 1919 and recommend further constitutional reforms.
  • The Ultimate Insult: The primary trigger for the massive national outrage was that the commission consisted entirely of seven white British Members of Parliament (including a young Clement Attlee). Indian leaders across the entire political spectrum felt utterly insulted that foreigners were sent to decide the constitutional destiny of India without including a single Indian representative.
  • The Tragic Consequence in Lahore: Wherever the commission traveled in 1928, they were met with absolute hostility, massive black flag demonstrations, and deafening chants of “Simon Go Back.” The most tragic outcome of these boycotts occurred in Lahore, where the veteran nationalist leader Lala Lajpat Rai was severely beaten during a brutal police lathi charge, leading to his untimely death shortly after.
📌 Armed Struggle • INA

Q.11) The Indian National Army (INA), which sought to secure India’s independence with Japanese assistance, was originally founded in 1942 by whom?

Ans > C) Captain Mohan Singh
  • The Genesis in Southeast Asia: Following the disastrous fall of Singapore to Japanese forces in February 1942, the British Indian Army suffered a massive collapse. A brilliant Japanese intelligence officer, Major Fujiwara, actively encouraged an Indian prisoner of war, Captain Mohan Singh, to systematically organize a liberation army.
  • Formation of the First INA: Capitalizing on intense anti-British sentiment among the captured soldiers, Captain Mohan Singh successfully recruited roughly 40,000 Indian POWs to form the very first division of the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) by September 1942, intending to march alongside the Japanese to liberate India.
  • Collapse and Famous Revival: The first INA rapidly collapsed by December 1942 due to severe strategic disagreements between Mohan Singh and the Japanese military command over the army’s size and independent role, leading to Singh’s arrest. However, the foundational structure he built was famously and massively revived, expanded, and led to global prominence by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1943.
📌 Social Reformers • Organizations

Q.12) The ‘Servants of India Society’ was founded in 1905 to prepare dedicated volunteers for national service. Who was its founder?

Ans > C) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
  • The Vision of Selfless Service: The highly respected moderate leader Gopal Krishna Gokhale formally founded the Servants of India Society in Pune in June 1905. Deeply influenced by the teachings of M.G. Ranade, Gokhale realized that India desperately needed a dedicated, disciplined cadre of selfless national missionaries to drive genuine grassroots development.
  • Strict Vows and Secular Focus: Members of the society were required to take severe vows of poverty, strict obedience, and absolute dedication to serving the nation, irrespective of caste, creed, or religion. Their primary field operations focused heavily on organizing famine relief, promoting female education, uplifting tribal communities, and eradicating the stigma of untouchability.
  • Apolitical Stance: Unlike many organizations of the era, the Society maintained a remarkably strict distance from active political agitations and revolutionary activities. Their belief was that true political freedom was meaningless without deep social reform and mass education. To propagate their views, the society established the influential English newspaper, The Hitavada, in 1911.
📌 Mass Movements • Khilafat

Q.13) In 1920, the Indian National Congress launched a massive countrywide movement in alliance with the Khilafat Movement. Which movement was it?

Ans > B) Non-Cooperation Movement
  • The Strategic Alliance: Post-World War I, Indian Muslims were deeply enraged by the harsh British treatment of the Ottoman Empire (the Caliphate). Recognizing a once-in-a-century opportunity, Mahatma Gandhi successfully allied the Khilafat demands with the national demands to redress the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and attain Swaraj (self-rule), creating massive Hindu-Muslim unity.
  • The Launch and Methods: Formally ratified at the Nagpur Congress session in December 1920, the Non-Cooperation Movement was the first truly massive, nationwide mass movement. It advocated for the peaceful, total boycott of British educational institutions, law courts, foreign manufactured cloth, and the surrender of British titles and honors.
  • Constructive Programs: Beyond mere boycotts, the movement heavily pushed a “constructive program.” This involved the massive popularization of spinning the charkha (spinning wheel), wearing khadi, promoting indigenous (national) schools, and a vigorous campaign against the social evil of untouchability. This movement permanently transformed the Congress from an elite debating club into a revolutionary mass party.
📌 Historical Incidents • Movement Halt

Q.14) The violent incident at Chauri Chaura in February 1922 led Mahatma Gandhi to abruptly call off which ongoing movement?

Ans > C) Non-Cooperation Movement
  • The Flashpoint in Gorakhpur: On February 4, 1922, in the small market town of Chauri Chaura located in the Gorakhpur district of the United Provinces, a large, previously peaceful procession of protesters participating in the Non-Cooperation Movement was aggressively fired upon by local police after a minor altercation.
  • The Violent Retaliation: Deeply enraged by the unprovoked firing, the massive mob furiously chased the retreating, out-of-ammunition policemen back into their station house. The mob then locked the doors from the outside and set the entire police station ablaze, brutally burning alive 22 policemen and 3 civilian chaukidars.
  • Gandhi’s Drastic Decision: News of this horrific violence utterly devastated Mahatma Gandhi. Convinced that the Indian masses were not yet fully trained in the strict, spiritual discipline of absolute non-violence (Ahimsa), he unilaterally called an immediate halt to the entire Non-Cooperation Movement on February 12, sparking immense anger and confusion among top Congress leaders who felt freedom was imminent.
📌 Partition • Bengal History

Q.15) The highly controversial Partition of Bengal, enacted in 1905, was eventually annulled by the British government in which year?

Ans > B) 1911
  • Curzon’s Divisive Strategy: Officially enacted on October 16, 1905, by Viceroy Lord Curzon, the massive Bengal Presidency was sliced into two. While the official British excuse was “administrative convenience,” the blatant underlying motive was to systematically weaken the powerful center of Bengali nationalism by creating a Hindu-majority West and a Muslim-majority East.
  • The Birth of Swadeshi: This highly arrogant partition instantly triggered an unprecedented mass political uprising. It birthed the Swadeshi (indigenous) and Boycott movements, where millions took to the streets singing Vande Mataram, tying rakhis to symbolize unity, and creating massive public bonfires of imported Manchester cloth, deeply hurting British economic interests.
  • The Reversal at the Durbar: Due to relentless, crippling mass political protests and the terrifying rise of underground revolutionary terrorism across Bengal, the British were finally forced to concede. In December 1911, during the magnificent Delhi Durbar, King George V officially annulled the partition, reuniting the Bengali-speaking areas, while simultaneously moving the imperial capital from Calcutta to Delhi.
📌 Economic History • Drain of Wealth

Q.16) The pioneering book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India, which detailed the economic exploitation of India, was authored by whom?

Ans > B) Dadabhai Naoroji
  • The Grand Old Man’s Analysis: Dadabhai Naoroji, universally revered as the “Grand Old Man of India,” was a brilliant Parsi intellectual and the first Asian to become a British Member of Parliament (1892). He utilized his massive platform to aggressively highlight the systematic economic destruction of the subcontinent by British policies.
  • The Drain of Wealth Theory: In his seminal 1901 book, he meticulously formulated the “Drain of Wealth” theory. He utilized deep statistical analysis to prove that immense Indian wealth was being continuously drained to Britain via “Home Charges”—which included the massive salaries and pensions of British officials, military expenditures, and guaranteed high-interest payments to British railway investors.
  • Economic Foundation of Nationalism: Naoroji successfully argued that this relentless, one-way economic drain—yielding zero return to India—was the fundamental root cause of the devastating famines and the extreme, crushing poverty of the Indian peasantry. His economic critique provided the vital intellectual foundation for the early Indian nationalist movement’s demand for self-government.
📌 National Anthems & Songs

Q.17) The national song ‘Vande Mataram’, composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, was first sung in a political context at which session of the Indian National Congress?

Ans > B) 1896 Calcutta session
  • Origins in Anandamath: The highly evocative poem Vande Mataram (“I bow to thee, Mother”) was originally written in a mix of Sanskrit and Bengali by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in the 1870s. It was later prominently featured in his famous 1882 political novel Anandamath, which was set against the historical backdrop of the Sannyasi Rebellion.
  • The Historic Musical Debut: The poem was elevated to massive political prominence when the legendary poet Rabindranath Tagore personally set it to a profound tune and sang it publicly for the very first time at a political gathering during the 1896 Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress.
  • The Anthem of the Revolution: During the massive protests against the 1905 Partition of Bengal, the song became the absolute rallying cry and the beating heart of the Swadeshi movement. The British government, terrified by its unifying power, banned it completely. Following independence, it was officially adopted as the National Song of India in 1950, holding a status equal to Jana Gana Mana.
📌 Education • Institutions

Q.18) Which prominent nationalist leader, educationist, and social reformer was instrumental in the establishment of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1916?

Ans > C) Madan Mohan Malaviya
  • A Vision for Modern Education: Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya was a highly respected moderate political leader and four-time President of the Indian National Congress. He deeply believed that the true national awakening of India absolutely depended on an educational system that flawlessly blended modern scientific learning with the deep moral heritage of ancient Indian culture.
  • The Creation of BHU: In a massive collaborative effort alongside the British theosophist Annie Besant (who had previously founded the Central Hindu College) and Sunder Lal, Malaviya successfully established the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi in 1916. It stands historically significant as the very first fully residential university established in modern India.
  • Cultural and Political Legacy: Beyond his massive educational contributions, Malaviya was a deeply conservative Hindu leader who founded the Hindu Mahasabha in 1915. He is also immensely famous for popularizing the ancient Upanishadic phrase “Satyameva Jayate” (Truth alone triumphs), which later became India’s national motto. In 2014, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna.
📌 Commissions & Enquiries

Q.19) Following public outrage over the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the British government appointed which commission to investigate the events?

Ans > B) Hunter Commission
  • Formation of the Inquiry: Due to unprecedented mass outrage across the subcontinent following the April 1919 massacre, the British government was severely pressured to act. In October 1919, they officially formed the Disorders Inquiry Committee, universally referred to as the Hunter Commission after its chairman, the Scottish judge Lord William Hunter.
  • Dyer’s Arrogant Testimony: The commission comprised seven British officials and three prominent Indian members. During the highly publicized cross-examination, General Reginald Dyer displayed zero remorse, shockingly testifying that his explicit intention in firing upon the unarmed crowd was to produce a massive “moral effect” and strike terror throughout the entirety of Punjab.
  • A Whitewash and Congress Reaction: While the commission technically censured Dyer for firing without giving a warning, it recommended no serious penal or criminal action, merely forcing him to resign from the military (while he was actually praised as a “savior” by the British House of Lords). Deeply disgusted by this whitewash, the Indian National Congress formed its own unofficial, parallel inquiry committee led by Motilal Nehru and Gandhi.
📌 Draconian Laws • Resistance

Q.20) The draconian Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, which allowed the British to arrest individuals without warrant and hold them without trial, was popularly known by what name?

Ans > B) Rowlatt Act
  • The Blueprint of Tyranny: Officially passed in March 1919 based on the paranoid recommendations of the Sedition Committee chaired by Sir Sidney Rowlatt, this act was a massive betrayal. It effectively extended the severe, wartime emergency restrictions of the Defence of India Act directly into peacetime, aiming to crush the rising tide of nationalist revolutionary activities.
  • Absolute Denial of Rights: The legislation was incredibly draconian, granting the colonial police massive, unchecked powers. It allowed for indefinite preventive detention of political activists without trial, permitted completely warrantless arrests, and severely restricted press freedom. The Indian public succinctly summarized its horrors with the famous slogan: “No Dalil, No Vakil, No Appeal” (No arguments, no lawyers, no appeals).
  • Gandhi’s Rise to Prominence: The passage of the “Black Act” enraged the entire nation. It prompted a relatively new leader, Mahatma Gandhi, to organize the Rowlatt Satyagraha—his very first attempt at leading a massive, nationwide strike (Hartal). The violent suppression of these protests directly culminated in the horrifying tragedy of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
📌 Personalities • Mentorship

Q.21) Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in 1915 and was advised to tour the country for a year to understand its people. Who gave him this advice and is considered his political guru?

Ans > C) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
  • The Homecoming: When Mohandas K. Gandhi finally returned to India from South Africa on January 9, 1915 (a date now celebrated massively as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas), he was already famous for his successful civil rights campaigns abroad. However, he had been away for over two decades and was completely disconnected from the brutal realities of Indian grassroots politics.
  • The Master’s Advice: Gopal Krishna Gokhale, a highly respected moderate stalwart and the founder of the Servants of India Society, served as Gandhi’s primary mentor. Knowing Gandhi’s fiery spirit, Gokhale strictly advised him to keep his “ears open but mouth shut” for one entire year, instructing him to refrain from expressing political views until he truly understood the nation.
  • The Discovery of Real India: Following his guru’s sage advice, Gandhi embarked on an extensive, year-long third-class train journey across the massive expanse of the subcontinent. This grueling tour allowed him to witness the stark, crushing poverty of the rural peasantry firsthand, fundamentally shaping his future political philosophy and shifting the Congress’s focus from elite urban centers to the rural masses.
📌 INC History • The Split

Q.22) The historic split in the Indian National Congress between the Moderates and the Extremists took place in 1907 during the session held in which city?

Ans > A) Surat
  • The Boiling Ideological Divide: Following the massive Swadeshi Movement triggered by the 1905 Partition of Bengal, severe ideological cracks appeared in the Congress. The “Extremists” (led by the famous Lal-Bal-Pal trio) wanted to aggressively expand the boycott movement across the entire nation, while the “Moderates” (led by Gokhale) wanted to strictly confine it to Bengal and rely solely on petitions.
  • The Presidential Clash: The tensions reached an absolute climax at the 1907 session, which was controversially moved from Nagpur to Surat to prevent the Extremist leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak from presiding. The Extremists proposed Lala Lajpat Rai as president, while the Moderates staunchly backed Rash Behari Ghosh.
  • The Physical Altercation and Split: The session rapidly descended into absolute chaos and physical violence on the main stage, famously culminating in a shoe being thrown that struck the moderate leaders. The Congress was totally shattered; the British immediately seized the opportunity to ruthlessly jail the Extremist leaders, and the Moderates retained complete control of a much-weakened Congress until the historic 1916 Lucknow pact.
📌 Iconic Slogans • Quit India

Q.23) The inspiring slogan ‘Do or Die’ (Karo ya Maro) was delivered by Mahatma Gandhi during the launch of which historic movement?

Ans > D) Quit India Movement
  • The Crisis of 1942: The geopolitical situation in 1942 was incredibly dire. The total failure of the Cripps Mission to offer genuine independence, combined with the terrifying, rapid advance of the Japanese military towards India’s eastern borders, convinced the Congress that the British could no longer defend India and needed to leave immediately.
  • The August Kranti Launch: On August 8, 1942, at the massive Gowalia Tank Maidan (now August Kranti Maidan) in Bombay, the All India Congress Committee officially passed the historic Quit India resolution. It was a massive, aggressive demand for an immediate, total end to British imperial rule over the subcontinent.
  • The Final Mantra: It was during this pivotal session that an unusually fiery Mahatma Gandhi delivered his legendary speech, gifting the nation a final mantra: “Do or Die” (Karo ya Maro). He declared that Indians must either completely free India or utterly perish in the attempt. Before the sun rose the next day, the British arrested the entire Congress leadership, sparking a massive, spontaneous, and leaderless underground uprising across the country.
📌 Civil Services • Pioneers

Q.24) The Indian Civil Service (ICS) examination was extremely difficult for Indians to clear due to stringent rules. Who was the first Indian to successfully pass this exam?

Ans > B) Satyendranath Tagore
  • A Fortress Designed to Exclude: In the 19th century, the prestigious Indian Civil Service (ICS) was the absolute “steel frame” of British administration. The examination system was highly biased and deliberately designed to exclude native Indians: it was held exclusively in London, tested heavy classical subjects like Greek and Latin, and maintained an incredibly low maximum age limit (often 21 or 19).
  • Breaking the Ultimate Barrier: In a monumental achievement that shattered the myth of British intellectual superiority, Satyendranath Tagore (the brilliant elder brother of the poet Rabindranath Tagore) successfully traveled to London, mastered the necessary subjects, and became the very first Indian to pass the grueling ICS examination in 1863.
  • Paving the Way for Others: Satyendranath’s massive success served as a massive psychological boost for the educated Indian elite. He served as a judge in the Bombay Presidency and was a prominent social reformer. His breakthrough paved the way for subsequent nationalist luminaries like R.C. Dutt and Surendranath Banerjea, who successfully cracked the exam just a few years later in 1869.
📌 British Legislation • Judicial Equality

Q.25) The Ilbert Bill controversy of 1883, which sought to remove racial discrimination in the judiciary by allowing Indian judges to try European offenders, occurred during the tenure of which Viceroy?

Ans > C) Lord Ripon
  • The Liberal Intent: Lord Ripon was widely considered the most genuinely liberal and well-intentioned British Viceroy of India. In 1883, his law member, Sir Courtenay Ilbert, introduced a draft bill intended to simply remove a highly racist judicial anomaly. It proposed giving senior, highly qualified Indian magistrates in rural (mofussil) areas the legal jurisdiction to preside over criminal cases involving British or European subjects.
  • The Vicious “White Mutiny”: The mere suggestion that a “native” judge could hold power over a white European ignited an unprecedented, viciously racist backlash known as the “White Mutiny.” Wealthy European tea planters, indigo farmers, and British civil servants organized massive boycotts, openly mocking the capability and character of educated Indians.
  • The Bitter Lesson for Indians: Facing massive pressure and the threat of total administrative breakdown, Lord Ripon was humiliatingly forced to heavily dilute the bill. The amended version stated that a European could demand to be tried by a jury consisting of at least 50% Europeans. This deeply traumatic episode clearly proved to the educated Indian middle class that they would never achieve true equality under British rule, accelerating the urgent formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885.
📌 INC Foundations

Q.26) The inaugural session of the Indian National Congress in 1885, presided over by W.C. Bonnerjee, was attended by how many delegates from across the country?

Ans > B) 72
  • The Concept of a Safety Valve: The Indian National Congress was originally conceived by Allan Octavian Hume, a retired, sympathetic British civil servant. While modern historians debate his exact motives, it was widely believed at the time that Hume intended the organization to serve as a peaceful “safety valve” to vent growing Indian political frustrations and prevent another massive violent uprising like the 1857 revolt.
  • The Historic Gathering in Bombay: The inaugural session was initially scheduled to be held in Poona, but a sudden, severe cholera outbreak forced the venue to be rapidly shifted to Bombay. The historic first meeting commenced on December 28, 1885, at the Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, presided over by the prominent Bengali lawyer W.C. Bonnerjee.
  • The 72 Pioneers: Exactly 72 carefully selected delegates from various provinces across the subcontinent attended this highly significant first session. This elite group was predominantly composed of Western-educated professionals—lawyers, journalists, teachers, and landlords. Prominent attendees included legendary figures like Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, and Badruddin Tyabji, officially marking the birth of modern, organized nationalism in India.
📌 Transfer of Power

Q.27) To break the political deadlock and discuss the transfer of power, the British Prime Minister Clement Attlee sent the Cabinet Mission to India in which year?

Ans > C) 1946
  • The Post-War Reality: Following the massive devastation of World War II, a totally exhausted Britain, now led by the newly elected Labour Prime Minister Clement Attlee, realized that holding onto India was militarily and economically impossible. To rapidly negotiate a peaceful transfer of power, Attlee dispatched a high-powered, three-member Cabinet Mission to New Delhi in March 1946.
  • The Complex Federal Proposal: Comprising Lord Pethick-Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps, and A.V. Alexander, the mission explicitly rejected the Muslim League’s demand for a separate, sovereign Pakistan. Instead, they proposed a highly complex, loose three-tiered federal structure: a weak central government (handling only Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Communications), and two lower tiers consisting of powerful autonomous provinces grouped by religious majority.
  • The Collapse into Chaos: The plan also called for the immediate formation of an Interim National Government and a Constituent Assembly to frame the new constitution. While both the Congress and the Muslim League initially (and highly reluctantly) accepted the long-term plan, vastly differing interpretations regarding the compulsory grouping of provinces led to a total breakdown in talks, prompting Jinnah to devastatingly call for “Direct Action Day” in August 1946, plunging India into communal violence.
📌 Viceroys • Quit India

Q.28) Who was the Viceroy of India when the historic Quit India Movement was launched in August 1942?

Ans > B) Lord Linlithgow
  • A Long and Tumultuous Tenure: Lord Linlithgow holds the record for serving the longest tenure as Viceroy of India (1936 to 1943). His administration oversaw massive structural changes, including the highly complex implementation of the Government of India Act 1935 and the pivotal provincial elections of 1937, which saw the Congress form ministries in a majority of provinces.
  • The Trigger of War: Linlithgow made the incredibly arrogant and fateful decision to unilaterally declare India a belligerent in World War II in September 1939, entirely without consulting the elected Indian political leadership. This immense insult caused all Congress provincial ministries to resign in mass protest, sparking a deep constitutional crisis that dominated the rest of his term.
  • The Iron Fist Response: When Gandhi launched the massive Quit India Movement in August 1942, Linlithgow responded with unprecedented, crushing brutality. He ordered the overnight, warrantless arrest of the entire Congress Working Committee and utilized severe military force to suppress the ensuing widespread, leaderless rebellion. His term is also deeply stained by his administration’s massive failure to prevent the catastrophic Bengal Famine of 1943.
📌 World War II • British Concessions

Q.29) In a bid to secure Indian cooperation during World War II, the British government issued a proposal promising Dominion Status after the war. This proposal, issued in 1940, is known as what?

Ans > B) The August Offer
  • The Desperation of 1940: Following the shocking fall of France and the terrifying Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940, the British Empire was in an incredibly desperate position. Realizing they absolutely needed the active cooperation of the Indian masses and resources for the war effort, Viceroy Lord Linlithgow issued a major statement in August 1940, known as the “August Offer.”
  • The Core Promises: This offer was historically significant because it was the very first time the British government officially and explicitly promised “Dominion Status” as the ultimate objective for India. Furthermore, it promised to heavily expand the Viceroy’s Executive Council to include a majority of Indians and conceded that the framing of a new constitution would be primarily the responsibility of Indians themselves after the war concluded.
  • Total Rejection and Satyagraha: Despite these concessions, the offer contained a fatal flaw: it granted a massive veto power to minorities (specifically catering to the Muslim League), stating no system would be transferred to a government whose authority was denied by strong elements of the population. The Congress completely rejected the offer, with Jawaharlal Nehru famously declaring that Dominion Status was as “dead as a doornail.” In response, Gandhi initiated the highly symbolic Individual Satyagraha campaign.
📌 Revolutionary Movements

Q.30) The Ghadar Party, an international political movement founded by expatriate Indians to overthrow British rule in India, was established in 1913 in San Francisco by whom?

Ans > C) Lala Hardayal
  • Origins on the Pacific Coast: In the early 20th century, thousands of Indians, predominantly Punjabi Sikh peasants and ex-soldiers, migrated to the Pacific Coast of North America (specifically California and British Columbia). Facing massive racial discrimination and restrictive immigration laws, they realized their utter degradation abroad was directly linked to their enslaved status back home.
  • Formation of the Ghadarites: In 1913, the brilliant intellectual Lala Hardayal, alongside key figures like Sohan Singh Bhakna and the young Kartar Singh Sarabha, formally established the Hindi Association of the Pacific Coast in Astoria, Oregon, later headquartered at the Yugantar Ashram in San Francisco. The movement became universally known as the Ghadar Party, named after their highly influential, radical weekly newspaper, The Ghadar (meaning Rebellion or Mutiny).
  • The Failed Mutiny Plot: Unlike the moderate Congress, the strict, uncompromising goal of the Ghadarites was to trigger a massive, armed, and violent mutiny against the British in India. Taking advantage of British troop deployments during World War I, thousands of Ghadarites secretly sailed back to Punjab to incite a nationwide army rebellion in February 1915. Tragically, their elaborate plot was entirely betrayed by British spies, resulting in the massive Lahore Conspiracy Case trials and the brutal executions of many young revolutionaries.

📌 Quick Summary — Modern History Set 64

  • Frontier Gandhi: Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Red Shirts/Khudai Khidmatgars).
  • Swaraj Party: Formed after the Non-Cooperation Movement’s failure.
  • 1887 INC President: Badruddin Tyabji (First Muslim President).
  • Purna Swaraj: Adopted at the 1929 Lahore session.
  • Doctrine of Lapse: Utilized by Lord Dalhousie for annexations.
  • Jallianwala Bagh: Occurred in 1919; investigated by the Hunter Commission.
  • Forward Bloc: Founded by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1939.
  • Gandhi-Irwin Pact: Signed in 1931, halting Civil Disobedience.
  • First Round Table: Held in London in 1930.
  • Simon Commission (1927): Boycotted for lacking Indian members.
  • Indian National Army: Originally founded by Captain Mohan Singh.
  • Servants of India: Founded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale (Gandhi’s guru).
  • Non-Cooperation Movement: Allied with Khilafat; halted due to Chauri Chaura.
  • Partition of Bengal: Annulled in 1911.
  • Dadabhai Naoroji: Authored ‘Poverty and Un-British Rule in India’.
  • Vande Mataram: First sung at the 1896 Calcutta session.
  • Banaras Hindu University: Established by Madan Mohan Malaviya in 1916.
  • Rowlatt Act: The draconian “Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act”.
  • Surat Split: The 1907 division between Moderates and Extremists.
  • Do or Die: Slogan of the 1942 Quit India Movement.
  • First ICS Officer: Satyendranath Tagore.
  • Ilbert Bill (1883): Occurred under Viceroy Lord Ripon.
  • First INC Session: Attended by 72 delegates.
  • Cabinet Mission: Arrived in 1946 to discuss power transfer.
  • Quit India Viceroy: Lord Linlithgow.
  • The August Offer (1940): Promised Dominion Status after WWII.
  • Ghadar Party (1913): Founded in San Francisco by Lala Hardayal.
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