Modern History Set 66 | MROY Class

Modern History Set 66

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πŸ“Œ Social Reform β€’ Education

Q.1) The Hindu College in Calcutta, which later became Presidency College and played a vital role in the Bengal Renaissance, was established in 1817 by David Hare in collaboration with whom?

Ans > Raja Rammohan Roy
  • Foundation of Modern Education: Raja Rammohan Roy, a pioneering social reformer, collaborated closely with David Hare, a Scottish watchmaker and philanthropist, to formally establish the Hindu College in Calcutta in the year 1817. This institution was radically different from traditional pathshalas and madrasas, as it was specifically designed to impart secular, modern Western education, including sciences and humanities, alongside traditional Indian languages.
  • Bengal Renaissance Catalyst: The college quickly became the intellectual epicenter of the 19th-century Bengal Renaissance. It fostered an intense spirit of rationalism and free inquiry among its students, most notably sparking the radical ‘Young Bengal’ movement led by the brilliant Anglo-Indian teacher Henry Louis Vivian Derozio in the late 1820s.
  • Evolution into Presidency College: Recognizing its massive success and growing administrative needs, the British government eventually took over its management. In 1855, the institution was officially renamed Presidency College, cementing its long-standing legacy as the premier institution of higher learning in British India, producing generations of nationalist leaders, scientists, and modern thinkers.
πŸ“Œ Social Reform β€’ Education

Q.2) In 1849, the Bethune School was founded in Calcutta, marking a significant milestone in which social reform movement?

Ans > Women’s education
  • Pioneering Women’s Welfare: The Bethune School, originally known as the Hindu Female School, was founded by John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune in 1849 in Calcutta. It stands historically as the very first secular, government-recognized school exclusively for girls in the Indian subcontinent, marking a profound turning point in the women’s welfare movement.
  • Collaborative Effort: Bethune did not act alone. He received massive intellectual and administrative support from prominent Indian reformers. Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee donated the prime land for the institution, while Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, a fierce advocate for women’s rights, served as the indispensable secretary of the school.
  • Overcoming Orthodoxy: The establishment of the school marked a massive, permanent shift against the deeply entrenched patriarchal orthodoxy of the time. Initially, conservative families strictly refused to send their daughters, but the school eventually thrived, paving the way for the institutionalized higher education of Indian women and the eventual creation of Bethune College in 1879.
πŸ“Œ Press β€’ Nationalism

Q.3) The nationalist newspaper Amrita Bazar Patrika was launched in 1868 in Bengali before famously converting to English in 1878. Who were its founders?

Ans > Sisir Kumar Ghosh and Motilal Ghosh
  • Origins in Jessore: The immensely popular nationalist newspaper, Amrita Bazar Patrika, was initially launched in 1868 as a weekly Bengali publication by two brothers, Sisir Kumar Ghosh and Motilal Ghosh, operating out of a small village in the Jessore district before relocating its headquarters to Calcutta.
  • Evading the Vernacular Press Act: The publication is most historically famous for its brilliant evasion tactic in 1878. When Lord Lytton enacted the oppressive Vernacular Press Act specifically designed to completely silence and confiscate the assets of critical Indian-language newspapers, the Patrika famously transformed into an English-language newspaper overnight, effectively bypassing the draconian law.
  • Fearless Journalism: It remained one of the most widely read, deeply influential, and fearless nationalist publications in India. It consistently exposed the brutal economic exploitation by British indigo planters, heavily criticized the partition of Bengal in 1905, and openly aligned its editorial stance with the Extremist ideology of leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
πŸ“Œ Social Reform β€’ Organizations

Q.4) The socio-religious reform organization called the Dev Samaj, which emphasized high moral standards and the eternal existence of the soul, was founded in 1887 in Lahore by whom?

Ans > Shiv Narayan Agnihotri
  • Brahmo Samaj Origins: Shiv Narayan Agnihotri, who later adopted the spiritual name Satyanand Agnihotri, was originally a highly prominent, active leader within the Brahmo Samaj. However, theological differences led him to break away entirely and formally establish the Dev Samaj in 1887, headquartered in Lahore.
  • Philosophy of Dev Dharma: The core teachings of the organization were comprehensively compiled in a sacred text known as the ‘Dev Shastra’. The Dev Samaj strictly emphasized the absolute supremacy of the Guru (the spiritual teacher) and preached the scientific eternity of the human soul, moving away from pure Hindu orthodoxy.
  • Strict Moral Code: The organization heavily emphasized an incredibly strict, uncompromising moral and ethical code for all its followers. It campaigned aggressively and continuously against prevalent social evils, strictly forbidding practices such as taking bribes, alcohol consumption, gambling, and the consumption of meat among its initiated members.
πŸ“Œ Social Reform β€’ Movements

Q.5) The Radhaswami Movement, which believes in one Supreme Being and emphasizes a simple life without orthodox rituals, was founded in 1861 in Agra by whom?

Ans > Tulsi Ram (Shiv Dayal Saheb)
  • Spiritual Foundations: The highly influential Radhaswami Movement was founded in 1861 in the city of Agra by a pious banker named Tulsi Ram, who was widely and affectionately known among his followers as Shiv Dayal Saheb or Swamiji Maharaj.
  • Core Philosophy: The movement heavily preached the absolute supremacy of a single, formless Supreme Being. It strongly advocated for spiritual equality among all humans, completely rejecting the rigid caste system, and promoted a life of honest labor, simple living, and deep spiritual devotion.
  • Rejection of Dogma: Unlike orthodox Hinduism, the movement strictly avoided traditional temples, priests, idols, and complex religious rituals. Instead, it focused entirely on ‘Satsang’ (spiritual congregation), the vital guidance of a living Guru, and the internal, silent practice of ‘Surat Shabd Yoga’ (sound-current meditation) to achieve ultimate salvation.
πŸ“Œ British Policies β€’ Civil Service

Q.6) Which British Viceroy is infamous for reducing the maximum age limit for the Indian Civil Service (ICS) examination from 21 to 19 years in 1878, severely handicapping Indian candidates?

Ans > Lord Lytton
  • Deliberate Exclusion Strategy: Lord Lytton, acting as Viceroy, aggressively lowered the maximum permissible age for the prestigious Indian Civil Service (ICS) examination from 21 to an absurdly low 19 years in 1878. This was explicitly designed to prevent highly educated Indians from entering the upper echelons of the civil administration.
  • The Geographical Handicap: The age reduction was completely devastating because the examination was held strictly in London and tested heavily in classical European subjects like Greek and Latin. Expecting a 19-year-old Indian to master these subjects and travel to England made competing nearly impossible.
  • Nationalist Backlash: This highly discriminatory policy backfired on the British by becoming a massive rallying point for early Indian nationalists. It led directly to widespread, coordinated political agitation organized by Surendranath Banerjea and the Indian Association, accelerating the formation of a unified national political consciousness.
πŸ“Œ British Administration β€’ Economy

Q.7) Following the severe famines of 1876–78, the first Famine Commission was appointed in 1880 to formulate a famine code. Who chaired this commission?

Ans > Sir Richard Strachey
  • The Great Famine Context: Between 1876 and 1878, a devastating famine swept across the Madras, Mysore, Hyderabad, and Bombay presidencies, killing millions. The tragedy was heavily exacerbated by Viceroy Lord Lytton’s deeply controversial decision to continue exporting grain and host the extravagant Delhi Durbar while people starved.
  • Famine Policy Shift: Following massive public outcry in Britain and India, the Strachey Commission of 1880, chaired by Sir Richard Strachey, was established. It marked the very first serious attempt by the British Raj to formally acknowledge state responsibility during massive crop failures, proposing the creation of a definitive, standardized Famine Code.
  • Relief Recommendations: The commission explicitly recommended that the ruthless collection of land revenue should be immediately suspended during confirmed droughts. Furthermore, it stated that the colonial state must proactively provide massive public works employment (like canal digging) to ensure rural populations could earn enough to afford basic food grains.
πŸ“Œ Economy β€’ Industry

Q.8) The first modern jute mill in India, signaling the beginning of the jute industry under British capital, was established in 1855 at which location?

Ans > Rishra, Bengal
  • Industrial Catalyst on the Hooghly: The very first modern jute spinning mill in India, known as the Wellington Jute Mill, was established in 1855 by an English entrepreneur named George Acland. It was strategically located in Rishra, situated on the banks of the Hooghly River near Calcutta.
  • Imported Technology: The establishment of this mill was a major logistical feat, requiring the heavy machinery to be entirely imported from Dundee, Scotland, which was the global center of jute manufacturing at the time. This signaled the absolute beginning of the highly lucrative Indian jute industry.
  • British Capital Dominance: Unlike the booming cotton textile mills in Bombay, which were largely driven by indigenous Indian (primarily Parsi and Gujarati) capital, the massive Bengal jute industry was overwhelmingly funded, controlled, and monopolized entirely by British and Scottish managing agencies, exploiting extremely cheap local Bengali labor.
πŸ“Œ Nationalism β€’ Organizations

Q.9) The Indian Association of Calcutta, founded in 1876, was one of the most important pre-Congress nationalist organizations. It was led by Surendranath Banerjea and whom?

Ans > Anand Mohan Bose
  • Pre-Congress Platform: The Indian Association of Calcutta was formally established in 1876 by the dynamic leadership duo of Surendranath Banerjea and Anand Mohan Bose. It served as the most significant and highly organized pre-Congress nationalist political organization in British India.
  • Unifying Agenda: The primary, stated objective of the Association was to aggressively seek the creation of a strong body of public opinion and to effectively unify the fragmented Indian populace on a common political platform, overriding deep-seated regional, religious, and caste differences.
  • Civil Service & Political Agitation: It successfully led the massive, nationwide political campaign against Lord Lytton’s discriminatory reduction of the ICS age limit, the oppressive Vernacular Press Act, and the Arms Act. Through these massive all-India campaigns, it essentially laid the organizational groundwork for the Indian National Congress.
πŸ“Œ Nationalism β€’ INC

Q.10) The Indian National Congress elected its first English President during its 1888 session held in Allahabad. Who was he?

Ans > George Yule
  • Symbol of Secular Inclusivity: George Yule, a highly prominent Scottish businessman, founder of the Andrew Yule Company, and former Sheriff of Calcutta, was elected as the fourth President of the Indian National Congress during the highly contentious Allahabad session in 1888.
  • British Liberal Support: His presidency was highly strategic. It visibly demonstrated that the early, moderate phase of the Congress enjoyed the sympathy and active political support of liberal British elites and administrators who genuinely favored gradual Indian administrative reforms.
  • Countering Dufferin’s Hostility: Yule’s election was also a direct, calculated response to the growing hostility of the British administration. Just prior to this session, Viceroy Lord Dufferin had publicly mocked the INC as representing merely a “microscopic minority” of Indians, making the presence of a respected British figurehead a powerful political statement.
πŸ“Œ Nationalism β€’ INC

Q.11) The controversial “Safety Valve Theory” regarding the foundation of the Indian National Congress suggests that the INC was created under the guidance of Lord Dufferin by which retired British civil servant?

Ans > Allan Octavian Hume
  • The Safety Valve Concept: This prominent historical theory suggests that Allan Octavian (A.O.) Hume, a retired British civil servant, established the INC with the secret blessings of Viceroy Lord Dufferin. The specific goal was to provide a peaceful, constitutional “safety valve” for the growing discontent among educated Indians, preventing another violent mass uprising like the Revolt of 1857.
  • Extremist Propaganda: The theory gained massive traction when it was heavily popularized by Extremist leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai in his writings for ‘Young India’. They used the theory specifically to criticize the Moderate leaders, portraying the INC as a British-engineered compromise rather than a genuine revolutionary body.
  • Modern Historiography: While the secret CID reports cited by Hume were likely exaggerated or fabricated, modern historians like Bipan Chandra reject the Safety Valve theory. Instead, they propose the “lightning conductor” theory, arguing that early Indian leaders strategically utilized Hume to prevent immediate British suppression of their nascent, vulnerable political organization.
πŸ“Œ Nationalism β€’ INC

Q.12) During the 1907 Surat session of the Indian National Congress, the historic split between the Moderates and Extremists occurred. Who presided over this turbulent session?

Ans > Rash Behari Ghosh
  • Ideological Clash: The 1907 session was the climax of a massive ideological war. The Extremists (led by the formidable trio of Lal, Bal, and Pal) wanted to aggressively expand the Swadeshi and Boycott movements beyond Bengal and demanded complete self-government (Swaraj). The Moderates strictly preferred constitutional petitions and localized protests.
  • The Presidential Dispute: The Extremists heavily backed Lala Lajpat Rai (or Bal Gangadhar Tilak) for the presidency, while the Moderates utilized their organizational control to officially nominate Rash Behari Ghosh. The session, originally planned for Poona, was strategically moved to the Moderate stronghold of Surat to secure Ghosh’s victory.
  • The Violent Split: The session completely broke down into physical chaos, famously culminating in shoes being thrown at the leaders on the podium. The Moderates, retaining control of the party machinery, formally expelled the Extremists from the Congress, leading to a disastrous decade of political stagnation until their reunification in 1916.
πŸ“Œ Nationalism β€’ INC

Q.13) In 1916, the Lucknow Pact brought about a historic agreement between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League. Who was the President of the Congress during this session?

Ans > Ambica Charan Majumdar
  • Political Unity Restored: Presided over by the veteran Moderate leader Ambica Charan Majumdar, the 1916 Lucknow session was highly significant for restoring political harmony. Majumdar famously declared, “If the united congress was buried at Surat, it is reborn in Lucknow,” celebrating the official re-admission of the Extremists (led by Tilak) into the Congress fold.
  • The Historic Pact: The session is most famous for the signing of the Lucknow Pact with the Muslim League (represented prominently by Jinnah). Driven by the pressure of World War I and the Home Rule movement, both massive organizations agreed to present a unified demand to the British for immediate dominion status and constitutional reforms.
  • Separate Electorates Concession: To achieve this temporary Hindu-Muslim political unity against British rule, the Congress formally accepted the Muslim League’s highly controversial demand for separate electoratesβ€”a massive constitutional concession that had far-reaching, tragic consequences for the future communal partition of India.
πŸ“Œ Mass Movements β€’ Peasant

Q.14) The Tinkathia system, which forced peasants to cultivate indigo on 3/20th of their land, was the primary grievance that led Mahatma Gandhi to launch which movement?

Ans > Champaran Satyagraha
  • First Civil Disobedience in India: Launched in 1917 in the Champaran district of Bihar, the Champaran Satyagraha holds massive historical significance as Mahatma Gandhi’s very first successful experiment with active civil disobedience and Satyagraha on Indian soil, following his return from South Africa.
  • Economic Exploitation: European planters forced local, impoverished peasants to grow completely unremunerative indigo on 3/20th of their holdings under the highly exploitative Tinkathia system. When synthetic dyes crashed the global indigo market, planters brutally extorted massive illegal compensations from the trapped farmers.
  • Methodical Inquiry: Invited by local leader Rajkumar Shukla, Gandhi arrived and defied police orders to leave. He conducted a massive, methodical, village-by-village inquiry, collecting thousands of testimonies. The overwhelming public pressure forced the British to abolish the Tinkathia system via the Champaran Agrarian Act and compensate the farmers.
πŸ“Œ Mass Movements β€’ Peasant

Q.15) During the Kheda Satyagraha of 1918, Mahatma Gandhi advised the peasants to withhold revenue payments due to crop failure. Which local leader emerged as a prominent organizer alongside Gandhi during this movement?

Ans > Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
  • First Non-Cooperation Experiment: The Kheda movement in Gujarat in 1918 marked Gandhi’s first true “non-cooperation” campaign. The peasants were suffering from massive crop failures due to drought and a concurrent plague epidemic, yet the rigid British administration ruthlessly demanded full payment of land revenue.
  • The Revenue Code Violation: According to the official Bombay Revenue Code, if the crop yield was less than 25% of the normal yield, farmers were legally entitled to total tax remission. The government completely ignored its own laws, prompting Gandhi to advise a total boycott of tax payments.
  • Rise of the Sardar: A young, highly successful lawyer named Vallabhbhai Patel gave up his lucrative legal practice to heavily organize the rural peasants. Traveling tirelessly from village to village, Patel ensured absolute discipline and non-violence among the farmers, rapidly emerging as Gandhi’s most trusted and highly efficient political lieutenant.
πŸ“Œ Tribal Uprisings β€’ Rebellion

Q.16) The Rampa Rebellion (1922–24) in the Godavari Agency of the Madras Presidency was a major tribal uprising against British forest laws. Who led this rebellion?

Ans > Alluri Sitarama Raju
  • Resistance to Forest Laws: The Rampa Rebellion was a massive, violent reaction against the deeply oppressive Madras Forest Act of 1882. This British legislation heavily restricted the traditional movement of tribal communities and completely banned their age-old practice of ‘Podu’ (shifting slash-and-burn agriculture), threatening their very survival.
  • Guerrilla Warfare Tactics: Charismatic leader Alluri Sitarama Raju led massive, highly coordinated guerrilla attacks on British police stations (such as Chintapalle) across the Godavari tracts. His primary strategy was to steal modern firearms and ammunition to arm his tribal followers, proving incredibly effective against regular British infantry.
  • Martyrdom and Legacy: After two years of fiercely evading capture in the dense jungles and dealing massive blows to local British forces, Raju was eventually trapped by the specialized Malabar Special Police. He was tied to a tree and executed by a firing squad in 1924, immediately becoming a legendary folk hero in Andhra Pradesh.
πŸ“Œ Tribal Uprisings β€’ Rebellion

Q.17) The Bhil uprisings against the British occupation and agrarian hardships primarily took place in which region during the early 19th century?

Ans > Khandesh (Maharashtra/Gujarat border)
  • Resistance to Annexation: The Bhils, highly independent indigenous tribes located primarily in the rugged Khandesh region along the Western Ghats, aggressively revolted against the encroaching British East India Company forces in 1817-1819 immediately following the British defeat of the Maratha Empire.
  • Agrarian and Forest Grievances: The uprising, led initially by tribal leaders like Sewaram, was driven by severe agrarian hardships, massive famines, and the sudden, harsh British intrusion into their traditional forest rights, which they had previously enjoyed relatively undisturbed under Maratha rule.
  • Pacification and the Bhil Corps: The British response was dual-pronged. They ruthlessly suppressed the uprising using massive military force and extreme violence. Simultaneously, administrators like Mountstuart Elphinstone attempted to pacify the tribes by offering full amnesty, land grants, and crucially, recruiting restless Bhil warriors into a specialized paramilitary unit known as the Bhil Corps to maintain local order.
πŸ“Œ Peasant Movements β€’ Bengal

Q.18) The Pagal Panthi revolt in Bengal was a peasant movement directed against the oppressive exactions of the zamindars. It was founded by Karam Shah and heavily organized by his son, who was named what?

Ans > Tipu
  • Socio-Religious Roots: The Pagal Panthis (the “mad sect”) began as a peaceful, semi-religious syncretic sect founded by the Sufi mendicant Karam Shah in the Sherpur region of the Mymensingh district of Bengal. The sect heavily preached the absolute equality of all mankind, drawing followers from both Muslim and Hindu peasant communities.
  • Armed Insurgency: Under the highly militant leadership of his son, Tipu (also known as Tipu Shah), the religious sect rapidly transformed into a massive armed peasant rebellion around 1825. Tipu organized the peasants to violently attack the estates of corrupt zamindars who were extorting illegal cesses (abwabs) far above the established land revenue.
  • British Intervention: The rebellion became so powerful that Tipu essentially established an independent parallel government, appointing his own judges and magistrates in the region. The movement was finally crushed only when the British government deployed massive military force in 1833 to protect the zamindars and restore company rule.
πŸ“Œ Socio-Religious β€’ Punjab

Q.19) The Kuka Movement in Punjab originally began as a religious purification campaign but transformed into a political struggle against the British. Who was its founder?

Ans > Bhagat Jawahar Mal (Sian Saheb)
  • Namdhari Origins: The movement was originally founded by Bhagat Jawahar Mal (widely revered as Sian Saheb) and Baba Balak Singh in 1840. It began strictly as the Namdhari sect, focusing entirely on Sikh religious purificationβ€”abolishing the rigid caste system, heavily condemning the consumption of meat and alcohol, and actively promoting widow remarriage.
  • Political Transformation: Following the British annexation of Punjab in 1849, and under the highly influential leadership of Baba Ram Singh, the movement heavily radicalized. The Kukas (named for their ecstatic shrieks during prayer) transitioned from religious reformers to fierce political rebels seeking the restoration of Sikh rule.
  • Early Non-Cooperation: Decades before Gandhi, Baba Ram Singh initiated a massive non-cooperation movement. The Kukas openly boycotted British educational institutions, English laws, and foreign clothes, severely challenging British authority. The movement was brutally suppressed in 1872 when the British mercilessly blew 65 captured Kukas from the mouths of cannons at Malerkotla.
πŸ“Œ Social Reform β€’ Women’s Welfare

Q.20) The Seva Sadan, established in Bombay in 1908 to provide education, medical care, and social support for women of all castes, was founded by which Parsi social reformer?

Ans > Behramji M. Malabari
  • Institutional Welfare: The visionary Parsi social reformer Behramji M. Malabari, working closely alongside Diwan Dayaram Gidumal, founded the Seva Sadan in Bombay in 1908. The institution was explicitly designed to provide critical institutional care, specialized medical training, and modern education strictly to exploited, destitute women and widows, completely regardless of their caste or religion.
  • Journalistic Advocacy: Malabari was a relentless journalist who used his powerful writings to attack conservative social evils. He acquired the ‘Indian Spectator’, a highly influential English weekly, which he used as his primary weapon to relentlessly campaign for women’s rights and forcefully condemn the horrific practice of infant marriage.
  • Age of Consent Act: Malabari’s most monumental historical achievement was his publication of “Notes on Infant Marriage and Enforced Widowhood”. This sparked a massive, nationwide debate that directly pressured the British government into passing the landmark Age of Consent Act in 1891, which raised the legal age of consummation from 10 to 12 years despite fierce orthodox opposition.
πŸ“Œ Social Reform β€’ Orthodox Response

Q.21) In response to the liberal ideas of the Brahmo Samaj, the orthodox Hindu community of Bengal formed the Dharma Sabha in 1830 to protect traditional socio-religious practices. Who founded it?

Ans > Radhakant Deb
  • Conservative Pushback: Raja Radhakant Deb, a highly influential scholar and leading figure of Calcutta’s conservative elite, founded the Dharma Sabha in 1830. This organization was created directly and explicitly to counter the highly progressive, anti-idolatry socio-religious reforms being propagated by Raja Rammohan Roy’s Brahmo Samaj.
  • The Sati Controversy: The Dharma Sabha is most historically infamous for its fierce defense of traditional customs. When Lord William Bentinck permanently abolished the horrific practice of Sati in 1829, the Sabha aggressively petitioned the British government and even the Privy Council in London to reverse the legislation, arguing it was an unwarranted interference in sacred Hindu traditions.
  • Paradoxical Stance on Education: Despite its deeply conservative stance on religious and social customs, the Dharma Sabha was highly paradoxical regarding education. Radhakant Deb actively promoted modern Western education for Indian boys and was deeply involved in the establishment and funding of the Hindu College, working alongside the very reformers he opposed on social issues.
πŸ“Œ Political Movements β€’ Regional

Q.22) The Justice Party (South Indian Liberal Federation) was formed in Madras in 1916 to demand political representation and jobs for non-Brahmins. Which two leaders were primarily responsible for its foundation?

Ans > T.M. Nair and P. Tyagaraja Chetti
  • Anti-Brahmin Movement: The South Indian Liberal Federation, which soon became widely known as the Justice Party (after its English mouthpiece ‘Justice’), was established in 1916 by Dr. T.M. Nair, P. Tyagaraja Chetti, and C. Natesa Mudaliar. It was explicitly created to secure government jobs, education, and political leverage for the marginalized non-Brahmin majority in the Madras Presidency.
  • The Non-Brahmin Manifesto: They released the famous “Non-Brahmin Manifesto,” which heavily criticized the fact that Brahmins, who constituted a tiny fraction of the population, monopolized nearly all colonial administrative positions and educational opportunities. The party demanded strict communal representation and reservations in government services.
  • Dravidian Politics Genesis: The party vehemently opposed the early Indian National Congress, which they viewed as a heavily Brahmin-dominated organization that ignored lower-caste issues. They also actively opposed Annie Besant’s Home Rule movement. The Justice Party successfully won the 1920 dyarchy elections in Madras and essentially laid the absolute ideological foundation for the massive Dravidian political movement in South India.
πŸ“Œ Constitutional Reforms β€’ British Policy

Q.23) The historic document known as the ‘August Declaration’ of 1917 promised the gradual development of self-governing institutions in India. Which British Secretary of State made this declaration?

Ans > Edwin Montagu
  • A Monumental Policy Shift: On August 20, 1917, Edwin Montagu, the liberal Secretary of State for India, made a historic declaration in the British House of Commons. He declared that the definitive objective of British rule was the “gradual development of self-governing institutions” and the “progressive realization of responsible government in India as an integral part of the British Empire.”
  • The Pressure of War: This declaration was not made out of sheer goodwill; it was heavily forced by the geopolitical realities of World War I. Britain desperately needed continued Indian military and financial support. Furthermore, the massive popularity of the Home Rule movement (led by Tilak and Besant) and the unity forged by the Lucknow Pact severely pressured the British to make constitutional concessions.
  • The Mont-Ford Reforms Foundation: The August Declaration marked the official end of the era where the British only promised “good government” and officially introduced the concept of “responsible government.” This statement heavily paved the way for the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, which were eventually formalized as the Government of India Act of 1919, introducing the complex system of “dyarchy.”
πŸ“Œ Constitutional Reforms β€’ Demands

Q.24) The famous ‘Fourteen Points’, formulated in 1929 as a prerequisite for any constitutional settlement, were presented by which political leader?

Ans > Muhammad Ali Jinnah
  • Rejection of the Nehru Report: Muhammad Ali Jinnah presented his highly specific “Fourteen Points” in March 1929 primarily as a direct, aggressive rejection of the Congress-backed Motilal Nehru Report of 1928. The Nehru Report had envisioned a strong center and had entirely rejected the concept of separate electorates, which deeply alarmed Muslim leaders.
  • The Muslim League Charter: Jinnah’s points became the absolute core constitutional demands of the Muslim League. They demanded massive provincial autonomy (a weak center), the absolute retention of separate electorates, precisely one-third Muslim representation in the central legislature, and the creation of new Muslim-majority provinces like Sind and Baluchistan.
  • Deepening the Communal Divide: The presentation of the Fourteen Points cemented a massive, unbridgeable ideological divide between the Congress and the League. Jinnah explicitly stated that no constitutional scheme would be acceptable to Muslims unless it incorporated these points, setting a rigid stage that ultimately doomed the subsequent Round Table Conferences to failure.
πŸ“Œ National Movement β€’ Round Table

Q.25) The First Round Table Conference was held in London in 1930 to discuss constitutional reforms in India. Which prominent Indian political organization officially boycotted it?

Ans > The Indian National Congress
  • Civil Disobedience Boycott: The First Round Table Conference, convened by British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald in November 1930, was officially and completely boycotted by the Indian National Congress. Most of the prominent Congress leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, were heavily incarcerated due to their active leadership in the massive, ongoing Civil Disobedience Movement.
  • Who Attended?: While the Congress abstained, the conference was heavily attended by representatives of the Muslim League (including Jinnah and Aga Khan), the Hindu Mahasabha, the Liberals (like Tej Bahadur Sapru), representatives of the Depressed Classes (Dr. B.R. Ambedkar), and numerous Princes from the princely states.
  • An Inconclusive Outcome: Despite agreeing on broad principles like a federal structure and provincial autonomy, the absence of the Congress rendered the entire conference politically hollow and ineffective. The British quickly realized that no permanent constitutional reform could possibly succeed in India without the active participation of the absolute largest mass political organization, forcing them to negotiate the subsequent Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
πŸ“Œ Mass Movements β€’ Civil Disobedience

Q.26) The historic ‘Dandi March’ began with 78 chosen followers and covered a distance of 240 miles to break the salt law. How many days did the march take?

Ans > 24 days
  • The Salt Satyagraha Timeline: The highly symbolic and meticulously planned march began on March 12, 1930, from Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. It covered a massive distance of 240 miles (385 km) and ended precisely 24 days later on April 6, 1930, at the small coastal village of Dandi on the Arabian Sea.
  • A Unified Representation: Gandhi initially started the trek with exactly 78 deeply trusted ashramites. Crucially, these followers were carefully selected to represent diverse regions, religions, and castes of India, projecting a massive image of national unity. As the march progressed, it swelled into a procession of tens of thousands, drawing heavy global press coverage.
  • Sparking a National Movement: At Dandi, by simply boiling seawater and physically picking up a lump of natural salt, Gandhi technically and publicly violated the highly oppressive British salt monopoly (which heavily taxed a basic human necessity). This brilliant tactical stroke officially triggered the massive, nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement, inspiring millions to break colonial laws.
πŸ“Œ British Policies β€’ Divide & Rule

Q.27) Following the failure of the Second Round Table Conference, the British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald announced the ‘Communal Award’ in 1932. What did it propose for the depressed classes?

Ans > Separate electorates
  • The Fragmentation Tactic: The deeply controversial Communal Award of August 1932 officially granted separate electorates specifically to the “Depressed Classes” (now known as Dalits). This meant only Dalit voters could vote for Dalit candidates. The British strategy was to essentially treat them as a completely distinct minority, permanently separating them politically from the broader Hindu fold.
  • Gandhi’s Fast Unto Death: Mahatma Gandhi, imprisoned in Yerwada Jail, vehemently opposed this. He viewed the award not as social protection, but as a massive imperial plot to permanently divide and weaken Hindu society and the national movement. To protest the segregation, he initiated a harrowing “fast unto death.”
  • The Poona Pact Resolution: Gandhi’s rapidly deteriorating health placed immense moral and political pressure on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who had initially supported the award to secure Dalit rights. Reluctantly, Ambedkar negotiated the historic Poona Pact with Gandhi’s supporters, which officially replaced the separate electorates with a significantly higher number of heavily reserved seats for Depressed Classes within the general joint electorates.
πŸ“Œ Nationalism β€’ INC

Q.28) In 1939, Subhas Chandra Bose won the election for the presidency of the Indian National Congress at the Tripuri session by defeating which candidate endorsed by Mahatma Gandhi?

Ans > Pattabhi Sitaramayya
  • An Unprecedented Electoral Clash: The 1939 Tripuri session witnessed an unprecedented democratic contest for the INC presidency. Subhas Chandra Bose, advocating a highly radical, militant approach against the British (especially with WWII looming), stood for re-election. Mahatma Gandhi strongly opposed Bose’s radicalism and openly endorsed Pattabhi Sitaramayya as his official candidate.
  • A Defeat for the Old Guard: Bose’s massive popularity among the younger, radical elements and the left wing of the party ensured his victory. He easily defeated Sitaramayya. The result shocked the conservative old guard, leading Gandhi to publicly and famously declare that Sitaramayya’s defeat was “more mine than his.”
  • The Forward Bloc Genesis: Following the victory, the Gandhi-aligned Congress Working Committee (CWC), including stalwarts like Patel and Prasad, initiated massive non-cooperation against Bose, refusing to serve under him. Facing this total administrative deadlock and the passing of a resolution forcing him to follow Gandhi’s advice, Bose was essentially forced to resign. He subsequently formed his own militant political faction within the Congress, the Forward Bloc.
πŸ“Œ Mass Movements β€’ Quit India

Q.29) During the Quit India Movement in 1942, an underground radio station was secretly operated in Bombay to broadcast nationalist messages and elude British police. Who was the key figure behind this initiative?

Ans > Usha Mehta
  • The Secret Congress Radio: When the British ruthlessly arrested the entire top leadership of the INC on the very first day of the Quit India Movement (August 9, 1942), the movement became entirely leaderless. Operating at immense personal risk during this violent suppression, a 22-year-old student named Usha Mehta famously established the clandestine “Secret Congress Radio.”
  • Information Warfare: Broadcasting on the frequency of 42.34 meters, the station became the absolute lifeline of the underground movement. It broadcasted uncensored news, countered British imperial propaganda, and delivered fiery nationalist speeches and vital instructions from fugitive leaders like Ram Manohar Lohia and Jayaprakash Narayan to the masses.
  • A Deadly Game of Cat and Mouse: To avoid detection by the British Criminal Investigation Department (CID) radio-detection vans, Usha Mehta and her small team continuously and dangerously shifted their heavy transmission equipment across different safe houses in Bombay every few days. The heroic operation lasted for three months before they were eventually betrayed, arrested, and sentenced to harsh imprisonment.
πŸ“Œ National Movement β€’ Mutiny

Q.30) The mutiny in the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) in February 1946, a massive blow to British military prestige, began in Bombay on which naval ship?

Ans > HMIS Talwar
  • The Spark of the Uprising: The RIN Mutiny originally began strictly as a peaceful hunger strike on February 18, 1946, by the naval ratings (non-commissioned sailors) aboard the signal training ship HMIS Talwar stationed in Bombay harbor. The sailors were protesting terrible food quality, dreadful working conditions, and the rampant, abusive racial discrimination by British superior officers.
  • Massive Military Escalation: The initial strike rapidly exploded into a massive, heavily armed anti-British rebellion. Within 48 hours, it spread like wildfire to over 78 ships, 20 shore establishments, and involved over 20,000 sailors from Karachi to Calcutta. The mutineers dramatically lowered the British ensign and hoisted the flags of the Congress, the Muslim League, and the Communist Party tied together on the masts.
  • The Final Surrender: The mutiny severely terrified the British administration, definitively demonstrating that they could no longer rely on the loyalty of the Indian armed forces to maintain imperial control. However, lacking support from mainstream political leaders who feared a breakdown of military discipline on the eve of independence, the sailors eventually surrendered after intense mediation brokered primarily by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and M.A. Jinnah.

πŸ“Œ Quick Summary β€” Modern History Set 66

  • Hindu College (1817): Established by David Hare and Raja Rammohan Roy.
  • Bethune School (1849): A pioneering institution for women’s education.
  • Amrita Bazar Patrika: Founded by Sisir Kumar and Motilal Ghosh; turned English in 1878.
  • Dev Samaj (1887): Founded in Lahore by Shiv Narayan Agnihotri.
  • Radhaswami Movement (1861): Founded by Tulsi Ram (Shiv Dayal Saheb).
  • ICS Age Limit: Lord Lytton lowered the maximum exam age to 19 years.
  • Famine Commission (1880): Chaired by Sir Richard Strachey.
  • First Jute Mill (1855): Established at Rishra, Bengal.
  • Indian Association (1876): Led by Surendranath Banerjea and Anand Mohan Bose.
  • INC 1888 President: George Yule became the first English President.
  • Safety Valve Theory: Attributes INC foundation to A.O. Hume under Lord Dufferin.
  • Surat Split (1907): Rash Behari Ghosh was the INC President during this clash.
  • Lucknow Pact (1916): Ambica Charan Majumdar presided over the session.
  • Tinkathia System: Led to Gandhi’s Champaran Satyagraha in 1917.
  • Kheda Satyagraha (1918): Sardar Patel emerged as a prominent leader alongside Gandhi.
  • Rampa Rebellion: A major tribal uprising led by Alluri Sitarama Raju.
  • Bhil Uprisings: Primarily located in the Khandesh region in the early 19th century.
  • Pagal Panthi Revolt: Organized by Tipu (son of Karam Shah) against zamindars.
  • Kuka Movement: Founded as a purification campaign by Bhagat Jawahar Mal.
  • Seva Sadan (1908): Established by Parsi reformer Behramji M. Malabari.
  • Dharma Sabha (1830): Founded by Radhakant Deb to protect orthodox Hindu practices.
  • Justice Party (1916): Formed by T.M. Nair and P. Tyagaraja Chetti.
  • August Declaration (1917): Announced by British Secretary of State Edwin Montagu.
  • Fourteen Points (1929): Formulated by Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
  • First Round Table Conference: Officially boycotted by the INC.
  • Dandi March (1930): Took precisely 24 days to complete.
  • Communal Award (1932): Proposed separate electorates for the depressed classes.
  • Tripuri Session (1939): S.C. Bose defeated Pattabhi Sitaramayya for INC presidency.
  • Underground Radio (1942): Operated secretly during Quit India by Usha Mehta.
  • RIN Mutiny (1946): Began in Bombay on the ship HMIS Talwar.
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