Indian Modern History Test 4

Answer – c

• Socialist ideas now began to spread rapidly especially because many young persons who had participated actively in the NonCooperation Movement were unhappy with its outcome and were dissatisfied with Gandhian policies and ideas as well as the alternative Swarajist Several socialist and communist groups came into existence all over the country.
• In Bombay, S.A. Dange published a pamphlet Gandhi and Lenin and started the first socialist weekly, The Socialist; in Bengal, Muzaffar Ahmed brought out Navayug and later founded the Langal in cooperation with the poet Nazrul Islam; in Punjab, Ghulam Hussain and others published Inquilab; and in Madras, M. Singaravelu founded the Labour-Kisan Gazette

Answer – a

• Within the Congress the left-wing tendency found reflection in the election of Jawaharlal Nehru as president for 1936 and 1937 and of Subhas Bose for 1938 and 1939 and in the formation of the Congress Socialist Party
• Nehru developed an interest in economic questions when he came in touch with the peasant movement in eastern U.P. in 1920-21. He then used his enforced leisure in jail, during 1922-23, to read widely on the history of the Russian and other revolutions. In 1927, he attended the International Congress against Colonial Oppression and Imperialism, held at Brussels, and came into contact with communists and anti colonial fighters from all over the world. By now he had begun to accept Marxism in its broad contours.

Answer – a

In 1928, Jawaharlal joined hands with Subhas to organize the Independence for India League to fight for complete independence and ‘a socialist revision of the economic structure of society.’

Answer – c

The main form of political work by the early Communists was to organize peasants’ and workers’ parties and work through them. The first such organization was the Labour-Swaraj Party of the Indian National Congress organized by Muzaffar Ahmed, Qazi Nazrul Islam, Hemanta Kumar Sarkar, and others in Bengal in November 1925.

Answer – C

• In the ninth century Sankara started aHindu revivalist movement giving a neworientation to Hinduism. He was born in Kaladiin Kerala.
• His doctrine of Advaita or Monismwas too abstract to appeal to the common man

Answer – B

In the twelfth century, Ramanuja, who was born at Sriperumbudur near modern Chennai, preached Visishtadvaita. According to him God is Sagunabrahman. The creative process and all the objects in creation are real but not illusory as was held by Sankaracharya. Therefore, God, soul, matter are real. But God is inner substance and the rest are his attributes. He also advocated prabattimarga or path of self-surrender to God. He invited the downtrodden to Vaishnavism

Answer – B

• Nimbarka and Vallabhacharya were also other preachers of Vaishnavite Bhakti in the Telungana region.
• Surdas was the disciple of Vallabhacharya and he popularized Krishna cult in north India.

Answer – B

• Ramananda was born at Allahabad. He was originally a follower of Ramanuja.
• Later he founded his own sect and preached his principles in Hindi at Banaras and Agra. He was a worshipper of Rama. He was the first to employ the vernacular medium to propagate his ideas. Simplification of worship and emancipation of people from the traditional caste rules were his two important contributions to the Bhakti He opposed the caste system and chose his disciples from all sections of society disregarding caste.
• His disciples were: a) Kabir, a Muslim weaver b) Raidasa, a cobbler c) Sena, a barber d) Sadhana, a butcher e) Dhanna, a Jat farmer f) Naraharai, a goldsmith and g) Pipa, a Rajput prince.

Answer: a

Doubt on Guru Nanak being disciple of Kabir

• “There is no evidence in the entire Guru Granth Sahib that God Kabir Ji was Guruji of Shri Nanak ji. Like Guru Granth is respectable and authentic, similarly Holy Kabir Sagar is also respectable and authentic scripture and was written before Shri Guru Granth Sahib. Therefore around 4000 Bani has been taken in to Guru Granth Sahib from Kabir Sagar only. There is a vivid description about the dialogue between God Kabir Ji and Nanak ji in Kabir Sagar and that the venerable Gurudev of Nanak ji were God Kabir.“
• However, in Tamil Nadu History book, it is specifically mentioned that Guru Nanak was his disciple.

Answer – a

• In India, the prehistoric period is divided into the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age), Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age), Neolithic (New Stone Age) and the Metal Age.
• However, these periods were not uniform throughout the Indian subcontinent.

Answer – c

• The dating of the prehistoric period is done scientifically. The technique of radio-carbon dating is commonly used for this purpose. It is based on measuring the loss of carbon in organic materials over a period of time.
• Another dating method is known as dendro-chronology. It refers to the number of tree rings in wood. By counting the number of tree rings in the wood, the date of the wood is arrived at.

Answer – d

Among the many sites excavated of Indus valley, the most important are Kot Diji in Sind, Kalibangan in Rajasthan, Rupar in the Punjab, Banawali in Haryana, Lothal, Surkotada and Dholavira, all the three in Gujarat

Answer – d

• The famine of 1876-78 had resulted from the failure of two monsoons. The worst affected areas were Madras, Mysore, Hyderabad, Bombay, Central India and the Punjab. It took a toll of five million lives in a single year. The outbreak of cholera and fever added to the misery of the suffering population. Lytton’s Government failed miserably to tackle the situation. The government’s relief measures seemed to be inadequate. The first Famine Commission (1878-80) under Sir Richard Strachey was appointed.
• In 1878, the Vernacular Press Act was passed. This Act empowered a Magistrate to secure an undertaking from the editor, publisher and printer of a vernacular newspaper that nothing would be published against the English Government.
• In the same year, the Arms Act was passed. This Act prevented the Indians to keep arms without appropriate license.
• Lord Lytton was Viceroy of India from 1876 to 1880

Answer – a

Lord Lytton introduced uniform salt tax throughout British India.

Answer – c

• The system of decentralisation of finance that had begun in the time of Lord Mayo was continued during the time of Lord Lytton. The provincial governments were empowered with some control over the expenditure of all provincial matters like land-revenue, excise, stamps,
  law and justice. Lytton wanted to encourage the provinces in collecting the revenue and thereby strengthen the financial power and position of the provinces.
• Ripon appointed a Commission in 1882 under the chairmanship of Sir William Hunter.

Answer – c

• Hunter Commission recommended for the expansion and improvement of the elementary education of the masses.
• The Commission suggested two channels for the secondary education-one was literary education leading up to the Entrance Examination of the university and the other preparing the students for a vocational career.
• The Commission noted the poor status of women education.
• It encouraged the local bodies in the villages and towns to manage the elementary education. This had resulted in the extraordinary rise in the number of educational institutions in India

Answer – c

• The Afghan policy of the British was based on the assumed threat of Russian invasion of India. The first Afghan War (1838-42) proved to be a disastrous one for the British in India. When Lord Lytton was appointed the Viceroy of India, he was instructed by the home government to follow a forward policy. The Russian attempt to send a mission to Afghanistan was the main cause of the Second Afghan War.
• Ripon was instructed to reverse the Afghan policy of Lytton. Therefore, as soon as he came to India, peace was made with Afghanistan without affecting the British prestige. The proposal of appointing a Resident in Kabul was dropped.

Answer – D

• English East India Company was established on 31 December 1600 as per the Royal Charter issued by the Queen of England, Elizabeth I. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• The Company had sent Captain Hawkins to the court of the Mughal Emperor, Jahangir in 1608 to secure permission to establish a “factory” (store house of goods) at Surat. It was turned down initially. However, in 1613, Jahangir issued the firman permitting the East India Company to establish its first trading post at Surat. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• Subsequently, Sir Thomas Roe obtained more trading rights and privileges for the East India Company. Accordingly, the English set up business centres at Agra, Ahmedabad and Hence statement 3 is correct.

Answer – C

• In 1639, Francis Day established the city of Madras and constructed the Fort St. George. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• On the west coast, the Company obtained Bombay on lease from their King, Charles II for a rent of 10 pounds per annum in 1668.
• By the year 1690, Job Charnock, the agent of the East India Company purchased three villages namely, Sutanuti, Govindpur and Kalikatta, which, in course of time, grew into the city of Calcutta. Hence statement 2 is correct.

Answer – D

• After the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and the Battle of Buxar in 1764, the Company became a political power. India was under the East India Company’s rule till 1858 when it came under the direct administration of the British Crown. Robert Clive was the first Governor of Fort William under the Company’s rule. Hence both statements are incorrect.