UPSC Indian Modern History 5 (Old Year Questions)

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Ans c

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Ans a
The Government of India Act 1919 had introduced the system of diarchy to govern the provinces of British India. However, the Indian public clamoured for revision of the difficult diarchy form of government, and the Government of India Act 1919 itself stated that a commission would be appointed after 10 years to investigate the progress of the governance scheme and suggest new steps for reform. The Indian Statutory Commission was a group of seven British Members of Parliament they had been dispatched to India in 1927 to study constitutional reform in that colony. It was commonly referred to as the Simon Commission after its chairman, Sir John Simon. Simon Commission recommended the replacement of diarchy with responsible government in the provinces, which was done in 1935.

Ans a
22nd Session CALCUTTA 1906: Dadabhai Naoroji was the only revered, universally acceptable figure who could preside over the session and prevent a split. In his presidential address he hit out at the British Government, ‘We do not ask for favours, we want only justice. We want self-government or Swaraj like that of U.K. or Dominions’. A huge pavilion with a capacity of 20,000 was erected. The session began with the singing of Vande Mataram. The resolutions adopted demanded reversal of Partition of Bengal; upheld the Boycott movement in Bengal; supported the Swadeshi movement; protested the existing Education Policy of the Government; exhorting the people to take up national education and demanded Self-Government.

Ans d
The CR formula entailed: I. The League was to endorse the Indian demand for independence and to co-operate with the Congress in formation of Provisional Interim Government for a transitional period. II. At the end of the War, a commission would be appointed to demarcate the districts having a Muslim population in absolute majority and in those areas plebiscite to be conducted on all inhabitants (including the non-Muslims) on basis of adult suffrage. III. All parties would be allowed to express their stance on the partition and their views before the plebiscite. IV. In the event of separation, a mutual agreement would be entered into for safeguarding essential matters such as defence, communication and commerce and for other essential services. V. The transfer of population, if any would be absolutely on a voluntary basis. VI. The terms of the binding will be applicable only in case of full transfer of power by Britain to Government of India.

Ans c
The effort of Lord Warren Hastings and Lord Cornwallis led to the rise of civil service. Hastings laid the foundations of civil service and Cornwallis reformed, modernized and rationalized it. Hence, Cornwallis came to the known as the ‘Father of Civil Service’ in India. He introduced the ‘Covenanted Civil Services’ (higher Civil Services) which were different from the ‘Uncovenanted Civil Services’ (lower civil services). The former was created by a law of the company, while the latter was created otherwise. However, he reserved all the covenanted services for the Europeans (i.e., English personnel) and thus excluded Indians from superior posts.

Ans a
Partition of Bengal (1905) – The partition, officially announced on July 4, 1905, came into effect on October 16, 1905. On the same day the people of Bengal reacted in an unprecedented way by observing it as a day of mourning and organizing protest meetings. At a meeting held at the so-called ‘Federal Hall’, a resolution was adopted to launch the Swadeshi Movement and adopt the slogan of ‘Bande Matram’.

Ans b
Champaran Satyagraha: Raj Kumar Shukla on ordinary raiyat and indigo cultivator of Champaran, invited Gandhiji from Lucknow. Mobilization of peasantry was done by Raj Kumar Shukla, Sant Raut, Khendar Rai, local mahajans and traders, village mokhtara and village school teachers such as Pir Mohammad, Harbans Sahai, open inquiry was done in July 1917 and Gandhiji appointed 15 volunteers to start village construction work. In this movement Rajendra Prasad, A. N. Singh, J.B. Kriplani also supported him in Champaran. It led to abolition of Tinkathia System where peasants had to grow Indigo on 3/20 part of their land.

Ans c
The office of collector had undergone considerable structural and functional changes during the period of British rule. Besides revenue collection, the district collector exercised civil, judicial and military powers in district until 1792, when the judicial and magisterial were separated from him and transferred to the district judge.

Ans a
When the Congress President announced his intention of paying a visit to Bombay in 1936, A. D. Shroff took the step of proposing to issue a manifesto openly criticizing Nehru’s socialist ideas. In a letter to Mody, he said that a joint statement should be issued by representative Bombay businessmen opposing Nehru’s policy and ideas. Then on May 20, appeared a Manifesto signed by twenty-one Bombay businessmen. Basically the manifesto was an attempt on the part of Bombay Businessmen at broadening the anti-socialist front as much as possible.

Ans b
Two years after the Bombay resolution of May 1929, a resolution of Fundamental Rights and Economic Programme was adopted by the Karachi session of the Congress. Nehru recalls in the ‘Autobiography’: “During my early morning talks in Delhi with Gandhiji in February and March 1931, I had referred to this matter, and he had welcomed the idea of having a resolution on economic matters. He asked me to bring the matter up at Karachi, and to draft a resolution and show it to him there. I did so at Karachi, and he made various changes and suggestions…”

Ans c
Cripps Mission was organized in late March 1942. British government launched the mission to secure Indian cooperation and support for their efforts n World War II (1939-1945). The mission was headed by Sir Stafford Cripps. The Congress was divided upon its response to India’s entry into World War II. Angry over the decision made by the Viceroy of India, some Congress favored launching a popular revolt against the British despite the gravity of the war in Europe, which threatened Britain’s own freedom. Others, such as Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, advocated offering an olive branch to the British – supporting them in this crucial time in hope that the gesture would be reciprocated with independence after the war. India’s and Congress’ major leader, Mohandas Gandhi, was opposed to Indian involvement in the war as he would not morally endorse a war – he also suspected British intentions, believing that the British were not sincere about Indian aspirations for freedom. But Rajagopalachari, along with support from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Azad and Jawaharlal Nehru held talks with Cripps and offered full support in return for immediate self-government, and eventual independence.

Ans a
In 1497 the Portuguese discovered the route to India and began to expand their influence by occupying coastal areas and building harbor towns, which soon extended more than 12.000 miles of coast line. The Portuguese established a factory in Pondicherry at the beginning of the sixteenth century, but were compelled to leave a century later by the ruler of Gingee, who found them unfriendly. After that the Danes shortly set up an establishment, and likewise the Dutch. The latter set up trading posts in Porto Novo and Cuddalore. The French, who had trading centres in the North, Mahe and Madras were invited to open a trading centre in Pondicherry by the new ruler of Gingee to compete with the Dutch. Able Governors like Lenoir (1726-1735) and Dumas (1735-1741) and an ambitious Governor Dupleix (1742-1754) expanded the puducherry area and made it a large and rich town. But ambition clashed with the English interests in India and the local kingdoms and a period of skirmishes and political intrigues began. Under the command of Bussy, Dupleix’s army successfully controlled the area between Hyderabad and Cape Comorin. But then Robert Clive arrived in India, a dare-devil officer who dashed the hopes of Dupleix to create a French Colonial India.

Ans b
Following the decision of the East India Company to open a factory at Surat (1608), Captain Hawkins arrived at Jahangir’s court (1609) to seek permission. Jahangir although initially willing to grant permission later refused due to Portuguese pressure. But when a Portuguese fleet was defeated by the English under Captain Best at Swally (near Surat) in 1612, a farman was issued by Jahangir permitting the English to erect a factory at Surat (1613).

Ans c
The third round table conference was convened in London on November 17 to December 24 in the year 1932. A white paper was issued in the year March 1933. The details of the working basis of the new Constitution of India were enumerated in the white paper. It was declared that according to the new constitution, there would be diarchy at the centre and responsible governments in the centre. In February 1935, a bill was introduced in the House of Commons by the Secretary of State for India, which subsequently passed and enacted as the Government of India Act, 1935. Thus, the act of 1935 came into existence as a result of third round table conference. The Act drew its materials from Simon Commission, the report of All parties conference i.e. Nehru Report, the discussions of the three round table conferences, the detail enumerated in the white paper and the report of the Joint Select Committees. The most significant aspects of Act was: provision for the establishment of a “Federation of India”, to be made up of both British India and some or all of the “princely states”

Ans d
With the creation of the Supreme Court in Calcutta in 1774 many Hindus of Bengal became eager to learn the English language. In 1817, in collaboration with Scottish watchmaker, David Hare and Alexander Duff, Raja Rammohan Roy set up the Hindu College at Calcutta. The College formally opened on Monday, January 20, 1817 with twenty ‘scholars’. The control of the institution was vested in a body of two Governors and four Directors. In 1830, Raja Rammohan helped Alexander Duff in establishing the General Assembly’s Institution, by providing him the venue vacated by Brahma Sabha and getting the first batch of students.

Ans d
Sir Stafford Cripps (1889-1952) was a leading British politician who twice led unsuccessful high level missions appointed by the British Government, once under Winston Churchill and the second under Clement Atlee, in the hope of negotiating India’s independence by agreement. In March 1942 Churchill sent Cripps on a special mission to India, in the hope, which proved to be vain, that he would win the support of Nehru, Gandhi and Congress party in the war against Japan by promising that India should have assembly with powers to draft the Constitution of an independent state once the war was over.