Modern Indian History: Direct Conceptual / Factual MCQ PYQ.
UPSC Prelims Modern Indian History previous year questions in the "Direct Conceptual / Factual MCQ" question pattern — real questions with answers and explanations.
7 questions · sorted by year
2026Direct Conceptual / Factual MCQColonial Economic & Land Policies
The artificially fixed rupee-sterling exchange rate prescribed by the Hilton-Young Commission (1926) was adopted by the British Government for which one of the following reasons?
A.Aiding the flow of remittances from India and maintaining India's creditworthiness
B.Providing support to Indian importers
C.Encouraging export of cotton produce from India
D.Preventing depreciation of the Rupee in terms of gold
Explanation: * Aiding Remittances and Creditworthiness: The Hilton-Young Commission recommended fixing the rupee-sterling exchange rate at 1 shilling and 6 pence, a policy adopted to serve imperial financial interests. The primary objective was to facilitate the uninterrupted transfer of Home Charges (pensions, administrative expenditures, interest payments) from India to Britain. * By maintaining a stable and relatively high exchange rate, the colonial administration ensured that remittances to Britain could be made smoothly while preserving India's standing and creditworthiness in London's financial markets.
Which one of the following statements about the Eka Movement and Bardoli Satyagraha is correct?
A.The Eka Movement was throughout supported and organized by the Congress while Bardoli Satyagraha was initially independent of Congress influence and was only in the last stages supported by the Congress.
B.The Eka Movement was provided leadership by the taluqdars of Awadh, whereas the Bardoli Satyagraha was a movement of the landless labourers.
C.The Bardoli Satyagraha was a campaign against the enhancement of land revenue, while the Eka Movement was a protest against excessive extraction of rents.
D.The Eka Movement was located in the Varanasi and Mirzapur districts of the present-day U.P., while the Bardoli Satyagraha took place in Saurashtra.
Explanation: * The Bardoli Satyagraha was launched in the Bardoli taluq of Surat district (Gujarat) against the British government's decision to increase land revenue by 30%. Led by Vallabhbhai Patel, the peasants collectively refused to pay the enhanced revenue. * In contrast, the Eka Movement emerged in the Awadh region (Hardoi, Bahraich, Sitapur districts of UP) as a peasant uprising against exorbitant rents, exploitation by thekedars (revenue contractors), and oppressive share-rents.
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📌 Peasant Movements 1857-1947Relevance 95%
2025Direct Conceptual / Factual MCQGandhian Era & Mass Movements
"Sedition has become my religion" was the famous statement given by Gandhiji at the time of:
A.the Champaran Satyagraha
B.publicly violating Salt Law at Dandi
C.attending the Second Round Table Conference in London
D.the launch of the Quit India Movement
Explanation: * (b) publicly violating Salt Law at Dandi is correct: On 6th April 1930, Mahatma Gandhi completed the Dandi March by lifting a handful of salt to break the salt law as a symbol of defiance against British rule. * Upon breaking the law, Gandhi openly declared: "The British rule in India has brought about moral, material, cultural and spiritual ruination... I regard this rule as a curse. I am ought to destroy this system of Government.... Sedition has become my religion."
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📌 First Phase of Revolutionary Activities 1907-1917Relevance 55%
2025Direct Conceptual / Factual MCQGandhian Era & Mass Movements
Who provided legal defence to the people arrested in the aftermath of Chauri Chaura incident?
A.C. R. Das
B.Madan Mohan Malaviya
C.Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Khwaja Hasan Nizami
D.M. A. Jinnah
Explanation: * (b) Madan Mohan Malaviya and Krishna Kant is correct: Following the Chauri Chaura clash in 1922, 225 people were brought to trial on serious charges of rioting and arson. * Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, a brilliant legal mind who had previously stepped away from his active law practice for politics, returned to the courtroom to provide legal defense for the accused. Following an 8-month trial where 172 people were initially handed death sentences, his defense managed to secure the complete acquittal of 153 individuals.
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Subsequent to which one of the following events, Gandhiji, who consistently opposed untouchability and appealed for its eradication from all spheres, decided to include the upliftment of 'Harijans' in his political and social programme?
A.The Poona Pact
B.The Gandhi-Irwin Agreement (Delhi Pact)
C.Arrest of Congress leadership at the time of the Quit India Movement
D.Promulgation of the Government of India Act, 1935
Explanation: * (a) The Poona Pact is correct: In September 1932, Mahatma Gandhi went on a fast unto death inside Yerwada Jail to oppose the communal award of separate electorates for the Depressed Classes. This led to the signing of the Poona Pact, creating reserved seats under a unified joint Hindu electorate. * Following the accord, Gandhi launched a major social transformation campaign, renaming the Depressed Classes as 'Harijans' ("Children of God"). He established the Anti-Untouchability League (later renamed the Harijan Sevak Sangh) and launched the weekly publication Harijan in 1933, embedding this reform into his core socio-political program.
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📌 Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table ConferencesRelevance 95%
Who among the following was the founder of the 'Self-Respect Movement'?
A.Periyar' E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker
B.Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
C.Bhaskarrao Jadhav
D.Dinkarrao Javalkar
Explanation: * (a) 'Periyar' E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker is correct: He was a radical social reformer from Tamil Nadu who founded the Self-Respect Movement in 1925. * The movement sought to empower non-Brahmins, advocate for gender equality, challenge Brahminical dominance, and oppose religious orthodoxy in South India.
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📌 A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements and Their LeadersRelevance 95%
Who of the following rulers of medieval India gave permission to the Portuguese to build a fort at Bhatkal?
A.Krishnadevaraya
B.Narasimha Saluva
C.Muhammad Shah III
D.Yusuf Adil Shah
Explanation: * (a) Krishnadevaraya is correct: Emperor Krishna Deva Raya (reigned 1509–1530) of the Tuluva dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire maintained highly friendly commercial and strategic relations with the Portuguese, benefiting from their import of war horses. In 1510, the Portuguese Governor Afonso de Albuquerque requested permission to construct a fortified outpost at the strategic port of Bhatkal, which Krishna Deva Raya officially granted.
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📌 Advent of the Europeans in IndiaRelevance 95%
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