Question 1

Consider the following statements regarding sources for the history of modern India:
1. Archival records are defined as primary source documents consciously created by administrators to convey information to future generations.
2. The records of the Portuguese, Dutch, and French East India companies are primarily important for understanding the political set-up of the 17th and 18th centuries.
3. Official records kept after the British crown took over administration help in tracing the psychology of the policymakers.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only one. Statement 1 is incorrect. Archives are defined as documents that have been created as a necessary part of some activity and are not consciously written or created to convey information to a future generation. Statement 2 is incorrect. The records of the other European East India companies are primarily important from the point of view of economic history, although they also provide information on the political set-up. Statement 3 is correct. The official records kept by the British administration help historians to trace every important development, follow the processes of decision-making, and understand the psychology of the policymakers.

Question 2

Examine the following two statements:

Statement-I: In the construction of the history of modern India, priority is given to archives, particularly the official records of government agencies.

Statement-II: Memoirs, biographies, and travel accounts are not considered useful sources for the history of the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Accepted Answer

Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect. Statement-I is correct. Priority is given to archives, which include the official records of government agencies, for studying the history of modern India. Statement-II is incorrect. Contemporary and semi-contemporary works such as memoirs, biographies, and travel accounts are explicitly mentioned as giving interesting and useful glimpses into the history of the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the archival records of the central government under British India:

1. The 'Home Political' series of records was initiated in 1907 to exclusively manage records related to constitutional developments.
2. The records of the Reforms Office provide a basis for studying the constitutional evolution from 1920 to 1937.
3. The Survey of India, established under James Rennell, produced records that were strictly limited to geographical and cartographic matters.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only one. Statement 1 is incorrect. The Home Political series was started in 1907 to deal exclusively with political and communal issues arising from the nationalist movement, not constitutional developments. Statement 2 is correct. The records of the Reforms Office are specifically mentioned as being useful for an analytical study of constitutional developments from 1920 to 1937. Statement 3 is incorrect. The records of the Survey of India, in addition to geographical matters, provide valuable information on contemporary socio-economic conditions and other important historical aspects.

Question 4

Consider the following pairs regarding archival sources for regional histories:

1. Khalsa Darbar records : A primary source for Maratha history
2. Peshwa Daftar : Housed in the Alienation Office, Pune
3. Archives of Dogra rule : Located at Bikaner
4. Early records of Fort Williams : Lost during the sack of Calcutta in 1756

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Accepted Answer

Only two pairs. Pair 1 is incorrectly matched. The Khalsa Darbar records are the archives of the Kingdom of Lahore (1800-1849). The Peshwa Daftar is the key source for Maratha history. Pair 2 is correctly matched. The Peshwa Daftar, a valuable source for Maratha history, is housed in the Alienation Office, Pune. Pair 3 is incorrectly matched. The archives related to Dogra rule in Jammu and Kashmir are housed at Jammu. The Rajasthan State Archives are located at Bikaner. Pair 4 is correctly matched. The early records of the Bengal Presidency's Fort Williams were lost during the sack of Calcutta in 1756.

Question 5

Consider the following pairs:

1. James Burnes : Travels Into Bokhara
2. John Butler : Travels and Adventures in the Province of Assam
3. C.J.C. Davidson : Letters from India

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Accepted Answer

Only one pair. Pair 1 is incorrectly matched. James Burnes wrote *Narrative of a Visit to the Court of Sinde*. It was Alexander Burnes who wrote *Travels Into Bokhara*. Pair 2 is correctly matched. John Butler is the author of *Travels and Adventures in the Province of Assam*. Pair 3 is incorrectly matched. C.J.C. Davidson wrote *Diary of the Travels and Adventures in Upper India*. The work *Letters from India* was written by Victor Jacquemont. Therefore, only one pair is correctly matched.

Question 6

Consider the following statements regarding historical sources for modern India:

1. The archives of business houses and chambers of commerce are primarily helpful for the study of political changes.
2. The records of the Indian National Congress are housed in the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi.
3. Missionary accounts, such as Abbe Dubois’s *Hindu Manners and Customs*, provide useful information on the socio-economic life during the period of the rise of Indian powers and the decline of the British.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only one. Statement 1 is incorrect. The archives of banks, business houses, and chambers of commerce are specified as being extremely helpful in the study of economic changes, not political changes. Statement 2 is correct. The papers of eminent leaders and the records of organisations like the Indian National Congress are housed in the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi. Statement 3 is incorrect. These accounts provide information on the socio-economic life of India during the period of the decline of the Indian powers and the rise of the British, not the other way around.

Question 7

Consider the following pairs:

1. Indian Sociologist : Paris
2. Bengalee : Surendranath Banerjea
3. Talwar : Virendranath Chattopadhyay

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Accepted Answer

Only two pairs. Pair 1 is incorrectly matched. The journal *Indian Sociologist* was published in London by Shyamji Krishnavarma, not in Paris. Pair 2 is correctly matched. The newspaper *Bengalee* was started under the editorship of Surendranath Banerjea. Pair 3 is correctly matched. The journal *Talwar* was published in Berlin by Virendranath Chattopadhyay.

Question 8

Consider the following statements regarding the press in colonial India:

1. The earliest newspapers, such as *The Calcutta Gazette* and *The Madras Courier*, primarily aimed at catering to the nationalist aspirations of the Indian people.
2. The first attempt to publish a newspaper in India was made by William Bolts in 1776, which was successful and set a precedent for future publications.
3. From the second half of the 19th century, powerful newspapers emerged, with a significant portion of the founding members of the Indian National Congress being journalists.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only one. Statement 1 is incorrect. The newspapers and journals of the early period, including *The Calcutta Gazette* and *The Madras Courier*, primarily aimed at catering to the intellectual entertainment of Europeans and Anglo-Indians, not Indian nationalist aspirations. Statement 2 is incorrect. While William Bolts did announce his intention to publish a newspaper in 1776, his plan ended before materialising due to strong official opposition. The first newspaper was published by James Augustus Hickey in 1780. Statement 3 is correct. From the second half of the 19th century, many powerful newspapers appeared, and nearly one-third of the founding fathers of the Indian National Congress in 1885 were journalists.

Question 9

Consider the following pairs of authors and their literary works:
1. G.V. Krishna Rao : Tottiyude Makan
2. Vaikom Muhammad Basheer : Balyakalasakhi
3. Iccharam Suryaram Desai : Hind ane Britannia
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Accepted Answer

Only two pairs. Pair 1 is incorrectly matched. The Telugu novel *Keelubommalu* (The Puppets) was written by G.V. Krishna Rao. The Malayalam work *Tottiyude Makan* (Son of a Scavenger) was written by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai. Pair 2 is correctly matched. Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's famous Malayalam novel is *Balyakalasakhi* (The Childhood Friends, 1944). Pair 3 is correctly matched. Iccharam Suryaram Desai's first novel, *Hind ane Britannia*, was one of the earliest Indian novels with political themes.

Question 10

Consider the following statements regarding artistic sources of modern Indian history:
1. Kalighat paintings, which emerged in Calcutta, exclusively depicted mythological figures and were not used for social commentary.
2. The introduction of photography in India in the 1840s was a contributing factor to the decline in the popularity of Company Paintings.
3. The Bengal School of art, led by Abanindranath Tagore, primarily focused on themes of Indian mythology and cultural heritage.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only two. Statement 1 is incorrect. Kalighat painting depicted not only mythological figures but also ordinary people in their everyday lives. These paintings often captured social changes and commented on social evils of the time. Statement 2 is correct. Company paintings were popular throughout the 19th century until the introduction of photography in India in the 1840s, which led to their decline. Statement 3 is correct. While stimulated by nationalism, many paintings of the new trend represented by the Bengal School primarily focused on themes derived from Indian mythology and cultural heritage.

Question 11

Consider the following pairs related to art and artists of the colonial period:
1. Thomas Jones Barker : In Memoriam
2. E.B. Havell : Principal of the art school in Calcutta
3. Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy : Co-founder of the Bengal School
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Accepted Answer

Only two pairs. Pair 1 is incorrectly matched. The painting *In Memoriam* was created by Joseph Noel Paton to depict English women and children during the 1857 revolt. *Relief of Lucknow* was painted by Thomas Jones Barker. Pair 2 is correctly matched. E.B. Havell joined the art school in Calcutta as its principal and was a key figure in the Bengal School movement. Pair 3 is correctly matched. Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy, along with Abanindranath Tagore and E.B. Havell, played a vital role in leading the Bengal School.

Sources for the History of Modern India

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