Question 1

Consider the following statements regarding the revolutionary programme during the first phase (1907-1917):
1. The primary strategy adopted was to create a violent mass revolution across the country.
2. The methodology involved organizing assassinations of unpopular officials and conducting dacoities to raise funds.
3. A key objective was to inspire the populace by demonstrating that the authority of the rulers could be challenged.

Accepted Answer

Only two. Statement 1 is incorrect. Revolutionaries considered creating a violent mass revolution but did not find it practical at that stage. Instead, they opted for individual heroic actions. Statement 2 is correct. The adopted methodology, inspired by Russian nihilists and Irish nationalists, included assassinating unpopular officials and conducting 'swadeshi dacoities' to fund their activities. Statement 3 is correct. The revolutionaries intended to strike terror in the hearts of the rulers, arouse people, and remove the fear of authority from their minds, thereby inspiring them through acts of patriotic sacrifice.

Question 2

Consider the following two statements:
Statement-I: The first phase of revolutionary activities emerged as a fallout of the decline of the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement.
Statement-II: The Extremist leadership failed to create effective organizations or new forms of political work to channel the patriotic energies of the youth after the open movement subsided.

Accepted Answer

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.. Statement-I is correct. The first phase of revolutionary heroism acquired a more activist form as a direct consequence of the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement. Statement-II is also correct. After the open phase of the movement declined, the younger nationalists were disillusioned by the failure of the Extremist leadership to provide new forms of struggle or an effective organizational structure. Finding peaceful avenues closed and their leaders unable to guide them, they turned to revolutionary methods. Therefore, Statement-II provides the correct explanation for the phenomenon described in Statement-I, as the leadership vacuum pushed the youth towards revolutionary activism.

Question 3

Consider the following pairs:
1. Attack on Viceroy Hardinge : Rashbehari Bose
2. Barrah dacoity : Pulin Das
3. Western Anushilan Samiti : Sachin Sanyal
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Accepted Answer

Only two pairs. Pair 1 is correctly matched. Rashbehari Bose was the mastermind behind the bomb attack on Viceroy Hardinge in Delhi in December 1912, although he managed to escape arrest. Pair 2 is correctly matched. The Barrah dacoity in 1908 was organized by the Dacca Anushilan Samiti under the leadership of Pulin Das to raise funds for revolutionary activities. Pair 3 is incorrectly matched. The western Anushilan Samiti found a strong leader in Jatindranath Mukherjee (Bagha Jatin), not Sachin Sanyal. Sachin Sanyal was associated with Rashbehari Bose in the attack on Hardinge.

Question 4

Consider the following pairs regarding early revolutionary activities:
1. Promotha Mitter : Founder of the Yugantar weekly
2. Jnanendranath Basu : Organiser of the first revolutionary group in Calcutta
3. Narendra Gosain : Approver in the Alipore conspiracy case
4. Rashbehari Bose : Key figure in arranging the import of German arms under the 'German Plot'
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Accepted Answer

Only one pair. The explanation explicitly proves the count by identifying which statements are correct and which are incorrect.

*   **Pair 1 is incorrectly matched:** Promotha Mitter was a key founder of the Anushilan Samiti in Calcutta. The weekly journal 'Yugantar' was started later, in 1906, by an inner circle of the Anushilan Samiti that included Barindra Kumar Ghosh and Bhupendranath Dutta.
*   **Pair 2 is incorrectly matched:** Jnanendranath Basu organised one of the earliest revolutionary secret societies in Midnapore in 1902. The first major revolutionary group in Calcutta was the Anushilan Samiti, founded by Promotha Mitter.
*   **Pair 3 is correctly matched:** Narendra Gosain (or Goswami) was one of the accused in the Alipore Conspiracy Case (1908). He turned approver for the government, offering to testify against his fellow revolutionaries in exchange for a pardon. He was subsequently assassinated inside the jail.
*   **Pair 4 is incorrectly matched:** The plan to import German arms, part of the Hindu-German Conspiracy (the 'German Plot'), was primarily masterminded by Jatindranath Mukherjee (Bagha Jatin), the leader of the Jugantar party. He sent his emissary, Narendranath Bhattacharya (later M.N. Roy), to arrange the shipment. While Rashbehari Bose was a major revolutionary figure involved in the broader plan for an all-India insurrection, he was not the key figure arranging this specific import of arms.

Therefore, only one pair (Pair 3) is correctly matched.

Question 5

Consider the following statements regarding the Alipore conspiracy case (1908):
1. The Ghosh brothers, Aurobindo and Barindra, were charged with 'waging war against the King', which was equivalent to high treason.
2. Chittaranjan Das successfully defended both Aurobindo and Barindra Ghosh, leading to their acquittal.
3. Barindra Ghosh and Ullaskar Dutt were initially given the death penalty, which was later commuted to life imprisonment.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only two. Statement 1 is correct. The Ghosh brothers were indeed charged with 'waging war against the King', a charge equivalent to high treason. Statement 2 is incorrect. Chittaranjan Das defended Aurobindo, who was acquitted. However, Barindra Ghosh was not acquitted; he was convicted and sentenced to death, which was later commuted. Statement 3 is correct. Barindra Ghosh, as the head of the secret society, and Ullaskar Dutt, as the bomb-maker, were both given the death penalty, which was subsequently commuted to life in prison.

Question 6

Consider the following statements regarding the legacy and limitations of the revolutionary activity linked to the Swadeshi movement:
1. The movement was limited by its lack of a concrete plan for involving the masses.
2. The deliberate overemphasis on Hindu religious symbolism was a strategic success in keeping the movement unified and inclusive of all communities.
3. The social base of the movement in Bengal was largely restricted to the upper castes.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only two. Statement 1 is correct. The movement encouraged quixotic heroism but had no plan for mass involvement. Statement 2 is incorrect. The overemphasis on Hindu religion was a limitation that kept the Muslims aloof, rather than being an inclusive strategy. Statement 3 is correct. The narrow upper-caste social base of the movement in Bengal was a severe limitation on its scope.

Question 7

Statement-I: Following the First World War, there was a temporary respite in revolutionary activities in India.
Statement-II: This decline occurred because government repression had left no peaceful avenues open for protest, and the existing leadership had failed to channel the revolutionary energies of the youth.

Accepted Answer

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct but Statement-II is NOT the correct explanation for Statement-I.. Statement-I is correct; there was a temporary decline in revolutionary activity post-WWI. Statement-II is also a correct historical statement, as it accurately describes the reasons for the initial emergence of revolutionary activities. However, Statement-II does not explain the post-WWI decline mentioned in Statement-I. The decline was caused by different factors, namely the release of prisoners, the conciliatory atmosphere after the Montagu statement, and the rise of Gandhi's programme of non-violent non-cooperation.

Question 8

Consider the following pairs of revolutionary journals and their region of publication:
1. Sandhya : Maharashtra
2. Yugantar : Bengal
3. Kal : Bengal
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Accepted Answer

Only one pair. Pair 1 is incorrectly matched. The journal *Sandhya* was published in Bengal, not Maharashtra. Pair 2 is correctly matched. The journal *Yugantar* was published in Bengal. Pair 3 is incorrectly matched. The journal *Kal* was published in Maharashtra, not Bengal. Therefore, only one pair is correctly matched.

Question 9

Consider the following pairs:
1. Shyamji Krishnavarma : Brought out the journal *Bande Mataram*.
2. Madam Bhikaji Cama : Established the Indian Home Rule Society in London.
3. Virendranath Chattopadhyaya : Co-established the Berlin Committee for Indian Independence.
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Accepted Answer

Only one. Statement 1 is incorrect. Shyamji Krishnavarma started the journal *The Indian Sociologist*. The journal *Bande Mataram* was brought out by Madam Bhikaji Cama from Paris. Statement 2 is incorrect. The Indian Home Rule Society, or ‘India House’, was started in London by Shyamji Krishnavarma in 1905. Madam Cama operated from Paris and Geneva. Statement 3 is correct. Virendranath Chattopadhyaya was a key figure who, along with others, established the Berlin Committee for Indian Independence in 1915.

Question 10

With reference to the revolutionary activities in Europe during the First World War, consider the following statements:
1. The Berlin Committee for Indian Independence was established with the help of the German foreign office under the ‘Zimmerman Plan’.
2. One of the committee's primary aims was to incite rebellion among Indian troops and organize an armed invasion of India.
3. A mission led by Virendranath Chattopadhyaya and Lala Hardayal successfully established a ‘provisional Indian government’ in Kabul.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only two. Statement 1 is correct. The Berlin Committee for Indian Independence was established in 1915 by Virendranath Chattopadhyay, Bhupendranath Dutta, Lala Hardayal, and others with support from the German foreign office under the ‘Zimmerman Plan’. Statement 2 is correct. The revolutionaries aimed to mobilise Indian settlers abroad to send volunteers and arms to India, incite rebellion among Indian troops, and organise an armed invasion. Statement 3 is incorrect. While the Berlin Committee did send a mission to Kabul to organise a provisional government, that mission was led by Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, Barkatullah, and Obaidullah Sindhi, not by Chattopadhyaya and Hardayal.

Question 11

Consider the following two statements:
Statement-I: Following the assassination of Curzon-Wyllie in 1909 and the extradition of V.D. Savarkar in 1910, London became a less secure base for Indian revolutionaries, leading to the emergence of new centres like Paris and Geneva.
Statement-II: The deterioration of Anglo-German relations and the formulation of the 'Zimmerman Plan' in 1915 were the primary causes for the initial shift of revolutionary activities from London to continental Europe.
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. After Madanlal Dhingra's assassination of Curzon-Wyllie in 1909 and Savarkar's extradition in 1910, London became increasingly dangerous for revolutionaries. This directly led to the establishment of new operational centers in Paris and Geneva by figures like Madam Cama and Ajit Singh. Statement-II is incorrect. The deterioration in Anglo-German relations and the Zimmerman Plan (1915) led to Berlin becoming a major revolutionary base under Virendranath Chattopadhyaya. However, this was a later development and not the cause for the initial shift to Paris and Geneva, which occurred around 1909-1910 due to increased British surveillance and repression in London.

Question 12

Consider the following statements regarding the official programme of the Ghadr Party:
1. It included organising assassinations of officials.
2. A key objective was to work among Indian troops stationed within India to incite rebellion.
3. It aimed to bring about a simultaneous revolt in all British colonies.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only two. Statement 1 is correct. The Ghadr programme explicitly included the organisation of assassinations of officials. Statement 2 is incorrect. The programme aimed to work among Indian troops stationed abroad, not within India. Statement 3 is correct. A stated goal of the Ghadr programme was to bring about a simultaneous revolt in all colonies of Britain.

Question 13

Consider the following two statements:

Statement-I: The Ghadrites' plan for an armed revolt in the Ferozepur, Lahore, and Rawalpindi garrisons on February 21, 1915, was ultimately foiled.

Statement-II: The Ghadr movement as a whole suffered from a lack of organised leadership and an underestimation of the preparation required at tactical and strategic levels.

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

Accepted Answer

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct but Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.. Both statements are historically correct. Statement-I accurately describes the failure of the planned revolt on February 21, 1915. Statement-II correctly identifies the broader, systemic weaknesses of the Ghadr movement, such as leadership and planning deficiencies, which contributed to its overall failure. However, Statement-II is not the direct explanation for Statement-I. The immediate cause for the foiling of the specific plan of February 21, 1915, was treachery, which led to the British authorities taking pre-emptive action. The weaknesses mentioned in Statement-II are general evaluations, not the specific reason for the failure of that particular event.

Question 14

Consider the following pairs regarding personalities associated with the Ghadr movement:
1. Rashbehari Bose : Transported for life after the movement was crushed.
2. Lala Hardayal : Considered unsuited for the role of an organiser.
3. Sachin Sanyal : Fled to Japan to escape arrest.

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Accepted Answer

Only one. Pair 1 is incorrectly matched. Rashbehari Bose fled to Japan following the suppression of the planned revolt. It was Sachin Sanyal who was transported for life. Pair 2 is correctly matched. The evaluation of the Ghadr movement notes that Lala Hardayal was perhaps unsuited for the job of an organiser. Pair 3 is incorrectly matched. Sachin Sanyal was arrested and transported for life. It was Rashbehari Bose who fled to Japan. Therefore, only one pair is correctly matched.

First Phase of Revolutionary Activities 1907-1917

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