Question 1

Consider the following statements regarding the economic hardships in India after the First World War:
1. Indian industries experienced a recession coupled with increased foreign investment, leading them to demand protection against imports.
2. Soldiers who returned from the war fronts were surprised to find a country that was impoverished and had less liberty than before.
3. The educated urban classes were primarily affected by high taxation, a grievance they shared with the peasantry.

Accepted Answer

Only two. Statement 1 is correct. Post-war, Indian industries faced a recession and increased foreign investment, prompting them to seek government aid and protection against imports. Statement 2 is correct. Returning soldiers, having experienced different conditions abroad, were taken aback by the poverty and reduced liberties in their home country. Statement 3 is incorrect. The educated urban classes were primarily facing unemployment and were acutely aware of the racial discrimination by the British, not high taxation as their main grievance. High taxation was a primary burden on the peasantry.

Question 2

Consider the following two statements:
Statement-I: The post-First World War period saw a widespread nationalist disillusionment with Western imperialism.
Statement-II: The new Soviet Union, under Lenin, unilaterally renounced the former Czarist imperialist rights in Asia and granted self-determination to former Czarist colonies.

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 is correct as nationalists became disillusioned when the Allied powers, despite promises of self-determination, retained and expanded their colonial empires after the war, as revealed in the Paris Peace Conference. Statement-II is also correct; the Bolshevik government did renounce Czarist-era imperial claims, which inspired anti-colonial movements. However, Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I. The disillusionment mentioned in Statement-I was caused by the hypocrisy of the Allied powers themselves, who failed to apply their professed democratic principles to their colonies. The actions of the Soviet Union were a separate, concurrent development that provided inspiration and an alternative model, rather than being the direct cause of the disillusionment with Western powers.

Question 3

With reference to the Government of India Act, 1919, consider the following statements:
1. The system of dyarchy, or rule of two, was introduced for the executive at the central level of government.
2. Under dyarchy, subjects like Law and Order and Finance were designated as 'transferred' subjects to be administered by ministers responsible to the legislature.
3. The Governor could restore the budget if it was rejected by the provincial legislative council.
4. The Act mandated that the Council of State, the upper house of the central legislature, was to have only male members.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only two. Statement 1 is incorrect. The Act introduced dyarchy for the executive at the level of the provincial government, not the central government. No responsible government was envisaged at the all-India level. Statement 2 is incorrect. Law and Order and Finance were 'reserved' subjects, administered by the governor through his executive council. 'Transferred' subjects included education, health, and local government. Statement 3 is correct. The legislative councils could reject the budget, but the governor possessed the power to restore it if necessary, highlighting the limited financial control given to the councils. Statement 4 is correct. The Council of State had a tenure of 5 years and was composed exclusively of male members.

Question 4

Consider the following statements regarding the features of the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms:
1. A significant change made was that the Secretary of State for India was henceforth to be paid out of Indian revenues.
2. In the Viceroy's executive council of eight members, the Act provided for at least three to be Indians.
3. The Act introduced a bicameral legislature at the Centre, where legislators could vote on the entire budget without any restrictions.
4. Women were given the right to vote for the provincial legislative councils.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only two. Statement 1 is incorrect. The Government of India Act, 1919 made an important change whereby the Secretary of State for India was henceforth to be paid out of the British exchequer, not Indian revenues. Statement 2 is correct. The Act stipulated that in the Viceroy’s executive council, which consisted of eight members, three were to be Indians. Statement 3 is incorrect. While a bicameral legislature was introduced, legislators could not vote on the entire budget; approximately 75 per cent of the budget was still not votable. Statement 4 is correct. The reforms expanded the legislature and the franchise, and women were also given the right to vote.

Question 5

Consider the following statements regarding Gandhi's struggle in South Africa:
1. The phase of Satyagraha (1906–1914) was initiated primarily in response to a new poll tax of three pounds imposed on all ex-indentured Indians.
2. During the Moderate Phase (1894–1906), Gandhi formed the Passive Resistance Association to conduct campaigns against discriminatory laws.
3. The base of the passive resistance campaign was widened by a Supreme Court order that invalidated all marriages not conducted according to Christian rites.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only one. Statement 1 is incorrect. The phase of Satyagraha began in 1906 in response to a new legislation making it compulsory for Indians to carry certificates of registration. The campaign against the poll tax occurred later and served to widen the base of the movement, but it was not the initial trigger. Statement 2 is incorrect. The Passive Resistance Association was formed during the Satyagraha phase (post-1906) to specifically defy the registration certificate law. During the Moderate Phase, Gandhi set up the Natal Indian Congress. Statement 3 is correct. The Supreme Court order invalidating non-Christian marriages was seen as an insult to the honour of Indians, drawing their anger and thus widening the base of the campaign.

Question 6

With reference to the campaigns led by Gandhi in South Africa, consider the following statements:
1. The campaign against the poll tax was driven by the fact that the three-pound tax was excessive for ex-indentured Indians who earned less than ten shillings a month.
2. In retaliation against the government's use of deceit regarding registration, Indians under Gandhi's leadership publicly burned their registration certificates.
3. The Tolstoy Farm, founded in 1910 to sustain the struggle, was named by Gandhi himself in honour of the Russian writer he admired.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only two. Statement 1 is correct. The demand for the abolition of the three-pound poll tax was made precisely because it was too much for the poor ex-indentured Indians earning less than ten shillings a month. Statement 2 is correct. After the authorities used deceit to make defiant Indians register, the Indians retaliated by publicly burning their registration certificates. Statement 3 is incorrect. While the Tolstoy Farm was founded in 1910 and Gandhi admired the Russian writer, it was named by Gandhi’s associate, Herman Kallenbach, not by Gandhi himself.

Question 7

Consider the following statements regarding the Champaran Satyagraha (1917):
1. The tinkathia system legally mandated the cultivation of indigo on the 3/20th part of the total land.
2. As a final compromise, Mahatma Gandhi convinced the authorities that the planters should compensate the peasants for the full amount of illegal dues extracted from them.
3. The government appointed an enquiry committee to investigate the matter but refused to nominate Gandhi as a member, forcing him to conduct a parallel investigation.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only one. Statement 1 is correct. The tinkathia system forced peasants to grow indigo on the 3/20th part of their land. Statement 2 is incorrect. Gandhi agreed to a compromise where planters would compensate only 25 per cent of the money illegally extracted from the peasants. Statement 3 is incorrect. The government appointed a committee to look into the matter and nominated Gandhi as a member.

Question 8

Consider the following two statements:

Statement-I: Upon his return to India in 1915, Mahatma Gandhi was not in favour of the ongoing Home Rule agitation.

Statement-II: Gandhi believed it was strategically inappropriate to agitate for Home Rule while Britain was engaged in the First World War.

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

Accepted Answer

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.. Statement-I is correct. Gandhi was not in favour of the Home Rule agitation that was popular around 1915-1916. Statement-II is also correct and provides the specific reason for his position. He considered it inopportune to press for Home Rule when Britain was in the middle of a war. Therefore, Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

Question 9

With reference to the Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918), consider the following statements:
1. The dispute arose because mill owners wanted to withdraw the plague bonus, while workers demanded a 50% wage hike to cope with wartime inflation.
2. Anusuya Sarabhai, a social worker and sister of a prominent mill owner, sided with the mill owners and opposed the workers' strike.
3. Mahatma Gandhi advised the workers to go on strike and demand a 35% increase in wages.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only two. Statement 1 is correct. The conflict was centered on the discontinuation of the plague bonus and the workers' demand for a 50% wage increase due to inflation. Statement 2 is incorrect. Anusuya Sarabhai, despite being the sister of mill owner Ambalal Sarabhai, supported the workers' cause and asked Gandhi to intervene on their behalf. Statement 3 is correct. Gandhi took up the workers' cause but moderated their demand, advising them to strike for a 35% wage increase instead of the initial 50%.

Question 10

With reference to the events in Amritsar in April 1919, consider the following statements:
1. The arrest of nationalist leaders Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal was a punitive measure taken in response to violent protests that had already occurred.
2. Martial Law was imposed in Amritsar by Brigadier-General Dyer only after the large, prohibited gathering had assembled at Jallianwala Bagh.
3. The assembly at Jallianwala Bagh passed a resolution condemning the police firing that took place on April 10.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only one. Statement 1 is incorrect. The arrest of Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal on April 9 occurred 'without provocation'. The protests, which turned violent, happened on April 10 as a result of these arrests, not before them. Statement 2 is incorrect. Brigadier-General Dyer was given the responsibility to impose martial law and restore order before the Jallianwala Bagh gathering. He arrived, found the city calm, and then issued a proclamation on April 13 forbidding assemblies, which was subsequently violated by the gathering. The decision to impose martial law preceded the gathering itself. Statement 3 is correct. The crowd at Jallianwala Bagh passed two resolutions, one of which was to condemn the firing that had occurred on April 10.

Question 11

Consider the following pairs regarding the events in Punjab in 1919:
1. Sir Michael O’Dwyer : The military commander who issued the proclamation forbidding assembly in Amritsar on April 13.
2. Brigadier-General Dyer : The Lieutenant Governor of Punjab who is said to have used aircraft strafing against protestors.
3. Rowlatt Act : Legislation that made the wartime provisions of the Defence of India Act (1915) permanent.
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Accepted Answer

Only one pair. Pair 1 is incorrectly matched. Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer, not Sir Michael O'Dwyer, issued the proclamation forbidding assembly in Amritsar. Sir Michael O'Dwyer was the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab. Pair 2 is incorrectly matched. Sir Michael O'Dwyer was the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab who is said to have used aircraft strafing. Brigadier-General Dyer was the military commander tasked with imposing martial law in Amritsar. The roles have been swapped. Pair 3 is correctly matched. The Rowlatt Act made the wartime restrictive provisions of the Defence of India Act (1915) permanent.

Question 12

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: Mahatma Gandhi, who had been at the forefront of cooperating with the British war effort, called for a nationwide mass protest against the Rowlatt Act.
Statement-II: Gandhi argued that the Rowlatt Act was a 'Black Act' because it was unjust to penalize the entire Indian population for isolated political crimes, especially after their wartime contributions.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Accepted Answer

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.. Statement-I is correct. Gandhi, despite his earlier cooperation in the British war effort including encouraging recruitment, called for a mass protest at an all-India level against the Rowlatt Act. Statement-II is also correct. Gandhi felt betrayed as Indians expected self-rule but received the repressive Rowlatt Act instead. He called it the 'Black Act' and argued that it was unjust to punish the entire population for isolated political crimes. Therefore, Statement-II provides the direct ideological and contextual reason for Gandhi's action described in Statement-I, making it the correct explanation.

Emergence of Gandhi

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