Question 1

Consider the following statements regarding early peasant movements in colonial India:
1. In both the Indigo Revolt and the Pabna agrarian unrest, the primary form of struggle was legal resistance and rent strikes.
2. The Bengali intelligentsia played a significant supportive role in both movements by organising mass meetings and newspaper campaigns.
3. A key objective in the Pabna agrarian movement was to resist the zamindars' attempts to prevent tenants from acquiring occupancy rights under Act X of 1859.

Accepted Answer

Only two. To determine the correct count, let's evaluate each statement:

1. **Statement 1 is incorrect.** While both movements used legal resistance, the Indigo Revolt (1859-60) was fundamentally a strike against the forced cultivation of indigo, not a rent strike. The peasants refused to grow indigo. The Pabna unrest (1870s), on the other hand, was primarily a rent strike where peasants resisted arbitrary rent hikes and sought to enforce their legal rights.

2. **Statement 2 is correct.** The Bengali intelligentsia provided crucial support to both movements. During the Indigo Revolt, figures like Harish Chandra Mukherjee (editor of the 'Hindoo Patriot') and Dinabandhu Mitra (author of the play 'Nil Darpan') championed the peasants' cause. Similarly, during the Pabna unrest, a section of the intelligentsia, including figures like Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, R.C. Dutt, and the Indian Association led by Surendranath Banerjea, supported the peasants' demands for fair rent and security of tenure.

3. **Statement 3 is correct.** The Bengal Tenancy Act X of 1859 had granted occupancy rights to tenants who had cultivated land for 12 years. A major cause of the Pabna unrest was the zamindars' concerted efforts to prevent tenants from acquiring these very rights through coercive measures like forced evictions and illegal rent enhancements. The formation of the Agrarian League in Pabna was a direct response to this.

Therefore, two statements (2 and 3) are correct.

Question 2

With reference to the Indigo Revolt (1859–60), consider the following statements:
1. The revolt was primarily led by members of the Bengali intelligentsia who organized the peasants against the European planters.
2. In response to the ryots' initial resistance, the planters attempted to use methods such as forcible evictions and rent enhancements.
3. The government's final resolution was a notification that compelled planters to offer better contract terms while ensuring the continuation of indigo cultivation.

Accepted Answer

Only one. Statement 1 is incorrect. The revolt was led by Digambar Biswas and Bishnu Biswas of Nadia district. The Bengali intelligentsia played a significant supportive role through newspaper campaigns and legal support, but they were not the primary leaders who organized the peasants at the grassroots level. Statement 2 is correct. After the peasants decided not to grow indigo and resisted physical pressure, the planters retaliated with methods like evictions and enhanced rents, to which the ryots replied with a rent strike. Statement 3 is incorrect. The government notification of November 1860 explicitly stated that ryots could not be compelled to grow indigo. This led to the planters closing down their factories, and indigo cultivation was virtually wiped out from Bengal, not continued under new terms.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the nature of peasant movements after 1857:
1. The primary target of these movements was the colonial state apparatus itself.
2. The movements were characterized by a new political ideology aimed at establishing an alternative societal order.
3. The peasants emerged as the main force, fighting directly for their own demands which were centered on economic issues.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only one. Statement 1 is incorrect. The movements were not directed against colonialism as a system. Their immediate enemies were identified as foreign planters, indigenous zamindars, and moneylenders. Statement 2 is incorrect. The peasants in the 19th century did not possess a new ideology or a new social, economic, and political programme. The struggles occurred within the framework of the old societal order. Statement 3 is correct. Peasants were the main force in these agrarian movements, and their demands were centered almost wholly on economic issues and the redressal of specific grievances.

Question 4

Consider the following two statements:
Statement-I: Peasant movements in the latter half of the 19th century, though often militant, were geographically limited and lacked continuity.
Statement-II: The peasants of this period had a deficient understanding of their legal rights and rarely engaged with the judicial system.
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. The peasant uprisings of this era had a limited territorial reach and lacked long-term organisation or a continuous struggle. Statement-II is incorrect. A key characteristic of these movements was that the peasants developed a strong awareness of their legal rights and actively asserted them both within and outside the courts. Therefore, the weakness described in Statement-I was not caused by the factor mentioned in Statement-II; in fact, the premise of Statement-II is factually wrong.

Question 5

Consider the following statements regarding peasant movements in the United Provinces in the early 20th century:

1. The Awadh Kisan Sabha asked peasants to vow that they would pay only the recorded rent but would pay it on time.
2. The Eka Movement's programme included the refusal to till 'bedakhali' (evicted) land.
3. A common resolution in both the Awadh Kisan Sabha's and the Eka Movement's agenda was to abide by the decisions of panchayats.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only one. To determine the correct count, we must evaluate each statement:

*   **Statement 1 is incorrect.** The vow to pay only the recorded rent, but to pay it on time, was a central pledge of the **Eka Movement**, not the Awadh Kisan Sabha. This was part of their resistance against the arbitrary enhancement of rent by landlords.
*   **Statement 2 is incorrect.** The instruction to refuse to till 'bedakhali' (evicted) land and to extend help to the evicted tenants was a key directive of the **Awadh Kisan Sabha** to maintain peasant solidarity.
*   **Statement 3 is correct.** This was a common feature. The Eka Movement's pledge explicitly required peasants to 'abide by the decisions of the panchayat'. Similarly, the Awadh Kisan Sabha instructed its members to resolve their disputes through their own panchayats, which functionally meant abiding by their decisions as a form of alternative dispute resolution.

Therefore, only one statement (Statement 3) is correct.

Question 6

Examine the following two statements:

Statement-I: The Mappila rebellion ultimately became isolated from the broader Khilafat-Non-Cooperation Movement.

Statement-II: The rebellion was fundamentally communal in its character from its very inception, which prevented its integration with the national movement's leadership.

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. The communalisation of the Mappila rebellion did lead to its isolation from the mainstream national movement. Statement-II is incorrect. The rebellion did not start as a communal movement. Initially, its targets were symbols of British authority and unpopular landlords. It was an anti-government and anti-landlord affair that merged with the Khilafat agitation. The movement acquired communal overtones later, particularly after the imposition of martial law and severe government repression, when many Hindus were perceived as helping the authorities.

Question 7

Consider the following pairs:

1. Gauri Shankar Mishra : Founder of the Awadh Kisan Sabha
2. Baba Ramchandra : Urged Jawaharlal Nehru to visit villages in Awadh
3. Eka Movement : Grassroot leadership provided by Taluqdars

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Accepted Answer

Only one pair. Pair 1 is incorrectly matched. Gauri Shankar Mishra, along with Indra Narayan Dwivedi, set up the United Provinces Kisan Sabha in February 1918. The Awadh Kisan Sabha was formed later in October 1920 due to differences in nationalist ranks. Pair 2 is correctly matched. In June 1920, Baba Ramchandra urged Nehru to visit the villages, leading to Nehru developing close contacts with the peasantry. Pair 3 is incorrectly matched. The grassroot leadership of the Eka Movement came from small zamindars, not Taluqdars (big landlords). The movement was, in fact, against the oppression of landlords and their agents.

Question 8

Consider the following statements regarding peasant activities in various provinces during 1937-39:
1. In the Malabar region, a significant peasant campaign was launched for the amendment of the Malabar Tenancy Act, 1929.
2. In Andhra, the primary method of peasant mobilization was the marching of 'jaths' to the landlords to get their demands accepted.
3. In Bihar, the Provincial Kisan Sabha developed a major rift with the Congress ministry over the 'bakasht land' issue.
4. In Punjab, the peasant movement was mainly concentrated against the feudal levies in the territories that constitute modern-day Haryana.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only two. Statement 1 is correct. A significant campaign by the peasants in the Malabar region of Kerala in 1938 was for the amendment of the Malabar Tenancy Act, 1929. Statement 2 is incorrect. The marching of 'jaths' (peasant groups) was the most popular method in Kerala's Malabar region, not Andhra. Statement 3 is correct. The Provincial Kisan Sabha in Bihar developed a rift with the Congress over the ‘bakasht land’ issue due to an unfavourable government resolution. Statement 4 is incorrect. The peasant activity in Punjab was concentrated in areas like Jullundur, Amritsar, and Lahore. The Hindu peasants of south-eastern Punjab (today’s Haryana) remained largely unaffected by this mobilization.

Question 9

Consider the following pairs regarding the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and associated peasant activities:
1. Swami Sahajanand Saraswati : General Secretary of the AIKS at its founding session.
2. Indulal Yagnik : Editor of the periodical started by the AIKS.
3. N.G. Ranga : Founder of the India Peasants’ Institute.
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Accepted Answer

Only two pairs. Pair 1 is incorrectly matched. Swami Sahajanand Saraswati was the President of the All India Kisan Sabha at its founding session in Lucknow in April 1936, while N.G. Ranga was the General Secretary. Pair 2 is correctly matched. A periodical was started under Indulal Yagnik as part of the AIKS activities. Pair 3 is correctly matched. N.G. Ranga had set up the India Peasants’ Institute in 1933 in Andhra.

Question 10

Consider the following two statements:
Statement-I: The agrarian policy outlined in the Congress manifesto for the 1937 provincial elections reflected a strong influence of organized peasant demands.
Statement-II: The All India Kisan Sabha, formed in April 1936, held its session concurrently with the Congress at Faizpur in 1936 and issued its own kisan manifesto.
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. The Congress manifesto for the 1937 elections contained a pronounced agrarian policy influenced by the peasant movement's agenda. Statement-II is also correct. The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) was founded in April 1936 and held its session alongside the Congress session in Faizpur later that year, where it issued a kisan manifesto. Statement-II provides the direct context and cause for Statement-I, as the Congress agrarian policy was strongly influenced by the AIKS agenda formulated at Faizpur.

Question 11

Consider the following statements regarding peasant movements during and after the Second World War:
1. During the war, prominent leaders like Sahjanand Saraswati and N.G. Ranga disassociated from the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) because of the pro-War stance adopted by its communist faction.
2. The Tebhaga movement in Bengal was primarily organised by non-communist cadres of the Kisan Sabha to secure a two-thirds share for sharecroppers.
3. In the princely state of Hyderabad, the communist-led Andhra Mahasabha was instrumental in building a strong base for the Telangana movement.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only two. Statement 1 is correct. Due to the pro-War line adopted by the communists, the AIKS split, and veteran leaders like Sahjanand, Indulal Yagnik, and N.G. Ranga left the sabha. Statement 2 is incorrect. The Tebhaga movement was organised by communist cadres, which included many urban student militias who went to the countryside. Statement 3 is correct. During the war, the communist-led guerrillas had built a strong base in Telangana villages through the Andhra Mahasabha, leading local struggles.

Question 12

Consider the following statements regarding post-war peasant uprisings:
1. The Tebhaga movement was a struggle against the grossest forms of forced labour, known as 'vethi', imposed by landlords called 'doras'.
2. The central slogan of the Telangana movement was “nij khamare dhan tolo”, which called for sharecroppers to take paddy to their own threshing floors.
3. The Telangana movement, considered the biggest peasant guerrilla war of modern Indian history, ultimately led to the abolition of vethi and the raising of agricultural wages in the areas it controlled.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Only one. Statement 1 is incorrect. The struggle against forced labour ('vethi') and landlords ('doras') was a characteristic of the Telangana movement in the princely state of Hyderabad, not the Tebhaga movement in Bengal. Statement 2 is incorrect. The slogan “nij khamare dhan tolo” belonged to the Tebhaga movement, not the Telangana movement. Statement 3 is correct. The Telangana movement was the largest peasant guerrilla war and had significant achievements in the villages controlled by the guerrillas, including the disappearance of vethi and forced labour, and a rise in agricultural wages.

Question 13

Consider the following two statements:
Statement-I: The Tebhaga movement in Bengal, which began in September 1946, dissipated relatively quickly despite its initial intensity.
Statement-II: The movement's decline was accelerated by the introduction of the Bargardari Bill by the League ministry, intensified state repression, and the end of sympathetic support from urban sections due to renewed communal riots.
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; the Tebhaga movement did dissipate soon after its commencement. Statement-II is also correct as it lists the specific reasons for the movement's decline: the League ministry's sop of the Bargardari Bill, intensified repression, and the loss of urban support due to riots in Calcutta. Since the factors mentioned in Statement-II directly caused the outcome described in Statement-I, Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

Peasant Movements 1857-1947

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