This section presents another set of 50 objective questions on Indian History, ranging from ancient to modern periods. Each question comes with multiple-choice options, the correct answer, and a detailed explanation, making it a valuable resource for students and enthusiasts preparing for competitive exams or seeking to deepen their understanding of Indian history.
Modern India
751. Who established the Ramakrishna Mission?
A) Swami Dayananda
B) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
C) Swami Vivekananda
D) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Answer: C
Explanation: Swami Vivekananda, a chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, established the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897 to propagate the teachings of his guru and carry out philanthropic work.
752. The Partition of Bengal was carried out by:
A) Lord Ripon
B) Lord Curzon
C) Lord Wellesley
D) Lord Dufferin
Answer: B
Explanation: The Partition of Bengal was announced by Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of India, in 1905, ostensibly for administrative convenience but largely seen as a move to divide Hindus and Muslims.
753. Which act introduced separate electorates for Muslims?
A) Indian Councils Act, 1861
B) Indian Councils Act, 1892
C) Indian Councils Act, 1909
D) Government of India Act, 1919
Answer: C
Explanation: The Indian Councils Act of 1909, also known as the Morley-Minto Reforms, introduced the system of separate electorates for Muslims, a controversial measure that contributed to communal politics.
754. The title ‘Kaiser-i-Hind’ was awarded to Gandhi by:
A) Lord Irwin
B) Lord Curzon
C) British Government
D) Queen Victoria
Answer: C
Explanation: Mahatma Gandhi was awarded the ‘Kaiser-i-Hind’ gold medal by the British Government in 1915 for his ambulance services in South Africa and his work for the British Empire during the Boer War. He later returned it in 1920 during the Non-Cooperation Movement.
755. Who led the extremist faction of the Indian National Congress?
A) Motilal Nehru
B) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
C) Lala Lajpat Rai
D) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Answer: D
Explanation: Bal Gangadhar Tilak, along with Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal (the ‘Lal-Bal-Pal’ trio), were prominent leaders of the extremist faction (also known as the Assertive Nationalists) within the Indian National Congress.
756. The First Round Table Conference was held in:
A) 1930
B) 1931
C) 1932
D) 1933
Answer: A
Explanation: The First Round Table Conference was held in London from November 1930 to January 1931.
757. The Second Round Table Conference was attended by:
A) Jawaharlal Nehru
B) Mahatma Gandhi
C) Subhas Chandra Bose
D) None of the above
Answer: B
Explanation: Mahatma Gandhi attended the Second Round Table Conference in London in September 1931, as the sole representative of the Indian National Congress, following the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
758. The Third Round Table Conference was held in:
A) 1932
B) 1933
C) 1934
D) 1935
Answer: A
Explanation: The Third and final Round Table Conference was held in London from November 17, 1932, to December 24, 1932.
759. The Indian National Army (INA) was formed in:
A) 1939
B) 1942
C) 1943
D) 1945
Answer: C
Explanation: While the concept of the Indian National Army (INA) was first formed in 1942 by Mohan Singh, it was significantly revived and reorganized by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1943 in Singapore, who then led it into battle.
760. INA trials were held in which fort?
A) Red Fort
B) Agra Fort
C) Gwalior Fort
D) Fort William
Answer: A
Explanation: The famous INA trials, also known as the Red Fort Trials, were held at the Red Fort in Delhi between November 1945 and May 1946.
761. The Cabinet Mission came to India in:
A) 1945
B) 1946
C) 1947
D) 1948
Answer: B
Explanation: The Cabinet Mission, consisting of Lord Pethick-Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps, and A.V. Alexander, arrived in India in March 1946.
762. Who was the last Viceroy of British India?
A) Lord Wavell
B) Lord Mountbatten
C) Lord Linlithgow
D) Lord Irwin
Answer: B
Explanation: Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of British India, serving from March 1947 to August 1947, overseeing the transfer of power and the partition of India.
763. The slogan “Do or Die” was given during:
A) Civil Disobedience Movement
B) Quit India Movement
C) Non-Cooperation Movement
D) Khilafat Movement
Answer: B
Explanation: Mahatma Gandhi gave the iconic call to “Do or Die” during the Quit India Movement in 1942, urging Indians to achieve independence or die in the attempt.
764. Who among the following was not associated with the Home Rule Movement?
A) Annie Besant
B) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
C) Jawaharlal Nehru
D) Joseph Baptista
Answer: C
Explanation: The Home Rule Movement (1916) was primarily led by Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Joseph Baptista was a close associate of Tilak. Jawaharlal Nehru, while a prominent nationalist, was not a key leader of this particular movement.
765. When was the Rowlatt Act passed?
A) 1918
B) 1919
C) 1920
D) 1921
Answer: B
Explanation: The Rowlatt Act (Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919) was passed in March 1919.
766. The founder of the Arya Samaj was:
A) Swami Dayanand Saraswati
B) Swami Vivekananda
C) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
D) Rabindranath Tagore
Answer: A
Explanation: Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj in 1875, a Hindu reform movement that advocated a return to the Vedas.
767. The Indian National Congress adopted the resolution of ‘Purna Swaraj’ in:
A) 1928
B) 1929
C) 1930
D) 1931
Answer: B
Explanation: The Indian National Congress adopted the resolution for ‘Purna Swaraj’ (complete independence) at its Lahore Session in December 1929, under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru.
768. Who introduced the Doctrine of Lapse?
A) Lord Canning
B) Lord Dalhousie
C) Lord Cornwallis
D) Lord Curzon
Answer: B
Explanation: Lord Dalhousie, Governor-General of India (1848-1856), introduced the Doctrine of Lapse, an annexation policy by which if a princely state ruler died without a natural male heir, the state would be annexed by the British.
769. Who was the founder of the Theosophical Society in India?
A) Annie Besant
B) A. O. Hume
C) B. G. Tilak
D) G. K. Gokhale
Answer: A
Explanation: While the Theosophical Society was founded in New York in 1875 by H.P. Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott, Annie Besant played a crucial role in establishing and popularizing its work in India, serving as its international president from 1907. She is widely associated with its establishment and growth in India.
770. Who started the Aligarh Movement?
A) Badruddin Tyabji
B) Syed Ahmed Khan
C) Abdul Kalam Azad
D) Liaquat Ali Khan
Answer: B
Explanation: The Aligarh Movement was started by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in the 19th century, aimed at educational and social reform among Muslims in India.
771. The Indian Councils Act of 1909 is also known as:
A) Montague-Chelmsford Reforms
B) Morley-Minto Reforms
C) Pitt’s India Act
D) Government of India Act
Answer: B
Explanation: The Indian Councils Act of 1909 is popularly known as the Morley-Minto Reforms, named after the then Secretary of State for India John Morley and Viceroy Lord Minto.
772. Who was known as the “Lion of Punjab”?
A) Ranjit Singh
B) Bhagat Singh
C) Lala Lajpat Rai
D) Udham Singh
Answer: C
Explanation: Lala Lajpat Rai was famously known as “Punjab Kesari” or the “Lion of Punjab” for his strong nationalist stance and leadership.
773. Who was the last Governor-General of independent India?
A) Lord Mountbatten
B) Rajendra Prasad
C) C. Rajagopalachari
D) Jawaharlal Nehru
Answer: C
Explanation: Chakravarti Rajagopalachari served as the last Governor-General of independent India from 1948 to 1950, after which the office was abolished and India became a Republic with Dr. Rajendra Prasad as its first President.
774. Who founded the Servants of India Society?
A) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
B) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
C) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
D) Mahatma Gandhi
Answer: A
Explanation: Gopal Krishna Gokhale founded the Servants of India Society in 1905 with the aim of promoting social and humanitarian causes.
775. The Hunter Commission was appointed to investigate:
A) The INA Trials
B) The Rowlatt Act
C) Jallianwala Bagh massacre
D) Partition of Bengal
Answer: C
Explanation: The Hunter Commission was appointed by the British government in 1919 to inquire into the causes and scale of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
776. Who was the first Indian to be elected to the British Parliament?
A) Dadabhai Naoroji
B) M. K. Gandhi
C) B. R. Ambedkar
D) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Answer: A
Explanation: Dadabhai Naoroji, also known as the ‘Grand Old Man of India’, was the first Indian to be elected to the British House of Commons in 1892 from the Liberal Party.
777. Which movement marked Gandhi’s entry into Indian politics?
A) Champaran Satyagraha
B) Khilafat Movement
C) Dandi March
D) Quit India Movement
Answer: A
Explanation: The Champaran Satyagraha in 1917 was Mahatma Gandhi’s first major public appearance and successful application of Satyagraha in India, marking his entry into Indian politics.
778. The Revolt of 1857 began at:
A) Delhi
B) Meerut
C) Kanpur
D) Lucknow
Answer: B
Explanation: The Revolt of 1857 officially began on May 10, 1857, when sepoys in Meerut mutinied.
779. Who was declared the symbolic leader of the 1857 revolt?
A) Bahadur Shah II
B) Nana Sahib
C) Rani Lakshmibai
D) Tantia Tope
Answer: A
Explanation: The sepoys of the 1857 revolt marched to Delhi and proclaimed the aged Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah II (also known as Bahadur Shah Zafar) as their symbolic leader.
780. The Treaty of Alinagar was signed between:
A) Clive and Siraj-ud-Daulah
B) Clive and Mir Jafar
C) Cornwallis and Tipu Sultan
D) Wellesley and Scindia
Answer: A
Explanation: The Treaty of Alinagar was signed in February 1757 between Robert Clive of the British East India Company and Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah of Bengal.
781. The Vernacular Press Act was passed in the year:
A) 1875
B) 1878
C) 1882
D) 1885
Answer: B
Explanation: The Vernacular Press Act was enacted in 1878 by Lord Lytton, the then Viceroy of India, to suppress the Indian press.
782. Who introduced the Permanent Settlement in Bengal?
A) Lord Dalhousie
B) Lord Cornwallis
C) Lord Curzon
D) Lord Wellesley
Answer: B
Explanation: Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement of Bengal in 1793, a land revenue system.
783. The Dual Government system in Bengal was introduced by:
A) Warren Hastings
B) Lord Clive
C) Lord Wellesley
D) Lord Ripon
Answer: B
Explanation: The Dual Government system in Bengal, where the Company had Diwani (revenue collection) rights and the Nawab had Nizamat (administrative) functions, was introduced by Lord Clive after the Battle of Buxar in 1765.
784. The Indian National Congress split into two groups in the year:
A) 1905
B) 1906
C) 1907
D) 1911
Answer: C
Explanation: The Indian National Congress split into two factions – the Moderates and the Extremists – at its Surat Session in 1907.
785. Who was the first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress?
A) Badruddin Tyabji
B) M. A. Jinnah
C) Syed Ahmad Khan
D) Liaquat Ali Khan
Answer: A
Explanation: Badruddin Tyabji was the first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress, presiding over its third session in Madras in 1887.
786. Who is known as the ‘Father of Indian Renaissance’?
A) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
B) Swami Vivekananda
C) Rabindranath Tagore
D) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Answer: A
Explanation: Raja Ram Mohan Roy is widely regarded as the ‘Father of Indian Renaissance’ for his pioneering efforts in social, religious, and educational reforms.
787. Who started the Bhoodan Movement?
A) Mahatma Gandhi
B) Jawaharlal Nehru
C) Vinoba Bhave
D) Acharya Kripalani
Answer: C
Explanation: The Bhoodan Movement (Land Gift Movement) was started by Vinoba Bhave in 1951, appealing to wealthy landowners to donate land for distribution among the landless poor.
788. The Muslim League was founded in:
A) 1905
B) 1906
C) 1916
D) 1919
Answer: B
Explanation: The All-India Muslim League was founded in Dhaka in 1906 by Aga Khan III, Nawab Salimullah of Dhaka, and Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk.
789. The Moplah Rebellion took place in:
A) Kerala
B) Bengal
C) Punjab
D) Tamil Nadu
Answer: A
Explanation: The Moplah Rebellion (or Mappila Rebellion) was a peasant revolt that took place in the Malabar region of Kerala in 1921.
790. The Cabinet Mission Plan proposed:
A) Complete Independence
B) Dominion Status
C) Partition of India
D) Federal Government
Answer: D
Explanation: The Cabinet Mission Plan (1946) proposed a three-tier federal structure for India, with a weak center and strong provinces, and a grouping of provinces, aiming to avoid partition but allowing for significant provincial autonomy.
791. Who led the Revolt of 1857 in Kanpur?
A) Nana Sahib
B) Tantia Tope
C) Rani Lakshmibai
D) Bahadur Shah Zafar
Answer: A
Explanation: Nana Sahib, along with his general Tantia Tope, led the Revolt of 1857 in Kanpur.
792. Who was the first Indian woman President of the Indian National Congress?
A) Sarojini Naidu
B) Annie Besant
C) Indira Gandhi
D) Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
Answer: A
Explanation: Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress, presiding over its Kanpur session in 1925. Annie Besant was the first woman President of the INC (1917), but she was Irish, not Indian.
793. Which freedom fighter was popularly known as ‘Deshbandhu’?
A) Chittaranjan Das
B) B. G. Tilak
C) Lala Lajpat Rai
D) Bipin Chandra Pal
Answer: A
Explanation: Chittaranjan Das was popularly known as ‘Deshbandhu’, meaning ‘friend of the nation’.
794. The Ilbert Bill controversy occurred during the period of:
A) Lord Ripon
B) Lord Curzon
C) Lord Lytton
D) Lord Dufferin
Answer: A
Explanation: The Ilbert Bill controversy took place during the viceroyalty of Lord Ripon (1880-1884), when he attempted to introduce a bill allowing Indian judges to try Europeans, which faced strong opposition from the European community.
795. The Revolt of 1857 was called the First War of Independence by:
A) R. C. Majumdar
B) V. D. Savarkar
C) Bipan Chandra
D) S. N. Sen
Answer: B
Explanation: Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, in his book “The Indian War of Independence 1857”, was one of the first to describe the uprising as the “First War of Independence”.
796. Who among the following leaders died during a protest against the Simon Commission?
A) Lala Lajpat Rai
B) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
C) Motilal Nehru
D) C. R. Das
Answer: A
Explanation: Lala Lajpat Rai sustained severe injuries during a lathi charge by the police while protesting against the Simon Commission in Lahore in October 1928, and succumbed to his injuries a few weeks later.
797. Which act provided for the establishment of All India Federation?
A) Government of India Act 1919
B) Government of India Act 1935
C) Indian Councils Act 1909
D) Indian Independence Act 1947
Answer: B
Explanation: The Government of India Act of 1935 proposed the establishment of an All India Federation, comprising British Indian provinces and princely states. However, this federal part was never implemented due to the non-accession of princely states.
798. Who was the founder of Banaras Hindu University?
A) Rabindranath Tagore
B) Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya
C) Swami Vivekananda
D) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Answer: B
Explanation: Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya founded the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1916.
799. The famous book India Wins Freedom was written by:
A) Mahatma Gandhi
B) Jawaharlal Nehru
C) Abul Kalam Azad
D) Sardar Patel
Answer: C
Explanation: India Wins Freedom is an autobiographical account by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, a prominent leader of the Indian independence movement and the first Minister of Education in independent India.
800. The Civil Services in India were introduced by:
A) Lord Cornwallis
B) Lord Curzon
C) Lord Dalhousie
D) Lord Ripon
Answer: A
Explanation: Lord Cornwallis is often regarded as the “Father of Civil Services in India” for laying the foundation of a regularized and professional civil service.