This installment of our history objective questions series, “Part 19,” delves into pivotal moments and figures in Indian history. Covering a wide spectrum from colonial administration to the freedom struggle, these 50 multiple-choice questions offer detailed explanations to enhance your understanding and prepare you for competitive examinations.
Modern India
951. Who introduced the Doctrine of Lapse?
A) Lord Dalhousie
B) Lord Canning
C) Lord Ripon
D) Lord Curzon
Answer: A
Explanation: The Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy extensively applied by Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India between 1848 and 1856. Under this doctrine, if an Indian princely state ruler died without a natural male heir, the state would be annexed by the British.
952. Who led the revolt of 1857 in Kanpur?
A) Bahadur Shah Zafar
B) Tantia Tope
C) Nana Sahib
D) Rani Laxmi Bai
Answer: C
Explanation: Nana Sahib, the adopted son of the last Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao II, led the Revolt of 1857 in Kanpur. He was ably assisted by his loyal general, Tantia Tope.
953. Who was the Governor-General during the revolt of 1857?
A) Lord Dalhousie
B) Lord Canning
C) Lord Curzon
D) Lord Ripon
Answer: B
Explanation: Lord Canning served as the Governor-General of India during the tumultuous period of the Revolt of 1857. Following the revolt, he became the first Viceroy of India.
954. The Permanent Settlement was introduced by:
A) Lord Wellesley
B) Lord Cornwallis
C) Lord Dalhousie
D) Lord Curzon
Answer: B
Explanation: The Permanent Settlement of Bengal was introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793. It fixed the land revenue payable by zamindars (landlords) to the East India Company in perpetuity.
955. Who was the founder of the Arya Samaj?
A) Swami Dayanand Saraswati
B) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
C) Swami Vivekananda
D) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Answer: A
Explanation: Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj in 1875 in Bombay. It was a Hindu reform movement that advocated a return to the Vedas and denounced idol worship and the caste system.
956. The capital of Shivaji’s kingdom was:
A) Raigarh
B) Pune
C) Satara
D) Kolhapur
Answer: A
Explanation: Raigarh Fort served as the capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s Maratha kingdom from 1674, when he was crowned, until his death in 1680.
957. The Revolt of 1857 was described as the first war of Indian independence by:
A) Jawaharlal Nehru
B) R. C. Majumdar
C) V. D. Savarkar
D) S. N. Sen
Answer: C
Explanation: Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, in his book “The Indian War of Independence 1857,” famously described the Revolt of 1857 as the first organized armed struggle for India’s independence.
958. Who built the Red Fort in Delhi?
A) Babur
B) Akbar
C) Jahangir
D) Shah Jahan
Answer: D
Explanation: The Red Fort (Lal Qila) in Delhi was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan when he shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi (Shahjahanabad) in the mid-17th century.
959. The title of ‘Viceroy’ was first used by:
A) Lord Canning
B) Lord Dalhousie
C) Lord Curzon
D) Lord Wellesley
Answer: A
Explanation: Following the Revolt of 1857 and the subsequent Government of India Act of 1858, the office of Governor-General was replaced by that of Viceroy. Lord Canning, who was the last Governor-General, became the first Viceroy of India.
960. The Non-Cooperation Movement was withdrawn due to:
A) Jallianwala Bagh massacre
B) Gandhi-Irwin Pact
C) Chauri Chaura incident
D) Civil Disobedience Movement
Answer: C
Explanation: Mahatma Gandhi decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922 following the violent Chauri Chaura incident, where a police station was set on fire by a mob, resulting in the death of several policemen.
961. Who was the first woman president of Indian National Congress?
A) Annie Besant
B) Sarojini Naidu
C) Indira Gandhi
D) Sucheta Kripalani
Answer: A
Explanation: Annie Besant, an Irish nationalist and prominent Theosophist, became the first woman president of the Indian National Congress in 1917, presiding over the Calcutta session. (Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman president).
962. Who coined the term ‘Pakistan’?
A) Muhammad Ali Jinnah
B) Rahmat Ali
C) Liaquat Ali Khan
D) Syed Ahmad Khan
Answer: B
Explanation: The term ‘Pakistan’ was coined by Chaudhry Rahmat Ali, a Muslim nationalist, in 1933, to refer to the proposed independent Muslim state.
963. Who wrote the book “Discovery of India”?
A) Sardar Patel
B) B. R. Ambedkar
C) Jawaharlal Nehru
D) Mahatma Gandhi
Answer: C
Explanation: “The Discovery of India” is a seminal work by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, written during his imprisonment at Ahmednagar Fort.
964. Who was the first Indian to receive Bharat Ratna posthumously?
A) Lal Bahadur Shastri
B) B. R. Ambedkar
C) C. Rajagopalachari
D) Subhas Chandra Bose
Answer: A
Explanation: Lal Bahadur Shastri, India’s second Prime Minister, was the first individual to be posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 1966.
965. Who was the last Mughal emperor?
A) Shah Alam II
B) Akbar II
C) Bahadur Shah Zafar
D) Aurangzeb
Answer: C
Explanation: Bahadur Shah Zafar (Bahadur Shah II) was the last Mughal emperor, who was exiled to Rangoon (Myanmar) by the British after the Revolt of 1857.
966. Who was the founder of Banaras Hindu University?
A) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
B) Mahatma Gandhi
C) Madan Mohan Malaviya
D) Annie Besant
Answer: C
Explanation: Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya was the principal founder of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1916, one of the largest residential universities in Asia.
967. The famous ‘Ghadar Party’ was founded in:
A) London
B) San Francisco
C) Amritsar
D) Delhi
Answer: B
Explanation: The Ghadar Party was an Indian revolutionary organization founded in 1913 in San Francisco, USA, primarily by Punjabi Indians, with the aim of overthrowing British rule in India.
968. Who launched the Individual Satyagraha?
A) Subhas Chandra Bose
B) Mahatma Gandhi
C) Jawaharlal Nehru
D) Vinoba Bhave
Answer: D
Explanation: Vinoba Bhave was chosen by Mahatma Gandhi as the first Satyagrahi to launch the Individual Satyagraha in October 1940, in protest against the British policy of engaging India in World War II without consultation.
969. Who was known as “Punjab Kesari”?
A) Bhagat Singh
B) Lala Lajpat Rai
C) Udham Singh
D) Rajguru
Answer: B
Explanation: Lala Lajpat Rai, a prominent nationalist leader and a member of the ‘Lal-Bal-Pal’ trio, was famously known as “Punjab Kesari” or the Lion of Punjab.
970. In which year was the Partition of Bengal annulled?
A) 1910
B) 1911
C) 1912
D) 1913
Answer: B
Explanation: The Partition of Bengal, enacted in 1905, was annulled by King George V at the Delhi Durbar on December 12, 1911, and the capital of British India was shifted to Delhi.
971. Who founded the Prarthana Samaj?
A) M. G. Ranade
B) Dayanand Saraswati
C) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
D) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Answer: A
Explanation: The Prarthana Samaj was founded in 1867 in Bombay by Atmaram Pandurang, but Mahadev Govind Ranade played a leading role in popularizing its ideas and strengthening the movement for social and religious reforms.
972. Who was the editor of the newspaper ‘Kesari’?
A) Mahatma Gandhi
B) Jawaharlal Nehru
C) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
D) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Answer: C
Explanation: Bal Gangadhar Tilak was the editor of the Marathi newspaper ‘Kesari’ and the English newspaper ‘Mahratta’, which he used to propagate nationalist ideas.
973. Who among the following introduced the Vernacular Press Act?
A) Lord Ripon
B) Lord Lytton
C) Lord Curzon
D) Lord Wellesley
Answer: B
Explanation: The Vernacular Press Act of 1878, which allowed the government to confiscate the assets of newspapers that published “seditious” material, was introduced by Lord Lytton, the then Viceroy of India.
974. Who founded the Forward Bloc?
A) Bhagat Singh
B) Subhas Chandra Bose
C) Jawaharlal Nehru
D) Sardar Patel
Answer: B
Explanation: The Forward Bloc was a left-wing nationalist political party founded in 1939 by Subhas Chandra Bose, after he resigned from the presidency of the Indian National Congress.
975. Which Indian freedom fighter is known as ‘Netaji’?
A) Jawaharlal Nehru
B) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
C) Subhas Chandra Bose
D) Rajguru
Answer: C
Explanation: Subhas Chandra Bose is widely known and revered by the honorific ‘Netaji’, meaning “Respected Leader,” first applied to him in Germany by the Indian soldiers of the INA.
976. The Cabinet Mission visited India in:
A) 1944
B) 1945
C) 1946
D) 1947
Answer: C
Explanation: The Cabinet Mission, consisting of three British Cabinet ministers (Lord Pethick-Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps, and A.V. Alexander), arrived in India in March 1946 to discuss the transfer of power.
977. The Bardoli Satyagraha was led by:
A) Mahatma Gandhi
B) Sardar Patel
C) Jawaharlal Nehru
D) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Answer: B
Explanation: The Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928, a no-revenue campaign by the peasants against unfair tax increases, was effectively led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
978. In which session was the Indian National Congress split into Moderates and Extremists?
A) Surat Session, 1907
B) Calcutta Session, 1906
C) Bombay Session, 1908
D) Lucknow Session, 1916
Answer: A
Explanation: The Indian National Congress experienced a major split between its moderate and extremist factions at the Surat Session in 1907, known as the Surat Split.
979. The Indian National Congress was formed in the year:
A) 1857
B) 1885
C) 1905
D) 1920
Answer: B
Explanation: The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885 by A. O. Hume, a retired British civil servant, with the aim of creating a platform for civic and political dialogue.
980. Who among the following started the first newspaper in India?
A) James Hickey
B) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
C) Dadabhai Naoroji
D) Annie Besant
Answer: A
Explanation: James Augustus Hicky launched “Hicky’s Bengal Gazette” in 1780, which is considered the first newspaper printed in India.
981. The slogan ‘Jai Hind’ was given by:
A) Jawaharlal Nehru
B) Subhas Chandra Bose
C) Sardar Patel
D) Mahatma Gandhi
Answer: B
Explanation: The patriotic slogan “Jai Hind” (Victory to India/Hail India) was prominently adopted and popularized by Subhas Chandra Bose, becoming a battle cry for the Indian National Army.
982. The Quit India Movement was launched in the year:
A) 1939
B) 1940
C) 1942
D) 1945
Answer: C
Explanation: The Quit India Movement, a major civil disobedience movement, was launched on August 8, 1942, by Mahatma Gandhi during World War II, demanding an end to British rule.
983. Who presided over the first session of the Indian National Congress?
A) W. C. Bannerjee
B) A. O. Hume
C) Dadabhai Naoroji
D) Surendranath Banerjee
Answer: A
Explanation: Womesh Chandra Bannerjee (W. C. Bannerjee) presided over the inaugural session of the Indian National Congress, held in Bombay in December 1885.
984. The Rowlatt Act was passed during the Viceroyalty of:
A) Lord Chelmsford
B) Lord Curzon
C) Lord Irwin
D) Lord Reading
Answer: A
Explanation: The Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, commonly known as the Rowlatt Act, was passed during the Viceroyalty of Lord Chelmsford (1916-1921).
985. The Champaran Satyagraha was related to:
A) Indigo Planters
B) Salt Tax
C) High Land Revenue
D) Landlords
Answer: A
Explanation: The Champaran Satyagraha (1917) was Mahatma Gandhi’s first experiment with Satyagraha in India, aimed at assisting indigo cultivators who were being exploited by European planters under the oppressive tinkathia system.
986. Who was the founder of Indian National Army (INA)?
A) Subhas Chandra Bose
B) Ras Behari Bose
C) Mohan Singh
D) Rajguru
Answer: C
Explanation: The Indian National Army (INA) was first conceived and founded by Captain Mohan Singh in December 1941 from Indian prisoners of war in Malaya and Singapore. It was later revived and led by Subhas Chandra Bose.
987. The British capital was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi in the year:
A) 1910
B) 1911
C) 1912
D) 1913
Answer: B
Explanation: The decision to shift the capital of British India from Calcutta to Delhi was officially announced during the Delhi Durbar on December 12, 1911, by King George V. The actual shift and inauguration took place in 1912.
988. Who was the first Indian to win Nobel Prize?
A) C. V. Raman
B) Rabindranath Tagore
C) Amartya Sen
D) Mother Teresa
Answer: B
Explanation: Rabindranath Tagore, the renowned poet, writer, and philosopher, was the first Indian (and Asian) to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for his profound collection of poems, ‘Gitanjali’.
989. Who was the founder of Sikhism?
A) Guru Nanak Dev
B) Guru Gobind Singh
C) Guru Arjan Dev
D) Guru Tegh Bahadur
Answer: A
Explanation: Guru Nanak Dev is the revered founder of Sikhism, the first of the ten Sikh Gurus, whose teachings form the basis of the Sikh faith.
990. When was the Jallianwala Bagh massacre?
A) 1917
B) 1918
C) 1919
D) 1920
Answer: C
Explanation: The Jallianwala Bagh massacre occurred on April 13, 1919, when British troops, under the command of General Dyer, fired upon a peaceful gathering in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar.
991. The ‘Indigo Revolt’ took place in:
A) Bihar
B) Bengal
C) Assam
D) Odisha
Answer: B
Explanation: The Indigo Revolt (Nil Bidroha) was a significant peasant uprising in Bengal in 1859-60, protesting the forced cultivation of indigo by British planters.
992. The Poona Pact was signed between Gandhi and:
A) B. R. Ambedkar
B) Jawaharlal Nehru
C) Subhas Chandra Bose
D) Sardar Patel
Answer: A
Explanation: The Poona Pact was an agreement signed in 1932 between Mahatma Gandhi and B. R. Ambedkar, agreeing to reserve electoral seats for Dalits (Depressed Classes) within the general electorate, rather than separate electorates.
993. The slogan ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ was coined by:
A) Bhagat Singh
B) Sardar Bhagat Singh
C) Hasrat Mohani
D) Ram Prasad Bismil
Answer: C
Explanation: The slogan “Inquilab Zindabad” (Long Live the Revolution) was coined by Urdu poet and freedom fighter Maulana Hasrat Mohani in 1921. It was later popularized by Bhagat Singh and his Hindustan Socialist Republican Association.
994. Who was the founder of the Indian National Congress?
A) A. O. Hume
B) Dadabhai Naoroji
C) Surendranath Banerjee
D) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Answer: A
Explanation: Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British civil servant, played a key role in the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885.
995. The Civil Disobedience Movement started in:
A) 1930
B) 1931
C) 1932
D) 1933
Answer: A
Explanation: The Civil Disobedience Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930 with the famous Dandi March, protesting the British salt monopoly.
996. The Simon Commission was formed in the year:
A) 1927
B) 1928
C) 1929
D) 1930
Answer: A
Explanation: The Simon Commission, an all-British commission, was appointed in November 1927 to review the working of the Government of India Act 1919 and propose further constitutional reforms.
997. Who gave the title of Mahatma to Gandhi?
A) Nehru
B) Tagore
C) Tilak
D) Gokhale
Answer: B
Explanation: Rabindranath Tagore bestowed the honorific title of ‘Mahatma’ (Great Soul) upon Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in 1915, upon Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa.
998. Which session of the INC adopted the resolution of ‘Purna Swaraj’?
A) Calcutta
B) Lahore
C) Bombay
D) Lucknow
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.
999. Who was the first woman Governor of an Indian state?
A) Sarojini Naidu
B) Indira Gandhi
C) Vijayalakshmi Pandit
D) Sucheta Kripalani
Answer: A
Explanation: Sarojini Naidu, also known as the ‘Nightingale of India’, was appointed as the first woman Governor of an Indian state (Uttar Pradesh) in 1947.
1000. The partition of Bengal was carried out in:
A) 1903
B) 1905
C) 1907
D) 1909
Answer: B
Explanation: The Partition of Bengal was officially carried out by Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of India, on October 16, 1905, dividing the large province into two parts.