Modern History Previous Year Question of UPSC Prelims 2022
1. In the Government of India Act 1919, the functions of the Provincial Government were divided into “Reserved” and “Transferred” subjects. Which of the following were treated as “Reserved” subjects?
- Administration of Justice
- Local Self-Government
- Land Revenue
- Police
Select the correct
answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) 1, 2 and 4
.2. Concerning
Indian history, consider the following statements:
- The Dutch established their
factories/warehouses on the east coast on lands granted to them by the Gajapati rulers.
- Alfonso de Albuquerque captured
Goa from the Bijapur Sultanate.
- English East India. The company established a factory at Madras on a plot of land leased from a
representative of the Vijayanagara empire.
Which of the
statements given above is correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
3. Consider the
following freedom fighters:
- Barindra Kumar Ghosh
- Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee
- Rash Behari Bose
Who of the above
was/were actively associated with the Ghadar Party?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 3 only
4. Concerning
the proposals of Cripps Mission, consider the following statements:
- The Constituent Assembly would
have members nominated by the Provincial Assemblies and the
Princely States.
- Any Province, which is not
prepared to accept the new Constitution would have the right to sign a
separate agreement with Britain regarding its future status.
Which of the
statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Modern History Previous Year Question of UPSC Prelims 2021
1. In the context of Colonial India, Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem
Kumar Sehgal, and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon are remembered as
(a) leaders of Swadeshi
and Boycott Movement
(b) members of the
Interim Government in 1946
(c) members of the
Drafting Committee in the Constituent Assembly
(d) officers of the
Indian National Army
2. In the first quarter of the seventeenth century, in
which of the following was/were the factory/factories of the English East India
Company located?
(1) Broach
(2) Chicacole
(3) Trichinopoly
Select the correct
answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2
(c) 3 only
(d) 2 and 3
3. Who among the following was associated as Secretary with Hindu
Female School which later came to be known as Bethune Female School?
(a) Annie Besant
(b) Debandranath Tagore
(c) Ishwar Chandra
Vidyasagar
(d) Sarojini Naidu
4. With reference to Madanapalle of Andhra Pradesh, which one of
the following statements is correct?
(a) Pingali Venkayya
designed the tricolor Indian National Flag here.
(b) Pattabhi Sitaramaiah
led the Quit India Movement of the Andhra region from here.
(c) Rabindranath Tagore
translated the National Anthem from Bengali to English here.
(d) Madame Blavatsky and
Colonel Olcott set up the headquarters of the Theosophical Society first here.
5. Who among the following is associated with ‘Songs from
Prison’, a translation of ancient Indian religious lyrics in English?
(a) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(b) Jawaharlal Nehru
(c) Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi
(d) Sarojini Naidu
6. Consider the following statements:
(1) St. Francis Xavier
was one of the founding members of the Jesuit Order.
(2) St. Francis Xavier
died in Goa and a church is dedicated to him there.
(3) The feast of St.
Francis Xavier is celebrated in Goa each year.
Which of the statements
given above is correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
7. Concerning 8th August 1942 in Indian history, which one
of the following statements is correct?
(a) The Quit India
Resolution was adopted by the AICC.
(b) The Viceroy’s
Executive Council was expanded to include more Indians.
(c) The Congress ministries
resigned in seven provinces.
(d) Cripps proposed an
Indian Union with full Dominion status once the Second World War was over
8. Consider the following statements:
(1) The
Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 recommended granting voting rights to all
women above the age of 21.
(2) The Government of
India Act of 1935 gave women reserved seats in the legislature.
Which of the statements
given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Modern History Previous Year Question of UPSC Prelims 2020
1. In the context of Indian history, the Rakhmabai case of 1884
revolved around
(1) Women’s right to gain education
(2) Age of consent
(3) Restitution of conjugal rights
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
2. Indigo cultivation in India declined by the beginning of the
20th century because of
(a) peasant resistance to the oppressive conduct of planters
(b) its unprofitability in the world market because of new
inventions
(c) national leaders’ opposition to the cultivation of indigo
(d) Government control over the planters
3. Wellesley established the Fort William College at Calcutta
because
(a) he was asked by the Board of Directors in London to do so
(b) he wanted to revive interest in oriental learning in India
(c) he wanted to provide William Carey and his associates with
employment
(d) he wanted to train British civilians for administrative
purposes in India
4. Concerning the history of India, “Ulgulan” or the
Great Tumult is the description of which of the following events?
(a) The Revolt of 1857
(b) The Mappila Rebellion of 1921
(c) The Indigo Revolt of 1859 – 60
(d) Birsa Munda’s Revolt of 1899-1900
5. Which of the following statements correctly explains the
impact of the Industrial Revolution on India during the first half of the
nineteenth century?
(a) Indian handicrafts were ruined.
(b) Machines were introduced in the Indian textile industry in
large numbers.
(c) Railway lines were laid in many parts of the country.
(d) Heavy duties were imposed on the imports of British
manufacturers.
6. Concerning the book “Desher Katha” written by Sakharam
Ganesh Deuskar during the freedom struggle, consider the following statements :
(1) It warned against the Colonial State’s hypnotic conquest of
the mind.
(2) It inspired the performance of swadeshi street plays and
folk songs.
(3) The use of ‘desh’ by Deuskar was in the specific context of
the region of Bengal.
Which of the statements given above is correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
7. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact included which of the following?
(1) Invitation to Congress to participate in the Round Table
Conference
(2) Withdrawal of Ordinances promulgated in connection with the
Civil Disobedience Movement
(3) Acceptance of Gandhiji’s suggestion for inquiry into police
excesses
(4) Release of only those prisoners who were not charged with
violence
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
(a) 1 only
(b) 1, 2 and 4 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 2, 3 and 4 only
Modern History Previous Year Question of UPSC Prelims 2019
1. Concerning land reforms in independent India, which one of the following statements is correct?
(a) The ceiling laws were aimed at family holdings and not individual holdings.
(b) The principal aim of land reforms was to provide agricultural land to all the landless.
(c) It resulted in the cultivation of cash crops as a predominant form of cultivation.
(d) Land reforms permitted no exemptions to the ceiling limits.
2. Consider the following statements about ‘the Charter Act of 1813’:
(1) It ended the trade monopoly of the East India Company in India except for trade in tea and trade with China.
(2) It asserted the sovereignty of the British Crown over the Indian territories held by the Company.
(3) The revenues of India were now controlled by the British Parliament.
Which of the statements given above is correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
3. Concerning the Swadeshi Movement, consider the following statements:
(1) It contributed to the revival of indigenous artisan crafts and industries.
(2) The National Council of Education was established as a part of the Swadeshi Movement.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
4. Consider the
following pairs:
|
Movement/Organization |
Leader |
|
1. All India Anti-Untouchability
League |
Mahatma Gandhi |
|
2. All India Kisan Sabha |
Swami Sahajanand Saraswati |
|
3. Self-Respect Movement |
E. V. Ramaswami Naicker |
Which of the pairs
given above is/are correctly matched?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
5. Concerning
the British colonial rule in India, consider the following statements:
(1) Mahatma Gandhi was
instrumental in the abolition of the system of ‘indentured labor’
(2) In Lord
Chelmsford’s ‘War Conference’, Mahatma Gandhi did not support the resolution on
recruiting Indians for World War.
(3) Consequent to
the breaking of the Salt Law by the Indian people, the Indian National Congress was
declared illegal by the colonial rulers.
Which of the
statements given above is correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
6. Concerning
Indian National Movement, consider the following pairs:
|
Person |
Position Held |
|
1. Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru |
President, All India Liberal
Federation |
|
2. K. C. Neogy |
Member, The Constituent Assembly |
|
3. P. C. Joshi |
General Secretary, Communist Party
of India |
Which of the pairs
given above is/are correctly matched?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3
Modern History Previous Year Question of UPSC Prelims 2018
1. Regarding Wood’s
Dispatch, which of the following statements are true?
(1) Grants-in-Aid
system was introduced
(2) Establishment of
universities was recommended
(3) English as a
medium of instruction at all levels of education was recommended.
Select the correct
answer using the code given below :
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
2. Regarding
educational institutes during colonial rule in India, consider the following
pairs:
|
Institution |
Founder |
|
1. Sanskrit College at Benaras |
William Jones |
|
2. Calcutta Madrasa |
Warren Hastings |
|
3. Fort William College |
Arthur Wellesley |
Which of the pairs
given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 3 only
3. Which of the
following events happened earliest?
(a) Swami Dayanand
established AryaSamaj.
(b) Dinabandhu Mitra
wrote Neeldarpan.
(c) Bankim Chandra
Chattopadhyay wrote Anandmath.
(d) Satyendranath
Tagore became the first Indian to succeed in the Indian Civil Services
Examination.
4. In 1920, which of
the following changed its name to “Swarajya Sabha”?
(a) All India Home
Rule League
(b) Hindu Mahasabha
(c) South Indian
Liberal Federation
(d) The Servants of
India Society
5. Which of the
following led to the introduction of English Education in India?
(1) Charter Act of
1813
(2) General Committee
of Public Instruction, 1823
(3) Orientalist and
Anglicist Controversy
Select the correct
answer using the code given below
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
6. Economically, one
of the results of the British rule in India in the 19th century was the
(a) increase in the
export of Indian handicrafts
(b) growth in the
number of Indian-owned factories
(c) commercialization
of Indian agriculture
(d) the rapid increase in
the urban population
7. After the Santhal
Uprising subsided, what was/were the measure/measures taken by the colonial
government?
(1) The territories
called `Santhal Parganas’ were created.
(2) It became illegal
for a Santhal to transfer land to a non-Santhal.
Select the correct
answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
8. He wrote
biographies of Mazzini, Garibaldi, Shivaji, and Shrikrishna; stayed in America
for some time; and was elected to the Central Assembly. He was
(a) Aurobindo Ghosh
(b) Bipin Chandra Pal
(c) Lala Lajpat Rai
(d) Motilal Nehru
9. Which one of the
following statements does not apply to the system of Subsidiary Alliance
introduced by Lord Wellesley?
(a) To maintain a
large standing army at others' expense
(b) To keep India safe
from Napoleonic danger
(c) To secure a fixed
income for the Company
(d) To establish
British paramountcy over the Indian States
10. Who among the
following were the founders of the “Hind Mazdoor Sabha” established in 1948?
(a) B. Krishna Pillai,
E.M.S. Namboodiripad, and K.C. George
(b) Jayaprakash
Narayan, Deen Day al Upadhyay and M.N. Roy
(c) C.P. Ramaswamy
Iyer, K. Kamaraj and Veeresalingam Pantulu
(d) Ashok Mehta, T.S.
Ramanujam and G.G. Mehta
11. Which one of the
following is a very significant aspect of the Champaran Satyagraha?
(a) Active all-India
participation of lawyers, students, and women in the National Movement
(b) Active involvement
of Dalit and Tribal communities of India in the National Movement
(c) Joining of peasant
unrest to India’s National Movement
(d) Drastic decrease
in the cultivation of plantation crops and commercial crops
12. The staple
commodities of export by the English East India Company from Bengal in the
middle of the 18th century were
(a) Raw cotton, oil seeds, and opium
(b) Sugar, salt, zinc,
and lead
(c) Copper, silver,
gold, spices, and tea
(d) Cotton, silk,
saltpeter, and opium
Modern History Previous Year Question of UPSC Prelims 2017
1. Who among the following was/were associated with the
introduction of the Ryotwari Settlement in India during British rule?
(1) Lord Cornwallis
(2) Alexander Read
(3) Thomas Munro
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
2. The object of the Butler Committee of 1927 was to?
(a) Define the jurisdiction of the Central and Provincial
Governments.
(b) Define the powers of the Secretary of State for India.
(c) Impose censorship on national press.
(d) Improve the relationship between the Government of India and
the Indian States.
3. Consider the following pairs:
(1) Radhakanta Deb — First President of the British Indian
Association
(2) Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty —Founder of the Madras Mahajana
Sabha
(3) Surendranath Banerjee — Founder of the Indian Association
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
4. With reference to the Indian freedom struggle, consider the
following events:
(1) Mutiny in Royal Indian Navy
(2) Quit India Movement launched
(3) Second Round Table Conference
What is the correct chronological sequence of the above events?
(a) 1-2-3
(b) 2-1-3
(c) 3-2-1
(d) 3-1-2
Modern History Previous Year Question of UPSC Prelims 2016
1. The plan of Sir Stafford Cripps envisaged that after the
Second World War
(a) India should be granted complete independence
(b) India should be partitioned into two before granting
independence
(c) India should be made a republic with the condition that she
will join the Commonwealth
(d) India should be given Dominion status
2. What was the main reason for the split in the Indian National
Congress at Surat in 1907?
(a) Introduction of communalism into Indian politics by Lord
Minto
(b) Extremists’ lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates
to negotiate with the British Government
(c) Foundation of Muslim League
(d) Aurobindo Ghosh’s inability to be elected as the President
of the Indian National Congress
3. Consider the following:
(1) Calcutta Unitarian Committee
(2) Tabernacle of New Dispensation
(3) Indian Reform Association
Keshab Chandra Sen is associated with the establishment of which
of the above?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
4. The Montague-Chelmsford Proposals were related to
(a) social reforms
(b) educational reforms
(c) reforms in police administration
(d) constitutional reforms
5. Satya Shodhak Samaj organized
(a) a movement for the upliftment of tribals in Bihar
(b) a temple-entry movement in Gujarat
(c) an anti-caste movement in Maharashtra
(d) a peasant movement in Punjab
6. The `Swadeshi’ and ‘Boycott’ were adopted as methods of
struggle for the first time during the
(a) agitation against the Partition of Bengal
(b) Home Rule Movement
(c) Non-Cooperation Movement
(d) visit of the Simon Commission to India
Modern History Previous Year Question of UPSC Prelims 2015
1. Consider the following statements
(1) The first woman President of the Indian National Congress
was Sarojini Naidu.
(2) The first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress
was Badruddin Tyabji.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
2. Who of the following organized a march on the Tanjore coast
to break the Salt Law in April 1930?
(a) V. O. Chidambaram Pillai
(b) C. Rajagopalachari
(c) K. Kamaraj
(d) Annie Besant
3. The Government of India Act of 1919 clearly defined
(a) the separation of power between the judiciary and the
legislature
(b) the jurisdiction of the central and provincial governments
(c) the powers of the Secretary of State for India and the
Viceroy
(d) None of the above
4. With reference to Congress Socialist Party, consider the
following statements:
(1) It advocated the boycott of British goods and evasion of
taxes
(2) It wanted to establish the dictatorship of the proletariat.
(3) It advocated a separate electorate for minorities and
oppressed classes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) None
5. Which of the following was/were economic critics/ critics of
colonialism in India?
(1) Dadabhai Naoroji
(2) G. Subramania Iyer
(3) R. C. Dutt
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
6. Concerning Rowlatt Satyagraha, which of the following
statements is/ are correct?
(1) The Rowlatt Act was based on the recommendations of the
‘Sedition Committee.
(2) In Rowlatt Satyagraha, Gandhiji tried to utilize the Home
Rule League.
(3) Demonstrations against the arrival of the Simon Commission
coincided with Rowlatt Satyagraha.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
7. Which one of the following movements has contributed to a
split in the Indian National Congress resulting in the emergence of ‘moderates’
and ‘extremists’?
(a) Swadeshi Movement
(b) Quit India Movement
(c) Non-Cooperation Movement
(d) Civil Disobedience Movement
8. With reference to Indian history, which of the following
is/are the essential elements of the feudal system?
(1) A very strong centralized political authority and a very
weak provincial or local political authority
(2) The emergence of an administrative structure based on control
and possession of the land
(3) Creation of the lord-vassal relationship between the feudal
lord and his overlord
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Modern History Previous Year Question of UPSC Prelims 2014
1. The Partition of Bengal made by Lord Curzon in 1905 lasted
until
(a) the First World War when Indian troops were needed by the
British and the partition was ended.
(b) King George V abrogated Curzon’s Act at the Royal Darbar in
Delhi in 1911
(c) Gandhiji launched his Civil Disobedience Movement
(d) the Partition of India, in 1947 when East Bengal became East
Pakistan
2. The 1929 Session of the Indian National Congress is of
significance in the history of the Freedom Movement because the
(a) attainment of Self-Government was declared as the objective
of the Congress
(b) attainment of Poorna Swaraj Was adopted as the goal of the
Congress
(c) Non-Cooperation Movement was launched
(d) the decision to participate in the Round Table Conference in
London was taken
3. The Ghadr (Ghadar) was a
(a) revolutionary association of Indians with headquarters in
San Francisco.
(b) a nationalist organization operating from Singapore
(c) a militant organization with headquarters in Berlin
(d) communist movement for India’s freedom with headquarters at
Tashkent
4. What was/were the object/objects of Queen Victoria’s
Proclamation (1858)?
(1) To disclaim any intention to annex the Indian States
(2) To place the Indian administration under the British Crown
(3) To regulate East India Company’s trade with India
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
5. The Radcliffe Committee was appointed to
(1)Solve the problems of minorities in India
(2) Give effect to Independence Bill
(3) Delimit boundaries between India and Pakistan
(4) Enquire into riots in East Bengal
Modern History Previous Year Question of UPSC Prelims 2013
1. With reference to Indian History, the Members of the
Constituent Assembly from the Provinces were
(a) directly elected by the people of those Provinces
(b) nominated by the Indian National Congress and the Muslim
League
(c) elected by the Provincial Legislative Assemblies
(d) selected by the Government for their expertise in
constitutional matters
2. The demand for the Tebhaga Peasant Movement in Bengal was for
(a) the reduction of the share of the landlords from one-half of
the crop to one-third
(b) the grant of ownership of land to peasants as they were the
actual cultivators of the land
(c) the uprooting of the Zamindari system and the end of serfdom
(d) writing off all peasant debts
3. The people of India agitated against the arrival of the Simon
Commission because
(a) Indians never wanted the review of the working of the Act of
1919
(b) Simon Commission recommended the abolition of Dyarchy
(Diarchy) in the
Provinces
(c) there was no Indian member of the Simon Commission
(d) the Simon Commission suggested the partition of the country
4. Quit India Movement was launched in response to
(a) Cabinet Mission Plan
(b) Cripps Proposals
(c) Simon Commission Report
(d) Wavell Plan
5. Annie Besant was
(1) responsible for starting the Home Rule Movement
(2) the founder of the Theosophical Society
(3) once the President of the Indian National Congress
Select the correct statement/statements using the codes given
below.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
6. The Ilbert Bill controversy was related to the
(a) imposition of restrictions the Indians certain to carry arms Indians
(b) imposition of restrictions on newspapers and magazines
published in Indian languages
(c) removal of disqualifications imposed on the Indian
magistrates about the trial of the Europeans
(d) removal of a duty on imported cotton cloth
