Modern History MCQs for UPSC, SSC and all other Exams Quiz-11

Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in:

• 1905
• 1910
• 1915
• 1920

Gandhi returned to India in 1915. He had spent many years developing his political methods in South Africa. His South African experiences influenced his Indian political career. He gradually became involved in Indian public affairs. His first major Indian campaign was Champaran in 1917.

Gandhi’s first major political campaign in India was:

• Kheda Satyagraha
• Champaran Satyagraha
• Ahmedabad Mill Strike
• Bardoli Satyagraha

1. Champaran Satyagraha took place in 1917. 2. It was located in Bihar. 3. Gandhi supported indigo cultivators facing oppressive plantation practices. 4. The tinkathia system forced peasants to cultivate indigo. 5. The campaign established Gandhi as an important national political leader.

The Champaran Satyagraha was primarily associated with:

• Cotton workers
• Indigo cultivators
• Salt workers
• Railway workers

Champaran was an important indigo-producing region. Peasants faced pressure from European indigo planters. The tinkathia system was particularly oppressive. Gandhi investigated the grievances of the peasants. The campaign eventually resulted in changes to the exploitative system.

Who requested Gandhi to visit Champaran?

• Rajkumar Shukla
• C.R. Das
• Motilal Nehru
• Vallabhbhai Patel

1. Rajkumar Shukla was associated with the Champaran peasants. 2. He requested Gandhi to visit Champaran. 3. Gandhi investigated the conditions of indigo cultivators. 4. His intervention led to negotiations with the colonial authorities. 5. Champaran became Gandhi’s first major Satyagraha in India.

The Ahmedabad Mill Strike of 1918 was associated with:

• Indigo cultivators
• Textile mill workers
• Railway employees
• Plantation labourers

1. The Ahmedabad struggle took place in 1918. 2. It involved textile mill workers. 3. The workers demanded better wages. 4. Gandhi used nonviolent methods and fasting during the dispute. 5. The struggle demonstrated the application of Satyagraha to labour issues.

The Kheda Satyagraha of 1918 was mainly related to:

• Salt tax
• Land revenue
• Indigo cultivation
• Factory wages

Kheda is located in Gujarat. Peasants faced crop failure and economic difficulties. They demanded suspension or relief from land revenue. Gandhi supported their nonviolent resistance. The campaign became another important early example of Gandhian Satyagraha.

Which principle is central to Gandhian economic thought?

• Imperialism
• Trusteeship
• Complete mechanisation
• Unlimited accumulation of wealth

1. Trusteeship was an important element of Gandhi’s economic philosophy. 2. Gandhi argued that wealth should serve the welfare of society. 3. Wealthy people were expected to act as trustees of surplus resources. 4. The principle aimed to reduce extreme economic inequality. 5. It emphasised social responsibility rather than unlimited personal accumulation.

Gandhian economics generally preferred:

• Large-scale mechanisation
• Complete dependence on imports
• Heavy industrialisation only
• Labour-intensive village industries

Gandhi was critical of rapid large-scale industrialisation. He believed excessive mechanisation could reduce employment opportunities. He supported small-scale and village-based production. Such production could provide employment in rural areas. His economic philosophy emphasised self-reliant villages.

The Gandhian concept of Swadeshi emphasised:

• Preference for locally produced goods
• Dependence on foreign goods
• Complete abandonment of agriculture
• British industrialisation

1. Swadeshi means preference for goods produced domestically. 2. Gandhi connected Swadeshi with village self-reliance. 3. It encouraged Indians to use local products. 4. Khadi became an important symbol of this philosophy. 5. Swadeshi also served as a means of opposing foreign economic domination.

The Non-Cooperation Movement was launched in:

• 1917
• 1919
• 1920
• 1925

The Non-Cooperation Movement began in 1920. Gandhi made it a major mass movement against British rule. The Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh tragedy contributed to the political environment. The Khilafat issue also helped bring wider Muslim participation. The movement was suspended in 1922 after Chauri Chaura.

Which of the following was a major programme of the Non-Cooperation Movement?

• Cooperation with colonial institutions
• Boycott of British institutions
• Support for foreign goods
• Joining the British army

Non-Cooperation encouraged Indians to withdraw cooperation from colonial institutions. Government schools and colleges were boycotted. Courts and legislative institutions were also targeted. Foreign goods were boycotted in favour of Swadeshi products. The movement sought to weaken colonial authority through peaceful non-cooperation.

The Non-Cooperation Movement was officially adopted by Congress at the:

• Lahore Session
• Nagpur Session
• Surat Session
• Lucknow Session

1. The Congress adopted the Non-Cooperation programme at Nagpur in December 1920. 2. The session was an important organisational turning point. 3. Gandhi emerged as the central leader of the movement. 4. The Congress organisation was also reorganised on a broader basis. 5. The movement subsequently expanded across different regions of India.

The Non-Cooperation Movement was withdrawn following the:

• Kakori incident
• Dandi March
• Jallianwala Bagh incident
• Chauri Chaura incident

Chauri Chaura occurred in February 1922. A violent clash took place between protesters and police. A police station was set on fire and policemen were killed. Gandhi believed the movement had violated the principle of nonviolence. He therefore decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Which movement was closely associated with the Khilafat issue?

• Swadeshi Movement
• Non-Cooperation Movement
• Quit India Movement
• Civil Disobedience Movement

The Khilafat Movement developed after the First World War. Indian Muslim leaders wanted to protect the position of the Ottoman Caliph. Gandhi supported the Khilafat cause as part of a broader anti-colonial alliance. Congress and Khilafat leaders worked together during the Non-Cooperation phase. This cooperation contributed to Hindu-Muslim political unity for a period.

The main objective of the Khilafat Movement was to protect the position of the:

• Ottoman Caliph
• British King
• Indian Viceroy
• Persian Shah

The Khilafat issue emerged after the First World War. Indian Muslims were concerned about the future of the Ottoman Caliph. The Caliph was regarded by many Muslims as an important religious authority. Indian Khilafat leaders demanded protection of his position. Gandhi supported the movement to build wider anti-British unity.

The Khilafat Movement ultimately failed because:

• The Ottoman Caliphate was preserved
• Britain granted India independence
• Congress abandoned nationalism
• The Ottoman Caliphate was abolished

The Khilafat Movement could not achieve its principal objective. The Ottoman Empire was dismantled after the First World War. The Turkish Republic under Mustafa Kemal later abolished the Caliphate. The Caliphate was formally abolished in 1924. This contributed to the decline of the Khilafat Movement.

The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre took place on:

• 13 April 1919
• 15 August 1919
• 26 January 1920
• 5 March 1920

The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre occurred on 13 April 1919. It took place in Amritsar, Punjab. General Reginald Dyer ordered troops to fire on the gathering. The incident caused widespread anger across India. It became a major turning point in Indian nationalism.

The Jallianwala Bagh incident occurred in the context of opposition to the:

• Government of India Act 1935
• Indian Councils Act 1909
• Rowlatt Act
• Vernacular Press Act

1. The Rowlatt Act was passed in 1919. 2. It provided the government with extensive powers of detention. 3. Indians strongly opposed the restrictions on civil liberties. 4. Punjab witnessed protests and political unrest. 5. The Jallianwala Bagh tragedy occurred during this tense period.

The committee appointed to investigate the Jallianwala Bagh incident was the:

• Simon Committee
• Hunter Committee
• Butler Committee
• Fraser Committee

The Hunter Committee was appointed to investigate the Punjab disturbances. It examined the events surrounding the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. General Dyer’s conduct was criticised. However, the consequences for Dyer were limited. Indian nationalist leaders considered the official response inadequate.

The Government of India Act, 1919 introduced which system in the provinces?

• Federalism
• Complete provincial autonomy
• Presidential government
• Diarchy

The Government of India Act 1919 introduced diarchy in the provinces. Provincial subjects were divided into reserved and transferred subjects. Reserved subjects remained under the Governor and his executive council. Transferred subjects were administered by Indian ministers. The system did not provide genuine full provincial self-government.