- a. Wahhabi Rebellion
- b. Farazi Movement
- c. Tribal uprising
- d. Kol Revolt
Haji Shariatullah founded the Faraizi (Farazi) movement in 1818 in East Bengal to reform Muslim practices and resist oppressive landlords.
b
The Wahhabi (Wahabi) movement in India was an anti-imperial and anti-landlord Islamic reform and resistance movement that became active around the 1820s.
Wahhabi (Wahabi) movement
- a. Titu Mir
- b. Sidhu
- c. Dudu Mian
- d. Birsa Munda
Titu Mir (Titumir) declared that land belonged to God and opposed collection of rent/tax; he led a peasant-Muslim revolt in the 1830s.
a
The major tribal revolt in the Chotanagpur region was the Munda Rebellion (Ulgulan) led by Birsa Munda around 1899–1900.
Munda Rebellion (Ulgulan) led by Birsa Munda
- a. Santhals
- b. Titu Mir
- c. Munda
- d. Kol
The Santhals were displaced from their lands due to zamindari expansion under the Permanent Settlement, which contributed to the Santhal Rebellion.
a
The Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act (protecting tribal land rights) was passed in 1908.
1908
- a. Dadabhai Naoroji
- b. Justice Govind Ranade
- c. Bipin Chandra Pal
- d. Romesh Chandra
Bipin Chandra Pal was one of the 'extremist' or militant nationalists (part of Lal-Bal-Pal).
c
Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee (Womesh Chandra Bannerjee) was the first president of the Indian National Congress in 1885.
1885
- a. 19 June 1905
- b. 18 July 1906
- c. 19 August 1907
- d. 16 October 1905
The Partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon came into effect on 16 October 1905.
d
- a. Kol Revolt
- b. Indigo Revolt
- c. Munda Rebellion
- d. Deccan Riots
The Chotanagpur Tenancy Act was passed in the context of the Munda Rebellion (Ulgulan) to protect tribal land rights.
c
- a. Annie Basant
- b. Bipin Chandra Pal
- c. Lala Lajpat Rai
- d. Tilak
Annie Besant (often spelled Annie Basant in some sources) established a Home Rule League in 1916. (Note: Bal Gangadhar Tilak also launched a Home Rule League in April 1916 — both leaders founded leagues the same month.)
a
- a. Dina Bandhu Mitra
- b. Romesh Chandra Dutt
- c. Dadabhai Naoroji
- d. Kol Revolt
Dinabandhu Mitra (Dina Bandhu Mitra) wrote the play Nil Darpan which exposed the plight of indigo cultivators and drew British and public attention to the issue.
a
(i) is accepted in many textbooks — wealth drained from Bengal (including large sums from Mir Jafar) helped British capital accumulation. (ii) The Kol insurrection of 1831–32 targeted officials and moneylenders — correct. (iii) The Santhal Rebellion of 1855 was led by Sidhu and Kanhu (Kanhu sometimes written Kanu) — correct. (iv) The year given is incorrect: legislation concerning Santhal territories followed the rebellion, but the date '1879' is not correct in standard accounts.
(i), (ii) and (iii) are correct; (iv) is incorrect.
- a. Titu Mir
- b. Sidhu
- c. Dudu Mian
- d. Shariatullah
Titu Mir made this proclamation during his uprising; he is the correct choice.
a
- a. (i), (ii) and (iii) are correct
- b. (ii) and (iii) are correct
- c. (iii) and (iv) are correct
- d. (i) and (iv) are correct
Statements (ii) and (iii) are correct. The Kol insurrection occurred in 1831–32 against officials and moneylenders; the Santhal Rebellion of 1855 was led by Sidhu and Kanhu. (i) is misleading in wording; (iv) is incorrect in date—Santhal-related regulations were passed, but 1879 as stated is not correct in this wording.
The Company did receive a substantial sum from Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey, but the claim that this amount directly propelled the industrial revolution in Britain is an oversimplification. While the wealth extracted did contribute to Britain's economy, the industrial revolution was a complex process driven by numerous factors. The Kols did organize an insurrection during 1831-1832, and their rebellion was indeed directed against the oppressive policies of the British government, which included exploitation by government officials and moneylenders, leading to land alienation and economic distress. The Santhal Rebellion, led by the brothers Sidhu and Kanu in 1855, was a significant uprising against the injustices faced by the Santhal community, including land encroachment and oppressive economic practices. However, the Act passed in 1879 was not to regulate the territories occupied by the Santhals; rather, it was the Santhal Parganas Tenancy Act of 1949 which sought to protect tribal land rights, and earlier administrative measures were taken following the rebellion itself.
- a. (i) and (iii) are correct
- b. (i) and (iv) are correct
- c. (ii) and (iii) are correct
- d. (iii) and (iv) are correct
(i) is correct — early nationalists formulated an economic critique of colonial policies (drain theory etc.). (iv) is correct — the 1905 Partition of Bengal aimed to divide and weaken Bengali nationalist influence. (ii) is incorrect (early leaders blamed colonial economic policies, not 'religious exploitation'); (iii) is incorrect for moderates — immediate Swaraj was not the moderate Congress's main goal.
One of the most significant contributions of the early Indian Nationalists, often referred to as the Moderates, was the formulation of a detailed economic critique of British colonialism. They meticulously analyzed and exposed how British policies systematically drained India's wealth and resources, hindering its economic development. However, the early Congress leaders primarily attributed the growing poverty in India not to religious exploitation, but to the economic exploitation inherent in British colonial rule, particularly through the 'drain of wealth' theory. While the concept of Swaraj, or self-rule, was a long-term aspiration for many nationalists, it was not the immediate or primary goal of the moderate Congress leaders in the early phase; their focus was on achieving greater Indian representation in government and administrative reforms within the British framework. The Partition of Bengal in 1905 was indeed aimed at curtailing the growing Bengali influence and weakening the burgeoning nationalist movement by dividing the Bengali-speaking population along religious and administrative lines.
Classification groups uprisings by social base and causes: tribal/ethnic revolts, rural agrarian protests against economic exploitation, movements with religious/social triggers, and later politically-led peasant agitations tied to the national movement.
The peasant uprisings in British India can be classified in different ways. Broadly, they are divided into two main types. The first are the restorative or backward-looking revolts of the early colonial period, in which peasants, often led by dispossessed zamindars or tribal chiefs, tried to restore the old order that British rule had destroyed; examples include the Sannyasi and Fakir rebellions and many tribal revolts. The second are the more organised agrarian movements of the later period, in which peasants struggled directly against landlords, moneylenders and oppressive colonial policies for their economic rights; examples include the Indigo Revolt, the Deccan riots and the Pabna agrarian movement. They may also be grouped as tribal revolts, movements with a religious or reform character, and modern peasant movements linked to the national struggle.
List of notable annexations used by Dalhousie’s policy: Satara, Sambalpur, Nagpur, Jhansi and other smaller states; note that some annexations used other pretexts (e.g., Awadh by alleged misrule).
The Doctrine of Lapse was a policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India, in the 1850s. According to this policy, if an Indian ruler died without a natural male heir, his kingdom would not pass to an adopted son but would 'lapse', or be taken over, by the British. Using this doctrine, the British annexed a number of Indian states. The important territories annexed in this way included Satara, which was the first to be taken, followed by Jaitpur and Sambalpur, then Nagpur and Jhansi, and also Baghat and Udaipur. The annexation of states like Jhansi, whose queen Rani Lakshmibai was deprived of her adopted son's rights, caused great resentment and became one of the important causes of the Revolt of 1857.
Give the four objectives succinctly: self-government, responsible provincial governments, public/political mobilization, and spreading political education.
The Home Rule Movement was started in India in 1916 by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant, who set up two separate Home Rule Leagues. The main objectives of the movement were as follows. Its central aim was to demand 'Home Rule', that is, self-government for India within the British Empire, on the lines of the self-governing dominions such as Canada and Australia. It sought to make this demand a popular cause and to spread political awareness among the common people through meetings, lectures, newspapers and pamphlets. It aimed to build a strong and organised public opinion in favour of self-rule, and to keep up political activity at a time when the Indian National Congress was relatively quiet during the First World War. The movement gave fresh energy to the national struggle.
Mention key points: Congress–Muslim League cooperation, agreement on representation and communal electorates, and a united demand for self-government.
The Lucknow Pact was an important agreement signed in 1916 at the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress. Its essence lay in two great unities. First, it brought about unity between the two main wings of the Congress, the Moderates and the Extremists, who had split in 1907 at Surat and now came together again. Second, and more famously, it brought about unity between the Indian National Congress and the All India Muslim League, which agreed to work together to demand self-government from the British. By the pact, the Congress accepted the system of separate electorates for Muslims, and both bodies jointly demanded greater representation for Indians and constitutional reforms. The Lucknow Pact thus marked a high point of Hindu-Muslim unity in the national movement.
Explain each cause with brief examples: Doctrine of Lapse (political annexations), economic distress of peasants and artisans, sepoy grievances and insensitivity of British officers, and the cartridge controversy as the immediate spark. Also note the revolt combined multiple social groups (sepoys, peasants, dispossessed rulers).
Major causes of the Revolt of 1857 included: (1) Political causes — annexation policies (Doctrine of Lapse), dispossession of ruling families and princes, and loss of power and privileges; (2) Economic causes — heavy taxation, ruin of artisans and peasants, and economic exploitation benefiting Company interests; (3) Military causes — grievances of sepoys over pay, pension, lack of promotion, and general discrimination; (4) Social and religious causes — fear of Christian missionary activities, social reforms (e.g., abolition of sati) seen as interference with customs; and (5) Immediate trigger — introduction of the new Enfield rifle cartridges believed to be greased with cow and pig fat, offending both Hindu and Muslim sentiments. Lack of unified leadership and regional coordination also affected the course and outcome.
Describe major forms of resistance: Swadeshi (promotion of Indian goods) and Boycott (of British goods), political mobilization, cultural assertion, grassroots activism, and eventual political pressure leading to annulment of the partition in 1911.
When the British, under Lord Curzon, partitioned Bengal in 1905, supposedly for administrative reasons but really to divide Hindus and Muslims and to weaken nationalism, the people of Bengal responded with strong and widespread protest. The day the partition came into force was observed as a day of mourning. The most important response was the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement: people boycotted British goods, especially foreign cloth, which they burned in public bonfires, and used Indian-made, or swadeshi, goods instead. The movement encouraged Indian industries, the founding of national schools and colleges, and the spread of patriotic songs and literature. There were huge meetings and processions, and people tied rakhis as a symbol of unity. This powerful agitation finally forced the British to cancel the partition in 1911.
List each Act with one-line purpose as above. (Other related laws of the period include the Vernacular Press Act 1878 and various local/regulatory Acts, but the major constitutional measures are listed.)
Key Acts (1858–1919) and brief notes:
- Government of India Act, 1858: Transferred power from the East India Company to the British Crown; Secretary of State for India created.
- Indian Councils Act, 1861: Re-established legislative councils and allowed limited Indian representation in advisory bodies.
- Indian Councils Act, 1892: Expanded the powers and size of legislative councils and introduced limited indirect election/nomination of members.
- Indian Councils Act (Morley–Minto), 1909: Introduced separate electorates for Muslims and expanded Indian representation in councils.
- Government of India Act (Montagu–Chelmsford), 1919: Introduced dyarchy in provinces, expanded legislative councils and promised gradual development of self-governing institutions.
List of key towns and regions: Meerut (starting point), Delhi (capture of the Mughal court), Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi, Gwalior, Bareilly, Allahabad, Arrah — mark these on the outline map.
Important centres to mark: Meerut, Delhi, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Jhansi, Gwalior, Bareilly, Allahabad, Lucknow, Arrah, and Lucknow region. (Also mark regions such as Bihar, Awadh, and parts of central India where uprisings occurred.)
An activity: collect portraits, dates and a one-line caption of each leader (their role and the movement they led) for the album.
Suggested leaders to include: Mangal Pandey, Rani Lakshmi Bai, Nana Sahib, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Birsa Munda, Sidhu and Kanhu, Tilak, Annie Besant, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, Dadabhai Naoroji, Bipin Chandra Pal, Khudiram Bose, and other regional tribal and peasant leaders.
- a. Both (A) and (R) are correct, but R is not the correct explanation of A
- b. Both (A) and (R) are wrong
- c. Both (A) and (R) are correct and R is the correct explanation of A
- d. (A) is wrong and (R) is correct
Both statements are true: colonial forest policy asserted state proprietary rights over forests; and indigo planters did use coercion. But the planter coercion about indigo is not the reason why the government claimed proprietary rights over forests — so R does not explain A.
a
- a. Both (A) and (R) are wrong
- b. (A) is wrong and (R) is correct
- c. Both (A) and (R) are correct and R is the correct explanation of A
- d. Both (A) and (R) are correct, but R is not the correct explanation of A
A is true: the British suppressed the 1857 uprising with considerable force. R is also true: one major reason for the rebellion's failure was the lack of a unified central authority and coordinated leadership among the rebels. R correctly explains a significant part of why A occurred, so the correct choice is (c).
c
| # | Correct match |
|---|---|
| 1 | Titu Mir |
| 2 | Ranchi |
| 3 | Lucknow |
| 4 | Peshwa Baji Rao II |