Modern India (Pre-Congress Phase) MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Modern India (Pre-Congress Phase) - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is The Revolt of 1857.

Key Points

• Bholenath Tiwari was a freedom fighter who actively participated in The Revolt of 1857, India's first war of independence against British colonial rule.
• The Revolt of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny or the First War of Independence, began on 10 May 1857, in Meerut and spread across northern and central India.
• Bholenath Tiwari is remembered for his efforts to mobilize locals and soldiers against the oppressive practices of the East India Company during the rebellion.
• The revolt was marked by widespread participation from soldiers, peasants, and local leaders across different regions of India, including figures like Rani Lakshmibai, Tantia Tope, and Bahadur Shah Zafar.
• Though the revolt was ultimately suppressed by the British in 1858, it laid the foundation for future organized resistance movements against British rule in India.

Additional Information

• Causes of the Revolt of 1857:
  • Political: The Doctrine of Lapse and annexation policies of Lord Dalhousie angered Indian rulers.
  • Economic: Exploitation of resources and high taxes alienated peasants and artisans.
  • Social and Religious: British interference in Indian customs and religious practices caused resentment.
  • Military: Discontent among Indian soldiers (sepoys) due to discrimination and the introduction of the Enfield rifle cartridges rumored to be greased with cow and pig fat.
• Key Leaders of the Revolt:
  • Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi
  • Nana Sahib in Kanpur
  • Begum Hazrat Mahal in Awadh
  • Tantia Tope and Mangal Pandey (a key figure who initiated the rebellion among sepoys).
• Significance of the Revolt:
  • Although unsuccessful, the revolt marked the beginning of India's nationalist movement.
  • It led to the dissolution of the East India Company in 1858 and the establishment of direct British Crown rule over India.
• Aftermath of the Revolt:
  • The British government implemented reforms, including the Indian Councils Act of 1861, to pacify Indians.
  • The British army underwent reorganization to prevent future uprisings, ensuring a higher ratio of British troops to Indian soldiers.

Key Points

✅ Statement 1: Correct

• The Santhals began migrating into Bengal in the late 18th century.
• British officials and zamindars encouraged their settlement in forested regions like the Jangal Mahals and later the foothills of the Rajmahal Hills.
• They were invited because the British saw them as industrious and willing to plough land, unlike the Paharias, who resisted agricultural transformation.
• Therefore, this statement is factually correct.

❌ Statement 2: Incorrect

• The region Damin-i-Koh was not meant for the Paharias, but was specifically demarcated for the Santhals in 1832.
• The goal was to turn them into settled peasants.
• The Paharias, in fact, resisted Santhal settlement, and were eventually pushed into more barren and rocky parts of the upper hills.
• This restriction harmed their livelihood, as it prevented their shifting cultivation and hunting practices.
• Hence, this statement is factually wrong.

✅ Statement 3: Correct

• Once settled in Damin-i-Koh, the Santhals abandoned their traditional mobile lifestyle.
• They started cultivating commercial crops like lac, maize, and pulses.
• The Santhals also began interacting with traders and moneylenders, which later led to exploitation and contributed to the Santhal Revolt (1855-56).
• This statement is therefore correct.

Only one of the above statements is incorrect.

 Key Points1. Shah Mal, a Jat from Barout, led a village uprising against British land revenue policies.
✅ Correct

• Shah Mal belonged to a Jat cultivator clan in Barout, Uttar Pradesh.
• He organized a rebellion due to oppressive British land revenue demands.
• He mobilized village headmen and peasants to resist British rule.

2. He turned a British bungalow into a court and ran a local intelligence network.
✅ Correct

• Shah Mal took over an English officer's bungalow and used it as a "hall of justice".
• He settled disputes and organized local intelligence, disrupting British communications.

3. Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah, known as Danka Shah, supported the British at Chinhat.
❌ Incorrect

• Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah fought against the British at the Battle of Chinhat.
• He led the mutinous 22nd Native Infantry, defeating British forces under Henry Lawrence.
• So this is factually wrong.

4. He was believed to have magical powers and was seen as invincible.

✅ Correct

• While this was a popular belief, it is based on folk perception, not verifiable historical action.
• Many followers believed he had magical powers, but this is not a factual achievement or event.
• For the purpose of accurate statement count, this is not counted as “correct”.

The correct answer is Lala Hansraj.

Key Points

• Anglo Vedic college or schools are also known as Dayanand Anglo Vedic schools.
• Dayanand Anglo Vedic (DAV) Schools were founded in 1886 at Lahore by the efforts of Mahatma Hansraj.

Confusion Points

• It was not founded by Swamy Dayanand Saraswati
• In the name and memory of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Lala Hans Raj established it.
• The schools were run by the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College Trust & Management Society, also known as the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic Education Society.
• DAV institutions are the best place to study and work together.
• Under the DAV family, there are 900 schools, 75 colleges, and a university.
• “DAV Movement” founded in 1886 by Lala Hansraj (Father of DAV Movement) picked up momentum due to the arduous efforts of Mahatma Hans Raj, Pandit Gurudutt Vidyarthi and may other dedicated as the Arya Samaj activist. 

The correct answer is Nine.

Key Points

• Congress Session in Uttar Pradesh
  • ​There were Nine sessions of Congress held in Uttar Pradesh.
  • The first session of Congress in Uttar Pradesh was held in Allahabad.
  • It was the 4th Congress Session held in 1888.
  • President: George Yule
  • George Yule was the first English President of this session.

Additional Information

• Congress Session in Uttar Pradesh

• There was a total of 3 sessions of Congress held in Lucknow.

Important Points

• The Indian National Congress was founded by AO Hume on 28th December 1885. 
  • Before independence, 54 sessions of Congress were held in India.
  • The first session was held in  Bombay in the year 1885.
    • President: WC Banerjee
  • The last session of Congress was held in Meerut in the year 1946.
    • President: JB Kriplani

The correct answer is Arya Samaj.

Key Points

• Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj.
• Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati in 1875.
• He translated the Vedas and wrote three books named Satyartha Prakash, Veda Bhasya Bhumika, and Veda Bhasya.
• He gave the slogan “Go back to Vedas”.
• Dayananda Anglo Vedic (D.A.V) schools were established based on his philosophy and teachings.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Mir Jafar.

Key Points 

• Robert Clive a British officer bribed Mir Jafar who was the commander in chief of Nawab’s army.
  • The bribe was to make Mir Jafar the Nawab of Bengal.
  • Clive’s goal was to conquer Bengal in order to get the money and resources required for imperialism.
  • In this process, Clive betrayed Mir Jafar during the Battle of Plassey and did not make him the Nawab but in turn, conquered Bengal and made Mir Jafar a traitor who betrayed their country in the eyes of the Indians.
  • After the Battle of Plassey,  Mir Jafar was made Nawab of the Bengal.
  • In 1757, after the Battle of Plassey, Nawab Mir Jafar conferred the 24 Paraganas of Bengal to the British and also the Jangli mahals (small administrative units), as a result, he was propped up as the Puppet Nawab.

Additional Information

• Alamgir II was the Mughal Emperor at the time of the Battle of Plassey.
  • Alamgir II was the Mughal Emperor of India from 3 June 1754 to 29 November 1759.
  • He was the son of Jahandar Shah. 
  • The Battle of Plassey was fought between Siraj-Ud-Daulah who was then the Bengal Nawab and East India Company forces headed by Robert Clive.
  • The Battle of Plassey took place when Nawab of Bengal Siraj-Ud-Daulah did not like the uncontrolled use of privileges by the East India Company’s officials.
  • Also, the workers of the company stopped paying taxes which became one of the reasons for the Battle of Plassey.​

• Siraj-ud-Daulah:
  • Siraj-ud-Daulah was the last independent Nawab of Bengal who succeeded Alivadi Khan to the throne.
  •  The end of his reign marks the beginning of the company's rule that continued unabated over the next two hundred years.
  • The end of his reign marked the start of British East India Company rule over Bengal and later almost all of the Indian subcontinent. 
• Mir Qasim:
  • Mir Qasim was the Nawab of Bengal from 1760 to 1763.
  • He was installed as Nawab with the support of the British East India Company, replacing Mir Jafar, his father-in-law, who had himself been supported earlier by the East India Company after his role in winning the Battle of Plassey for the British.

The correct answer is C.

• The leader in Mathura during the 1857 Revolt is Devi Singh.
• Kadam Singh was the leader of Meerut during the 1857 Revolt. Hence option C is not correctly matched.

Additional Information

•  Other Places of Revolt of 1857 and Leaders

The correct answer is Fourth, 1799.

• The Governor-General, Lord Wellesley asked Tipu Sultan to break his ties with the French and enter into the Subsidiary Alliance but he refused to accept it. Thus, the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War started.
• The war ended with the death of Tipu Sultan, who was killed while fighting to save his capital Srirangapatnam.

Important Points 

• First Anglo Mysore war (1766-69):
  • The Treaty of Madras (1769) ended the First Anglo Mysore war.
  • It was signed between British and Hyder Ali of Mysore.
  • Haider Ali defeated the British.
• Second Anglo Mysore war (1780-84):
  • Warren Hastings attacked French port Mahe, which was in Haider Ali's territory.
  • Haider Ali died during the second Anglo Mysore war.
  • The war ended with a treaty of Mangalore.
  • In 1781, Haider Ali was defeated at Porto Novo by Eyrecoot.
  • Haider Ali made an alliance with Marathas and Nizams and attacked British
• Third Anglo Mysore war (1790-92):
  • Marathas and Nizams were with the British and Cornwallis started the war which ended with the defeat of Tippu Sultan.
  • By the treaty of Srirangapatnam, Tippu ceded half of his territory.
• Fourth Anglo Mysore war (1798-99):
  • Lord Wellesley arrived and trying to sign a subsidiary alliance with Indian Kingdoms and was forcing the same on Tippu but he rejected.
  • Tippu had sent ambassadors to Turkey and France which was made as an excuse by Wellesley to attack Tippu.
  • Later he fought bravely and got defeated and killed in 1799.

The correct answer is Lord Canning.

• Lord Canning (1856-62) was the Governor-General of India during the 1857 revolt. 
• Lord Canning served as the Governor-General of India from 1856 to 1862.

Key Points

Lord Canning:

• During his tenure, the Government of India Act, 1858 was passed which created the office of the Viceroy to be held by the same person who was the Governor-General of India.
• Lord Canning also served as the first Viceroy of India.
• The important events during his tenure include:
  • Mutiny of 1857, which he was able to suppress successfully,
  • The passing of the Indian Councils Act, 1861 introduced a portfolio system in India.

Additional Information

• Other important events during Lord Canning:
  • Withdrawal of the “Doctrine of Lapse” was one of the main reasons for the mutiny of 1857. 
  • The introduction of the Code of Criminal Procedure, enactment of the Indian High Courts Act, Indian Penal Code (1858), Bengal Rent Act (1859), the introduction of Income-tax on an experimental basis, etc.
  • Canning passed the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856 which was drafted by his predecessor Lord Dalhousie before the rebellion.
  • He also passed the General Service Enlistment Act of 1856.
  • He established the first three modern Universities in India, the University of Calcutta, the University of Madras, and the University of Bombay.

The correct answer is salvation.

Key Points

• Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) is a Hindu religious and spiritual organization that forms the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as the Ramakrishna Movement or the Vedant
  • The mission is named after and inspired by the Indian saint Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and founded by Ramakrishna's chief disciple Swami Vivekananda on 1st May 1897.
  • The mission bases its work on the principles of karma yoga, the principle of selfless work done with a dedication to God.
  • The Ramakrishna Mission has centered around the world and publishes many important Hindu texts.
  • It is affiliated with the monastic organization. Vivekananda was greatly influenced by his guru (teacher) Ramakrishna.
  • The motto of the mission is - Atmano mokshartham Jagat hitaya cha (For one’s own salvation and for the welfare of the world).

Additional Information

• Swami Vivekananda
  • His original name was Narendranath Dutt.
  • He attended the Parliament of Religions held at Chicago in 1893 AD and published two papers, Prabhudhha Bharat in English and Udbodhana in Bengali.
  • He urged people to inculcate the spirit of liberty, equality and free-thinking.
  • He worked for the emancipation of women.
  • He emerged as a preacher of Neo-Hinduism.
  • He advocated the Doctrine of Service–the service of all human beings.
  • He was considered the spiritual father of the modern nationalist movement.

The correct answer is Lord Dalhousie.

Key Points

• The chief instrument through which Lord Dalhousie implemented his policy of annexation was the ‘Doctrine of Lapse’.
  • Under the Doctrine of Lapse, when the ruler of a protected state died without a natural heir, his/her state was not to pass to an adopted heir as sanctioned by the age-old tradition of the country.
• Lord Dalhousie came to India as the Governor-General in 1848.
• Lord Dalhousie was keen on annexing the kingdom of Avadh.

Important Points

The correct answer is Raja Rammohan Roy.

• Raja Rammohan Roy was the founder of Atmiya Sabha.

Key Points

• Raja Ram Mohan Roy:
  • ​He is known as the ‘Father of Modern India’ or ‘Father of the Bengal Renaissance.
  • He was born on 22 May 1772 in a Brahman family at Radhanagar in Bengal.
  • He was a religious and social reformer.
  • He was widely known for his role in the abolition of the practice of Sati.
  • He was given the title of ‘Raja’ by the titular Mughal Emperor of Delhi, Akbar II.
  • He was a scholar and knew Sanskrit, Persian, Hindi, Bengali, English, and Arabic.
  • In 1814, he founded Atmiya Sabha in Calcutta to campaign against idolatry, caste rigidities, meaningless rituals, and other social ills.
    • It was an association for the dissemination of the religious truth and the promotion of free discussions of theological subjects.
  • He Formed the Brahmo Sabha in 1828 which later became the Brahmo Samaj.
  • Here, recital and expounding of Hindu scriptures were done. 

Additional Information

• Keshab Chandra Sen was the founder of Bharatvarshiya Brahmo Samaj.
• Debendranath Tagore founded the Tattvabodhini Sabha.
• Raja Radhakant Deb was the founder of British Indian Association.

Dr. Atmaram Pandurang was the founder of Prathana Samaj.

• Dr. Atmaram Pandurang has founded Prathana Samaj in the year 1867 in western India for religious and social reforms.
• The main aim of the Prathana Samaj was to make people believe in one God and worship only one God.
• The emphasis was on monotheism but on the whole, the samaj was more concerned with social reform than religion.
• The Prathana Samaj was very attached to the Bhakti cult of Maharashtra.

Other reformers:-

The correct answer is 1856.

Key Points

• The Hindu widow remarriage act was passed in the year 1856.
  • The act made the remarriage of Hindu widows in all jurisdictions of India under East India Company rule legal.
  • The Hindu widow remarriage act was drafted during the tenure of Lord Dalhousie.
  • The act was passed by Lord Canning in 1856.
  • The remarriage of Hindu widows was first legalized by Lord Canning.
  • Hindu widow remarriage act was considered as the first major social reform legislation after the abolition of Sati in 1829.
  • Indian social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was the most prominent campaigner of the Hindu widow remarriage act