| 1. |
Which British Governor General introduced Postage Stamp in India? |
| A. | Lord Dalhousie |
| B. | Lord Auckland |
| C. | Lord Canning |
| D. | Lord William Bentinck |
| Answer» A. Lord Dalhousie | |
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Explanation: Although the Indian Post Office was established in 1837, Asia's first adhesive stamp, the Scinde Dawk was introduced in 1852 by Sir Bartle Frere, the British East India Company's administrator of the province of Sind. The first stamps valid for postage through out India were placed on sale in October, 1854 with four values: 1/2 anna, 1 anna, 2 annas, and 4 annas. These stamps were issued following a Commission of Inquiry which had carefully studied the postal systems of Europe and America. |
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| 2. |
The first telegraph line between Calcutta and Agra was opened in - |
| A. | 1851 |
| B. | 1853 |
| C. | 1854 |
| D. | 1855 |
| Answer» A. 1851 | |
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Explanation: The history of Indian telecom can be started with the introduction of telegraph. The Indian postal and telecom sectors are one of the world's oldest. In 1850, the first experimental electric telegraph line was started between Kolkata and Diamond Harbour. In 1851 it was opened for the use of the British East India Company. |
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| 3. |
The former princely state Nahan is part of which State now? |
| A. | Punjab |
| B. | Haryana |
| C. | Uttarakhand |
| D. | Himachal Pradesh |
| Answer» D. Himachal Pradesh | |
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Explanation: Nahan is a town in Himachal Pradesh in India and is the headquarters of the Sirmaur District. A well laid out picturesque town, Nahan is situated on a hill top in the Shiwalik Hills, overlooking green hills. Traditionally, saints and princes are linked with the origin of Nahan. |
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| 4. |
Which town/city in India has got a tower (minaar) named after Muhammad Ali Jinnah? |
| A. | Mumbai |
| B. | Aligarh |
| C. | Calicut |
| D. | Guntur |
| Answer» D. Guntur | |
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Explanation: A tower in memory of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Father of Pakistan, stands at Mahatma Gandhi Road in Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. |
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| 5. |
Which of the following Acts gave representation to the Indians for the first time in legislation? |
| A. | Indian Councils Act, 1909 |
| B. | Indian Councils Act, 1919 |
| C. | Government of India Act, 1919 |
| D. | Government of India Act, 1935 |
| Answer» A. Indian Councils Act, 1909 | |
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Explanation: The Indian Councils Act 1909, commonly known as the Morley-Minto Reforms, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that brought about a limited increase in the involvement of Indians in the governance of British India. It effectively allowed the election of Indians to the various legislative councils in India for the first time. |
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| 6. |
Punjab was annexed to the British empire during the reign of Governor-General |
| A. | Lord Bentick |
| B. | Lord Dalhousie |
| C. | Lord Cornwallis |
| D. | Lord Canning |
| Answer» B. Lord Dalhousie | |
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Explanation: The Marquis of Dalhousie, the new governor-general, who arrived in India in January 1848 scarcely approved of Hardinge's "annexation without encum-brances. "In April 1848 Diwan Mul Raj's revolt at Multan opened the prospect of a fresh war in the Punjab. |
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| 7. |
The Mohemmadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh was founded by - |
| A. | Md. Ali Jinnah |
| B. | Mohammad Ali |
| C. | Saukat Ali |
| D. | Sir Syed Ahmed Khan |
| Answer» D. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan | |
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Explanation: MAO College (or Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College) was founded by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, the leader of Muslim renaissance in Indian subcontinent, in 1875 at Aligarh. This later became Aligarh Muslim University in 1920. Mohammedan Anglo Oriental (MAO) College in 1875 marks one of the most important events in the educational and social history of modern India. |
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| 8. |
Who among the following is generally regarded as the pioneer of Local Self- Government in Modern India? |
| A. | Ripon |
| B. | Lytton |
| C. | Mayo |
| D. | Curzon |
| Answer» A. Ripon | |
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Explanation: The real benchmarking of the government policy on decentralization is attributed to Lord Ripon who, in his famous resolution on local self-government on May 18, 1882, recognized the twin considerations of local government: (i) administrative efficiency and (i) political education. |
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| 9. |
Who is known as the Grand Old Man of India'? |
| A. | Dadabhai Naoroji |
| B. | Gopal Krishna Gokhale |
| C. | Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| D. | Surendranath Banerjee |
| Answer» A. Dadabhai Naoroji | |
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Explanation: Dadabhai Naoroji, known as the Grand Old Man of India, was a Parsi intellectual, educator, cotton trader, and an early Indian political and social leader. His book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India brought attention to the draining of India's wealth into Britain. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom House of Commons between 1892 and 1895 and the first Asian to be a British MP. |
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| 10. |
Bhulabhai Desai's most memorable achievement was his defence of the Indian National Army (I.N.A.) personnel at the Red Fort Trial towards the end of - |
| A. | 1943 |
| B. | 1944 |
| C. | 1945 |
| D. | 1946 |
| Answer» C. 1945 | |
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Explanation: When three captured Indian National Army (INA) officers, Shahnawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sahgal and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon were put on trial for treason the Congress formed a Defence committee composed of 17 advocates including Bhulabhai Desai. |
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| 11. |
The First Viceroy of the Portuguese in the East was - |
| A. | Albuquerque |
| B. | Joa de Castro |
| C. | Francisco de Almedia |
| D. | Nuno da Cunha |
| Answer» C. Francisco de Almedia | |
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Explanation: The Portuguese State of India was established in 1505 as a viceroyalty of the Kingdom of Portugal, six years after the discovery of a sea route between Portugal and India, to serve as the plenipotentiary governing body of a string of Portuguese fortresses and colonies overseas. |
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| 12. |
The system of communal electorate in India was first introduced by - |
| A. | Indian Council Act of 1892 |
| B. | Minto-Morley reforms of 1909 |
| C. | Montagu-Chelmsford reforms of 1919 |
| D. | Government of India of 1935 |
| Answer» B. Minto-Morley reforms of 1909 | |
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Explanation: The Indian Councils Act 1909, commonly known as the Morley-Minto Reforms, introduced the system of communal electorate in India. It provided that Indian Muslims be allotted reserved seats in the Municipal and District Boards, in the Provincial Councils and in the Imperial Legislature; that the number of reserved seats be in excess of their |
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| 13. |
The System of Dyarchy was introduced in India in - |
| A. | 1909 |
| B. | 1935 |
| C. | 1919 |
| D. | 1945 |
| Answer» C. 1919 | |
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Explanation: The Government of India Act 1919 provided a dual form of government (a "dyarchy") for the major provinces. In each such province, control of some areas of government, the "transferred list", were given to a Government of ministers answerable to the Provincial Council. |
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| 14. |
The Editor of Young India and 'Harijan' was - |
| A. | Nehru |
| B. | Ambedkar |
| C. | Mahatma Gandhi |
| D. | Subash Chandra Bose |
| Answer» C. Mahatma Gandhi | |
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Explanation: Indian Opinion, Young India, Harijan were famous weeklies of Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi, in a journalistic career spanning nearly four decades, edited six journals. Between 1933 and 1940, Harijan (English) Harijan Bandu (Gujarati) and Harijan Sevak (Hindi) became the Mahatma's voice to the people of India. |
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| 15. |
'Neel Darpan' a play depicting the revolt against the indigo planters was written by - |
| A. | Dinbandhu Mitra |
| B. | Bankim Chandra Chatterjee |
| C. | Rabindranath Tagore |
| D. | Naveen Chandra Sen |
| Answer» A. Dinbandhu Mitra | |
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Explanation: Nil Darpan is a Bengali play written by Dinabandhu Mitra in 1858-1859. The play was essential to Nilbidraha, or Indigo revolt of February-March 1859 in Bengal, when farmers refused to sow indigo in their fields as aprotest against exploitative farming under the British Raj. |
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| 16. |
'Deshbandhu' is the title of - |
| A. | B.R. Ambedkar |
| B. | C.R. Das |
| C. | B.C. Pal |
| D. | Rabindranath Tagore |
| Answer» B. C.R. Das | |
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Explanation: Chittaranjan Das, popularly called Deshba Friend of the country), was an Indian politician and leader of the Swaraj (Independence) Party in Bengal under British rule. He was a leading figure in Bengal during the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1919-1922 and initiated the ban on British clothes, setting an example by burning his own European clothes and wearing Khadi clothes. |
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| 17. |
The Bhoodan Movement was launched by - |
| A. | Mahatma Gandhi |
| B. | Jaiprakash Narain |
| C. | Vinoba Bhave |
| D. | Rammanohar Lohia |
| Answer» C. Vinoba Bhave | |
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Explanation: The Bhoodan movement was a voluntary land reform movement in India started by Acharya Vinoba Bhave in 1951 started at Pochampally village now known as Bhoodan Pochampally. The mission of the movement was to persuade wealthy landowners to voluntarily give a percentage of their land to lower castes. |
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| 18. |
The last Governor-General of the East India Company and the first Viceroy under the crown was |
| A. | Lord Elgin |
| B. | Lord Canning |
| C. | Lord Warren Hastings |
| D. | Lord Dalhousie |
| Answer» B. Lord Canning | |
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Explanation: Lord Canning, known as The Viscount Canning from 1837 to 1859, was an English statesman and Governor-General of India during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. In 1858, he was made the first Viceroy of India. |
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| 19. |
The first Governor-General of Bengal was - |
| A. | Lord Clive |
| B. | Lord Warren Hastings |
| C. | Lord John Shore |
| D. | Lord Cornwallis |
| Answer» B. Lord Warren Hastings | |
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Explanation: Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of India, from 1773 to 1785. He became the Governor of Bengal in 1772 and in 1774; he became the first Governor-General of Bengal. |
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| 20. |
Gandhi's 'Dandi March' is associated with: |
| A. | Khilafat Movement |
| B. | Civil Disobedience Movement |
| C. | Non-Cooperation Movement |
| D. | Quit India Movement |
| Answer» B. Civil Disobedience Movement | |
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Explanation: Gandhiji started the Civil Disobedience Movement by breaking the obnoxious salt laws. On March 12,1930 Gandhiji with 78 followers started from Sabarmati Ashram on the famous Salt March to Dandi Beach to manufacture salt illegally. |
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| 21. |
Who among the following is not a moderate? |
| A. | Pherozeshah Mehta |
| B. | Surendranath Banerjee |
| C. | Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee |
| D. | Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| Answer» A. Pherozeshah Mehta | |
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Explanation: Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal and Aurobindo Ghose were not Moderates. |
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| 22. |
Dring British rule, who was instrumental for the introduction of the Ryotwari system in the then Madras Presidency? |
| A. | Macartney |
| B. | Elphinstone |
| C. | Thomas Munro |
| D. | John Lawrence |
| Answer» C. Thomas Munro | |
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Explanation: Thomas Munro is regarded as the father of the ‘Ryotwari system' in Madras. In 1820, he was appointed governor of Madras, where he founded systems of revenue assessment and general administration. |
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| 23. |
Which one of the following novels was a source of inspiration for the freedom fighters in India? |
| A. | Pariksha Guru |
| B. | Anandmath |
| C. | Rangbhoomi |
| D. | Padmarag |
| Answer» B. Anandmath | |
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Explanation: Anandmath is a Bengali novel, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and published in 1882. Set in the background of the Sanyasi Rebellion in the late 18th century, it became synonymous with the struggle forIndian independence from the British Empire. |
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| 24. |
Who initiated the movement to form the India Nations Congress: |
| A. | Annie Besant |
| B. | A.O. Hume |
| C. | W.C. Banerjee |
| D. | Gandhiji |
| Answer» B. A.O. Hume | |
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Explanation: The Indian National Congress was formed at the initiative of British civil servant Allan Octavian Hume. In May 1885, he secured the Viceroy's approval to create an "Indian National Union", which would act as a platform to voice Indian public opinion. |
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| 25. |
Gandhiji's famous Quit India Movement call to the British was given in - |
| A. | 1943 |
| B. | 1941 |
| C. | 1942 |
| D. | 1940 |
| Answer» C. 1942 | |
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Explanation: The Quit India Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India by Gandhi on 9 August 1942. It demanded "an orderly British withdrawal from India. This waspreceded by his call to 'Do or Die.' issued on 8 August 1942 at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai. |
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