UPSC Prelims Mock Test – Modern History 2

Here are 25 Questions, a part of our series on UPSC Prelims Mock Test.

Q1. Four resolutions were passed at the famous Calcutta session of Indian National Congress in 1906. The question of either retention OR of rejection of these four resolutions became the cause of a split in Congress at the next Congress session held in Surat in 1907.

Which one of the following was not one of those resolutions?
(a) Annulment of partition of Bengal
(b) Boycott
(c) National Education
(d) Swadeshi

Answer – A

• Option (a) is not correct: Dada Bhai Naoroji presided over the INC session at Calcutta in 1906 in which a resolution supporting the programme of swadeshi, boycott and national education was passed. Ras Behari Ghosh presided over the Surat session in 1907 in which congress was split into moderates and extremists.

Q2. Consider the following landmarks in Indian education:

1. Hindu College, Calcutta
2. University of Calcutta
3. Adam’s Report
4. Wood’s Despatch

The correct chronological order of these landmarks is:

(a) 1, 3, 4, 2
(b) 1, 4, 3, 2
(c) 3, 1,4, 2
(d) 3, 2, 4, 1

Answer – A

• Option (a) is correct: Hindu College, Calcutta – 1817;
• University of Calcutta – 1858;
• Adam’s Report – 1835-38;
• Wood’s Despatch – 1854

Q3. The aim of education as stated by the Wood’s Despatch of 1854 was:

(a) the creation of employment opportunities for native Indians
(b) the spread of western culture in India
(c) the promotion of literacy among the people using English medium
(d) the introduction of scientific research and rationalism in the traditional Indian education

Answer – D

• Option (d) is correct: Wood’s Despatch of 1854 are considered as the Magna Carta of English education in India.
• Statement (c) is not correct as it recommended English as the medium of instruction for higher studies and vernaculars at the school level.

Q4. In collaboration with David Hare and Alexander Duff, who of the following established Hindu College at Calcutta?

(a) Henry Louis Vivian Derozio
(b) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
(c) Keshab Chandra Sen
(d) Raja Rammohan Roy

Answer – D

• Option (d) is correct: Raja Ram Mohan Roy established Hindu College at Calcutta. The foundation of Hindu College at Calcutta was laid on January 20, 1817.

Q5. Wellesley established the Fort William College at Calcutta because

(a) He was asked by the Board of Directors at London to do so
(b) He wanted to revive interest in oriental learning in India
(c) He wanted to provide William Carey and his associate’s employment
(d) He wanted to train British civilians for administrative purposes in India

Answer – D

• Option (d) is correct: Lord Wellesley (1798- 1805) wanted adequate training for the European civil servants. At Fort William College in Calcutta, the civil servants from all the presidencies took three years of training before getting their civil posting. But the Court of Directors feared that such a training program might result in the loyalties of the civil servants shifting from London to Calcutta. So, in 1802 Fort William College was closed.

Q6. With reference to educational institutes during colonial rule in India, consider the following pairs of Institution vs Founder:

• Sanskrit College: William Jones at Benaras
• Calcutta Madarsa: Warren Hastings
• Fort William: Arthur Wellesley College

Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 3 only

Answer – B

• Option (b) is correct: In 1791 due to the sincere efforts of the British resident, Jonathan Duncan, a Sanskrit College was established to promote the study of Hindu laws and philosophy in Banaras. And Sir William Jones is associated with Asiatic Society of Bengal. Fort William College was established by Lord Wellesley (1798) for the training of civil servants. Arthur Wellesley was the brother of Lord Wellesley who fought the 4th Anglo-Mysore war against Tipu Sultan. Arthur Wellesley forced Tipu to retreat to his capital Srirangapattinam)

Q7. Consider the following pairs:

Governor General Steps Taken
I. Lord Dalhousie: Prohibition of sati
II. Lord William: Local self-Bentinck government
III. Lord Rippon : Division of Bengal
IV. Lord Curzon: Doctrine of lapse

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) I-D, II- A, III- B, IV- C
(b) I-D, II- B, III- A, IV- C
(c) I-A, II- B, III- C, IV- D
(d) I-C, II- A, III- B, IV- D

Answer- A

• Option (a) is correct: The Sati Regulation act which banned the Sati practice in all jurisdictions of British India was passed on December 4, 1829, by the then Governor-General Lord William Bentinck. Lord Ripon is known to have granted the Indians their first taste of freedom by introducing the Local Self Government in 1882. He led a series of enactments in which larger powers of the Local self-government were given to the rural and urban bodies. The decision to affect the Partition of Bengal was announced on 19 July 1905 by the Viceroy of India, Curzon. The partition took place on 16 October 1905 and separated the largely Muslim eastern areas from the largely Hindu western areas. The doctrine of lapse was an annexation policy applied by the British East India Company in India. Many Indian states were annexed by Lord Dalhousie.

Q8. Who among the following Governors-General introduced the Dual System of Government?

(a) Lord Wellesley
(b) Lord Canning
(c) Lord Clive
(d) Lord Rippon

Answer – C

• Option (c) is correct: The Dual System of Government in Bengal was the brainchild of Lord Clive. At Murshidabad, there was a puppet Nawab is paying the company an annual allowance of Rs. 6 Lakh. The British Emperor Shah Aalam II came under the protection of the British and he would now stay at Allahabad

Q9. Railway and Telegraphy systems were introduced in India by

(a) Lord Dalhousie
(b) Lord Cornwallis
(c) Lord Bentinck
(d) Lord Wellesley

Answer – C

• Option (a) is correct: In 1852 Dalhousie introduced the Electric Telegraph System in India. The first telegraph line from Calcutta to Agra was opened in 1854, covering a distance of 800 miles. Lord Dalhousie Introduced the Railway in India for the first. He was the Governors-General of India at the Time

Q10. Consider the following Viceroys of India during the British rule:

1. Lord Curzon
2. Lord Chelmsford
3. Lord Hardinge
4. Lord Irwin

Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of their tenure?
(a) 1, 3, 2, 4

(b) 2, 4, 1, 3

(c) 1, 4, 2, 3

(d) 2, 3, 1, 4

Answer – A

• Option (a) is correct: Lord Curzon (1899-1905); Lord Chelmsford (1916-1921); Lord Hardinge (1910-1916); Lord Irwin (1926- 1931)

Q11. What was the main reason behind a prolonged war between British and Afghanistan between 1838 and 1842?

(a) To recover Peshawar from the Sikhs.
(b) To campaign against Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s claims over the Afghan territories.
(c) To protect the boundary of British India from a probable Russian attack.
(d) To restore Dost Mohammed as ruler of Afghanistan

Answer -C

• Option (c) is correct: The East India Company became concerned about Russia in the late 1830s. It was envisioned that Russia might spread over Asia and invade India from the north-west. Because of this fear, the British wanted to maintain their control over the north-west. Between 1838 until 1842, they waged a protracted war with Afghanistan and established indirect Company administration there. Lord Auckland, the governor-general of India from 1836 to 1842, advocated for a forward policy. This meant that the Company government in India had to take steps to protect British India’s border from a possible Russian attack. This objective was to be accomplished either by treaties with neighboring countries or by entirely annexing them.

Q12. With reference to the ‘Second Anglo-Sikh War’, consider the following statements:

1. The revolt of Mulraj could be considered the immediate cause for the war.
2. Lord Dalhousie was the Governor General of India at that time.
3. The Treaty of Bhairowal ended the Second Anglo-Sikh War’.

Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer – A

• Statement 1 is correct: The Sikhs were humiliated by their defeat in the first Anglo-Sikh War and the terms of the Lahore and Bhairowal Treaties. Sikh indignation was heightened by the inhumane treatment meted out to Rani Jindan, who
  was sent to Benares as a pensioner. Mulraj, Multan’s governor, was replaced by a new Sikh
  governor due to a disagreement about an increase in annual revenue. Mulraj revolted and assassinated two English officers who were accompanying the new governor. Sher Singh was sent to put down the uprising, but he later joined Mulraj, sparking a massive uprising in Multan. This could be regarded as the war’s immediate cause.
• Statement 2 is correct: Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India and a hardline expansionist used the pretext to entirely conquer Punjab. Lord Dalhousie traveled to Punjab himself. Before the eventual annexation of Punjab, three major battles were fought. These three battles were:
• Battle of Chillianwala, January 184 9.
• Battle of Gujarat, February 21, 1849; the Sikh army surrendered at Rawalpindi, and their Afghan allies were chased out of India

Q13. Consider the following pairs:

Treaty Associated Personalities

1. Treaty of Amritsar : Ranjit Singh
2. Treaty of Surat: Nana Phadnavis
3. Treaty of Seringapatam : Haidar Ali

How many pairs given above is/are correct?
(a) Only 1 pair
(b) Only 2 pairs
(c) All 3 pairs
(d) None of the above

Answer -A

• Pair 1 is correctly matched: Treaty of Amritsar (April 25, 1809)- The Treaty of Amritsar was significant both in terms of its immediate and possible consequences. By adopting the river Sutlej as the boundary line for his dominions and the East India Company’s possessions, it thwarted one of Ranjit Singh’s most treasured dreams to expand his power over the entire Sikh people. Now he directed his energies toward the west, capturing Multan (1818), Kashmir (1819), and Peshawar (1834).
• Pair 2 is not correctly matched: Treaty of Surat (1775)- Unwilling to relinquish control, Raghunathrao sought assistance from the English in Bombay and signed the Treaty of Surat in 177 Raghunathrao gave the English the territories of Salsette and Bassein, as well as a portion of the revenues from Surat and Bharuch districts, as part of the deal. The English were to supply Raghunathrao with 2,500 soldiers in exchange
• Pair 3 is not correctly matched: Treaty of Seringapatam (1792)- The Treaty of Seringapatam required Tipu Sultan to pay a hefty price. The victors took over roughly half of Mysorean territory under this treaty in 179 2.

Q14. Consider the following pairs:
Treaties Wars

1. Treaty of Lahore: Second Anglo Sikh Wa
2. Treaty of Bassein: Third Anglo-Maratha War
3. Treaty of Mangalore: Second Anglo-Mysore War

How many pairs given above is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 pair

(b) Only 2 pairs

(c) All 3 pairs

(d) None of the above

Answer – A

• Pair 1 is not correctly matched: Treaty of Lahore: On March 8, 1846, the Sikhs were forced to accept a humiliating peace at the conclusion of the first Anglo-Sikh War. The following were the primary aspects of the Lahore Treaty:
  War indemnity of more than 1 crore of rupees was to be given to the English.
  Sikh army strength was reduced. (Statement 1 is correct)
• Pair 2 is not correctly matched: Treaty of Bassein (1802)- Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-1805) was ended by this treaty. Under the treaty, the Peshwa agreed:
  To receive from the Company a native infantry (consisting of not less than 6,000 troops), with the usual proportion of field artillery and European artillerymen attached, to be permanently stationed in his territories

Q15. Which of the following was the reason behind the shifting of capital from Murshidabad to Munger
in Bihar by Mir Kasim?

(a) He wanted clear information of accounts of the revenues of Bihar.
(b) He wanted to stop the misuse of the East India Company’s data.
(c) He wanted a safe distance from the East India Company at Calcutta.
(d) He wanted to train a better army for administrative purposes.

Answer – C

• Option (c) is correct: Among Alivardi Khan’s successors, Mir Kasim was the most capable nawab. Mir Kasim moved the capital from Murshidabad to Munger in Bihar after acquiring power. The decision was made in order to maintain a safe distance from the Company in Calcutta. Other significant actions included reorganizing the bureaucracy with personnel of his choosing and reshaping the army to improve its skill and efficiency. Mir Kasim had been regarded by the Company to be the ideal puppet for them. Mir Kasim, on the other hand, defied the Company’s expectations

Q16. British persuaded or forced cultivators in various parts of India to produce crops for the requirements of Europe. These crops were:

1. Jute in Bengal
2. Tea in Assam
3. Sugarcane in the United Provinces
4. Wheat in Punjab

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer – D

• Option (d) is correct: The British realised that the countryside could provide not only cash, but also the crops that Europe needed. By the late 18th century, the Company attempted to expand opium and indigo crops. The British persuaded or compelled cultivators in many parts of India to grow other crops in the 19th and 20th centuries:
• Jute in Bengal
• Tea in Assam
• Sugarcane in the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh)
• Wheat in Punjab
• Cotton in Maharashtra and Punjab
• Rice in Madras

Q17. In the 18th century, the demand for Indian indigo grew in Europe, which of the following is the most convincing explanation for this growth in demand?

(a) Industrialization began in England

(b) Cotton production of Britain reduced

(c) Demand for cloth dyes decreased drastically

(d) The woad plant that was used as an alternative of Indigo in England became extinct

Answer – A

• Option (a) is correct: The indigo plant is mostly found in the tropics. Cloth dyers in Italy, France, and the United Kingdom were using Indian indigo by the 13th century. However, only a small amount of Indian indigo made it to Europe, and the price was exorbitant. To generate violet and blue dyes, European fabric manufacturers had to rely on another plant called Woad. Worried about indigo competition, European woad producers lobbied their governments to prohibit indigo imports. European fabric producers convinced their governments to remove the restriction on indigo imports by the 17th century. The demand for Indian indigo expanded even more by the end of the 18th century. As Britain became more industrialized, its cotton production skyrocketed, resulting in a massive increase in the need for cloth dyes.

Q18. Under the Ryoti system of Indigo cultivation in Bengal, the ryots who signed the contract:

(a) Did not get cash advances from the planters
(b) Got cash advances from the planters at very high rates of interest
(c) Did not receive seed and the drill from the planters
(d) Got cash advances from the planters at low rates of interest

Answer – D

• Option (d) is correct: The planters required the ryots to sign a contract, an agreement, under the roti system of Indigo farming in Bengal (Satta). They pressed the village chiefs to sign the contract on behalf of the ryots at times. Those who accepted the contract received low-interest monetary advances from the planters in order to produce indigo. However, the ryot was required to cultivate indigo on at least 25% of his land a part of the loan. The cultivators prepared the soil, planted the seed, and cared for the crop, while the planter provided the seed and the drill.

Q19. Which of the following statements describes ‘mahal’ correctly?

(a) Revenue estate from which the company collected revenue directly from cultivators.
(b) Revenue estate which is under the control of Zamindars.
(c) Revenue estate which must have 84 villages.
(d) Revenue estate which may be a village or a group of villages.

Answer – D

• Option (d) is correct: An Englishman named Holt Mackenzie created the new Mahalwari settlement system in the Bengal Presidency’s North Western Provinces (much of this area is now in Uttar Pradesh), which went into force in 182 2.
• Mahal is a revenue estate in British revenue records, which might be a village or a group of villages. Revenue’s demand under the Mahalwari settlement was to be reviewed on a regular basis, not put in stone. The village headman, not the zamindar was in charge of collecting the revenue and paying it to the Company

Q20. “Gomasthas” is related to:

(a) The lathi-wielding strongmen maintained by the planters of Indigo in Bengal
(b) Agents of planters who came to collect rent from the ryots who grew Indigo in Bengal
(c) A unit of measurement of land under Indigo cultivation in Bengal
(d) Cultivators who had tilled the land for generations in South India

Answer – B

• Option (b) is correct: Gomasthas were planter’s agents who traveled to Bengal to collect rent from the ryots who grew Indigo. Thousands of ryots in Bengal refused to plant indigo in March 1859. As the insurrection grew, ryots refused to pay planter rents and assaulted indigo factories with swords, spears, and bows and arrows. Women fought with pots, pans, and other culinary tools. Planters’ employees were socially ostracised, and gomasthas – planters’ representatives – who came to collect rent were beaten severely. Ryots pledged they would no longer accept indigo sowing advances or be coerced by the planters’ lathiyals – the planters’ lathi-wielding strongmen

Q21. Which of the following were the reasons for the decline of the craft of iron smelting in India in the late 19th century?

1. Forest laws introduced by the British
2. Reduction in the income of iron smelters
3. Low demand of iron produced by local smelters

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

Answer – D

• Option (d) is correct: By the late 19th century, the craft of iron smelting was in decline. In most villages, furnaces fell into disuse and the amount of iron produced came down. One of the major reasons was the new forest laws. The colonial government imposed a ban on people entering the reserved forest, therefore ron smelters found it difficult to gather wood for charcoal and other raw materials. They often enter the forest, defy forest laws and try to gather wood. However this did not prove to be sustainable for their occupation and eventually, many gave up their crafts and explored other means of livelihood. There were areas where the government granted access to the forest on the condition that iron smelters had to pay very high tax to the forest department, for each furnace they will be using.

Q22. Which of the following policies of the East India Company led to the revolt of 1857?

1. The policy of revenue settlement
2. The policy of systematic destruction of Indian handicrafts
3. Policy for the development of modern industries
4. Low tariffs policy for the import of British goods

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 4 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer – A

• Option (a) is correct:
• The policy of revenue settlement
• Policy of systematic destruction of Indian handicrafts
• Low tariffs policy for the import of British goods

Q23. With reference to the Permanent settlement, consider the following statements:

1. By the terms of the Permanent Settlement, the rajas and talukdars were recognized as zamindars.
2. One of the aims of the Permanent settlement was to encourage the zamindars to invest in improving the land.

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

Answer – C

• East India Company introduced the Permanent Settlement in 1793 in Bengal. Lord Cornwallis was the Governor-General of India when the Permanent Settlement was introduced.
• Statement 1 is correct: The Permanent Settlement of 1793 recognized the rajas and Taluqdars as Zamindars. They were made responsible for the payment of revenue to the company and for collecting rent from the peasants. The amount paid was permanently fixed and it was not to be increased ever in future.
• Statement 2 is correct: The main objective of The permanent settlement was to ensure a constant and regular source of income to the company an encourage zamindars to invest in the improvement of the land. It was beneficial for the Zamindars from the fact that revenue to the government will not increase and they can get additional benefit from increased production of land.

Q24. With reference to the Ryotwari system, consider the following statements:

1. It was developed for land revenue collection in the North Western Provinces of the Bengal Presidency.
2. The charge of collecting the revenue and paying it to the Company was given to the cultivators.
3. Cultivators’ fields had to be carefully and separately surveyed before the revenue
   assessment was made.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer – C

• Statement 1 is not correct: After the wars with Tipu Sultan, Alexander Read tried the Ryotwar (or ryotwari) system on a small scale in the areas taken over from Tipu Sultan. Later on this system was developed by Thomas Munro and gradually extended all over India.
• Statement 2 is correct: Both, Read and Munro, were of the opinion that in Southern India, there was no system of traditional Zamindari. The settlement had to be made directly with the cultivators (ryots) who had been tilling the land for generations.
• Statement 3 is correct: Before making any revenue assessment the fields were carefully and individually surveyed. According to Munro, the British should act as paternal father figures and protect the ryots under their charge.

Q25. Which of the following statements is/are correct about Birsa Munda?

1. He urged the Mundas to give up drinking liquor.
2. He urged the Mundas to clean their village.
3. He urged the Mundas to stop believing in witchcraft and sorcery.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) 1 and 3 only

Answer – C

• Option (c) is correct: Birsa was born in the mid-nineteenth century. Birsa went to the local missionary school to listen to missionaries’ sermons. He also learned that the Mundas may get access to the Kingdom of Heaven and reclaim their lost rights there. This might be conceivable if they converted to Christianity and stopped engaging in “bad habits.” Birsa also spent some time with a well-known Vaishnav preacher later on. He learned to value the importance of purity and piety as he wore the sacred thread. Many of the ideas Birsa encountered throughout his formative years had a profound impact on him. His campaign intended to change tribal society.

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