National Movement Flashcards
Who wrote ‘Desher Katha’, detailing British exploitation and warning against the “hypnotic capture of the mind”?
Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar.
What impact did ‘Desher Katha’ have in Bengal?
Influenced young men towards revolution and prepared them for the Swadeshi movement.
Who was the first to popularize the term ‘Swaraj’, later equated to ‘Independence’ by Sri Aurobindo?
Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar.
Who published ‘Vital-Vidhvansak’, the first monthly journal targeting untouchable people?
Gopal Baba Walangkar.
Gopal Baba Walangkar argued against casteism and untouchability in which two Marathi newspapers?
Dinbandhu and Sudharak.
Which early Indian woman doctor’s refusal to cohabit with her husband led to a landmark case on consent and conjugal rights?
Rukhmabai.
The controversy surrounding Rukhmabai’s case prompted the British government to enact which law in 1891?
Age of Consent Act, 1891.
What major factor led to the decline of the indigo industry in India?
The invention of synthetic dyes.
Which famous Bengali play by Dinbandhu Mitra vividly portrayed the oppression of indigo peasants (1860)?
Neel Darpan.
Who established Fort William College (1800) for training civil servants, though it closed in 1802?
Lord Wellesley (Governor-General 1798-1805).
Which expansionist policy did Lord Wellesley adopt to bring Indian states under British control?
Subsidiary Alliance.
The Ulgulan (‘Great Tumult’) uprising (1899-1900) was led by whom against feudal tenures and exploitation by ‘dikus’?
Birsa Munda.
What groups were considered ‘dikus’ (outsiders/exploiters) by the Mundas and Santhals?
Christian missionaries, landlords, contractors, police, government officials, moneylenders.
What was the aim of the Ulgulan movement led by Birsa Munda?
To establish Munda Raj (independence).
The Swadeshi Movement (1905) emphasized self-reliance, also known by what term?
Atmasakti.
What practical steps were taken to foster indigenous enterprise during the Swadeshi Movement?
Opening textile mills, soap/match factories, handloom concerns, reviving artisan crafts.
What body was set up on August 15, 1906, to promote national education during the Swadeshi movement?
National Council of Education.
Who was the first Principal of the National College started in Calcutta during the Swadeshi movement?
Aurobindo Ghose.
Under the Subsidiary Alliance system, what were Indian rulers required to do regarding British troops and officials?
Maintain British troops in their state (paying via territory or money) and accept a British resident at their court.
Was the Subsidiary Alliance primarily introduced to secure a fixed income for the Company?
No.
The Santhal rebellion (1854-1856) in the Rajmahal Hills was led by which two brothers?
Sido and Kanhu.
What administrative action was taken by the British government to pacify the Santhals after the rebellion?
Creation of a separate district of Santhal Parganas and laws protecting tribal land rights.
Which Act first allowed Christian missionaries to spread English education in India and set aside funds (Rs 1 lakh/year) for learning?
Charter Act of 1813.
What body was formed in 1823 to administer the educational grant provided by the Charter Act of 1813?
General Committee of Public Instruction.
What was the core disagreement between ‘Anglicists’ and ‘Orientalists’ regarding education policy in the 1820s-30s?
Anglicists favoured government spending on modern/Western studies only; Orientalists wanted emphasis on traditional Indian learning alongside Western education.
Whose ‘Minute’ of 1835 resolved the Anglicist-Orientalist controversy in favour of English as the medium of instruction?
Lord Macaulay.
Who started the Ryotwari system experiment in Baramahal (1792), later continued by Thomas Munro?
Alexander Read.
In the Ryotwari system, proprietary rights in land were vested in whom?
The peasants (ryots).
The Factories Act of 1881 stipulated working hours for children should not exceed how many hours per day?
9 hours, with a one-hour meal break.
Did the Factories Act of 1881 aim to fix wages or allow trade union formation?
No.
Who is regarded as the father of the trade union movement in India and founded the Bombay Mill Hands Association (1884)?
Narayan Meghaji Lokhande.
Who were the President and Secretary respectively of the British Indian Association founded in Calcutta (1851)?
President: Raja Radhakanta Deb; Secretary: Debendranath Tagore.
Which newspaper did Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty (associated with Madras Native Association) found in 1844?
Crescent.
Who were key figures in founding the Madras Mahajana Sabha in 1884?
Rangiah Naidu (President), Veeraraghavachari, and Ananda Charlu (Secretaries).
Who founded the Indian Association in Bengal (1876), which favoured local self-government?
Surendranath Banerjea and Ananda Mohan Bose.
What system of ‘double government’ was introduced at the provincial level by the Government of India Act 1919?
Dyarchy.
Under Dyarchy, subjects were divided into which two lists?
Reserved and Transferred.
Under Dyarchy, who administered the ‘Reserved’ subjects (like law and order, finance)?
The Governor through his Executive Council of bureaucrats.
Under Dyarchy, who administered the ‘Transferred’ subjects (like education, health)?
The Governor through Ministers nominated from the elected members of the legislative council.
What was the main reason cited for the split in the Indian National Congress at Surat in 1907?
Extremists’ lack of faith in the Moderates’ capacity to negotiate with the British Government.
Which Extremist leader was jailed in Mandalay for six years following the Surat Split?
Lokmanya Tilak.
What methods of struggle were adopted for the first time during the agitation against the Partition of Bengal (1905)?
Swadeshi and Boycott.
Which Viceroy partitioned Bengal in 1905?
Lord Curzon.
What were the stated British reasons and main underlying motives for partitioning Bengal in 1905?
Stated: Administrative convenience. Motives: Curtail Bengali politicians’ influence and split the Bengali people.
Who founded the Satya Shodhak Samaj (1873) to organize an anti-caste movement in Maharashtra?
Jyotirao Phule.
Who established the Calcutta Unitarian Committee?
Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
Who called Raja Ram Mohan Roy the ‘Father of Modern India’?
Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
Which Mughal emperor bestowed the title ‘Raja’ on Ram Mohan Roy?
Akbar II.
Who founded the Tabernacle of New Dispensation (1868) and the Indian Reform Association?
Keshab Chandra Sen.
Keshab Chandra Sen formed ‘Nabo Bidhan’ (New Dispensation) in 1881 with what aim?
To incorporate the best principles of Christianity and Western spirituality with Hinduism.
Name some notable individuals who made early attempts to estimate India’s national and per capita income under colonial rule.
Dadabhai Naoroji, William Digby, Findlay Shirras, V.K.R.V. Rao, R.C. Desai.
Name three prominent early critics of the economic impact of British colonialism in India.
Dadabhai Naoroji, G. Subramania Iyer, R. C. Dutt.
At which INC session (1905) did Moderate-Extremist differences first come to the fore regarding Swadeshi/Boycott?
Benaras Session (presided over by Gokhale).
What was the core difference between Moderates and Extremists regarding the scope of the Swadeshi/Boycott movement after 1905?
Moderates wanted to limit it to Bengal and specific goods; Extremists wanted to extend it Pan-India and include boycott of all associations (govt service, courts etc.).
The Ilbert Bill, introduced by Viceroy Ripon, aimed to remove judicial disqualification based on what?
Race distinctions (allowing Indian judges to try Europeans).
How did the Ilbert Bill controversy influence Indian nationalists?
It showed bias where European interests were involved and taught nationalists methods of organized agitation.
Which socio-religious reform organization associated with Raja Ram Mohan Roy denounced polytheism and idolatry, and opposed caste restrictions?
Brahmo Samaj.
Did the Brahmo Samaj believe the Vedas were infallible?
No, it spread Vedic teachings but denied their infallibility (unlike Arya Samaj).
Who formed the National Social Conference (1887) as the social reform wing of the INC?
M.G. Ranade.
Which book by Dadabhai Naoroji offered a scathing criticism of the economic impact of British rule?
Poverty and Un-British Rule in India.
Dadabhai Naoroji helped found which two organizations in London in 1865-66?
London Indian Society and East India Association.
How many times was Dadabhai Naoroji president of the Indian National Congress?
Thrice (1886, 1893, 1906).
Dadabhai Naoroji and R.C. Dutt were prominent proponents of which theory explaining British economic exploitation?
Theory of Economic Drain.
Which British MP, along with W. S. Caine and Dadabhai Naoroji, formed the Indian Parliamentary Committee in 1893 to agitate for reforms?
Sir William Wedderburn.
At which INC session (1906) and under whose presidentship was the goal defined as ‘Swarajya or self-government’?
Calcutta session; Dadabhai Naoroji.
Which Governor-General (1786-93) first organized the civil services in India and created the Covenanted Civil Service?
Lord Cornwallis.
What methods did Cornwallis use to check corruption in the civil services?
Raising salaries, enforcing rules against private trade/bribes, enforcing promotion by seniority.
The Swadeshi Movement had its genesis in the opposition to the partition of which province, announced in 1903 under Lord Curzon?
Bengal.
On what date did the Partition of Bengal take effect?
October 16, 1905.
When and where was the formal proclamation of the Swadeshi Movement made?
August 7, 1905, at a meeting in Calcutta Townhall where the Boycott Resolution was passed.
Who started the Swadeshi Movement in Poona?
Lokmanya Tilak.
Which Indian leader rejected the title of Knighthood and refused a position in the Council of the Secretary of State for India?
Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
Who used the phrase ‘Un British’ to criticize English colonial control and highlighted the drain of wealth from India?
Dadabhai Naoroji.
Which weekly Urdu newspaper did Abul Kalam Azad start in Calcutta (1912) known for its anti-British stance?
Al-Hilal.
Who was the first president of the Indian National Congress at its first session in Bombay (1885)?
W.C. Bonnerjee.
Which famous patriotic song, now Bangladesh’s national anthem, was written by Rabindranath Tagore during the Swadeshi movement (1905)?
Amar Sonar Bangla.
Swami Vivekananda’s book ‘Lectures from Colombo to Almora’ is considered his…?
‘Charter for Modern India’.
Name three major literary works by Swami Vivekananda mentioned in the text.
Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga.
Which Viceroy repealed the Vernacular Press Act in 1882?
Lord Ripon.
What was the Vernacular Press Act (1878) designed to do?
Control the vernacular press and repress seditious writing (‘gagging Act’).
Who established a regular police force in India on the British pattern, replacing the older Faujdari system?
Lord Cornwallis.
Which Act established a Supreme Court at Calcutta with jurisdiction over British subjects?
Regulating Act of 1773.
Under whom was the First Law Commission set up for the codification of Indian laws?
Lord Macaulay.
Name the three major legal codes prepared as a result of Macaulay’s Law Commission.
Civil Procedure Code (1859), Indian Penal Code (1860), Criminal Procedure Code (1861).
Who presided over the second INC session in Calcutta (1886)?
Dadabhai Naoroji.
What agreement was reached between the INC and the Muslim League at the Lucknow session in 1916?
League agreed to joint constitutional demands; Congress accepted the League’s position on separate electorates.
Which Governor-General & Viceroy introduced the portfolio system under the Indian Council Act 1861?
Lord Canning.
Which socio-political organization submitted a petition to the British House of Commons in 1875 demanding direct Indian representation?
Poona Sarvajanik Sabha.
The All India Muslim League was established in 1906 partly in response to opposition against what event?
The 1905 Partition of Bengal.
Did the Muslim League oppose the Partition of Bengal or separate electorates?
No.
Where did Dayanand Saraswati formally set up the first Arya Samaj unit in 1875?
Bombay (Headquarters later established in Lahore).
Did Lala Lajpat Rai oppose the Arya Samaj’s belief in the authority of the Vedas for social reform?
No.
Who was made the acharya of the Brahmo Samaj by Debendranath Tagore and was instrumental in popularizing it outside Bengal?
Keshab Chandra Sen.
Which organization did Vinoba Bhave found in 1948 after Gandhi’s assassination?
Sarvodaya Samaj.
Which Indian Jurist, a founding member of the Muslim League, established the London Muslim League in 1908?
Syed Ameer Ali.
Whose estimates of India’s national/per capita income during the colonial period were considered particularly significant by the source?
V.K.R.V. Rao.
Which former princely state, ruled by the Manikya dynasty, became involved in the freedom movement due to internal opposition?
Tripura.
Which Governor-General annexed Awadh in 1856 on grounds of misgovernment?
Lord Dalhousie.
The Indigo Revolt (Neel Bidroho) of 1859-60 occurred in which province?
Bengal.
The Santhal Rebellion (1855-56) occurred in which region?
Rajmahal hills (Jharkhand).
The Deccan Riots of 1875 primarily targeted whom?
Moneylenders (to destroy debt bonds).
Where did the Sepoy Mutiny (Revolt of 1857) begin?
Meerut.
Which early nationalist leader was dismissed from the ICS despite qualifying twice?
Surendranath Banerjea.
Which organization did Surendranath Banerjea establish in 1876 to serve as a focal point for all-India political movement?
Indian Association.
Which British military leader, later Duke of Wellington, had a successful career during the 4th Anglo-Mysore and 2nd Anglo-Maratha wars?
Arthur Wellesley.
Which Governor-General’s tenure (1813-1823) saw the Gurkha War and the Third Anglo-Maratha War?
Lord Hastings.
Which English newspaper was edited by Sri Aurobindo and openly advocated for complete independence?
Bande Mataram.
Which anti-colonialist journal was published by India House (Shyamji Krishnavarma), initially from London?
The Indian Sociologist.
Which Indian Nationalist periodical was published by Madam Bhikaji Cama?
The Talwar.
Which daily newspaper was published by Annie Besant to highlight issues of the Indian freedom struggle?
Commonweal.
Who wrote the nationalist history ‘The First Indian War of Independence’ about the 1857 revolt?
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel ‘Anand Math’ is set in the background of which rebellion?
Sannyasi Rebellion.
Which major philosophical work by Sri Aurobindo presents a theory of spiritual evolution?
The Life Divine.
Which British educationalist was Principal of the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College (later AMU) from 1883-1899?
Theodore Beck.
Who drafted the Ilbert Bill (1883) during Lord Ripon’s viceroyalty?
Sir Courtenay Ilbert.
Who presided over the Calcutta Congress session in 1890?
Pherozeshah Mehta.
Who was the first Muslim president of the Indian National Congress (Madras Session, 1887)?
Badruddin Tyabji.
Did Extremist leaders like Tilak and Aurobindo use religious traditions and symbols in the nationalist struggle?
Yes (e.g., Vedanta philosophy, Shivaji, Ganapati, Kali).
What were the main reasons the Congress rejected the Cripps Mission proposals (1942)?
Offer of dominion status (not independence), nominated princely state reps, no immediate power transfer or real share in defence.
Which group notably opposed the Revolt of 1857, viewing it as backward-looking and feudal?
The educated middle class.
Name some Indian rulers or groups who opposed or did not support the Revolt of 1857.
Sindhia of Gwalior, Holkar of Indore, rulers of Patiala/Sindh, Sikh chieftains, Maharaja of Kashmir, Big zamindars (some).
