UPSC Prelims 2014
Modern History Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Explore 5 solved UPSC Prelims 2014 Modern History questions with detailed step-by-step bilingual solutions, option analysis, and answer keys.
The Radcliffe Committee was appointed to -
Detailed Explanation:
The Radcliffe Commission was established in July 1947 under the chairmanship of Sir Cyril Radcliffe, a British lawyer, to delimit the boundaries between India and Pakistan during the partition.
The commission had four members each from the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, and was tasked with dividing the provinces of Punjab and Bengal based on religious demographics, completing its work in just five weeks before independence on August 15, 1947.
The Ghadr (Ghadar) was a
Detailed Explanation:
The Ghadr Party was a revolutionary association of Indians with headquarters at San Francisco, California, formed in 1913.
Founded by Lala Har Dayal and Sohan Singh Bhakna, it aimed to overthrow British colonial rule through armed revolution, drawing support mainly from Indian immigrants (Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims) in North America.
✅ Option 1 – Correct: Accurately identifies the Ghadr as a revolutionary association headquartered in San Francisco.
❌ Option 2 – Incorrect: Singapore was not the headquarters; it was San Francisco.
❌ Option 3 – Incorrect: Berlin was associated with other revolutionary groups like the Berlin Committee, not Ghadr.
❌ Option 4 – Incorrect: Ghadr was not a communist movement, and Tashkent was not its headquarters.
The 1929 Session of Indian National Congress is of significance in the history of the Freedom Movement because the -
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Option 2 – Correct: The 1929 Lahore Session (presided by Jawaharlal Nehru) adopted Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence) as the Congress goal, replacing the earlier demand for Dominion Status. January 26, 1930 was declared as Independence Day.
❌ Option 1 – Incorrect: Self-Government (Swaraj) was declared much earlier at the 1906 Calcutta Session.
❌ Option 3 – Incorrect: The Non-Cooperation Movement was launched in 1920, not 1929.
❌ Option 4 – Incorrect: Congress decided to boycott the First Round Table Conference (1930); participation in the Second Round Table Conference came only after the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931).
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The Partition of Bengal made by Lord Curzon in 1905 lasted until -
Detailed Explanation:
The Partition of Bengal (1905) by Lord Curzon was annulled in 1911 when King George V announced its reversal at the Delhi Durbar.
The decision was taken due to intense anti-partition agitation and the Swadeshi Movement, which made the partition administratively and politically untenable for the British.
What was/were the object/objects of Queen Victoria’s Proclamation (1858)?
- To disclaim any intention to annex the Indian States
- To place the Indian administration under the British Crown
- To regulate East India Company’s trade with India
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: The Proclamation of 1858 explicitly disclaimed any intention to annex Indian princely states, assuring rulers their territories would be respected and preserved.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: The proclamation transferred Indian administration from the East India Company to the British Crown, establishing direct governance through a Viceroy.
❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: Regulating the East India Company's trade was not an object of the proclamation; by 1858, the Company had already lost its trade monopoly and the proclamation focused on administrative transfer, not commercial regulation.
UPSC Prelims 2014 - Modern History Chapter-wise Distribution
Indian National Congress and Early Nationalists
2 Qs (40%)Rise of Indian Nationalism
1 Qs (20%)Revolutionary Nationalism
1 Qs (20%)Towards Independence and Partition
1 Qs (20%)UPSC Prelims 2014 - Modern History Questions FAQs
Q1 How many Modern History questions were asked in UPSC Prelims 2014?
Q2 What is the chapter-wise question distribution for Modern History in UPSC Prelims 2014?
- Indian National Congress and Early Nationalists: 2 questions (40%)
- Rise of Indian Nationalism: 1 questions (20%)
- Revolutionary Nationalism: 1 questions (20%)
- Towards Independence and Partition: 1 questions (20%)