UPSC CSE Prelims
Modern History Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Solved Previous Year Questions (PYQs) for Modern History in UPSC CSE Prelims in English & Hindi Medium.
Chapter Breakdown: Scroll →
With reference to the Indian freedom struggle, consider the following events:
- Mutiny in Royal Indian Navy
- Quit India Movement launched
- Second Round Table Conference
What is the correct chronological sequence of the above events?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 3 — 3-2-1
The Second Round Table Conference was held in London in September 1931 to discuss constitutional reforms. The Quit India Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi on 8 August 1942, demanding immediate British withdrawal from India. The Royal Indian Navy Mutiny occurred in February 1946, when Indian sailors revolted against British discrimination and poor conditions. Thus, the correct chronological order is 3-2-1.
Consider the following statements:
- The Factories Act, 1881 was passed with a view to fix the wages of industrial workers and to allow the workers to form trade unions.
- N.M. Lokhande was a pioneer in organizing the labour movement in British India.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 2 — 2 only
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: The Factories Act, 1881 was primarily concerned with regulating the working conditions of children in factories, not fixing wages or allowing trade unions. It prohibited the employment of children below 7 years of age, restricted working hours for children (7-12 years) to 9 hours per day, and mandated one day off per week. The Act did not address wage fixation or trade union formation—these aspects came much later in labour legislation.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: N.M. Lokhande (Narayan Meghaji Lokhande) is recognized as a pioneer of the labour movement in British India. He founded the Bombay Mill Hands Association in 1890, one of the first labour organizations in India. He actively campaigned for workers' rights, including the abolition of the contract system, weekly holidays, and shorter working hours. His efforts led to significant improvements in working conditions for industrial workers in Bombay.
Consider the following pairs:
- Radhakanta Deb: First President of the British Indian Association
- Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty: Founder of the Madras Mahajana Sabha
- Surendranath Banerjee: Founder of the Indian Association
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 2 — 1 and 3 only
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Radhakanta Deb was indeed the first President of the British Indian Association, which was formed in October 1851 in Calcutta through the merger of the Landholders' Society and the Bengal British India Society.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty founded the Madras Native Association in 1852, not the Madras Mahajana Sabha. The Madras Mahajana Sabha was established later in May 1884 by M. Veeraraghavachariar, G. Subramania Iyer, and P. Anandacharlu.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Surendranath Banerjee, along with Anandamohan Bose, founded the Indian Association (Indian National Association) in 1876. It was one of the most significant pre-Congress nationalist organizations aimed at building public opinion on political issues.
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The objective of the Butler Committee of 1927 was to?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 4 — Improve the relationship between the Government of India and the Indian States.
The Butler Committee was appointed in December 1927 under the chairmanship of Sir Harcourt Butler to examine the relations between the British Government of India and the Indian Princely States.
The committee aimed to clarify and improve the nature of paramountcy (supreme authority of the British Crown over princely states) and address grievances of the rulers.
It recommended that Indian States should deal directly with the Crown through the Viceroy, not through the Government of India.
The committee's work was significant in defining the political relationship between the paramount power and native states during the British Raj.
Satya Shodhak Samaj organized -
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 3 — an anti-caste movement in Maharashtra
Satya Shodhak Samaj (Society of Truth Seekers) was founded by Jyotirao Phule in Pune, Maharashtra, on 24 September 1873. Its primary objective was to liberate the lower castes—Shudras, Dalits, and women—from Brahmanical domination and social exploitation. Phule challenged the caste system through his writings, notably 'Gulamgiri' (Slavery), and established institutions for the education of women and depressed classes. His wife Savitribai Phule led the women's section of the Samaj. The movement was distinctly an anti-caste reform initiative in Maharashtra, not related to tribal upliftment in Bihar, temple-entry in Gujarat, or peasant movements in Punjab.
The Montagu-Chelmsford Proposals were related to -
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 4 — constitutional reforms
The Montagu-Chelmsford Proposals (1918) were recommendations for constitutional reforms in British India, presented by Edwin Montagu (Secretary of State for India) and Lord Chelmsford (Viceroy of India). These proposals formed the basis of the Government of India Act 1919, which introduced the system of dyarchy in provinces (dividing subjects into Transferred and Reserved categories), established bicameral legislature at the Centre (Council of State and Legislative Assembly), introduced direct elections for the first time (though with limited franchise), and separated provincial and central budgets. The reforms aimed at gradual introduction of responsible government in India.
The ‘Swadeshi’ and ‘Boycott’ adopted as methods of struggle for the first time during the -
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 1 — Agitation against the Partition of Bengal
The 'Swadeshi' (use of indigenous goods) and 'Boycott' (of British goods and institutions) were first adopted as organized methods of political struggle during the Anti-Partition Movement (1905-1911). When Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal in 1905 to divide Hindus and Muslims, it sparked massive protests. Leaders like Surendranath Banerjee, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Lala Lajpat Rai mobilized people to boycott British textiles, promote indigenous industries, and establish Swadeshi enterprises. This movement marked the shift from petitioning to mass mobilization in India's freedom struggle. While earlier leaders had occasionally promoted indigenous goods, the systematic use of Swadeshi and Boycott as political weapons began with this movement. The Home Rule Movement (1916), Non-Cooperation Movement (1920), and Simon Commission protests (1928) came much later and adopted these methods after they had already been established.
The plan of Sir Stafford Cripps envisaged that after the Second World War -
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 4 — India should be given Dominion status
The Cripps Mission of March 1942, led by Sir Stafford Cripps, proposed that after World War II, India would be granted Dominion status with the right to frame its own constitution through a constituent assembly. The plan envisaged that provinces unwilling to join the Indian Union could form separate unions with their own constitutions. However, the plan did not promise immediate complete independence or partition; rather, it offered post-war Dominion status similar to that of Canada or Australia, allowing India to remain within the British Commonwealth. Both Congress and the Muslim League rejected the proposals—Congress demanded immediate independence, while the League found the provisions regarding separate unions inadequate. The mission ultimately failed to secure Indian cooperation for the war effort.
Consider the following:
- Calcutta Unitarian Committee
- Tabernacle of New Dispensation
- Indian Reforms Association
Keshab Chandra Sen is associated with the establishment of which of the above?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 2 — 2 and 3 only
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: Calcutta Unitarian Committee was founded by William Adam and Raja Rammohun Roy in 1821, not by Keshab Chandra Sen.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Keshab Chandra Sen established the Tabernacle of New Dispensation on 24th January 1868 as his mandir, marking the first Brahmo street procession in Calcutta.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Indian Reforms Association was established by Keshab Chandra Sen in 1870 upon his return from Europe to promote social reforms including education, women's rights, and temperance.
What was the main reason for the split in the Indian National Congress at Surat in 1907?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 2 — Extremists' lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British Government
The Surat Split of 1907 occurred due to fundamental ideological differences between Moderates and Extremists. The Extremists (Tilak, Lal-Bal-Pal) rejected the Moderates' methods of petitions and constitutional agitation, believing they were ineffective in achieving Swaraj, especially after the 1905 Partition of Bengal failed to be reversed through moderate tactics.
The immediate trigger was the disagreement over Congress presidency — Extremists proposed Lala Lajpat Rai while Moderates insisted on Rash Behari Ghosh — leading to a complete organizational split at the Surat session.
With reference to Congress Socialist Party, consider the following statements:
- It advocated the boycott of British goods and evasion of taxes.
- It wanted to establish the dictatorship of the proletariat.
- It advocated separate electorate for minorities and oppressed classes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: The Congress Socialist Party (CSP) focused on abolition of zamindari and socialistic reorganization, not on advocating tax evasion as a policy.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: The CSP was founded on democratic socialism principles in 1934 and explicitly rejected the dictatorship of the proletariat, working within the democratic framework of Congress.
❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: The CSP opposed separate electorates and advocated for joint electorates, believing that problems of minorities and oppressed classes should be addressed through economic and social reforms.
Who of the following organized a march on the Tanjore coast to break the Salt Law in April 1930?
Detailed Explanation:
C. Rajagopalachari organized the Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha on the Tanjore coast in April 1930, inspired by Gandhi's Dandi March.
This march was part of the Civil Disobedience Movement in the Madras Presidency, where Rajaji led volunteers from Trichinopoly to Vedaranyam to break the Salt Law.
Consider the following statements :
- The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was Sarojini Naidu.
- The first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress was Badruddin Tyabji
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was Annie Besant in 1917 (Calcutta Session). Sarojini Naidu became the first Indian woman President in 1925 (Kanpur Session).
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Badruddin Tyabji was the first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress, presiding over the third session in 1887 (Madras).
Who of the following was/were economic critic/critics of colonialism in India?
- Dadabhai Naoroji
- Subramania Iyer
- R.C. Dutt
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Dadabhai Naoroji, the 'Grand Old Man of India', pioneered the 'Drain of Wealth' theory and authored 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India' (1901), demonstrating how British policies impoverished India.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: G. Subramania Iyer, co-founder of 'The Hindu', wrote 'Some Economic Aspects of British Rule in India' (1903), criticizing colonial economic exploitation and stagnation.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: R.C. Dutt, a retired ICS officer, authored 'The Economic History of India' (1902, 1904), documenting the negative impact of British land revenue systems and trade policies.
Which one of the following movements have contributed to a split in the Indian National Congress resulting in the emergence of ‘moderates’ and ‘extremists’?
Detailed Explanation:
The Swadeshi Movement (1905-1908) led to the ideological split in the Indian National Congress between Moderates (Gokhale, Surendranath Banerjee) who favored constitutional methods and Extremists (Lal-Bal-Pal trio - Tilak, Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal) who advocated aggressive nationalism.
This split culminated in the Surat Session of 1907, where the Congress formally divided over differences in ideology and methodology. The other movements occurred after this split had already taken place.