UPSC CSE Prelims
Rise of Indian Nationalism Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Showing solved Previous Year Questions for Chapter: Rise of Indian Nationalism
Topic Breakdown: Scroll →
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.
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.
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.
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