Daily Static Quiz (Modern India) December 17, 2025

Daily Static Quiz (Modern India) December 17, 2025

Q1. The Swadeshi movement of the early 20th century was fundamentally rooted in the economic nationalist ideology. Which of the following was NOT a primary mechanism through which the movement sought to strengthen India’s economic independence?

A) Establishment of indigenous mills and factories competing with British textiles
B) Mass campaigns against the consumption of foreign goods and promotion of Khadi
C) Formation of cooperative agricultural societies to increase peasant income through export crops
D) Creation of joint-stock companies with Indian capital to revive traditional industries

Q2. The Lucknow Pact of 1916 represented a significant moment of Hindu-Muslim unity in the independence struggle. Which statement most accurately describes the immediate political consequence of this pact?

A) It led to the merger of the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League into a single organization
B) It resulted in joint constitutional proposals recognizing separate electorates and reserved legislative seats
C) It completely resolved communal tensions and established permanent unity among all religious communities
D) It forced the British government to immediately grant Dominion status to India

Q3. The Khaksar Movement, founded in the 1930s, aimed to mobilize Muslim masses through a unique organizational structure emphasizing military discipline and social service. Which aspect distinguished it from other contemporary nationalist movements?

A) Its exclusive focus on urban industrial workers and complete rejection of rural mobilization
B) Its adoption of semi-military organization with a paramilitary wing called the Khaksar Corps
C) Its complete separation from Hindu nationalist movements with no ideological common ground
D) Its primary emphasis on cultural revival without any political dimensions

Q4. Following the Revolt of 1857, the British Crown implemented far-reaching administrative changes in India. Which of these changes represented the most significant shift in the governance structure?

A) Transfer of power from the East India Company to the Crown, with the establishment of the office of Viceroy
B) Introduction of representative institutions at the local and provincial levels with limited Indian participation
C) Abolition of all zamindari systems and introduction of direct peasant ownership of land
D) Complete withdrawal of British administrative personnel and transfer of all powers to Indian princes

Q5. The Anushilan Samiti emerged as a principal organization of revolutionary nationalism in Bengal during the early 20th century. Its organizational model primarily emphasized which element?

A) Non-violent civil disobedience through mass participation and boycott campaigns
B) Cultural renaissance through literature and arts without any political activity
C) Underground networks for armed resistance with emphasis on individual sacrifice and terrorist acts
D) Parliamentary agitation within the existing colonial legislative frameworks

Q6. The All-India Muslim League’s political demands evolved significantly from its establishment in 1906 to the late 1930s. Which sequence accurately reflects this evolution?

A) Immediate demand for independence → Demand for separate nation → Support for British war effort → Return to independence demands
B) Loyalty to British Crown → Autonomy within Indian federation → Separate homeland (Two-Nation Theory) → Pakistan Resolution (1940)
C) Representation in colonial governance → Linguistic federalism → Religious nationalism → Theocratic state
D) Constitutional monarchy under British → Parliamentary democracy → Monarchy under Indian prince → Socialism

Q7. The Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22) marked a revolutionary shift in nationalist strategy under Gandhi’s leadership. What was the primary mechanism through which this movement sought to challenge British authority?

A) Armed rebellion and guerrilla warfare against British military installations
B) Systematic withdrawal of cooperation from British institutions through boycott of courts, schools, and offices
C) Violent overthrow of the colonial administration in coordination with armed revolutionary groups
D) Mass migration from India to establish independent settlements in foreign territories

Q8. The Malabar Rebellion of 1921 presented a unique case of peasant-communal uprising in Kerala. Which factor distinguished this rebellion’s nature from other contemporary nationalist movements?

A) It was led exclusively by high-caste Hindu landlords against Muslim peasants
B) It involved Muslim peasants (Moplahs) rising against both British authority and Hindu landlord exploitation in a religiously charged context
C) It rejected all forms of nationalism and sought only religious autonomy under Islamic rule
D) It was purely a nationalist movement with no communal or class dimensions whatsoever

Q9. The Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-34), initiated by Gandhi’s Salt March, employed a distinctive strategy that appealed to mass participation. How did the Salt Satyagraha specifically challenge British authority in a manner unprecedented in earlier nationalist campaigns?

A) It directly violated a seemingly ordinary commercial law (Salt Monopoly), making civil disobedience accessible to common masses and transforming everyday activity into political resistance
B) It sought complete military defeat of the British through widespread armed uprisings
C) It demanded immediate transfer of all military forces to Indian control
D) It proposed an alternative government structure completely replacing British administrative framework

Q10. The Government of India Act, 1935, introduced significant constitutional reforms despite falling short of full independence. Which was its most consequential feature regarding provincial governance?

A) It abolished all provincial governments and established centralized control from Delhi under British supervision
B) It granted provincial autonomy with elected ministers responsible to provincial legislatures, laying groundwork for eventual independence structures
C) It transferred all provincial powers directly to princely states without any role for elected representatives
D) It introduced direct democracy through referendum systems without representative institutions

ANSWER KEY AND EXPLANATIONS

Q1 – ANSWER: C

Explanation:

The Swadeshi movement was an economic nationalist initiative that aimed to strengthen India’s economic independence from British colonial control. While options A, B, and D were all central mechanisms employed by the movement, option C represents a mechanism that was NOT primarily utilized.

Detailed Analysis:

• Option A (Correct aspect): The movement actively promoted the establishment of Indian mills, factories, and industries to compete with British textiles and manufactured goods. This was exemplified by the growth of cotton mills in India during this period.
• Option B (Correct aspect): The Swadeshi movement launched massive campaigns encouraging boycotts of foreign goods, particularly British textiles and manufactured products. The promotion of Khadi (handspun cloth) became the symbol of Swadeshi ideology and was championed by Gandhi and other nationalist leaders.
• Option D (Correct aspect): Formation of joint-stock companies with Indian capital was actively pursued to revive traditional industries like metalwork, handicrafts, and textile production that had been destroyed by British competition.
• Option C (NOT a primary mechanism): While the Swadeshi movement had some agricultural dimensions, its primary focus was NOT on formation of cooperative agricultural societies to increase peasant income through export crops. In fact, the movement critiqued the colonial system that forced India into producing cash crops for export. The movement was primarily urban-based and focused on manufacturing and consumption patterns rather than agricultural exports.

Historical Context: The Swadeshi movement emerged after the Partition of Bengal (1905) and represented a shift toward economic nationalism as a complement to political agitation.

Q2 – ANSWER: B

Explanation:

The Lucknow Pact of 1916 was a historic agreement between the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League, seeking to present a united front to the British government. The immediate political consequence was the formulation of joint constitutional proposals that addressed the concerns of both communities.

Detailed Analysis:

• Option A (Incorrect): The pact did NOT lead to a merger of the two organizations. Both maintained their separate identities but agreed on common constitutional demands. The Congress remained primarily secular in ideology, while the Muslim League maintained its communal base.
• Option B (CORRECT): The Lucknow Pact specifically included joint constitutional proposals that recognized:
  • Separate electorates for Muslims (a key Muslim League demand)
  • Reserved legislative seats for Muslims proportionate to their population
  • Weightage for minorities in provincial councils
  • These provisions were later incorporated into the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919)
• Option C (Incorrect): While the pact represented temporary unity on constitutional matters, it did NOT resolve the deeper communal tensions. These tensions would resurface significantly in the late 1920s and 1930s, ultimately leading to the Two-Nation Theory.
• Option D (Incorrect): The British government did not grant Dominion status immediately. It took another 30 years and independence struggle for India to achieve independence in 1947.

Historical Significance: The Lucknow Pact was negotiated by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Mohammad Ali Jinnah, representing a rare moment of Congress-Muslim League cooperation that would not be replicated to this extent afterward.

Q3 – ANSWER: B

Explanation:

The Khaksar Movement, founded by Inayatullah Khan Al-Mashriqi in 1930, was distinguished by its unique organizational structure that combined nationalist and communal elements with a distinctive paramilitary dimension. This semi-military organization set it apart from other contemporary nationalist movements.

Detailed Analysis:

• Option A (Incorrect): The Khaksar Movement was NOT exclusively focused on urban workers. It actually mobilized urban masses and had a significant rural component, particularly in Punjab and North India. It was not limited to industrial workers.
• Option B (CORRECT): The defining characteristic of the Khaksar Movement was:
  • Adoption of a semi-military organizational structure with hierarchical command
  • Creation of the Khaksar Corps, a paramilitary wing
  • Members wore distinctive khaki uniforms and adopted military-style discipline
  • Organization into platoons and companies following military models
  • This structure was unique among nationalist movements of the period, combining the organizational rigidity of a military structure with nationalist and Islamic ideological goals
• Option C (Incorrect): The Khaksar Movement did NOT completely separate itself from Hindu nationalist movements. While it had distinct Islamic and communal dimensions, it collaborated with other nationalist groups on independence issues and had some ideological common ground on anti-colonial resistance.
• Option D (Incorrect): The Khaksar Movement had significant political dimensions. While cultural elements existed, it was fundamentally a political movement with explicit anti-colonial and communal political objectives.

Historical Context: The Khaksar Movement represented an attempt to mobilize Muslim masses through a distinctive organizational model and was viewed with both support and suspicion by different political groups in India.

Q4 – ANSWER: A

Explanation:

The Revolt of 1857 resulted in fundamental administrative restructuring of British colonial governance in India. The most significant change was the transfer of power from the East India Company to the British Crown, fundamentally transforming the nature of colonial rule.

Detailed Analysis:

• Option A (CORRECT – Most Significant Change):
  • The East India Company’s monopoly on Indian administration ended after 1857
  • The Crown took direct control through the establishment of the office of Viceroy (appointed by the Queen)
  • Introduction of the Secretary of State for India in the British Cabinet
  • Direct accountability to the British Parliament, not to the Company’s Board of Directors
  • This shift represented the transition from company rule to direct Crown colonialism, fundamentally altering the administrative structure
• Option B (Partial but Lesser): While representative institutions were introduced (particularly through the Indian Councils Act, 1861), this was a more limited change:
  • Indian participation was minimal and consultative rather than decision-making
  • These were incremental reforms, not the fundamental restructuring represented by Crown takeover
  • They did not address the core issue of who held ultimate power
• Option C (Incorrect): The abolition of zamindari systems did NOT occur after 1857. In fact, the British REINFORCED the zamindari system through the Permanent Settlement mentality. Zamindari abolition did not occur until after independence in various states (1950s).
• Option D (Completely Incorrect): The British did NOT withdraw from India. Instead, they strengthened administrative control. The withdrawal of British personnel did not occur until independence in 1947.

Administrative Changes After 1857 Included:

• Centralization of power in the Viceroy’s office
• Reorganization of the Indian Civil Service with increased British personnel
• Disarming of Indian soldiers and recruitment policies favoring “martial races”
• Enhanced military infrastructure and control
• Introduction of divisive “Divide and Rule” policies

Q5 – ANSWER: C

Explanation:

The Anushilan Samiti (1902) emerged as one of Bengal’s most significant revolutionary nationalist organizations. Its organizational model was fundamentally distinguished by its emphasis on underground armed resistance, contrasting sharply with the mainstream nationalist movement’s commitment to non-violence.

Detailed Analysis:

• Option A (Incorrect): The Anushilan Samiti did NOT primarily emphasize non-violent civil disobedience. That approach was later championed by Gandhi. The Anushilan Samiti was fundamentally a revolutionary organization committed to armed resistance and militant action.
• Option B (Incorrect): While the organization had cultural dimensions and some members were involved in literary and artistic pursuits, this was NOT its primary emphasis. The organization’s fundamental purpose was political and militant in nature.
• Option C (CORRECT): The Anushilan Samiti’s distinctive features included:
  • Underground organizational networks operating in secrecy
  • Focus on armed resistance and militant nationalist activities
  • Emphasis on individual terrorist acts and assassination of colonial officials
  • Commitment to direct action rather than constitutional means
  • Members like Khudiram Bose, Surya Sen, and others engaged in violent anti-colonial activities
  • The concept of individual sacrifice and martyrdom for the nationalist cause
  • Organization into secret cells with limited communication between groups
• Option D (Incorrect): The Anushilan Samiti explicitly rejected parliamentary agitation within colonial legislative frameworks. Revolutionary nationalists viewed such participation as legitimizing the colonial system.

Key Historical Examples:

• Khudiram Bose’s assassination attempts
• Surya Sen’s Chittagong Armoury Raid (1930)
• Armed struggle in Darjeeling Hills
• Coordination with other revolutionary groups across India

Comparison with Other Organizations:

• Unlike the Indian National Congress (constitutional approach)
• Unlike the Brahmo Samaj (religious-cultural reform)
• Similar to other revolutionary groups like the Ghadr Party

Q6 – ANSWER: B

Explanation:

The All-India Muslim League’s political evolution over three decades reflected changing circumstances and political consciousness within the Muslim community. Option B accurately sequences this transformation from early loyalty to the British through to the demand for a separate nation.

Detailed Analysis:

• Option A (Incorrect Sequence): This option presents a confused and historically inaccurate timeline. The sequence of “independence → separate nation → British support → independence” does not match the actual historical progression of Muslim League’s political positions.
• Option B (CORRECT – Accurate Evolution):
  • 1906-1916: Loyalty and Representation Phase – The Muslim League was initially founded to protect Muslim interests within the British framework and sought greater representation in colonial governance
  • 1916-1930: Autonomy Phase – The Lucknow Pact and subsequent developments led to demands for greater autonomy within an Indian federation
  • 1930-1940: Two-Nation Theory and Separate Homeland – Muhammad Ali Jinnah shifted the Muslim League’s ideology toward the belief that Muslims and Hindus were two distinct nations requiring separate homelands
  • 1940: Pakistan Resolution – The Lahore Session of the Muslim League formally adopted the Pakistan Resolution (Qarardad-e-Maqasid), demanding an independent Islamic nation
• Option C (Incorrect): This option mixes linguistic federalism with religious nationalism, which is not an accurate representation of Muslim League’s evolution. The league’s focus was primarily communal, not linguistic.
• Option D (Incorrect): The Muslim League never advocated for socialism or a monarchy under an Indian prince. These positions are historically inaccurate.

Key Turning Points in Muslim League Evolution:

• 1906: Foundation with Aga Khan’s leadership, moderate approach
• 1916: Lucknow Pact with Congress
• 1920s: Shift in dynamics after Khilafat Movement
• 1930: Jinnah’s emergence as supreme leader
• 1940: Pakistan Resolution
• 1947: Partition and Pakistan’s independence

Q7 – ANSWER: B

Explanation:

The Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22) represented a revolutionary shift in nationalist strategy under Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership. It introduced a distinctive mechanism of mass passive resistance through systematic non-cooperation with British institutions, marking a departure from earlier revolutionary approaches.

Detailed Analysis:

• Option A (Incorrect): The Non-Cooperation Movement was NOT based on armed rebellion or guerrilla warfare. It explicitly rejected violent methods. This represented Gandhi’s philosophy of Satyagraha (truth-force) and Ahimsa (non-violence).
• Option B (CORRECT – Core Mechanism): The Non-Cooperation Movement employed systematic withdrawal of cooperation through:
  • Boycott of Courts: Lawyers and litigants refused to participate in colonial judiciary
  • Boycott of Schools: Students withdrew from British educational institutions
  • Boycott of Offices: Indian civil servants were encouraged to resign from government positions
  • Boycott of Foreign Goods: Citizens were urged to refuse British manufactured products
  • Boycott of Legislative Bodies: Refusal to participate in colonial representative institutions
  • Resignation from Titles: Indians holding honors and titles renounced them
  • This strategy made the colonial apparatus itself dependent on Indian cooperation, which could be withdrawn
• Option C (Incorrect): The Non-Cooperation Movement explicitly rejected violent overthrow or coordination with armed revolutionary groups. Gandhi’s approach fundamentally opposed violence as a means to achieve independence.
• Option D (Incorrect): Migration to establish independent settlements was never a strategy of the Non-Cooperation Movement. The movement aimed to transform India itself, not escape to alternative territories.

Historical Significance:

• Launched after the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919)
• Involved millions of Indians across different social classes
• Initially successful but faced challenges when violence erupted in some areas
• Suspended by Gandhi after the Chauri Chaura incident (1922) where protesters attacked a police station
• Demonstrated the potential of mass non-violent resistance

Scale and Impact:

• First mass nationalist movement under Gandhi
• Participation from students, lawyers, merchants, and peasants
• Millions of rupees of foreign cloth burned in bonfires
• Significant disruption to colonial administration

Q8 – ANSWER: B

Explanation:

The Malabar Rebellion of 1921 was distinctive among nationalist movements of the period because it combined anti-colonial resistance with peasant grievances and religious communal dimensions, specifically involving Muslim Moplahs against Hindu landlords and British authorities. This tri-dimensional conflict set it apart from single-issue nationalist campaigns.

Detailed Analysis:

• Option A (Incorrect): The rebellion was NOT led by high-caste Hindu landlords against Muslim peasants. The opposite was true. Hindu landlords often became targets of Moplah violence because of their exploitation of Muslim peasants.
• Option B (CORRECT – Unique Nature): The Malabar Rebellion’s distinctive characteristics included:
  • Communal Dimension: Muslim Moplah peasants rose against authority, with religious identity playing a significant role
  • Class Dimension: Anti-landlord violence targeting Hindu landlords (Thangals and Janmis) who had economically exploited Moplah peasants
  • Colonial Dimension: Anti-British resistance, with peasants attacking colonial police and military
  • Religious Element: Islamic consciousness and religious organization contributed to mobilization
  • Economic Grievances: Peasants protested against exploitative landlord systems, debt slavery, and economic oppression
  • This combination made it fundamentally different from purely nationalist movements organized around political independence
• Option C (Incorrect): The rebellion was NOT purely about religious autonomy or Islamic rule establishment. While religion played a role, the rebellion had strong economic and anti-colonial dimensions. It was not seeking establishment of Islamic governance in isolation from other grievances.
• Option D (Incorrect): The rebellion had significant communal and class dimensions. It was not a “pure” nationalist movement divorced from social and communal factors.

Key Facts about Malabar Rebellion:

• Years: 1921-1922
• Location: Malabar region of Kerala
• Main leaders: Ali Musaliyar, Ahammed Haji
• Triggered by: Khilafat agitation and economic oppression
• Violence: Approximately 10,000 killed (mostly Moplah fighters)
• Result: Brutal suppression by British forces; repercussions on Hindu-Muslim relations
• Significance: Demonstrated intersection of religious, economic, and nationalist grievances in colonial India

Comparison with Contemporary Movements:

• Unlike Non-Cooperation Movement: More localized and communal
• Unlike Civil Disobedience: More violent and peasant-based
• Unlike urban revolutionary movements: Primarily rural and economically motivated

Q9 – ANSWER: A

Explanation:

The Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-34), initiated by Gandhi’s Salt March, employed a strategy unprecedented in earlier nationalist campaigns. By targeting the seemingly ordinary salt monopoly, the movement made civil disobedience accessible to common masses and transformed everyday activity into political resistance. This democratized nationalism in a revolutionary way.

Detailed Analysis:

• Option A (CORRECT – Unprecedented Strategy): The Salt Satyagraha’s genius lay in:
  • Accessibility: Unlike earlier complex political or intellectual movements, salt production was something every common person could understand and participate in
  • Everyday Resistance: By choosing salt—a basic necessity—Gandhi transformed ordinary activity (making salt) into an act of political defiance
  • Universal Participation: The campaign involved millions across all social classes, regions, and educational backgrounds
  • Simple Violation: Breaking the Salt Monopoly Law was a “pure” violation of an unjust colonial regulation without complex political or economic dimensions
  • Mass Mobilization: The simplicity of the act (making salt from sea water) enabled unprecedented mass participation compared to earlier constitutional or violent approaches
  • Moral Clarity: It highlighted the absurdity and exploitative nature of colonial monopoly on a basic necessity
  • Global Symbol: It gained international attention and sympathy, presenting a moral narrative of resistance against arbitrary authority
• Option B (Incorrect): The Civil Disobedience Movement did NOT seek complete military defeat of the British through armed uprisings. It remained fundamentally non-violent, though it did result in violent suppression by authorities.
• Option C (Incorrect): The movement did NOT demand immediate transfer of military forces. Such military demands were not part of the Civil Disobedience agenda.
• Option D (Incorrect): While the movement challenged British authority, it did NOT propose a complete alternative government structure at this stage. Gandhi’s focus was on non-violent resistance and forcing British negotiation.

Strategic Brilliance of Salt March:

• Targets colonial monopoly on salt production
• Forces mass participation and identification with nationalist cause
• Creates international publicity and sympathy
• Leads to mass arrests of nationalist leaders
• Demonstrates failure of colonial system to maintain order through oppression
• Results in Round Table Conferences and negotiations

Historical Outcomes:

• April 1930: March to Dandi
• Arrest of Gandhi and thousands of followers
• Second Round Table Conference (1931)
• Resumed civil disobedience and further repression
• Poona Pact (1932) addressing Dalit representation concerns
• Gradual winding down by 1934

Uniqueness in Nationalist Movements:

• Made nationalism accessible to illiterate peasants and workers
• Created a unifying symbol recognizable across India
• Bypassed complex constitutional or revolutionary ideologies
• Achieved mobilization through moral rather than coercive means

Q10 – ANSWER: B

Explanation:

The Government of India Act, 1935, introduced significant constitutional reforms that fundamentally restructured provincial governance in India. Its most consequential feature was the introduction of provincial autonomy with elected ministers responsible to provincial legislatures. This reform became the foundational model for India’s independent federal structure.

Detailed Analysis:

• Option A (Incorrect): The act did NOT abolish provincial governments. Rather, it strengthened and reformed them by introducing elected ministers and legislatures at the provincial level, though still under ultimate British control.
• Option B (CORRECT – Most Consequential Feature): The Government of India Act, 1935’s key provisions regarding provincial governance included:
  • Provincial Autonomy: Eight provinces gained significant autonomy in subjects under their control (agriculture, education, health, local government)
  • Elected Ministers: For the first time, Indian ministers were elected to provincial legislatures and held executive responsibility
  • Diarchy System Abolished: The earlier diarchy system (divide between elected and appointed officials) was replaced in provinces with full ministers
  • Provincial Legislatures: Expanded elected bodies with increased Indian representation
  • Responsible Government: Ministers became responsible to their legislatures rather than to the Governor-General
  • Central Control: While provinces had autonomy, central control over defense, foreign affairs, and currency remained with British authorities
  • Foundation for Independence: This model became the basis for India’s federal structure after independence, with states replacing provinces
• Option C (Incorrect): The act did NOT transfer all provincial powers to princely states. Provinces and princely states remained separate entities, though the act attempted (unsuccessfully) to federate them.
• Option D (Incorrect): The act did NOT introduce direct democracy through referendums. It established representative institutions with elected legislatures and ministers.

Significant Features of the Act:

• Created an All-India Federation (never fully implemented)
• Attempted to include princely states in federation
• Separated Burma and Aden from India
• Introduced the Federal Court
• Expanded provincial autonomy significantly
• Increased Indian participation in governance

Historical Impact:

• First time Indians held ministerial positions with genuine executive authority
• Provided training ground for future Indian administrators
• Became template for India’s Constitution and federal structure
• Though limited, represented significant advance from earlier reforms
• Ultimately failed in its goal of federation with princely states

Why This Was Revolutionary:

• For the first time in Indian history, Indians held positions of executive responsibility
• Ministers had to answer to elected representatives, creating accountability
• Provinces could now pursue policies independent of central authority (within limits)
• This experience during 1937-39 prepared India for independent federal governance
• The model was adopted almost wholesale in the Indian Constitution (1950)

Comparison with Earlier Acts:

• More far-reaching than Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919)
• Represented logical progression from earlier constitutional evolution
• Though still not full independence, it demonstrated workability of Indian self-governance
• Proved that Indians could competently handle responsible government

Modern India