Canonical Syllabus Domain106 Official Questions (2011–2026)
UPSC Prelims: Modern Indian History
Browse all official UPSC Prelims questions asked on Modern Indian History across 16 examination years, classified by granular syllabus microtopics.
Microtopics Covered (10 themes):
European Advent, Maritime Trade & Early Settlements(4)Colonial Expansion, Annexation Policies & Early Resistance(3)Colonial Economy, Land Revenue & De-Industrialization(13)Constitutional, Legal & Administrative Evolution (1773–1935)(18)Socio-Religious Reform Movements & Renaissance(10)Subaltern Resistance: Tribal, Peasant, Caste & Labour Movements(9)Pre-Congress Mobilization, Early Congress & Swadeshi Surge(10)Revolutionary National Movement (Domestic & Transnational)(2)Gandhian Mass Movements & Nationalist High Politics (1915–1940)(31)WWII, Transfer of Power, Partition & Institutional Legacies(6)
Colonial Economy, Land Revenue & De-Industrialization
The tendency for increased litigation was visible after the introduction of the land settlement system of Lord Cornwallis in 1793. The reason for this is normally traced to which of the following provisions?
Colonial Economy, Land Revenue & De-Industrialization
With reference to the period of colonial rule in India, "Home Charges" formed an important part of drain of wealth from India. Which of the following funds constituted "Home Charges"?
1. Funds used to support the India Office in London.
2. Funds used to pay salaries and pensions of British personnel engaged in India.
3. Funds used for waging wars outside India by the British.
Gandhian Mass Movements & Nationalist High Politics (1915–1940)
What was the reason for Mahatma Gandhi to organize a satyagraha on behalf of the peasants of Kheda?
1. The Administration did not suspend the land revenue collection in spite of a drought.
2. The Administration proposed to introduce Permanent Settlement in Gujarat.
Gandhian Mass Movements & Nationalist High Politics (1915–1940)
Mahatma Gandhi said that some of his deepest convictions were reflected in a book titled, "Unto this Last" and the book transformed his life. What was the message from the book that transformed Mahatma Gandhi?
Gandhian Mass Movements & Nationalist High Politics (1915–1940)
With reference to the period of Indian freedom struggle, which of the following was/were recommended by the Nehru report?
1. Complete Independence for India.
2. Joint electorates for reservation of seats for minorities.
3. Provision of fundamental rights for the people of India in the Constitution.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Gandhian Mass Movements & Nationalist High Politics (1915–1940)
Annie Besant was
1. responsible for starting the Home Rule Movement
2. the founder of the Theosophical Society
3. once the President of the Indian National Congress. Select the correct statement/statements using the codes given below.
What was/were the object/objects of Queen Victoria's Proclamation (1858)?
1. To disclaim any intention to annex Indian States
2. To place the Indian administration under the British Crown
3. To regulate East India Company's trade with India.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Gandhian Mass Movements & Nationalist High Politics (1915–1940)
With reference to Rowlatt Satyagraha, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. The Rowlatt Act was based on the recommendations of the 'Sedition Committee'.
2. In Rowlatt Satyagraha, Gandhiji tried to utilize the Home Rule League.
3. Demonstrations against the arrival of Simon Commission coincided with Rowlatt Satyagraha.
Gandhian Mass Movements & Nationalist High Politics (1915–1940)
With reference to Congress Socialist Party, consider the following statements :
1. It advocated the boycott of British goods and evasion of taxes.
2. It wanted to establish the dictatorship of proletariat.
3. It advocated separate electorate for minorities and oppressed classes.
Pre-Congress Mobilization, Early Congress & Swadeshi Surge
Consider the following statements:
1. The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was Sarojini Naidu.
2. The first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress was Badruddin Tyabji.
With reference to the Cabinet Mission, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It recommended a federal government.
2. It enlarged the powers of the Indian courts.
3. It provided for more Indians in the ICS.
Pre-Congress Mobilization, Early Congress & Swadeshi Surge
Which one of the following movements has contributed to a split in the Indian National Congress resulting in the emergence of moderates' and 'extremists'?
Consider the following:
1. Calcutta Unitarian Committee
2. Tabernacle of New Dispensation
3. Indian Reform Association Keshab Chandra Sen is associated with the establishment of which of the above?
Colonial Economy, Land Revenue & De-Industrialization
Who among the following was/were associated with the introduction of Ryotwari Settlement in India during the British rule?
1. Lord Cornwallis
2. Alexander Read
3. Thomas Munro
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Colonial Economy, Land Revenue & De-Industrialization
Consider the following statements:
1. 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.
2. N.M. Lokhande was a pioneer in organizing the labour movement in British India. Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Pre-Congress Mobilization, Early Congress & Swadeshi Surge
Consider the following pairs:
1. Radhakanta Deb - First President of the British Indian Association
2. Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty - Founder of the Madras Mahajana Sabha
3. Surendranath Banerjee - Founder of the Indian Association Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
Gandhian Mass Movements & Nationalist High Politics (1915–1940)
With reference to Indian freedom struggle, consider the following events :
1. Mutiny in Royal Indian Navy
2. Quit India Movement launched
3. Second Round Table Conference. What is the correct chronological sequence of the above events?
He wrote biographies of Mazzini, Garibaldi, Shivaji and Shrikrishna; stayed in America for some time; and was also elected to the Central Assembly. He was
Regarding Wood's Dispatch, which of the following statements are true?
1. Grants-in-Aid system was introduced.
2. Establishment of universities was recommended.
3. English as a medium of instruction at all levels of education was recommended.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Subaltern Resistance: Tribal, Peasant, Caste & Labour Movements
After the Santhal Uprising subsided, what was/were the measure/measures taken by the colonial government?
1. The territories called 'Santhal Paraganas' were created.
2. It became illegal for a Santhal to transfer land to a non-Santhal.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Which of the following led to the introduction of English Education in India?
1. Charter Act of 1813
2. General Committee of Public Instruction, 1823
3. Orientalist and Anglicist Controversy
With reference to educational institutions during colonial rule in India, consider the following pairs:
1. Sanskrit College at Benaras - William Jones
2. Calcutta Madarsa - Warren Hastings
3. Fort William College - Arthur Wellesley
WWII, Transfer of Power, Partition & Institutional Legacies
Consider the following events:
1. The first democratically elected communist party government formed in a State in India.
2. India's then largest bank, 'Imperial Bank of India', was renamed 'State Bank of India'.
3. Air India was nationalised and became the national carrier.
4. Goa became a part of independent India. Which of the following is the correct chronological sequence of the above events?
Consider the following statements about the Charter Act of 1813:
1. It ended the trade monopoly of the East India Company in India except for trade in tea and trade with China.
2. It asserted the sovereignty of the British Crown over the Indian territories held by the Company.
3. The revenues of India were now controlled by the British Parliament.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Pre-Congress Mobilization, Early Congress & Swadeshi Surge
With reference to Swadeshi Movement, consider the following statements:
1. It contributed to the revival of the indigenous artisan crafts industries.
2. The National Council of Education was established as a part of Swadeshi Movement.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Subaltern Resistance: Tribal, Peasant, Caste & Labour Movements
Consider the following pairs:
1. All India Anti-Untouchability League : Mahatma Gandhi
2. All India Kisan Sabha : Swami Sahajanand Saraswati
3. Self-Respect Movement : E. V. Ramaswami Naicker
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Gandhian Mass Movements & Nationalist High Politics (1915–1940)
With reference to the British colonial rule in India, consider the following statements:
1. Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in the abolition of the system of 'indentured labour'.
2. In Lord Chelmsford's 'War Conference', Mahatma Gandhi did not support the resolution on recruiting Indians for World War.
3. Consequent upon the breaking of Salt Law by Indian people, the Indian National Congress was declared illegal by the colonial rulers.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
WWII, Transfer of Power, Partition & Institutional Legacies
With reference to Indian National Movement, consider the following pairs:
1. Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru : President, All India Liberal Federation
2. K. C. Neogy : Member, The Constituent Assembly
3. P. C. Joshi : General Secretary, Communist Party of India
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
With reference to the book "Desher Katha" written by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar during the freedom struggle, consider the following statements:
1. It warned against the Colonial State's hypnotic conquest of the mind.
2. It inspired the performance of swadeshi street plays and folk songs.
3. The use of 'desh' by Deuskar was in the specific context of the region of Bengal.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Gandhian Mass Movements & Nationalist High Politics (1915–1940)
The Gandhi-Irwin Pact included which of the following?
1. Invitation to Congress to participate in the Round Table Conference
2. Withdrawal of Ordinances promulgated in connection with the Civil Disobedience Movement
3. Acceptance of Gandhiji's suggestion for enquiry into police excesses
4. Release of only those prisoners who were not charged with violence.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
In the context of Indian history, the Rakhmabai case of 1884 revolved around
1. women's right to gain education
2. age of consent
3. restitution of conjugal rights.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
European Advent, Maritime Trade & Early Settlements
In the first quarter of seventeenth century, in which of the following was/were the factory/factories of the English East India Company located?
1. Broach
2. Chicacole
3. Trichinopoly
European Advent, Maritime Trade & Early Settlements
Consider the following statements:
1. St. Francis Xavier was one of the founding members of the Jesuit Order.
2. St. Francis Xavier died in Goa and a church is dedicated to him there.
3. The Feast of St. Francis Xavier is celebrated in Goa each year.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Consider the following statements:
1. The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 recommended granting voting rights to all the women above the age of 21.
2. The Government of India Act of 1935 gave women reserved seats in legislature.
Revolutionary National Movement (Domestic & Transnational)
Consider the following freedom fighters:
1. Barindra Kumar Ghosh
2. Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee
3. Rash Behari Bose Who of the above was/were actively associated with the Ghadar Party?
WWII, Transfer of Power, Partition & Institutional Legacies
With reference to the proposals of Cripps Mission, consider the following statements:
1. The Constituent Assembly would have members nominated by the Provincial Assemblies as well as the Princely States.
2. Any Province, which is not prepared to accept the new Constitution would have the right to sign a separate agreement with Britain regarding its future status.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
European Advent, Maritime Trade & Early Settlements
With reference to Indian history, consider the following statements:
1. The Dutch established their factories/warehouses on the east coast on lands granted to them by Gajapati rulers.
2. Alfonso de Albuquerque captured Goa from the Bijapur Sultanate.
3. The English East India Company established a factory at Madras on a plot of land leased from a representative of the Vijayanagara empire.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Pre-Congress Mobilization, Early Congress & Swadeshi Surge
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: 7th August is declared as the National Handloom Day.
Statement-II: It was in 1905 that the Swadeshi Movement was launched on the same day.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Colonial Economy, Land Revenue & De-Industrialization
With reference to revenue collection by Cornwallis, consider the following statements:
1. Under the Ryotwari Settlement of revenue collection, the peasants were exempted from revenue payment in case of bad harvests or natural calamities.
2. Under the Permanent Settlement in Bengal, if the Zamindar failed to pay his revenues to the state, on or before the fixed date, he would be removed from his Zamindari.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
WWII, Transfer of Power, Partition & Institutional Legacies
Consider the following pairs:
1. Bharatiya Jana Sangh | Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
2. Socialist Party | C. Rajagopalachari
3. Congress for Democracy | Jagjivan Ram
4. Swatantra Party | Acharya Narendra Dev
How many of the above are correctly matched?
Consider the following statements about Raja Ram Mohan Roy: I. He possessed great love and respect for the traditional philosophical systems of the East. II. He desired his countrymen to accept the rational and scientific approach and the principle of human dignity and social equality of all men and women.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Gandhian Mass Movements & Nationalist High Politics (1915–1940)
Consider the following subjects with regard to Non-Cooperation Programme: I. Boycott of law-courts and foreign cloth II. Observance of strict non-violence III. Retention of titles and honours without using them in public IV. Establishment of Panchayats for settling disputes.
How many of the above were parts of Non-Cooperation Programme?
Gandhian Mass Movements & Nationalist High Politics (1915–1940)
Consider the following statements in respect of the Non-Cooperation Movement: I. The Congress declared the attainment of 'Swaraj' by all legitimate and peaceful means to be its objective. II. It was to be implemented in stages with civil disobedience and non-payment of taxes for the next stage only if 'Swaraj' did not come within a year and the Government resorted to repression.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Gandhian Mass Movements & Nationalist High Politics (1915–1940)
Subsequent to which one of the following events, Gandhiji, who consistently opposed untouchability and appealed for its eradication from all spheres, decided to include the upliftment of 'Harijans' in his political and social programme?
European Advent, Maritime Trade & Early Settlements
Consider the following fruits: I. Papaya II. Pineapple III. Guava.
How many of the above were introduced in India by the Portuguese in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries?
Colonial Economy, Land Revenue & De-Industrialization
The artificially fixed rupee-sterling exchange rate prescribed by the Hilton-Young Commission (1926) was adopted by the British Government for which one of the following reasons?
Gandhian Mass Movements & Nationalist High Politics (1915–1940)
Which of the following factors contributed to the formation of the Forward Bloc by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1939 ?
1. Bose failed to win the confidence of Mahatma Gandhi.
2. The Congress Left was disunited and failed to support Bose.
3. The Communists did not support Bose in his endeavours.
4. The supporters of M.N. Roy and socialist leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan preferred Congress unity to supporting Bose.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Colonial Expansion, Annexation Policies & Early Resistance
Consider the following statements regarding the British policy in Awadh immediately after its annexation in 1856 :
1. The taluqdars were dispossessed of their estates but allowed to retain their arms and forts.
2. A Summary Revenue Settlement was made in 1856 assuming that the taluqdars were outsiders.
3. The British believed in taking revenue directly from the peasants by removing the taluqdars.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Consider the following assertion :
The genesis of political alliances based on community lay in the very nature of the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, 1919.
Which of the following statements support/supports the above assertion ?
1. Reforms retained and extended the principle of separate electorates.
2. Separate electorates were supposed to counter Indian nationalism, which was growing stronger.
3. Deprived classes rallied around the favours inherent in separate electorates.
Select the answer using the code given below :