Question Bank — India's Long Road to Independence

QUESTION BANK

Chapter: India’s Long Road to Independence

Section A — MCQs (10 questions, 1 mark each)

1. Who founded the Indian National Congress in 1885?
   a) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
   b) Allan Octavian Hume
   c) Dadabhai Naoroji
   d) Bipin Chandra Pal

2. The 1905 Partition of Bengal was annulled in which year?
   a) 1907
   b) 1911
   c) 1916
   d) 1920

3. Which movement began with the Salt March in 1930?
   a) Non-Cooperation Movement
   b) Civil Disobedience Movement
   c) Quit India Movement
   d) Khilafat Movement

4. The Lahore session of the Congress in 1929 demanded:
   a) Dominion status
   b) Purna Swaraj
   c) Separate electorates
   d) Provincial autonomy

5. Assertion (A): The Kuka Movement rejected foreign goods and established its own postal system.
   Reason (R): It was a socio-religious movement that promoted self-reliance long before the national Swadeshi movement.
   a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
   b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
   c) A is true, but R is false.
   d) A is false, but R is true.

6. Who was the first Indian woman president of the Indian National Congress?
   a) Kasturba Gandhi
   b) Sarojini Naidu
   c) Aruna Asaf Ali
   d) Rani Gaidinliu

7. The Alipore Bomb Case is associated with:
   a) Khudiram Bose
   b) Aurobindo Ghose
   c) Bhagat Singh
   d) Both (a) and (b)

8. Assertion (A): The Lucknow Pact of 1916 promoted Congress–League cooperation.
   Reason (R): It accepted separate electorates for Muslims.
   a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
   b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
   c) A is true, but R is false.
   d) A is false, but R is true.

9. The Ghadar Movement aimed to:
   a) Launch the Salt March
   b) Trigger a mutiny in the British Indian Army during World War I
   c) Demand provincial autonomy
   d) Form the All-India Muslim League

10. Who integrated the princely states into independent India?
    a) Jawaharlal Nehru
    b) Vallabhbhai Patel
    c) Subhas Chandra Bose
    d) Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Section B — Very Short Answer (6 questions, 2 marks each)

1. Define the term ‘Swaraj’ as used by the Indian National Congress in 1906.
2. Identify the significance of the Bande Mataram song in the freedom struggle.
3. State any two methods used by Bal Gangadhar Tilak to awaken nationalist feelings.
4. Who was Birsa Munda and what movement did he lead?
5. Define ‘satyagraha’ as practised by Mahatma Gandhi.
6. State the main demand of the Quit India Movement.

Section C — Short Answer (5 questions, 3 marks each)

1. Explain the causes and immediate consequences of the 1905 Partition of Bengal.
2. Compare the approaches of the Moderates and the Nationalists in the early Congress.
3. Give reasons why the Non-Cooperation Movement was withdrawn in 1922.
4. Explain the role of women in the Civil Disobedience Movement with examples from the chapter.
5. Compare the objectives of the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League as described in the chapter.

Section D — Long Answer (3 questions, 5 marks each)

1. Analyse the causes that led to the rise of revolutionary nationalism in Bengal and Maharashtra in the early 20th century. What were its consequences?
2. Examine the significance of the 1942 Quit India Movement in weakening British authority. Discuss its immediate outcomes.
3. Discuss the causes and consequences of the Partition of India in 1947, highlighting the role of the Two-Nation idea.

Section E — Source-Based (2 questions, 4 marks each)

Source 1

“Our ideal is that of Swaraj or absolute autonomy free from foreign control. We claim the right of every nation to live its own life by its own energies according to its own nature and ideals.” — Sri Aurobindo (1909)

1. What does the source mean by ‘absolute autonomy’? (1 mark)
2. Which newspaper spread similar ideas in 1906? (1 mark)
3. How did the 1906 Congress session respond to this ideal? (1 mark)
4. Name one method suggested by the Nationalists to achieve this goal. (1 mark)

Source 2

“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge… At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.” (Jawaharlal Nehru, 15 August 1947 – as referenced in the chapter’s context of independence)

1. What event is being described in the source? (1 mark)
2. Which agreement led to the drawing of the Radcliffe Line? (1 mark)
3. State one consequence of Partition mentioned in the chapter. (1 mark)
4. Who was given the task of integrating the princely states? (1 mark)