WBCS Prelims Early Nationalist & Pre-Gandhian Era PYQs (2000–2024) with Explanation

Answer: (B) Chapati

Explanation

• During the Revolt of 1857, the chapati became associated with the mysterious circulation of messages among villages in parts of northern India.
• Chapatis were passed rapidly from one village to another, creating widespread curiosity and speculation.
• Although the exact purpose and meaning of the chapati circulation remain uncertain, it has become an important feature associated with the 1857 Revolt.

Exam Facts

• The chapati circulation is associated with the Revolt of 1857.
• Chapatis were reportedly passed from village to village in northern India before the outbreak of the revolt.
• The exact purpose and meaning of the chapati circulation remain uncertain.
• The circulation created a sense of mystery, apprehension and expectation among the population.
• The Revolt of 1857 began at Meerut on 10 May 1857.

Answer: (D) Tilak

Explanation

• Bal Gangadhar Tilak opposed the Age of Consent Bill of 1891, primarily because he regarded it as an example of excessive colonial interference in Indian social and religious customs.
• His opposition was rooted more in the question of government intervention than in support for child marriage.
• In contrast, M. G. Ranade and Gopal Krishna Gokhale supported social reform and favoured measures to improve the position of women.

Exam Facts

• The Age of Consent Act, 1891 raised the age of consent for sexual relations within marriage for girls from 10 to 12 years.
• The Act was passed during the Viceroyalty of Lord Lansdowne.
• The legislation followed the public controversy surrounding the Phulmoni Dasi case of 1889.
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak opposed the legislation, particularly objecting to government interference in Hindu social and religious customs.
• Tilak’s opposition was closely connected with his broader emphasis on social conservatism and political self-government.

Answer: (A) Aurobindo Ghosh

Explanation

• Karmayogin was an English-language weekly journal founded and edited by Sri Aurobindo (Aurobindo Ghosh) in 1909.
• Through the journal, he expressed his views on nationalism, spirituality, political freedom and India’s struggle against British rule.
• It was published from Calcutta and became an important platform for Aurobindo’s political and philosophical ideas.

Exam Facts

• Karmayogin was an English-language weekly journal associated with Aurobindo Ghosh.
• Aurobindo started Karmayogin in 1909.
• The journal was published from Calcutta.
• Karmayogin reflected Aurobindo’s ideas on Indian nationalism, spirituality and political freedom.
• Aurobindo was also associated with the Bengali journal Dharma, which expressed his nationalist and spiritual ideas.

Answer: (B) Jatindra Nath Mukherjee (Bagha Jatin)

Explanation

• The Battle of Buribalam took place on 9 September 1915 near Balasore in present-day Odisha.
• It was an armed encounter between British police forces and a group of revolutionaries led by Jatindra Nath Mukherjee, popularly known as Bagha Jatin.
• The revolutionaries had attempted to obtain German arms during the First World War to organize an armed uprising against British rule.
• Bagha Jatin was seriously wounded in the encounter and died the following day.

Exam Facts

• The Battle of Buribalam took place on 9 September 1915 in Odisha.
• It is associated with revolutionary leader Jatindra Nath Mukherjee (Bagha Jatin).
• Bagha Jatin was a prominent revolutionary associated with the Jugantar movement.
• He played an important role in revolutionary activities in Bengal.
• During the First World War, Indian revolutionaries sought German assistance and arms for an armed uprising against British rule.

Answer: (A) Behramji Malabari

Explanation

• Behramji Malabari, a prominent Parsi social reformer, journalist and writer, wrote Notes on Infant Marriage and Enforced Widowhood in 1884.
• The work strongly criticised the practices of child marriage and enforced widowhood and argued for social reform, particularly the improvement of the condition of women in Indian society.
• His campaign contributed to the wider public debate that eventually led to legislative reforms concerning the age of consent.

Exam Facts

• Behramji Malabari wrote Notes on Infant Marriage and Enforced Widowhood in 1884.
• The work focused on the social problems of child marriage and enforced widowhood.
• Malabari was a prominent Parsi social reformer and journalist.
• He was born in Baroda (Vadodara) in 1853.
• Malabari was closely associated with the campaign for raising the age of consent for girls.

Answer: (C) Sir Syed Ahmad Khan

Explanation

• The statement “The Congress is in reality a civil war without arms” was made by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, one of the prominent Muslim reformers of 19th-century India.
• He was critical of the early Indian National Congress and opposed Muslim participation in it, arguing that its political objectives could create conflict between different communities.

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Answer: (C) East Bengal and Assam

Explanation

• The Partition of Bengal, implemented on 16 October 1905 under Lord Curzon, divided the large Bengal Presidency and created the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam, with Dacca (Dhaka) as its capital.
• The remaining western portion continued as Bengal, with Calcutta as its capital.
• Thus, among the given options, East Bengal and Assam is correct.
• Note: some keys mark (A) East Bengal and Bengal, because strictly the two provinces that existed after 16 October 1905 were ‘ Eastern Bengal and Assam ‘ and the reconstituted ‘Bengal’; most keys accept (C).

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Answer: (A) Jatindranath Mukherjee (Bagha Jatin)

Explanation

• Jatindranath Mukherjee (Bagha Jatin) played a leading role in revolutionary activities in Bengal and Orissa during the Ghadar movement and the First World War.
• He worked to coordinate revolutionary efforts and sought German arms and assistance to organize an armed uprising against British rule.
• His activities culminated in the Battle of Buribalam in 1915, where he was mortally wounded.

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Answer: (C) 1896

Explanation

• Bal Gangadhar Tilak organised the first Shivaji Festival (Shivaji Jayanti) in 1896 at Raigad, Maharashtra, to commemorate Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
• Like the public Ganapati festival, the Shivaji festival became a means of promoting political awareness, unity and nationalist sentiment among the people.

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Answer: (C) Bengal Gazette / Hicky’s Gazette / Hicky’s Bengal Gazette

Explanation

• The Bengal Gazette, also known as Hicky’s Gazette or Hicky’s Bengal Gazette, was the first printed newspaper in India.
• It was started by James Augustus Hicky in Calcutta on 29 January 1780.
• It was an English-language weekly newspaper and became known for its outspoken criticism of the East India Company administration.

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Answer: (D) All of the above

Explanation

• The second session of the Indian National Congress was held at Calcutta from 27–30 December 1886 under the presidency of Dadabhai Naoroji.
• It was particularly significant because the Indian National Conference merged with the Indian National Congress, bringing together important strands of the emerging nationalist movement.
• Dr. Rajendralal Mitra served as the Chairman of the Reception Committee.
• Since all three statements are true, (D) is the best answer; some keys give (A), treating the merger with the National Conference as the ‘historical importance’ of the session.

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Answer: (D) W. Wedderburn

Explanation

• The British Committee of the Indian National Congress was established in London in July 1889 to promote the cause of the Indian National Congress in Britain and influence British public and parliamentary opinion.
• Sir William Wedderburn served as its first Chairman, while William Digby served as its Secretary.

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Answer: (B) Ferozeshah Mehta, K. T. Telang and Badruddin Tyabji

Explanation

• The Bombay Triumvirate, also known as the “Three Stars” of Bombay’s public life, consisted of Pherozeshah Mehta, K. T. Telang and Badruddin Tyabji.
• They were prominent leaders of Bombay’s early nationalist politics and played an important role in the formation of the Bombay Presidency Association in 1885.

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Answer: (B) Liberal Party

Explanation

• Dadabhai Naoroji was elected to the British House of Commons in 1892 from Finsbury Central as a candidate of the Liberal Party.
• He became the first Asian to be elected to the British Parliament.
• During his parliamentary career, he used the platform to raise issues concerning Indian administration, economic exploitation and the drain of wealth from India.

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Answer: (A) Rashbehari Bose

Explanation

• The Delhi Conspiracy Case of 1912 refers to the bomb attack on Viceroy Lord Hardinge during his ceremonial procession through Chandni Chowk, Delhi, on 23 December 1912.
• The attack was planned by revolutionary leader Rashbehari Bose, with Basanta Kumar Biswas throwing the bomb at the Viceroy’s procession.
• Hardinge was injured in the attack, while his attendant was killed.

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Answer: (C) Nabagopal Mitra

Explanation

• Nabagopal Mitra was an important early nationalist and cultural activist of 19th-century Bengal.
• He founded and promoted several institutions and activities with the prefix “National”, including the National Society, National Paper, National School and National Gymnasium.
• He also founded the Hindu Mela (National Mela) in 1867, which aimed to promote national consciousness, indigenous culture, physical education and a sense of unity among Indians.

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Answer: (D) Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

Explanation

• Sir Syed Ahmad Khan founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College at Aligarh in 1875.
• The institution aimed to provide modern, Western-style education to Indian Muslims while retaining an engagement with Islamic intellectual traditions.
• The MAO College later developed into Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in 1920 and became an important centre of Muslim educational and intellectual activity in India.

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Answer: (C) Home Rule movement

Explanation

• Bal Gangadhar Tilak became widely known as “Lokmanya”, meaning “accepted/respected by the people”, during the period of the Home Rule Movement (1916–1918).
• After his release from imprisonment in 1914, Tilak launched the Indian Home Rule League in 1916 and played a major role in demanding self-government for India.

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Answer: (D) Lord Ripon

Explanation

• The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was enacted during the tenure of Lord Lytton to restrict the freedom of the Indian-language press.
• After Lord Ripon became Viceroy in 1880, he repealed the Act in 1882 as part of his comparatively liberal administrative policies.
• The repeal was an important step towards restoring greater freedom to the vernacular press.

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Answer: (B) Rabindranath Tagore

Explanation

• Rabindranath Tagore pioneered the Rakhi Bandhan ceremony during the anti-Partition movement of 1905 in Bengal.
• He encouraged Hindus and Muslims to tie rakhis on each other’s wrists as a symbol of brotherhood, unity and solidarity.
• The initiative sought to express opposition to the partition by emphasising the cultural and social unity of the people of Bengal.

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Answer: (D) Bipin Chandra Pal

Explanation

• Bipin Chandra Pal was described by Aurobindo Ghosh as a “Prophet of the Great Political Creed” because of his strong advocacy of nationalism, Swadeshi, boycott and self-reliance.
• Pal was one of the prominent leaders of the Extremist nationalist movement and formed, along with Lala Lajpat Rai and Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the famous Lal-Bal-Pal trio.

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Answer: (D) Pramathanath Mitra

Explanation

• Pramathanath Mitra, popularly known as P. Mitra, was one of the principal founders of the Anushilan Samiti in Calcutta in 1902.
• The organisation began as a physical and cultural training association but gradually developed into an important revolutionary organisation in Bengal, promoting physical training, discipline and nationalist ideas.

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Answer: (A) 1905

Explanation

• The Carlyle Circular was issued in 1905 during the Swadeshi Movement following the Partition of Bengal.
• It was intended to discourage students from participating in anti-British political activities and the Swadeshi movement.
• The circular threatened disciplinary action against educational institutions and students involved in political agitation.

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Answer: (C) Mahatma Gandhi

Explanation

• Mahatma Gandhi wrote Hind Swaraj in 1909 during his voyage from England to South Africa.
• Originally written in Gujarati, the book presents Gandhi’s ideas on Swaraj, modern civilisation, political resistance and India’s freedom.
• Gandhi later translated it into English as Indian Home Rule.

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Answer: (D) Dadabhai Naoroji

Explanation

• Dadabhai Naoroji was popularly known as the “Grand Old Man of India” because of his pioneering role in the early Indian nationalist movement and his long public career.
• He was one of the founders and prominent leaders of the Indian National Congress and became the first Indian to be elected to the British House of Commons.

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Answer: (C) Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Explanation

• Gopal Krishna Gokhale founded the Servants of India Society in 1905 at Poona (Pune).
• The organisation aimed to train dedicated workers who would devote themselves to public service, social reform and the political education of Indians.
• It played an important role in the Moderate phase of the Indian national movement.

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Answer: (C) Lala Hardayal, America

Explanation

• The Gadar Party was founded in 1913 in the United States of America by Indian immigrants and revolutionaries, with Lala Har Dayal playing a leading role.
• Sohan Singh Bhakna served as its first president, while Lala Har Dayal became a key organiser and editor of its revolutionary newspaper, Ghadar.
• The organisation was headquartered at Yugantar Ashram in San Francisco.

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Answer: (B) Debendranath Tagore

Explanation

• Debendranath Tagore founded the Tattwabodhini Sabha in 1839 in Calcutta.
• The organisation aimed to spread the principles of monotheism, rational inquiry and the teachings of the Upanishads.
• It played an important role in the revival and reform of the Brahmo movement and was closely associated with the Tattwabodhini Patrika.

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Answer: (C) Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Explanation

• The slogan “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it” is famously associated with Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
• He used the idea of Swaraj (self-rule) to inspire Indians to demand political freedom from British rule.
• The slogan became one of the most memorable expressions of the assertive nationalist movement in India.

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Answer: (A) Assassination of British official W. C. Rand by Chapekar Brothers

Explanation

• The assassination of W. C. Rand, the British Plague Commissioner of Poona, by the Chapekar brothers in 1897 is generally regarded as the first assassination of a British official by Indian revolutionaries after the Revolt of 1857.
• Damodar Hari Chapekar and Balkrishna Hari Chapekar attacked Rand and his military escort, Lieutenant Ayerst, in Pune on 22 June 1897.
• The assassination was carried out in the context of resentment over the harsh measures adopted by British authorities during the plague epidemic.

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Answer: (A) Rabindranath Tagore

Explanation

• Rabindranath Tagore composed the patriotic song “Banglar Mati, Banglar Jal” during the anti-Partition movement of 1905.
• The song expressed a deep sense of unity with the land and people of Bengal and became part of the cultural expression of the Swadeshi Movement.
• Tagore used songs, festivals and other cultural activities to promote social unity and opposition to the Partition of Bengal.

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Answer: (B) Irish

Explanation

• The Bengal revolutionaries drew significant inspiration from the Irish nationalist and revolutionary movements against British rule.
• Irish organisations and revolutionary methods provided examples of secret societies, armed resistance, political assassination and anti-colonial struggle.
• Bengal revolutionaries adapted some of these ideas to the Indian context, particularly during the early 20th century.

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Answer: (A) A. O. Hume, about Indian National Congress

Explanation

• The Safety Valve Theory is associated with A. O. Hume and the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885.
• According to this interpretation, Hume helped establish the Congress as a constitutional outlet for growing political discontent among educated Indians, thereby providing a peaceful channel for expressing grievances.
• However, modern historians have debated and questioned the extent to which the Congress can be explained simply as a British “safety valve.”

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Answer: (B) 1911

Explanation

• The Partition of Bengal, implemented in 1905 under Lord Curzon, was annulled in 1911 by the British government.
• The annulment was announced by King George V at the Delhi Durbar in December 1911.
• At the same time, the British government decided to shift the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi.

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Answer: (D) Dadabhai Naoroji

Explanation

• Dadabhai Naoroji is popularly known as the “Grand Old Man of India” because of his pioneering contribution to the Indian nationalist movement and his long career in public life.
• He was a founder and three-time President of the Indian National Congress and became the first Indian to be elected to the British House of Commons.

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Answer: (B) Dadabhai Naoroji

Explanation

• Poverty and Un-British Rule in India was written by Dadabhai Naoroji and published in 1901.
• The book presented his famous Drain Theory, arguing that a significant portion of India’s wealth was being transferred to Britain through various economic and administrative mechanisms.
• Naoroji used this economic analysis to demonstrate the adverse effects of British colonial rule on India’s economy.

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Answer: (D) Sister Nivedita

Explanation

• According to the answer keys for this WBCS question, the first Indian National Flag was designed by Sister Nivedita (Margaret Noble), the Irish-born disciple of Swami Vivekananda.
• Around 1904–06 she designed a flag with a red background, a yellow vajra (thunderbolt) in the centre, the words ‘Bande Mataram’ and a border of 108 lamps; it was presented at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress in 1906.
• Madam Bhikaji Cama did not design the first flag: she unfurled a modified version of the 1906 Calcutta tricolour at the International Socialist Congress at Stuttgart in 1907, the first Indian flag raised on foreign soil.
• Some general-knowledge books credit Cama, so the question is open to dispute, but (D) matches the published keys.

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Answer: (D) A decree to prevent nationalist protests amongst students in educational institutions during the Partition of Bengal

Explanation

• The Carlyle Circular was issued in 1905 during the Swadeshi Movement following the Partition of Bengal.
• It was aimed at preventing students from participating in nationalist activities, demonstrations and political agitation.
• The colonial government warned educational institutions against allowing students to take part in the anti-Partition movement and threatened disciplinary action against institutions that failed to comply.

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Answer: (A) Social Reform Act

Explanation

• Act III of 1872, commonly known as the Special Marriage Act, 1872, was an important social reform legislation enacted during the colonial period.
• It provided a legal framework for marriages outside the established personal-law systems, subject to certain conditions.
• The Act was influenced by the reformist efforts of Keshab Chandra Sen and the wider Brahmo reform movement.

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Answer: (B) Lala Hansraj

Explanation

• Lala Hansraj was one of the principal founders of the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) College at Lahore in 1886.
• The institution was established to combine modern Western education with the teachings and ideals of Swami Dayanand Saraswati and the Arya Samaj.
• Although Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj, he did not establish the DAV College himself.

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Answer: (C) Sayyid Amir Ali

Explanation

• Sayyid Amir Ali authored The Spirit of Islam, a major work first published in 1891.
• The book presents an interpretation of Islamic history, philosophy and teachings, and argues for the compatibility of Islam with reason, progress and modern civilisation.
• Amir Ali was an important Muslim intellectual and reformer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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Answer: (C) Vinayak Damodar Savarkar

Explanation

• The Indian War of Independence, 1857 was written by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
• The book was written in 1908 and presented the Revolt of 1857 as a war of independence against British rule, challenging the colonial interpretation of the uprising as merely a military mutiny.

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Answer: (A) Revolt

Explanation

• The word “Ghadar” means “Revolt” or “Rebellion”.
• It became particularly associated with the Ghadar Movement, an overseas revolutionary movement founded by Indian immigrants in North America in 1913.
• The movement aimed to overthrow British rule in India through an armed uprising.

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Answer: (C) Lord Ripon

Explanation

• The Ilbert Bill Controversy took place during the viceroyalty of Lord Ripon in 1883.
• The bill, introduced by Sir Courtenay Ilbert, sought to allow senior Indian judges and magistrates to try European British subjects in criminal cases.
• Strong opposition from the European community in India led to a compromise that substantially weakened the original proposal.

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Answer: (A) Sanjiboni

Explanation

• The first prominent newspaper call for the boycott of foreign goods during the anti-Partition movement in Bengal was made through Sanjibani, edited by Krishna Kumar Mitra, in July 1905.
• The call preceded the formal adoption of the Boycott Resolution at the Calcutta Town Hall on 7 August 1905.

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Answer: (A) Debendranath Tagore

Explanation

• The Tattabodhini Sabha was founded in 1839 by Debendranath Tagore in Calcutta.
• It aimed to spread the principles of monotheism and rational religious thought and played an important role in the revival and development of the Brahmo movement in Bengal.

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Answer: (B) Sisir Kumar Ghosh

Explanation

• Sisir Kumar Ghosh was one of the founders and the first editor of the Amrita Bazar Patrika.
• The newspaper was established in 1868 by Sisir Kumar Ghosh and Motilal Ghosh at Amrita Bazar in Jessore.
• It later shifted to Calcutta and became an important nationalist newspaper during the Indian freedom movement.

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Answer: (A) 1st November, 1858

Explanation

• The Queen’s Proclamation was issued by Queen Victoria on 1 November 1858 following the Revolt of 1857.
• It announced the transfer of the administration of India from the East India Company to the British Crown and promised equal treatment, religious non-interference, and protection of the rights of Indian princes and subjects.

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Answer: (B) A. O. Hume

Explanation

• Allan Octavian Hume (A. O. Hume) is commonly known as the “Father of the Indian National Congress” because of his key role in founding the Indian National Congress in 1885.
• He worked with Indian leaders such as Dadabhai Naoroji, Surendranath Banerjee and Dinshaw Wacha to establish an organisation that provided a platform for political discussion and representation.

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Answer: (D) Lord Dufferin

Explanation

• Lord Dufferin, the Viceroy of India from 1884 to 1888, criticised the early Indian National Congress by describing the educated Indian community associated with it as a “microscopic minority.” He made this criticism in 1888, as official British attitudes towards the Congress became increasingly hostile.
• Lord Dufferin was the Viceroy of India from 1884 to 1888.

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Answer: (A) Lord Hardinge

Explanation

• The Partition of Bengal of 1905, carried out by Lord Curzon, was annulled in 1911 during the viceroyalty of Lord Hardinge II.
• The announcement was made by King George V at the Delhi Durbar on 12 December 1911.
• At the same time, the British government announced the transfer of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi.

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Answer: (C) Nana Sahib

Explanation

• Nana Sahib, the adopted son of the last Peshwa Baji Rao II, emerged as the principal leader of the 1857 Revolt at Kanpur (Cawnpore).
• He was assisted by Tantia Tope and other rebel leaders.
• His leadership at Kanpur made him one of the prominent figures of the Revolt of 1857.

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Answer: (A) A. O. Hume

Explanation

• The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded in 1885, with Allan Octavian Hume (A. O. Hume) playing the key organisational role in its establishment.
• The first session was held in Bombay in December 1885, under the presidency of Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (W. C. Bonnerjee).

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Answer: (B) Lala Har Dayal

Explanation

• The Ghadar Party was established in 1913 in San Francisco, USA, by Indian expatriates who sought to organise an armed struggle against British rule in India.
• Lala Har Dayal was the principal intellectual and organisational force behind its formation, along with leaders such as Sohan Singh Bhakna and Kartar Singh Sarabha.

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Answer: (B) 1896 Session

Explanation

• “Vande Mataram” was sung for the first time at the Indian National Congress session held in Calcutta in 1896.
• The song was composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, and Rabindranath Tagore sang it at the session.

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Answer: (B) Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee

Explanation

• The first session of the Indian National Congress was held in Bombay in December 1885 and was presided over by Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (W. C. Bonnerjee).
• He was a prominent Bengali lawyer and became the first President of the Indian National Congress.

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Answer: (C) Minto–Morley Reforms

Explanation

• The Minto–Morley Reforms of 1909, implemented through the Indian Councils Act, 1909, introduced the system of separate electorates for Muslims for the first time in British India.
• Under this system, Muslim voters elected Muslim representatives from separate constituencies.
• The Act is officially recognised as introducing communal representation and separate electorates.

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Answer: (B) Swadeshi Movement

Explanation

• The Swadeshi Movement immediately followed the Partition of Bengal in 1905, announced by Lord Curzon.
• The movement began as a protest against the partition and encouraged the boycott of British goods and the use of indigenous products.
• It became an important phase of the Indian national movement, particularly in Bengal.

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Answer: (B) V. D. Savarkar

Explanation

• Abhinava Bharat Society was founded by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (V. D. Savarkar) in 1904.
• It was a secret revolutionary organisation dedicated to overthrowing British rule in India through revolutionary activities.
• The organisation developed from the earlier Mitra Mela, founded by Savarkar in 1899.

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Answer: (B) Lala Har Dayal

Explanation

• Lala Har Dayal was one of the principal leaders and intellectual figures of the Ghadar movement.
• The Ghadar Party was founded in 1913 in San Francisco, USA, by Indian expatriates with the objective of overthrowing British rule in India.
• Har Dayal served as an important organiser and editor of the movement’s newspaper, The Ghadar.

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Answer: (B) Neel Darpan

Explanation

• Neel Darpan (The Indigo Mirror) is a Bengali play written by Dinabandhu Mitra in 1860.
• It portrayed the exploitation and suffering of indigo cultivators (ryots) under European indigo planters in Bengal.
• The play became closely associated with the Indigo Revolt of 1859–60 and drew public attention to the harsh conditions faced by the cultivators.

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Answer: (C) Jyotiba Phule

Explanation

• Jyotirao Phule wrote Ghulamgiri (Slavery) in 1873.
• The book criticised the caste system and social oppression and compared the condition of oppressed communities in India with the enslavement of African Americans in the United States.
• Phule dedicated the work to those who fought against slavery and social oppression.

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Answer: (C) Badruddin Tyabji

Explanation

• Badruddin Tyabji was the first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress.
• He presided over the third session of the Congress at Madras (Chennai) in 1887.
• His presidency was significant in demonstrating the Congress’s attempt to build a broad-based political organisation involving people from different religious communities.

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Answer: (B) Pulin Das

Explanation

• Pulin Das founded the Dacca Anushilan Samiti in 1906.
• It became an important centre of revolutionary activities in eastern Bengal.
• The organisation aimed to promote physical training, discipline and revolutionary nationalism among young people and later developed an extensive network of branches.

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Answer: (D) Begum Hazrat Mahal

Explanation

• Begum Hazrat Mahal was the leading figure of the Revolt of 1857 in Lucknow and Awadh.
• After the British annexed Awadh in 1856 and her husband, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, was exiled to Calcutta, she played a prominent role in organising resistance against British rule.
• She proclaimed her young son Birjis Qadr as the ruler of Awadh and acted as his regent during the revolt.

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Answer: (D) Harish Chandra Mukherjee

Explanation

• Harish Chandra Mukherjee was the famous editor of the Hindoo Patriot, an influential English-language newspaper of 19th-century Bengal.
• He used the newspaper to strongly criticise the exploitation of indigo cultivators by European planters and supported the Indigo Revolt of 1859–60.
• His writings made the Hindoo Patriot an important voice against oppressive colonial practices.

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Answer: (A) Aurobindo Ghosh

Explanation

• Aurobindo Ghosh (Sri Aurobindo) wrote the series of articles “New Lamps for Old” in the newspaper Indu Prakash during 1893–94.
• In these articles, he strongly criticised the moderate approach of the early Indian National Congress, arguing that petitions and constitutional methods were insufficient for achieving meaningful political freedom.
• His writings represented an early expression of assertive nationalism.

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Answer: (D) Jyotiba Phule

Explanation

• Jyotirao (Jyotiba) Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Seekers of Truth) in 1873 in Maharashtra.
• The organisation worked against caste-based discrimination and social inequality and sought to improve the social and educational conditions of oppressed communities, women and other disadvantaged groups.

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Answer: (B) Lord Dufferin

Explanation

• Lord Dufferin, the Viceroy of India from 1884 to 1888, described the Indian National Congress as representing a “microscopic minority” of the Indian population.
• The remark reflected the British government’s criticism of the early Congress, which was still largely composed of educated, urban and politically active sections of Indian society.

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Answer: (B) Madan Mohan Malaviya

Explanation

• Madan Mohan Malaviya is associated with the slogan “Hind-Hindi-Hindu.” He was a prominent nationalist leader who strongly supported the promotion of Hindi and its use in public and educational life.
• He also played an important role in the development of Hindu educational and social organisations during the nationalist period.

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Answer: (A) 1870

Explanation

• The Poona Sarvajanik Sabha was established in 1870 in Pune (Poona) by Mahadev Govind Ranade, Ganesh Vasudeo Joshi and other public-spirited leaders.
• It was one of the earliest political associations in western India and played an important role in creating political awareness and representing Indian public opinion before the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885.

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Answer: (B) Bombay

Explanation

• The first session of the Indian National Congress was held in Bombay (present-day Mumbai) from 28 to 31 December 1885 at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College.
• It was presided over by Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (W. C. Bonnerjee) and was attended by 72 delegates.

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Answer: (B) Dinabandhu Mitra

Explanation

• Neel Darpan was written by Dinabandhu Mitra in 1860.
• The Bengali play depicted the exploitation and suffering of indigo cultivators in Bengal under European indigo planters.
• It became closely associated with the Indigo Revolt of 1859–60 and helped bring the grievances of the cultivators to wider public attention.

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Answer: (B) 1885

Explanation

• The Indian National Congress (INC) was established in 1885.
• Its first session was held in Bombay (present-day Mumbai) from 28 to 31 December 1885, under the presidency of W. C. Bonnerjee.
• A. O. Hume played a key organisational role in bringing together the early Congress leaders.

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Answer: (D) Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Explanation

• The famous slogan “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it” is associated with Bal Gangadhar Tilak, one of the prominent leaders of the Extremist or Assertive Nationalist phase of the Indian national movement.
• Tilak used the demand for Swaraj (self-rule) to promote political consciousness and mass participation in the freedom struggle.

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Answer: (B) Muslim League

Explanation

• The All-India Muslim League was founded in 1906 at Dacca (now Dhaka).
• It was established on 30 December 1906 during the meeting of the All India Muhammadan Educational Conference.
• The organisation initially sought to safeguard and promote the political interests of Muslims in British India.

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Answer: (C) Lord Canning

Explanation

• Lord Canning was the Governor-General of India when the Revolt of 1857 broke out.
• He served as Governor-General from 1856 to 1862 and became the first Viceroy of India after the Government of India was transferred from the East India Company to the British Crown in 1858.

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Answer: (B) The Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College

Explanation

• The Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College at Aligarh was the centre of the Aligarh Movement, led by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.
• Established in 1875, the institution aimed to promote modern, Western-style education among Indian Muslims.
• It later developed into Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in 1920.

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Answer: (B) 1909

Explanation

• The Morley–Minto Reforms were introduced in 1909 through the Indian Councils Act, 1909.
• The reforms were named after John Morley, the Secretary of State for India, and Lord Minto, the Viceroy of India.
• Their most significant feature was the introduction of separate electorates for Muslims.

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Answer: (A) Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee

Explanation

• The first session of the Indian National Congress was held at Bombay (now Mumbai) in December 1885.
• Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (W.C. Bonnerjee) presided over the session, becoming the first President of the INC.
• The session was attended by 72 delegates.

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Answer: (B) 1885–1905

Explanation

• The Liberal or Moderate phase of the Indian National Congress is generally considered to have lasted from 1885 to 1905.
• During this period, leaders such as Dadabhai Naoroji, Surendranath Banerjee, Pherozeshah Mehta and Gopal Krishna Gokhale used constitutional methods such as petitions, resolutions, speeches and peaceful agitation to demand administrative and political reforms.

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Answer: (C) 1911

Explanation

• The Partition of Bengal, introduced by Lord Curzon in 1905, was annulled in 1911 by the British government.
• The decision was announced by King George V at the Delhi Durbar of 1911.
• At the same time, the British government announced the transfer of the capital of British India from Calcutta to Delhi.

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Answer: (B) Bombay and Thane

Explanation

• The first passenger railway line in India was operationalised on 16 April 1853 between Bombay (now Mumbai) and Thane.
• The train covered a distance of about 34 km and was hauled by three steam locomotives named Sahib, Sindh and Sultan.
• This marked the beginning of passenger railway services in India.

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Answer: (C) Travelling from England to South Africa by ship

Explanation

• Mahatma Gandhi wrote Hind Swaraj in 1909 while travelling by ship from England to South Africa.
• Originally written in Gujarati, the work presents Gandhi’s ideas on Swaraj, modern civilisation, non-violence and the nature of British rule.
• It was written during his return journey from London to South Africa aboard the Kildonan Castle.

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Answer: (C) R. C. Dutt

Explanation

• Romesh Chunder Dutt (R. C. Dutt) is regarded as a pioneer of economic nationalism in India.
• Through his writings, particularly The Economic History of India, he systematically examined the economic consequences of British colonial policies, including land revenue systems, taxation, poverty and the drain of wealth.
• His work helped develop the nationalist critique of colonial economic exploitation.

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Answer: (A) Sir Syed Ahmad Khan

Explanation

• The Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental Defence Association was founded in 1893 by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, with Theodore Beck, the principal of the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh, as its chief organiser and one of its secretaries.
• The organisation aimed to promote and defend the political interests of Indian Muslims, opposed the Congress and supported cooperation with the British government.
• It was closely associated with the Aligarh Movement.
• Some books credit Beck as founder because of his leading organisational role, but the WBCS answer keys give Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.

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Answer: (B) Madan Lal Dhingra

Explanation

• Madan Lal Dhingra, an Indian revolutionary, assassinated Sir William Hutt Curzon Wyllie in London on 1 July 1909.
• The assassination took place at the Imperial Institute during an event organised by the National Indian Association.
• Dhingra was subsequently tried and executed for the murder.

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Answer: (C) Pramathanath Mitra

Explanation

• Pramathanath Mitra (P. Mitra) was one of the principal organisers and founders of the Anushilan Samiti, established in Calcutta in 1902.
• The organisation promoted physical training, discipline and revolutionary nationalism among young people and became an important centre of the revolutionary movement in Bengal.

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Answer: (D) Madame H. P. Blavatsky

Explanation

• The Theosophical Society was founded in 1875 in New York by Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (H. P. Blavatsky) and Henry Steel Olcott, along with William Quan Judge and others.
• The Society aimed to promote the study of comparative religion, philosophy and science and to explore the spiritual and philosophical traditions of humanity.

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Answer: (C) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Explanation

• The Bengali newspaper Som Prakash was started in 1858 by Dwarakanath Vidyabhusan, with the support and encouragement of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
• It became an important newspaper of 19th-century Bengal and discussed social reform, education and contemporary political issues.
• For exam purposes, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar is commonly associated with the founding of Som Prakash.

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Answer: (D) All of the above

Explanation

• All three movements — the Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj and Ramakrishna Mission — contributed to the development of social and cultural awakening that influenced Indian nationalism.
• They promoted ideas such as social reform, education, self-respect and the regeneration of Indian society, which contributed to the growth of national consciousness.

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Answer: (A) Dadabhai Naoroji

Explanation

• Dadabhai Naoroji is closely associated with the Drain Theory, which explained how British colonial rule transferred India’s wealth to Britain.
• His famous work Poverty and Un-British Rule in India, published in 1901, systematically presented his arguments about the economic drain.
• Although Drain of Wealth is not the standard title of his major book, the question refers to Dadabhai Naoroji’s Drain Theory.

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Answer: (C) The Partition of Bengal

Explanation

• The Partition of Bengal in 1905 by Lord Curzon provided the immediate political stimulus for the rise of Extremism (Assertive Nationalism) in the Indian National Movement.
• The partition provoked widespread opposition and gave momentum to the Swadeshi and Boycott Movements, strengthening leaders such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal and Lala Lajpat Rai.

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Answer: (A) Alexander Cunningham

Explanation

• Alexander Cunningham is widely regarded as the Father of Indian Archaeology.
• He was appointed the first Archaeological Surveyor of India in 1861 and played a pioneering role in the systematic archaeological study of ancient Indian sites, monuments and inscriptions.
• He later became the first Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

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Answer: (A) Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Explanation

• Gopal Krishna Gokhale founded the Servants of India Society in 1905 at Poona (Pune).
• The organisation aimed to train dedicated workers who would devote their lives to public service, education and social reform and work for the political and social advancement of India.

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Answer: (C) 1911

Explanation

• The Partition of Bengal, introduced by Lord Curzon in 1905, was annulled in 1911 due to sustained opposition and the impact of the Swadeshi Movement.
• The announcement was made by King George V at the Delhi Durbar of 1911.
• At the same time, the British government announced the transfer of the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi.

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Answer: (B) 1911

Explanation

• The capital of British India was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911.
• The announcement was made by King George V at the Delhi Durbar of 1911, held during his visit to India.
• The decision was announced along with the annulment of the Partition of Bengal.

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Answer: (C) Mayo

Explanation

• Lord Mayo, the fourth Viceroy of India, was assassinated by a convict named Sher Ali Afridi at Port Blair in the Andaman Islands on 8 February 1872.
• Mayo was inspecting the penal settlement when Sher Ali attacked him with a knife.
• He is the only Viceroy of India to have been assassinated while in office.

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Answer: (B) Punjab

Explanation

• During the Revolt of 1857, Punjab remained largely under British control and did not experience an uprising on the scale seen in Awadh and parts of northern India.
• The British were able to maintain control partly because many Sikh chiefs and soldiers supported the British, while troops from Punjab were also used to suppress the revolt in other regions.

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Answer: (D) Boycott

Explanation

• The major disagreement between the Moderates and Extremists at the Surat Session of the Indian National Congress in 1907 concerned the adoption and scope of the Boycott and Swadeshi programmes.
• The Extremists wanted to extend boycott beyond foreign goods to include government schools, courts and other institutions, while the Moderates were more cautious about adopting such methods.
• This disagreement contributed to the Surat Split of 1907.
• Note: several answer keys mark (B) Swaraj for this question, since the 1906 Calcutta resolutions on Swaraj, Swadeshi, Boycott and National Education were at the heart of the dispute; Standard accounts (e.g., Bipan Chandra) stress the extremists’ demand to extend Boycott and Swadeshi, so (D) is retained.

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Answer: (A) 1875

Explanation

• The Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati in Bombay in 1875.
• The organisation aimed to reform Hindu society by returning to the authority of the Vedas, opposing social evils and promoting education and social reform.

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Answer: (A) October 16, 1905

Explanation

• The Partition of Bengal came into effect on 16 October 1905, during the tenure of Lord Curzon as Viceroy of India.
• The partition divided the Bengal Presidency, creating the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam.
• The decision triggered widespread opposition and gave rise to the Swadeshi and Boycott Movements.

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Answer: (A) America, 1913

Explanation

• The Ghadar Party was founded in 1913 in the United States, with its headquarters at San Francisco, California.
• It was established by Indian immigrants and revolutionaries with the objective of overthrowing British rule in India.
• The movement was closely associated with the newspaper Ghadar.

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Answer: (A) Lord Lytton

Explanation

• The Vernacular Press Act was passed in 1878 during the tenure of Lord Lytton, the Viceroy of India.
• The Act aimed to restrict the freedom of the Indian-language press and gave the colonial government powers to control publications considered critical of British policies.
• It was widely criticised as discriminatory because it primarily targeted the vernacular press while exempting English-language publications.

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Answer: (B) 1906

Explanation

• The All-India Muslim League was established in 1906 at Dacca (present-day Dhaka).
• It was founded during a meeting of Muslim leaders held at Shahbagh, Dacca, in December 1906.
• The organisation initially aimed to promote and safeguard the political interests of Indian Muslims.

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Answer: (C) Bartaman Bharat

Explanation

• Bartaman Bharat (present-day India) is a Bengali work by Swami Vivekananda.
• First published in 1899, the book discusses India’s social conditions, history, poverty, caste and the need for the upliftment of the masses.

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Answer: (B) Surendranath Banerjea

Explanation

• The Indian Association was founded in 1876 by Surendranath Banerjea and Ananda Mohan Bose in Calcutta.
• It aimed to create a broad-based political organisation representing the interests of Indians and played an important role in the growth of early Indian nationalism.

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Answer: (A) Nana Phadnavis

Explanation

• The Council of Barabhai was organised by Nana Phadnavis in 1774 to protect the interests of the infant Peshwa Madhavrao II and oppose the claims of Raghunath Rao (Raghoba).
• The council was a group of influential Maratha chiefs who collectively managed the affairs of the Maratha state.

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Answer: (A) M. G. Ranade

Explanation

• Mahadev Govind Ranade (M. G. Ranade) elaborated and developed the economic critique associated with Dadabhai Naoroji’s Drain Theory.
• Ranade examined the economic impact of British rule and argued that colonial policies adversely affected the development of Indian industries and agriculture.

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Answer: (A) Lord Canning

Explanation

• Lord Canning was the Governor-General of India when the Revolt of 1857 broke out.
• He served as Governor-General from 1856 to 1862.
• After the revolt, the Government of India Act, 1858 transferred the administration of India from the East India Company to the British Crown, and Canning became the first Viceroy of India.

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Answer: (A) S. N. Sen

Explanation

• The book Eighteen Fifty-Seven was written by S. N. Sen (Surendra Nath Sen).
• It was commissioned by the Government of India to commemorate the centenary of the Revolt of 1857 and provides a detailed account of the uprising, its causes, course and consequences.

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Answer: (C) Anglo-Indian Community

Explanation

• The Anglo-Indian and European community in India strongly opposed the Ilbert Bill of 1883, which was introduced by Lord Ripon’s government to remove racial discrimination in the judicial system.
• The Bill proposed allowing senior Indian magistrates and judges to try European British subjects in criminal cases.
• Strong opposition from the European community eventually led to a compromise that diluted the original proposal.

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Answer: (D) Swami Vivekananda

Explanation

• Swami Vivekananda was not a leader of the Brahmo Samaj.
• He was a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and later founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897.
• In contrast, Devendranath Tagore, Keshab Chandra Sen and Akshay Kumar Datta were closely associated with the Brahmo movement.

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Answer: (A) W. C. Bonnerjee

Explanation

• Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (W. C. Bonnerjee) was the first President of the Indian National Congress.
• He presided over its first session at Bombay in December 1885, which was attended by 72 delegates.
• A. O. Hume played a key organisational role in establishing the Congress but was not its first President.

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Answer: (C) Nabagopal Mitra

Explanation

• Nabagopal Mitra was an important pioneer of Indian nationalism and cultural awakening in 19th-century Bengal.
• He established institutions aimed at developing national consciousness, including a national newspaper, a national school and a national gymnasium.
• He also played a prominent role in organising the Hindu Mela, which promoted indigenous culture, physical education and national sentiment.

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Answer: (C) Keshab Chandra Sen

Explanation

• The Indian Reform Association was founded by Keshab Chandra Sen in 1870.
• It was established to promote social reform, education and public welfare in India.
• The organisation worked in areas such as female education, social reform, temperance and charitable activities.

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Answer: (A) Adyar

Explanation

• The Theosophical Society established its headquarters at Adyar, near Madras (present-day Chennai), in 1882.
• The Society was founded in New York in 1875 by H. P. Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott.
• Adyar subsequently became an important international centre of the Theosophical movement.

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Answer: (B) Ghare Baire

Explanation

• Rabindranath Tagore’s Ghare Baire (The Home and the World) presents a critical examination of the Swadeshi movement, particularly its more coercive and extremist tendencies.
• Set against the background of the Partition of Bengal and the Swadeshi movement, the novel explores the conflict between nationalism, individual freedom, political idealism and communal harmony.

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Answer: (D) Michael Madhusudan Dutta

Explanation

• Neel Darpan was written in Bengali by Dinabandhu Mitra in 1860.
• An English translation was prepared by Michael Madhusudan Dutt and published anonymously through Rev. James Long.
• Long was subsequently prosecuted and fined for publishing the translation, making the episode an important part of the history of the Indigo Revolt.

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Answer: (B) Atmaram Pandurang

Explanation

• The Prarthana Samaj was founded by Atmaram Pandurang in Bombay in 1867.
• It aimed at religious and social reform, promoting monotheism, social equality, widow remarriage and women’s education.
• M. G. Ranade later became one of its most prominent leaders and thinkers.

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Answer: (B) Abanindranath Tagore

Explanation

• The famous painting Bharat Mata was painted by Abanindranath Tagore in 1905, during the Swadeshi Movement.
• The painting depicts Bharat Mata as a saffron-clad woman holding objects symbolising learning, food, clothing and spiritual devotion.
• It became an important visual symbol of Indian nationalism.

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Answer: (B) Bombay

Explanation

• The first session of the Indian National Congress (INC) was held at Bombay (now Mumbai) from 28 to 31 December 1885.
• It took place at the Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College and was presided over by Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee.

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Answer: (B) Hardinge

Explanation

• The keyed answer is Lord Hardinge.
• Lord Hardinge II, the Viceroy, was the target of the bomb attack in Delhi on 23 December 1912, planned by Rash Behari Bose (the Delhi Conspiracy).
• Strictly speaking, that attack predates the formal founding of the Ghadar Party (1913) and was the work of Bengal and Punjab revolutionaries rather than of the party itself; however, Rash Behari Bose later became a chief organiser of the Ghadar uprising planned for February 1915, which is why exam keys accept (B).
• Kingsford, Tegart and Northbrook are not associated with any Ghadar plot.

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Answer: (C) G. K. Gokhale

Explanation

• The famous statement “What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow” is traditionally attributed to Gopal Krishna Gokhale (G. K. Gokhale).
• It reflects the influential role that Bengal played in India’s intellectual, social and political movements during the colonial period.

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Answer: (C) 1900

Explanation

• The Kharagpur Railway Workshop of the Bengal Nagpur Railway (BNR) was set up at the turn of the twentieth century: Kharagpur became a BNR junction only in December 1898, the workshop was sanctioned around 1900 and its main buildings were completed by 1904.
• Kharagpur was a small village in 1875, so the year 1875 given in some keys cannot be right; among the options, 1900 is the correct answer.
• The workshop became one of the largest railway workshops in eastern India and played a significant role in the maintenance and repair of railway locomotives and rolling stock.

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Answer: (D) Dadabhai Naoroji

Explanation

• Dadabhai Naoroji was the author of Poverty and Un-British Rule in India, published in 1901.
• The book presented his famous Drain of Wealth Theory, arguing that a significant portion of India’s wealth was being transferred to Britain without adequate economic return, contributing to India’s poverty.

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Answer: (C) Dayananda Saraswati

Explanation

• The Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati in 1875 at Bombay (Mumbai).
• The movement advocated a return to the teachings of the Vedas and opposed practices that Dayananda considered to be later additions or social evils.
• His famous work Satyarth Prakash presented many of his religious and social ideas.

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Answer: (A) Sir Syed Ahmad Khan

Explanation

• The Aligarh Movement was initiated by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in the 19th century to promote modern education and social reform among Indian Muslims.
• Its most important institutional centre was the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College, founded at Aligarh in 1875, which later became Aligarh Muslim University.

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Answer: (A) Harish Chandra Mukherji

Explanation

• Harish Chandra Mukherji was the editor of the Hindu Patriot, a prominent English-language newspaper published from Calcutta.
• He used the newspaper to strongly criticise the exploitation of Indian peasants by European indigo planters and played an important role in highlighting the Indigo Revolt of 1859–60.

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Answer: (C) A. O. Hume

Explanation

• Allan Octavian Hume (A. O. Hume), a retired British civil servant, played a key role in the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885.
• Because of his central role in organising the Congress, he is often referred to as the “Father of the Indian National Congress.”

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Answer: (B) W. C. Bonnerjee

Explanation

• The first session of the Indian National Congress was held at Bombay in December 1885, and Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (W. C. Bonnerjee) presided over it.
• He thus became the first President of the Indian National Congress.

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Answer: (A) Madame Cama

Explanation

• Madame Bhikaji Cama founded the revolutionary journal Bande Mataram in Paris in September 1909 (through the Paris Indian Society) and directed it.
• Lala Har Dayal (option C) is also credited with editing it, so some sources treat (C) as the answer, but the WBCS keys give Madame Cama.
• She was a prominent Indian revolutionary nationalist who worked from Europe to spread the cause of Indian independence and oppose British rule.

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Answer: (A) Lala Hardayal

Explanation

• The Gadar Party was founded in 1913 in San Francisco, USA, by Indian immigrants and revolutionaries who sought to overthrow British rule in India.
• Lala Har Dayal was one of its principal founders and intellectual leaders.
• Sohan Singh Bhakna served as the first president of the organisation.

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Answer: (A) Rash Behari Bose

Explanation

• Rash Behari Bose, along with Sachindra Nath Sanyal and other revolutionaries, was involved in the Delhi Conspiracy of 1912, an attempt to assassinate Lord Hardinge, the Viceroy of India.
• On 23 December 1912, a bomb was thrown at Hardinge’s procession in Delhi, but he survived the attack.

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Answer: (D) Sepoy Mutiny in 1857

Explanation

• The Revolt of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 and traditionally described as the First War of Independence, was the first large-scale armed uprising against British rule in India.
• It began at Meerut on 10 May 1857 and spread to Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi and other regions.

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Answer: (B) Aga Khan

Explanation

• The Simla Deputation of 1906 was led by Aga Khan III (Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan).
• A group of prominent Muslim leaders met Lord Minto, the Viceroy of India, at Simla on 1 October 1906.
• They demanded separate political representation and safeguards for Muslims in the legislative system.

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Answer: (C) Barrister Pramatha Nath Mitra

Explanation

• The Anushilan Samiti was founded in Calcutta in 1902 by Pramatha Nath Mitra (P. Mitra), a barrister and nationalist.
• The organisation promoted physical training, discipline and revolutionary nationalist activities among young people in Bengal.
• Aurobindo Ghosh and Barindra Kumar Ghosh later became important figures associated with its revolutionary activities.

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Answer: (A) Hindoo Patriot

Explanation

• The Indigo Revolt (1859–60) was strongly highlighted by the Hindoo Patriot, edited by Harish Chandra Mukherji.
• Through its reports and editorials, the newspaper exposed the oppressive practices of European indigo planters and drew attention to the suffering of indigo cultivators in Bengal.

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Answer: (A) Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Explanation

• The famous slogan “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it” is associated with Bal Gangadhar Tilak, one of the leading figures of the Assertive Nationalist movement.
• He used the demand for Swaraj (self-rule) to promote political awareness and mass participation in the Indian national movement.

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Answer: (D) A. K. Azad

Explanation

• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (A. K. Azad) was one of the Muslim leaders who participated in and supported the Swadeshi Movement following the Partition of Bengal in 1905.
• He was associated with revolutionary nationalist activities and sought to promote Hindu-Muslim unity in the anti-colonial struggle.
• Note: standard texts such as Bipan Chandra’s India’s Struggle for Independence name Liaqat Hussain (option B), along with Abdul Rasul, among the Muslim leaders of the Swadeshi Movement, and some keys give (B); other keys give (D), which is retained.

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Answer: (B) Dadabhai Naoroji

Explanation

• Dadabhai Naoroji became the first Indian to be elected to the British House of Commons in 1892.
• He won from Finsbury Central as a Liberal Party candidate and used his seat to raise Indian grievances, especially the economic drain of wealth from India to Britain.

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Answer: (B) Badruddin Tyabji

Explanation

• Badruddin Tyabji presided over the third session of the Indian National Congress held at Madras in 1887.
• He was the first Muslim President of the Congress and worked to bring the Muslim community into the national movement.

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Answer: (B) Lord Mayo

Explanation

• Lord Mayo, Viceroy and Governor-General of India from 1869 to 1872, was stabbed to death on 8 February 1872 while inspecting the penal settlement at Port Blair in the Andaman Islands.
• He is the only Viceroy of India to be assassinated in office.

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Answer: (B) 1883

Explanation

• The Ilbert Bill was introduced in 1883 during the viceroyalty of Lord Ripon.
• It proposed allowing Indian judges to try European offenders, which led to a fierce agitation by Europeans in India.
• The bill was diluted, and the controversy showed Indians the strength of organised protest.

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Answer: (A) 1859

Explanation

• The Indigo Revolt began in 1859 in Bengal when peasants refused to grow indigo under the oppressive system imposed by European planters.
• The movement spread widely through 1859–60 and is regarded as one of the most organised peasant movements of the 19th century.

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Answer: (C) Bahadur Shah Zafar

Explanation

• Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor, was proclaimed the leader of the Revolt of 1857 by the rebels at Delhi.
• After the British recaptured Delhi in September 1857, he was taken prisoner, tried and exiled to Rangoon, where he died in 1862.

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Answer: (C) Bengal Landholders’ Society

Explanation

• The Bengal Landholders’ Society, formed in 1838 in Calcutta, is regarded as the first political association in modern India.
• It mainly protected the interests of zamindars but introduced the idea of organised constitutional agitation.
• Brahmo Samaj and Arya Samaj were socio-religious reform movements, not political societies.

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Answer: (A) 1883

Explanation

• The first Indian National Conference was held in Calcutta in December 1883, organised by the Indian Association under Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose.
• A National Fund was raised to support political work, and the conference is seen as a forerunner of the Indian National Congress.
• Note that some answer keys mark (C) 1885, the year of the second National Conference, but the National Fund and the first National Conference both date from 1883, so (A) is retained.

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Answer: (C) San Francisco

Explanation

• The Gadar Party was formed in 1913 on the Pacific coast of the USA, with its headquarters at San Francisco.
• Founded mainly by Indian immigrants, especially Punjabis, it aimed to overthrow British rule in India through armed revolution.

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Answer: (D) Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Explanation

• The Servants of India Society was founded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale on 12 June 1905 at Poona.
• It trained dedicated Indians to serve the country through education, social reform and relief work, in a spirit of selfless service.

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Answer: (B) 1875 A.D.

Explanation

• The Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College was founded by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan at Aligarh in 1875, beginning as a school (Madrasatul Uloom) and adding college classes in 1877, when Lord Lytton laid its foundation stone.
• It was the centre of the Aligarh Movement and grew into the Aligarh Muslim University in 1920.

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Answer: (A) 1876–77 A.D.

Explanation

• Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India (Kaisar-i-Hind) at the Delhi Durbar held on 1 January 1877 under Viceroy Lord Lytton.
• The title was conferred under the Royal Titles Act, 1876, passed in Britain when Benjamin Disraeli was Prime Minister.

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Answer: (D) Sisir Kumar Ghosh

Explanation

• The Amrita Bazar Patrika was founded in 1868 by Sisir Kumar Ghosh along with his brother Motilal Ghosh, initially as a Bengali weekly from the village of Amrita Bazar in Jessore district.
• In 1878 it was converted overnight into an English paper to escape Lord Lytton’s Vernacular Press Act.

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Answer: (C) 1911

Explanation

• The Partition of Bengal carried out by Lord Curzon in 1905 was annulled in 1911.
• The annulment was announced by King George V at the Delhi Durbar of 12 December 1911, during the viceroyalty of Lord Hardinge II, along with the transfer of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi.

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Answer: (B) Jatindranath Mukherjee

Explanation

• Jatindranath Mukherjee was popularly called “Bagha Jatin” because he killed a tiger single-handedly with a dagger.
• A leading figure of the Jugantar group, he was fatally wounded in a gun battle with the police on the banks of the Burha Balang river near Balasore (Odisha) in September 1915.

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Answer: (A) Lord Mayo

Explanation

• Lord Mayo (Viceroy 1869–1872) is the only Governor-General/Viceroy of India assassinated in office.
• He was stabbed to death on 8 February 1872 at Port Blair in the Andaman Islands by a convict named Sher Ali Afridi.

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Answer: (A) Dadabhai Naoroji

Explanation

• The second session of the Indian National Congress was held at Calcutta in 1886 and was presided over by Dadabhai Naoroji.
• He later presided over the 1893 Lahore and 1906 Calcutta sessions, becoming the first person to be INC President three times.

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Answer: (A) Royal Titles Act, 1876

Explanation

• Queen Victoria assumed the title of Empress of India under the Royal Titles Act, 1876, passed by the British Parliament during Benjamin Disraeli’s premiership.
• The title was formally proclaimed at the Delhi Durbar of 1 January 1877 under Lord Lytton.

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Answer: (C) Madame Cama

Explanation

• Madame Bhikaiji Rustom Cama is widely known as the “Mother of Indian Revolution”.
• She unfurled an early version of the Indian national flag at the International Socialist Congress at Stuttgart (Germany) in 1907 and helped Indian revolutionaries abroad from Paris.
• Some answer sources list (A) Sister Nivedita, but standard sources and WBCS solved-paper keys (WBCS Prelims 2010, Q.164) give Madame Cama; Nivedita inspired Bengal revolutionaries but is not the accepted answer.

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Answer: (B) S. N. Banerjee

Explanation

• The Indian Association was founded in Calcutta on 26 July 1876 by Surendranath Banerjea (S. N. Banerjee) and Ananda Mohan Bose.
• It was one of the most important pre-Congress political organisations and convened the Indian National Conference in 1883, which later merged with the INC.

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Answer: (A) America, 1913

Explanation

• The Gadar (Ghadar) Party was founded in 1913 by Indian immigrants, mostly Punjabi Sikhs, on the Pacific coast of the United States of America, with its headquarters at the Yugantar Ashram in San Francisco.
• Lala Har Dayal was its chief organiser and Sohan Singh Bhakna its first president.

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Answer: (A) Dadabhai Naoroji

Explanation

• Dadabhai Naoroji is called the “Grand Old Man of India”.
• A pioneer of Indian nationalism, he propounded the Drain Theory in his book “Poverty and Un-British Rule in India” and was the first Indian elected to the British House of Commons (1892).

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Answer: (A) Lord Lytton

Explanation

• The Vernacular Press Act, 1878 was passed by Viceroy Lord Lytton to curb the Indian-language press, which had criticised the government over the famine and the Delhi Durbar.
• Popularly called the “Gagging Act”, it was repealed by Lord Ripon in 1882.

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Answer: (C) 1878

Explanation

• The Vernacular Press Act was passed in 1878 by Lord Lytton to suppress criticism by Indian-language newspapers.
• It was repealed in 1882 by Lord Ripon.

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Answer: (B) 1906

Explanation

• The All India Muslim League was founded on 30 December 1906 at Dacca (Dhaka), at the end of a session of the All India Muhammadan Educational Conference.
• Nawab Salimullah of Dacca played the leading role, and Aga Khan III became its first president.

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Answer: (C) Bartaman Bharat

Explanation

• “Bartaman Bharat” (Modern India) is a Bengali work by Swami Vivekananda, first published in the Ramakrishna Order’s Bengali journal Udbodhan.
• It surveys Indian history through the rule of different social classes and predicts the rise of the Shudras (working people).

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Answer: (A) Nabagopal Mitra

Explanation

• The Hindu Mela was founded in 1867 by Nabagopal Mitra with the support of the Tagore family of Jorasanko.
• Inspired by Rajnarayan Bose, it aimed to promote national feeling, self-reliance, Indian languages, arts, crafts and physical culture.

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Answer: (B) Surendranath Banerjee

Explanation

• Surendranath Banerjea founded the Indian Association in Calcutta in 1876 together with Ananda Mohan Bose.
• It aimed to create strong public opinion, unite Indians on common political programmes and involve the masses in public affairs.

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Answer: (A) 1876

Explanation

• The Indian Association was founded in 1876, on 26 July, at Calcutta by Surendranath Banerjea and Ananda Mohan Bose.
• It is regarded as the most important pre-Congress nationalist organisation of Bengal.
• Note that at least one answer key marks (B) 1884 for this question; that is an error, since 1884 is linked with Surendranath’s Ripon College, not the Indian Association.

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Answer: (B) Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Explanation

• Kesari was a Marathi weekly started in 1881 at Poona by Bal Gangadhar Tilak with Gopal Ganesh Agarkar and Vishnushastri Chiplunkar.
• Tilak became its editor and used it, along with the English weekly Mahratta, to spread militant nationalism.

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Answer: (D) Dufferin

Explanation

• Lord Dufferin (Viceroy 1884–1888) was in office when the Indian National Congress was founded at Bombay on 28 December 1885.
• A. O. Hume is believed to have had Dufferin’s informal approval, though Dufferin later ridiculed the Congress as representing a “microscopic minority”.

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Answer: (D) Lord Canning

Explanation

• Lord Canning was the Governor-General of India when the Revolt of 1857 (Sepoy Mutiny) broke out.
• After the Crown took over the government under the Government of India Act, 1858, he became the first Viceroy of India.

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Answer: (A) Bipin Chandra Pal

Explanation

• Bipin Chandra Pal was not a Moderate; he was an Extremist (Assertive Nationalist) leader and one of the famous trio Lal-Bal-Pal, along with Lala Lajpat Rai and Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
• Pherozeshah Mehta, Surendranath Banerjea and Gopal Krishna Gokhale were leading Moderates.

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Answer: (C) Rashbehari Bose

Explanation

• Rash Behari Bose was the main organiser of a planned all-India armed revolt of Indian soldiers and revolutionaries during 1913–1915, in collaboration with the Gadar Party.
• The rising, fixed for February 1915, was betrayed and failed, and Rash Behari escaped to Japan in 1915.

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Answer: (B) Lala Har Dayal

Explanation

• Lala Har Dayal was the founder and chief organiser of the Gadar Party, formed in 1913 by Indian immigrants in the USA.
• A former Oxford scholar, he inspired Punjabi workers and students on the Pacific coast to work for the armed overthrow of British rule.

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Answer: (C) 1857

Explanation

• The University of Calcutta was founded on 24 January 1857 on the recommendation of Wood’s Despatch (1854).
• The universities of Bombay and Madras were also set up in 1857, all modelled on the University of London.

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Answer: (B) Harish Chandra Mukherjee

Explanation

• Harish Chandra Mukherjee, editor of the Hindoo Patriot, wholeheartedly championed the cause of the indigo cultivators during the Indigo Revolt (1859–60) in Bengal.
• He exposed the oppression of the European indigo planters and helped the ryots with money and advice.

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Answer: (D) Rangalal Bandopadhyay

Explanation

• Rangalal Bandopadhyay wrote the famous lines “Swadhinata-hinatay ke banchite chay re, ke banchite chay” in his narrative poem “Padmini Upakhyan” (1858).
• Based on the Rajput story of Queen Padmini of Chittor, the poem is regarded as one of the earliest expressions of patriotic sentiment in modern Bengali poetry.

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Answer: (D) Swami Vivekananda

Explanation

• Swami Vivekananda made this famous call in his lecture “The Future of India” delivered at Madras in 1897 after his return from the West.
• He urged Indians to make “our great Mother India” the only deity for the next fifty years; remarkably, India became independent in 1947, about fifty years later.

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Answer: (A) Surendranath Banerjea

Explanation

• Surendranath Banerjea founded the Indian Association at Calcutta in 1876 with Ananda Mohan Bose.
• Through it he led the first all-India political campaign on the Civil Service issue and paved the way for the Indian National Congress.

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Answer: (A) Barindra Ghosh

Explanation

• The revolutionary Bengali weekly Yugantar (Jugantar) was started in March 1906 in Calcutta by Barindra Kumar Ghosh along with Bhupendranath Dutta and Abinash Bhattacharya.
• It openly preached revolutionary action against British rule and gave its name to the Jugantar group of revolutionaries.
• The given key (A) Barindra Ghosh is the expected answer among these options, but note that many standard sources name Bhupendranath Dutta (not an option here) as the paper’s actual editor until his arrest in 1907.

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Answer: (C) Rabindranath Tagore

Explanation

• The lines “Bangalir ghore joto bhai bon, ek houk, ek houk, ek houk, he Bhagaban” form the closing prayer of Rabindranath Tagore’s song “Banglar mati, Banglar jol”.
• Tagore wrote it in 1905 during the anti-partition (Swadeshi) movement and it was sung on Raksha Bandhan day, 16 October 1905, when Bengal was partitioned.

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Answer: (A) Nawab Salimullah

Explanation

• Nawab Salimullah of Dacca is credited as the founder of the All India Muslim League, which he proposed at Dacca on 30 December 1906 during the session of the All India Muhammadan Educational Conference.
• He was a strong supporter of the Partition of Bengal and of separate political representation for Muslims.

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Answer: (A) Raja Rammohan Roy

Explanation

• Raja Rammohan Roy is called the “Father of Modern India” and the “Father of the Bengal Renaissance”.
• He founded the Brahmo Sabha in 1828, campaigned against Sati, which was abolished by Lord William Bentinck in 1829, and championed Western education, women’s rights and freedom of the press.

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Answer: (A) Bankim Chandra Chatterjee

Explanation

• “Bande Mataram” was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and included in his novel “Anandamath” (1882).
• It became the battle cry of the Swadeshi movement and was adopted as India’s National Song on 24 January 1950.

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Answer: (A) A. O. Hume

Explanation

• A. O. Hume (Allan Octavian Hume), a retired British civil servant, founded the Indian National Congress in 1885, and according to the “safety valve” theory he wanted it to act as a safety valve for the growing discontent among Indians.
• The theory rests largely on William Wedderburn’s biography of Hume and was later used by Lala Lajpat Rai to criticise the Moderates.

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Answer: (B) Nabagopal Mitra

Explanation

• The Hindu Mela, also called the National Mela (Jatiya Mela), was founded in 1867 by Nabagopal Mitra with the help of the Tagore family of Jorasanko.
• It promoted national pride, Swadeshi goods, indigenous arts and physical culture and was held annually until 1880.

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Answer: (B) Pramathanath Mitra (P. Mitra)

Explanation

• The Anushilan Samiti was founded in Calcutta on 24 March 1902 by barrister Pramathanath Mitra (P. Mitra) together with Satish Chandra Basu, who had organised the original youth club; P. Mitra was its first president and guiding spirit.
• Beginning as a physical culture society, it became the leading revolutionary organisation of Bengal.

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Answer: (A) Sir Syed Ahmad Khan

Explanation

• Sir Syed Ahmad Khan initiated the regeneration of Indian Muslims in the 19th century through the Aligarh Movement.
• He urged Muslims to adopt modern Western education and science, founded the MAO College at Aligarh in 1875, and promoted social reform.

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Answer: (D) Chittaranjan Das

Explanation

• Chittaranjan Das defended Aurobindo Ghosh in the Alipore Bomb Case (1908–09).
• His brilliant defence before Judge C. P. Beachcroft led to Aurobindo’s acquittal in May 1909, and it made C. R. Das famous as a lawyer and nationalist.

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Answer: (A) Ashwini Kumar Dutta

Explanation

• Ashwini Kumar Dutta founded the Swadesh Bandhab Samiti at Barisal in 1905 to spread the Swadeshi and Boycott movement.
• Through its village branches it mobilised peasants, promoted Swadeshi goods and settled disputes by arbitration.

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Answer: (B) Lord Curzon

Explanation

• The remark is attributed to Lord Curzon, who toured East Bengal in February 1904 to win Muslim support for the Partition of Bengal.
• In his speech at Dacca he said the new province would give the Muslims of Eastern Bengal a unity they had not enjoyed since the days of the old Muslim viceroys and kings; “I am giving you a Muslim province” is the popular exam version of this promise.

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Answer: (A) Maharashtra

Explanation

• The first signs of organised revolutionary activity in India appeared in Maharashtra.
• Vasudev Balwant Phadke led an armed rebellion in 1879, and in 1897 the Chapekar brothers shot dead the Plague Commissioner W. C. Rand at Poona, the first political assassination of a British officer after 1857.
• Note that some answer keys mark (B) Bengal, where revolutionary activity became strongest after 1905; standard texts, however, trace the earliest revolutionary activity to Maharashtra.

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Answer: (A) Lord Ripon

Explanation

• Lord Ripon (Viceroy 1880–1884) repealed Lord Lytton’s Vernacular Press Act in 1882.
• His liberal measures, including local self-government, made him one of the most popular Viceroys among Indians.

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Answer: (D) S. N. Banerjee

Explanation

• S. N. Banerjee (Surendranath Banerjea) founded the Indian Association in Calcutta in 1876 along with Ananda Mohan Bose.
• A powerful orator, he later led the anti-partition agitation of 1905 in Bengal.

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Answer: (D) Lord Ripon

Explanation

• The first Factory Act in India was passed in 1881 during the viceroyalty of Lord Ripon.
• It mainly regulated child labour, banning the employment of children below 7 years and limiting the working hours of children between 7 and 12.

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Answer: (B) Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Explanation

• Bal Gangadhar Tilak gave the famous slogan “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it”.
• He popularised it during the Home Rule Movement of 1916, and it became a rallying cry of Indian nationalism.

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Answer: (B) 1896

Explanation

• Bal Gangadhar Tilak started a no-tax campaign in Maharashtra in 1896 during the severe Deccan famine of 1896–97.
• Using the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, he urged peasants hit by crop failure not to pay land revenue, citing their rights under the Famine Relief Code.

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Answer: (B) The Bombay Millhands’ Association

Explanation

• The Bombay Millhands’ Association, organised in 1890 by N. M. Lokhande (Narayan Meghaji Lokhande), is regarded as the first labour association of India.
• It was not a regular trade union with members and funds, but it voiced mill workers’ demands for better working conditions.

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Answer: (D) W. C. Bonnerjee

Explanation

• W. C. Bonnerjee (Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee) presided over the first session of the Indian National Congress held at Bombay from 28 December 1885.
• The session was attended by 72 delegates and was organised by A. O. Hume.

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Answer: (D) Prafulla Chaki and Khudiram Bose

Explanation

• Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki threw a bomb at a carriage at Muzaffarpur (Bihar) on 30 April 1908, intending to kill Douglas Kingsford, the former Chief Presidency Magistrate of Calcutta.
• The bomb instead killed Mrs. and Miss Kennedy; Prafulla shot himself to avoid arrest, and Khudiram was hanged on 11 August 1908.

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Answer: (A) Sir Syed Ahmad Khan

Explanation

• Sir Syed Ahmad Khan founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh in 1875 to give Muslims a modern English education combined with Islamic learning.
• The college later became the Aligarh Muslim University (1920).

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Answer: (D) Lord Lytton

Explanation

• Lord Lytton (Viceroy 1876–1880), a gifted poet and diplomat, is the Viceroy usually described as a “Brilliant Failure”.
• His term saw the Great Famine of 1876–78, the lavish Delhi Durbar of 1877, the Vernacular Press Act and Arms Act of 1878, and the Second Anglo-Afghan War, all of which deepened Indian discontent.
• Some sources mark (A) Lord Curzon, but the correct answer is (D) Lord Lytton: standard textbooks and WBCS answer keys use the label for Lytton, even though Curzon’s viceroyalty was also sometimes called a “brilliant failure” (for example, in a 1925 obituary).

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Answer: (A) 1893

Explanation

• The World’s Parliament of Religions was held at Chicago in 1893, from 11 to 27 September, as part of the World’s Columbian Exposition.
• Swami Vivekananda won international fame there with his opening address, which began “Sisters and Brothers of America”.

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Answer: (B) Lord Ripon

Explanation

• Lord Ripon (Viceroy 1880–1884) is known as the “Father of Local Self-Government in India”.
• His Resolution of 18 May 1882 set up elected local boards and municipalities with non-official majorities and elected chairmen, and it is called the Magna Carta of local self-government.

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Answer: (A) Shibli Nomani

Explanation

• The Nadwat-ul-Ulama was a council of Muslim scholars set up at Kanpur in 1893–94 to reform Islamic education and bridge the gap between Deoband orthodoxy and Aligarh modernism.
• Maulana Shibli Nomani was one of its chief founders and its leading intellectual force.
• The key is accepted, but note that many histories name Maulana Muhammad Ali Mungeri, its first manager (Nazim), as the principal founder; he is not among the options.

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Answer: (A) Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Explanation

• The Mahratta was an English weekly started at Poona in January 1881 by Bal Gangadhar Tilak along with Gopal Ganesh Agarkar and Vishnushastri Chiplunkar.
• Together with its Marathi sister paper Kesari, it became the main voice of militant nationalism in western India.

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Answer: (A) Aurobindo Ghosh

Explanation

• “New Lamps for Old” was a series of articles written by Aurobindo Ghosh in 1893–94 in the Bombay Anglo-Marathi paper Indu Prakash.
• In them he attacked the Moderate leadership of the Congress for its “mendicant” politics of prayer and petition.
• They are among the earliest critiques of the Moderates.

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Answer: (A) Nabagopal Mitra

Explanation

• The Hindu Mela (also called the Chaitra Mela or Jatiya Mela) was founded in 1867 by Nabagopal Mitra with the support of the Tagore family, notably Ganendranath Tagore.
• It was held every year to promote national pride, self-help, indigenous arts and crafts, and physical culture.

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Answer: (B) 1861

Explanation

• The paper first appeared on 3 November 1838 as “The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce”.
• It took the name “The Times of India” in 1861, after merging with the Bombay Standard and the Telegraph and Courier, so 1861 is the expected answer.
• In other words, the paper itself dates from 1838 but has been published under its present name since 1861.

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Answer: (C) 1911

Explanation

• The Partition of Bengal carried out by Lord Curzon in 1905 was withdrawn in 1911.
• King George V announced its annulment at the Delhi Durbar of 12 December 1911, during the viceroyalty of Lord Hardinge II, and also announced that the capital would move from Calcutta to Delhi.

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Answer: (A) G. V. Joshi

Explanation

• The key G. V. Joshi is accepted.
• Ganesh Vasudeo Joshi (1828–1880), a Poona lawyer and public worker, was popularly called “Sarvajanik Kaka” for his tireless work for the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, and the “Kaka” in this question refers to that nickname.
• Note that the title “Kakasaheb” is more often used for Kaka Kalelkar or N. V. Gadgil, neither of whom is an option.

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Answer: (C) 1911

Explanation

• Calcutta remained the capital of British India until 1911, when King George V announced at the Delhi Durbar (12 December 1911) that the capital would move to Delhi.
• The key is accepted as standard.
• Note that the Government of India actually began working from Delhi in 1912, which is why some books give 1912.

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Answer: (C) Mrs. Annie Besant

Explanation

• The Central Hindu School (with the Central Hindu College) was founded at Benaras in 1898 by Mrs. Annie Besant with Theosophist colleagues.
• It aimed to combine modern education with Hindu religious and moral teaching.
• The college later became the nucleus of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya.

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Answer: (A) 1885

Explanation

• The Bengal Tenancy Act was passed in 1885 under Viceroy Lord Dufferin.
• It gave occupancy rights to any ryot who had held land in a village for 12 years and limited the zamindars’ power to raise rents and evict tenants.
• It was passed after peasant unrest such as the Pabna Revolt (1873–76).

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Answer: (A) Dadabhai Naoroji

Explanation

• The second session of the Indian National Congress was held at Calcutta in December 1886 and was presided over by Dadabhai Naoroji.
• About 434 delegates attended, far more than the 72 at the first session.
• The Indian National Conference merged with the Congress around this time.

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Answer: (A) Dayanand Saraswati

Explanation

• The key Dayanand Saraswati is accepted.
• Founder of the Arya Samaj (1875), he gave the slogan “Back to the Vedas” and is regarded as one of the foremost spokesmen of Hindu revivalism.
• Note that some WBCS answer keys mark Swami Vivekananda (option B), who is also often described in such terms, so the question is open to dispute.

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Answer: (C) Lord Ripon

Explanation

• “Judge me by my acts and not by my words” was said by Lord Ripon (Viceroy 1880–1884) in his first public statement after arriving in India.
• It expressed his commitment to a liberal policy, which he went on to follow.
• Some sources mark (B) Lord Curzon, but the correct answer is (C) Lord Ripon: the remark is consistently attributed to Ripon in standard sources and WBCS solved papers.

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Answer: (B) Surendranath Banerjea

Explanation

• Surendranath Banerjea made the famous pledge to “unsettle the settled fact” of the Partition of Bengal (the source’s “settled last” is a misprint for “settled fact”).
• The Secretary of State John Morley had called the partition a “settled fact”, and Surendranath vowed to fight it.
• His campaign succeeded when the partition was annulled in 1911.

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Answer: (A) San Francisco

Explanation

• The Ghadar (Gadar) Party was founded in 1913 by Indian immigrants, mostly Punjabi Sikhs, on the Pacific coast of North America, with its headquarters at San Francisco (USA).
• Its founding meeting was held at Astoria, Oregon, and its office, the Yugantar Ashram, was in San Francisco.
• Sohan Singh Bhakna was its president and Lala Har Dayal its secretary.

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Answer: (C) 1905

Explanation

• The first Partition of Bengal took place in 1905 under Lord Curzon.
• It was announced in July 1905 and came into effect on 16 October 1905, splitting off Eastern Bengal and Assam, with Dacca as its capital.
• The partition sparked the Swadeshi Movement and was annulled in 1911.
• Bengal was partitioned a second time in 1947.

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Answer: (A) Royal Titles Act, 1876

Explanation

• Queen Victoria became Empress of India under the Royal Titles Act, 1876, passed by the British Parliament when Benjamin Disraeli was Prime Minister.
• The new title, Kaisar-i-Hind, was proclaimed at the Delhi Durbar of 1 January 1877 under Lord Lytton.

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Answer: (A) Ajit Singh

Explanation

• “Bharat Mata” was published by Sardar Ajit Singh, the Punjabi revolutionary and uncle of Bhagat Singh.
• Along with Sufi Amba Prasad he ran the Bharat Mata Society (Anjuman-i-Mohibban-i-Watan) and the Bharat Mata Book Agency, which spread nationalist literature in Punjab.

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Answer: (B) Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Explanation

• “Swaraj is my birth-right and I must have it” is the famous slogan of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, popularised during the Home Rule Movement of 1916.
• In Marathi it reads “Swarajya ha maza janmasiddha hakka ahe ani to mi milvinarach”.
• The slogan made Tilak the leading symbol of militant (Extremist) nationalism.

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Answer: (C) Bhikaji Rustom Cama (Madam Bhikaji Cama)

Explanation

• Madame Bhikaji Rustom Cama is called the “Mother of Indian Revolution”.
• A Parsi from Bombay, she worked for India’s freedom from Paris and London, published revolutionary literature, and in 1907 unfurled an early Indian national flag at Stuttgart, Germany.

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Answer: (B) Chittaranjan Das

Explanation

• Chittaranjan Das defended Sri Aurobindo in the Alipore Bomb Case (1908–09).
• His brilliant defence led to Aurobindo’s acquittal in May 1909 and made C. R. Das one of India’s most famous barristers.

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Answer: (B) Sri Aurobindo

Explanation

• The patriotic line “If to love my country is a crime, I am a criminal” is attributed in standard WBCS and Bengali sources to Sri Aurobindo.
• It sums up his stand during his sedition and Alipore trials, where he declared that if preaching the ideal of freedom for his country was against the law, he pleaded guilty.
• Some keys mark (D) Brahmabandhab Upadhyay, and for the similar WBCS 2001 question some answer keys mark C. R. Das, Aurobindo’s defence counsel; the attribution is therefore disputed, but (B) Sri Aurobindo is retained as the most widely accepted answer.
• Brahmabandhab’s 1907 court statement, though similarly defiant, used different words.

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Answer: (C) Madan Lal Dhingra

Explanation

• Madan Lal Dhingra was the first Indian revolutionary to be executed in the United Kingdom.
• On 1 July 1909 he shot dead Sir William Hutt Curzon Wyllie, political aide-de-camp to the Secretary of State for India, in London, and he was hanged at Pentonville Prison on 17 August 1909.

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Answer: (D) Bhupendra Nath Datta

Explanation

• The revolutionary Bengali weekly Yugantar (Jugantar) was started in March 1906 by Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Bhupendranath Datta and Abinash Bhattacharya.
• Its editor was Bhupendranath Datta.
• When the paper was prosecuted for sedition in 1907, he accepted responsibility as editor and was sentenced to one year’s rigorous imprisonment. The key (D) is correct.
• Some keys (including WBCS 2008, where Bhupendranath was not an option) mark Barindra Ghosh, who was the paper’s founder and moving spirit.

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Answer: (A) U.S.A.

Explanation

• The Ghadar (Gadar) Party was formed in the U.S.A. in 1913 by Indian immigrants on the Pacific coast, with its headquarters at San Francisco.
• Led by Sohan Singh Bhakna and Lala Har Dayal, it aimed to end British rule in India through armed revolt.

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Answer: (A) Sir Syed Ahmad Khan

Explanation

• Sir Syed Ahmad Khan is regarded as the father of the Two-Nation Theory.
• In his speeches opposing the Congress, especially at Lucknow (December 1887) and Meerut (1888), he described Hindus and Muslims as two separate nations.
• Muhammad Iqbal (1930) and M. A. Jinnah (1940) later developed the idea into the demand for Pakistan, but the theory is traced back to Sir Syed.

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Answer: (B) Lord Canning

Explanation

• Lord Canning introduced the portfolio system in 1859, assigning each member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council charge of a particular department.
• The Indian Councils Act, 1861 gave the system legal sanction.
• It became the basis of the cabinet system of the Government of India.

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Answer: (D) Sisir Kumar Ghosh

Explanation

• The Amrita Bazar Patrika was founded in 1868 by Sisir Kumar Ghosh with his brother Motilal Ghosh.
• It started as a Bengali weekly from the village of Amrita Bazar in Jessore district.
• In 1878 it famously switched overnight to English to escape Lord Lytton’s Vernacular Press Act.

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Answer: (A) 1905

Explanation

• The Railway Board was set up in 1905, during Lord Curzon’s viceroyalty, to manage India’s railways on commercial lines.
• It was created on the recommendation of Sir Thomas Robertson, who had been appointed in 1901 to review railway administration.

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