Q. The ‘Swadeshi’ and ‘Boycott’ were adopted as methods of struggle for the first time during the

(a) Agitation against the Partition of Bengal

(b) Home Rule Movement

(c) Non-Cooperation Movement

(d) Visit of the Simon Commission to India

Answer: (a) Agitation against the Partition of Bengal

Notes:
  • Partition of Bengal in 1905:
    • When Lord Curzon, then Viceroy of India, announced the partition of Bengal in July 1905, Indian National Congress, initiated the Swadeshi movement in Bengal. 
    • Swadeshi movement was launched as a protest movement which also gave a lead to the Boycott movement in the country.
    • Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai are the key people in the swadeshi movement.
    • The Partition was aimed for administration purposes but in fact is treated as divide and rule policy and further agitated people, who perceived that it was a deliberate attempt to divide the Bengal Presidency on religious grounds, with a Muslim majority in the east and a Hindu majority in the west, thereby weakening the nationalist cause.
  • Home rule movement:
    • Its objective is to establish self-government 
    • Tilak started the movement in April 1916 at Belgaum, while Annie Besant started in September 1916 at Adyar, Madras.
    • Tilak’s movement was confined to Maharashtra and Karnataka, And the Annie Besant movement spread to other parts of India.
    • The All India Home league ended in 1920 when it elected Mahatma Gandhi as its President and when it merged into the Indian National Congress.
    • In 1920, All India Home Rule League changed its name to Swarajya Sabha.
  • Non-cooperation Movement:
    • The non-cooperation movement by Gandhiji was followed from September 1920 to February 1922. 
    • The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in Amritsar in 1919 was one of the major reasons for the start of the Non-cooperation movement.
    • The Chauri Chaura incident occurred at Chauri Chaura in the Gorakhpur district (Uttar Pradesh) on 4 February 1922, when a large group of protesters, participating in the Non-cooperation movement, clashed with police, who opened fire.
    • As the incident turned violent Mahatma Gandhi called off the ‘Non-cooperation Movement’ on 12 February 1922, as a direct result of this incident.
  • Simon commission:
    • Lord Birkenhead appointed the Simon Commission in 1927 to look after the working of the Government of India Act 1919 and had challenged Indians to frame their constitution.
    • The challenge thrown by Birkenhead led to the drafting of the Nehru report in 1928.
    • Simon Commission is known as the Indian Statutory Commission.
    • John Simon was the head of the commission.
    • All the 7 members of the commission were Britishers. There was no Indian representation in the commission.
    • All the political parties except the Justice party and a section of the Muslim league opposed the commission.
    • In Punjab, Lala Lajpat Rai lost his life in protest against the commission.

Q. Satya Shodhak Samaj organized

(a) a movement for upliftment of tribals in Bihar.

(b) a temple-entry movement in Gujarat.

(c) an anti-caste movement in Maharashtra.

(d) a peasant movement in Punjab.

Answer: (c) an anti-caste movement in Maharashtra.

Satyashodhak Samaj:
  • Satyashodhak Samaj translates to “Truth-Seeking Society” in English.
  • It was a social reform movement founded by Mahatma Jyotirao Phule in 1873.
  • The Samaj’s primary goal was to advocate for the rights of marginalized groups, particularly women, Shudras, and Dalits, and to challenge the oppressive caste system and religious hierarchy.
  • Jyotirao’s wife Savitribai was the head of women’s section of the society.
  • The Samaj disbanded during the 1930s as leaders left to join the Indian National Congress party.

Q. The Montague-Chelmsford Proposals were related to

(a) social reforms

(b) educational reforms

(c) reforms in police administration

(d) constitutional reforms

Answer: (d) constitutional reforms

Montague-Chelmsford Reforms or the Government of India act, 1919:
  • In line with the government policy contained in Montagu’s statement (August 1917), the Government announced further constitutional reforms in July 1918, known as Montagu- Chelmsford or Montford Reforms.
  • The Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms were reforms introduced by the British Government in India to introduce self-governing institutions gradually to India. The reforms take their name from Edwin Samuel Montagu, the Secretary of State for India during the latter parts of World War I and Lord Chelmsford, Viceroy of India between 1916 and 1921.
  • The reforms were outlined in the Montagu-Chelmsford Report prepared in 1918 and formed the basis of the Government of India Act 1919.
The main features of the Montford Reforms 

(1) Provincial Government—Introduction of Dyarchy:

  • (a) Executive:
    • Dyarchy, i.e., rule of two—executive councillors and popular ministers—was introduced. The governor was to be the executive head in the province.
    • Subjects were divided into two lists: “reserved” which included subjects such as law and order, finance, land revenue, irrigation, etc., and “transferred” subjects such as education, health, local government, industry, agriculture, excise, etc.
    • The “reserved” subjects were to be administered by the governor through his executive council of bureaucrats, and the “transferred” subjects were to be administered by ministers nominated from among the elected members of the legislative council.
    • The ministers were to be responsible to the legislature and had to resign if a no-confidence motion was passed against them by the legislature, while the executive councilors were not to be responsible to the legislature.
    • In case of failure of constitutional machinery in the province the governor could take over the administration of “transferred” subjects also.
    • The secretary of state and the governor-general could interfere in respect of “reserved” subjects while in respect of the “transferred” subjects; the scope for their interference was restricted.
  • (b) Legislature:
    • Provincial Legislative Councils were further expanded—70% of the members were to be elected.
    • The system of communal and class electorates was further consolidated.
    • Women were also given the right to vote.
    • The Legislative Councils could initiate legislation but the governor’s assent was required. The governor could veto bills and issue ordinances.
    • The Legislative Councils could reject the budget but the governor could restore it, if necessary.
    • The legislators enjoyed freedom of speech.

(2) Central Government—Still Without Responsible Government:

  • (a) Executive:
    • The governor-general was to be the chief executive authority.
    • There were to be two lists for administration– central and provincial.
    • In the viceroy’s executive council of 8, three were to be Indians.
    • The governor-general retained full control over the “reserved” subjects in the provinces.
    • The governor-general could restore cuts in grants, certify bills rejected by the Central Legislature,summon, prorogue, dissolve the Chambers, and issue ordinances.
  • (b) Legislature:
    • A bicameral arrangement was introduced. The lower house or Central Legislative Assembly would consist of 144 members (41 nominated and 103 elected—52 General, 30 Muslims, 2 Sikhs, 20 Special) and the upper house or Council of State would have 60 members (26 nominated and 34 elected—20 General, 10 Muslims, 3 Europeans and 1 Sikh).
    • The Council of State had tenure of 5 years and had only male members, while the Central Legislative Assembly had tenure of 3 years.
    • The legislators could ask questions and supplementaries pass adjournment motions and vote a part of the budget, but 75% of the budget was still not votable.
    • Some Indians found their way into important committees including finance.
  • The secretary of state would control affairs relating to Government of India
  • In 1921 another change recommended by the report was carried out when elected local councils were set up in rural areas, and during the 1920s urban municipal corporations were made more democratic and “Indianized.

(3) Review:

  • The Montagu-Chelmsford report stated that there should be a review after 10 years.
  • Sir John Simon headed the committee (Simon Commission) responsible for the review which recommended further constitutional change.
  • Three round table conferences were held in London in 1930, 1931 and 1932 with representation of the major interests. Gandhi attended the 1931 round table after negotiations with the British Government. The major disagreement between Congress and the British was separate electorates for each community which Congress opposed but which were retained in Ramsay MacDonald’s Communal Award.
  • A new Government of India Act 1935 was passed continuing the move towards self-government first made in the Montagu-Chelmsford Report.

Q. Consider the following:

  1. Calcutta Unitarian Committee
  2. Tabernacle of New Dispensation
  3. Indian Reform Association

Keshab Chandra Sen is associated with the establishment of which of the above?

(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only

Notes:
  • Keshab Chandra Sen was a social reformer from Bengal.
    • In 1856 he became a member of the Brahmo Samaj.
    • On 24th January 1868 Keshab Chandra Sen laid the foundation stone of his mandir called the Tabernacle of New Dispensation.
    • Keshab and his followes marched to the proposed spot early in the morning performing sankirtan and this was the first Brahmo street procession and it was the first of its kind in Calcutta. Adi Samaj condemned it as a degradation of Brahmoism.
    • He was also part of the Indian reform association.
      • Its objective also included to create public opinion against child marriage, get Brahmo form of marriage legalized, promote the status of women.
      • The Indian reform association strived to legalize Brahmo marriage and to fix the minimum age of marriage.
  • The Calcutta Unitarian Committee, founded in 1821 by Raja Ram Mohan Roy and William Adam, aimed to promote religious monotheism and social reform.
    • It brought together prominent Brahmins who were friends of Roy and supporters of his agenda.
    • The committee also sought to create public opinion against child marriage, promote the status of women, and legalize the Brahmo form of marriage.

Q. What was the main reason for the split in the Indian National Congress at Surat in 1907?

(a) Introduction of communalism into Indian politics by Lord Minto

(b) Extremists’ lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British Government

(c) Foundation of Muslim League

(d) Aurobindo Ghosh’s inability to be elected as the President of the Indian National Congress

Answer: (b) Extremists’ lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British Government

Notes:
  • Rash Behari Ghosh was the president of the Surat session of Congress in 1907.
  • Indian National Congress split into two groups i.e. moderates and extremists at the Surat in 1907.
  • The two main objectives placed by the extremists in the 1907 surat session were:
    • Lala Lajpat Rai to be made the President of the INC and Demand for the resolution of Swaraj and these two demands were not accepted by the moderates.
    • Instead of Lala Lajpat Rai, the moderates supported the idea of Rash Behari Ghosh as the President of the 1907 INC session of Surat.
  • Extremist’s lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British Government was the main reason for the split in the Indian National Congress at Surat in 1907.

Q. The plan of Sir Stafford Cripps envisaged that after the Second World War

(a) India should be granted complete independence.

(b) India should be partitioned into two before granting independence.

(c) India should be made a republic with the condition that she will join the Commonwealth.

(d) India should be given Dominion status.

Answer: (d) India should be given Dominion status.

Cripps Mission:
  • The Cripps Mission was a failed attempt in late March 1942 by the British government to secure full Indian cooperation and support for their efforts in World War II.
  • The mission was headed by a senior minister Stafford Cripps. Cripps belonged to the left-wing Labour Party, which was traditionally sympathetic to Indian self-rule, but he was also a member of the coalition War Cabinet led by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who had long been the leader of the movement to block Indian independence.
  • Few proposals of this mission are:
    • During the war, the British would retain their hold on India. Once the war finished, India would be granted dominion status with complete external and internal autonomy. It would, however, be associated with the United Kingdom and other Dominions by a common allegiance to the Crown.
    • At the end of the war, a Constituent Assembly would be set up with the power to frame the future constitution of India. The members of the assembly were to be elected based on proportional representation by the provincial assemblies. The Princely States would also be given representation in the Constituent Assembly.
    • The provinces not agreeing to the new constitution would have the right to keep themselves out of the proposed Union. Such provinces would also be entitled to create their own separate Union. The British government would also invite them to join the commonwealth.
    • During the war, an interim government comprising of different parties of India would be constituted. However, defence and external affairs would be the sole responsibility of the viceroy.
  • Gandhi called Cripps Mission ‘A post-dated cheque drawn on a failing bank’ due to the Cripps offer of Dominion Status after the war.