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Master Modern India (Freedom Struggle, 1857 Revolt, Gandhi Era) for SSC CGL
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60 min readGK: HistoryWeightage: High
Modern Indian History: Freedom Struggle & Gandhian Era
Modern Indian History, focusing on the Indian National Movement from the 1857 Revolt to India's Independence in 1947, is one of the highest weightage sections in the SSC CGL General Awareness syllabus. This module covers critical milestones, chronological events, viceroy reforms, and high-yield study notes.
Learning path
- The Revolt of 1857 -> Causes & Leaders
- Rise of Congress -> Moderates & Extremists
- Gandhian Era (1915 - 1947) Satyagrahas
- 20 Solved Practice Questions
1. The Revolt of 1857 (First War of Independence)
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857 in Meerut. It soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions, primarily in the north and central regions of India.
Key Leaders and Centers of Revolt
| Center of Revolt | Indian Leader | British Suppressor |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Bahadur Shah II (nominal) & General Bakht Khan | John Nicholson, Hudson |
| Kanpur | Nana Sahib, Tantia Tope, Azimullah Khan | Colin Campbell |
| Lucknow | Begum Hazrat Mahal | Henry Lawrence, Colin Campbell |
| Jhansi & Gwalior | Rani Laxmibai & Tantia Tope | Hugh Rose |
| Bihar (Jagdishpur) | Kunwar Singh & Amar Singh | William Taylor, Vincent Eyre |
| Faizabad | Maulvi Ahmadullah | Colin Campbell |
Impact and Consequences
- End of Company Rule: The British Crown took direct control of the administration via the Government of India Act 1858.
- Viceroy Title: The Governor-General of India was given the title of Viceroy. Lord Canning became the first Viceroy of India.
- Army Reorganisation: The proportion of European to Indian soldiers was increased, and the concept of "martial" and "non-martial" races was introduced.
2. The Rise of Indian Nationalism (1885-1918)
Foundation of INC
The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded in December 1885 by retired civil servant Allan Octavian Hume (A.O. Hume). The first session was held in Bombay at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, presided over by W.C. Bonnerjee, and attended by 72 delegates. Lord Dufferin was the Viceroy at that time.
Moderate Phase (1885-1905)
Method: Constitutional agitation, petitions, prayers, and meetings.
- Key Leaders: Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Surendranath Banerjee.
- Dadabhai Naoroji wrote "Poverty and Un-British Rule in India" and presented the "Drain Theory".
Extremist Phase (1905-1919)
Method: Boycott, Swadeshi, national education, and passive resistance.
- Key Leaders: Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal (Lal-Bal-Pal), Aurobindo Ghosh.
- Tilak declared: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!"
Important Milestones
- Partition of Bengal (1905): Executed by Lord Curzon on the grounds of administrative convenience, which triggered the Swadeshi Movement. It was annulled in 1911 by Lord Hardinge II.
- Surat Split (1907): The INC split into Moderates and Extremists over differences in methods. It was presided over by Rash Behari Ghosh.
- Lucknow Pact (1916): Extremists rejoined INC under the leadership of Tilak and Annie Besant. Joint pact signed between INC and Muslim League.
- Home Rule League Movement (1916): Launched independently by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant to demand self-government.
3. The Gandhian Era (1915 - 1947)
Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa on 9 January 1915 (celebrated as NRI Day / Pravasi Bharatiya Divas). His political mentor was Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
Early Satyagrahas
- Champaran Satyagraha (1917 - Bihar): Gandhi's first Satyagraha in India against the Tinkathia system (compulsory indigo cultivation on 3/20th of land). Raj Kumar Shukla invited him.
- Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918): Gandhi's first hunger strike over wages and plague bonus for mill workers.
- Kheda Satyagraha (1918): First non-cooperation movement in support of peasants who could not pay high land revenue due to crop failure.
Major National Movements
- Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922): Launched in response to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and Rowlatt Act. Suspended due to the Chauri Chaura Incident in Gorakhpur district, UP (Feb 1922) where a violent mob set fire to a police station.
- Civil Disobedience Movement (1930): Initiated with the Dandi March (12 March to 6 April 1930) from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi. Gandhi broke the salt law with 78 volunteers (covering 240 miles).
- Quit India Movement (1942): Launched on 8 August 1942 at Gowalia Tank Maidan, Bombay. Gandhi gave the call "Do or Die" (Karo ya Maro).
4. High-Yield British Reforms & Acts
- Morley-Minto Reforms (1909): Introduced separate electorates for Muslims. Lord Minto is known as the Father of Separate Electorate.
- Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919): Introduced dyarchy (rule of two) in provinces and bicameral legislature at the centre.
- Government of India Act 1935: Proposed an All-India Federation, abolished dyarchy at the provincial level and introduced it at the central level. Provided for a Federal Court (set up in 1937).
- Mountbatten Plan (3 June 1947): Outlined the partition of British India into India and Pakistan.
5. Practice Questions (20 Premium Solved Questions)
Question 01CGL Pattern
Who was the Viceroy of India when the Indian National Congress was founded in 1885?
A) Lord Canning
B) Lord Dufferin
C) Lord Curzon
D) Lord Mayo
Correct answer: B) Lord Dufferin
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: The Indian National Congress (INC) was established in December 1885.
Step 2: Lord Dufferin served as the Governor-General and Viceroy of India from 1884 to 1888.
Step 3: Lord Canning was the Viceroy in 1858; Lord Curzon was Viceroy during the 1905 Partition of Bengal.
Conclusion: The correct option is B.
Question 02CGL Pattern
Which Indian nationalist leader declared: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!"?
A) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
B) Lala Lajpat Rai
C) Subhas Chandra Bose
D) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Correct answer: A) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: This famous slogan was given during the Home Rule movement.
Step 2: Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Lokmanya Tilak) was one of the prominent extremist leaders who popularized Swaraj.
Step 3: Gokhale was a moderate leader, and Lajpat Rai was part of the Lal-Bal-Pal trio.
Conclusion: Option A is correct.
Question 03CGL Pattern
Who led the Revolt of 1857 in Bihar (Jagdishpur)?
A) Nana Sahib
B) Kunwar Singh
C) Khan Bahadur
D) Tantia Tope
Correct answer: B) Kunwar Singh
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: Nana Sahib and Tantia Tope led the revolt in Kanpur.
Step 2: Kunwar Singh, a local Zamindar of Jagdishpur in Arrah district, Bihar, led the rebellion in Bihar.
Step 3: Khan Bahadur led the revolt in Bareilly.
Conclusion: Option B is the correct match.
Question 04CGL Pattern
Under whose Viceroyalty was the Partition of Bengal executed in 1905?
A) Lord Hardinge II
B) Lord Lytton
C) Lord Curzon
D) Lord Ripon
Correct answer: C) Lord Curzon
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: The Partition of Bengal was announced in July 1905 and implemented on 16 October 1905.
Step 2: Lord Curzon was the Viceroy who initiated this partition on administrative and political grounds to curb nationalism.
Step 3: The partition was later annulled by Lord Hardinge II in 1911.
Conclusion: Option C is correct.
Question 05CGL Pattern
In which year did Mahatma Gandhi return to India from South Africa?
A) 1915
B) 1916
C) 1917
D) 1914
Correct answer: A) 1915
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: Mahatma Gandhi returned to India on 9 January 1915.
Step 2: This day is celebrated as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to commemorate the contribution of the overseas Indian community.
Conclusion: Option A is correct.
Question 06CGL Pattern
The Lucknow Pact of 1916 was signed between whom?
A) Moderates and Extremists
B) Indian National Congress and the Muslim League
C) British Government and INC
D) Swaraj Party and INC
Correct answer: B) Indian National Congress and the Muslim League
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: The Lucknow Pact was a joint agreement between the INC and the All India Muslim League.
Step 2: It was signed during the annual sessions of both parties in Lucknow in 1916.
Step 3: It was facilitated by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Conclusion: Option B is correct.
Question 07CGL Pattern
Which satyagraha was Gandhiji's first mass movement in India against the forced indigo cultivation?
A) Kheda Satyagraha
B) Champaran Satyagraha
C) Ahmedabad Mill Strike
D) Rowlatt Satyagraha
Correct answer: B) Champaran Satyagraha
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 in Bihar was Gandhi's first Satyagraha in India.
Step 2: It targeted the oppressive Tinkathia system where peasants were forced to cultivate Indigo on 3/20th of their land.
Conclusion: Option B is correct.
Question 08CGL Pattern
Why was the Non-Cooperation Movement suspended by Mahatma Gandhi in 1922?
A) Due to the Rowlatt Act
B) Due to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
C) Due to the Chauri Chaura Incident
D) Due to Gandhi's arrest
Correct answer: C) Due to the Chauri Chaura Incident
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: The Non-Cooperation Movement began in 1920.
Step 2: On 4 February 1922, a clash at Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur led to the burning of a police station and deaths of 22 policemen.
Step 3: Committed to non-violence, Gandhi withdrew the movement on 12 February 1922.
Conclusion: Option C is correct.
Question 09CGL Pattern
Who was the first Governor-General / Viceroy of India under the British Crown after the Government of India Act 1858?
A) Lord William Bentinck
B) Lord Dalhousie
C) Lord Canning
D) Lord Mountbatten
Correct answer: C) Lord Canning
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: The Government of India Act 1858 abolished East India Company rule.
Step 2: It created the post of Viceroy of India to act as the direct representative of the Crown.
Step 3: Lord Canning, who was the Governor-General during the 1857 Revolt, became the first Viceroy.
Conclusion: Option C is correct.
Question 10CGL Pattern
In which INC session did the split between Moderates and Extremists take place?
A) Surat Session (1907)
B) Bombay Session (1885)
C) Calcutta Session (1906)
D) Lahore Session (1929)
Correct answer: A) Surat Session (1907)
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: The Surat split occurred in 1907 due to disputes over the presidential candidate and methods of protest.
Step 2: The session was presided over by Rash Behari Ghosh.
Step 3: The Extremists were expelled from the congress and only returned in 1916.
Conclusion: Option A is correct.
Question 11CGL Pattern
Who was the founder of the 'Servants of India Society' in 1905?
A) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
B) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
C) Dadabhai Naoroji
D) Lala Lajpat Rai
Correct answer: B) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: The Servants of India Society was formed in Pune, Maharashtra in 1905.
Step 2: Its objective was to train Indians to devote themselves to the service of the country.
Step 3: It was founded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Gandhi's political mentor.
Conclusion: Option B is correct.
Question 12CGL Pattern
Who wrote the famous book 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India'?
A) R.C. Dutt
B) Dadabhai Naoroji
C) M.G. Ranade
D) Bipin Chandra Pal
Correct answer: B) Dadabhai Naoroji
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: Dadabhai Naoroji, known as the 'Grand Old Man of India', wrote this book.
Step 2: In this book, he formulated the 'Drain of Wealth' theory, explaining how Britain drained India's economic resources.
Conclusion: Option B is correct.
Question 13CGL Pattern
The Dandi March by Mahatma Gandhi marks the beginning of which movement?
A) Non-Cooperation Movement
B) Civil Disobedience Movement
C) Quit India Movement
D) Khilafat Movement
Correct answer: B) Civil Disobedience Movement
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: The Dandi March began on 12 March 1930 and ended on 6 April 1930.
Step 2: Gandhi broke the salt law at Dandi, initiating the Civil Disobedience Movement across the nation.
Conclusion: Option B is correct.
Question 14CGL Pattern
Who was the British Viceroy of India when the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre took place in 1919?
A) Lord Chelmsford
B) Lord Irwin
C) Lord Reading
D) Lord Curzon
Correct answer: A) Lord Chelmsford
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre occurred on 13 April 1919 in Amritsar.
Step 2: Lord Chelmsford served as Viceroy from 1916 to 1921.
Step 3: This period coincided with the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919.
Conclusion: Option A is correct.
Question 15CGL Pattern
Who was elected the President of the Indian National Congress in the famous Tripuri Session of 1939, defeating Pattabhi Sitaramayya?
A) Jawaharlal Nehru
B) Subhas Chandra Bose
C) Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
D) J.B. Kripalani
Correct answer: B) Subhas Chandra Bose
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: In the Haripura Session (1938), Bose was elected president unanimously.
Step 2: In the Tripuri Session (1939), Bose ran again and defeated Pattabhi Sitaramayya, who was supported by Mahatma Gandhi.
Step 3: Due to ideological differences with the Congress Working Committee, Bose later resigned and founded the Forward Bloc.
Conclusion: Option B is correct.
Question 16CGL Pattern
What was the main purpose of the Simon Commission sent to India in 1928?
A) To partition India
B) To inquire into the working of the Government of India Act 1919
C) To suppress the revolutionary activities
D) To recommend educational reforms
Correct answer: B) To inquire into the working of the Government of India Act 1919
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: The Simon Commission (consisting of 7 British MPs) was appointed in 1927 and arrived in 1928.
Step 2: Its mandate was to review the constitutional system under the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms (1919 Act).
Step 3: It was boycotted by Indians because there was not a single Indian member in it ('White Commission').
Conclusion: Option B is correct.
Question 17CGL Pattern
Which Act introduced separate electorates for Muslims in British India?
A) Government of India Act 1919
B) Indian Councils Act 1909
C) Government of India Act 1935
D) Charter Act 1853
Correct answer: B) Indian Councils Act 1909
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: The Indian Councils Act 1909 is also known as the Morley-Minto Reforms.
Step 2: It introduced a system of communal representation by giving separate electorates to Muslims.
Step 3: Lord Minto was the Viceroy, and Lord Morley was the Secretary of State.
Conclusion: Option B is correct.
Question 18CGL Pattern
Who was the leader of the Bardoli Satyagraha in 1928, where he earned the title 'Sardar'?
A) Vallabhbhai Patel
B) Mahatma Gandhi
C) Mahadev Desai
D) Rajendra Prasad
Correct answer: A) Vallabhbhai Patel
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: The Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928 in Gujarat was a peasant movement against land revenue increases.
Step 2: It was led by Vallabhbhai Patel.
Step 3: The women of Bardoli bestowed the title 'Sardar' (Leader) upon him for his leadership.
Conclusion: Option A is correct.
Question 19CGL Pattern
Who was the Viceroy of India during the Quit India Movement in 1942?
A) Lord Linlithgow
B) Lord Wavell
C) Lord Mountbatten
D) Lord Willingdon
Correct answer: A) Lord Linlithgow
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: The Quit India Movement started in August 1942.
Step 2: Lord Linlithgow was the Viceroy of India from 1936 to 1943, which is the longest tenure for a Viceroy.
Conclusion: Option A is correct.
Question 20CGL Pattern
Which British plan or mission proposed the creation of a Constituent Assembly of India in 1946?
A) Cripps Mission
B) Cabinet Mission Plan
C) Mountbatten Plan
D) Wavel Plan
Correct answer: B) Cabinet Mission Plan
Step-by-step Solution
Step 1: The Cabinet Mission arrived in India in March 1946.
Step 2: It consisted of Pethick-Lawrence, Stafford Cripps, and A.V. Alexander.
Step 3: It rejected the demand for Pakistan but recommended the formation of a Constituent Assembly.
Conclusion: Option B is correct.
Strategy errors to avoid
!
Chronological Confusion
Always trace the sequence of Satyagrahas. Champaran (1917) came first, then Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918), followed closely by Kheda (1918). Confusing the order is a very common trap in CGL ranking questions.
!
Viceroy-Reform Misalignment
Ensure you connect the correct reforms with their respective Viceroys. Morley-Minto reforms are associated with Lord Minto (Viceroy in 1909), and Montagu-Chelmsford reforms with Lord Chelmsford (Viceroy in 1919).