History – GK Questions

Answer: True

Birsa Munda (1875-1900) led the Munda Rebellion (Ulgulan) in the Chotanagpur region against British land policies and missionary activities. He is revered as 'Dharti Aba' (Father of the Earth) by tribal communities. [[1]]

Answer: Sidhu and Kanhu

The Santhal Rebellion (1855-56) was led by brothers Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu against British exploitation and zamindari oppression in present-day Jharkhand. It was one of the largest tribal uprisings in colonial India. [[30]]

Answer: True

The Indian Press Act of 1910, enacted during Lord Minto's tenure, empowered authorities to demand security deposits from newspapers and confiscate presses publishing 'seditious' material. [[1]]

Answer: Kesari

Bal Gangadhar Tilak started 'Kesari' (in Marathi) and 'Mahratta' (in English) in 1881. These newspapers became powerful tools for mobilizing public opinion against British rule. [[30]]

Answer: Bengali

Raja Ram Mohan Roy started 'Sambad Kaumudi' (The Moon of Intelligence) in Bengali in 1821 to propagate social reforms and rational thinking. He also published 'Mirat-ul-Akbar' in Persian. [[1]]

Answer: True

The Vernacular Press Act (1878), introduced by Lord Lytton, allowed the government to confiscate printing presses and seize publications of Indian language newspapers deemed seditious. It was repealed by Lord Ripon in 1881. [[30]]

Answer: James Augustus Hickey

James Augustus Hickey started 'Hickey's Bengal Gazette' in 1780, the first newspaper in India. It was critical of the East India Company and was eventually suppressed by Governor-General Warren Hastings. [[1]]

Answer: True

The Hunter Commission (1882), chaired by William Wilson Hunter, reviewed the progress of education since Wood's Despatch. It emphasized expanding primary education and encouraging private enterprise in education. [[30]]

Answer: David Hare and Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Hindu College was founded in 1817 by Scottish philanthropist David Hare with support from Raja Ram Mohan Roy and other Bengali intellectuals. It became a center for Western education and social reform. [[1]]

Answer: Calcutta

The University of Calcutta was established in 1857, along with universities in Bombay and Madras. These were modeled after the University of London and focused on affiliated colleges. [[30]]

Answer: True

Charles Wood's Despatch (1854) recommended establishing universities, promoting female education, and introducing a graded school system. It laid the foundation for modern education in India. [[1]]

Answer: Thomas Babington Macaulay

Macaulay's Minute (1835) advocated for English education to create 'a class of persons Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste and opinions'. This led to the English Education Act of 1835. [[30]]

Answer: True

Lord Canning served as Governor-General (1856-58) and became the first Viceroy of India (1858-62) after the Government of India Act 1858 transferred power from the Company to the Crown. [[1]]

Answer: Lord William Bentinck

Lord William Bentinck, with support from Raja Ram Mohan Roy, abolished Sati through Regulation XVII of 1829, prohibiting the immolation of widows on their husbands' funeral pyres. [[30]]

Answer: Cornwallis

Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement in Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha in 1793. It fixed land revenue permanently and recognized zamindars as landowners, creating a loyal landlord class. [[1]]

Answer: True

Lord Dalhousie (1848-56) introduced the Doctrine of Lapse, annexing princely states like Satara, Jhansi, and Nagpur that lacked a natural male heir. This policy fueled resentment leading to the 1857 Revolt. [[30]]

Answer: Warren Hastings

Warren Hastings served as the first Governor-General of Bengal (1773-85) under the Regulating Act of 1773. He established administrative foundations but was later impeached for alleged corruption. [[1]]

Answer: True

The Battle of Wandiwash (January 22, 1760) saw British forces under Sir Eyre Coote defeat the French under Comte de Lally. This victory effectively ended French military ambitions in India. [[30]]

Answer: Joseph Dupleix

Joseph François Dupleix served as French Governor-General of Pondicherry (1742-54). He pioneered the policy of intervening in local succession disputes to expand French influence, though ultimately unsuccessful. [[1]]

Answer: Paris

The Treaty of Paris (1763) ended the Seven Years' War globally and the Third Carnatic War in India. France regained its trading posts but agreed not to fortify them, effectively ending French political ambitions in India. [[30]]