MCQ – GK Questions

Answer: Both A and B

The Rowlatt Act (1919), officially the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, was called the 'Black Act' by Indians. It allowed detention without trial and sparked nationwide protests leading to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. [[30]]

Answer: Champaran

Gandhi's first satyagraha in India was the Champaran Satyagraha (1917) in Bihar, where he supported indigo farmers against exploitative plantation systems. This marked the beginning of his mass movement strategy. [[1]]

Answer: Andhra Pradesh

Alluri Sitarama Raju led the Rampa Rebellion (1922-24) in the Godavari agency area of present-day Andhra Pradesh against the Madras Forest Act, which restricted tribal access to forest resources. [[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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: War of Austrian Succession

The First Carnatic War (1746-48) was the Indian theatre of the War of Austrian Succession (1740-48) in Europe. It saw French forces under Dupleix capture Madras from the British. [[30]]

Answer: Louis XIV

The French East India Company was founded in 1664 during the reign of Louis XIV, under the guidance of Finance Minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert. Pondicherry became their main settlement in India. [[30]]

Answer: Vasco da Gama

Vasco da Gama reached Calicut (Kozhikode) on May 20, 1498, becoming the first European to reach India by sea via the Cape of Good Hope. This opened direct maritime trade between Europe and India. [[1]]

Answer: Aurangzeb

Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed by Aurangzeb in 1675 for refusing to convert to Islam and for defending the religious freedom of Kashmiri Pandits. His martyrdom is commemorated at Gurdwara Sis Ganj in Delhi. [[30]]

Answer: Guru Gobind Singh

Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa Panth on Vaisakhi day (March 30, 1699) at Anandpur Sahib. He initiated the Five Ks and established the Khalsa as a community of saint-soldiers. [[1]]

Answer: Bajirao I

Bajirao I (1720-1740) served as Peshwa under Chhatrapati Shahu. He expanded Maratha territory from Malwa to Delhi through brilliant military campaigns, earning the title 'Thorale Bajirao' (the great). [[30]]

Answer: Shivaji

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj founded the Maratha Empire in 1674 with his coronation at Raigad. He pioneered guerrilla warfare (Ganimi Kava) and established a well-organized administration. [[1]]

Answer: Akbar

Akbar's finance minister Raja Todar Mal introduced the Zabt system, which fixed revenue based on land measurement and average produce of 10 years. It was part of the Dahsala system implemented across the empire. [[30]]

Answer: Qutb ud-Din Aibak

Qutb ud-Din Aibak laid the foundation of Qutub Minar in 1192. Iltutmish completed three more storeys, and Firoz Shah Tughlaq added the fifth after lightning damage. It is the world's tallest brick minaret. [[1]]