Mock Test

Exam: BPSC Subject: Indian History Topic: British Raj

Total Questions: 20

Q1. The Partition of India was a culmination of complex socio-political and economic forces. Which of the following historical interpretations, focusing on the agency of local actors and grassroots movements, offers a nuanced understanding of the Partition process beyond the high-level political negotiations?

The 'Great Man' theory, attributing the Partition solely to the decisions of leaders like Gandhi, Jinnah, and Mountbatten. Economic determinism, focusing solely on economic factors as the primary drivers of Partition. Subaltern studies and social history, which examine the role of ordinary people, communal mobilization, and local power dynamics. Imperialist historiography, which posits that Partition was an inevitable outcome of British imperial policy.
Q2. The Wood's Despatch of 1854, often lauded for its progressive vision for Indian education, also had limitations. Which of the following represents a significant criticism of its implementation or inherent bias?

Its overemphasis on vernacular languages. Its neglect of primary education. Its tendency to reinforce the 'filtration theory'. Its promotion of indigenous scholarship.
Q3. Who presided over the Banaras Session of the Indian National Congress in 1905, which endorsed the Swadeshi Movement?

Dadabhai Naoroji Gopal Krishna Gokhale Surendranath Banerjee Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Q4. The Act of 1858 declared that all rights and territories of the East India Company were to be vested in:

The British Government The Indian people Her Majesty, her heirs and successors The Viceroy and his council
Q5. The legal basis for the Doctrine of Lapse was often derived from British interpretations of international law and precedents in other colonial contexts. However, how did it specifically challenge the established norms of sovereignty and succession within the Indian political landscape?

It imposed a singular model of primogeniture, disregarding diverse customary adoption practices. It recognized the right of the East India Company to approve all adoptions, regardless of existing laws. It declared that all treaties with Indian states were subject to review upon the ruler's death. It asserted that only male heirs born within the ruling dynasty were legitimate successors.
Q6. The imposition of British legal codes and judicial systems significantly altered traditional Indian dispute resolution mechanisms. Which aspect of traditional Indian law was most profoundly challenged and often undermined by these colonial reforms?

The emphasis on oral testimony and community consensus. The reliance on customary laws and personal status laws. The importance of religious texts as legal authorities. The system of arbitration through elders.
Q7. The Cripps Mission aimed to create a Dominion of India with the right to:

Secede from the British Commonwealth Maintain its own army Control its foreign policy All of the above
Q8. Which of the following statements accurately reflects the changes in the East India Company's status under the 1813 Charter?

It became a purely administrative body It retained its territorial and commercial powers equally Its commercial powers were curtailed, but territorial powers were enhanced Its territorial powers were abolished, but commercial powers were strengthened
Q9. Nehru's book 'The Discovery of India' was written during his imprisonment in which fort?

Red Fort Agra Fort Ahmednagar Fort Gwalior Fort
Q10. The assembly at Jallianwala Bagh was held to protest against the arrest of which two prominent leaders?

Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal Subhas Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh
Q11. Which Mughal emperor granted the British East India Company permission to establish their first factory at Surat?

Akbar Jahangir Shah Jahan Aurangzeb
Q12. Subhas Chandra Bose's departure from India in 1941 was a clandestine operation aimed at:

Seeking medical treatment abroad. Organizing international support for India's independence. Escaping British surveillance and arrest. Joining the Indian National Congress's overseas chapter.
Q13. According to the Mountbatten Plan, which princely state was given the option to join either India or Pakistan or remain independent?

Hyderabad Kashmir Junagadh Travancore
Q14. The acquisition of Bombay from the Portuguese in 1661 by the English Crown, and its subsequent transfer to the East India Company, was a significant step in:

Establishing dominance in North India Securing a strategic naval base on the west coast Opening trade routes to Southeast Asia Expanding territorial control in the Deccan
Q15. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed in which year?

1928 1929 1930 1931
Q16. Who was the Viceroy of India when the Partition of Bengal was annulled?

Lord Curzon Lord Hardinge II Lord Dalhousie Lord Minto II
Q17. The development of appellate jurisdiction in the Indian judiciary was primarily a feature introduced by:

Mughal rulers Maratha Confederacy The British Sultanate rulers
Q18. The Doctrine of Lapse was criticized for its selective application. While many Indian states were annexed, which of the following was a major criticism regarding the *unequal* application of the policy?

It was applied more rigorously to states with strong military capabilities, fearing their potential to challenge British authority. It was applied less strictly to states that were strategically vital or had strong economic ties with Britain. It was primarily used to annex states that had a history of rebellion against British rule. It was applied equally to all states, regardless of their political or economic importance.
Q19. What was a significant indirect consequence of the Act of 1858 on the structure of the Indian administration?

Centralization of power in India Decentralization of power in India Increased autonomy for local governments Establishment of a federal system
Q20. The system of 'pleaders' and 'vakils' was a feature of the British Indian legal system, representing:

Judges appointed by the Crown. Legal practitioners authorized to represent clients. Administrative officers of the court. Lawyers specializing in religious law only.

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