4D) Establishment of Congress to Split of Congress (1885-1907) (Prelims PYQs)

Last Updated on April 6, 2025 by Admin

2023 Prelims PYQs

1] Consider the following statements: [2023]
Statement-I: 7th August is declared as the National Handloom Day.
Statement-II: It was in 1905 that the Swadeshi Movement was launched on the same day.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
c) Statement-I is correct Statement-II is incorrect
d) Statement-1 is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

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Ans: a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I

2019 Prelims PYQs

1] With reference to Swadeshi Movement, consider the following statements: [2019]
1. It contributed to the revival of the indigenous artisan crafts and industries.
2. The National Council of Education was established as a part of Swadeshi Movement.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

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Ans: c) Both 1 and 2

2016 Prelims PYQs

1] The `Swadeshi’ and ‘Boycott’ were adopted as methods of struggle for the first time during the: [2016]

a) Agitation against the Partition of Bengal
b) Home Rule Movement
c) Non-Cooperation Movement
d) Visit of the Simon Commission to India

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Ans: a) Agitation against the Partition of Bengal

2] What was the main reason for the split in the Indian National Congress at Surat in 1907? [2016]

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

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

2015 Prelims PYQs

1] Which one of the following movements has contributed to a split in the Indian National Congress resulting in emergence of ‘moderates’ and ‘extremists’? [2015]

a) Swadeshi Movement
b) Quit India Movement
c) Non-Cooperation Movement
d) Civil Disobedience Movement

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Ans: a) Swadeshi Movement

2] Consider the following statements: [2015]
1. The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was Sarojini Naidu.
2. The first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress was Badruddin Tyabji
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

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Ans: b) 2 only

2014 Prelims PYQs

1] The Partition of Bengal made by Lord Curzon in 1905 lasted until: [2014]

a) The First World War when Indian troops were needed by the British and the partition was ended.
b) King George V abrogated Curzon’s Act as the Royal Durbar in Delhi in 1911
c) Gandhiji launched his Civil Disobedience Movement.
d) The Partition of India in 1947 when East Bengal became East Pakistan.

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Ans: b) King George V abrogated Curzon’s Act as the Royal Durbar in Delhi in 1911 

2012 Prelims PYQs

1] During the Indian freedom struggle, the National Social Conference was formed. What was the reason for its formation? [2012]

A) Different social reform groups or organisations of Bengal region united to form a single body to discuss the issues of larger interest and to prepare appropriate petitions/representations to the government
B) Indian National Congress did not want to include social reforms in its deliberations and decided to form a separate body for such a purpose
C) Behramji Malabari and M. G. Ranade decided to bring together all the social reform groups of the country under one organisation
D) None of the statements (a), (b) and (c) given above is correct in this context

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Ans: B) Indian National Congress did not want to include social reforms in its deliberations and decided to form a separate body for such a purpose

2011 Prelims PYQs

1] What was the purpose with which sir William Wedderburn and W.S.Caine had set up the Indian parliamentary committee in 1893? [2011]

a) To agitate for Indian political reforms in the house of commons.
b) To campaign for the entry of Indians into the imperial judiciary.
c) To facilitate a discussion on India’s independence in the British parliament.
d) To agitate for the entry of eminent Indians into the British parliament.

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Ans: a) To agitate for Indian political reforms in the house of commons.

2010-1995 Prelims PYQs

1] What was the immediate cause for the launch of the Swadeshi movement? [2010]

a) The partition of Bengal done by Lord Curzon.
b) A sentence of 18 months rigorous imprisonment imposed on Lokmanya Tilak.
c) The arrest and deportation of Lala Lajput Rai and Ajit Singh, and passing of the Punjab Colonisation Bill.
d) Death sentence pronounced on the Chapekar brothers.

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Ans: a) The partition of Bengal done by Lord Curzon.

2] Four resolutions were passed at the famous Calcutta session of Indian National Congress in 1906. The question of either retention OR of rejection of these four resolutions became the cause of a split in Congress at the next Congress session held in Surat in 1907. Which one of the following was not one of those resolutions? [2010]

a) Annulment of partition of Bengal
b) Boycott
c) National education
d) Swadeshi

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Ans: a) Annulment of partition of Bengal

3] In the context of the Indian freedom struggle 16th October 1905 is well known for which one of the following reasons? [2009]

a) The formal proclamation of Swadeshi Movement was made in Calcutta town hall
b) The partition of Bengal took effect
c) Dadabhai Naoroji declared that the goal of Indian National Congress was Swaraj
d) Lolananya Tilak started Swadeshi Movement in Poona

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Ans: b) The partition of Bengal took effect

4] Where was the First Session of the Indian National Congress held in December 1885? [2008]

a) Ahmadabad
b) Bombay
c) Calcutta
d) Delhi

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Ans: b) Bombay

5] Who among the following rejected the title of knighthood and refused to accept a position in the Council of the Secretary of State for India? [2008]

a) Motilal Nehru
b) M.G. Ranade
c) G.K. Gokhale
d) B.G. Tilak

Show Answer

Ans: c) G.K. Gokhale

6] Who among the following used the phrase ‘Unbritish’ to criticise the English colonial control of India? [2008]

a) Anand Mohan Bose
b) Badruddin Tyabji
c) Dadabhai Naoroji
d) Pherozeshah Mehta

Show Answer

Ans: c) Dadabhai Naoroji

7] Who among the following gave a systematic critique of the moderate politics of the Indian National Congress in a series of articles entitled new Lamps for Old? [2008]

a) Aurobindo Ghosh
b) R.C.Dutt
c) Syed Ahmad khan
d) Viraraghavachari

Show Answer

Ans: a) Aurobindo Ghosh

8] Consider the following statements: [2004]

1.The First Session of the Indian National Congress was held in Calcutta.
2.The Second Session of the Indian National Congress was held under the presidency of Dadabhai Naoroji.
3.Both Indian National Congress and Muslim League held their sessions at Lucknow in 1916 and concluded the Lucknow Pact.

Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

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

Show Answer

Ans: c) 2 and 3

9] With reference to the period of extremist nationalist movement in India with its spirit of Swadeshi, which one of the following statements is NOT correct? [2002]

a) Laikat Hossain led the Muslim peasants of Barisal in their agitations
b) In 1898, the scheme of national education was formulated by Satish Chandra Mukherjee
c) The Bengal National College was founded in 1906 with Aurobindo as the Principal
d) Tagore preached the cult of Atmashakti, the main plank of which was social and economic regeneration of the villages

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Ans: a) Laikat Hossain led the Muslim peasants of Barisal in their agitations

10] With reference to the Indian freedom struggle, which one of the following statements is correct? [2002]

a) Hakim Ajmal Khan was not associated with starting the Ahrar movement
b) When the Indian National Congress was formed, Sayyid Ahmad Khan opposed it
c) The All ­India Muslim League which was formed in 1906 vehemently opposed the partition of Bengal and separate electorates
d) Maulana Barkaullah and Maulana Obeidullah Sindhi were among those who formed a Provisional Government of India in Kabul

Show Answer

Ans: c) The All ­India Muslim League which was formed in 1906 vehemently opposed the partition of Bengal and separate electorates

11] Consider the following statements about the Indian National Congress: [2000]

I. Sarojini Naidu was the first woman to be the President of the Congress.
II. C.R. Das was in prison when he functioned as the President of the Congress.
III. The first Britisher to become the President of the Congress was Alan Octavian Hume.
IV. Alfred Webb was the President of the Congress in 1894.

Which of these statements are correct?

a) I and III
b) II and IV
c) II, III and IV
d) I, II, III and IV

Show Answer

Ans: b) II and IV

12] The native State of Tripura became involved in the Freedom Movement early in the 20th century because: [2000]

a) The kings of Tripura were always anti-British
b) The Bengal revolutionaries took shelter in Tripura
c) The tribes of the State were fiercely freedom loving
d) There were already some groups fighting against the kingship and its protector, the British

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Ans: d) There were already some groups fighting against the kingship and its protector, the British

13] Assertion (A): The basic weakness of the early nationalist movement lay in its narrow social base: [2000]

Reason (R): It fought for the narrow interests of the social groups which joined it.

a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
b) Both A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A
c) A is true, but R is false
d) A is false, but R is true

Show Answer

Ans: c) A is true, but R is false

14] The Congress policy of pray and petition ultimately came to an end under the guidance of [1999]

a) Aurobindo Ghosh
b) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
c) Lala Lajpat Rai
d) Mahatma Gandhi

Show Answer

Ans: b) Bal Gangadhar Tilak

15] Assertion (A): Partition of Bengal in 1905 brought to an end the Moderates’ role in the Indian freedom movement: [1998]

Reason (R): The Surat session of Indian National Congress separated the Extremists from the Moderates.

a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
b) Both A and R are true, but R is NOT a correct explanation of A
c) A is true, but R is false
d) A is false, but R is true

Show Answer

Ans: d) A is false, but R is true

16] The Indian Muslims, in general, were not attracted to the Extremist movement because of the: [1998]

a) Influence of Sir Sayyid Ahmed Khan
b) Anti ­Muslim attitude of extremist leaders
c) Indifference shown to Muslim aspirations
d) Extremists’ policy of harping on Hindu past

Show Answer

Ans: d) Extremists’ policy of harping on Hindu past

17] Which one of the following defines extremist ideology during the early phase of the Indian freedom movement? [1998]

a) Stimulating the production of indigenous articles by giving them preference over imported commodities
b) Obtaining self-­government by aggressive means in place of petitions and constitutional ways
c) Providing national education according to the requirements of the country
d) Organising coups against the British empire through military revolt

Show Answer

Ans: b) Obtaining self-­government by aggressive means in place of petitions and constitutional ways

18] “The Congress is tottering to its fall and one of my great ambitions while in India, is to assist it to a peaceful demise.” This statement is attributed to: [1998]

a) Lord Dufferin
b) Lord Curzon
c) Lord Lytton
d) None of the above

Show Answer

Ans: b) Lord Curzon

19] M.C. Setalvad, B.N. Rao and Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer were distinguished members of the: [1997]

a) Swaraj Party
b) All India National Liberal Federation
c) Madras Labour Union
d) Servants of India Society

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Ans: d) Servants of India Society

20] “A graduate at 18, professor and associated editor of the Sudharak at 20, Secretary of the Sarvajanik Sabha and of the Provincial Conference at 25, Secretary of the National Congress at 29, leading witness before an important Royal Commission at 31, Provincial legislator at 34, Imperial legislator at 36, President of the Indian National Congress at 39……… a patriot whom Mahatma Gandhi himself regarded as his master.” This is how a biographer describes [1997]

a) Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya
b) Mahadev Govind Ranade
c) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
d) Bal Gangadhar Tilak

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Ans: c) Gopal Krishna Gokhale

21] His principal forte was social and religious reform. He relied Upon legislation to do away with social ills and worked unceasingly for the eradication of child marriage, the purdah system ….. To encourage consideration of social problems on a national scale, he inaugurated the Indian National Social Conference, which for many years met for its annual sessions alongside the Indian National Congress.’ The reference in this passage is to: [1996]

a) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
b) Behramji Merwanji Malabari
c) Mahadev Govind Ranade
d) B. R. Ambedkar

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Ans: c) Mahadev Govind Ranade

22] Who among the following leaders did not believe in the drain theory of Dadabhai Naoroji? [1996]

a) B.G. Tilak
b) R.C. Dutt
c) M.G. Ranade
d) Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

Show Answer

Ans: d) Sir Syed Ahmed Khan