MODERN INDIAN

HISTORY

 How to Approach History section

Syllabus
Sources
Nature of Questions

Discussion of some previous year

questions.
How to study History

Official SYLLABUS in Prelims

History of India and Indian

National Movement.

Questions over the Years..

Section

2013

2014

2015

Modern Indian History

From the past few years, the trend of the History questions has changed from
fact-oriented to more analytical and logical type of questions.
This has made it both easy and difficult for the candidates.
A deeper understanding of the subject rather than just mugging up points is
required for tackling the questions in the Prelims exam.
Mostly questions which could be answered accurately after multiple readings

XIIth NCERT( Old) Bipan

Chandra

Most basic
yet
important
to cover to
understand
Modern
Indian
History in a
simple and
lucid
language.

Indias Struggle for

Independence Bipan
Chandra

For detailed
analysis and
comprehensive
coverage of
Modern Indian
history section
this book is
almost
inevitable!!!

TIMELINE/CHRONOLOGY NOT RELEVANT

????
Exact order of events
Helps to understand cause and effect of those events
Helps us to arrive at a larger picture- when, what, why, consequences???
That is it reveals how and why events unfold in the way they do, and how they
are related.

2015 Prelims
Q. Which of the following movements has contributed
to a split in the Indian National Congress resulting in
the emergence of Extremists and Moderates?
(a) Swadeshi Movement
1905
(b) Quit India Movement
1942
(c) Non-Cooperation Movement
1919
(d) Civil Disobedience Movement
1930

2014 Prelims
Q. The Partition of Bengal made by Lord
Curzon in 1905 lasted until
(a) The First World War when Indian troops
were needed by the British and the
Partition was ended
(b) King George V abrogated Curzons Act at
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

2015- Prelims
Q. With reference to Rowlatt Satyagraha, which of the
following
statements is/are correct ?
1. The Rowlatt Act was based on the recommendations of the
'Sedition Committee'.

2. In Rowlatt Satyagraha, Gandhiji tried to utilize the Home

Rule League.
3. Demonstrations against the arrival of Simon Commission
coincided with Rowlatt Satyagraha.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

Can be
eliminated if
one
remembers
the
TIMELINE!!!

Bipan
Chandra
Indias
Struggle for
Independence

2013- Prelims
Q. Quit India Movement was launched
in response to

1946

(a) Cabinet Mission Plan

(b) Cripps Proposals
(c) Simon Commission Report
(d) Wavell Plan

1930

1942

1945

PERSONALIT Y BASED QUESTIONS??

A very Common Myth or Notion .
Personality based questions not an area to be done for PRELIMS.?

2015- Prelims
Who of the following organized a march on the Tanjore coast
to break the Salt Law in April 1930?
(a) V.O. Chidambaram Pillai
(b) C. Rajagopalachari
(c) K. Kamaraj

(d) Annie Besant

Bipan
Chandra
Indias
Struggle for
Independence

2015- Prelims
Q.Who of the following was/were economic critic/critics of
colonialism in India ?
1. Dadabhai Naoroji
2. G.Subramania Iyer

3. R.C. Dutt
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Bipan
ChandraIndias
Struggle for
Independence

2013- Prelims
Q. Annie Besant was

1. Responsible for starting Home Rule Movement.

2. The founder of the Theosopical Society.
3. Once the President of Indian National Congress.
Select the correct statement/statements using the codes
given below:

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

Bipan
ChandraIndias
Struggle for
Independence

CAUSE/REASON BASED QUESTIONSWHY????

2014- Prelims
Q. The Radcliffe Committee was appointed to

(a) Solve the problem of minorities in India

(b) Give effect to the Independence Bill.

(c) Delimit the boundaries between India and Pakistan

(d) Enquire into the riots in East Bengal

2014- Prelims
Q. The 1929 Session of Indian National Congress is on
significance in the history of the Freedom Movement
because the:
(a) attainment of Self-Government was declared as the
objective of the Congress.

(b) Attainment of Poorna Swaraj was adopted as the goal of

the Congress.
(c) Non-Cooperation Movement was launched.
(d) Decision to participate in the Round Table Conference in
London was taken.

Bipan
ChandraIndias
Struggle for
Independence

2013 Prelims
Q. The demand for the Tebhaga Peasant Movement in
Bengal was for
(a) The reduction in the share of the landlords from
one-half of the crop to one-third.

(b) The grant of ownership of the land to peasants as

they were the actual cultivators of the land
( c) The uprooting of Zamindari system and the end of
serfdom
(d) Writing off all peasant debts

WHY PREVIOUS YEARS PAPERS???

LAHORE SESSION
2 0 1 4 - P re l i m s

Q. The 1929 Session of Indian

National Congress is of
significance in the history
of the Freedom Movement
because the
(a) attainment of Self Government was
declared as the objective of the
Congress.
(b) Attainment of Poorna
Swaraj was adopted as the goal
of the Congress.
(c) Non-Cooperation Movement
was launched.

2012- Prelims
Q. The Lahore Session of the
Indian National Cong ress (1929) is
very important in history, because
1. The Cong ress passed a
resolution demanding complete
independence.
2. The rift between the extremists
and moderates was resolved in that
Session.
3. A resolution was passed
rejecting the two -nation theory in
that Session
Which of the statements given
above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3 (d) None of the above

2004- Prelims
Q. Under whose Presidency was the Lahore Session of
the Congress held in the year 1929 wherein a resolution
was adopted to complete independence from the
British?
(a) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(b) G.K. Gokhale
(c) Jawahar Lal Nehru
(d) Motilal Nehru

ROWLATT ACT
2015- Prelims

2012-Prelims

Q. With reference to Rowlatt

Satyag raha , which of the
follow ing statements is/are correct
?

Q. The Rowlatt Act aimed at

1. The Rowlatt Act was based on

the recommendations of the
'Sedition Committee'.

(b) Imprisonment without trial

and summary
procedures for trial

2. In Rowlatt Satyag raha, Gandhiji

tried to utilize the Home Rule
League.

(c) Suppression of the Khilafat

Movement.

3. Demonstrations against the

arrival of Simon Commission
coincided with Rowlatt Satyag raha .

(d) Imposition of restrictions on

freedom of the press.

Select the correct answer using

the codes given below.
(a) 1 only
(b ) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

(a) Compulsory economic support

to war ef forts

2009- Prelims
Q. During the Indian
Freedom Struggle, why did
the Rowlatt Act arouse
popular indignation?
(a)It curtailed the freedom
of religion.
(b)It suppressed the Indian
traditional education.
(c)It authorized the Govt.
to imprison without trial
(d)It curbed the trade union
activity

2007- Prelims
Q. Which one of the
following aroused a wave of
popular indignation that led
to the massacre by the
British at Jallianwala Bagh ?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Arms Act
The Public Safety Act
The Rowlatt Act
The Vernacular Press
Act.

HOW TO STUDY- HISTORY??

ADOPT A SMART STYLE OF STUDYING
Work On Your Style Of Studying
Facts + Details + Analysis ( Comparison, Relationship Etc)

MONITOR YOURSELF
Summarize the knowledge orally or on paper- Make Notes (but only after 1st
or 2nd reading)
Construct Mental Maps
Explain to your friends
PREPARE PREVIOUS YEAR PAPERS

Not only seeing or solving them but also explore the whole event/fact deeply

VISUALIZE HISTORY AS A MOVIE

Timeline- like a never ending story
Event-wise- landmark / impactful scenes

Through the Screenplay Writers / Directors lens- with the coming of the
Viceroys/Lords
Personality wise- Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar, etc.