Group ‘A’
Choose The Correct Answer:
Question 1.’Jibaner Jharapata’ is
1. A novel
2. A Book Of Poems
3. A biography
4. An autobiography
Answer: 4. An autobiography
Question 2. Somprakash’ was
1. Daily paper
2. A Weekly paper
3. A Fortnightly paper
4. A Monthly Paper
Answer: 2. A Weekly paper
Question 3. The publisher of the English Translation of ‘Neeldarpan’ was
1. Kaliprasanna Singha
2. Michael Madhusudan Dutta
3. Harischandra Mukhopadhyaya
4. Rev. James Long
Answer: 4. Rev. James Long
Question 4. The practice of Sati was prohibited in
1. 1828 A.D.
2. 1829 A.D.
3. 1830 A.D
4. 1856 A.D.
Answer: 2. 1829 A.D.
Question 5. The idea of Sarva Dharma Samannwaya was propagated by
1. Bijoy Krishna Goswami
2. Swami Vivekananda
3. Sri Ramakrishna
4. Keshab Chandra Sen
Answer: 3. Sri Ramakrishna
Question 6. Kol1 rebellion (1831 -32) took place in
1. Medinipore
2. Jhargram
3. Chhotonagpore
4. Ranchi
Answer: 3. Chhotonagpore
Question 7. The First Forest Act was passed in India in
1. 1859 A.D.
2. 1860 A.D.
3. 1865 A.D.
4. 1878 A.D.
Answer: 3. 1865 A.D.
Question 8. The Revolt of 1857 was described as India’s First War of Independence by
1. Rameshchandra Mazumdar
2. Surendranath sen
3. Binayak Damodar Savarkar
4. Dadabhai Nauroji
Answer: 3. Binayak Damodar Savarkar
Question 9. The rule of East-India Company in India came to an end in
1. 1857 A.D.
2. 1858 A.D.
3. 1919 A.D.
4. 1947 A.D.
Answer: 2. 1858 A.D.
Question 10. First President of the Indian Association was
1. Surendranath Bandyopadhyay
2. Anandamohan Bose
3. Rev. Krishnamohan Bandyopadhyay
4. Sibnath Sastri
Answer: 3. Rev. Krishnamohan Bandyopadhyay
Question 11. The first printed book in the Bengali language was
1. Barnaparichy
2. A Grammar of the Bengal Language
3. Mangal Samachar Matier
4. Annadamanga!
Answer: 2. A Grammar of the Bengal Language
Question 12. The scientist of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science who was awarded the Nobel prize was
1. Jagadischandra Bose
2. C.V. Raman
3. Prafullachandra Roy
4. Satyendranath Bose
Answer: 2. C.V. Raman
Question 13. The Boycott movement economically affected
1. Peasants of Bengal
2. Middle Class
3. Zamindars
4. Students
Answer: 2. Middle Class
Question 14. Baba Ramchandra led the peasants’ movement in
1. Bihar
2. United province
3. Rajasthan
4. Maharashtra
Answer: 2. United province
Question 15. Rampa Tribal rebellion was organised in
1. Malabar region
2. Konkon Coastal area
3. Orissa
4. Godavari Valley
Answer: 4. Godavari Valley
Question 16. ‘Nari Karma Mandir’ was established by
1. Urmila Devi
2. Basanti Devi
3. Kalpana Dutta
4. Leela Roy (Nag)
Answer: 1. Urmila Devi
Question 17. The revolutionary group founded by Surya Sen was known as
1. Anushilan Samity
2. Gadar Dal
3. Indian Republican Army
4. Bengal Volunteers
Answer: 3. Indian Republican Army
Question 18. Dalits were called ‘Harijan’ by
1. Jyotiba Phule
2. Narayan Guru
3. Gandhiji
4. Dr. Ambedkar
Answer: 3. Gandhiji
Question 19. The separate linguistic state of Andhra Pradesh was formed in the year
1. 1947 A.D.
2. 1950 A.D.
3. 1953 A.D.
4. 1955 A.D.
Answer: 3. 1953 A.D.
Question 20. Goa became a part of India in
1. 1947 A.D.
2. 1956 A.D.
3. 1961 A.D.
4. 1971 A.D.
Answer: 3. 1961 A.D.
Group’B’
Answer Each Of The Following Questions In One Sentence:
Question 1. In which historical context the ‘Bharatmata’ was painted?
Answer: ‘Bharatmata’ was painted in the historical context of the Swadeshi movement.
Question 2. Where was founded the All India Trade Union Congress (1920)?
Answer: The All India Trade Union Congress was founded in Bombay.
Question 3. In which year was the Forward Bloc founded?
Answer: The Forward Bloc was founded by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1939.
Question 4. Who is the founder of the Matua Community?
Answer: Harichand Thakur was the founder of the Matua community.
Identify Which Of The Following Is ‘True or ‘False’:
Question 1. Uday Shankar encouraged educated middle class Bengalees in dance.
Answer: True
Question 2. Indian Association protested against the Ilbert Bill.
Answer: False
Question 3. Faraji is the name of an ancient tribe.
Answer: False
Question 4. Vidyasagar introduced the Linotype in Bengali.
Answer: False
Match Column ‘A’ With Column ‘B‘:
Column ‘A’ Column ‘B’
Jawaharlal Nehru 1. Non-co-operation movement
Birendranath Sashmal 2. Poona Pact (1932)
Kaliprasanna Singha 3. “Letters from a Father to his Daughter”
Dr. Ambedkar 4. Custom Pyanchar Naksha
Answer:
Jawaharlal Nehru: 3. “Letters from a Father to his Daughter”
Birendranath Sashmal: 1. Non-co-operation movement
Kaliprasanna Singha: 4. Hutom Pyanchar Naksha
Dr. Ambedkar: 2. Poona Pact (1932)
Select The Correct Interpretation Of The Following Statements:
Statement 1: Nineteenth-century Bengal Renaissance was limited in scope.
Interpretation 1. Because only rural Bengal experienced it.
Interpretation 2. Because this renaissance was limited to the field of literature.
Interpretation 3. Because this renaissance was Limited to a western educated progressive society.
Answer:
Interpretation 3. Because this renaissance was Limited to a western educated progressive society.
Statement 2: The British Govt, passed the Act-Ill in 1872.
Interpretation 1. Its object was to unite the Hindu, Muslim, and Christian Communities.
Interpretation 2. Its object was to develop the economic, social, and cultural development of the people.
Interpretation 3. Its object was to ban child marriage and polygamy and also to legalize widow remarriage.
Answer:
Interpretation 3. Its object was to ban child marriage and polygamy and also to legalise widow remarriage.
Statement 3: Rabindranath didn’t like the colonial system of education.
Interpretation 1. Because this system was expensive.
Interpretation 2. Because the medium of instruction was vernacular.
Interpretation 3. Because this system did not help the mental development of the student. Because this system did not help the mental development of the student.
Answer:
Interpretation 3. Because this system did not help the mental development of the student. Because this system did not help the mental development of the student.
Statement 4: Sarala Devi Chowdhurani established Lakshmir Bhandar.
Interpretation 1. To sell foreign goods.
Interpretation 2. To help women who were engaged in movements.
Interpretation 3. To sell indigenous goods.
Answer:
Interpretation 3. To sell indigenous goods.
Group ‘C
Answer The Following Questions In Two Or Three Sentences Only (Any Eleven):
Question 1. What is the importance of the history of the environment?
Answer:
Importance of History of Environment: The importance of the history of the environment lies in the fact that it helps to understand the human role in the conservation of nature. It also helps to realize the impact of human beings on pollution and health. It also opens our eyes to the scarcity of resources and their conservation for nature.
Question 2. How are memoirs or autobiographies used as sources of modern Indian history?
Answer: While autobiography tells the story of a life, a memoir often tells a story from life. In the reconstruction of modern Indian history, the autobiographies of eminent personalities of contemporary India are of immense value. In this context, the Jibamsmriti of Rabindranath, My Experiments with Truth of Mahatma Gandhi, etc. are most important.
Question 3. What is Macaulay’s Minute?
Answer:
Macaulay’s Minute: Macaulay’s Minute is a landmark in the history of education in India. In his Minute, known as Education Minute, Macaulay expressed his views in favor of introducing liberal education on Western lines through the medium of English in India.
Question 4. What was the role of Young Bengal in social reform?
Answer: The students of Derozio, collectively known as the Young Bengal, played an important role in the social reform of contemporary India. They spoke loudly about the evil effects of idolatry and superstition. So much so that some of them even renounced the sacred thread (paita).
Question 5. Why is Dudu Mian remembered?
Answer: Dudu Mian: Dudumiyan, leader of the Ferazi movement, is remembered because he gave a fervent call to the peasants to rise against the oppressive zamindars, indigo-planters, and moneylenders. He even declared the Allah was the real owner of the land, the zamindars had no right to levy tax on the peasants.
Question 6. What was the role of Harischandra Mukhopadhyay in the Indigo Revolt?
Answer: Harishchandra did not hesitate to publicize the grievances of the indigo cultivators through the paper Hindu patriot of which he was the Editor. The financial help he rendered to the Indigo cultivators virtually made him a paper.
Question 7. What was the main objective of the Queen’s Proclamation (1858)?
Answer: The main objective was to bring an end to the East India Company’s rule in India. Simultaneously, Queen Victoria of England directly assumed the responsibility of the Indian administration in her own hands.
Question 8. With what purposes are Cartoons drawn?
Answer: Cartoons are drawn in order to present a feature or a subject in a humorous way. These are often caricatures signifying disapproval of an incident or an action.
Question 9. What was the role of Panchanan Karmakar in the development of the printing press in Bengal?
Answer: Andrews, a Christian missionary, established a printing press at Hughli. In order to print Nathaniel Brassey Halhed’s A Grammar of the Bengal Language, he needed a Banglatype. Under the supervision of English typographer Charles Wilkins, Panchanan Karmakar created the first Bengali typeface for printing.
Question 10. What is the importance of the Battala publications in the history of the Bengali printing press?
Answer: Battala is the name of an area in North Calcutta (Kolkata) where printing and publication began in the 19,h century. The Battle printers enriched their printing imitating the European technology of wood-cuts and lithographs. Using such technology they decorated their books with illustrations.
Question 11. Why was the ‘Eka’ movement initiated?
Answer: Motive behind the Eka Movement: The Eka movement was initiated by the peasants of the U.P. against the oppression of British officials. The peasants took a vow that they would pay only the recorded amount of rent.
Question 12. Why was the Bardauli Satyagraha movement organized?
Answer: The peasants of Bardoii in the Surat district of Gujrat began the Satyagraha movement under the leadership of Vallabhbhai Patel. The movement was organised in protest of an unprecedented hike in the land-revenue.
Question 13. With What objective was the Anti-Circular Society Founded?
Answer:
The objective of Anti-Circular Society: The Anti-Circular Society was organised by Sachindranath Basu. The objective was to encourage the students to participate in the Swadeshi agitation. The society also made necessary arrangements for the education of the students who were expelled from schools and colleges by the government authorities.
Question 14. Why Was the Dipali Sangha established?
Answer:
Establishment of Dipali Sangha: In 1924 Leela Roy organized the Dipali Sangha. The objective was to spread education amongst the womenfolk. But the real objective of the Sangha was to initiate the members to revolutionary ideals.
Question 15. Under what circumstances Hari Singh, the ruler of Kashmir signed the Instrument of Accession?
Answer: In 1947 the Pathan tribesmen, unofficially led by the Pakistan army, invaded Kashmir. Hari Singh, the then Maharaja of Kashmir, appealed to India for military help. India agreed to help on the condition that the Maharaja would formally accede Kashmir to India. It was under this background that Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession.
Question 16. Why was the States Reorganisation Commission (1953) formed?
Answer: After Independence from British rule the Government of India found it necessary to reorganize the state boundaries. Accordingly, the States Reorganization Commission was constituted in 1953 under the chairmanship of Fazl Ali.
Group- ‘D’
Answer Six Questions In All.
Question 1. What picture of 19th-century Bengalee society is revealed in the book “Custom Pyanchar Naksha”?
Answer:
Hooton Pyanchar Naksha: Hootum Pyachar Naksha, written by Kali Prasanna Singha, was first published in 1862. The book occupies a special place in Bengali literature. During the nineteenth century, several factors caused some kind of strain within the Bengalee society. The factors included conversion to Christianity, the emergence of Brahmanism, sea voyage declared irreligious by the orthodox section, etc. Simultaneously, social reform program was adopted by the reformers of the time, etc. All this which caused turmoil in the society found expression in the pages of the Hootum Pyanchar Naksha. Hooton was a keen observer. He looked at the changes that had been taking place. He noticed and expressed with irony and humor how the old and the new lived side by side.
Question 2. What role did Calcutta Medical College play in the field of medical science in this country?
Answer: Calcutta Medical College of Bengal founded in 1835 was the first institution in India to impart systematic education in Western medicine. The College that was established by an order of 28 January 1835 ushered in a new era in the history of medical education in India. The stated objective was to train native youths aged between 14 and 20 in the principles and practices of medical science in accordance with the European model. This marked the end of official patronage of indigenous medical learning. Different sections of the Indian population responded to this newly founded system of education in different ways. The Calcutta Medical College was the first in the country to teach the European medicine system. Besides, Madhusudan Gupta stands out as the person who first dissected a corpse at Calcutta Medical College.
Question 3. With what objectives the Colonial Government enacted the Forest Laws?
Answer:
The objective behind the Forest Laws:
1. The objective of the colonial British Government in enacting the Forest Laws was to control the forest resources of the country. In fact, the needs and greed of the colonial rulers dictated them to introduce the Forest Acts.
2. As the colonial rulers needed timber for the mother country, Britain’s shipbuilding, and laying of the railway lines, the Government introduced Forest laws restricting the common people’s access to forest resources. Another motive of the colonial government was to earn more and more revenue by commercializing the forest resources of India.
3. Total governmental control over the forests through the Forest Acts also aimed at expansion of the state power, (iv) This also constituted curtailment of local communities free access to the forests and rights over forest resources. The above are some of the objectives of the colonial government in enacting the Forest Acts.
Question 4. Can the Great Revolt of 1857 be termed as a feudal revolt?
Answer: Opinions vary regarding the nature of the Revolt of 1857. The debate over it started from the very moment of its happened. Different opinions have been expressed by renowned litterateurs and historians Jawaharlal Nehru, for example, emphasized the feudal character of the Revolt of 1857. According to him, there was no plan, no coordination among the rebels of different regions of the country. Moreover, as some of the zamindars and talukdars (landed magnates) participated in the Revolt, it would at best give it a feudal character. Modern historians, however, are of the opinion that though it began with the uprising of the sepoys, it soon assumed the nature of a revolt of the civilian population which gave it the character of a popular upsurge in the form of a revolt. Thus the Revolt of 1857 cannot be termed as a ‘feudal revolt’.
Question 5. What was the contribution of Ganga Kishore Bhattacharyya in the growth of the Bengali printing press?
Answer: Ganga Kishore Bhattacharya was a versatile genius. He was a writer, editor, printer, and publisher at the one and the same time. He was credited with publishing the first Bengali newspaper — Bengal Gazette. Gangakishore was a prolific writer and wrote several books to fulfill the needs of the people. He wrote Grammar of English Language in simple Bengali language for the benefit of the students. Besides, he wrote several books in Bengali on business and economics. He also wrote books on medicine and chemistry in Bengali. As an editor, Gangakishore Bhattacharya attempted to utilize the press for social reform.
Question 6. How did the Serampore Mission Press develop into a front-ranking printing press?
Answer: With the foundation of the Serampore Mission in 1800 began a new era in the history of missionary activities in India. But no less important was the activity of the mission in the field of printing. In his mission to translate Christian scripture in the vernacular languages of India William Carey translated almost the entire Bible in Bengali. Carey also brought with him old press machinery and set up a printing press. This was the Serampore Mission Press that published the first New Testament in Bengali in 1801. Not only that, the Serampore Mission Press developed into the biggest type- of foundry in contemporary Asia. The greatest contribution of the Serampore Mission Press was that it printed and published the Bible translated into forty Indian languages. In the process of translation, the Serampore Mission Press contributed to the growth of numerous Indian languages.
Question 7. Write a short note on the Refugee Problem in India after Partition (1947).
Answer: Partition resulted in the killing of several thousand people. A few times more than that people were displaced and uprooted from their homeland and were forced to find their way to the Indian side of Bengal (West Bengal) and Punjab. People have some money at their disposal and could reconstruct their lives in West Bengal with relative ease. But for most people, it was not possible. Some went to the refugee camps set up by the Government in West Bengal while others settled in the squatters’ colonies (refugee colonies as they were called in the Bengali language). In the initial stage, the Government of India was primarily concerned about the rehabilitation of the refugees from West Pakistan. The national leadership was undecided regarding the responsibilities towards the Hindu refugees who migrated in huge numbers to West Bengal from East Pakistan.
Question 8. How was the princely state of Hyderabad incorporated into India?
Answer: Hyderabad was the largest of the princely states, and was surrounded by Indian territory. At the time the British left India Mir Osman Ali Khan Asad Jah VII was the ruling Nizam of Hyderabad. He refused to join either India or Pakistan and preferred to remain as the ruler of an independent kingdom. The prevailing internal chaos and confusion in Hyderabad which was a cause of alarm to the Government of India further complicated the situation. In fact, a reign of terror was let loose in Hyderabad by the Razakars under the leadership of Qasim Rizvi. When repeated protests and attempts at a peaceful solution seemed to be of no avail and the danger to people and their life and property continued unabated the Government of India decided upon ‘police action’ in Hyderabad. Indian military forces under the command of General J.N. Chaudhuri entered Hyderabad on 13 September (1949) and by the 16th the Nizam surrendered. In November, Nizam formally joined the Indian Union. This was how Hyderabad was annexed to India.
Group ‘E’
Answer Any One Question In Fifteen Or Sixteen Sentences:
Question 1. What was the role of the various Brahma Samajas in the movement for social reform in nineteenth-century Bengal?
Answer: The Brahma Samaj founded by Rammohan Roy was destined to become a dynamic force for progressive movements in Bengal. Under Rammohan the Brahmo Samaj worked hard for a classless society and the regeneration of womenfolk. Under Debendranath Tagore the Brahmo Samaj aimed at social reform like promoting female education, and abolition of child marriage. With the joining of Keshab Chandra Sen, the Brahmo Samaj took up a large-scale program of social reform. After Keshab Chandra Sen broke away from the Brahmo Samaj and formed the Brahmo Samaj of India in 1865 the latter created an enthusiasm for social reform amongst the youths of Bengal. A further division in the Brahmo movement became inevitable when most of the followers of Keshab Chandra Sen renounced his leadership. Such people formed the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj in 1878. The social reform carried out by Sadharan Brahmo Samaj caused much uplift in the position of women. There was no distinction in the point of education between boys and girls. Yet another splinter group of the Brahmo Samaj was the Nababidhan formed by Keshab Chandra Sen. Nababidhan was purely a religious organization practicing amity and friendly relationship between Islam, Christianity, and Shaivism (Hinduism).
Question 2. Briefly discuss the ideas of Rabindranath Tagore on the synthesis between Nature, man, and Education.
Answer:
Education in Harmony with Nature:
1. Tagore’s Views: Tagore felt that for the students it is necessary to “dream to live in harmony with the environment”. He used to say that true education consisted in knowing the use of any useful material that had been collected and knowing its real nature. Elaborating the concept of education Tagore said: “…..neither the education of the senses nor the education of the intellect, but the education of the feeling should receive the place of honor in our schools our true education is possible
2. Idea of the School: Rabindranath founded his own school based on his ideas of education at Shantiniketan in 1901. The school was set up following the model of the ancient (Vedic period) forest schools in India. The idea that inspired him to start the school has been wonderfully expressed in a letter written by Rabindranath to Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose. He wrote that the school that he was trying to start would be conducted just on the lines of residential institutions of ancient times. Further, he expressed that, “There shall not be the least trace of luxury. We shall not be able to become true Hindu if we do not learn rigid Brahmacharya. Frivolity and luxury are degenerating to us. Wants of all descriptions are over-powering as only because we are failing to accept poverty with equanimity”. The inauguration of Shantiniketan school, called Brahmacharyasram, took place on 22 December 1901. It was started on a small scale.
3. Aims of the School: The aims were:
1. To ensure that the students are taught the importance of Indian heritage.
2. To give it a universal humanist outlook.
3. To provide all-round development of the students. The students had no fixed curriculum. The goal of education was to ‘synthesize knowledge and feeling’. In the words of Rabindranath, Shantiniketan was a ‘sapling’ which was to grow into Visva Bharati, ‘a widely branching tree.
4. Cultural Synthesis: Rabindranath strongly felt that harmony and mutual understanding between the two cultures — East and West—was essential for mutual benefit. With this end in view, Rabindranath built up an educational institution in the form of Visva Bharati. By way of explaining the aim and function of Visva Bharati, Rabindranath said that being strongly impressed by the need and responsibility he had laid the initiative of an international university for promoting mutual understanding between the East and the West. The institution, he said, would invite students from the West and the East to study the different systems of Indian philosophy, literature, art, and music. It is evident from what had been said by Rabindranath that Visva Bharati was developed as a center of Indian culture.
Question 3. Discuss the role of the Leftists in the Anti-Colonial Movements of 20th Century India.
Answer:
Characteristics of the Leftist Movement in 20th Century India: If we discuss the participation of leftist politics in the anti-colonial movement of the twentieth century, a number of interesting features can be observed.
1. No organized existence: During the first decade of the twentieth century leftist politics had hardly any organised existence. There was some organised form after World War I.
2. Influence of Russian Revolution: The birth of leftist politics was from the Russian Revolution. So, armed revolutionary movement started against the British imperialist power which speeded up the nationalist movements of the Congress.
3. Anti-colonial movement: The leftists converted the anti-colonial movement into a mass movement. The main feature of their movement was to raise an uncompromising war against the British.
4. Mass participation: Mass awakening started through participation in the anti-colonial movement of the leftist politics. They had helped in bringing success to India’s freedom struggle, sometimes by giving a lot of importance to Congress and sometimes by joining it.
5. Labour organisations: The leftists supported various labor organisations and used the strikes as tools of the anti-imperialist movement.
6. Support & criticism of Congress: The leftists kept their protests alive sometimes by supporting Congress and sometimes criticizing it. However, economic demands and democratic ideals were always more important to them than political freedom.
7. Economic independence: Through their labor organisations, the leftists sent a clear message to the Congress and the British that economic independence was the primary demand and characteristic of their movement.
8. Participation of British communists: A noticeable feature of leftist politics was the participation of British communists. But the Indians were misled a number of times because of their influence.
9. Wavering from ideals: During the anti-colonial movement, the leftists were found wavering from their ideals at times. Sometimes they had to move away from extreme left ideals also.
