BBC-STORY OF INDIA

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Material-History

Objective-Indian History

1. ‘Charak’ was the famous court Physician of—
(A) Harsha
(B) Chandragupta Maurya
(C) Ashoka
(D) Kanishka
Ans : (D)

2. Who was the greatest Bhakti poet of Maharashtra ?
(A) Ramdas
(B) Tukaram
(C) Namdeva
(D) Eknath
Ans : (C)

3. The foreign traveller who visited India during the Mughal period and who left us an expert’s description of the Peacock Throne was—
(A) Geronimo Verroneo
(B) ‘Omrah’ Danishmand Khan
(C) Travernier
(D) Francisco Palsaert
Ans : (C)

4. Who founded the Home Rule League in Calcutta in 1916 A.D. ?
(A) Bipin Chandra Pal
(B) Arvind Ghosh
(C) Lokmanya Tilak
(D) Mrs. Annie Besant
Ans : (D)

5. The dead body of Babur by his own choice lies buried in—
(A) Agra
(B) Farghana
(C) Samarqand
(D) Kabul
Ans : (D)


6. The Government of India Act, 1919 is known as—
(A) Morley—Minto Reforms
(B) Montagu—Chelmsford Reforms
(C) Regulating Act
(D) Pitts India Act
Ans : (B)

7. Who is called the ‘Father of the Indian National Congress’ ?
(A) Mahatma Gandhi
(B) A.O. Hume
(C) Lokmanya Tilak
(D) Surendranath Banerjee
Ans : (B)

8. ‘Ashtangika Marg’ the path for the elimination of human misery, was propounded by—
(A) Mahavira
(B) Gautam Buddha
(C) Adi Shankaracharya
(D) Kabir
Ans : (B)

9. The number system ‘Zero’ was invented by—
(A) Ramanujam
(B) Aryabhatta
(C) Patanjali
(D) An unknown person
Ans : (B)

10. Mahatma Gandhi owed his inspiration for civil disobedience and non-payment of taxes to—
(A) Thoreau
(B) Leo Tolstoy
(C) John Ruskin
(D) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Ans : (B)

11. Satyashodhak Samaj was formed by—
(A) Raja Rammohan Roy
(B) Shri Narayana Guru
(C) Jotirao Govindrao Phule
(D) Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar
Ans : (C)

12. Partition of Bengal was done by—
(A) Lord Dalhousie
(B) Lord Curzon
(C) Lord Warren Hastings
(D) Lord Ripon
Ans : (B)

13. National song ‘Vande Mataram’ was composed by—
(A) Rabindra Nath Tagore
(B) Ram Prasad Bismil
(C) Sarojini Naidu
(D) Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
Ans : (D)

14. Ghoomar is a dance form from—
(A) Jammu and Kashmir
(B) Punjab
(C) Himachal Pradesh
(D) Rajasthan
Ans : (D)

15. The words ‘Satyameva Jayate’ inscribed below the base plate of the emblem of India are taken from—
(A) Ramayana
(B) Mundak Upanishad
(C) Rigveda
(D) None of these
Ans : (B)

16. Who among the following established the Central Hindu College at Benaras, in 1898 which later formed the nucleus of the Benaras Hindu University ?
(A) Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya
(B) Lord Dufferin
(C) Annie Besant
(D) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Ans : (A)

17. Which one of the following is not correctly matched ?
(A) Pandit Krishan Maharaj : Tabla
(B) Pandit Birju Maharaj : Sarod
(C) Ustad Bismillah Khan : Shehnai
(D) Ustad Vilayat Khan : Sitar
Ans : (B)

18. Under whose patronage was the Khandariya Mahadeo Temple at Khajuraho built ?
(A) Solankis
(B) Rashtrakutas
(C) Tomaras
(D) Chandellas
Ans : (D)

19. Who among the following Mughal rulers granted the English Company Diwani over Bengal, Bihar and Orissa by Treaty of Allahabad ?
(A) Ahmad Shah
(B) Alamgir II
(C) Shah Alam II
(D) Akbar Shah II
Ans : (C)

20. During the Indian freedom struggle, what accusation was made against Master Amir Chand, Awadh Bihari, Bal Mukund and Basant Kumar Biswas ?
(A) Assassination of the Commissioner of Poona
(B) Throwing a bomb on ‘Viceroy’s procession in Delhi
(C) Attempt to shoot the Governor of Punjab
(D) Looting an armoury in Bengal
Ans : (B)

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study Material- VELLORE MUTINY

VELLORE MUTINY

Vellore was the capital of erstwhile North Arcot district in Tamil Nadu. At present, this district is named after its capital Vellore. It is a well fortified and beautiful city. With the expansion of the East India Company’s rule in India, the native rulers and their dependents suffered.

The native rulers either submitted or rebelled.

These rebellions had no clear vision or ideal but purely motivated by the territorial interest of the native rulers and their ambition to preserve the old feudal order. The heroism and sacrifice of individuals like Puli Thevar, Kattabomman and Marudu Brothers had no parallel. But all these leaders never organised the common people for a unified and meaningful cause. The ideas of nationalism, political consciousness and organized struggle came much later.

In Vellore the native sepoys rose in revolt in 1806.This incident differs from other previous rebellions in. The earlier rebellions were those of the native rulers. The Vellore Mutiny was organized by the sepoys. The earlier rebellions had only a regional interest. Every prince wanted to safeguard his own kingdom at any cost.

But Vellore Mutiny was the result of spontaneous outflow of the feelings of the sepoys who served under the Company. It was a protest by the sepoys against the Company. This protest showed the future possibilities.

CAUSES

Several causes are attributed to the Vellore Mutiny. Indian sepoys had to experience numerous difficulties when they went to serve in the Company’s army.

The sepoys were forced to serve under the Company since their earlier patrons (the native chieftains) were all disappearing from the scene. The strict discipline, practice, new weapons, new methods and uniforms were all new to the sepoys. Anything new appears to be difficult and wrong for a man who is well-settled in the old way of life for a long-time.

Sir John Cradock, the commander-in-chief, with the –approval of Lord-William Bentinck, the Governor of Madras,introduced a new from of turban, resembling a European hat. Wearing ear rings and caste marks were also prohibited. The sepoys were asked to shave the chin and to trim the moustache.

The sepoys felt that these were designed to insult them and their religious and social traditions. There was also a popular belief that this was the beginning of a process by which all of them would be converted to Christianity.

The English treated the Indian sepoys as their inferior. There

was the racial prejudice. This was the psychological base for the

sepoy mutinies in India during the Company’s rule. The sepoys once served the local chieftains (either Hindu or Muslim). The chieftains were their own kinsmen but now they served under the foreigners. They can never forget their original loyalties.

The Vellore uprising was preceded by a series of protests by

the Indian troops. In May 1806, the 4th Regiment rose in revolt against the new turban. The Commander-in-Chief took severe action thesepoys who were found guilty were punished with 500 to 900 lashes.

Before the mutiny secret associations were formed and meetings

held in which Tipu’s family took part. On June 17th 1806 a sepoy of the 1st Regiment named Mustapha Beg, secretly informed his commanding officer, ColonelForbes, that a plot had been planned for the extermination of the European officers and troops. But this was not taken seriously .

On the eve of the Mutiny at Vellore Fettah Hyder, the first

son of Tipu, tried to form an alliance against the English and sought the help of the Marathas and the French.Fettah Hyder received secret information through one Mohommed Malick.

Besides, princes Fettah Hyder and Moiz-ud-Deen in particular were active in planning the execution of the Mutiny.

Thus, there was the desire to revive the old Muslim rule in this

region. The sepoys were aware of the tragic end of Puli Thevar, Khan Sahib, Kattabomman, Marudu Brothers, Tipu Sultan and others. Hence there were ill-feelings about the British in the minds of the sepoys.All these led to the rebellion.

Course of the Mutiny

On July 10th in the early morning the native sepoys of the 1st

and 23rd Regiments started the revolt . Colonel Fancourt, who

commanded the garrison, was their first victim. Colonel Me Kerras of the 23rd Regiment, was shot down on the parade-ground. MajorArmstrong was the next officer to be killed during the mutiny.

About a dozen other officers were also killed. Major Cootes who was outside the fort dashed to Ranipet, 14 miles away, and informed Colonel Gillespie at 7 am . Col. Gillespie reached the Vellore fort at 9 A.M. Meantime, the rebels proclaimed Futteh Hyder, Tipu’s first son, as their new ruler and hoisted tiger-striped flag of Tipu Sultan. But the uprising was swiftly crushed by Col. Gillespie. 800 Indian soldiers were found dead in the fort alone. Six hundred soldiers were imprisoned in Tiruchi and Vellore. Some rebels were hung, some shot dead.

The uprising was thus brought to a bloody end. Tipu’s son was

sent to Calcutta. The commander-in-chief and the governor were

recalled. Vellore Mutiny failed. There was no proper leadership. Therebellion was also not well organized. But it is the starting  point of a new era of the resistance of the sepoys to the British rule.

The 18^thcentury was marked by the resistance of the local chieftains. The first six decades of 19th century was marked by the resistance of sepoys.

K.K. Pillai rejects the thesis that Vellore Mutiny led to the

1857 revolt. V.D. Savarkar calls the Vellore Mutiny of 1806 as the prelude to the first War of Indian Independence in 1857. N. Sanjivi proclaims that the Tamils had taken the real lead in the Indian freedom struggle. K. Rajayyan argues that this mutiny was a continuation of the Marudu Brothers’ resistance movement against the colonial rule.

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History Study Material

UGC INDIAN HISTORY –Objective

1. As a prince where was Ashoka sent to suppress the revolt?
1 Taxila
2 Kalinga
3 Ujjain
4 Deccan
Ans:1
2. Which one of the following travelers is not associated with the description of the glories of Vijayanagar kingdom?
1 Paes
2 Abdul Razzaq
3 Ibn Batutach
4 Nuniz
Ans:3

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3. What was Sher Shah’s precious legacy to the Mughals?

1 Organization of Army
2 Land Revenue System
3 Mansabdari System
4 Provincial Administration
Ans:2
3. The main emphasis of Upnishads is on which aspect of philosophy?
1 Bhakti
2 Gyan
3 Karma
4 Tapa
Ans:2
4. Panini, the first Grammarian of Sanskrit language in India, lived during the:
1 2nd Century B. C.
2 6th -5th Century B. C.
3 2nd Century A. D.
4 5th-6th Century A. D.
Ans:2
5. With reference to the Indian Freedom Struggle, which one of the following events occurred earliest?
1 Surat Split
2 Lucknow Pact
3 Rowlatt Satyagraha
4 Communal Award
Ans:1
6. What was the most important gainto Ahmad Shah Abdali as a result of the Third Battle of Panipat?
1 Control over Delhi
2 Enormous wealth
3 Control over Punjab
4 Opportunity to expand his empire in India
Ans:2
7. The scholar who accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni in India was
1 Ibn Batuta
2 Al-Beruni
3 Al-Firdausi
4 Al-Razi
Ans:2
8. The father of Asoka was:
1 Bimbisara
2 Bindusara
3 Mahendra
4 Namda
Ans:2
9. Azad Hind Fauj was founded in 1943 in
1 Mandalay
2 Singapore
3 Midnapore
4 Kuala Lumpur
Ans:2
10. The main emphasis of Upnishads is on which aspect of philosophy?
1 Bhakti
2 Gyan
3 Karma
4 Tapa
Ans:2
11. Who was the founder of Vijaynagar kingdom?
1 Harihar and Bukka
2 Krishna Dev Roy
3 Narsingha
4 Devroy
Ans:1
12. Among the four dynasties listed below, which one minted coins made of lead?
1 Mauryas
2 Satvahanas
3 Western Kshatrapas
4 Guptas
Ans:2
13. Which of the following is associated with Lord Wellesley, the Governor General of India from 1798 to 1805?
1 Doctrine of Lapse
2 Subsidiary Alliance
3 First Mysore War
4 Conquest of Rajputana
Ans:2
14. With reference to the Indian Freedom Struggle, which one of the following events occurred earliest?
1 Surat Split
2 Lucknow Pact
3 Rowlatt Satyagraha
4 Communal Award
Ans:1
15. Which factor influenced Ghandhi’s ideas on Indian Culture most?
1 Brief in the fundamentals of ancient culture.
2 Influenced by western ideas
3 ’Sermon on the Mount’
4 Tolstoy’s idea
Ans:1
16. The most important divinity in the Rig Veda is
1 Agni
2 Marut
3 Varuna
4 Indra
Ans:3
17. Alexander’s general who attacked India and was defeated by Chadragupta Maurya was
1 Ptolemy
2 Seleucus
3 Nearchus
4 Arrian
Ans:2
18. The foreign traveler who visited India during the rule of the Guptas was
1 Hiuen Tsang
2 Beriner
3 Fa-Hein
4 Manucci
Ans:3
19. Which of the following factors was most important for the rapid development of trade in pre-Gupta period?
1 Needs of the Roman Empire
2 Success of the banking system
3 Better system of coinage
4 Encouragement from the Kings
Ans:1
20. In the year 1946, who among the following joined the Viceroy’s Executive Council with the finance portfolio?
1 Mohammad Ali Jinnah
2 Liaqat Ali Khan
3 Nawab Salimullah
4 Shaukat Ali
Ans:2
21. The battle that was fought between Ahmad Shah Abdali and the Marathas in 1761 was
1 2nd battle of Panipat
2 1st battle of Panipat
3 3rd battle of Panipat
4 the battle of Tarain
Ans:3
22. Which one of the following is correctly matched?
1 Second Battle of Panipat - Akbar and Ibrahim Lodi
2 Battle of Khanwa - Akbar and Rana Sanga
3 Battle of Chausa - Humayun and Sher Shah
4 First battle of Tarian - Mahmud Ghaznavi and Prithviraj Chauhan
Ans:3
23. Why was the Swaraj Party established?
1 To co-operate with Government
2 To place obstacles in the functioning of the legislative council
3 To form an organization parallel to the Congress
4 Because of schism in the Congress
Ans:2
24. Identify the famous ruler of the Gupta period
1 Kumaradevi
2 Rajyashri
3 Kuber-Naga
4 Prabhavati-Gupta
Ans:4
25. ’Tipu Sultan’ had his capital at
1 Srirangapatnam
2 Mysore
3 Bangalore
4 Bhagyanagar
Ans:1
26. Among the following foreign travellers who was the first to visit India?
1 Bernier
2 Ibn Batuta
3 Abdur Rajjak
4 Vasco-da-Gama
Ans:2
27. In ancient peninsular India, who among the following assumed the title ’Vatapikonda’?
1 Mayurasharman
2 Narasimhavarman
3 Pulakesi II
4 Vikramaditya II
Ans:2
28. Chandragupta Maurya built the first great empire in India with the help of
1 Mahapadmananda
2 Bindusara
3 Seleucus
4 Kautilya
Ans:4
29. Which ruler went to Sri Lanka to spread Buddhism
1 Ashoka
2 Samudragupta
3 Sanghamitra
4 Chitragupta
Ans:3
30. The Temples at Khajuraho were build by -
1 Chandelas
2 Pallavas
3 Chalukyas
4 Qutubuddin
Ans:1
31. Which among the following was defeated by Ahmad Shah Abdali in the 3rd battle of Panipat
1 Sawai Jai Singh
2 Badam Singh
3 Suraj Mal
4 Guru Govind Singh
Ans:3
32. During the Civil Disobedience Movement, who led the ’Red Shirts’ of North-Western India?
1 Abdul Kalam Azad
2 Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
3 Mohammad Ali Jinnah
4 Shaukat Ali
Ans:2
33. Which among the following dynasties had the strongest navy?
1 Chalukya
2 Chola
3 Gupta
4 Pallava
Ans:2
34. Which one of the following travelers is not associated with the description of the glories of Vijayanagar kingdom?
1 Paes
2 Abdul Razzaq
3 Ibn Batutach
4 Nuniz
Ans:3
35. Put in correct chronological sequence, the successors of Shivaji 1.Sahu 2.Shivaji 3.Rajaram 4.Sambhaji 5.Ram Raja
1 4, 3, 2, 1, 5
2 2, 1, 5, 3, 4
3 5, 4, 2, 1, 3
4 1, 2, 3, 5, 4
Ans:1

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