NDA General Studies · History · 58 questions · 2017 to 2026
NDA Modern India previous year questions with solutions
Modern India to 1885 is about one General Studies question in fifty, and its weight has been fading since 2021. The questions are single facts, and tables carry the chapter: governor-general and act, reformer and organisation, war and treaty. Every question UPSC has set on it since 2017, solved. Grouped by the method each needs, newest first; open a question for its answer and worked solution.
23.1 The Europeans in India and the rise of the Company, 1498–1826 (13)23.2 Constitutional acts, governors-general and the machinery of administration (12)23.3 Land revenue settlements and the colonial economy (7)23.4 Tribal and peasant risings, and the Revolt of 1857 (8)23.5 Social and religious reform in Bengal and northern India; education, the press and the early associations (12)23.6 Reform and caste movements in western and southern India (6)
23.1 The Europeans in India and the rise of the Company, 1498–1826
1. NDA 2025 (I)
At which one among the following places did the British East India Company found its factory in the year 1611?
Answer and solution
Answer: (b) Masulipatam
Method. East India Company factories
The Company founded its factory at Masulipatnam in 1611; Surat followed in 1613 and Madras in 1639 (standard result).
2. NDA 2023 (I)
At which one of the following places did the Danes establish their settlement in India?
Answer and solution
Answer: (d) Tranquebar
Method. Danish settlements
The Danes settled at Tranquebar (1620) and Serampore (Bipan Chandra; standard result). Chinsura was Dutch; Karaikal and Mahe French.
3. NDA 2023 (I)
The Treaty of Yandabo was concluded as part of which one of the following wars?
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) First Anglo-Burmese War
Method. Treaty of Yandabo
It ended the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-26) (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
4. NDA 2022 (II)
Which one of the following battles could be seen as laying the formal foundation of the British Raj in India?
Answer and solution
Answer: (b) Battle of Plassey
Method. start of British rule
Plassey (1757) is the conventional start of British dominion; Buxar (1764) consolidated it and 1857 was a revolt, not a foundation (standard result).
Buxar and the 1858 Crown takeover are arguable readings of 'formal foundation'; Plassey is the usual textbook answer.
5. NDA 2022 (II)
Where in South India did the British East India Company construct a trading post in 1639?
Answer and solution
Answer: (b) Madraspatam
Method. English trading post, 1639
Francis Day obtained Madraspatam in 1639 and founded Fort St George there (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
6. NDA 2022 (II)
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. The Dutch East India Company was formed after the formation of the British East India Company.
2. Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in 1498.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
1. The Dutch East India Company was formed after the formation of the British East India Company.
2. Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in 1498.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer and solution
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Method. European companies
English East India Company 1600, Dutch 1602 (so 1 is true); Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in 1498 (2 true) (standard result).
7. NDA 2022 (II)
Which one of the following areas was acquired by the British under the Treaty of Deogaon, 1803?
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) Cuttack
Method. Treaty of Deogaon, 1803
By the treaty with the Bhonsle of Nagpur the British got Cuttack (Orissa) and Balasore (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
8. NDA 2019 (II)
Consider the following statements related to Wellesley’s administration:
1. In the six years of Wellesley’s administration, the army accounted for 42.5 percent of the Company’s total expenditure.
2. Wellesley’s administrative measures were restricted to the affairs of the Company and had nothing to do with the commercial and military affairs of the Indian ruling families.
Which of the statement/s given above is/are correct?
1. In the six years of Wellesley’s administration, the army accounted for 42.5 percent of the Company’s total expenditure.
2. Wellesley’s administrative measures were restricted to the affairs of the Company and had nothing to do with the commercial and military affairs of the Indian ruling families.
Which of the statement/s given above is/are correct?
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) 1 only
Method. Wellesley's expenditure and policy
Statement 1 is the recorded fact that army costs were 42.5 per cent of Company spending in his term (standard result). Statement 2 is false: the Subsidiary Alliance and wars were precisely about the military and political affairs of Indian rulers (Bipan Chandra).
Statement 1 rests on the printed figure, taken from the standard account; I could not recheck the exact number.
9. NDA 2019 (I)
The treaty of Yandabo was signed in
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) 1826
Method. Treaty of Yandabo
The Treaty of Yandabo (1826) ended the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-26) (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
10. NDA 2018 (II)
Where did the French East India Company first establish its factory in India?
Answer and solution
Answer: (b) Surat
Method. French East India Company
The first French factory in India was set up at Surat in 1668 (Francois Caron); Pondicherry came in 1674 (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
11. NDA 2018 (II)
The place of English East India Company settlement in Madras was known as
Answer and solution
Answer: (b) Fort St. George
Method. English settlement at Madras
The English settled at Madras in 1639-40 and built Fort St George. Fort William is Calcutta (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
12. NDA 2017 (II)
Who among the following was the founder of the Avadh Kingdom in the 18th century?
Answer and solution
Answer: (b) Saadat Khan
Method. founders of 18th-century successor states
Saadat Khan (Burhan-ul-Mulk) founded the Awadh kingdom c. 1722. Murshid Quli Khan and Alivardi Khan are Bengal; Sarfaraz Khan was Alivardi's successor (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
13. NDA 2017 (I)
Which one of the following was NOT a feature of the Subsidiary Alliance of Lord Wellesley?
Answer and solution
Answer: (b) All internal threats were to be handled by the ally alone, with no help from the British
Method. Wellesley's Subsidiary Alliance terms
Under the alliance the British protected the ally from external attack, the ally paid for a British contingent and could make no treaty without British consent (Bipan Chandra, NCERT Class 8 Our Pasts III). Internal order was also guaranteed by British troops, so 'ally alone, no British help' is false.
23.2 Constitutional acts, governors-general and the machinery of administration
14. NDA 2025 (II)
Which of the following Acts established the Board of Control to guide and control the work of the Court of Directors and the Government of India?
Answer and solution
Answer: (b) Pitt’s India Act of 1784
Method. Board of Control
Pitt's India Act 1784 created the Board of Control over the Court of Directors (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
15. NDA 2025 (I)
Which among the following Acts provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court of Justice at Calcutta for Europeans, their employees and the citizens of India?
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) The Regulating Act of 1773
Method. Regulating Act 1773
The Act set up a Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774) (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
16. NDA 2025 (I)
Who, among the following, has introduced a resolution in 1882 which is also called the Magna Carta of Local Self-Government in India?
Answer and solution
Answer: (c) Lord Ripon
Method. local self-government
Lord Ripon's resolution of 1882 is called the Magna Carta of local self-government (standard result).
17. NDA 2023 (I)
Which Governor General of Bengal underwent impeachment proceedings in the British Parliament?
Answer and solution
Answer: (c) Warren Hastings
Method. impeachment
Warren Hastings was impeached in the British Parliament (1787-95, ended in acquittal) (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
18. NDA 2022 (I)
The real beginning of western education in India can be dated from
Answer and solution
Answer: (d) the Macaulay’s Minute on Indian Education, 1835
Method. western education in India
Macaulay's Minute of 1835 settled the policy for English-medium Western learning and is dated as the real beginning of western education; the 1813 Act only set aside a sum (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
The Charter Act of 1813 is sometimes called the beginning; the standard dating is 1835.
19. NDA 2021 (II)
Which of the following statements about the Indian Councils Act of 1861 is/are correct?
1. It enlarged the Governor General’s Council for the purpose of making laws.
2. The Governor General was not authorised to increase the number of members.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
1. It enlarged the Governor General’s Council for the purpose of making laws.
2. The Governor General was not authorised to increase the number of members.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) 1 only
Method. Indian Councils Act 1861
The Act enlarged the Governor-General's Council for legislation with additional non-official members, 6 to 12 in number; the Governor-General could nominate them, so 2 is false (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
20. NDA 2021 (II)
Which of the following statements about the first Indian Factory Act passed in 1881 is/are correct?
1. The Act dealt primarily with the problem of child labour.
2. The Act laid down that children between 7 years and 12 years of age would not work for more than 9 hours a day.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
1. The Act dealt primarily with the problem of child labour.
2. The Act laid down that children between 7 years and 12 years of age would not work for more than 9 hours a day.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Answer and solution
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Method. first Factory Act, 1881
The 1881 Act dealt mainly with child labour: it covered children aged 7-12, limited to 9 hours a day (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
21. NDA 2021 (II)
Which of the following statements about the Law Commission headed by Lord Macaulay is/are correct?
1. It attempted to codify the laws.
2. It was opposed to uniform system of Courts.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
1. It attempted to codify the laws.
2. It was opposed to uniform system of Courts.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) 1 only
Method. Macaulay's Law Commission
The Law Commission (1834) under Macaulay prepared the codification of laws (the basis of the Indian Penal Code) and favoured a uniform system of courts, so 2 is false (standard result).
22. NDA 2019 (II)
Who among the following was the first Indian to qualify for the Indian Civil Service?
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) Satyendranath Tagore
Method. first Indian in the ICS
Satyendranath Tagore qualified in 1863, the first Indian ICS officer. Surendranath Banerjee and R. C. Dutt qualified later (1869, 1869); Bose in 1920 (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
23. NDA 2019 (I)
Statement I: The British ruled India through a modern bureaucracy headed by the Indian Civil Service, whose members were recruited through merit based on open competition
Statement II: The Indian Civil Service was based on the whole hearted participation of Indians
Statement II: The Indian Civil Service was based on the whole hearted participation of Indians
Answer and solution
Answer: (c) Statement I is true but Statement II is false
Method. Indian Civil Service
Statement I is true: the ICS was a merit-based, open-competition steel frame. Statement II is false: Indians were kept out of the higher ranks and few qualified (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
24. NDA 2018 (II)
Statement I:
The Government of India Act, 1935 introduced Dyarchy at the Centre.
Statement II:
The provincial autonomy was granted to the Provinces.
The Government of India Act, 1935 introduced Dyarchy at the Centre.
Statement II:
The provincial autonomy was granted to the Provinces.
Answer and solution
Answer: (b) Both the statements are individually true but Statement II is not the correct explanation of Statement I
Method. Government of India Act 1935: dyarchy and provincial autonomy
The Act abolished dyarchy in the provinces and granted provincial autonomy (Statement II true); it provided for dyarchy at the Centre, with defence and external affairs reserved to the Governor-General (Statement I true as a provision; the federal part never came into force, standard result). Provincial autonomy does not explain dyarchy at the Centre, so II is not the explanation of I.
The federal scheme, including Central dyarchy, was never brought into operation; the answer follows the printed Act's provisions.
25. NDA 2017 (II)
Which one of the following statements about the Ilbert Bill is correct?
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) It proposed that the Indian magistrates would try Europeans in criminal cases.
Method. Ilbert Bill, 1883
The Ilbert Bill proposed to let Indian district magistrates and sessions judges try Europeans in criminal cases (Bipan Chandra). b is false (it concerned who tries, not who files); d is false (Ilbert was Law Member, the agitation was by Europeans against it). c says it 'authorized' the trial, but the Bill was withdrawn in compromise form in 1884, so a, which says 'proposed', is the exact statement.
23.3 Land revenue settlements and the colonial economy
26. NDA 2026 (I)
Who among the following advocated the construction of initial railways in India for facilitating army movement?
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) Lord Dalhousie
Method. railways
Dalhousie's Railway Minute (1853) planned the first lines, with military movement among his chief aims (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
Other grounds (commerce, administration) also figured in Dalhousie's minute.
27. NDA 2024 (II)
The first cotton mill in British India which began production in 1856 was set up by
Answer and solution
Answer: (d) C. N. Davar
Method. first cotton mill
C. N. (Cowasji Nanabhoy) Davar set up the first cotton mill in Bombay, production from 1856 (Bipan Chandra; standard result). Birla, Bajaj and Sarabhai belong to the 20th century.
28. NDA 2024 (I)
Which of the following statements are correct?
1. British ‘trade surplus’ with India in the nineteenth century meant that the value of British exports to India was much higher than the value of British imports from India.
2. India played a crucial role in the late-nineteenth-century world economy by helping Britain balance its deficits.
3. Britain grew opium in India and exported it to China and, therefore, for a while after the 1820s, opium became India’s single largest export.
4. The nineteenth century saw export of Indian raw materials decline, and that of manufactured goods increase.
Select the answer using the code given below:
1. British ‘trade surplus’ with India in the nineteenth century meant that the value of British exports to India was much higher than the value of British imports from India.
2. India played a crucial role in the late-nineteenth-century world economy by helping Britain balance its deficits.
3. Britain grew opium in India and exported it to China and, therefore, for a while after the 1820s, opium became India’s single largest export.
4. The nineteenth century saw export of Indian raw materials decline, and that of manufactured goods increase.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Answer and solution
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3 only
Method. colonial economy and trade
1, 2 and 3 are the standard statements (surplus used to balance Britain's deficits with others; opium to China the single largest export for a time). 4 is false: raw-material exports rose and manufactures declined, since Indian industry was destroyed (NCERT Class 10; standard result).
29. NDA 2024 (I)
Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists:
List-I (System / Category)
A. Upari
B. Pattadar
C. Mirasidar
D. Inam lands
List-II (Description)
1. Peasants directly responsible for the payment of revenue
2. Category of tenancy tenure held under the Marathas
3. Gifts of land or land revenue
4. Co-parcenary title holder and designated revenue payer in southern India
Code:
A B C D
List-I (System / Category)
A. Upari
B. Pattadar
C. Mirasidar
D. Inam lands
List-II (Description)
1. Peasants directly responsible for the payment of revenue
2. Category of tenancy tenure held under the Marathas
3. Gifts of land or land revenue
4. Co-parcenary title holder and designated revenue payer in southern India
Code:
A B C D
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) 2 1 4 3
Method. land tenure terms
Upari: tenancy under the Marathas (2). Pattadar: peasants directly responsible for revenue (1). Mirasidar: co-parcenary title holder and revenue payer in the south (4). Inam: gifts of land or revenue (3). Code 2 1 4 3 (Themes Part III ch 10; standard result).
30. NDA 2020 (I)
What was the consequence of Permanent Settlement on rural society in Bengal?
Answer and solution
Answer: (b) A group of rich peasants known as jotedars succeeded in consolidating their position in the villages
Method. Permanent Settlement, effects
Zamindars were often unable to pay and lost estates; the rich peasants called jotedars consolidated their power in the villages. Ryots were not made better off, and the Collectorate did function (Themes Part III ch 10).
31. NDA 2018 (I)
Who among the following introduced the Permanent Settlement of Bengal in 1793?
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) Lord Cornwallis
Method. Permanent Settlement, 1793
Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement in Bengal in 1793 (NCERT Class 12 Themes Part III ch 10).
32. NDA 2017 (I)
Which one of the following was NOT a feature of railways in colonial India?
Answer and solution
Answer: (b) British capital investments were invited with 15% guaranteed interest to be paid if necessary from Indian revenues.
Method. Railways in colonial India
Railway capital was guaranteed 5% interest, not 15%, from Indian revenues (NCERT Class 8 'Our Pasts III′; Bipan Chandra). The other three describe the railways. Standard result.
23.4 Tribal and peasant risings, and the Revolt of 1857
33. NDA 2021 (II)
In which one of the following years did the British demarcate a large area of land as Damin-i-koh for settling the Santhals?
Answer and solution
Answer: (d) 1832
Method. Damin-i-koh
Damin-i-koh was demarcated in 1832 for the Santhals (Themes Part III ch 10).
34. NDA 2021 (I)
Which of the following statements about the Deccan Riots Commission is/are correct?
1. The Commission did not hold enquiries in the districts which were not affected.
2. The Commission did record the statements of ryots, sahukars and eye-witnesses.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
1. The Commission did not hold enquiries in the districts which were not affected.
2. The Commission did record the statements of ryots, sahukars and eye-witnesses.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Answer and solution
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Method. Deccan Riots Commission, 1875
Statement 1 read exactly: the Commission did not enquire in unaffected districts, i.e. it enquired only in the riot-affected ones (Poona, Ahmednagar, Satara, Sholapur). That agrees with Themes Part III ch 10. Statement 2 is also true: it recorded statements of ryots, sahukars and eye-witnesses and compiled statistics. Both correct.
Statement 1 is a double negative; the reading above does not conflict with Themes III ch 10, but I rely on the narrative of the chapter and not on a page citation.
35. NDA 2020 (I)
What was Damin-i Koh in Rajmahal area?
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) A large area of land demarcated and declared to be the land of the Santhals
Method. Damin-i Koh
Damin-i Koh was a large area in the Rajmahal hills demarcated in 1832 as the land of the Santhals (Themes Part III ch 10).
36. NDA 2020 (I)
Which one of the following statements about the Revolt of 1857 is correct?
Answer and solution
Answer: (c) The rebel proclamations in 1857 repeatedly appealed to all sections of the population irrespective of their caste and creed.
Method. 1857 revolt
Proclamations appealed to all sections irrespective of caste and creed (Themes Part III ch 11). a is false (not carefully planned), b false (rumours mattered) and d false (the British took long to suppress it).
37. NDA 2019 (I)
The Azamgarh Proclamation of August 25, 1857 stressed on which one of the following issues?
Answer and solution
Answer: (c) The return of the Badshahi
Method. Azamgarh Proclamation, 1857
The Azamgarh Proclamation (25 Aug 1857) called for restoration of the Badshahi (Mughal rule) and promised protection of all classes, rather than heavy revenue, divide or support to the English (Themes Part III ch 11; standard result).
38. NDA 2019 (I)
The art piece “In Memoriam” was a creation of which one of the following European painters?
Answer and solution
Answer: (b) Joseph Noel Paton
Method. 'In Memoriam' (1858)
Joseph Noel Paton painted 'In Memoriam' (1858) showing English women and children awaiting death at Kanpur in 1857 (Themes Part III ch 11).
39. NDA 2017 (II)
Who among the following was believed to be a leader of the Sanyasis and Fakirs conspiring against the British in 1857?
Answer and solution
Answer: (d) Nana Sahib
Method. 1857: Sanyasis and Fakirs
Nana Sahib is the leader linked in British suspicion with Sanyasis and Fakirs and the secret conspiracy; Mangal Pandey was a sepoy and the Mughal figures were not so associated. Standard result (recalled from standard texts, not a passage).
40. NDA 2017 (I)
Which one of the following was NOT a cause of the Revolt of 1857?
Answer and solution
Answer: (d) The prophecy that the end of British rule would lead to the end of the Kali Yuga and the return of Ram Rajya.
Method. cause of 1857: rumours and prophecies
Options a and b are recorded rumours/prophecies of 1857 (bone dust in flour; end of Company rule a century after Plassey, 1757; NCERT Class 12 Themes Part III ch 11). c is the general discontent. A prophecy tying the end of British rule to the end of Kali Yuga and a return of Ram Rajya is not among the recorded causes, so d is the one that was NOT a cause; standard result.
23.5 Social and religious reform in Bengal and northern India; education, the press and the early associations
41. NDA 2026 (II)
Match List I with List II:
List I (Event)
I. Passing of the Age of Consent Bill
II. Establishment of the Arya Samaj
III. Death of Dayanand Saraswati
IV. Foundation of the Nagari Pracharini Sabha
List II (Year)
A. 1893
B. 1883
C. 1875
D. 1891
Select the answer using the code given below:
List I (Event)
I. Passing of the Age of Consent Bill
II. Establishment of the Arya Samaj
III. Death of Dayanand Saraswati
IV. Foundation of the Nagari Pracharini Sabha
List II (Year)
A. 1893
B. 1883
C. 1875
D. 1891
Select the answer using the code given below:
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) I-D, II-C, III-B, IV-A
Method. dating events
Age of Consent Bill 1891 (D); Arya Samaj 1875 (C); Dayanand's death 1883 (B); Nagari Pracharini Sabha 1893 (A). Code I-D, II-C, III-B, IV-A (standard result).
42. NDA 2025 (II)
Which one of the following statements about Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar is NOT correct?
Answer and solution
Answer: (d) He was the founder of Widow Remarriage Association
Method. Vidyasagar
Vidyasagar was Principal of Sanskrit College, a school inspector, and Secretary of Bethune School. The Widow Remarriage Association (1866) was founded by Vishnushastri Pandit (as the pair in 2025-II|31's list also shows); he got the Act of 1856 passed but did not found that association (standard result).
43. NDA 2025 (II)
Match List I with List II and select the answer using the code given below the Lists:
List I (Reformer)
A. Vishnu Shastri Pundit
B. Karsondas Mulji
C. Debendranath Tagore
D. Raja Ram Mohan Roy
List II (Social Work/Text)
1. Vedic Physics: Scientific Origin of Hinduism
2. Widow Remarriage Association
3. Satya Prakash
4. Tattvabodhini Sabha
Code:
A B C D
List I (Reformer)
A. Vishnu Shastri Pundit
B. Karsondas Mulji
C. Debendranath Tagore
D. Raja Ram Mohan Roy
List II (Social Work/Text)
1. Vedic Physics: Scientific Origin of Hinduism
2. Widow Remarriage Association
3. Satya Prakash
4. Tattvabodhini Sabha
Code:
A B C D
Answer and solution
Answer: (c) 2 3 4 1
Method. matching reformers with work
Vishnu Shastri Pundit: Widow Remarriage Association (2). Karsondas Mulji: Satya Prakash, a Gujarati paper (3). Debendranath Tagore: Tattvabodhini Sabha (4). 'Vedic Physics' is a modern namesake's book not by Ram Mohan Roy, so by elimination D is the remaining item 1; only code 2 3 4 1 has A=2, B=3, C=4 (standard result).
D-1 is settled by elimination, since the book called Vedic Physics is not Ram Mohan Roy's work.
44. NDA 2024 (I)
Consider the following Women’s Associations and their important associates in early twentieth century India:
1. Women’s Indian Association of 1917 : Margaret Cousins
2. National Council of Women in India of 1925 : Sarala Devi Chaudhurani
3. Bharat Stree Mahamandal of 1910 : Lady Meherbai Tata
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
1. Women’s Indian Association of 1917 : Margaret Cousins
2. National Council of Women in India of 1925 : Sarala Devi Chaudhurani
3. Bharat Stree Mahamandal of 1910 : Lady Meherbai Tata
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
Answer and solution
Answer: (d) 1 only
Method. women's associations
Women's Indian Association (1917) was founded by Margaret Cousins with Annie Besant: correct. The National Council of Women in India (1925) was linked to Lady Meherbai Tata; the Bharat Stree Mahamandal (1910) to Sarala Devi Chaudhurani, so 2 and 3 are swapped (standard result).
45. NDA 2021 (II)
Which one of the following statements about Tattvabodhini Patrika is correct?
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) It promoted a systematic study of India’s past in the Bengali language.
Method. Tattvabodhini Patrika
Debendranath Tagore's Tattvabodhini Patrika, in Bengali, promoted a systematic study of India's past (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
46. NDA 2021 (I)
Swami Dayanand Saraswati
1. was opposed to the worship of idols of Gods and Goddesses.
2. regarded the Vedas as infallible.
3. had met and had discussions with Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
1. was opposed to the worship of idols of Gods and Goddesses.
2. regarded the Vedas as infallible.
3. had met and had discussions with Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3
Method. Dayanand Saraswati
He opposed idol worship, held the Vedas infallible, and in 1872-73 at Calcutta met Vidyasagar and other leaders (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
47. NDA 2021 (I)
Consider the following statements:
1. Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College was founded at Aligarh by Sayyid Ahmad Khan.
2. Sayyid Ahmad Khan was a great believer in religious toleration, and Hindus, Parsis and Christians had contributed to the funds of his college.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College was founded at Aligarh by Sayyid Ahmad Khan.
2. Sayyid Ahmad Khan was a great believer in religious toleration, and Hindus, Parsis and Christians had contributed to the funds of his college.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer and solution
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Method. Sayyid Ahmad Khan
He founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh (1875); Hindus, Parsis and Christians contributed to it, and he preached tolerance (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
48. NDA 2019 (II)
Consider the following statements related to Dayanand’s idea of social reform:
1. Dayanand’s reform envisaged a social order, where different castes performed functions suitable to their status determined by merit.
2. Dayanand’s ‘robust Vedic counterpart’ challenged the masculine West that had enslaved the Aryavarta.
Which of the statement/s given above is/are correct?
1. Dayanand’s reform envisaged a social order, where different castes performed functions suitable to their status determined by merit.
2. Dayanand’s ‘robust Vedic counterpart’ challenged the masculine West that had enslaved the Aryavarta.
Which of the statement/s given above is/are correct?
Answer and solution
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Method. Dayanand's social ideas
Both statements describe Dayanand as presented in the standard account: varna by merit, not birth (1), and a Vedic order set against the 'masculine West' (2) (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
Statement 2 is a scholar's phrasing I could not trace to a named page; confident only that it fits Dayanand's thought.
49. NDA 2019 (I)
Who was the author of the book ‘History of British India’?
Answer and solution
Answer: (c) James Mill
Method. History of British India
'The History of British India' (1817) was written by James Mill; John Stuart Mill was his son (standard result).
50. NDA 2018 (II)
The Theosophical Society was led by
Answer and solution
Answer: (c) Annie Besant
Method. Theosophical Society
Founded in New York in 1875 by Blavatsky and Olcott; in India it was led by Annie Besant from 1907 and she is the figure in the options (Bipan Chandra; standard result). Hume founded the Congress.
51. NDA 2018 (I)
Name the first major voluntary association representing primarily Indian landlord interests that was set up in Calcutta in 1851?
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) British Indian Association
Method. early political associations
The British Indian Association (Calcutta, 1851) was the first major association of landlords. The Landholders' Society (1837) was earlier and so is not the 1851 body (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
52. NDA 2017 (II)
Who among the following was the founder of the Young Bengal Movement?
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) Henry Vivian Derozio
Method. Young Bengal Movement
Henry Vivian Derozio, teacher at Hindu College, Calcutta, inspired the Young Bengal radicals of the 1820s-30s (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
23.6 Reform and caste movements in western and southern India
53. NDA 2025 (II)
Who among the following founded the ‘Self-Respect Movement’?
Answer and solution
Answer: (c) E. V. Ramaswami Naicker
Method. Self-Respect Movement
E. V. Ramaswami Naicker (Periyar) founded it in 1925 (standard result).
54. NDA 2022 (I)
The Mahad Satyagraha of 1927 was organized by
Answer and solution
Answer: (a) B. R. Ambedkar
Method. Mahad Satyagraha, 1927
B. R. Ambedkar led the Mahad (Chavdar Tank) Satyagraha of 1927 (standard result).
55. NDA 2022 (I)
The Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth-Seeking Society) was set up by
Answer and solution
Answer: (b) Jyotiba Phule
Method. Satyashodhak Samaj
Founded by Jyotiba Phule in 1873 (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
56. NDA 2021 (II)
The founders of the Paramhansa Mandali founded in Maharashtra believed in which one of the following?
Answer and solution
Answer: (d) One God and in breaking caste rules
Method. Paramhansa Mandali, 1849
Founded in Bombay in 1849; its members believed in one God and broke caste rules (e.g. by eating together) (Bipan Chandra; standard result).
57. NDA 2018 (I)
Who among the following social reformer started a society for the encouragement of widow remarriage in 1866 in Maharashtra?
Answer and solution
Answer: (c) Vishnushastri Pandit
Method. widow remarriage association, 1866
Vishnushastri Pandit founded the Widow Remarriage Association in Bombay Presidency in 1866 (Bipan Chandra; standard result). Phule worked for widows' homes and Tilak opposed reform.
58. NDA 2017 (I)
Which one of the following is a feature of thought and philosophy of the Kandukuri Viresalingam?
Answer and solution
Answer: (b) He believed in universal education.
Method. Viresalingam, Telugu reformer
Kandukuri Viresalingam (Andhra) stood for education of all, including women, and used language and literature to teach morality; he linked science with truth and built national feeling on a cultural base (Bipan Chandra). Only b fits; a, c, d state the opposite.