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Class 12 History Chapter 14 Mahatma Gandhi and the National Movement: A Contemporary Perspective
Selected Questions & Answers
A. Very Short Answer Questions: (Marks for each–1)
1. Who was the most influential person in the Indian National Movement?
Ans: Mahatma Gandhi.
2. After how many years did Gandhiji return to India?
Ans: After 22 years.
3. What is the full name of ‘Lal’ in the group name ‘Lal-Bal-Pal’?
Ans: Lala Lajpat Rai.
4. Why was Gandhiji invited to the meeting of Banaras Hindu University?
Ans: Because of the political leadership he had provided in South Africa.
5. What advice did Gandhiji give in his speech at Banaras Hindu University?
Ans: He advised the upper and middle classes of India to think about the welfare of the working people.
6. Against which notorious Act did Gandhiji call for a hartal in 1919?
Ans: Against the Rowlatt Act.
7. Write the name of one leader of the Khilafat Movement in India.
Ans: Muhammad Ali Jauhar.
8. Who was Cunningham?
Ans: Cunningham was a British Director of Public Instruction in Assam.
9. In which year did the Second World War begin?
Ans: In September 1939.
10. In which year was the Peasants and Workers Party formed?
Ans: In 1926.
11. Atlee was the leader of which party?
Ans: The Labour Party.
12. Whom did Mountbatten succeed as Viceroy?
Ans: He succeeded Lord Wavell.
13. Who was the first Home Minister of independent India?
Ans: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
14. Who compared Gandhiji with Lincoln?
Ans: The American newspaper Time.
15. Why is it said that Gandhiji became a ‘Mahatma’ in South Africa?
Ans: Because by protesting against racial discrimination in South Africa, he established himself as a great humanitarian; therefore, it is said that he became a ‘Mahatma’ there.
16. Why is a temporary suspension called a strategy?
Ans: Because through a temporary suspension, it becomes easier to devise new strategies or methods; hence, it is regarded as a tactical move.
17. In which year did the Anti-Partition of Bengal Movement or Swadeshi Movement begin?
Ans: In 1905.
18. In which year did Gandhiji return to India?
Ans: In 1915.
19. According to official records, how many hartals were observed in 1921?
Ans: 396.
20. In which year was the Non-Cooperation Movement formally launched?
Ans: On 1 August 1920.
21. In which year was the Treaty of Sèvres signed?
Ans: In 1920.
22. In which year did the Jallianwala Bagh massacre take place?
Ans: On 13 April 1919.
23. Who was the political guru of Mahatma Gandhi?
Ans: Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
24. In which year was Banaras Hindu University established?
Ans: In 1916.
25. In which year was India’s first Independence Day formally celebrated in British India?
Ans: On 26 January 1930.
26. In which year was the Gandhi-Irwin Pact signed?
Ans: In 1931.
27. In which year did the Muslim League observe ‘Direct Day’?
Ans: On 16 August 1946.
28. In which year was Individual Satyagraha launched?
Ans: In 1940.
29. In which year did the Quit India Movement begin?
Ans: On 8 August 1942.
30. In which year was the Government of India Act passed?
Ans: In 1935.
31. In which year was the Second Round Table Conference held?
Ans: In 1931.
32. In which year was the Indian National Congress founded?
Ans: In 1885.
33. In which year was the Muslim League founded?
Ans: In 1906.
34. When did the Champaran Movement take place?
Ans: In 1917.
35. In which year did Mahatma Gandhi return to India from South Africa?
Ans: In 1915.
36. In which year did the Cripps Mission come to India?
Ans: In 1942.
37. In which year and on what date was Mahatma Gandhi assassinated?
Ans: On 30 January 1948.
38. “Do or Die” was whose slogan?
Ans: Mahatma Gandhi.
39. Who composed the song “Sare Jahan Se Achha”?
Ans: Muhammad Iqbal.
40. Who represented the Congress at the Second Round Table Conference? H. S. ’17
Ans: Mahatma Gandhi.
41. Who was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution? H. S. ’17
Ans: B. R. Ambedkar.
B. Short Answer Questions: (Marks for each–2)
1. What is ‘Direct Day’?
Ans: On 29 July 1946, the Muslim League demanded a separate state named Pakistan for the Muslim community. This day is called ‘Direct Day’.
2. What was the Rowlatt Act? H. S. ’15
Ans: In 1919 the British Government implemented the Rowlatt Act in India. Its implementation created intense reaction among Indians because:
(a) Through this Act the government could arrest any suspect without trial.
(b) The Act curtailed the freedom of the press.
3. Write two reasons for the failure of the Cripps Mission. H. S. ’15
Ans: Two reasons for the failure of the Cripps Mission were:
(a) It did not reflect the hopes and aspirations of the Indian people.
(b) The Muslim League also opposed it.
4. What is meant by the ‘Inner Line Regulation’ of 1873? H. S. ’17
Ans: Through the Inner Line Regulation of 1873, the British obtained advantages in the tea, oil, and elephant trade of Assam. By this Act, interference by outsiders in these areas was restricted.
5. Write the names of two leaders of the Khilafat Movement. H. S.’17
Ans: Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali.
6. What was the ‘Fifth Report’? H. S. ’19
Ans: The East India Company had to submit annual reports of its activities to the British Parliament. In 1813, the Company submitted a detailed report to the British Parliament. This was known as the ‘Fifth Report’.
7. Write any two programmes of the Non-Cooperation Movement.H. S. ’19
Ans: Two programmes of the Non-Cooperation Movement were:
(a) Resignation from government jobs.
(b) Boycott of foreign goods and adoption of swadeshi goods.
8. Who gave the call for Direct Action? Which day was chosen for it? H. S. ’19
Ans: Muhammad Ali Jinnah gave the call for Direct Action. For this, 16 August 1946 was chosen.
9. Write the names of any two members of the Indian National Congress who played an important role in the Constituent Assembly of India. H. S. ’20
Ans: Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and Acharya J. B. Kripalani.
10. Why was the Salt March considered significant? Mention two reasons. H. S. ’20
Ans: The Salt March of Mahatma Gandhi was considered significant because:
(a) By breaking the Salt Law through the march, the government’s monopoly over salt production was challenged.
(b) It awakened the entire Indian population against British rule.
C. Long Answer Questions: (Marks for each–4/6)
1. Mention the causes that led to the launching of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Ans: On 1 August 1920, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, the Non-Cooperation Movement was launched throughout India. Although there were several causes behind the movement, the three principal causes are briefly mentioned below:
(i) The Rowlatt Act: In 1914, the British Government introduced the Defence of India Act. This Act was very repressive for Indians. However, the British Government assured the Indians that if they supported the government during the First World War, the Defence of India Act would be withdrawn immediately after the war. But even after the war ended, instead of withdrawing the Act, the government enacted another repressive law known as the Rowlatt Act. This betrayal by the government angered the people and compelled them to adopt a programme of agitation.
(ii) The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: In protest against the Rowlatt Act, a nationwide hartal was observed on 6 April 1919. On 13 April 1919, thousands of people gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab to protest. The government authorities were displeased with such activities. Finally, under the orders of General Dyer, the British troops opened fire indiscriminately on the unarmed crowd. This action deeply shocked the Indians and, as a protest, the Non-Cooperation Movement was initiated.
(iii) The Turkish Issue: After the First World War, the British Government had promised the Caliph that Turkey’s territorial integrity would be preserved. However, when the British authorities failed to keep this promise, widespread resentment arose among Muslims across the world against the British. In January 1920, at a meeting held in Delhi, following Gandhi’s advice and presence, the policy and programme of Non-Cooperation with the British Indian Government were adopted.
2. Write briefly about the Non-Cooperation Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. Why did he suspend the movement?
Ans: In protest against the Rowlatt Act, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and the Turkish issue, the Non-Cooperation Movement was launched on 1 August 1920 under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. In September of the same year, at a special session of the Congress, a resolution was adopted to support the Khilafat Movement and to adopt Non-Cooperation against the government. Thus, under Gandhi’s leadership, the Congress and the Central Khilafat Committee jointly initiated the first mass anti-British movement in India. People from almost all sections of society responded to the movement. Leaders such as Motilal Nehru, Chittaranjan Das, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lala Lajpat Rai, Vallabhbhai Patel, and Rajendra Prasad gave up their professions and joined the movement. Branch organizations were formed in different parts of the country to make the movement successful. Students boycotted schools and participated in picketing and campaigns against intoxicants. The Congress abstained from participating in elections. The visit of the Prince of Wales to India in 1921 was completely boycotted. The British Government adopted repressive measures to suppress the movement. Many activists and prominent leaders were arrested. In some regions, no-tax campaigns were initiated. Thus, the movement spread throughout the country, accompanied by police repression. On 5 February 1922, at Chauri Chaura in Uttar Pradesh, peasants, enraged by police atrocities, set fire to a police station. About 22 policemen, including the officer in charge, were burnt to death. Gandhi wanted the movement to remain strictly non-violent. As the incident turned violent, he suspended the Non-Cooperation Movement.
3. From which year was the Civil Disobedience Movement launched? Mention its role in India’s freedom struggle.
Ans: At the Lahore Session of the Congress held in December 1929 under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, the resolution for complete independence (Purna Swaraj) was adopted. Accordingly, the Civil Disobedience Movement was formally launched in March 1930. Inspired by the call for complete independence, thousands of people joined the movement. In many places, government authority virtually ceased to function. Hartals, picketing, meetings, and processions became the main programmes of the freedom fighters. Thousands suffered police repression. In the North-West Frontier Province, under the leadership of Abdul GhaffarKhan, a volunteer corps known as the Red Shirts was formed. People stopped paying taxes. In Peshawar, the police opened fire on the demonstrators. The movement assumed an intense character throughout the country. In May 1930, the government arrested Jawaharlal Nehru and Gandhi. This further intensified the movement. However, in March 1931, according to the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, both Gandhi and Nehru were released. The Congress decided to participate in the Second Round Table Conference and withdrew the Civil Disobedience Movement.
4. Under what political circumstances was the Gandhi-Irwin Pact signed? Discuss its terms.
Ans: As the Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930 gained momentum, the British Government faced a serious crisis. The Congress had not participated in the First Round Table Conference held in London. Realizing that no fruitful settlement could be achieved without Congress’s participation, the British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald decided to reach a compromisewith the Congress. The then Viceroy, Lord Irwin, ordered the release of political leaders to ease tensions and personally initiated talks with Gandhi. After about fifteen days of discussion, an agreement was reached in March 1931 between the government and the Congress, known as the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. Its main terms were:
(1) Steps would be taken to resolve India’s political problem on the basis of a federal structure.
(2) The Congress would be invited to the Round Table Conference.
(3) The Congress would suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement.
(4) Peaceful picketing of foreign cloth and liquor shops would be permitted.
(5) Repressive measures against the movement would be withdrawn.
(6) Political prisoners not involved in violent activities would be released. The pact was approved by the Congress at its Karachi Session in March 1931. Gandhi attended the Second Round Table Conference as the sole representative of the Congress. However, as the British Government was unwilling to introduce full responsible government, the conference failed.
5. Give an account of the Quit India Movement. Why is it called the August Revolution or the Movement of ’42?
Ans: After the failure of the Cripps Mission, the Congress adopted a solution in July 1942, demanding that the British leave India. In its revised form, the Quit India Resolution was passed at the Bombay Session of the Congress on 8–9 August 1942. This movement came to be known as the Quit India Movement. The people of India united with determination to end British rule. However, the British Government declared that no movement would be tolerated during wartime and arrested leaders such as Gandhi, Nehru, and Azad. The Congress was declared illegal. In response, the movement intensified and in many place sturned violent. Police stations, post offices, railway lines, and telegraph lines were destroyed. In some areas, parallel governments were established. Students played an active role. Thousands were imprisoned, and many youths lost their lives. It is called the August Revolution or the Movement of ’42 because it was launched in August 1942.
6. Discuss the main objectives of the Quit India Resolution. On which date was it adopted?
Ans: After the failure of the Cripps Mission in 1942, the Congress resolved to adopt Non-Cooperation and directed the British to leave India. The Quit India Resolution was formally adopted at the Bombay Session of the Congress on 8–9 August 1942. Its main objectives included:
(a) Observance of hartal on a fixed day along with a 24-hour fast, without coercing shopkeepers; organizing meetings and processions to explain satyagraha.
(b) Breaking the Salt Law.
(c) Refusal to pay land revenue; in zamindari areas, payment only of the zamindar’s share if he supported the movement, but refusal to pay the government’s share.
7. Why was salt chosen as a symbol of protest in the Civil Disobedience Movement?
Ans: In 1930, Gandhi chose salt as a symbol of protest because the British Government had a monopoly over its production and sale. People were not allowed to produce salt freely from seawater. The government sold salt at high prices, which burdened the poor and led to the decline of salt-based village industries. Therefore, salt was selected as a powerful symbol of protest. On 12 March 1930, Gandhi, along with 78 followers, marched about 200 miles to Dandi on the Arabian Sea coast and broke the Salt Law by producing salt.
8. What were the main terms of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact? H. S. ’19
Ans: On 5 March 1931, an agreement was signed between Lord Irwin and Mahatma Gandhi. Its main terms were:
(a) Gandhi would suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement.
(b) The government would withdraw repressive measures.
(c) Political prisoners not involved in violence would be released.
(d) Confiscated properties would be restored to their rightful owners.
9. Who was Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah? What was his role in the Revolt of 1857?
Ans: Ahmadullah Shah was an Islamic scholar born in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh. He played a significant role in the Revolt of 1857. Influenced by his personality, thousands joined the rebellion. Alarmed by his popularity, the British arrested him. Later, he escaped and resumed the struggle. A reward of 50,000 rupees was announced for his capture, and he was eventually killed by a local ruler for the reward.
10. How did Mahatma Gandhi change the nature of the national movement? H. S. ’18
Ans: After returning from South Africa in 1915, Mahatma Gandhi joined the Indian National Congress and transformed the character of the national movement into a mass-based struggle. Through movements like NonCooperation, he mobilized people from all sections of society, introduced the method of non-violent mass protest, encouraged boycott of foreign goods, and emphasized swadeshi and constructive programmes. Thus, under his leadership, the movement spread across the country and ultimately led to India’s independence in 1947.
11. Why was Gandhiji regarded as a leader of the masses? Discuss. H. S. ’16
Ans: Mahatma Gandhi was a liberal-minded humanitarian leader. During his stay in South Africa, he successfully led movements against racial discrimination and gained popularity. In 1915, he returned to India and joined the Congress, after which he led a series of movements against British rule. Moreover, by resolving the conflict between the peasants and the indigo planters at Champaran, he emerged in the eyes of the people as a great leader. Under his leadership, India attained independence from British rule in 1947. In addition, Mahatma Gandhi propagated the theory of ‘Gram Swaraj’ for the revival of the traditional systems of production, administration, and justice in villages. He emphasized spinning, weaving, cottage industries and handicrafts. Gram Swaraj became one of the principal programmes of his political movement. Gandhi dreamt that Gram Swaraj could be established through the panchayat system. Thus, apart from being a leader against British rule, his social reform activities and welfare-oriented programmes made him a beloved leader of the masses.
12. Why did Mahatma Gandhi consider Hindustani to be the national language of India? H. S. ’17
Or
What was Mahatma Gandhi’s view regarding the national language? HS. ’20
Ans: As a common language for the people of the whole of India, MahatmaGandhi considered that Hindustani should be the national language of India.
The reasons were—
(a) Hindustani, that is Hindi, has similarities with many other Indian languages. Many people whose mother tongue is not Hindi can understand and easily learn this language.
(b) Besides having similarities with many Indian languages, Hindi also has considerable resemblance with Urdu. In India, the number of people speaking Hindi and Urdu is comparatively large. Therefore, Mahatma Gandhi considered that Hindustani should be the national language of India.
13. What was the Permanent Settlement? Why did the zamindars fail to pay the fixed revenue? H. S. ’17
Ans: In India, the Governor-General of the East India Company, Lord Cornwallis, introduced the Permanent Settlement in Bengal in 1793 in order to increase land revenue. As a result of the Permanent Settlement, land revenue increased considerably. Its impact fell directly upon the peasants. As the zamindars were unable to pay the high rate of revenue, they oppressed the peasants. If an azamindar failed to pay the revenue within the stipulated time, the government auctioned the zamindari. For example, in the district of Burdwan in Bengal, many zamindars failed to pay revenue to the government, and their estates were confiscated and sold at auction. By the end of the eighteenth century, nearly 75% of the zamindars had lost their estates.
14. How did the annexation of Awadh to the British Empire affect its taluqdars? H. S. ’19
Ans: In 1856, the British annexed Awadh on the pretext of misrule. As a result, the taluqdars were greatly affected. They lost proprietary rights over their lands. Their forts were destroyed to curb their influence. They lost control over villages and could not collect revenue, leading to financial distress. The increased revenue demands of the British also burdened the peasants.
15. What was the Rowlatt Act? H. S. ’15
Ans: During the First World War, the British Government enacted a law called the Defence of India Act to maintain internal peace and order in the country. The government had declared that this Act would remain in force only during the period of the war and would be withdrawn after the war ended. For this purpose, the government formed a committee under the chairmanship of Sir Sidney Rowlatt. At that time, revolutionary activities were taking place in the country. Therefore, Rowlatt recommended to the government that the freedom of the press should be curtailed and that people should be detained without trial. On the basis of these recommendations, two bills were introduced and passed in the Central Legislative Council. These bills came to be known as the Rowlatt Act. In 1919, the British Government enforced the Rowlatt Act in India. The enforcement of this Act created intense resentment among the Indians. Thereasons were—
(a) Through this Act, the government could arrest and detain suspected persons without trial.
(b) The Act curtailed the freedom of the press.
D. Write Short Notes:
(a) Gram Swaraj
Ans: Gram Swaraj literally means village self-rule. Gandhi used this concept to revive the traditional features of ancient Indian village society. Before independence, about 85 percent of India’s population lived in villages, largely dependent on agriculture and relatively self-sufficient. Village affairs were managed by the village panchayat. However, under British rule, villages lost their autonomy and economic stability. Gandhi emphasized reviving village industries such as spinning, weaving, and cottage industries to establish Gram Swaraj.
(b) General Reginald Dyer
Ans: Reginald Dyer was a British military officer in India. On 13 April 1919, at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, he ordered troops to fire on an unarmed gathering protesting against the Rowlatt Act, resulting in hundreds of deaths.
(c) The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
Ans: The massacre took place on 13 April 1919 at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, when British troops under General Dyer opened fire on a peaceful gathering, killing 379 people according to official records.
(d) The Chauri Chaura Incident
Ans: On 5 February 1922, at Chauri Chaura in Uttar Pradesh, protesters set fire to a police station, killing about 22 policemen. Following this violent incident, Gandhi suspended the Non-Cooperation Movement.
(e) Breaking of the Salt Law
Ans: On 12 March 1930, Gandhi began the Dandi March and broke the Salt Law on 6 April 1930 by producing salt at Dandi, challenging the British monopoly.
(f) Azad Hind Fauj
Ans: The Indian National Army, popularly known as Azad Hind Fauj, was initially formed by Captain Mohan Singh with Japanese support during the Second World War from Indian prisoners of war. Later, under the leadership of Subhas Chandra Bose, it advanced towards India in 1944 to fight British rule. Although ultimately unsuccessful, it contributed significantly to the freedom struggle.
