Introduction
The chapter Rise of Gandhi and Freedom Movement of India revolves around the advent of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi. It was a landmark in the history of the freedom movement in India after the world war started in 1914. The Allied nations- Britain, U.S., and France promised that democracy and national self-determination would be offered to India after the war if they support their war effort. Indian nationalists supported the war expecting this major political gain. But after the Allied victory in 1918, they showed little willingness to end the colonial system. This attitude of the British gave rise to disillusion in the nationalists.
Mahatma Gandhi was born at Porbandar in Gujarat on October 2, 1869. Aftera brief stint as a lawyer both in Rajkot and Bombay, he went to Natal, South Africa in 1893 in connection with professional work. Gandhi's activities in South Africa transformed him into a mature and idealist leader. With this impression, he returned to India in 1915 and gave a new direction to the country's freedom struggle.
Textual questions and answers
Very short/short answer questions
1. When was Mahatma Gandhi born?
Answer: Mahatma Gandhi was born at Porbandar in Gujarat on October 2, 1869.
2. In which country did Gandhi first apply the technique of Satyagraha?
Answer: Gandhi first applied the technique of Satyagraha in South Africa.
3. Why did Rabindranath Tagore renounce his Knighthood?
Answer: Rabindranath Tagore renounced his Knighthood in protest against the Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre.
4. Under whose leadership was the Khilafat movement started in India?
Answer: The Khilafat movement was started in India under the leadership of Maulana Shaukat Ali and Mohammad Ali.
5. When did the Chauri-Chaura incident take place?
Answer: The Chauri-Chaura incident took place on February 5, 1922.
6. Under what circumstances did Lala Lajpat Rai lose his life?
Answer: Lala Lajpat Rai lost his life when he was 'lathi-charged' by the British for leading a protest against the Simon Commission at Lahore.
7. When and in which session of the Indian National Congress was Purna Swaraj declared to be the chief goal of the Indians? Answer: In 1929, the Lahore session of the Congress under the Presidentship of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru declared Complete Independence as the chief goal of the Indians.
8. Gandhi started on his Salt March from Sabarmati Ashram to the sea coast at Dandi. What was the distance between Sabarmati Ashram and the sea -coast at Dandi?
Answer: The distance between Sabarmati Ashram and the sea -coast at Dandi was 385 km.
9. Who was known as Frontier Gandhi?
Answer: Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan was known as Frontier Gandhi.
10. Who was the sole Congress representative at the Second Round Table Conference in London?
Answer: Mahatma Gandhi was the sole Congress representative at the Second Round Table Conference in London.
11, Name the British Prime Minister who announced the Communal Award in 1932?
Answer: Ramsay Macdonald was the British Prime Minister who announced the Communal Award in 1932.
12. During the course of which movement did Gandhi give the slogan Do or Die'"?
Answer: During the course of the Quit India Movement Gandhi give the slogan “Do or Die".
13. Who was the founder of the Azad Hind Fauz?
Answer: The founder of Azad Hind Fauz was Rash Behari Bose.
14. "Give me blood and I shall give you freedom". This famous quote is attributed to which Indian leader?
Answer: This famous quote is attributed to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
15. What is the name of the International Boundary Line between India and Pakistan?
Answer: Radcliffe Line is the name of the International Boundary Line between India and Pakistan.
Long Answers
1. What do you understand by the term Satyagraha? Briefly write about the three local disputes where Gandhi first applied the technique of Satyagraha in India?
Answer: It is a compound of two separate words, Satya (truth) and agraha (adherence, holding fast). Its root meaning is 'holding on to truth". Gandhi explained that Satyagraha was not mnere passive resistance. It meant intense political activity by large masses of people.
The three local disputes where Gandhi first applied the technique of Satyagraha in India were Champaran (North Bihar), in Kheda (Gujarat) and in Ahmedabad during 1917-18. In Champaran, he took up the cause of peasants against landlords, in Kheda that of farmers against the collection of land revenue when their crops failed, and in Ahmedabad that of the mill workers against the mill owners. In each of the cases, the strategy was Satyagraha, and the principles were truth and non-violence. And in every case, the real force working under Gandhi was 'mass participation.
2. Why was the Khilafat movement started in India?
Answer: As a result of the defeat of Turkey in the First World War, the influence of the Khalifa was greatly reduced. The Muslims regarded the Sultan of Turkey as their Khalifa or spiritual head. They became upset when they found that he would retain no control over his empire's holy places. The Muslims in India became apprehensive of the fate of the Khalifa and formed a Khilafat Committee under the leadership of Maulana Shaukat Ali and Mohammad Ali. Its object was the restoration of the Sultan of Turkey as Khalifa (Caliph) of Islam.
3. Why did Mahatma Gandhi launch the Non-cooperation movement of 1920-22? What were its programmes? What made Gandhi suspend the movement?
Answer: Mahatma Gandhi launch the Non-cooperation movement of 1920-22 because of the following
reasons:
i. The discontent over World War-I, as it had taken a big toll on India's economy and human resources.
ii. The Jalianwala Bagh massacre of 1919.
iii. The growing British oppression of Indians as demonstrated by the Rowlatt Act of 1919.
iv. The economic exploitation of India by the British.
v. The Indian Muslims had launched the Khilafat movement to ensure the protection of the Ottoman Empire.
The Non-cooperation movement had two aspects - positive and negative. The former included the promotion of Swadeshi, particularly the revival of hand-spinning and weaving; removal of untouchability among the Hindus; promotion of Hindu-Muslim unity; prohibition of the use of alcoholic drinks, and the collection of a crore rupees for the memorial of Tilak. The negative side is usually referred to as the triple boycott; namely, the boycott of Legislatures, Courts 'and educational institutions schools and colleges maintained or aided by the Government.
The Chauri-Chura incident made Gandhi suspend the movement.
4. What was the main aim of the Civil Disobedience Movement? What were the main features of the movement?
Answer: The main aim of the Civil Disobedience Movement was that India should be granted dominion status.
The main features of the movement were:
i. Gandhi protested against the Salt Law by making salt himself and throwing up a challenge to the British government. The movement spread and salt laws were challenged in other parts of the country.
i. Gandhi and thousands of freedom lovers (men, women, and children) were arrested.
ii. The first Round Table Conference in London was boycotted by Congress.
iv. The freedom of the Press was curtailed. Nationalist literature - poems, stories, and novels were banned on a large scale.
v. The Civil Disobedience Movement demonstrated the awakening of the political consciousness among the Indian masses. vi. It exposed the British rule in India in all its naked hideousness and lowered its prestige in the eyes of the world.
5. Under what circumstances was the Quit India movement launched? Do you consider the movement to be a milestone in India's struggle for independence? Give reasons in support of your answer.
Answer: In September 1939, the Second World War broke out. M.K. Gandhi and J. Nehru both were strongly critical of Hitler and the Nazis. Therefore, they promised the British to provide the support of the Congress to their war efforts, in return they asked to grant India complete independence. The offer was not accepted by the British government. In 1942, Churchill sent one of his ministers, Sir Stafford Cripps to negotiate with Indian political parties seeking their support in the war. However, the Cripps mission failed and Gandhi decided to launch the Quit India Movement. Other factors that led to the Quit India Movement was the fear of Japan attacking India, terror in East Bengal and the fact that India had realized that the British could not defend the country anymore.
Yes, I consider the movement to be a milestone in India's struggle for independence because though the movement was short-lived, it demonstrated the depth that nationalist feeling had reached in the country and the great capacity for struggle and sacrifice that the people had developed. After Quit India' there could be no retreat. Independence was no longer a matter of bargain, for any future negotiations with the British government could only be on the manner of transfer of power.
6. Write a brief note on the Indian National Army.
Answer: In 1941, Subhas Chandra Bose, who was twice elected as President of the Indian National Congress was interned in his own house in Calcutta for his anti-British, activities. But he eluded police vigilance and went Afghanistan, Russia, Germany and ultimately to Burma and Malaya. In 1943, with the aid of expatriate nationalist leader Rash Behari Bose, the Indian National Army (INA) or the Azad Hind Fauz was revived. The idea of the Indian National Army was first conceived by Captain Mohan Singh, an Indian officer of the British army in Malaya who had to surrender to the Japanese in the Second World War.
The slogan of the INA was Jai Hind'. It fought with the Japanese army against the British and Commonwealth forces in the campaigns in Burma, Imphal, and Kohima. However, the defeat of Japan led to the eventual surrender of INA.
Additional/extra questions and answers
1. When did the First World War begin?
Answer: The First World War began in 1914.
2. What made the nationalists lose their trust in the British?
Answer: During World War I, nationalists were of great assistance to the British because they ensured India's "Swaraj" Nonetheless, despite their victory in the war, they showed no inclination to end their empirical exploitation in India. The nationalists lost faith the British as a result of their attitude.
3. Where is Natal situated?
Answer: Natal is situated in South Africa
4. When did Gandhi return to India from South Africa?
Answer: Gandhi returned to India fromn South Africa in 1915.
5. What, according to Gandhi, is Satyagraha?
Answer: According to Gandhi, Satyagraha' is a spiritual movement, a process of purification, or the removal of sin.
6. Who was the responsible officer for the Jallianwalabag massacre?
Answer: General Dyer was the responsible officer for the Jallianwalabag massacre.
7. What happened as a result of Turkey's defeat?
Answer: The Khalifa's influence was greatly reduced as a result of Turkey's defeat in World War I. The Sultan of Turkey was regarded by Muslims as their Khalifa or spiritual leader.
8. What was the Khilafat Committee's main goal?
Answer: The main goal of the Khalifat Committee was to restore the Sultan of Turkey's status as the Khalifa of Islam.
9. Why did Mahatma Gandhi extend support to the Khilafat movement?
Answer: Gandhi backed the Khilafat Movement, seeing it as a golden opportunity to bring Muslims and Hindus together on a national level.
10. What was the main objective of the Non-Cooperation Movement?
Answer: The Non-Cooperation Movement's main goal was to peacefully maintain Indians' dignity and integrity.
11. When was the Govt. of India Act enacted?
Answer: The Govt. of India Act was enacted In 1919.
12. Why did Congress boycott the Simon Commission?
Answer: The Simon Commission was boycotted by Congress because there was no Indian representation on it.
13. Who formed the anti-Simon Party?
Answer: Lala Lajpat Rai formed the anti-Simon Party.
14. What led to the Civil Disobedience Movement?
Answer: The British government's formation of the Simon Commission was one of the factors that contributed to the Civil
Disobedience Movement.
15. When was the Simon Commission formed?
Answer: The Simon Commission was formed in 1927.
16. What was the main objective of the Simon Commission?
Answer: The Simon Commission's main goal was to investigate the implementation of the reforms enacted by the Government of India Act of 1919.
17. What was the main goal of the Indian National Congress session in Lahore?
Answer: "Purna Swaraj" was the main goal set by the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress.
18. What was the Dandi march?
Answer: The Civil Disobedience Movement began in 1930 with Gandhi's famous Salt Satyagraha. This is referred to as the Dandi March.
19. When did Gandhi arrive at Dandi?
Answer: On 6th April 1930 Gandhi arrived at Dand.
20. What was the real namne of Frontier Gandhi?
Answer: Khan Abdul Gafur Khan was the real name of Frontier Gandhi.
21. Why did Congress boycott the first Round Table Conference?
Answer: Congress boycotted the first Round Table Conference because a civil disobedience movement was in the works at the time.
22. Who was the lone Indian who attended the Second Round Table Conference?
Answer: Mahatma Gandhi was the lone Indian who attended the Second Round Table Conference.
23. What effect did the Government of India Act have?
Answer: In 1935, the British government passed the Government of India Act, which granted the Indian provinces provincial autonomy.
24. What was the Muslim League's reaction to the resignation of the Congress Ministry?
Answer: The Muslim League dubbed the resignation of the Congress ministries "The Day of Deliverance."
25. Who presided over the Muslim League session in Lahore?
Answer: Mohammad Ali Jinnah presided over the Muslim League session in Lahore.
26. Why did both the Congress and the Muslim League reject the Cripps Mission proposal?
Answer: Because there was no proposal for an immediate transfer of power, both Congress and the Muslim League rejected the Cripps Mission's proposal.
27. What did the pity have to say about Cripps Mission?
Answer: The pity saying about Cripps Mission is "a post-dated cheque on a crashing bank."
28. Who was the first Satyagrahi to be arrested in a court of law? Answer: Acharya Vinoba Bhabe was the first Satyagrahi to be arrested.
29. What was stated in the Cripps Mission proposal?
Answer: The Cripps Mission proposal stated that the government would establish an Indian Union with Dominion status soon after the
war.
30. Which organisation was the catalyst for the Quit India movement?
Answer: The All India Congress Committee was the catalyst for the Quit India movement.
31. What was the August Revolution' also known?
Answer: The August Revolution was also known as the Quit India movement.
32. Who was elected twice as President of the National Congress?
Answer: Subhash Chandra Bose was elected twice as President of the National Congress. 33. Who was the man to conceive the idea of the Indian National Army.
Answer: Captain Mohan Singh was the man to conceive the idea of the Indian National Army.
34. Who was the President of the Indian Independence League?
Answer: Rash Behari Bose was the President of the Indian Independence League.
35. Who was invited to Japan by the Bangkok session?
Answer: Subhash Chandra Bose was invited to Japan by the Bangkok session. 36. Where was the Provisional Government of free India formed?
Answer: The Provisional Government of free India was formed in Singapore. 37. What was the name of the female regiment of the INA?
Answer: Janshi Rani Regiment was the name of the female regiment of the INA.
38. Mention a famous quote by Subhash Chandra Bose?
Answer: A famous quote by Subhash Chandra Bose was “Give me blood I shall give you freedom."
39. What was the slogan of INA?
Answer: Jai Hind was the slogan of INA.
40. Who was the Labour Party's prime minister?
Answer: Mr Clement Attlee.
41. Who was India's viceroy in 1947?
Answer: Lord Mountbeten.
42. When did the British rule over India end?
Answer: On 15th August 1947
43. Who was Pakistan's first Governor General?
Answer: Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
44. When did Bangladesh become independent?
Answer: In 1971
45. What is the name of the border between India and Bangladesh?
Answer: Red Cliff line.
46. Name three countries that supported Commonwealth forces.
Answer: Three countries that were in favour of the Commonwealth forces were Britain, the USA, and France.
47. When and where did Gandhi study law?
Answer: Gandhi went to London to study law in 1888.
48. Name two places where Mahatma Gandhi practised law.
Answer: Rajkot and Bombay.
49. What was the Rowlatt Act, and when did it become law?
Answer: In 1919, the Rowlatt Act was passed. This act gave the government the authority to imnprison anyone without a trial or conviction in a court of law.
50. When and why did Gandhi launch the Satyagraha movement?
Answer: In response to the Rowlatt Act, Mahatma Gandhi launched the Satyagrah movement in 1919.
51. How did Gandhi launch the nonviolent movement?
Answer: Gandhi launched the movement with a strike on April 6, 1919. Everyone participated in the fast and prayer, putting aside their business and trade. It gradually evolved into a massive mass movement.
52. Name two leaders who formed the Khilafat Committee.
Answer: The two leaders who formed the Khilafat Committee were Maulana Soukat Ali and Mohammad Ali.
53. Give the names of two national educational institutions that were established during the non-cooperation movement. Answer: Kashi Vidyapith and Benarash Vidyapith were the two national educational institutions established during the non-cooperation movemnent.
Additional/extra MCQs
1, Where was Mahatma Gandhi born?
A. Ahmedabad B. PorbandarC. Natal D. Bombay
Answer: B. Porbandar
2. What political association did Gandhi found in South Africa?
A. Indian Opinion B. Natal Indian Congress C. Transvaal Association D. South African Indian Congress
Answer: B. Natal Indian Congress
3. What term did Gandhi first use in South Africa to describe his method of non-violent resistance?
A. Ahimsa B. Swaraj C. Satyagraha D. Dharma
Answer: C. Satyagraha
4. Which revolution influenced the nationalist movement in India by demonstrating the power of common people?
A. French Revolution B. American Revolution C. Russian Revolution D. Chinese Revolution
Answer: C. Russian Revolution
5. In which year did Gandhi return to India from South Africa?
A. 1914 B. 1915C. 1916D. 1917
Answer: B. 1915
Q. In which Indian region did Gandhi first successfully apply his Satyagraha strategy?
A. Ahmedabad B. Champaran C. Kheda D. Rajkot
Answer: B. Champaran
Q. What was the primary cause Gandhi took up in Champaran?
A. Against racial discrimination B. Against landlords C. Against high taxation D. Against mill owners Answer: B. Against landlords
Q. Until which year was Gandhi a supporter of the British government?
A. 1914B. 1915 C, 1916 D. 1918
Answer: D. 1918
Q. What was the main expectation of Indian nationalists after the Great War of 1914-1918?
A. Economic prosperity B. Major political gains C. Social equality D. Religious freedom
Answer: B. Major political gains
Q. What was the primary influence on Gandhi in evolving the concept of Satyagraha? A. Writings of Tolstoy and Thoreau B. Teachings of Buddha C. Indian Vedas D. British law Answer: A. Writings of Tolstoy and Thoreau
Q. When did the Non-cooperation Movement start?
A. 1919B. 1920 C. 1921 D. 1922
Answer: B. 1920
Q. Who led the Non-cooperation Movement?
A. Rabindranath Tagore B. Jawaharlal Nehru C. Mahatma GandhiD. Subhash Chandra Bose
Answer:C. Mahatma Gandhi
Q. What was one of the strategies of the Non-cooperation Movement?
A. Violent protests B. Boycott of British goods C. Armed rebellion D. Diplomatic negotiations Answer: B. Boycott of British goods
Q. Which act of 1919 provided the authority with the right to imprison any person suspected of terrorism for two years without any trial?
A. Indian Independence Act B. Government of India Act C. Rowlatt Act D. Indian Councils Act
Answer: C. Rowlatt Act
Q. Which movemnent was launched by Indian Muslims to ensure the protection of the Ottoman Empire?
A. Swadeshi Movement B. Quit India Movement C. Khilafat Movement D. Civil Disobedience Movement
Answer: C. Khilafat Movement
Q. Which session of the Indian National Congress ratified the Non-cooperation Movement launched by Gandhi?
A. Calcutta Session B. Nagpur Session C. Lahore Session D. Bombay Session
Answer:B. Nagpur Session
Q. What was the main goal of the Non-cooperation Movement?
A. Establishment of a Hindu state B. Attainment of Swaraj C. Establishment of a Muslim state D. Economic prosperity Answer: B. Attainment of Swaraj
Q. What was the strategy of the Non-cooperation Movement that involved not using courts, legislatures, and educational institutions maintained or aided by the Government?
A. Triple Boycott B. Triple Alliance C. Triple Entente D. Triple Agreement
Answer: A. Triple Boycott
Q. What was the fund started to finance the Non-cooperation Movement?
A. Gandhi Fund B. Nehru Fund C. Tilak Swarajya Fund D. Bose Fund
Answer: C. Tilak Swarajya Fund
Q. What principle was to be strictly observed by the non-cooperators during the Non-cooperation Movement?
A. Satya B. Ahimsa C. Dharma D. Karma
Answer: B. Ahimsa
Q. Where did the violent incident that led to the suspension of the Non-cooperation Movement occur?
A. Lahore B. Calcutta C. Chauri Chaura D. Bombay
Answer:C. Chauri Chaura
Q. Who was the President of the Congress during the Lahore session in 1929?
A. Mahatma Gandhi B. Jawaharlal Nehru C. Motilal Nehru D. Lala Lajpat Rai
Answer: B. Jawaharlal Nehru
Q. What was the main goal declared by the Congress in the Lahore session of 1929?
A. Dominion Status B. Purna Swaraj C. Partial Independence D. Constitutional Reforms
Answer:B. Purna Swaraj
0. What was the name of the Commission formed by the British Government in 1928 to report the working of the constitution?
A. Rowlatt Commission B. Simon Commission C. Nehru Commission D. Irwin Commission
Answer: B. Simon Commission
0. Who led the Civil Disobedience Movement in the North West Frontier Province?
A. Mahatma Gandhi B. Jawaharlal Nehru C. Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan D. Lala Lajpat Rai Answer:C. Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan
0. What was the name of the march led by Gandhi as part of the Civil Disobedience Movement?
A. Lahore March B. Dandi March C. Salt March D. Chauri Chaura March
Answer: B. Dandi March
Q. What law did Gandhi protest against during the Dandi March?
A. Salt Law B. Rowlatt Act C. Simon Act D. Government of India Act
Answer: A. Salt Law
Q. Who was arrested on 10th March, 1922 for allegedly instigating people for violence?
A. Jawaharlal Nehru B. Mahatma Gandhi C. Lala Lajpat Rai D. Motilal Nehru
Answer: B. Mahatma Gandhi
Q. What was the main demand of the ultimatum given by Gandhi to Viceroy Lord Irwin on 31 January 1930?
A. Dominion Status B. Purna Swaraj C. Abolition of Salt Tax D. Release of Political Prisoners
Answer: C. Abolition of Salt Tax
Q. Who prepared the constitution for India that was accepted by the Indian National Congress?
A, Mahatma Gandhi B. Jawaharlal Nehru C. Motilal Nehru D. Lala Lajpat Rai
Answer: C. Motilal Nehru
Q. Who was the Viceroy of India when the agreement of understanding was reached between him and Mahatma Gandhi in
1931?
A. Lord Mountbatten B. Lord Irwin C. Lord Reading D. Lord Wavell
Answer: B. Lord Irwin
Q. What was one of the terms of the agreement reached between Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Irwin in 1931?
A. Release of all political prisoners B. Increase of land taxes C. Ban on salt production D. Prohibition of peaceful picketing
Answer: A. Release of all political prisoners
Q. Who was the sole representative of the Congress in the Second Round Table Conference held in London in 1931? A. Jawaharlal Nehru B. Vallabhbhai Patel C. Mahatma Gandhi D. Motilal Nehru
