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MCQs — Nationalism in India

Chapter 2 · Class 10 History

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Practice MCQs (15) — with Explanations

Each MCQ matches real UPSC/State PSC difficulty. Click 'Show answer' to reveal — try answering first.

  1. Mahatma Gandhi launched his first satyagraha on Indian soil in 1917 at which location, and against what grievance?

    1. A. Kheda, against revenue collection during plague
    2. B. Ahmedabad, in support of cotton mill workers
    3. C. Champaran, against the oppressive plantation system
    4. D. Bardoli, against revenue enhancement
    Show answer

    Correct: Champaran, against the oppressive plantation system

    Explanation: Champaran in Bihar (1917) was Gandhi's first Indian satyagraha, targeting the indigo planters' tinkathia system. Ahmedabad and Kheda satyagrahas both came in 1918. Bardoli (1928) was led by Vallabhbhai Patel, not Gandhi.

    Source (NCERT): "Champaran in Bihar to inspire the peasants to struggle against the"

  2. Which of the following statements about the Rowlatt Act (1919) is INCORRECT?

    1. A. It was passed despite the united opposition of Indian members
    2. B. It allowed detention without trial for two years
    3. C. It was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council
    4. D. It was passed with the consent of the Indian National Congress
    Show answer

    Correct: It was passed with the consent of the Indian National Congress

    Explanation: The Rowlatt Act was rushed through the Imperial Legislative Council in 1919 against the unanimous opposition of Indian members. The Congress condemned it; Gandhi's nationwide hartal of 6 April 1919 was the immediate response.

    Source (NCERT): "Act had been hurriedly passed through the Imperial Legislative"

  3. At which session was the Non-Cooperation programme formally adopted by the Indian National Congress?

    1. A. Calcutta session, September 1920
    2. B. Nagpur session, December 1920
    3. C. Lahore session, December 1929
    4. D. Karachi session, March 1931
    Show answer

    Correct: Nagpur session, December 1920

    Explanation: The Calcutta session of September 1920 only convinced the leadership of the need for the movement. The compromise was sealed and the programme adopted at the Nagpur session in December 1920. The Lahore session is famous for the Purna Swaraj resolution.

    Source (NCERT): "Finally, at the Congress session at Nagpur in December 1920, a compromise was worked out and the Non-Cooperation programme was adopted."

  4. Which province did NOT boycott council elections during the Non-Cooperation Movement, and why?

    1. A. Bombay, because of its trading interests
    2. B. Madras, because the non-Brahman Justice Party saw councils as a route to power
    3. C. Bengal, because of opposition from the Swaraj Party
    4. D. Punjab, because of the Khilafat leadership
    Show answer

    Correct: Madras, because the non-Brahman Justice Party saw councils as a route to power

    Explanation: Madras was the exception. The Justice Party, representing non-Brahmans, viewed entry into the council as a way to gain power that had been monopolised by Brahmans. The Swaraj Party was formed only in 1923, after Non-Cooperation was withdrawn.

    Source (NCERT): "provinces except Madras, where the Justice Party, the party of the"

  5. Who led the peasant movement in Awadh that the Congress later tried to integrate into the Non-Cooperation Movement?

    1. A. Vallabhbhai Patel
    2. B. Baba Ramchandra
    3. C. Alluri Sitaram Raju
    4. D. Swami Sahajanand Saraswati
    Show answer

    Correct: Baba Ramchandra

    Explanation: Baba Ramchandra, a sanyasi who had been an indentured labourer in Fiji, led the Awadh peasants against talukdars demanding begar and high rents. Patel led Bardoli (1928); Raju led the Gudem Hills tribals; Sahajanand belonged to a later Bihar Kisan Sabha movement.

    Source (NCERT): "In Awadh, peasants were led by Baba Ramchandra – a sanyasi who had earlier been to Fiji as an indentured labourer."

  6. Match the leader with the movement: (i) Alluri Sitaram Raju (ii) Vallabhbhai Patel (iii) Baba Ramchandra. Choose the correct pairing for movements: (a) Bardoli Satyagraha 1928, (b) Gudem Hills tribal revolt, (c) Awadh peasant movement.

    1. A. (i)-a, (ii)-b, (iii)-c
    2. B. (i)-b, (ii)-a, (iii)-c
    3. C. (i)-c, (ii)-b, (iii)-a
    4. D. (i)-b, (ii)-c, (iii)-a
    Show answer

    Correct: (i)-b, (ii)-a, (iii)-c

    Explanation: Raju ran the guerrilla movement in the Gudem Hills of Andhra and was executed in 1924. Patel led Bardoli in 1928 against revenue enhancement. Baba Ramchandra led the Awadh peasants against talukdars.

    Source (NCERT): "movement in Bardoli, a taluka in Gujarat, against"

  7. Why did Assam plantation workers leave the tea gardens during the Non-Cooperation Movement?

    1. A. They were called by Gandhi to attend the Calcutta Congress
    2. B. They believed Gandhi Raj was coming and they would be given land in their villages
    3. C. They wanted to join the Khilafat agitation in Bombay
    4. D. They were following orders of the Oudh Kisan Sabha
    Show answer

    Correct: They believed Gandhi Raj was coming and they would be given land in their villages

    Explanation: Plantation workers, restricted by the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, defied authorities and walked home believing Gandhi Raj would give them land. They were stopped by a railway and steamer strike, caught and beaten by the police.

    Source (NCERT): "coming and everyone would be given land in their own villages."

  8. Why did Mahatma Gandhi withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922?

    1. A. The British accepted his demand for Purna Swaraj
    2. B. The movement turned violent at Chauri Chaura
    3. C. The Khilafat issue was resolved
    4. D. Congress lost the council elections
    Show answer

    Correct: The movement turned violent at Chauri Chaura

    Explanation: At Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur (February 1922), a peaceful demonstration turned violent and a police chowki was burnt. Gandhi believed satyagrahis needed more training before mass struggle and called off the movement.

    Source (NCERT): "In February 1922, Mahatma Gandhi decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement."

  9. Why was salt chosen as the rallying symbol for the Civil Disobedience Movement?

    1. A. Salt was a luxury used only by the rich
    2. B. Salt was consumed by both rich and poor and the salt tax exposed colonial oppression
    3. C. Salt mining was the largest Indian industry
    4. D. Salt was used in religious ceremonies across communities
    Show answer

    Correct: Salt was consumed by both rich and poor and the salt tax exposed colonial oppression

    Explanation: Salt was an essential item used by every household. The state's monopoly over salt and the tax on it became, for Gandhi, the clearest single example of the oppressive face of British rule, allowing every Indian to identify with the protest.

    Source (NCERT): "something consumed by the rich and the poor alike, and it was one"

  10. How many volunteers accompanied Mahatma Gandhi on the Dandi Salt March, and how long was the march?

    1. A. 78 volunteers, 240 miles, 24 days
    2. B. 108 volunteers, 200 miles, 20 days
    3. C. 78 volunteers, 200 miles, 30 days
    4. D. 100 volunteers, 240 miles, 24 days
    Show answer

    Correct: 78 volunteers, 240 miles, 24 days

    Explanation: Gandhi started from Sabarmati Ashram with 78 trusted volunteers on 12 March 1930. They walked roughly 10 miles a day, covering 240 miles in 24 days, reaching Dandi on 6 April 1930. Mark for prelims: the numbers 78, 240, 24.

    Source (NCERT): "So Mahatma Gandhi started his famous salt march accompanied by 78 of his trusted volunteers."

  11. Which session of the Congress passed the Purna Swaraj resolution, and who presided over it?

    1. A. Calcutta 1920, presided by Lala Lajpat Rai
    2. B. Nagpur 1920, presided by C. Vijayaraghavachariar
    3. C. Lahore 1929, presided by Jawaharlal Nehru
    4. D. Karachi 1931, presided by Vallabhbhai Patel
    Show answer

    Correct: Lahore 1929, presided by Jawaharlal Nehru

    Explanation: At the Lahore session of December 1929, under Jawaharlal Nehru's presidency, the Congress formalised the demand for Purna Swaraj. 26 January 1930 was declared Independence Day with a public pledge.

    Source (NCERT): "In December 1929, under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Lahore Congress formalised the demand of ‘Purna Swaraj’ or full independence for India."

  12. The Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) was founded in:

    1. A. 1920
    2. B. 1927
    3. C. 1930
    4. D. 1932
    Show answer

    Correct: 1927

    Explanation: Industrialists set up the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress in 1920 and FICCI in 1927. G.D. Birla and Purshottamdas Thakurdas were prominent leaders. They funded Civil Disobedience initially, hoping for tariff protection.

    Source (NCERT): "and Commercial Congress in 1920 and the Federation of the Indian"

  13. What was the immediate trigger for Gandhi's fast unto death in 1932 that led to the Poona Pact?

    1. A. Refusal of the British to grant dominion status
    2. B. Ambedkar's demand for separate electorates for dalits being conceded by the British
    3. C. Arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru in Allahabad
    4. D. Failure of the Second Round Table Conference
    Show answer

    Correct: Ambedkar's demand for separate electorates for dalits being conceded by the British

    Explanation: At the Second Round Table Conference, Ambedkar demanded separate electorates for dalits. When the British accepted, Gandhi began a fast unto death, arguing it would slow dalit integration. The Poona Pact of September 1932 settled on reserved seats voted by the general electorate.

    Source (NCERT): "separate electorates for dalits. When the British government"

  14. Who painted the famous 1905 image of Bharat Mata as a calm, ascetic figure dispensing learning, food and clothing?

    1. A. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
    2. B. Rabindranath Tagore
    3. C. Abanindranath Tagore
    4. D. Raja Ravi Varma
    Show answer

    Correct: Abanindranath Tagore

    Explanation: Abanindranath Tagore painted the 1905 Bharat Mata. Bankim Chandra wrote 'Vande Mataram' in the 1870s and included it in Anandamath. Rabindranath collected folk songs. Frequently confused: text vs image - Bankim wrote, Abanindranath painted.

    Source (NCERT): "movement, Abanindranath Tagore painted his famous image of"

  15. Which features did Gandhi's 1921 Swaraj flag carry?

    1. A. A tricolour of red, green and white with a spinning wheel at the centre
    2. B. A tricolour of red, green and yellow with eight lotuses and a crescent
    3. C. A saffron, white and green tricolour with the Ashoka Chakra
    4. D. A red flag with a sickle and crescent
    Show answer

    Correct: A tricolour of red, green and white with a spinning wheel at the centre

    Explanation: The 1921 Swaraj flag designed by Gandhi was red, green and white with a charkha (spinning wheel) at the centre, representing self-help. The earlier 1905 Swadeshi flag had eight lotuses and a crescent on red, green and yellow stripes.

    Source (NCERT): "1921, Gandhiji had designed the Swaraj flag. It was again a tricolour"

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