NTA History 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Battle of Plassey in 1757 marked the beginning of British political dominance in India. Who led the British East India Company forces in this battle?
- Warren Hastings
- Robert Clive (Correct answer)
- Arthur Wellesley
- Charles Cornwallis
Correct answer: Robert Clive
Robert Clive led the British East India Company forces against Siraj ud-Daulah at the Battle of Plassey in 1757, securing British supremacy in Bengal.
Question 2: The Indian Rebellion of 1857, often called the First War of Indian Independence, began as a mutiny among which group?
- Zamindars (landlords)
- Indian sepoys (soldiers) in the Bengal Army (Correct answer)
- Peasants in Bengal
- Merchants opposing trade restrictions
Correct answer: Indian sepoys (soldiers) in the Bengal Army
The 1857 Rebellion began when Indian sepoys (soldiers) in the Bengal Army mutinied at Meerut, triggered in part by the introduction of the Enfield rifle cartridges greased with animal fat.
Question 3: Who founded the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1885?
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- Allan Octavian Hume (Correct answer)
- Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Correct answer: Allan Octavian Hume
Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British civil servant, founded the Indian National Congress in 1885, which later became the primary organization leading the independence movement.
Question 4: Mahatma Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920 in response to which British action?
- Partition of Bengal (1905)
- Rowlatt Act (1919) and Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919) (Correct answer)
- Simon Commission Report (1930)
- Government of India Act (1935)
Correct answer: Rowlatt Act (1919) and Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919)
Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920 primarily in response to the repressive Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of April 1919.
Question 5: The Salt March (Dandi March) of 1930 was a key event in India's independence struggle. How far did Mahatma Gandhi march to reach the sea?
- 100 miles (161 km)
- 241 miles (388 km) (Correct answer)
- 500 miles (805 km)
- 75 miles (121 km)
Correct answer: 241 miles (388 km)
Gandhi led the 241-mile (388 km) Dandi March from Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal village of Dandi in Gujarat to protest the British salt monopoly.
Question 6: Which plan proposed by Lord Mountbatten in 1947 provided the framework for the partition of British India into the independent nations of India and Pakistan?
- Cripps Mission Plan
- Cabinet Mission Plan
- Mountbatten Plan (Indian Independence Act) (Correct answer)
- Wavell Plan
Correct answer: Mountbatten Plan (Indian Independence Act)
The Mountbatten Plan, formalized through the Indian Independence Act of July 1947, provided the framework for partitioning British India into two dominions: India and Pakistan.
Question 7: Who was the first Prime Minister of independent India?
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- Jawaharlal Nehru (Correct answer)
- Rajendra Prasad
- B.R. Ambedkar
Correct answer: Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru became independent India's first Prime Minister on August 15, 1947, and served until his death in May 1964.
NTA History 2
The Battle of Plassey in 1757 marked the beginning of British political dominance in India.
Who led the British East India Company forces in this battle?