Important Questions CBSE Class 10th : Social Science Year 2009 (Solved)
(India’s Struggle For Independence)

Question .1. Why did the Indian leaders oppose Rowlatt Act in 1919?
Answer : Indian leaders opposed Rowlatt Act as it violated the civil rights of the people and authorized the government to imprison people without trial.

Question .2. Why did Gandhiji call off Non-Cooperation Movement in 1922?
Answer : Gandhiji declared that Non-Cooperation Movement would be launched peacefully. When the people burnt police station and killed 22 policemen, Gandhiji called off the movement.

Question .3. Why did extremism grow within Congress by the turn of 19 th century? Give two reasons?
Answer : Extremism grew within Congress by the turn of 19 th century because:-
(i) The moderates could not achieve anything from the government with their peaceful methods.
(ii) Extremists grew due to anti-Indian policies followed by Lord Curzon. He passed Universities Act and Municipal Acts which discriminated against the Indians. Finally he passed an Act partitioning Bengal. Due to this Extremist Movement rose.

Question .4. State any two decisions made at the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress in 1929?
Answer : (i) The aim of Indian National Congress would be attainment of complete independence.
(ii) If the demands of Indians were not met, Civil Disobedience movement would be launched under the leadership of Gandhiji.

Question .5. How did Dadabhai Naoroji promote the awareness of the economic exploitation of India by the British?
Answer : (i) Dadabhai Naoroji wrote “ Poverty and Un-British Rule in India”. This exposed the nature of economic exploitation by the British.
(ii) He also expounded the theory of “ Economic Drain”. This explained how the british were draining wealth from India to England making Indians poorer and poorer.

Question .6. Name two states that fell victim to Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse?
Answer : The states that fell victim to Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse were:-
(i) Jhansi
(ii) Satara
(iii) Jaitpur
(iv) Sambhalpur

Question .7. What reason was given by the British for the partition of Bengal?
Answer : The British government under Curzon declared Bengal too large to be administered by a single government. The problem could be solved only by partitioning Bengal into two provinces.

Question .8. Name any two leaders of the Home Rule League in India. Why were these Leagues set up?
Answer : (i) Annie Besant
(ii) Bal Gangadhar
Its main aim was to agitate for Home Rule or self government in India.

Question .9. Name any two political organizations set up in India before the Indian National Congress?
Answer : (i) Indian Association founded by Surendranath Banerjea in 1875.
(ii) Madras Native Association founded by Dadabhai Naoroji.

Question .10. Mention the names of any two Presidents of the Indian National Congress in the 19 th century?
Answer : (i) W.C. Bonnerjee, President of the First Session, 1885.
(ii) Badruddin Tyabji, President of Madras Session, 1887.

Question .11. When was Gandhi-Irwin Pact signed? Mention any one of its provisions?
Answer : Gandhi-Irwin pact was signed in March 1931. According to the provision, government promised to release political prisoners except those charged with acts of violence.

Question .12. List two methods adopted by the Moderate leaders of Indian National Congress to put forward their demands?
Answer : The methods adopted by the moderates to put forward their demands were:-
(i) Passed resolution and presented those to the government.
(ii) Followed policy of persuation and petition.
(iii) Representatives were sent to England to influence public opinion there.

Question .13. Where and under whose Presidentship was the first session of the Indian National Congress held?
Answer : The First Session of the Indian National Congress was held at Bombay under the Presidentship of W.C. Bonnerjee in 1885.

Question .14. What is the significance of the Lahore session (1929) of Congress in the history of India’s Freedom Movement?
Answer : In this session the Congress adopted the goal of ‘Purna Swaraj’ and Jawaharlal Nehru became the President of Indian National Congress and emerged as the dynamic national leader. The Congress pledged to start Civil Disobedience movement if its demands were not met.

Question .15. Mention any two changes in the administration of British empire in India after 1857?
Answer : Abolishing the East India Company , the Indian administration was transferred to the British crown. In England, India Council was set up under Secretary of State to supervise Indian administration.

Question .16. Why was the Khilafat movement started?
Answer : (i) In 1920, Khilafat movement was started in India to protest against the humiliation meted out by the British to the Turkish Caliph.
(ii) Also to oppose the break up of Turkish Empire.

Question .17. What is the importance of the Surat session in the history of Indian National Congress?
Answer : In 1907 at Surat session of Indian National Congress, the difference between the Moderates and Extremists reached its climax and extremists were expelled from congress.

Question .18. Mention two main contributions of Surendranath Banerjea?
Answer : (i) He was a great Moderate leader of Indian National Movement.
(ii) In 1878, he founded Indian Association.
(iii) He was founder of Indian National Conference 1883.
(iv) He was an active member of Social Reform Movement and fought against social evils.

Question .19. What is meant by the ‘two nation theory’? In what way was it a falsification of India’s history?
Answer : Mohammad Ali Jinnah propagated the two nation theory claimed that Hindus and Muslims were different and hence should have a state of their own.
It was a falsification of Indian history because it has proved the since the advent of Muslims in India , both Hindus and Muslims are living in India without conflict.

Question .20. By whom was Congress Khilafat Swarajya Party (Swarajist Party) formed? What was their main aim?
Answer : Swarajist Party was formed by Motilal Nehru and C.R. Das with aim to participate in election for legislative bodies and by being elected, to wreck the government from within till their demands were met.

Question .21. State two main reasons for launching Non Co-operation Movement?
Answer : (i) To protest against the atrocities committed at Jalliawallah Bagh by the British.
(ii) To demand Swaraj.

Question .22. Give two main features of the Indian economy in the 18 th century?
Answer : (i) The economy of Indian village was self-sufficient.
(ii) There was a flourishing textile trade with other countries of India.

Question .23. What were the two main reasons for the emergence of militant nationalism in India in the 19 th century?
Answer : (i) Moderates failed to achieve anything from British.(ii) Impact of foreign events.
(iii) Anti-Indian policies of Lord Curzon.

Question .24. In which two ways, the British government disrupted the traditional Indian social and economic relationship?
Answer : (i) The British economic policy disrupted the self-sufficiency of village economy.
(ii) Land was made saleable commodity and rich merchants bought land and became landlords. No step was taken to protect the rights of landlords.

Question .25. Which two revolutionary leaders were hanged in connection with Lahore conspiracy case?
Answer : (i) Bhagat Singh (ii) Batukeshwar Dutt.

Question .26. State the cause of launching Swadeshi and Boycott Movement in 1905?
Answer : To protest against the Partition of Bengal in 1905 by Lord Curzon, Swadeshi and Boycott Movement were launched. Also the aim of the movement was to develop self confidence and self reliance by prohibiting the use of foreign goods and encourage the use of indigenous goods.

Question .27. What do you mean by Ilbert Bill? State its significance in the growth of Indian Nationalism?
Answer : Law member Mr. Ilbert in the government of Lord Ripon proposed the Ilbert Bill to aim at removing discrimination against Indian judges and magistrate who were not allowed to try whiteman for any crime.
Due to strong agitation by white and Anglo-Indian community, the bill was dropped. This opened the eye of Indians who realized the importance of organized agitation and very soon they set up Indian National Congress.

Question .28. Why the Congress leaders rejected the Cripps proposal?
Answer : Congress leaders rejected the Cripps proposal because these did not hold any promise of independence or agree to give any effective power to Indian leaders in the interim national government.

Question .29. Who founded Indian National Army (INA) and where?
Answer : The founder of Indian National Army was Subhash Chandra Bose. He organized INA in Sinapore to liberate India from British rule.

Question .30. Why was Bengal partitioned in 1905? What effect did it had on Indian National Movement?
Answer : Lord Curzon, the Viceroy, declared that Bengal was too large and unwieldy to be administered by a single government. But he wanted to disrupt Hindu-Muslin unity and to weak the progress of national movement. So, he partitioned Bengal in 1905. Effects of partition were:-
(i) Widespread agitation was provoked and people were united irrespective of differences in caste, creed or religion.
(ii) Nationalism were generated and Congress organized Swadeshi and Boycott Movement. The British industries got a blow and
encouraged indigenous industries.
(iii) People started new methods of protests such as picketing of shop selling foreign goods, demonstration etc were used to display their anger.
(iv) It encouraged growth of national literature. Patriotic songs and poems were written at this time. Bankim Chandra Chatterji wrote a novel ‘Anandmath’, with a song ‘Vandemataram’.

Question .31. What were the main factors responsible for the growth of national awakening in India?
Answer : Main factors were:-
(i) The discontent of all sections of people against the British rule.
(ii) Administrative Unity.
(iii) Inflow of New Ideas.
(iv) Impact of Foreign Events.
(v) Economic Exploitation.
(vi) Influence of the Social Reformers.
(vii) Rise of Educated Middle Class.
(viii) Growth of Press and National Literature.
(ix) Rational Discrimination Practiced by the British.

Question .32. Give the main features of Morley-Minto Reforms?
Answer : The government announced the Morley-Minto Reforms in 1909 which was designed to conciliate the Moderates and Muslims.
(i) The number of members in the Central and Legislative Council were increased from 16 to 60.
(ii) Members were elected by landlords and chamber of commerce and not directly by people.
(iii) An Indian member was added to the Central Executive Council.
(iv) Separate electorate was introduced for Muslims. This was a communal and a calculated move of British to implement the policy of Divide and Rule.