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UPSC Civil Services
Indian History & Polity

UPSC IAS/IPS MCQ questions — History, Polity, Economy, Science, General Studies.

13 Q 5 Subjects Graduate
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Difficulty: All Easy Medium Hard 1–10 of 13
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Q.1 Easy Indian History & Polity
Quit India Movement launched in?
A 1940
B 1942
C 1944
D 1946
Correct Answer:  B. 1942
EXPLANATION

This question asks about the historical year when the Quit India Movement, a major nationalist campaign demanding British withdrawal from India, was launched.

The Quit India Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi on August 8, 1942, at the All-India Congress Committee session held in Mumbai. This movement called for an immediate end to British rule in India and became one of the most significant mass movements of the Indian independence struggle. The correct answer is (B) 1942.

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Q.2 Easy Indian History & Polity
Ashoka was emperor of which dynasty?
A Gupta
B Maurya
C Kushan
D Nanda
Correct Answer:  B. Maurya
EXPLANATION

This question asks about the historical dynasty to which Emperor Ashoka belonged.

Ashoka was one of the greatest emperors in Indian history, ruling from approximately 268-232 BCE. He belonged to the Maurya Dynasty, which was founded by Chandragupta Maurya and reached its peak under Ashoka's reign. Ashoka is famous for his conversion to Buddhism after the bloody Kalinga War and for spreading Buddhism across Asia through his missionaries and edicts carved on pillars and rocks throughout his empire.

The correct answer is (B) Maurya.

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Q.3 Easy Indian History & Polity
Jallianwala Bagh massacre year?
A 1917
B 1918
C 1919
D 1920
Correct Answer:  C. 1919
EXPLANATION

This question asks about the year when one of the most significant and tragic events in Indian independence history occurred.

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre was a pivotal moment in India's struggle for freedom, where British troops fired on unarmed Indian civilians gathered in a public garden in Amritsar. This event took place on April 13, 1919, and resulted in hundreds of deaths, shocking the nation and intensifying the independence movement. The massacre occurred during the Rowlatt Act protests and became a turning point that galvanized Indian nationalism against British colonial rule.

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre occurred in 1919 (Option C).

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Q.4 Easy Indian History & Polity
Last Mughal Emperor?
A Aurangzeb
B Shah Alam II
C Bahadur Shah Zafar
D Farrukhsiyar
Correct Answer:  C. Bahadur Shah Zafar
EXPLANATION

This question asks about the identification of the last ruler of the Mughal Empire in India.

Bahadur Shah Zafar II (also known as Bahadur Shah II) was the last Mughal Emperor, ruling from 1837 to 1857. He was deposed and exiled by the British after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, which marked the effective end of Mughal imperial authority. While Aurangzeb was a powerful emperor of the 17th century, Shah Alam II ruled in the 18th century but was not the last emperor, and Farrukhsiyar was an earlier emperor from the early 18th century.

The last Mughal Emperor was Bahadur Shah Zafar (Option C), who reigned until 1857 when he was deposed by the British.

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Q.5 Easy Indian History & Polity
Revolt of 1857 began at?
A Meerut
B Delhi
C Kanpur
D Lucknow
Correct Answer:  A. Meerut
EXPLANATION

This question asks about the geographical location where the Indian Revolt of 1857 first erupted.

The Revolt of 1857, also known as the Indian Rebellion or Sepoy Mutiny, began in Meerut on May 10, 1857, when sepoys (Indian soldiers) of the British East India Company's army rebelled against British rule. The immediate trigger was the introduction of the Enfield rifle cartridges, which were rumored to be greased with cow and pig fat, violating the religious sentiments of both Hindu and Muslim soldiers. From Meerut, the rebellion quickly spread to Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, and other parts of northern India, becoming a major uprising against British colonial rule.

The Revolt of 1857 began at Meerut, making option (A) the correct answer.

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Q.6 Easy Indian History & Polity
"Swaraj is my birthright" - who said?
A Mahatma Gandhi
B Bal Gangadhar Tilak
C Lala Lajpat Rai
D Bipin Chandra Pal
Correct Answer:  B. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
EXPLANATION

This question asks about the famous nationalist slogan that became a rallying cry during India's independence movement.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a prominent Indian nationalist and freedom fighter, coined the phrase "Swaraj is my birthright" (in Hindi: "Swaraj mera janmsinddhi hai") during the Swadeshi movement in the early 1900s. This powerful slogan represented the demand for self-rule and independence from British colonial rule, and it became one of the most iconic statements of the Indian independence struggle. While other leaders like Gandhi, Lala Lajpat Rai, and Bipin Chandra Pal were also important figures in the independence movement, this particular phrase is historically attributed to Tilak.

The correct answer is (B) Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who declared "Swaraj is my birthright" as a call for Indian self-governance.

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Q.7 Easy Indian History & Polity
Dandi March (1930) was against?
A Salt Tax
B Land Revenue
C Rowlatt Act
D Simon Commission
Correct Answer:  A. Salt Tax
EXPLANATION

This question asks about the primary target of Gandhi's famous Dandi March in 1930.

The Dandi March (also called the Salt March) was a civil disobedience campaign led by Mahatma Gandhi against the British colonial government's monopoly on salt production and the exploitative Salt Tax imposed on Indians.

The British had imposed a heavy tax on salt, a basic necessity for common people, which made it unaffordable for the poor. Gandhi's march to the coastal town of Dandi to produce salt illegally was a direct protest against this unjust Salt Tax, making it the central issue of this historic movement.

The other options are incorrect: the Rowlatt Act (1919) was protested earlier, the Simon Commission (1927) was opposed separately, and while land revenue was certainly a grievance, it was not the focus of the Dandi March specifically.

The correct answer is (A) Salt Tax, as the Dandi March was primarily a non-violent protest against the British monopoly on salt and the exploitative taxation imposed on Indian citizens.

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Q.8 Easy Indian History & Polity
Indian National Congress founded in?
A 1857
B 1885
C 1905
D 1920
Correct Answer:  B. 1885
EXPLANATION

This question asks about the founding year of the Indian National Congress, a pivotal organization in India's independence movement.

The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885 by Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British official, along with prominent Indian leaders like Dadabhai Naoroji and Surendranath Banerjee. The organization began as a moderate political platform for educated Indians to discuss grievances and advocate for reforms under British rule, eventually becoming the driving force of the Indian independence movement. Option (B) 1885 is the correct answer, while 1857 marks the Sepoy Mutiny, 1905 marks the Swadeshi Movement, and 1920 marks the beginning of Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement.

The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885.

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Q.9 Easy Indian History & Polity
Who gave slogan "Jai Hind"?
A Mahatma Gandhi
B Jawaharlal Nehru
C Subhas Chandra Bose
D Bhagat Singh
Correct Answer:  C. Subhas Chandra Bose
EXPLANATION

This question asks about the origin of the patriotic slogan "Jai Hind" and which Indian freedom fighter popularized it.

Subhas Chandra Bose, a prominent Indian nationalist and freedom fighter, gave the slogan "Jai Hind" (meaning "Victory to India"). He used this slogan as a rallying cry for the Indian National Army (INA) during his struggle for independence in the 1940s. The slogan became widely associated with Bose and remains an important patriotic phrase in India, though it is now used by the entire nation as a symbol of national pride and unity.

The correct answer is (C) Subhas Chandra Bose, who popularized the slogan "Jai Hind" during the independence movement.

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Q.10 Easy Indian History & Polity
Who founded Mughal Empire?
A Akbar
B Humayun
C Babur
D Timur
Correct Answer:  C. Babur
EXPLANATION

This question asks about the historical founder of the Mughal Empire in India.

Babur (1483-1530) was the founder and first emperor of the Mughal Empire. He was a Central Asian conqueror who descended from Timur and Genghis Khan. Babur established the empire after his victory at the Battle of Panipat in 1526 against Ibrahim Lodi, the last Sultan of Delhi. While Akbar was a great consolidator and Humayun was his son, neither of them founded the empire. Timur was a historical ancestor from centuries earlier but did not establish the Mughal Empire.

The correct answer is (C) Babur, who founded the Mughal Empire in 1526.

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