The Colonial Era in India — Practice

Question 1

Who fought the Battle of Plassey and when?

Accepted Answer

✦ Answer: Robert Clive (British East India Company) defeated Siraj-ud-Daula (Nawab of Bengal) on 23 June 1757. Mir Jafar's betrayal helped British win. This was the foundation of British rule in India.

Question 2

When did India gain independence?

Accepted Answer

✦ Answer: 15 August 1947. India and Pakistan became independent simultaneously (Partition). Nehru gave 'Tryst with Destiny' speech.

Question 3

What were the causes of the 1857 Revolt?

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — Political causes.
  • Doctrine of Lapse (Lord Dalhousie) — annexed Indian states without male heir
  • Annexation of Awadh (1856)
  • Mughal Emperor's status reduced

Step 2 — Economic causes.
  • Heavy taxes on Indian peasants
  • Destruction of Indian industries (especially textiles)
  • Drain of wealth to Britain

Step 3 — Social causes.
  • Cultural disrespect by British
  • Racial discrimination
  • Christian missionary activity
  • Fear of religious conversion

Step 4 — Military causes.
  • Greased cartridges for new Enfield rifles
  • Cartridges suspected to have cow/pig fat (offensive to Hindus and Muslims)
  • Indian sepoys disadvantaged compared to British

Step 5 — The Spark.
  March 1857: Mangal Pandey (sepoy) refused new cartridges. Executed.

Step 6 — Mass Revolt.
  10 May 1857 Meerut. Spread across North India. Bahadur Shah Zafar declared Emperor in Delhi. Major centres: Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi, Bareilly.

✦ Answer: Causes of 1857 Revolt: (1) POLITICAL: Doctrine of Lapse, Awadh annexation; (2) ECONOMIC: heavy taxes, deindustrialisation; (3) SOCIAL: cultural disrespect, Christian missionaries; (4) MILITARY: greased cartridges, Indian sepoy discrimination. Triggered by Mangal Pandey (March 1857). Spread across North India after Meerut uprising (10 May 1857).

Question 4

Discuss the freedom struggle from 1885 to 1947.

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — INC FOUNDING (1885).
  Indian National Congress founded by Allan Hume. Initially moderate — petitions, dialogue. Leaders: Dadabhai Naoroji (Drain Theory), Gopal Krishna Gokhale.

Step 2 — EXTREMIST PHASE (1905-1919).
  Lal-Bal-Pal: Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak ('Swarajya is my birthright'), Bipin Chandra Pal.
  Swadeshi Movement (1905-08): boycott British goods.
  Home Rule (1916): Tilak, Annie Besant.
  Bhagat Singh-era revolutionaries.

Step 3 — JALLIANWALA BAGH (1919).
  13 April 1919, Amritsar. General Dyer fired on peaceful crowd. 379+ killed. National outrage. Rabindranath Tagore returned knighthood.

Step 4 — GANDHIAN ERA BEGINS.
  Gandhi returned 1915. Tested non-violent satyagraha:
  • Champaran (1917) — indigo planters
  • Kheda (1918) — peasant tax relief
  • Ahmedabad (1918) — mill workers

Step 5 — NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT (1920-22).
  Boycott schools, courts, government posts.
  Burning of foreign cloth.
  Promotion of Indian goods.
  Suspended after Chauri Chaura incident (1922).

Step 6 — SALT MARCH AND CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE (1930).
  Gandhi walked 240 miles from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi.
  Made own salt — defying British salt tax.
  80,000+ Indians arrested.
  Global attention.

Step 7 — REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE.
  • Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru — hanged March 1931
  • Chandrashekhar Azad
  • Hindustan Socialist Republican Association

Step 8 — ROUND TABLE CONFERENCES (1930-32).
  British called talks. Gandhi attended Second RTC (1931). Failed to achieve consensus.

Step 9 — 1935 ACT.
  Government of India Act 1935 introduced provincial autonomy. INC won most provincial elections 1937.

Step 10 — WORLD WAR II AND QUIT INDIA (1942).
  Cripps Mission (1942) rejected by Indians.
  Quit India Movement (August 1942): 'Do or Die'.
  Mass uprising; British arrested ~100,000 leaders.
  Subhash Chandra Bose's INA fought with Japan.

Step 11 — POST-WWII (1945-47).
  Britain weakened by war.
  INA trials (Red Fort 1945-46) inspired masses.
  Naval Mutiny (February 1946).
  Cabinet Mission Plan failed.
  Direct Action Day (16 August 1946): communal violence.

Step 12 — INDEPENDENCE AND PARTITION (1947).
  Mountbatten Plan (June 1947).
  Partition along religious lines.
  10-20 million displaced.
  1-2 million killed in communal violence.
  15 August 1947: India and Pakistan independent.
  Nehru's 'Tryst with Destiny' speech.
  Gandhi in Calcutta managing Hindu-Muslim violence.

Step 13 — Gandhi Assassinated.
  30 January 1948 by Nathuram Godse. India in shock.

Step 14 — KEY INSIGHTS.
  • Both non-violent (Gandhi) AND armed (Bhagat Singh, Bose) struggles contributed.
  • British exploited divisions but Indians united (mostly).
  • Partition was a tragedy of unprecedented scale.
  • Independence was won, not given.

✦ Answer: India's freedom struggle (1885-1947) evolved through phases: MODERATE (INC moderate leaders, petitions), EXTREMIST (Lal-Bal-Pal, Swadeshi), GANDHIAN (Non-cooperation 1920, Salt March 1930, Quit India 1942), REVOLUTIONARY (Bhagat Singh, Bose's INA). Sacrifices: thousands hanged, jailed, killed. Independence won 15 August 1947, with tragic Partition. India today is the result of this enormous struggle and sacrifice.

Practice — The Colonial Era in India

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