Static Quiz 15 April 2026 (Modern History)

Q1.With reference to the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, 1919, which triggered the protests in Punjab, consider the following statements:

1. It was based on the recommendations of a committee chaired by Justice Sydney Rowlatt.
2. It allowed the government to detain political activists without trial for a period of up to three years.
3. It was passed despite the unanimous opposition of every non-official Indian member of the Imperial Legislative Council.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A) 1 and 2 only

B) 1 and 3 only

C) 3 only

D) 1, 2, and 3

Correct Answer: B) 1 and 3 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The act is popularly known as the Rowlatt Act, named after the President of the Sedition Committee.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The Act allowed for detention without trial for a maximum of two years, not three.
• Statement 3 is correct: Leaders like Madan Mohan Malaviya, Mazhar-ul-Haq, and Mohammed Ali Jinnah resigned from the Council in protest, as the act was forced through by the official majority.

Q2.Following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the British Government appointed the “Disorders Inquiry Committee.” In this context, consider the following statements:

1. The committee, popularly known as the Hunter Commission, included three Indian members.
2. The Indian National Congress boycotted this official committee and set up its own “Non-Official Enquiry Committee.”
3. The Hunter Commission’s majority report justified General Dyer’s actions as a “necessary deterrent” to maintain colonial order.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A) 1 and 2 only

B) 2 and 3 only

C) 1 and 3 only

D) 1, 2, and 3

Correct Answer: A) 1 and 2 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The Indian members were Sir Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad, Pandit Jagat Narayan, and Sardar Sahibzada Sultan Ahmed Khan.
• Statement 2 is correct: The Congress inquiry included Motilal Nehru, C.R. Das, Abbas Tyabji, M.R. Jayakar, and Mahatma Gandhi.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Even the British majority in the Hunter Commission censured Dyer, calling his action a “grave error of judgment,” though they did not recommend criminal prosecution. It was the “House of Lords” in Britain that later praised him.

Q3.Arrange the following events related to the 1919 Punjab disturbances in their correct chronological order:

1. The launch of the Rowlatt Satyagraha (National Hartal).
2. The arrest of Dr. Satyapal and Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew.
3. The imposition of the “Crawling Order” in Amritsar.
4. The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

A) 1—2—4—3

B) 2—1—3—4

C) 1—4—2—3

D) 2—1—4—3

Correct Answer: A) 1—2—4—3

Explanation:

• April 6: Rowlatt Satyagraha/National Hartal begins.
• April 10: Dr. Satyapal and Dr. Kitchlew are arrested and deported to Dharamshala.
• April 13: Jallianwala Bagh Massacre takes place.
• Post-April 13: Martial Law is intensified, leading to the infamous “Crawling Order” issued by Dyer on April 19.

Q4.The Jallianwala Bagh tragedy resulted in several high-profile symbolic protests. Which of the following is/are correctly matched?

1. Rabindranath Tagore: Renounced his Knighthood.
2. Mahatma Gandhi: Returned the Kaiser-i-Hind Gold Medal.
3. C. Sankaran Nair: Resigned from the Viceroy’s Executive Council.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

A) 1 only

B) 1 and 2 only

C) 3 only

D) 1, 2, and 3

Correct Answer: D) 1, 2, and 3

Explanation: All three matches are correct. C. Sankaran Nair’s resignation was particularly notable as he was the only Indian member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council at the time, and his resignation was a direct protest against the atrocities and the continuation of martial law in Punjab.

Q5.With reference to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, consider the following statements regarding the colonial officials involved:

1. Michael O’Dwyer was the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab who approved the actions of General Dyer.
2. Brigadier General Reginald Dyer was the officer who ordered the firing and was later awarded a sword of honor by the British House of Commons.
3. The assassination of Michael O’Dwyer by Udham Singh took place in Caxton Hall, London, in 1940.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A) 1 and 2 only

B) 2 and 3 only

C) 1 and 3 only

 D) 1, 2, and 3

Correct Answer: C) 1 and 3 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Michael O’Dwyer was the civilian head (Lt. Governor) who defended the military’s actions.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: While the House of Lords and some members of the British public (through the Morning Post) raised a fund and presented a sword to Dyer, the House of Commons actually censured him following a speech by Winston Churchill.
• Statement 3 is correct: Udham Singh killed Michael O’Dwyer (not Reginald Dyer, who died of natural causes in 1927) to avenge the massacre.

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