History – Medium Level – GK Questions

Answer: Indo-Greeks

The Indo-Greek rulers (2nd-1st century BCE) were the first to issue gold coins in India featuring royal portraits and bilingual inscriptions in Greek and Kharosthi/Prakrit. [[1]]

Answer: Kuchipudi

Kuchipudi originated in the village of Kuchipudi in Andhra Pradesh. It combines dance and drama, with performers often singing while dancing. It is known for quick footwork and expressive abhinaya. [[30]]

Answer: Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam originated in Tamil Nadu's temples, with roots in the Natya Shastra. It combines dance, music, and abhinaya (expression) to depict Hindu mythology and spiritual themes. [[30]]

Answer: Annie Besant

Annie Besant became the first woman President of the Indian National Congress in 1917. A theosophist and social reformer, she also founded the Home Rule League and started the newspaper 'New India'. [[30]]

Answer: True

Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for his collection 'Gitanjali'. He was the first non-European to receive this honor, bringing global recognition to Indian literature. [[30]]

Answer: 1945

The United Nations was founded on October 24, 1945, after World War II, to promote international cooperation and prevent future conflicts. Its headquarters is in New York City. [[30]]

Answer: True

The Bolshevik Revolution (October 1917) led by Vladimir Lenin overthrew the provisional government and established the world's first communist state, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, later part of the USSR. [[30]]

Answer: True

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, as Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, led the integration of over 560 princely states into the Indian Union. V.P. Menon was his key administrator in this monumental task. [[30]]

Answer: Pakistan

The Radcliffe Line, named after Cyril Radcliffe, demarcated the boundary between India and Pakistan during Partition in 1947. Its hurried drawing caused massive displacement and communal violence. [[30]]

Answer: A united India with a weak center and grouped provinces

The Cabinet Mission (1946) proposed a united India with a weak central government handling defense, foreign affairs, and communications, while provinces were grouped into three sections with significant autonomy. [[30]]

Answer: Lakshmi Sehgal

Captain Lakshmi Sehgal (née Swaminathan) led the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, the women's wing of the Indian National Army. She was a doctor and a key figure in the Azad Hind government. [[30]]

Answer: True

The INA trials (1945-46) of Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Sahgal, and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon sparked nationwide protests. Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs united in support, weakening British legitimacy and accelerating independence. [[30]]

Answer: Train robbery near Lucknow

The Kakori Conspiracy (August 9, 1925) involved HRA members robbing a government treasury on a train near Kakori, Lucknow. Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, and others were executed for their role. [[30]]

Answer: True

On April 8, 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw non-lethal bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly to protest the Public Safety Bill and Trade Disputes Bill. They courted arrest to use the trial for propaganda. [[30]]

Answer: 1931

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed on March 5, 1931, between Mahatma Gandhi and Viceroy Lord Irwin. It ended the Civil Disobedience Movement and allowed Congress to participate in the Second Round Table Conference. [[30]]

Answer: True

The Civil Disobedience Movement began on March 12, 1930, with Gandhi's Dandi March (Salt Satyagraha). He walked 240 miles from Sabarmati to Dandi to make salt, defying the British salt monopoly. [[30]]

Answer: Both A and B

The Rowlatt Act (1919), officially the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, was called the 'Black Act' by Indians. It allowed detention without trial and sparked nationwide protests leading to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. [[30]]

Answer: True

The Kheda Satyagraha (1918) in Gujarat was led by Sardar Patel under Gandhi's guidance. Peasants demanded remission of land revenue due to crop failure. It established Patel's leadership in the nationalist movement. [[30]]

Answer: True

The Deccan Riots (1875) in Maharashtra were peasant uprisings against exploitative moneylenders (sahukars) who charged exorbitant interest rates. The government responded with the Deccan Agriculturists' Relief Act, 1879. [[30]]

Answer: Bengal

The Indigo Revolt (1859-60) was a peasant uprising in Bengal against European planters who forced farmers to grow indigo under exploitative conditions. It was documented in Dinabandhu Mitra's play 'Nil Darpan'. [[30]]