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Indian HistoryMediumAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2021, GAT

At which of the following was the American Declaration of Independence adopted on 4 July, 1776?

  1. A.Washington Conference
  2. B.San Francisco Conference
  3. C.Second Continental Congress
  4. D.First Continental Congress

Correct answer

C. Second Continental Congress

Explanation

The correct answer is C, Second Continental Congress. Meeting at Philadelphia, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on 4 July 1776.

The Second Continental Congress met from May 1775, after fighting had begun at Lexington and Concord. It appointed George Washington commander of the Continental Army and, in 1776, set up a committee to draft a declaration. Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the text, which declared the thirteen colonies free of British rule and spoke of the rights to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". The Congress voted for independence on 2 July and adopted the final text on 4 July, now celebrated as Independence Day in the USA.

A is wrong because the Washington Naval Conference of 1921-22 dealt with naval arms limits. B is wrong because the San Francisco Conference of 1945 drafted the UN Charter. D is wrong because the First Continental Congress of 1774 only petitioned the king and organised a boycott; it did not declare independence.

Exam tip: First Continental Congress 1774, Second Continental Congress 1775, Declaration drafted by Jefferson and adopted on 4 July 1776.

Practice Questions

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Q1.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2016, GKEasy

The 'water frame' of Richard Arkwright was a device for

  1. A.producing a new type of painting
  2. B.irrigating fields for rice cultivation
  3. C.producing strong threads of yarn
  4. D.the faster movement of steamships
Show answer
Correct answer: C. producing strong threads of yarn

Richard Arkwright's water frame, patented in 1769, was a spinning machine driven by water power that spun strong cotton thread.

Q2.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2017, GKMedium

Consider the following statements about the Salt March : 1. The Salt March was deliberately ignored by the European media. 2. The Salt March was widely covered by the American and European press. 3. The Salt March was the first nationalist activity in which women participated in large numbers. 4. The Salt March impressed upon the British the urgent need to devolve more power to Indians. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. A.1, 2 and 4
  2. B.2, 3 and 4
  3. C.3 and 4 only
  4. D.2 and 3 only
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 2, 3 and 4

The Salt March drew wide notice in the American and European press, brought women into the national movement in large numbers, and made the British see that they had to share more power with Indians.

Q4.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2016, GKHard

The term Upari refers to which one of the following?

  1. A.A category of proprietary tenure under the Mughal rule
  2. B.A category of tenancy tenure under the Maratha rule
  3. C.A soldier in the Maratha army
  4. D.A village headman in the Mughal period
Show answer
Correct answer: B. A category of tenancy tenure under the Maratha rule

In the Maratha villages of the Deccan, an upari was a tenant who cultivated land without any hereditary right to it.

Q5.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2017, GKHard

With regard to nature of Mughal State, who among the following scholars argued that "the peculiar feature of the State in Mughal India was that it served not merely as the protective arm of the exploiting classes, but was itself the principal instrument of exploitation"?

  1. A.Irfan Habib
  2. B.Satish Chandra
  3. C.Athar Ali
  4. D.J. F. Richards
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Irfan Habib

In his study of the Mughal agrarian system, Habib argued that the Mughal State did not merely protect the exploiting classes but was itself the main instrument for taking the peasants' surplus.