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Indian HistoryMediumAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2023, GAT

Which one among the following districts of Eastern India held a referendum in 1947 to decide whether or not to join Pakistan ?

  1. A.Sylhet
  2. B.Goalpara
  3. C.Cachar
  4. D.Jalpaiguri

Correct answer

A. Sylhet

Explanation

The correct answer is A, Sylhet. Sylhet, then a Muslim-majority district of Assam, held a referendum in July 1947, and its people voted to join East Bengal, which became part of Pakistan.

The Mountbatten Plan of 3 June 1947 provided for a referendum in Sylhet and in the North-West Frontier Province, while the Bengal and Punjab assemblies voted on partition. In the Sylhet vote a majority chose to leave Assam. The Radcliffe boundary award, however, kept the Karimganj area, with its Hindu-majority thanas, in India. Sylhet is today a division and city of Bangladesh.

B is wrong because Goalpara, in western Assam, stayed in India and held no such vote. C is wrong because Cachar, next to Sylhet, also remained in Assam without a referendum. D is wrong because Jalpaiguri, in north Bengal, was divided by the Radcliffe award, not by a referendum, and most of it stayed in India.

Exam tip: the 1947 referendums were in Sylhet and the North-West Frontier Province; Sylhet went to East Pakistan except Karimganj.

Practice Questions

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Q1.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2019, GKHard

Which one of the following is not a change brought about by the Indian Independence Act of 1947?

  1. A.The Government of India Act, 1935 was amended to provide an interim Constitution.
  2. B.India ceased to be a dependency.
  3. C.The Crown was the source of authority till new Constitution was framed.
  4. D.The Governor-General was the constitutional head of Indian Dominion.
Show answer
Correct answer: C. The Crown was the source of authority till new Constitution was framed.

The Indian Independence Act did not keep the Crown as the source of authority; it ended British authority over India from 15 August 1947.

Q2.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2023, GKMedium

Which of the following statements about the Vaishnava saint of Assam, Shankardeva, is/are correct ?

1. His teachings are often known as the Bhagavati dharma.

2. He encouraged the establishment of satras or monasteries and namghars or prayer halls for the transmission of spiritual knowledge.

3. His major compositions include the Kirtana-ghosha.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

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

All three statements about Shankardeva are correct. Shankardeva (Sankaradeva) was the leading Vaishnava saint of Assam in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries.

Q3.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2024, GKMedium

Consider the following pairs :

1. Gajapati - Name of a powerful Dynasty in Orissa

2. Ashvapati - Deccan Sultans

3. Narapati - Rayas of Vijayanagara

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched ?

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 only
  3. C.1, 2 and 3
  4. D.None of the above
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 1, 2 and 3

All three titles were in use in fifteenth- and sixteenth-century India, and each pair is matched correctly. Gajapati means 'lord of elephants' and was the title of a powerful ruling family of Orissa, the Gajapatis who succeeded the Eastern Gangas.

Q4.Indian HistoryAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2020, GATMedium

Which one of the following statements about the Revolt of 1857 is correct ?

  1. A.It was a Revolt carefully organised and planned by the Rajas, Nawabs and Taluqdars
  2. B.Rumours and prophecies did not play any role in its outbreak and spread
  3. C.The rebel proclamations in 1857 repeatedly appealed to all sections of the population irrespective of their caste and creed.
  4. D.The British succeeded in quickly and easily controlling the rebels
Show answer
Correct answer: C. The rebel proclamations in 1857 repeatedly appealed to all sections of the population irrespective of their caste and creed.

The rebels wanted Hindus and Muslims to stand together against British rule. Proclamations issued in the name of Bahadur Shah Zafar called on everyone to join the fight, recalling the Mughal past when different communities had lived together.