Why was Vasudeo Balwant Phadke known in history ?
- A.He led a violent struggle against the British during the revolt of 1857
- B.He was a critic of Gandhian struggle
- C.He led an armed uprising against the British in the 1870s
- D.He was a radical leader of the Indian National Congress
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, He led an armed uprising against the British in the 1870s. Phadke raised an armed band in Maharashtra in 1879 to overthrow British rule.
Vasudeo Balwant Phadke was a clerk in the Military Finance Department at Pune. Moved by the suffering of the Deccan famine of 1876 to 1878 and by the neglect shown by the colonial government, he left his job and organised a band of Ramoshis, Kolis, Bhils and Dhangars. In 1879 his men raided the treasuries and homes of moneylenders around Pune to fund a rebellion, and for some time they cut off communications and held parts of the countryside. He was captured in July 1879, sentenced to transportation for life and died in Aden jail in 1883. He is often called the father of armed rebellion in India.
A is wrong because Phadke's rising came two decades after the revolt of 1857. B is wrong because he died in 1883, long before Gandhi's mass movements began. D is wrong because the Indian National Congress was founded in 1885, after his death.
Exam tip: Phadke, 1879, Pune, Ramoshi band, died in Aden jail 1883: the father of armed rebellion.
Practice Questions
View allEconomically, one of the results of the British rule in India in the 19th century was the
- A.increase in the export of Indian handicrafts
- B.growth in the number of Indian owned factories
- C.commercialization of Indian agriculture
- D.rapid increase in the urban population
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British rule pushed Indian farmers to grow crops for sale and export rather than for their own food. Heavy land revenue had to be paid in cash, so peasants turned to cash crops such as indigo, cotton, jute, opium, tea and sugarcane, which fed British industry and trade.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following freedom fighters:
1. Barindra Kumar Ghosh
2. Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee
3. Rash Behari Bose
Who of the above was/were actively associated with the Ghadar Party?
- A.1 and 2
- B.2 only
- C.1 and 3
- D.3 only
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Of the three, only Rash Behari Bose worked actively with the Ghadar Party. The Ghadar Party was founded in 1913 at San Francisco by Indians in North America, with Lala Har Dayal and Sohan Singh Bhakna among its leaders.
Read the full explanation →Subsequent to which one of the following events, Gandhiji, who consistently opposed untouchability and appealed for its eradication from all spheres, decided to include the upliftment of 'Harijans' in his political and social programme?
- A.The Poona Pact
- B.The Gandhi-Irwin Agreement (Delhi Pact)
- C.Arrest of Congress leadership at the time of the Quit India Movement
- D.Promulgation of the Government of India Act, 1935
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After the Poona Pact of September 1932, Gandhi made the upliftment of the Harijans a central part of his work.
Read the full explanation →In medieval India, the term "Fanam" referred to:
- A.Clothing
- B.Coins
- C.Ornaments
- D.Weapons
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The fanam was a small gold (and later silver) coin used widely in South India in medieval times. The word comes from the Tamil 'panam', meaning money.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following pairs:
(Party : Its Leader)
1. Bharatiya Jana Sangh : Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
2. Socialist Party : C. Rajagopalachari
3. Congress for Democracy : Jagjivan Ram
4. Swatantra Party : Acharya Narendra Dev
How many of the above are correctly matched?
- A.Only one
- B.Only two
- C.Only three
- D.All four
Show answer
Pairs 1 and 3 are correct; the leaders in pairs 2 and 4 have been swapped. Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951.
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