Freedom Struggle & Gandhi — Set 4

Correct Answer: C. Civil Disobedience Movement

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact of March 1931 was signed between Gandhi and Viceroy Lord Irwin to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement. Under the pact, the British agreed to release political prisoners and allow salt-making by villages near the sea. Gandhi agreed to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement and attend the Second Round Table Conference in London. The pact was significant but criticized by many Congress leaders as insufficient.

Correct Answer: C. Porbandar

Kasturba Gandhi was born in Porbandar, Gujarat in 1869, the same coastal city where Mahatma Gandhi was born. She and Gandhi were married at age 13 through an arranged marriage as per the custom of the time. Kasturba participated actively in satyagraha movements in South Africa and India. She died on February 22, 1944, while imprisoned with Gandhi at the Aga Khan Palace in Pune.

Correct Answer: C. Porbandar

Mahatma Gandhi (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi) was born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, a coastal city in present-day Gujarat. Porbandar was part of the Kathiawar region and was then a small princely state. Gandhi's father Karamchand Gandhi served as Diwan (chief minister) of Porbandar. The birthplace in Porbandar is now preserved as Kirti Mandir, a memorial to Gandhi.

Correct Answer: C. 1915

Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in January 1915 after spending 21 years there. He had gone to South Africa in 1893 as a barrister and developed the technique of satyagraha (truth-force) fighting for the rights of Indian immigrants. On his return, at the advice of Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Gandhi spent a year travelling India. He established the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad as his base of activities.

Correct Answer: C. 1917

Gandhi's first satyagraha in India was at Champaran in Bihar in 1917, supporting indigo farmers against the exploitative 'tinkathia' system imposed by British planters. Farmers were forced to cultivate indigo on 3/20th of their land and sell it at fixed low prices. Gandhi organized resistance and conducted surveys documenting their plight. The British government appointed an inquiry commission which abolished the tinkathia system.

Correct Answer: B. Referendum after military deployment

Sardar Patel integrated Junagadh into India in 1948 by authorizing military and police forces to enter the state after the Nawab fled to Pakistan. Junagadh's Nawab had signed the instrument of accession to Pakistan despite its predominantly Hindu population. When the Nawab fled, Indian forces entered Junagadh at the request of the interim government. A referendum held in February 1948 resulted in an overwhelming vote for accession to India.

Correct Answer: B. Majoor Mahajan Sangh

The Majoor Mahajan Sangh (Textile Labour Association) was established in Ahmedabad in 1920 with Gandhi's support, growing out of the 1918 Ahmedabad Mill Strike. Anasuya Sarabhai was closely associated with this union. It became one of the oldest and most successful trade unions in India and a model of Gandhian labour relations emphasizing cooperation over class conflict. The union advocated for workers' rights through negotiation rather than radical strikes.

Correct Answer: C. London

Shyamji Krishna Varma published 'The Indian Sociologist' from London starting in 1905. The journal was a mouthpiece for Indian revolutionary nationalism and argued for complete independence from British rule. It criticized British colonial policies and inspired many young Indians to take up the cause of independence. The British authorities found it seditious and took steps to prevent its distribution in India.

Correct Answer: C. Deputy Prime Minister

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel served as both the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of independent India from 1947 to 1950. His most historic achievement was the integration of 562 princely states into the Indian Union. He organized the Indian Administrative Service and built strong national institutions. He is called the 'Architect of Modern India' and the 'Iron Man of India' for his firm and decisive leadership.

Correct Answer: C. Domestically made goods

The Swadeshi movement encouraged the use of domestically made goods (swadeshi) and boycott of British manufactured products, especially textiles. In Gujarat, the movement gained momentum as the textile industry in Ahmedabad was directly affected by British competition. Gujarati merchants and industrialists supported the swadeshi cause. Gandhi used the charkha (spinning wheel) as the ultimate symbol of swadeshi and economic self-reliance.