Q50. The Anti-Circular Society during the Swadeshi period was established by whom?
[WBCS Mains History 2018]
(A) Sachindra Prasad Basu
(B) Krishna Kumar Mitra
(C) Subodh Mullick
(D) Satish Chandra Mukhopadhyay
Answer: (A) Sachindra Prasad Basu
Explanation: Sachindra Prasad Basu organized the Anti-Circular Society in response to government attempts to discourage students from joining nationalist activities. Student mobilization formed a distinctive feature of the Swadeshi years, when educational institutions, public associations and political boycotts became closely linked.
Q49. Sandhya, a nationalist periodical of Bengal, was published by:
[WBCS Mains History 2018]
(A) Bipin Chandra Pal
(B) Aurobindo Ghosh
(C) Brahmabandhav Upadhyay
(D) Bhupendranath Dutta
Answer: (C) Brahmabandhav Upadhyay
Explanation: Brahmabandhav Upadhyay was associated with the Bengali newspaper Sandhya, known for sharp nationalist criticism during the Swadeshi years. The publication reflected a broader political press that questioned colonial legitimacy and helped radical public ideas reach a growing readership.
Q48. Who founded the Swadesh Bandhab Samiti during the Swadeshi movement?
[WBCS Mains History 2018]
(A) Aswini Kumar Dutta
(B) Pulin Bihari Das
(C) Sarala Devi
(D) Barindra Ghosh
Answer: (A) Aswini Kumar Dutta
Explanation: Aswini Kumar Dutta founded the Swadesh Bandhab Samiti in the Barisal region. Volunteer associations supported national education, relief, local organization and Swadeshi activities. Their local networks helped transform the anti-partition movement from political meetings into sustained social mobilization.
Q47. He wrote biographies of Mazzini, Garibaldi, Shivaji and Shri Krishna, stayed in America, and was elected to the Central Legislative Assembly. Identify him.
[UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2018]
(A) Aurobindo Ghosh
(B) Bipin Chandra Pal
(C) Lala Lajpat Rai
(D) Motilal Nehru
Answer: (C) Lala Lajpat Rai
Explanation: Lala Lajpat Rai authored patriotic and biographical works about historical figures including Mazzini and Garibaldi. During the First World War he spent time in the United States and organized opinion for India. He later participated in legislative politics and nationalist agitation.
Q46. Who consistently emphasized Indian self-rule during 1904, 1905 and 1906?
[Odisha Civil Services Prelims 2018]
(A) Surendranath Banerjee
(B) Pherozeshah Mehta
(C) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(D) Dadabhai Naoroji
Answer: (C) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Explanation: Tilak was among the earliest leading voices for Swaraj as an urgent political objective. His newspapers and public campaigns helped develop a more assertive politics during the Bengal anti-partition movement. His approach contrasted with the constitutional petitioning identified with many Moderates.
Q45. By what other name was Lala Lajpat Rai known?
[ICAR Technician 2018]
(A) Sher-e-Bengal
(B) Sher-e-Maharashtra
(C) Sher-e-Kashmir
(D) Sher-e-Punjab
Answer: (D) Sher-e-Punjab
Explanation: Sher-e-Punjab means Lion of Punjab and refers to Lala Lajpat Rai. He helped spread nationalism, education and Arya Samaj activities across Punjab. His participation in the Swadeshi movement and later anti-Simon demonstrations made him a nationally influential figure.
Q44. Which statement about Bipin Chandra Pal is correct?
[UPSC NDA-II General Ability Test (9 September 2018)]
(A) He was a leading Congress Moderate
(B) He belonged to the Extremist group in Congress
(C) He was independent India’s first Defence Minister
(D) He served as Chief Minister of West Bengal
Answer: (B) He belonged to the Extremist group in Congress
Explanation: Bipin Chandra Pal was among the influential assertive nationalists of the Swadeshi period. Along with Tilak and Lajpat Rai he formed the Lal–Bal–Pal triumvirate. He supported boycott, national education and Swaraj, not a post-independence government office.
Q43. Who published the Bengali newspaper Sanjivani during the rise of nationalism?
[WBCS Mains General Studies I 2018]
(A) Motilal Ghosh
(B) Surendranath Banerjee
(C) Krishna Kumar Mitra
(D) Jogendra Chandra Bose
Answer: (C) Krishna Kumar Mitra
Explanation: Krishna Kumar Mitra published Sanjivani, a nationalist Bengali newspaper prominent in discussions of the partition of Bengal. It helped mobilize public resistance and boycott sentiment. Nationalist journalism was a significant source of awareness and organization during the Swadeshi movement.
Q42. Which period is known as the liberal or Moderate phase of the Indian National Congress?
[WBCS Mains History 2017]
(A) 1880–1885
(B) 1885–1905
(C) 1905–1915
(D) 1905–1925
Answer: (B) 1885–1905
Explanation: The years 1885–1905 are commonly treated as the early Moderate phase of Congress politics. Leaders pursued petitions, resolutions and constitutional reform. Assertive nationalism gained greater prominence around the Bengal partition in 1905, leading to a sharp division over political strategy.
Q41. The Safety Valve Theory relates to the foundation of which organization?
[WBCS Mains History 2017]
(A) Indian Association
(B) Indian National Conference
(C) British Indian Association
(D) Indian National Congress
Answer: (D) Indian National Congress
Explanation: The safety-valve interpretation portrayed the Indian National Congress as a means of channeling politically educated Indian discontent into peaceful discussion. Lala Lajpat Rai later invoked this idea critically. Historians debate the theory, which should not be confused with an undisputed founding motive.
