Home Rule Movement, Annie Besant & Lucknow Pact

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Q30. Annie Besant was a Fabian socialist under the influence of ______.

[Delhi Police Constable Executive (14 November 2023, Shift 1)]

1. Charles Turner
2. George Bernard Shaw
3. Sigmund Freud
4. Arthur Miller

Answer: (B) George Bernard Shaw

Explanation: Besant’s political formation in Britain included socialist and secular reform causes. George Bernard Shaw, a prominent Fabian thinker, influenced her engagement with gradual social reform. In India, Besant later combined this reformist background with Theosophy and Home Rule politics.

Q29. Annie Besant’s Home Rule League was centred at which place in India?

[SSC Stenographer (13 October 2023, Shift 2)]

1. Bombay
2. Banaras
3. Calcutta
4. Madras

Answer: (D) Madras

Explanation: Madras served as the centre of Besant’s All-India Home Rule League, created in September 1916. The city was also important for her Theosophical connections. Tilak, meanwhile, managed his separate league from Pune, concentrating on other territories.

Q28. The Lucknow Pact was signed in ______ by Congress and the Muslim League to work together for representative government.

[SSC CPO Paper I (4 October 2023, Shift 2)]

1. 1920
2. 1914
3. 1916
4. 1918

Answer: (C) 1916

Explanation: The agreement was reached during the December 1916 political sessions in Lucknow. It enabled Congress and the Muslim League to present joint proposals, including broader elected representation, provincial powers and separate electorates for Muslims, to the British authorities.

Q27. In which year was the Lucknow Pact signed between the Muslim League and Indian National Congress?

[MP Police Constable (2 September 2023, Shift 2)]

1. 1915
2. 1917
3. 1916
4. 1914

Answer: (C) 1916

Explanation: The agreement dates from December 1916. Congress and Muslim League leaders agreed to pursue constitutional reforms jointly. The arrangement reflected wartime dissatisfaction with colonial administration and the political desire to present a united platform for Indian self-government.

Q26. At which place did B. G. Tilak organise the Home Rule League in 1916?

[Bihar Primary Teacher (24 August 2023, Shift 1)]

1. Poona
2. Bombay
3. Nagpur
4. More than one of the above
5. None of the above

Answer: (A) Poona

Explanation: Tilak’s organisation was headquartered in Poona, while its formation was announced in connection with the Belgaum provincial conference. The 1916 league promoted self-government and regional political organisation, concentrating mainly on western and central India.

Q25. The term Home Rule League was inspired by the political movements of which country?

[Maharashtra Talathi (20 August 2023, Shift 1)]

1. Germany
2. France
3. USSR (Russia)
4. Ireland

Answer: (D) Ireland

Explanation: Indian Home Rule organisers drew inspiration from campaigns for Irish self-government. The phrase suggested internal autonomy while remaining connected with the wider British imperial system. Tilak and Besant adapted that constitutional language for India during the First World War.

Q24. Through which organisation did Annie Besant promote the study of ancient Indian religions and philosophies?

[SSC CGL Tier-I (20 July 2023, Shift 3)]

1. Arya Samaj
2. Theosophical Society
3. Paramhans Mandali
4. Prarthana Samaj

Answer: (B) Theosophical Society

Explanation: The Theosophical Society encouraged comparative study of spiritual and philosophical traditions, including Indian thought. Besant joined it in 1889 and later became its president. Her association helped develop her educational activism and public appeal within India.

Q23. Annie Besant was associated with which socio-religious movement?

[SSC MTS, 2022 Cycle (12 May 2023, Shift 2)]

1. Indian Reform Association
2. Tattvabodhini Sabha
3. Adi Brahmo Samaj
4. Theosophical Society

Answer: (D) Theosophical Society

Explanation: Besant became deeply involved in Theosophy after 1889 and eventually led the international society from 1907. Through this association she supported cultural education and religious study in India, alongside her later advocacy for national self-government.

Q22. When was the Lucknow Pact signed by the All-India Muslim League and the Indian National Congress?

[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 2022 Cycle (17 March 2023, Shift 1)]

1. 1916
2. 1911
3. 1919
4. 1906

Answer: (A) 1916

Explanation: The Congress–League agreement was accepted in December 1916. In the same year Congress reunited its moderate and extremist factions. Together, these developments encouraged broader cooperation and demands for representative institutions within the colonial political system.

Q21. In 1916, the Muslim League and Indian National Congress came to an understanding and signed which agreement?

[JKSSB Sub-Inspector (20 December 2022, Shift 1)]

1. Lucknow Pact
2. Indian Councils Act
3. Indian Universities Act
4. Rowlatt Act

Answer: (A) Lucknow Pact

Explanation: The agreement was the Lucknow Pact, adopted at the 1916 sessions. It coordinated the constitutional reform programmes of the Congress and the All-India Muslim League, even though its provisions concerning communal electorates attracted criticism in later decades.