GK Questions History

Home Rule Movement, Annie Besant & Lucknow Pact

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Q65. Who founded the Home Rule League in 1916 in India?

[DSSSB Court Attendant (5 June 2026, Shift 2)]

  1. C. Rajagopalachari
  2. Subhas Chandra Bose
  3. Mahatma Gandhi
  4. Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Answer: (D) Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Explanation: Bal Gangadhar Tilak established his Home Rule League in April 1916, before Annie Besant launched a separate league in September. Both organisations campaigned for Indian self-government within the British Empire, expanding political awareness through meetings, speeches, local branches and printed material.

Q64. Which statement explains Annie Besant’s ideological role in the Indian national movement?

[UP PGT History (9 May 2026)]

  1. She rejected Indian traditions and promoted Western political models without adaptation.
  2. She supported continuation of British rule and resisted demands for political reforms.
  3. She linked Theosophy with nationalism, supporting Home Rule and cultural revival in India.
  4. She opposed political participation and confined her work to spiritual teachings alone.

Answer: (C) She linked Theosophy with nationalism, supporting Home Rule and cultural revival in India.

Explanation: Besant combined appreciation of Indian religious and philosophical traditions with political advocacy. Her Theosophical activities encouraged cultural self-confidence, while her Home Rule campaign demanded constitutional self-government. She used both educational institutions and political journalism to communicate these connected ideas.

Q63. In 1916, which two political groups came to an agreement in the Lucknow Pact?

[DSSSB MTS (8 May 2026, Shift 1)]

  1. Socialist Party and British Government
  2. Communist Party and British Government
  3. Bolshevik Party and Ghadar Party
  4. Indian National Congress and Muslim League

Answer: (D) Indian National Congress and Muslim League

Explanation: The Lucknow Pact brought the Congress and the All-India Muslim League together in December 1916. They endorsed common constitutional demands, including broader representation and self-government. Congress acceptance of separate Muslim electorates was a significant, and subsequently contested, feature of the agreement.

Q62. When did Bal Gangadhar Tilak found the Home Rule League?

[OSSSC Forester, Forest Guard & Excise Constable (27 April 2026, Shift 2)]

  1. 1912
  2. 1916
  3. 1908
  4. 1911

Answer: (B) 1916

Explanation: Tilak inaugurated his Home Rule League in April 1916 at Belgaum. His activities concentrated on Maharashtra, excluding Bombay city, along with Karnataka, the Central Provinces and Berar. Annie Besant established another league later that year to organise other regions.

Q61. What was the main objective behind the formation of the Home Rule Leagues by Tilak and Annie Besant?

[OSSSC Forester, Forest Guard & Excise Constable (23 April 2026, Shift 2)]

  1. To promote education and industrialization in India
  2. To launch armed rebellion against the British
  3. To prepare Indians for complete independence
  4. To spread political awareness and demand self-government

Answer: (D) To spread political awareness and demand self-government

Explanation: The two Home Rule Leagues promoted popular political education and sought Indian control over domestic affairs within the imperial constitutional framework. Their methods included lectures, newspapers, public meetings and membership drives, rather than a programme of armed insurrection against British authority.

Q60. Arrange these events in chronological order:
(a) Tilak forms a Home Rule League;
(b) Indian National Congress is founded;
(c) Surat Split;
(d) Swadeshi Movement begins.

[UPHESC Assistant Professor History (19 April 2026, Shift 1)]

  1. c, b, d, a
  2. d, b, c, a
  3. b, c, d, a
  4. b, d, c, a

Answer: (D) b, d, c, a

Explanation: The Congress was founded in 1885, followed by the anti-partition Swadeshi Movement in 1905. The Surat division between Congress moderates and extremists occurred in 1907. Tilak organised the Home Rule League in 1916, making the sequence b–d–c–a.

Q59. Arrange chronologically:
(I) foundation of the Indian National Congress;
(II) Partition of Bengal;
(III) Swadeshi Movement;
(IV) Lucknow Pact.

[UPHESC Assistant Professor Sociology (18 April 2026, Shift 1)]

  1. II, I, III, IV
  2. I, III, II, IV
  3. I, II, III, IV
  4. II, III, I, IV

Answer: (C) I, II, III, IV

Explanation: The Indian National Congress began in 1885. Bengal was partitioned in 1905, provoking the Swadeshi Movement that year. Congress and the Muslim League reached the Lucknow Pact in 1916, making the correct sequence I–II–III–IV.

Q58. Who founded the Home Rule League at Madras (Adyar) in 1916?

[OSSSC Forester, Forest Guard & Excise Constable (16 April 2026, Shift 3)]

  1. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
  2. Annie Besant
  3. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
  4. Lala Lajpat Rai

Answer: (B) Annie Besant

Explanation: Annie Besant formed the All-India Home Rule League in September 1916, centred on Madras and Adyar. Tilak had already established a separate league earlier in April. The organisations coordinated their overall objective while working largely in different geographical areas.

Q57. Which pair of leaders was closely associated with the Lucknow Pact of 1916?

[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I (22 March 2026, Shift 3)]

  1. Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal
  2. Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Muhammad Ali Jinnah
  3. Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Annie Besant
  4. Dadabhai Naoroji and Surendranath Banerjee

Answer: (B) Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Explanation: Tilak was an influential Congress advocate of cooperation, while Jinnah played a leading role in the Muslim League’s negotiations. The agreement united constitutional demands from the two organisations, although its acceptance of communal electorates remained politically controversial.

Q56. Which statement is INCORRECT about Indian socio-political movements and their leaders?

[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I (17 March 2026, Shift 3)]

  1. The Self-Respect Movement was launched by E. V. Ramasamy.
  2. The Home Rule League was founded by Aurobindo Ghosh.
  3. The Poona Sarvajanik Sabha was associated with Mahadev Govind Ranade.
  4. The Abhinav Bharat Society was founded by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

Answer: (B) The Home Rule League was founded by Aurobindo Ghosh.

Explanation: Aurobindo Ghosh was associated with the early nationalist and revolutionary currents, not the founding of the 1916 Home Rule Leagues. Those leagues were launched separately by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant to advance demands for self-government.

Q55. Which slogan was popularised by Bal Gangadhar Tilak?

[RRB Technician Grade III (6 March 2026, Shift 2)]

  1. Liberty is our dream and we must attain it
  2. Give me blood and I will give you freedom
  3. Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it
  4. Freedom is our goal and we shall achieve it

Answer: (C) Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it

Explanation: Tilak’s famous demand linked national dignity with the claim to self-government. The slogan was especially prominent in the assertive nationalist phase and the Home Rule agitation, helping transform Swaraj from an abstract aspiration into a memorable political entitlement.

Q54. Bal Gangadhar Tilak started the Home Rule League in which year?

[DSSSB MTS (5 March 2026, Shift 3)]

  1. 1906
  2. 1916
  3. 1919
  4. 1917

Answer: (B) 1916

Explanation: The first of the two Indian Home Rule Leagues was organised by Tilak in April 1916. Its creation revived public political mobilisation after years of repression and division. Besant followed with her separate, wider-reaching league in September of the same year.

Q53. Which statements about Tej Bahadur Sapru are correct?
I. He helped Annie Besant develop the Central Hindu College.
II. He entered politics during Home Rule agitation.
III. He took part in the Round Table Conferences.

[RRB JE CBT-I, 2025 Cycle (25 February 2026, Shift 2)]

  1. Only I
  2. All I, II and III
  3. Only II
  4. Only II and III

Answer: (B) All I, II and III

Explanation: Tej Bahadur Sapru was a liberal constitutionalist linked with Besant’s educational and political activities. He became prominent during the Home Rule era and later participated in the Round Table Conferences of 1930–32, advocating negotiated constitutional progress and political compromise.

Q52. The Indian Home Rule League at Madras was founded by ______.

[RRB JE CBT-I, 2025 Cycle (19 February 2026, Shift 3)]

  1. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
  2. Mahatma Gandhi
  3. Annie Besant
  4. Subhas Chandra Bose

Answer: (C) Annie Besant

Explanation: Besant established her league in Madras in September 1916, using newspapers such as New India and Commonweal to develop support. Tilak’s earlier organisation worked chiefly in western and central India, making Besant’s Madras league the correct identification.

Q51. Why was the Lucknow Pact of 1916 significant?

[Delhi Police Constable Executive (31 December 2025, Shift 2)]

  1. The British promised immediate self-government.
  2. India received provincial autonomy.
  3. The Partition of Bengal was reversed.
  4. Congress and the Muslim League formally cooperated.

Answer: (D) Congress and the Muslim League formally cooperated.

Explanation: The pact marked a high point of cooperation between Congress and the Muslim League. Both organisations agreed on demands for constitutional reform. It did not immediately grant autonomy, reverse Bengal’s partition, or secure a British promise of full self-government.

Q50. The famous Lucknow Pact of 1916 was associated with which pair of leaders?

[Bihar Jeevika Block Project Manager (24 November 2025, Morning Shift)]

  1. Mahatma Gandhi and Aga Khan
  2. Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Muhammad Ali Jinnah
  3. Mahatma Gandhi and Muhammad Ali Jinnah
  4. Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Aga Khan

Answer: (B) Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Explanation: Tilak and Jinnah were prominent in the inter-party understanding reached at Lucknow. Their political cooperation gave the Congress and Muslim League a shared platform to press for greater representative government during the First World War.

Q49. Lucknow Pact was signed in which year?

[OSSSC CRE Preliminary (8 November 2025, Shift 1)]

  1. 1913
  2. 1916
  3. 1909
  4. 1911

Answer: (B) 1916

Explanation: The Congress and Muslim League approved the Lucknow agreement in December 1916. This was also the year the moderate and extremist factions reunited within Congress. The convergence made the year especially important in the development of constitutional nationalism.

Q48. Which option best explains the significance of the Lucknow Pact (1916)?

[IB Security Assistant Executive (29 September 2025, Shift 4)]

  1. An agreement for Congress and the Muslim League to work together
  2. A declaration supporting the British war effort
  3. A decision ending the Swadeshi Movement
  4. An agreement allowing Tilak to return from prison

Answer: (A) An agreement for Congress and the Muslim League to work together

Explanation: The Lucknow Pact represented cooperation between the Congress and the Muslim League on constitutional reform. Its shared programme expressed the demand for Indian representation and greater self-rule, while compromises over separate electorates exposed problems that would outlast the alliance.

Q47. Match:
1. Partition of Bengal;
2. Separate electorates;
3. Lucknow Pact;
4. Hindu Mahasabha formation,

with
a. 1909;
b. 1915;
c. 1905;
d. 1916.

[UKSSSC Patwari (21 September 2025)]

  1. 1-c, 2-a, 3-d, 4-b
  2. 1-d, 2-c, 3-a, 4-b
  3. 1-a, 2-d, 3-c, 4-b
  4. 1-b, 2-c, 3-d, 4-a

Answer: (A) 1-c, 2-a, 3-d, 4-b

Explanation: Partition of Bengal occurred in 1905, separate Muslim electorates were introduced through the 1909 reforms, the Hindu Mahasabha emerged as an all-India organisation in 1915, and the Congress–League Lucknow Pact followed in 1916.

Q46. Where was the headquarters of Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s Home Rule League?

[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I (2 September 2025, Shift 2)]

  1. Ajmer
  2. Patna
  3. Surat
  4. Pune

Answer: (D) Pune

Explanation: Tilak’s league had its headquarters at Poona, now Pune. Although its establishment is associated with the Belgaum provincial conference, its organisational centre was Pune. The distinction between the founding meeting and headquarters is important for answering this question.

Q45. Who founded the Theosophical Society in India and started the Home Rule League?

[AP High Court Common Recruitment (24 August 2025, Shift 2)]

  1. Aruna Asaf Ali
  2. Annie Besant
  3. Sarojini Naidu
  4. Kamala Nehru

Answer: (B) Annie Besant

Explanation: The exam’s intended answer is Annie Besant, who led the Theosophical Society in India and founded a Home Rule League. Technically, the original Society was established in New York in 1875 by H. P. Blavatsky and Henry S. Olcott.

Q44. The Lucknow Pact was an agreement between which two major Indian political organisations?

[DSSSB PGT Political Science (13 July 2025, Shift 2)]

  1. All-India Muslim League and Communist Party
  2. Indian National Congress and All-India Muslim League
  3. All-India Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha
  4. Indian National Congress and Swaraj Party

Answer: (B) Indian National Congress and All-India Muslim League

Explanation: The Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League agreed to a common political reform scheme in 1916. The document sought expanded representation and greater provincial autonomy. It formed a rare episode of joint lobbying across the two organisations.

Q43. Which two leaders initiated the Home Rule Movement in India during the First World War?

[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I (23 June 2025, Shift 3)]

  1. Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak
  2. Mahatma Gandhi and Gopal Krishna Gokhale
  3. Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal
  4. Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose

Answer: (A) Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Explanation: Tilak and Besant operated distinct but complementary Home Rule Leagues in 1916. Their emphasis was constitutional self-government, not immediate secession. Both organisations spread nationalist arguments beyond established Congress meetings, making the movement especially influential during wartime politics.

Q42. What was the main demand of the Home Rule Movement?

[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I (16 June 2025, Shift 2)]

  1. Immediate complete independence from Britain
  2. Prohibition of Western education
  3. Abolition of all taxes
  4. Self-governance within the British Empire

Answer: (D) Self-governance within the British Empire

Explanation: Home Rule referred to internal self-government, broadly comparable with dominion-style autonomy in other parts of the British Empire. The 1916 leagues expanded the demand for representative institutions, without yet advancing the later Congress objective of complete independence or Purna Swaraj.

Q41. Consider the statements: 1. The Theosophical Society was founded in America and its Indian headquarters was at Adyar near Madras. 2. B. R. Ambedkar founded the All India Harijan Sangh in 1932. Which is correct?

[MPPSC Assistant Professor History Paper II (1 June 2025)]

  1. Only 1
  2. Only 2
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (A) Only 1

Explanation: The Theosophical Society was founded in New York in 1875, and its headquarters subsequently moved to Adyar. Annie Besant later became a major leader of the society. The Harijan Sevak Sangh was founded under Gandhi’s initiative, not Ambedkar’s.

Q40. Tilak’s Home Rule League covered Karnataka and Maharashtra, but excluded which place?

[SSC MTS (14 November 2024, Shift 2)]

  1. Nagpur
  2. Poona
  3. Berar
  4. Bombay

Answer: (D) Bombay

Explanation: Tilak’s 1916 Home Rule League operated in Maharashtra outside Bombay city, Karnataka, and the Central Provinces and Berar. Annie Besant’s league took responsibility for much of the rest of India, including Bombay, reducing overlap between the two campaigns.

Q39. Who launched the Home Rule League in September 1916 at Madras?

[SSC MTS (9 October 2024, Shift 3)]

  1. Sucheta Kriplani
  2. Lokmanya Tilak
  3. Annie Besant
  4. Rash Behari Bose

Answer: (C) Annie Besant

Explanation: Besant launched the league at Madras in September 1916, several months after Tilak’s initiative in western India. She mobilised supporters through her periodicals and local branches, arguing that Indians should exercise greater political authority within their own country.

Q38. Which organisation, divided into two branches, was established by Tilak and Annie Besant?

[SSC CGL Tier-I (11 September 2024, Shift 1)]

  1. Indian Association
  2. Theosophical Society
  3. East Indian Association
  4. Home Rule League

Answer: (D) Home Rule League

Explanation: The Home Rule Movement had two distinct organisational leagues. Tilak’s began in April 1916, while Besant’s started in September. Both sought Indian self-government through a sustained public campaign, though they worked in different regions to avoid duplication.

Q37. Arrange chronologically:
1. Lucknow Pact;
2. Return of Subhas Chandra Bose to India;
3. Cripps Mission;
4. Naval Mutiny in Bombay.

[UPSC CDS-II General Knowledge (1 September 2024)]

  1. 4, 3, 2, 1
  2. 3, 4, 2, 1
  3. 1, 2, 3, 4
  4. 2, 1, 3, 4

Answer: (C) 1, 2, 3, 4

Explanation: The Lucknow Pact took place in 1916, well before Bose’s later political return to India. The Cripps Mission visited in 1942, and the Royal Indian Navy uprising occurred in February 1946. Thus the intended order is 1–2–3–4.

Q36. The Lucknow Pact (1916) was an agreement between which organisations?

[WBCS 2023 Mains History Paper III (18 August 2024)]

  1. Indian National Congress and Muslim League
  2. Indian National Congress and British Government
  3. Muslim League and British Government
  4. Moderate Congress leaders and the Indian National Congress

Answer: (A) Indian National Congress and Muslim League

Explanation: At Lucknow in December 1916, the Congress and All-India Muslim League agreed upon a common constitutional programme. Their cooperation strengthened demands for Indian representation. The moderate and extremist reunion within Congress happened in the same session but was a separate development.

Q35. Who established the Central Hindu School at Banaras, later associated with Banaras Hindu University?

[UKPSC Combined Upper PCS Prelims GS-I (14 July 2024)]

  1. Madam Cama
  2. Sarojini Naidu
  3. Annie Besant
  4. Sucheta Kriplani

Answer: (C) Annie Besant

Explanation: Annie Besant founded the Central Hindu College at Banaras in 1898, combining modern instruction with Indian cultural traditions. The institution later became foundational to Banaras Hindu University, established in 1916 with a major role played by Madan Mohan Malaviya.

Q34. Which British social reformer was known for founding the Indian Home Rule League in 1916?

[SSC CHSL Tier-I (11 July 2024, Shift 3)]

  1. Anne Knight
  2. Annie Besant
  3. Catherine Osler
  4. Maria Rye

Answer: (B) Annie Besant

Explanation: Annie Besant, a British-born theosophist and reformer, founded the All-India Home Rule League at Madras in September 1916. She was also active in educational and women’s organisations and became the first woman to preside over the Indian National Congress.

Q33. Who first visited India in 1893, later settled here and established the Indian Home Rule League in 1916?

[DSSSB AE Civil (23 June 2024, Shift 3)]

  1. Annie Besant
  2. John Elton
  3. Mary Carpenter
  4. Katherine Mayo

Answer: (A) Annie Besant

Explanation: Besant arrived in India in 1893 through her association with the Theosophical Society. She developed educational and cultural initiatives before organising a major self-government campaign in 1916. Her political significance grew from this intersection of reform, spirituality and nationalism.

Q32. In which place did Annie Besant establish the Home Rule League?

[Kolkata Police SI Prelims (28 January 2024)]

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

Answer: (C) Madras

Explanation: Besant’s organisation was founded at Madras, now Chennai, in September 1916. Its central office and the Theosophical headquarters were closely linked with Adyar. Tilak’s companion league, headquartered in Pune, concentrated on western and central regions of India.

Q31. The Congress and the Muslim League signed the historic ______ in 1916.

[Delhi Police Constable Executive (20 November 2023, Shift 2)]

  1. Lahore Pact
  2. Surat Pact
  3. Delhi Pact
  4. Lucknow Pact

Answer: (D) Lucknow Pact

Explanation: The 1916 Lucknow Pact united Congress and the All-India Muslim League behind a shared agenda for constitutional change. It coincided with the reunion of Congress moderates and extremists, signalling a temporary period of greater nationalist political coordination.

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.

Q20. At which Congress session did the two groups of moderates and extremists come together again?

[MPSC Group C Prelims (5 November 2022)]

  1. Surat Session
  2. Lucknow Session
  3. Faizpur Session
  4. Allahabad Session

Answer: (B) Lucknow Session

Explanation: The Congress split at Surat in 1907 but its moderate and extremist wings reunited at Lucknow in 1916. The session was presided over by Ambica Charan Mazumdar and coincided with the historic Congress–Muslim League political agreement.

Q19. The Home Rule League was established by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and which leader in September 1916 at Madras?

[RRB Group D (27 September 2022, Shift 2)]

  1. Bipin Chandra Pal
  2. Swami Vivekananda
  3. Lala Lajpat Rai
  4. Annie Besant

Answer: (D) Annie Besant

Explanation: Besant launched her Home Rule League in Madras in September 1916. Tilak had created a separate organisation in April. The two leagues pursued self-government, helping revive nationalist activity through local campaigning, journals and public discussion during World War I.

Q18. Which agreement between Congress and the Muslim League paved the way for a joint political campaign?

[SSC Selection Post Matric Level (2 August 2022, Shift 1)]

  1. Cabinet Mission Plan
  2. Lucknow Pact
  3. Poona Pact
  4. Wavell Plan

Answer: (B) Lucknow Pact

Explanation: The Lucknow Pact of 1916 was the joint constitutional understanding of Congress and Muslim League leaders. It sought greater legislative representation and self-government. The other options belong to later and quite different negotiations over India’s political arrangements.

Q17. Annie Besant was ______.

[DSSSB Junior Secretariat Assistant (3 April 2022, Shift 3)]

  1. A theosophist and Irish socialist
  2. A famous world traveller
  3. Initially a society lady
  4. A follower of Sri Aurobindo

Answer: (A) A theosophist and Irish socialist

Explanation: The exam characterises Besant as a theosophist and socialist connected with Irish political causes. She was British-born and supported self-rule for both Ireland and India. In 1917 she became the first woman president of the Indian National Congress.

Q16. Central Hindu School at Banaras was established by whom?

[UPPSC Polytechnic Lecturer Electronics Paper II (22 March 2022)]

  1. Vivekananda
  2. Annie Besant
  3. Madan Mohan Malaviya
  4. Dayanand Saraswati

Answer: (B) Annie Besant

Explanation: Annie Besant established the Central Hindu College in 1898, which later formed an important institutional foundation for Banaras Hindu University. Her educational programme reflected an interest in modern learning combined with Indian traditions, alongside her political activity.

Q15. Which statements are correct? I. Rash Behari Ghosh presided over Congress in 1907. II. Congress split in that session. III. The united Congress session of 1916 was presided over by S. P. Sinha.

[CGPSC 2021 Prelims Paper I (13 February 2022)]

  1. All three true
  2. All three false
  3. I and II true, III false
  4. I and II false, III true

Answer: (C) I and II true, III false

Explanation: Rash Behari Ghosh presided over the disputed Surat Congress of 1907, when moderates and extremists split. Their reunion came at the Lucknow Congress of 1916, presided over by Ambica Charan Mazumdar, not S. P. Sinha.

Q14. The Lucknow Pact dealt with (i) the structure of the Government of India and (ii) relations between Hindu and Muslim communities.

[Allahabad High Court Review Officer (10 December 2021, Shift 2)]

  1. (i) only
  2. (ii) only
  3. Both (i) and (ii)
  4. Neither (i) nor (ii)

Answer: (C) Both (i) and (ii)

Explanation: The Lucknow Pact included plans for legislative and executive reform as well as provisions addressing communal representation. It thus concerned both the constitutional design of future government and the distribution of political representation between religious communities.

Q13. Match Congress sessions and years:
A. Meerut;
B. Kanpur;
C. Lucknow;
D. Banaras

with
1. 1916;
2. 1905;
3. 1946;
4. 1925.

[UPPSC RO/ARO General Studies (5 December 2021)]

  1. A-1, B-4, C-3, D-2
  2. A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
  3. A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2
  4. A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1

Answer: (C) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2

Explanation: Banaras hosted the 1905 session; Lucknow hosted the important 1916 gathering associated with the pact; Kanpur hosted the 1925 session presided over by Sarojini Naidu; and the 1946 session met at Meerut. Therefore the matching is 3–4–1–2.

Q12. The Lucknow Pact was signed in ______.

[SSC MTS, 2020 Cycle (26 October 2021, Shift 3)]

  1. 1930
  2. 1916
  3. 1920
  4. 1922

Answer: (B) 1916

Explanation: The agreement dates to December 1916, at the simultaneous Lucknow meetings of Congress and Muslim League. Its aim was joint advocacy of constitutional reform, although the provision recognising separate electorates has been heavily debated by historians.

Q11. The Lucknow Pact of 1916 united Congress moderates, radicals and the ______ on a common platform.

[RRB NTPC CBT-I (16 January 2021, Shift 1)]

  1. Muslim League
  2. British
  3. Communist Party
  4. Swaraj Party

Answer: (A) Muslim League

Explanation: The All-India Muslim League joined Congress politicians in pressing for constitutional changes at Lucknow. Moderate and extremist Congress leaders also reunited that year. Their temporary agreement strengthened the call for self-government but did not eliminate underlying communal political tensions.

Q10. The Lucknow Pact (1916) was made between whom?

[RRB JE (27 May 2019, Shift 2)]

  1. Indian National Congress and All-India Muslim League
  2. Moderates and extremists alone
  3. British Government and All-India Muslim League
  4. Indian National Congress and British Government

Answer: (A) Indian National Congress and All-India Muslim League

Explanation: The Lucknow Pact was negotiated between Congress and the Muslim League and approved in December 1916. Although Congress moderates and extremists reconciled around the same session, the pact’s two organisational parties were specifically Congress and the League.

Q9. Who is the author of the book New India?

[RRB Group D (17 December 2018, Shift 2)]

  1. Mother Teresa
  2. Mahatma Gandhi
  3. Annie Besant
  4. Jawaharlal Nehru

Answer: (C) Annie Besant

Explanation: Annie Besant used New India both as a political newspaper title and in her writings on Indian affairs. Her journalism helped communicate Home Rule arguments to educated readers and contributed to her reputation as a prominent nationalist publicist.

Q8. The Theosophical Society was led by whom?

[UPSC NDA General Ability Test (9 September 2018)]

  1. A. O. Hume
  2. Arthur Griffith
  3. Annie Besant
  4. Lord Dufferin

Answer: (C) Annie Besant

Explanation: The Society was founded in New York in 1875 by H. P. Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott. Annie Besant joined in 1889 and assumed its presidency in 1907. She later became an important organiser of Indian Home Rule.

Q7. In 1920, which organisation changed its name to Swarajya Sabha?

[UPSC Civil Services Prelims (2018)]

  1. All India Home Rule League
  2. Hindu Mahasabha
  3. South Indian Liberal Federation
  4. Servants of India Society

Answer: (A) All India Home Rule League

Explanation: The All India Home Rule League adopted the name Swarajya Sabha in 1920 as Indian politics moved towards new forms of mass participation. Its earlier campaigns, led prominently by Annie Besant and Tilak, had popularised the constitutional demand for self-government.

Q6. Arrange chronologically:
(i) Lucknow Pact,
(ii) formation of Swaraj Party,
(iii) Jallianwala Bagh massacre,
(iv) death of Tilak.

[RPSC RAS Prelims (2018)]

  1. i, iv, iii, ii
  2. iv, iii, i, ii
  3. i, iii, iv, ii
  4. i, ii, iii, iv

Answer: (C) i, iii, iv, ii

Explanation: The Lucknow Pact took place in 1916, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919, Tilak died in August 1920, and the Swaraj Party formed in 1923. These dates establish the order i–iii–iv–ii.

Q5. Tilak formed his Home Rule League in 1916 at which place?

[WBCS Prelims (2018)]

  1. Satara
  2. Pune
  3. Belgaon
  4. Berar

Answer: (C) Belgaon

Explanation: Tilak formally began his Home Rule campaign in the context of the Belgaum provincial conference in April 1916. The league’s administrative centre was Pune. That distinction explains why Belgaon is the expected answer to a question about where it was formed.

Q4. With reference to Rowlatt Satyagraha, which statements are correct?
1. Rowlatt Act drew on the Sedition Committee.
2. Gandhi tried using the Home Rule League.
3. Simon Commission protests coincided with it.

[UPSC Civil Services Prelims (23 August 2015)]

  1. 1 only
  2. 1 and 2 only
  3. 2 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (B) 1 and 2 only

Explanation: The Rowlatt legislation followed recommendations of a Sedition Committee. Gandhi drew on networks associated with the Home Rule Leagues for mobilisation in 1919. Simon Commission protests occurred nearly a decade later, in 1928, making the third statement incorrect.

Q3. Consider:
1. Sarojini Naidu was the first woman Congress president.
2. Badruddin Tyabji was the first Muslim Congress president.

Which is correct?

[UPSC Civil Services Prelims (23 August 2015)]

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (B) 2 only

Explanation: Annie Besant became the first woman to preside over Congress in 1917. Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman president in 1925. Badruddin Tyabji presided at Madras in 1887 and was the first Muslim president of Congress.

Q2. The Lucknow Pact of 1916 was signed by which organisations?

[WBCS Prelims (2015)]

  1. Home Rule League and Muslim League
  2. Swarajya Dal and Indian National Congress
  3. Muslim League and Indian Association
  4. Indian National Congress and Muslim League

Answer: (D) Indian National Congress and Muslim League

Explanation: The Congress and All-India Muslim League agreed on political reforms at Lucknow in December 1916. The arrangement included joint demands and concessions regarding minority electoral representation. It was not an agreement between the Home Rule League and Muslim League.

Q1. Annie Besant was:
1. Responsible for starting the Home Rule Movement;
2. Founder of the Theosophical Society;
3. Once president of the Indian National Congress.

[UPSC Civil Services Prelims (2013)]

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (C) 1 and 3 only

Explanation: Besant founded an Indian Home Rule League in 1916 and became Congress president in 1917. She did not found the Theosophical Society: H. P. Blavatsky and H. S. Olcott founded it in 1875, before she joined.

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