30. Assertion: Rebels recognised Bahadur Shah Zafar as emperor and issued coins in his name. Reason: Many merchants, intellectuals and princes stayed aloof or supported the British. Select the correct option.
[EMRS PGT History, 16 December 2023]
(A) Assertion true, Reason false
(B) Assertion false, Reason true
(C) Both true and Reason explains Assertion
(D) Both true, but Reason does not explain Assertion
Answer: (D) Both true, but Reason does not explain Assertion
Explanation: Bahadur Shah Zafar’s imperial status supplied legitimacy, and rebel authorities used his name on proclamations and coinage. At the same time, important sections of elites did not support the revolt. The latter fact does not explain his symbolic recognition.
29. In which city did the major uprising of the Revolt of 1857 begin on 10 May?
[Delhi Police Constable, 29 November 2023]
(A) Meerut
(B) Kanpur
(C) Delhi
(D) Jhansi
Answer: (A) Meerut
Explanation: Sepoys in Meerut rebelled on 10 May 1857 after escalating tensions over rifle cartridges and military punishments. Their subsequent move to Delhi spread news of the rebellion and encouraged uprisings in other parts of northern India.
28. Mangal Pandey belonged to which Bengal Native Infantry regiment?
[SSC MTS, 13 September 2023, Shift 1]
(A) 34th
(B) 52nd
(C) 70th
(D) 64th
Answer: (A) 34th
Explanation: The 34th Bengal Native Infantry at Barrackpore included sepoy Mangal Pandey. On 29 March 1857, he attacked British officers. The ensuing trial and execution intensified public memory of the tensions preceding the uprising at Meerut.
27. Who was the prominent leader of the Revolt of 1857 in Bihar?
[SSC MTS, 4 September 2023, Shift 3]
(A) Rajendra Prasad
(B) Devi Singh
(C) Rajkumar Shukla
(D) Kunwar Singh
Answer: (D) Kunwar Singh
Explanation: Kunwar Singh came from the zamindari family of Jagdishpur in Bihar. At an advanced age, he commanded armed resistance during 1857–58. His return to Jagdishpur shortly before his death remains a celebrated episode of the rebellion.
26. Who described the Revolt of 1857 as the First War of Indian Independence?
[Bihar Secondary Teacher Examination, 26 August 2023]
(A) V. D. Savarkar
(B) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(C) Bipin Chandra Pal
(D) R. C. Majumdar
Answer: (A) V. D. Savarkar
Explanation: V. D. Savarkar popularised the nationalist expression through his study of the 1857 events. Earlier colonial accounts usually emphasised sepoy mutiny. The contrasting labels reflect differences in how historians assess participation and political aims.
25. Which writer characterised the Revolt of 1857 as India’s First War of Independence?
[Madhya Pradesh Police Constable, 12 August 2023]
(A) R. C. Majumdar
(B) S. N. Sen
(C) V. D. Savarkar
(D) Ashok Mehta
Answer: (C) V. D. Savarkar
Explanation: Savarkar used the title The Indian War of Independence, 1857 to challenge British narratives of a mere military mutiny. His framing emphasised anti-colonial intent, although historians such as R. C. Majumdar took a more critical view.
24. From which place did the Revolt of 1857 begin on 10 May 1857?
[SSC CHSL, 4 August 2023, Shift 1]
(A) Agra
(B) Meerut
(C) Kanpur
(D) Delhi
Answer: (B) Meerut
Explanation: The famous revolt began in Meerut following punishments imposed on Indian cavalrymen and the wider cartridge controversy. The rebels marched to Delhi and proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar emperor, adding political legitimacy to their military uprising.
23. Who led the Revolt of 1857 in Bihar?
[SSC CGL, 18 July 2023, Shift 3]
(A) Azimullah Khan
(B) Bakht Khan
(C) Veer Kunwar Singh
(D) Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah
Answer: (C) Veer Kunwar Singh
Explanation: Veer Kunwar Singh was based at Jagdishpur in Bihar’s Shahabad district. He proved an effective commander in 1857–58 despite being elderly. Bakht Khan led forces in Delhi, while Ahmadullah Shah was associated with Awadh.
22. Which Mughal emperor was deposed after the Revolt of 1857 and sent into exile in Burma?
[SSC MTS, 16 May 2023, Shift 1]
(A) Bahadur Shah I
(B) Shah Jahan
(C) Alamgir II
(D) Bahadur Shah II
Answer: (D) Bahadur Shah II
Explanation: Bahadur Shah II, also called Bahadur Shah Zafar, was tried by the British after Delhi fell. He was exiled to Rangoon, where he died in 1862. His removal brought the Mughal imperial dynasty to an end.
21. Which woman led the resistance against British forces in Lucknow during the Revolt of 1857?
[SSC MTS, 15 May 2023, Shift 1]
(A) Kasturba Gandhi
(B) Alluri Sitarama Raju
(C) Begum Hazrat Mahal
(D) Rani Lakshmibai
Answer: (C) Begum Hazrat Mahal
Explanation: Begum Hazrat Mahal was an influential leader of the uprising in Awadh after the deposition of Wajid Ali Shah. She supported the claim of her son Birjis Qadr and helped mobilise resistance centred on Lucknow.
