Q20. What was the central objective of the Akali Movement?
[AP Police SI Prelims, GS Paper II — 2018]
(A) Promote secularism
(B) Campaign only for national liberation
(C) Remove corrupt mahants from gurdwaras
(D) Propagate Sikhism abroad
Answer: (C) Remove corrupt mahants from gurdwaras
Explanation: The Akali Movement sought reform of Sikh gurdwara administration by removing corrupt mahants. It became a major nonviolent mobilization in the 1920s and helped establish arrangements for management of shrines through community institutions including the SGPC.
Q19. Who founded Satyashodhak Samaj?
[CGPSC Civil Services (2018 paper) — 2018]
(A) B. R. Ambedkar
(B) Keshab Chandra Sen
(C) Pandita Ramabai
(D) Jyotiba Phule
Answer: (D) Jyotiba Phule
Explanation: Jyotirao Phule founded Satyashodhak Samaj at Pune in 1873. Its activities confronted caste oppression and emphasized education and rights for Shudras, Ati-Shudras and women. The society was part of Maharashtra’s wider social reform landscape.
Q18. Who began Tattvabodhini Patrika?
[MPPSC Assistant Professor, History (2017 paper) — 2017]
(A) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
(B) Rajnarayan Bose
(C) Debendranath Tagore
(D) Keshab Chandra Sen
Answer: (C) Debendranath Tagore
Explanation: Debendranath Tagore was associated with the establishment of Tattvabodhini Patrika in 1843. The Bengali periodical disseminated ideas connected with Tattvabodhini Sabha and Brahmo reform, especially Upanishadic monotheism, ethical inquiry and religious discussion.
Q17. With whom did Raja Ram Mohan Roy collaborate on educational projects?
[MPPSC Assistant Professor, History (2017 paper) — 2017]
(A) Henry Vivian Derozio
(B) Dwarkanath Tagore
(C) William Carey
(D) David Hare
Answer: (D) David Hare
Explanation: Scottish educationist David Hare worked with Indian reformers to promote modern education in Bengal. He and Raja Ram Mohan Roy are associated with the intellectual environment around early Calcutta educational initiatives, including Hindu College and scientific learning.
Q16. Which book was written by Pandita Ramabai?
[Maharashtra Agriculture Services Prelims (2017 paper) — 2017]
(A) Stree Dharma Neeti
(B) Sanmarga
(C) Bharatiya Streejeevan
(D) Laxmignyan
Answer: (A) Stree Dharma Neeti
Explanation: Pandita Ramabai authored Stree Dharma Neeti and The High-Caste Hindu Woman. Her writings addressed the social position of women and the importance of their education and independence. She also established institutions offering practical support and learning opportunities.
Q15. Who strongly opposed the Jury Act of 1826?
[UPPSC Civil Service Prelims, Paper I — 2017]
(A) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
(B) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
(C) Mahadev Govind Ranade
(D) Rajnarayan Basu
Answer: (B) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Explanation: Raja Ram Mohan Roy objected to the discriminatory provisions of the 1826 Jury Act and petitioned against them. He advocated legal and civic equality alongside his better-known struggles for religious reform, press freedom and opposition to sati.
Q14. Which newspaper did NOT promote Arya Samaj ideology in Rajasthan?
[RPSC RAS Prelims (2016 paper) — 2016]
(A) Desh Hiteshi
(B) Janhitkarak
(C) Paropkarak
(D) Rajputana Gazette
Answer: (D) Rajputana Gazette
Explanation: The examination identifies Rajputana Gazette as the publication outside the Arya Samaj-supporting group. Religious reform and print culture were closely connected in Rajasthan, where publications helped circulate debate on Vedic teachings, social customs and modernization.
Q13. In which year did the Deoband Movement begin?
[UPPSC Civil Services Prelims (2016 paper) — 2016]
(A) 1900
(B) 1888
(C) 1885
(D) 1866
Answer: (D) 1866
Explanation: Darul Uloom Deoband was founded in 1866 in present-day Uttar Pradesh. Associated with scholars such as Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi and Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, it focused on Islamic religious learning, moral reform and the preservation of scholarly traditions.
Q12. Who is identified in this paper as a figure behind the establishment of Hindu College in Calcutta?
[WBCS Prelims (2016 paper) — 2016]
(A) Henry Vivian Derozio
(B) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
(C) Keshab Chandra Sen
(D) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Answer: (D) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Explanation: Raja Ram Mohan Roy supported modern education and was connected with early educational reform in Calcutta. Hindu College opened in 1817, with David Hare and Indian patrons playing important roles. The institution later became a centre of reformist debate.
Q11. Satyashodhak Samaj organized which kind of movement?
[UPSC Civil Services Prelims (2016 paper) — 2016]
(A) Tribal upliftment in Bihar
(B) Temple-entry movement in Gujarat
(C) Anti-caste movement in Maharashtra
(D) Peasant agitation in Punjab
Answer: (C) Anti-caste movement in Maharashtra
Explanation: Jyotirao Phule founded Satyashodhak Samaj at Pune in 1873. It was an anti-caste movement in Maharashtra, campaigning against birth-based hierarchy and social exclusion. Its agenda included education, equal dignity and opportunities for marginalized groups.
