Q10. Who announced the Partition of Bengal?
[DSSSB Junior Engineer (Civil) (23 October 2019, Shift 1)]
- (A) Lord Cornwallis
- (B) Lord Hastings
- (C) Lord Simon
- (D) Lord Curzon
Answer: (D) Lord Curzon
Explanation: The correct option is “Lord Curzon”. Lord Curzon, Viceroy from 1899 to 1905, pursued Bengal’s partition. The plan was announced in July and implemented on 16 October 1905. Its cancellation came in 1911, several years after the first powerful protests erupted.
Q9. When did the British Indian Government announce its decision to implement the Partition of Bengal?
[UPSSSC Chakbandi Lekhpal (1 October 2019, Shift 1)]
- (A) 7 August 1905
- (B) 19 July 1905
- (C) 16 October 1905
- (D) 1 September 1905
Answer: (B) 19 July 1905
Explanation: The option “19 July 1905” is right. The British announced Bengal’s partition plan on 19 July 1905, while implementation occurred on 16 October 1905. Confusing those two dates is common; the intervening months saw growing opposition and a formal Swadeshi boycott resolution.
Q8. Under which Viceroy was the Partition of Bengal annulled?
[Territorial Army, Paper II (28 July 2019)]
- (A) Lord Hardinge
- (B) Lord Minto
- (C) Lord Ilbert
- (D) Lord Lytton
Answer: (A) Lord Hardinge
Explanation: The answer is “Lord Hardinge”. The annulment of Bengal’s 1905 partition was announced at the Delhi Durbar in December 1911 during King George V’s visit. Calcutta and Dacca became prominent reference points in discussions of the new provincial boundaries.
Q7. Which political party was associated with Direct Action Day?
[RPSC Senior Teacher Grade II (Social Science) (3 July 2019)]
- (A) Revolutionary Party
- (B) Hindu Mahasabha
- (C) Muslim League
- (D) Socialist Party
Answer: (C) Muslim League
Explanation: Here “Muslim League” is correct. The All-India Muslim League, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, designated 16 August 1946 as Direct Action Day amid disagreements over constitutional arrangements. The event belongs to the broader constitutional debates that preceded Indian independence in 1947.
Q6. Arrange these movements chronologically: I. Swadeshi Movement; II. Khilafat Movement; III. Home Rule Movement; IV. Civil Disobedience Movement.
[West Bengal Police Constable Mains (30 June 2019)]
- (A) II, III, IV, I
- (B) I, III, II, IV
- (C) III, II, I, IV
- (D) IV, I, II, III
Answer: (B) I, III, II, IV
Explanation: The correct option is “I, III, II, IV”. The main milestones are Congress formation in 1885, the Partition of Bengal and Swadeshi agitation in 1905, the Surat Split in 1907, Home Rule activity in 1916, Khilafat mobilisation after 1919, and Civil Disobedience in 1930.
Q5. Which agreement was concluded between the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League?
[RPF Constable (12 February 2019, Shift 2)]
- (A) Bombay Settlement
- (B) Lucknow Pact
- (C) Lahore Agreement
- (D) Nagpur Agreement
Answer: (B) Lucknow Pact
Explanation: The option “Lucknow Pact” is right. The All-India Muslim League, established at Dacca in 1906, became a major participant in constitutional negotiations under British rule. Its positions evolved from political representation toward the demand articulated through the Lahore Resolution in 1940.
Q4. Regarding civil administration in 1905: 1. Lord Curzon decided to rearrange provincial boundaries; 2. A province called East Bengal and Assam was constituted. Which statements are correct?
[UPPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination, GS Paper I (2019)]
- (A) 1 only
- (B) Both 1 and 2
- (C) 2 only
- (D) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (B) Both 1 and 2
Explanation: The answer is “Both 1 and 2”. The main milestones are Congress formation in 1885, the Partition of Bengal and Swadeshi agitation in 1905, the Surat Split in 1907, Home Rule activity in 1916, Khilafat mobilisation after 1919, and Civil Disobedience in 1930.
Q3. Which statement about the Swadeshi campaign in 1896 is NOT correct?
[UPSC NDA, General Ability Test (10 September 2017)]
- (A) Its centre was Maharashtra
- (B) Its main participants were students
- (C) It opposed the levy of tariffs on imports
- (D) It publicly burnt foreign clothes
Answer: (C) It opposed the levy of tariffs on imports
Explanation: Here “It opposed the levy of tariffs on imports” is correct. The 1896 Swadeshi campaign was connected with opposition to colonial fiscal policies and foreign textiles, particularly in Maharashtra. The claim that participants opposed import tariffs reverses their protectionist economic argument, making that statement incorrect.
Q2. In which year was the Muslim League established?
[WBCS Preliminary Examination (2015)]
- (A) 1901
- (B) 1906
- (C) 1910
- (D) 1915
Answer: (B) 1906
Explanation: The correct option is “1906”. The All-India Muslim League was established at Dacca on 30 December 1906 during a gathering associated with the Muhammadan Educational Conference. This development illustrates the changing relationship between separate political representation and wider nationalist demands.
Q1. The Partition of Bengal carried out by Lord Curzon in 1905 lasted until which event?
[UPSC CSE Preliminary Examination, GS Paper I (24 August 2014)]
- (A) The First World War, when Indian troops were needed
- (B) King George V’s annulment at the Delhi Durbar in 1911
- (C) Gandhi’s Civil Disobedience Movement
- (D) The Partition of India in 1947
Answer: (B) King George V’s annulment at the Delhi Durbar in 1911
Explanation: The option “King George V’s annulment at the Delhi Durbar in 1911” is right. The annulment of Bengal’s 1905 partition was announced at the Delhi Durbar in December 1911 during King George V’s visit. Lord Hardinge was then Viceroy; the reversal followed sustained opposition and accompanied wider administrative reorganisation.
