Prelims · Modern India & the freedom struggle · 9 questions

Rise of nationalism, 1885–1917

Every UPSC Prelims question on this topic, 2016–2026, newest first. Tap an option to check yourself; the answer and explanation open below it.

Asked in 8 of 11 years · most in 2016 (2)

UPSC syllabus: “History of India and Indian National Movement.” See the full syllabus →

Prelims 2016 · Q49

Easy

The 'Swadeshi' and 'Boycott' were adopted as methods of struggle for the first time during the

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) agitation against the Partition of Bengal

Swadeshi and boycott were first used as mass methods of protest in the agitation against the 1905 Partition of Bengal. The Home Rule Movement (1916), the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920) and the Simon Commission protests (1927-28) all came later.

✓ (a) Curzon's plan to partition the Bengal presidency led to public meetings, processions and, beside them, two programmes of mass action: Swadeshi and boycott. People boycotted foreign goods, burnt foreign cloth and promoted Indian-made products.
✗ (b) The Home Rule movement of Tilak and Annie Besant dates from 1916, eleven years after the Swadeshi and boycott programmes began.
✗ (c) The Congress formally launched Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement at Nagpur in December 1920; it revived boycott but did not introduce it.

Remember · Swadeshi and boycott were born in the 1905 agitation against the Partition of Bengal; later movements (1916, 1920, 1928) reused them.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 2 (practise this chapter) · Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 2 (practise this chapter)

Sources

NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 2 “At the same time, two programmes of mass actions emerged — Swadeshi ('of one's own country') and boycott. These two movements encouraged people to boycott foreign-made goods and promote Indian-made products”
NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 2 “With Tilak's death in August 1920, Gandhi became the undisputed mass leader of the Indian National Congress, which formally launched the Non-Cooperation Movement at its Nagpur session in December the same year.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2016 · Q92

Easy

What was the main reason for the split in the Indian National Congress at Surat in 1907?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) Extremists' lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British Government

The Congress split at Surat because the Nationalists (called Extremists by their opponents) no longer trusted the Moderates to press the British. At Surat the Moderates tried to back away from the Calcutta resolutions on Swaraj, Swadeshi and Boycott and return to asking for minor administrative concessions.

✓ (b) NCERT says the Moderates at Surat tried to step back from the Calcutta resolutions and return to the old requests for minor concessions. The Nationalists led by Tilak, Lajpat Rai and Aurobindo Ghose refused, chaos followed when Tilak was prevented from speaking, and they held a separate session.
✗ (a) Lord Minto's separate electorates came with the Indian Councils Act of 1909, two years after Surat. NCERT's account of the split gives Minto no part in it.
✗ (c) The All-India Muslim League was founded at Dhaka in December 1906. The Surat quarrel was between Moderates and Nationalists inside the Congress, not a reaction to the League.
✗ (d) NCERT names Aurobindo Ghose only as one of the Nationalist leaders who walked out and presided over their separate session; it mentions no defeat of his in an election for president.

Remember · Surat 1907: the Congress split into Moderates and Nationalists over Swaraj, Swadeshi and Boycott, after the Moderates tried to retreat from the Calcutta resolutions.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 2 (practise this chapter) · Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 2 (practise this chapter)

Sources

NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 2 “the next session, at Surat (Gujarat) in December 1907, witnessed efforts by these Moderates, as they were now called, to step back from the Calcutta resolutions and return to the old requests for minor administrative concessions”
NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 2 “The Nationalist camp, led by Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai (who was known as the 'Lion of Punjab' because of his forceful speeches and writings) and Aurobindo Ghose, had to move out and conduct their own separate session.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

The same topic in Mains

The freedom struggleGS 1 syllabus

Read it in NCERT

Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 2cited in 4 explanations