British Acts and Social Reform Movements MCQs for UPSC Prelims

This Modern Indian History MCQ practice paper on British Acts and Social Reform Movements for UPSC Prelims has 15 carefully selected questions on the Regulating Act, the Charter Acts, the Government of India Acts, and the 19th century reformers and their organisations. Each answer comes with a simple explanation, so you can strengthen your concepts while you practise.

Why British Acts and Social Reform Movements Matters

Constitutional developments under British rule and the social reform movements are two of the most repeated topics in Modern History. The Acts also form the base of the Indian Constitution, and the reformers explain the social context of the freedom struggle. UPSC asks them in a match-the-following or a statement format, so knowing the sequence and the main feature of each helps a lot.

Instructions

• Total questions: 15. Suggested time: 15 minutes.
• Each correct answer gives 2 marks and each wrong answer deducts 0.66 marks, as in the real Prelims.
• Attempt the questions first and check the answer key only after you finish.

Practice Questions

Q1. The Regulating Act of 1773 created the post of:
(a) Viceroy of India
(b) Governor-General of Bengal
(c) Secretary of State for India
(d) Governor of Bombay

Q2. Which Act ended the trade monopoly of the East India Company in India, except for tea and the trade with China?
(a) Charter Act of 1793
(b) Charter Act of 1813
(c) Charter Act of 1833
(d) Charter Act of 1853

Q3. The Charter Act of 1833 made the Governor-General of Bengal the:
(a) Viceroy of India
(b) Governor-General of India
(c) Secretary of State
(d) Chief Justice

Q4. Which Act transferred the control of the Indian administration from the Company to the British Crown?
(a) Pitt's India Act 1784
(b) Government of India Act 1858
(c) Indian Councils Act 1861
(d) Government of India Act 1919

Q5. The Indian Councils Act of 1909 is also known as:
(a) Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
(b) Morley-Minto Reforms
(c) Wood's Despatch
(d) Cabinet Mission Plan

Q6. Dyarchy at the provincial level was introduced by:
(a) The Indian Councils Act 1892
(b) The Government of India Act 1919
(c) The Government of India Act 1935
(d) The Indian Independence Act 1947

Q7. Provincial autonomy was introduced by:
(a) Government of India Act 1919
(b) Government of India Act 1935
(c) Cripps Mission
(d) Indian Independence Act 1947

Q8. Who founded the Brahmo Sabha in 1828, which later became the Brahmo Samaj?
(a) Dayananda Saraswati
(b) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
(c) Keshab Chandra Sen
(d) Debendranath Tagore

Q9. The practice of sati was banned in 1829 by:
(a) Lord Cornwallis
(b) Lord William Bentinck
(c) Lord Dalhousie
(d) Lord Canning

Q10. The Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act of 1856 was passed because of the efforts of:
(a) Jyotiba Phule
(b) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
(c) Swami Vivekananda
(d) Dayananda Saraswati

Q11. The Arya Samaj was founded in 1875 by:
(a) Swami Vivekananda
(b) Dayananda Saraswati
(c) Annie Besant
(d) Ramakrishna Paramahansa

Q12. The Satyashodhak Samaj, which fought for the rights of the lower castes, was founded by:
(a) B.R. Ambedkar
(b) Jyotiba Phule
(c) Periyar
(d) Narayana Guru

Q13. The Ramakrishna Mission was founded in 1897 by:
(a) Ramakrishna Paramahansa
(b) Swami Vivekananda
(c) Aurobindo Ghosh
(d) Sri Narayana Guru

Q14. The Aligarh Movement is associated with:
(a) Syed Ahmad Khan
(b) Sir Muhammad Iqbal
(c) Badruddin Tyabji
(d) Maulana Azad

Q15. The Self-Respect Movement in Tamil Nadu was started by:
(a) E.V. Ramasamy (Periyar)
(b) C. Rajagopalachari
(c) K. Kamaraj
(d) Annadurai

Answer Key with Explanations

1. Q1: (b) The Regulating Act of 1773 made the Governor of Bengal the Governor-General of Bengal, with Warren Hastings as the first, and set up the Supreme Court at Calcutta.
2. Q2: (b) The Charter Act of 1813 ended the monopoly of the Company in the Indian trade, and allowed Christian missionaries to work in India.
3. Q3: (b) The Charter Act of 1833 made the Governor-General of Bengal the Governor-General of India, with Lord William Bentinck as the first.
4. Q4: (b) After the Revolt of 1857, the Government of India Act 1858 ended the Company rule and created the post of Secretary of State for India. The Governor-General became the Viceroy.
5. Q5: (b) The 1909 Act is called the Morley-Minto Reforms, and it introduced separate electorates for Muslims.
6. Q6: (b) The Government of India Act 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms) introduced dyarchy in the provinces, dividing subjects into 'reserved' and 'transferred'.
7. Q7: (b) The Government of India Act 1935 ended dyarchy in the provinces and gave them autonomy. It also proposed an All-India Federation, which was never formed.
8. Q8: (b) Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahmo Sabha in 1828. He campaigned against sati and idol worship.
9. Q9: (b) Lord William Bentinck passed Regulation XVII of 1829, which declared sati illegal, after the efforts of Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
10. Q10: (b) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar worked for widow remarriage, and the Act was passed under Lord Canning.
11. Q11: (b) Swami Dayananda Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj at Bombay, and his famous book is 'Satyarth Prakash'. His slogan was 'Go back to the Vedas'.
12. Q12: (b) Jyotiba Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj in 1873 in Maharashtra.
13. Q13: (b) Swami Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897, in the memory of his guru, with the principle of service to humanity.
14. Q14: (a) Syed Ahmad Khan led the Aligarh Movement and set up the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875, which later became the Aligarh Muslim University.
15. Q15: (a) Periyar E.V. Ramasamy started the Self-Respect Movement in 1925 to fight caste and Brahmin dominance.

Key Concepts to Revise After This Test

Quick Fact Sheet

• The Pitt's India Act 1784 created the Board of Control for the political control of the Company.
• The Wood's Despatch of 1854 is called the Magna Carta of English education in India.
• The Indian Independence Act 1947 ended British rule on 15 August 1947 and created two dominions.
• The Prarthana Samaj was founded in 1867 by Atmaram Pandurang, with M.G. Ranade as a leading member.
• The Servants of India Society was founded by G.K. Gokhale in 1905.
• The Sarda Act of 1929 raised the age of marriage for girls and boys.
• The Theosophical Society was brought to India by Annie Besant, with its headquarters at Adyar, Madras.

How to Prepare British Acts and Social Reform Movements for the Prelims

Make a timeline table of the Acts in order, and write the single most important feature next to each one. Do the same for the reformers: the founder, the year, the organisation and the main message. Revise the table every week, and solve match-the-following questions on both lists. Link each Act with the provisions that were taken into the Constitution. You can also read our free Modern Indian History notes for simple revision, and use our other practice papers on the site for mixed practice.

Tricks for Solving British Acts and Social Reform Movements Questions

• Learn the order of the Acts. 1773, 1784, 1813, 1833, 1853, 1858, 1861, 1892, 1909, 1919, 1935 and 1947 form a chain.
• Link the Act with its key word. 1813 with missionaries and trade, 1833 with Governor-General of India, 1858 with the Crown, 1909 with separate electorates, 1919 with dyarchy and 1935 with provincial autonomy.
• Link each reformer with a book or a slogan. Dayananda with "Back to the Vedas", Vivekananda with service and Phule with Gulamgiri.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Mixing up the Acts of 1909, 1919 and 1935.
• Confusing Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Dayananda Saraswati.
• Thinking that the Governor-General became the Viceroy in 1833 and not in 1858.
• Forgetting the social reformers of the south and the west, such as Phule, Narayana Guru and Periyar.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many questions come from Modern History in the UPSC Prelims?

Modern History usually gives 5 to 10 questions, including questions on the constitutional developments and the reform movements.

Which Act introduced separate electorates?

The Indian Councils Act 1909 (Morley-Minto Reforms) introduced separate electorates for Muslims.

What was dyarchy?

It was a system of double government in the provinces under the Act of 1919, in which some subjects were with the elected ministers and some with the Governor.

Which Act is the base of the Indian Constitution?

The Government of India Act 1935 is considered the main source of the administrative provisions of the Constitution.

Who was the first Governor-General of India?

Lord William Bentinck became the first Governor-General of India after the Charter Act of 1833.

How should I learn the social reformers?

Make a table of the person, the organisation, the year, the place and the message, and revise it weekly.

Is Modern History useful for the Mains?

Yes. It is a part of GS I and gives examples for the Essay.