Class 10 Social Science Chapter 2 Nationalism in India (History) PYQ

Class: X Subject: Social Science Session: 2025-26 Book: History Type: PYQ (Board Exam) Board: CBSE Chapter 2 : Nationalism in India

SECTION A : Multiple Choice Questions (1 Mark Each)

Q1. Who wrote the book "Hind Swaraj"? [CBSE 2020] [1]
(a) Rabindranath Tagore
(b) B.R. Ambedkar
(c) Mahatma Gandhi
(d) Jawaharlal Nehru Ans:
(c) Mahatma Gandhi. He wrote Hind Swaraj in 1909 while travelling from London to South Africa, outlining his vision of Indian self-rule. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q2. Which event forced Gandhiji to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1922? [CBSE 2021] [1]
(a) Pressure from British Government
(b) Second Round Table Conference
(c) Gandhiji's arrest
(d) Chauri Chaura incident Ans:
(d) Chauri Chaura incident. A violent mob set fire to a police station in Chauri Chaura (UP) killing 22 policemen. Gandhi believed in non-violence and halted the movement. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q3. Against which form of discrimination did Mahatma Gandhi launch Satyagraha in South Africa? [CBSE 2023] [1]
(a) Racial discrimination
(b) Gender discrimination
(c) Caste discrimination
(d) Religious discrimination Ans:
(a) Racial discrimination. Gandhi fought against the harsh discrimination faced by Indians in South Africa through non-violent Satyagraha. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q4. Where did the Jallianwala Bagh massacre take place? [CBSE 2022] [1]
(a) Amritsar
(b) Lahore
(c) Delhi
(d) Lucknow Ans:
(a) Amritsar. On 13 April 1919, General Dyer fired on a peaceful gathering at Jallianwala Bagh, killing hundreds of unarmed people. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q5. Which of the following is NOT true regarding the Khilafat Movement? [CBSE 2022] [1]
(a) It aimed at bringing Hindus and Muslims together in the Non-Cooperation Movement
(b) It was led by Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali
(c) It was launched to restore the Ottoman Emperor's authority
(d) It was started by Mahatma Gandhi alone without Muslim support Ans:
(d) It was NOT started by Gandhi alone. The Khilafat Movement was led by Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali, and Gandhi supported it to unite Hindu-Muslim efforts.

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Q6. Who designed the Swaraj flag in 1921? [CBSE 2020] [1]
(a) Mahatma Gandhi
(b) Jawaharlal Nehru
(c) Subhas Chandra Bose
(d) Bhagat Singh Ans:
(a) Mahatma Gandhi. The flag had red, green, white stripes with a spinning wheel (charkha) at the centre, symbolising self-reliance. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q7. Assertion
(a) : Gandhiji withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1922. Reason (R): The movement turned violent at Chauri Chaura. [CBSE 2024] [1]
(a) Both
(a) and (R) are true and (R) correctly explains
(a)
(b) Both true but (R) does not correctly explain
(a)
(c)
(a) is true but (R) is false
(d)
(a) is false but (R) is true Ans:
(a) Both are true and (R) correctly explains
(a) . The Chauri Chaura violence directly led Gandhi to withdraw the movement. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q8. Which of the following was the main reason for launching the Civil Disobedience Movement? [CBSE 2021] [1]
(a) Rejection of Simon Commission report
(b) Failure of Round Table Conference
(c) Refusal of British to accept Eleven demands
(d) Jallianwala Bagh massacre Ans:
(c) Refusal of British to accept Eleven demands. Gandhiji sent a letter with 11 demands to Viceroy Irwin; when refused, he launched the movement with the Dandi March. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q9. The Inland Emigration Act of 1859 was designed to: [CBSE 2023] [1]
(a) Allow plantation workers to move freely
(b) Restrict movement of plantation workers out of tea gardens
(c) Encourage migration to cities
(d) Promote foreign trade Ans:
(b) Restrict movement of plantation workers. Under this Act, plantation workers were not permitted to leave tea gardens without permission, virtually keeping them bonded. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q10. Who painted the famous image of Bharat Mata? [CBSE 2020] [1]
(a) Raja Ravi Varma
(b) Abanindranath Tagore
(c) Rabindranath Tagore
(d) Nandalal Bose Ans:
(b) Abanindranath Tagore. He painted Bharat Mata as an ascetic figure - calm, composed, divine and spiritual, inspired by the Swadeshi Movement. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SECTION B : Short Answer Questions (3 Marks Each)

Q11. "There were variety of cultural processes through which Indian Nationalism captured people's imagination." Explain. [CBSE 2024] [3] • Bharat Mata: Abanindranath Tagore painted the image of Bharat Mata as a symbol of the nation, giving a visual identity to nationalism. • Vande Mataram: Bankim Chandra wrote the hymn "Vande Mataram" in his novel Anandamath, inspiring a sense of devotion to the motherland. • Folk Revival: Nationalists collected folk songs, ballads, and legends to build a sense of shared cultural heritage and collective belonging.

• Icons & Symbols: National songs, tricolour flag, and images of historical heroes became powerful symbols unifying diverse communities. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q12. Explain the circumstances under which Gandhiji decided to launch the Non-Cooperation Movement. [CBSE 2021] [3] • Rowlatt Act (1919): Gave the government powers to detain political prisoners without trial. Nationwide protests followed. • Jallianwala Bagh (1919): The brutal massacre by General Dyer outraged the entire nation and exposed the true face of colonial rule. • Khilafat Issue: The dismantling of the Ottoman Caliphate angered Indian Muslims. Gandhi supported the Khilafat cause to unite Hindus and Muslims.

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Q13. Describe the role of different social groups in the Non-Cooperation Movement. [CBSE 2022] [3] • Middle Class: Students left schools/colleges, lawyers boycotted courts, council elections were boycotted in most provinces. • Peasants: In Awadh, led by Baba Ramchandra, peasants fought against talukdars and landlords demanding reduction of revenue and abolition of begar. • Tribals: In Andhra Pradesh, Alluri Sitarama Raju led tribals in guerrilla warfare against colonial forest policies restricting their traditional rights.

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Q14. Explain how the First World War created new economic and political situations in India. [CBSE 2020/2023] [3] • War Expenditure: Defence spending increased massively, funded by war loans and higher taxes including new income tax and increased customs duties. • Price Rise: Prices nearly doubled between 1913-1918, causing extreme hardship for common people. Crops failed in many parts of India. • Forced Recruitment: Villages were forced to supply soldiers, causing widespread anger. The influenza epidemic killed 12-13 million people.

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Q15. Mention any three causes that led to the Civil Disobedience Movement. [CBSE 2022] [3] • Simon Commission (1928): The all-white commission with no Indian member was met with "Go Back Simon" protests across India. • Demand for Purna Swaraj: Under Nehru's presidency, Congress declared "Purna Swaraj" (complete independence) at the Lahore session in December 1929. • Salt Tax Grievance: Gandhi chose salt as a symbol because it was consumed by all classes. He marched 240 miles from Sabarmati to Dandi to break the salt law.

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SECTION C : Long Answer Questions (5 Marks Each)

Q16. Discuss the Salt March to show why it was an effective symbol of resistance against colonialism. [CBSE 2024] [5] Ans: The Salt March (Dandi March) was a powerful act of civil disobedience: • Universal Symbol: Salt was consumed by rich and poor alike. The tax on salt and the government monopoly over its production was the most oppressive face of British rule. • The March: On 12 March 1930, Gandhi started from Sabarmati Ashram with 78 volunteers, walking 240 miles to Dandi over 24 days. • Law Breaking: On 6 April 1930, Gandhi picked up a handful of salt, symbolically breaking the salt law. This electrified the nation.

• Mass Participation: People across the country began manufacturing salt and demonstrating in front of government salt factories. The movement spread rapidly. • Impact: Thousands were arrested including Gandhi. The movement gained worldwide attention and demonstrated the power of non-violent resistance against colonial oppression. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q17. "The sense of collective belonging that united different groups was partly a result of the experience of united struggles." Elaborate. [CBSE 2023] [5] Ans: The sense of collective belonging developed through multiple processes: • Bharat Mata: The image of Bharat Mata became a visual symbol. Abanindranath Tagore's painting was widely circulated, inspiring nationalist feelings. • National Songs: "Vande Mataram" by Bankim Chandra became a rallying cry. It was sung at gatherings and created emotional unity across regions.

• Folk Culture: Nationalists collected and published folk tales, songs and legends from across India, building a sense of shared cultural heritage. • Symbols & Flags: The tricolour flag with spinning wheel, national anthems, and reinterpretation of history created common identity markers. • Shared Struggles: Movements like Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, and mass protests brought together diverse classes, religions and regions under one cause. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q18. Describe the role of women in the Civil Disobedience Movement. [CBSE 2022] [5] Ans: Women participated actively in the Civil Disobedience Movement: • Massive Participation: Women participated in protest marches, manufactured salt, and picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops in large numbers. • Prominent Leaders: In urban areas, educated women and high-caste families actively participated. In rural areas, tribal and peasant women joined. • Jail-going: Many women courted arrest. Their willingness to go to jail stunned the British and gained public sympathy for the movement.

• Gandhi's View: However, Gandhi believed women's role should be limited to being good mothers and wives. He was against their taking leadership positions. • Limited Gains: Despite massive participation, women did not gain any significant political position in Congress or in decision-making. Their role remained largely symbolic. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q19. Describe the impact of the First World War on the economic and political situation of India. [CBSE 2020] [5] Ans: The First World War had profound effects on India: • Defence Expenditure: War led to huge increase in defence spending, funded by war loans and increased taxes. Customs duties raised, income tax introduced. • Price Rise: Prices nearly doubled (1913-1918). Villagers were forced to supply soldiers for the war, causing anger and resentment. • Crop Failure & Epidemic: Crops failed in many parts leading to acute food shortage. Influenza epidemic (1918-19) killed 12-13 million people.

• Indian Soldiers: Around 1.5 million Indian soldiers fought for Britain abroad. They returned with new political awareness and expectations of reform. • Political Impact: Indians expected self-governance as reward for war support. Instead, they got the repressive Rowlatt Act, fuelling the nationalist movement further. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q20. Explain any five features of the Non-Cooperation Movement. [CBSE 2021] [5] Ans: The Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22) had the following features: • Surrender of Titles: Indians returned titles and honours given by the British government. Many renounced their positions in colonial administration. • Boycott of Institutions: Students left government schools/colleges, lawyers boycotted British courts, and council elections were boycotted. • Boycott of Foreign Goods: Foreign cloth was boycotted and publicly burnt. Import of foreign cloth fell drastically.

Khadi became a symbol of resistance. • Mass Participation: For the first time, peasants, tribals, workers and middle class all joined a single national movement under Gandhi's leadership. • Withdrawal: Gandhi withdrew the movement in February 1922 after the Chauri Chaura incident where a violent mob killed 22 policemen, as he believed in non-violence. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ --- End of Chapter 2 PYQ ---