1.

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/interviews/governance/independence-day-2023-there-is-no-link-between-lord-mayo-s-assassination-and-the-criminal-tribes-act--91177

The assassination of Viceroy of India, Lord Mayo in February 1872 took place at the penal settlement of Hopetown, Port Blair in the Anadaman Islands. In the course of his vice-regal visit to the province of British Burma, he was murdered by a convict named Sher Ali, from the North West Frontier Province.

C

2.

In 1921, Lord Reading succeeded Lord Chelmsford as Governor-General and Viceroy of India. Despite coming from a lowly Jewish family, he worked hard and rose through the ranks to become Chief Justice of England. British had challenges during his administration. In 1922, the Non-Cooperation Movement had achieved its pinnacle and was unceremoniously put to rest. All around the nation, strikes were common. During this time, both the Hindu and Muslim communities experienced an abrupt increase in sectarian growth and fringe groups.

Significant Events During His Tenure

1921: Moplah Rebellion

The Moplah in Kerala rebelled against the government’s directive to make Congress and Khilafat gatherings unlawful. 

• It quickly devolved into a communal uprising between Jenmis, or Hindu landlords, and Kudiyaan, or tenant Moplahs. 
• The government had to form the Malabar Special Police, a specialised battalion, in order to repress the movement.

1922: Chauri-Chaura Incident

In the Chauri Chaura incident, which took place on February 4, 1922, police fired upon a sizable crowd of protesters taking part in the non-cooperation movement in Chauri Chaura, Gorakhpur district of the United Provinces (current-day Uttar Pradesh), in British India.

• In revenge, demonstrators attacked and set a police station on fire, murdering everyone inside. In the incident, 22 police officers and three civilians died.
• On February 12, 1922, Mahatma Gandhi, who vehemently opposed violence, put a halt to the national non-cooperation campaign as a direct result of this occurrence.

1923: Swaraj Party

Congress leaders Moti Lal Nehru, CR Das, NC Kelkar, GS Gharpade, and S Srinivas originally founded the Swaraj Party as the Congress-Khilafat Swaraj Party after becoming disenchanted with Gandhi’s decision to withdraw NCM.

• Pro Changers: They chose to run for office, sit in legislatures, and bring about “change” after shifting their focus to “Swaraj” within the British Raj. The Government of India Act of 1919’s stipulations required that these elections be held. These pioneers were referred to as Pro-changers. 
• No Changers: On the other hand, the majority of Congress leaders stopped engaging in agitation for a period and began empowering the underprivileged by teaching them how to utilise Charkha, opposing untouchability, and popularising Gandhian and nonviolent ways. They were referred to as No-changers. A well-known No-changer was C. Rajagopalachari.

1923: Peshawar Conspiracy

The Peshawar Conspiracy case is connected to Muslims’ interest in Russia’s Communist revolution. 

• A large number of Muslims from Peshawar travelled to Moscow to begin receiving training in military and communist regimes. 
• The government intercepted them on their way back to cause trouble and put them on trial. Many of them received lengthy prison terms as punishment.

1925: Kakori Train Conspiracy

The Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) members are responsible for the Kakori Train Conspiracy. 

• They sought to engage in political espionage in order to obtain funding from the government. The theft was accomplished, but the conspiracy was quickly discovered. 
• Thirty individuals were detained, and after trials, Swaran Singh (Bhagat Singh’s uncle), Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaq Ullah Khan, and Rajendra Lahiri were executed.

1924: Kanpur Bolshevik Conspiracy Case 

The government apprehended and pursued a number of recently converted communists, including M N Roy, Muzaffar Ahamed, S A Dange, Shaukat Usmani, Nalini Gupta, Singaravelu Chettiar, and Ghulam Hussain, for plotting against the government. 

• The case received a lot of press coverage and exposed the Indian public to communism. MN Roy wasn’t detained because he was charged in his absence. 

Evaluation Of His Tenure

He was chosen to represent in the House of Commons in 1904 as a Liberal Imperialist.

• The khilafat and non-cooperation movements, as well as other local upheavals, occurred throughout Reading’s time in India.
• As Viceroy, he forcefully reacted to the escalating political movements and, though he favoured conciliation, regularly used summary measures.
• During his presidency in Madras, he employed force to put down Sikh insurgents in Punjab and the Moplas, and he jailed the Ali brothers and Gandhi in 1921.
• Reading favoured a conciliationist approach; he was committed to enforcing the terms of the Government of India Act of 1919 and opposed racial prejudice. He personally greeted Gandhi and Jinnah and paid a reconciliation tour to Amritsar.

Early in 1926, Reading’s service in India came to a close. In May of that year, he was promoted to the rank of Marquees, being the first commoner to do so since the Duke of Wellington. In 1931, he was made foreign secretary in Macdonald’s federal cabinet, but he left soon after the election. 

C  

3.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/amazon-launches-first-internet-satellite-prototypes-under-project-kuiper-plans-to-deploy-3236-satellites-all-about-it/articleshow/104223653.cms?from=mdr

4.

·  The Second Round Conference opened on September 7, 1931. Gandhi represented Indian National Congress and Sarojini Naidu represented Indian women. Madan Mohan Malaviya, Ghanshyam Das Birla, Muhammad Iqbal, Sir Mirza Ismail Diwan of Mysore, S K Dutta and Sir Syed Ali Imam were other people that attended the conference. This conference saw an overwhelming number of Indian delegates. These included loyalists, communalists, careerists, big landlords, representatives of the princes etc. 

·  Due to wide scale participation, the Government claimed that the Congress did not represent the interests of All India. But, Gandhi claimed that Congress Represented India. Gandhi iterated the need of a partnership between Britain and India as between two equal nations. His demands were :

1. A responsible government must be established immediately and in full, both at the centre and in the provinces.

2. Congress alone represented political India

3. The Untouchables were Hindus and should not be treated as a “minority”,

4. There should be no separate electorates or special safeguards for Muslims or other minorities.

5. But these claims of Gandhi were rejected by the other Indian delegates. The conference was deadlocked on the minorities’ issue for; separate electorate was now being demanded by the Muslims, Dalits, Christians, Anglo Indians, and Europeans etc.

The result was that the Conference ended on December 11, 1931 and Gandhi came back to pavilion without any score.  

A

5.

The number of the members of the legislative council at centre was increased from 16 to 60. Right of separate electorates for muslims was granted. It did not talk about any reservation of seats and spreading education.

C  

6.

Three battle was fought between Maratha and Britishers. During the First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-82), Warren Hastings was the Governor-general. Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-05 AD) was fought in the regime of Lord Wellesely and the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-18) was fought in the regime of Lord Hastings.  

C   

7.

32^nd session of Indian National Congress was held on 2629 December, 1917 in Calcutta in which Annie Besant was  elected as first woman President of Indian National Congress.

A

8.

The Battle of Buxar happened on 22 October 1764, Robert Clive came back to India on 3 May 1765 and the Treaty of Allahabad was signed in August 1765.

Warren Hastings became India’s Governor in 1774.

B  

9.

Gopal Ganesh Agarkar was one of the founders of the Deccan Education Society in 1884, with Lokmanya Tilak, Vishnushastri Chipalunkar and Madhavrao Namjoshi being the other members. Agarkar was also one of the founder members of the Fergusson College in Pune in 1885. In 1891 he became the Principal of the Fergusson College in 1892 and held that office till his unexpected death in 1895.

·  Agarkar was the first editor of Marathi weekly the Kesari and English weekly the Mahratta started by Lokmanya Tilak. Following his differences with Tilak, he started his own weekly the Sudharak In 1888. Gopal Krishna Gokhale used to contribute to this weekly.

Throughout his life, Agarkar fought to raise the age of marriage for boys and girls.

D

10.

1. Ram Mohan Roy was given the title of ''Raja'' by Akbar II, the Mughal emperor, who sent him to England to represent him.

2. Roy was a polyglot--he was proficient in Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, English, Bengali and Hindi.

3. Roy was opposed to idol worship and the orthodox rituals of Hinduism. He championed scientific temper and faced a backlash for his views.

4. Roy translated the Vedas and Upanishads into Bengali, Hindi, and English and wrote summaries and treatises on them.

5. He started India’s first English medium school in 1816 in Kolkata that later came to be known as the Anglo-Hindu school.

6. In 1822, Ram Mohan Roy published the journal Mirat-ul-Akbar in Persian and founded the newspaper Sambad Koumudi.

7. Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj in 1828. This move is often credited with playing an important role in reforming and modernizing the Indian society.

8. Ram Mohan Roy vowed to oppose Sati after his sister-in-law died by jumping into the pyre of his brother Jag Mohan in 1811. He led many protests and wrote petitions to the British calling for its abolition. Thanks to his efforts, the British banned it in 1829.

9. Roy founded Atmiya Sabha, a group that discussed and debated the essence of religion.

10. He is often called the ''Father of Indian Renaissance''. Freedom fighter Gopal Krishna Gokhale called Roy the ''Father of Modern India''.

11. When in 1829, he visited England as the unofficial representative of the titular king of Delhi, it was rumoured that the law against Sati would be overturned. He went to England to campaign for the law to continue.

12. Roy also led campaigns against child marriage, the purdah system, dowry and polygamy.

13. Roy died of meningitis in Bristol on September 27, 1833. He is buried at Arnos Vale Cemetery where a mausoleum stands to this day.

A   

11.

C  

12.

·   Christpher Bayly – He was a British historian whose research focused on British Imperial history and Indian history.

·   Sir Henry Lawrence – Lawrence was the British military officer who died in Lucknow while protecting the English presidency during Revolt of 1857.

·   Sir James Outram – He was the British general who viewed the revolt of 1857 as the result of Hindu-Muslim conspiracy.

A  

13.

It is not a statutory body.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1964083

Ministry of Commerce & Industry

D

14.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/modi-in-pune-live-updates-pm-to-flag-off-metro-phase-i-lay-foundation-stone-for-pmay/article67144821.ece

• Tilak was born on 23^rd July 1856 in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.
• He passed away on 1^st August 1920, just before the launch of the Non-Cooperation Movement.

1. Ideology

Nationalist Revolutionary

• Tilak was a revolutionary nationalist and extremist leader.

• He preached the message of self-respect, Swadeshi, and Swarajya (self-rule).
• He stressed that there could be no progress without self-rule (swarajya).
• He was against social reforms through the British, he believed that social reforms should be done after getting self-rule. This view of him caused him to oppose the ‘age of consent act’ of 1891.
• He publicly supported the efforts to assassinate Presidency Magistrate Douglas Kingsford in 1908.
• Mahatma Gandhi called him The Maker of Modern India, while Jawaharlal Nehru described him as The Father of the Indian Revolution (Unrest).

Devout Hindu

• Tilak was a devout Hindu who advocated for cultural and religious revival and used Hindu scriptures to inspire people to fight oppression.
• He popularized Ganesh Chaturthi and propounded the celebration of Shiv Jayanti on the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji to propagate nationalist ideas and a sense of national identity.
• He also started akharas, lathi clubs, and anti-cow killing societies.

Swadesh

• Swadeshi Wastu Pracharini Sabha was started by Tilak in 1905.
• It aimed to start certified Swadeshi shops.

1. Contribution Towards Education
• Tilak and others started the New English School (1880) in Pune.
• He and his associate Gopal Ganesh Agarkar founded the Deccan Education Society (1884).
• He is among the founders of Fergusson College (1885), Pune.
• The New English School and the Fergusson College functioned under Deccan Education Society.
• Tilak and his associates considered English to be a powerful tool for the dissemination of liberal and democratic ideals.
2. Books by Tilak

1.            The Orion, Or, Researches Into the Antiquity of the Vedas (English)

2.            The Arctic Home in the Vedas (English; about the origins of the Indo-Aryan people)

3.            Gita Rahasya (Marathi; authored in 1915 while he was in prison at Mandalay, Burma. According to him, the real message behind the Bhagavad Gita is Nishkam Karmayoga (selfless action), rather than Karma Sanyasa (renouncing of actions))

1. Freedom of the Press
• Tilak started two newspapers in 1881:
1. Kesari (Marathi)
2. The Mahratta (English)

Sedition Charges

• He had been tried for sedition charges thrice by British Indian Government— in 1897, 1908 & 1916.
• Tilak’s activism, appealing to Hindu symbolism and Maratha history, excited the populace and brought him into conflict with the British government.
• His articles criticising the British government’s handling of the plague epidemic in Pune inspired the Chapekar brothers to assassinate Commissioner Rand and Lt. Ayerst in 1897.
• He was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment in 1897.
• His prosecution for sedition gained him more popularity, earning him the title Lokamanya (”Beloved Leader of the People”).
• In 1909, he was charged with sedition for racial animosity between Indians and the British. Muhammad Ali Jinnah appeared in Tilak’s defence but was sentenced to six years in prison in Burma.
• In 1916, he was again charged with sedition over his lectures on self-rule, but was acquitted.

1. Tilak and Indian National Congress (INC)
• Tilak joined the INC in 1890 and opposed its moderate attitude, supported Radical revolution.
• Following the Partition of Bengal, by Lord Curzon to weaken the nationalist movement, Tilak encouraged the Swadeshi movement and the Boycott movement.
• Lal-Bal-Pal: Tilak opposed the moderate views of Gopal Krishna Gokhale and was supported by nationalists Bipin Chandra Pal in Bengal and Lala Lajpat Rai in Punjab.
• In 1907, INC session was held at Surat, Gujarat, Trouble broke on the selection of the president.
• The party split into the radical faction and the moderate faction.
2. Home Rule League
• The Home Rule movement was started to get a Self-government (Dominion status).
• It was established in 1916 as The All-India home rule league similar to the Irish home rule league as a political organisation.

• There were two home rule leagues, one established by Tilak and the other by Annie Besant.

• Both the key leaders realised the importance of integration of the moderates and the extremists.
• Annie Besant launched a campaign in 1915 by her newspapers the New India and Commonweal.
• In the 1916 session, the Extremists were admitted to Congress but due to Congress’s non-agreement on the home rule and the revival of the local-level congress committee, Annie was forced to start her own movement.
• A separate league was set up by Annie and Tilak to avoid any Ideological differences.
• Muslims, Anglo Indians, and non-Brahmin didn’t join, because they felt Home rule meant Hindu majority rule and that too high caste.
• In 1920 it was merged with Congress to form a united front against the British government
• In 1921 the All-India Home Rule League changed its name to Swarajya Sabha.

C

15.

https://iasgoogle.com/current_affair/october-28-2023-current-affairs

D

16.

Calcutta session of 1906, under the leadership of Dadabhai Naoroji, Congress adopted ''Swaraj'' as the Goal of Indian people. Here self government or swaraj meant obtaining the self-governing British Colonies. This meaning of swaraj was completely different from that of extremist, this became one of the reasons for the upcoming split in Congress.

D  

17.

https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/economy/story/national-herald-case-ed-seizes-assets-worth-rs-751-crore-in-probe-against-congress-linked-companies-406620-2023-11-22

·    ''Indian Opinion'' was a newspaper launched from South Africa. Indian Opinion was published by Mahatma Gandhi. Indian Opinion was founded by Gandhi in 1903.

·   Dadabhai Naoroji started the newspaper Voice of India in 1883 in Bombay and later incorporated it into the Indian Spectator.

·   Sisir Ghosh and Moti Lal Ghosh initially started Amrita Bazar Patrika as a weekly. It was first edited by Motilal Ghosh, who did not have a formal university education. It had built its readership as a rival to Bengalee which was being looked after by Surendranath Banerjee.

·   The Bengalee an English newspaper was started by Surendranath Banerjee and published from Calcutta from 1862 to 1931. It started as a daily newspaper and subsequently turned into a weekly one.

D    

18.

Government of India Act 1858 or Victoria’s Proclamation

This Act was enacted in the wake of the revolt of 1857. Also known as an act for ‘Good governance of India’. It abolished the East India Company and transferred powers of the government, territories, and revenues to the British Government.

·     East India Company was not performing well in controlling and administrating the Indian colony. There was widespread resentment against the company’s policies such as revenue policy or acquisition policy.

·     Revolt of 1857 came as a jolt to British Colonialism in South Asia.

·     Hence, Parliament in Britain decided to take over the power and control of India from the company.

Provisions

·     British Crown’s sovereignty: Indian territories of Britain were to be governed in the name of the British Queen. This will be done with Court of Directors and Board of Control being scrapped (No more private control on Indian territories).

·     Secretary of State: He (vested with powers of Court of Directors) was to be a British Member of Parliament and a Prime Minister’s cabinet member. He was to be assisted by a council of 15 members. He was a mediator between British government in Britain and Indian administration.

· He also had the power to send secret dispatches to India without consulting his council. Through the Secretary of State’s office, British parliament could ask questions regarding Indian affairs.

· Lord Stanley was the First Secretary of State for India.

·     Commander-in-Chief of Army was made an extraordinary member of the Council. Law member was to be a barrister and the other three were covenanted servants of the Company.

·     Governor General: He was representative of British government in India and acted as Viceroy (in case of relations with Princely states). Viceroys and governors of the various presidencies were appointed by Crown.

· Viceroy was to be assisted by an Executive Council.

· Lord Canning was first Governor General-cum-Viceroy.

·     Abolitions: This act abolished dual government of Pitt’s India Act 1784, doctrine of lapse and administrative rights of the company.

·     Princely states: It was decided that remaining Indian princes and chiefs (more than 560 in number) would have their independent status provided they accept British suzerainty.

Queen’s Proclamation of 1858

·     There will be no further acquisition of territories in India by British.

·     Indian princely states will recognise the paramountcy of the British Crown and were to be treated as parts of a single charge.

·     Indians were promised the freedom of religion without interference.

·     Equal and impartial protection under law to all Indians.

Importance

·     Led to the stopping of forced annexation of Indian Princely states.

·     Now the British Government directly can be held responsible for any administrative wrong in India.

Limitations

·     This Act merely changed the ruler but not the governance system in India because exploitation and oppression of the masses continued even after enactment of this act.

·     Promise of not annexing Indian Princely state proved a false promise because British adopted any possible method to engulf increased territories in India even after 1857.

A  

19.

The first session of the Indian National Congress was held in Bombay, not in Calcutta. Although, fi rst it was scheduled to be held in Poona, but due to an outbreak of Cholera, it was held in Bombay. Thus, the fi rst statement is false. The second session was held in 1886 at Kolkata under the presidentship of Dadabhai Naoroji. Indian National Congress session and the Muslim League session both were held in Lucknow in 1916. Consequently, the pact was signed between Congress and the Muslim League which is known as ‘Lucknow Pact.’ In this session extremist who was expelled from the Congress party for 9 years were reintroduced to Congress. Ambika Charan Mazumdar served as the President in Lucknow Session, 1916.

C

20.

Charles Wilkins was a member of Asiatic Society of Bengal founded by William Jones. He translated Bhagavad Gita into English in 1794.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/bengaluru-news/a-missionary-a-palace-and-the-bhagavad-gita-101696965618770.html

B  

21.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-history/kakori-train-robbery-action-9074349/

Shachindra Nath Sanyal, Ram Prasad ‘Bismil” and Chandra Shekhar Azad established revolutionary institution-Hindustan Republican Association in October, 1924. The treasury of Government was looted by this organization at Kakori, a place in Lucknow-Saharanpur section of the northern railway, on 9 August, 1925. This incident is known as Kakori Conspiracy. Twenty-nine revolutionaries were arrested in which Ram Prasad Bismil, Asfaqullah, Roshan Singh and Rajendra Lahiri were hanged while Azad escaped. Azad was the only member of HRA who was never arrested by the British Government.

D  

22.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/hidden-stories-peshwas-retreat-sports-club-hirabaug-town-hall-8993460/

D   

23.

In 1856, Religious Disabilities Act was enacted to protect the civil rights of individuals converted from Hinduism. The Hindu Widows Remarriage Act of 1856, enacted in response to the campaign of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, provided legal safeguards against loss of certain forms of inheritance for a remarrying Hindu widow. Vishnushastri and D.K. Karve were the leaders connected to widow welfare. D.K. Karve founded widow ashram in 1899 in Pune and also established fi rst Women University in 1916 in Bombay. Sati Prohibition Regulation, 1829, was passed in the period of William Bentinck, the Governor of Bengal. Dalhousie’s policy of annexation was presented in 1848.

B  

24.

During the British colonial period, the Champaran Satyagrahaof 1917 was the first Satyagraha movement led by Gandhi in India, and it is regarded as a historically significant revolt in the Indian Independence Movement. The tenant farmers of Champaran district of Bihar were forced by the British planters to cultivate indigo in the 3/20th part of a bigha of their holding; this was known as the ''Teen Kathia'' system. It led to the convergence of peasant unrest with the Indian National Movement. 

Champaran is a district in Bihar''s northwestern region. Champaran had been growing indigo since the late 18th century. By 1850, indigo had surpassed sugar as the most important crop grown in Champaran.

• The tinkathia system was the dominant system of Indigo cultivation in Champaran by European planters. In this case, the ryot was required to cultivate indigo on 3/20th of his landholding. 
• Furthermore, after 1900, the indigo factories in Bihar began to decline due to competition from European synthetic indigo. To avoid losses, the planters began cancelling their indigo-growing contracts with the ryots. 
• They charged a tawan, i.e., damages of up to Rs. 100 per bigha, to release them from this obligation. If the ryots were unable to make a cash payment, handnotes and mortgage bonds were issued at a 12 per cent annual interest rate.

Tinkathia System

Tinkathia was the most prevalent system in Champaran. According to it, the factory owners convinced the tenant to grow indigo in a specific area of his holding for which a fixed price was paid. During 1860, the portion reserved for indigo used to be 5 Kathas per bigha or one-fourth of the tenant’s holding. Later, around 1867, this area was reduced from 5 Kathas to 3 Kathas per bigha. Since then, the system came to be known as Tinkathia.

• When the factories were being established for the first time, their owners had no permanent interest in land. They used to take short-term leases from the Bettiah Raj (the second-largest zamindari in the Bettiah region of Bihar).
• The factory owners would try to deceive the Bettiah Raj by renting land at a low price, and then they would have the tenants grow indigo for them to earn a profit.
• They used to make large profits from indigo, and the only losers were the tenants. 
• After some time, agreements used to be that the tenant would grow indigo on 3 Kathas per bigha of his holding for a number of years, and the holding that would be reserved for indigo would be selected by the factory. 
• If the crops were good, a fixed price per bigha would be paid to the tenant. But if the crop was not bumper, then the tenant would get only a reduced price. If the tenant failed to grow indigo, he was liable to pay a heavy sum by way of damages for his breach. 

Reasons for Champaran Satyagraha

In Bihar, as in Bengal, there was widespread dissatisfaction among the ryots regarding indigo cultivation because of the tinkathia system. 

• The primary reason for this dissatisfaction was the low crop remuneration they received. They were also subjected to harassment and oppression at the hands of factory workers. 
• All of this resulted in two protests against indigo cultivation in Champaran. First, in 1867, the tenants of the Lalsariya factory refused to cultivate indigo. 
• Because the redressal of grievances was insufficient, a second demonstration erupted in 1907-08, resulting in unrest and violence in Sathi and Bettiah against the tinkathia system. 
• Planters also insisted that in the best cultivable lands, indigo should be cultivated so that the production of the crop is more. The price paid to the ryots was fixed based on the area of land, not on the volume of crop production. 
• This was the reason for pressurising the cultivators to cultivate indigo in good lands to get a maximum crop. 
• The cultivators also faced other forms of economic and social exploitation, which made them agitated against the existing planter raj.

Intervention of Mahatma Gandhi in Champaran

The local Congress leaders Brajkishore Prasad and Raj Kumar Shukla first met Mahatma Gandhi at the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress in 1916 and were invited to have first-hand experience of the plight of Champaran peasants.. Gandhi initially appeared unimpressed by both of them and stated unequivocally that he would not act unless he saw the situation for himself. He further asked them to pass the resolution without him. Brajkishore Prasad introduced a resolution in Congress regarding the plight of peasants in Champaran. The resolution was passed unanimously. 

• Gandhi first arrived in Muzaffarpur. Being aware of the situation, he immediately wrote to the Commissioner of the Tirhut Division, informing him that he wanted to work with the government''s knowledge and cooperation. 
• During the meeting, Gandhi stated that he wanted to inquire about the state of indigo cultivation in Champaran and the tenants'' grievances associated with it due to public demand. 
• Despite the clarification, British officials remained suspicious of Gandhi''s intentions. They suspected his motivation was agitation, which would most likely disrupt public order. 
• As a result, it was decided that he should be served with a notice to leave the district as soon as he arrived in Champaran, in accordance with Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
• On April 15, 1917, Mahatma Gandhi arrived in Champaran for the first time and wrote to the Magistrate that he would not leave Champaran and was willing to pay the penalty for disobedience.
• Gandhi was also charged and summoned for a trial on the 18th of April. He didn’t offer any defence but declared his willingness to go to jail. 
• Gandhiji’s stance baffled the officials, which led to the postponement of the sentence. In the meantime, the Lieutenant Governor, on the grounds of insufficient evidence against Gandhi, ordered the local administration to withdraw the case. Moreover, he also gave Gandhi permission to conduct the inquiry.

Gandhi in Action

Gandhiji continued his investigation after receiving permission from the Lieutenant Governor, first in Motihari and then in Bettiah. Throughout the investigation, he was assisted by personalities like Rajendra Prasad, Brajkishore Prasad, Mazharul Haq, J.B. Kriplani, Ramnavami Prasad, and others. Thousands of ryots from various villages came to express their dissatisfaction with the indigo cultivation system.

• However, the Bihar Planters'' Association vehemently opposed the inquiry, claiming that it presented a skewed picture and could incite ryots'' aggression against them.
• Furthermore, some European officials were concerned about the situation, believing that Gandhi''s inquiry would turn into an anti-European movement.
• As the opposition grew, the Government intervened in the matter and Gandhi was directed to send a preliminary report on the investigation''s findings. Gandhi submitted the report on 13 May. 

British Reaction to Champaran Satyagraha

The Lieutenant Governor in Council decided to appoint a Committee of Inquiry to investigate and report on Champaran''s agrarian conditions. Gandhiji was chosen as one of its members. 

• On October 4, 1917, the Committee submitted its report to the Government, making the following recommendations: 
• The Tinkathia system should be abolished. 
• The ryots who paid Tawan to the factories would receive one-fourth of it back. 
• The realisation of abwab (illegal cesses) should be stopped.
• If someone enters into an agreement to grow indigo, it should be voluntary; the term should not be longer than three years, and the decision to select the field where indigo will be grown should be made by the ryots. 
• Almost all of the Inquiry Committee''s recommendations were accepted by the Government, and the Champaran Agrarian Act in 1918 was passed. 
• Thus, the tinkathia system, which had been in place for about a century, was abolished.

Significance of the Champaran Satyagraha

Champaran was a revelation in the history of Indian independence. It brought about a hitherto unheard-of methodology of taking on imperial oppression with a force more powerful than all the physical might put together. Gandhi called it Satyagraha. 

• First Civil Disobedience Movement: It was the first peasant movement to garner nationwide attention and, in many ways, propelled India’s masses to join the liberation struggle against the British colonisers. Champaran''s outcome redefined the concept of and approach to political freedom, adding a vibrant twist to the entire British-Indian equation.
• Entry of Mahatma Gandhi in the Freedom Struggle: Champaran Satyagraha was the movement responsible for putting Gandhi on the front seat of the Indian nationalist movement and making satyagraha a powerful tool of civilian resistance. It is touted as the first crucial move towards the birth of Mahatma Gandhi’s political experiment of passive and non-violent resistance. 
• Evolution of mass-based movements: There have been peasant movements before and after the Champaran movement of 1917, but what makes Champaran satyagraha significant is the fact that it was the first time that bridges had been built between the peasants and the other sections, especially the middle-class intelligentsia. 
• Also, while the final resolution addressed the peasants’ grievances only partially, the idea that the mighty Britishers could be forced to bend caught the imagination of the thousands of Indians fighting for freedom.
• Champaran Satyagraha yoked peasant unrest to the freedom struggle: After Champaran, Gandhi''s localised movements in Ahmedabad (for mill workers) and Kheda (where he supported distressed peasants) served as training grounds for the massive nationwide protests that followed the watershed year of 1919, all of which eventually contributed to India''s liberation from the ignominious British rule.

B 

25.

Lord Cornwallis implemented Permanent Settlement System in 1793 while masterly inactivity is related to John Lawrence, Subsidiary Alliance to Lord Wellesley, and Doctrine of Lapse is related to Lord Dalhousie. A.O Hume founded Indian Nation Congress on December 28, 1885 during the tenure of Lord Duff erin (1884-88).

Sikkim was a small capital between Nepal & Bhutan. Lord Dalhousie annexed part of Sikkim, like Darjeeling & other far away areas on the pretext that Sikkim king has misbehaved with two English doctors.

Government resolution on local self-government was introduced during the tenure of Lord Ripon in 1882. Lord Ripon is also known as the ‘Father of local self-government’.

Lord Lawrence was cautious in dealing with the Afghanistan and Persia. On the death of Dost Mohammed, on June 9, 1863, Sher Ali, the third son and acknowledged heir of the Dost, was recognized as Amir of Afghanistan by Lawrence, and his son, Mohammed Ali, as heir apparent. But then there was a long civil war in Afghanistan in which two older sons of the Dost, Afzal and Azum, obtained possession of most of Afghanistan, and were partially recognized as de facto rulers by Lawrence, who at the same time refused to withdraw his recognition from Sher Ali. The latter soon won his way back to power, and in 1869 was able to notify Lawrence that he was once more in complete control. Lawrence’s policy had been” that we will leave the Afghans to settle their own quarrels, and that we are willing to be on terms of amity and goodwill with the nation and with their rulers de facto,’‘This is known as policy of masterly inactivity.

Lord Lytton was appointed Viceroy in 1876 by Conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. He preferred to follow the ‘Forward Policy’ and replaced ‘Masterly inactivity’ policy.

A