Indian National Movement (1885-1947) Practice Questions: Complete Gandhi Era Quiz
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
Table of Contents
A complete, chronological Indian National Movement practice set (1885-1947) for SSC exams — 36 questions covering the Congress, Gandhi era movements, and the path to independence, with answers.
The Indian National Movement (1885-1947) is the single largest Modern History topic in SSC exams, spanning the formation of the Congress, the entire Gandhian era, and the final years leading to independence. This practice set covers 36 high-yield questions in chronological order — from the founding of the INC in 1885 to the Indian Independence Act of 1947.
How This Set Is Organised
Questions follow a roughly chronological order — Congress formation, Partition of Bengal, the rise of Gandhi, major movements (Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, Quit India), and the final path to independence. Studying it in this order helps you build a timeline in your head rather than memorising isolated facts.
| No. | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | In which year was the Indian National Congress founded? | 1885 |
| 2 | Who founded the Indian National Congress? | A. O. Hume |
| 3 | Where was the first session of the Indian National Congress held? | Bombay |
| 4 | Who was the first President of the Indian National Congress? | W. C. Bonnerjee |
| 5 | Who partitioned Bengal in 1905? | Lord Curzon |
| 6 | When was the Partition of Bengal annulled? | 1911 |
| 7 | The Swadeshi Movement was launched in response to which event? | The Partition of Bengal (1905) |
| 8 | In which year was the All India Muslim League formed? | 1906, at Dhaka |
| 9 | Which pact of 1916 brought the Indian National Congress and Muslim League together? | The Lucknow Pact |
| 10 | Who led the Home Rule Movement along with Annie Besant? | Bal Gangadhar Tilak |
| 11 | In which year did Mahatma Gandhi return to India from South Africa? | 1915 |
| 12 | Which was Gandhi's first Satyagraha movement in India, launched in 1917? | The Champaran Satyagraha (Bihar, over indigo farming) |
| 13 | Which 1918 Satyagraha in Gujarat dealt with a farmers' revenue dispute? | The Kheda Satyagraha |
| 14 | Which Act of 1919 allowed detention without trial and sparked widespread protest? | The Rowlatt Act |
| 15 | On what date did the Jallianwala Bagh massacre take place? | 13 April 1919 |
| 16 | Who ordered the firing at Jallianwala Bagh? | General Reginald Dyer |
| 17 | The Khilafat Movement (1919–1924) was led by whom? | The Ali Brothers (Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali), supported by Gandhi |
| 18 | In which year did Gandhi launch the Non-Cooperation Movement? | 1920 |
| 19 | Why was the Non-Cooperation Movement called off in 1922? | Due to the violent Chauri Chaura incident |
| 20 | Which commission, sent in 1927, was boycotted with the slogan "Simon Go Back"? | The Simon Commission |
| 21 | The Indian National Congress declared "Purna Swaraj" (complete independence) at which 1929 session? | The Lahore Session |
| 22 | Which date was declared as the first Independence Day (before actual independence)? | 26 January 1930 |
| 23 | Which movement began with the Dandi March (Salt March) in 1930? | The Civil Disobedience Movement |
| 24 | On what date did the Dandi March begin? | 12 March 1930 |
| 25 | Which pact in 1931 led Gandhi to attend the Second Round Table Conference? | The Gandhi-Irwin Pact |
| 26 | Which 1932 pact between Gandhi and Ambedkar dealt with separate electorates for the depressed classes? | The Poona Pact |
| 27 | Which mission came to India in 1942, offering Dominion Status after the war, but was rejected? | The Cripps Mission |
| 28 | On what date did Gandhi launch the Quit India Movement? | 8 August 1942 |
| 29 | What was Gandhi's famous slogan during the Quit India Movement? | "Do or Die" |
| 30 | Who founded the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj)? | Subhas Chandra Bose (reorganised it; the INA was originally founded by Mohan Singh) |
| 31 | What was Subhas Chandra Bose's famous slogan meaning "Long Live India"? | "Jai Hind" |
| 32 | Which 1946 mission proposed a three-tier federal structure for India before independence? | The Cabinet Mission |
| 33 | What event took place on 16 August 1946, resulting in large-scale communal violence? | Direct Action Day |
| 34 | Who was the last Viceroy of India, under whose plan India was partitioned? | Lord Mountbatten |
| 35 | On what date did India gain independence? | 15 August 1947 |
| 36 | Which Act formally granted independence to India and Pakistan? | The Indian Independence Act, 1947 |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When was the Indian National Congress founded?
The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885 by A. O. Hume, with its first session held in Bombay.
2. What was Gandhi's first Satyagraha movement in India?
The Champaran Satyagraha in 1917, in support of indigo farmers in Bihar, was Gandhi's first Satyagraha movement in India.
3. Why was the Non-Cooperation Movement withdrawn?
Gandhi withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1922 following the violent Chauri Chaura incident, in which protestors killed police officers.
4. What was the Quit India Movement's famous slogan?
"Do or Die" was Gandhi's famous call to the nation during the Quit India Movement, launched on 8 August 1942.
5. When did India gain independence?
India gained independence on 15 August 1947, following the Indian Independence Act, 1947.
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
Rahul is a senior SSC exam strategist with 8+ years of experience helping aspirants crack CGL, CHSL and MTS exams. He writes in-depth notification breakdowns, exam pattern guides and preparation strategies.
