Movements Organised by Women..: WBBSE Class 10 History notes

Summary

In India’s history, there have been significant roles played by Dalit, student, and women’s movements. The Indian women were not sitting around while the men fastened their belts to join the fight for freedom. They actively participated in the independence movements that were being led by those who opposed the British. Women started using local goods and boycotting British products during the Anti-Partition movement, which got its start in 1905. Women’s community leaders such as Sarala Devi, Kumudini Mitra, and Nirmala Sarkar called on their followers to join the anti-British movement.

Women enthusiastically embraced Gandhiji’s call during the Non-Cooperation Movement. They participated in gatherings and procession and shunned imports. They knowingly invited arrest. Women from respectable families like Leela Roy, Urmila Devi, and Basanti Devi disobeyed British authority as well. Muslim women joined the movement, too, in addition to Hindu women. Women got involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement when Mahatma Gandhi first started it. The revolt against the British was characterised by picketing and outdoor demonstration. Along with the continued presence of female supporters, the boycott of imported goods and shopping for domestic goods went on. Muslim women from middle and upper class also took part in the civil disobedience movement.

Women took on various forms of involvement in the Quit India Movement. They endured numerous tortures while fighting with true spirit. Here, it is especially important to mention Aruna Asaf Ali, Sucheta Kripalani, and Usha Mehta. The Tamluk Police Station was attacked by Matangini Hazra and her 6,000 supporters, the majority of whom were women, in the context. In India’s armed revolutionary movements, women also had a significant impact. Here, the names of Pritilata Waddedar, Bina Das, and Kalpana Joshi who gave their lives in the name of freedom are worthy of mention. The student body played a significant role in addition to the women. Students left their schools and colleges to join the Anti-Partition Movement during the Anti-Partition agitation.

In order to organise a complex educational system on a national scale and under national control, the National Council of Education was established. Gandhiji’s students left class during the Non-Cooperation Movement and skipped classes at schools and colleges. In front of shops selling British goods, they picketed. Outside of Bengal, the student movement spread to cities like Bombay, Punjab, and Bihar, among other places. The students celebrated a special day on March 12, 1930, the day Gandhiji began his Dandi March. Students attended the gathering that various leaders, including Jyotindra Mohan Sengupta, hosted. The movement attracted students from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. The armed revolutionary movement also attracted young students from various revolutionary organisations. Benoy, Badal, and Dinesh may be mentioned in this context. To combat the British, these young students turned to violence.

In a last-ditch effort to put an end to the attack, British officers tortured the revolutionaries. The Dalit or Namasudra movement is a further significant movement that needs to be mentioned in this context. The Namasudras were regarded as untouchables in Bengali Hindu society. The social reformers Harichand and Guruchand who fought for the advancement of the namasudras may be mentioned. They were the “Matua” movement’s leaders.

Textual (Oriental)

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Of the following who visited house to house encouraging women to join the Swadeshi cause ?

(a) Nabashashi Sen
(b) Hemantakumari Chaudhuri
(c) Saraladebi Choudhurani
(d) Ashalata Sen

Answer: (d) Ashalata Sen

2. The 73-year old widow who gave the lead in capturing the court and the police station of Tamluk was :

(a) Usha Mehta
(b) Matangini Hazra
(c) Kumudini Bose
(d) Latika Ghosh

Answer: (b) Matangini Hazra

3. Of the following who became the first martyr when he was arrested by the British police?

(a) Pulin Sen
(b) Sachindra Prasad Basu
(c) Gunadhar Hazra
(d) Birendranath Sasmal

Answer: (c) Gunadhar Hazra

4. The person who first used the term dalit to mean Depressed class or Scheduled Caste was .

(a) Ambedkar
(b) Mahatma Gandhi
(c) Jotiba Phule
(d) Harichand Thakur

Answer: (c) Jotiba Phule

True/False

1. The womenfolk did not participate in the anti-Partition agitation.

Answer: False

2. A large number of students in Calcutta demonstrated before the Prince of Wales who came on a visit.

Answer: True

3. Captain Rashid was an officer in the Indian National Army

Answer: True

4. Guruchand Thakur introduced the Mathua religion among the Namasudras of Bengal

Answer: False

Fill in the Blanks

1. A good number of women of Khulna who attended a meeting addressed by _____ Kavya- visharad broke their glass-bangles symbolizing the boycott of foreign goods (Kaliprasanna/ Guruprasanna/ Hariprasanna/ Kalikrishna).

Answer: Kaliprasanna

2. The year 1932 was marked by the heroic activities of young revolutionaries of _____. (Khulna/ Chattagram/ Dhaka/ Jessore).

Answer: Chattagram

3. _____ organized the Anti-Circular Society (Sachindra Prasad Basu/ Kaliprasanna Basu/ Hariprasanna Basu/ Hari Prasad Basu).

Answer: Sachindra Prasad Basu

Match

1. (Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code)

List I	List II
A. Ashalata Sen	1. Home Rule League
B. Annie Besant	2. Swadeshi Movement
C. Usha Mehta	3. Women’s welfare
D. Latika Ghosh	4. Voice of Freedom

Codes:	A B C D
(a)	3 4 1 2
(b)	2 1 4 3
(c)	4 3 1 2
(d)	1 2 3 4

Answer: (b) 2 1 4 3

2. (Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched ?)

(a) Leela Roy — Chhatri Sangha

(b) Kalpana Datta — Chittagong Armoury Raid

(d) Bina Das — Dipali Sangha

Answer: (c) Lakshmi Sehgal — Azad Hind Fauj

Short-answer Type Questions

1. How did the womenfolk of Bengal observe the day of Partition of Bengal on 16 October 1905?

Answer: The womenfolk in general did not turn a deaf ear to the anti-partition movement. The day of Partition (16 October, 1905) was observed by the women throughout Bengal as the day of protest. About five hundred women gathered on the day of Partition in North Calcutta to watch the foundation of the Federation Hall, which was a symbol of unity of the Bengali people.

2. Narrate the incident that immortalized Midnapur of West Bengal during the course of the Quit India Movement.

Answer: In Midnapur district of West Bengal, during the course of the Quit India Movement, the peasants attacked the police stations, and even the communication network was disrupted by destroying telegraph lines. The incident that immortalized Midnapur in the history of the freedom movement was the lead given by Srimati Matangini Hazra, a 73-year old widow, in capturing the court and the police station of Tamluk.

3. Mention the daring feat of revolutionary Pritilata Waddedar of Chittagong.

Answer: The year 1932 was marked by the heroic activities of young revolutionaries of Chittagong (in Bangladesh) under the leadership of Pritilata Waddedar. On 24 September, Pritilata led seven young boy-revolutionaries to make a daring attack upon the Europeans at the Assam-Bengal Railway European Club at Chittagong hills. Pritilata was dressed as a soldier and the others were dressed as coachmen. Under her instruction, all the revolutionaries started firing with revolvers. Suddenly Pritilata got a bullet injury in her breast and fell down on the ground. After handing over her revolver to one of her companions, she herself took potassium cyanide and collapsed there immediately.

4. Why was the Anti-Circular Society organized?

Answer: The British Government made every attempt to suppress the students involved in the Swadeshi agitation. In 1905, a circular, known as the Carlyle Circular, was issued that threatened to penalize those schools and colleges whose students would take part in the Swadeshi agitation. The Anti-Circular Society was formed by Sachindra Prasad Basu in 1905 as a challenge to the Carlyle Circular. It was organized in order to encourage the students to participate in the movement. Besides encouraging the students, the Society made necessary arrangements for imparting education to those students who had been expelled by the government authorities under the Carlyle Circular.

Analytical Answer Type Questions

1. What was the role of Saraladevi in the Indian political struggle against the British?

Answer: Saraladebi spread the gospel of nationalism in Punjab and maintained close links with the Suhrid Samiti of Mymensingh, which was a secret revolutionary society.

2. Write what you know about the aims of the Dipali Sangha.

Answer: The Dipali Sangha was organized by Leela Roy in Dhaka in 1924. The association was set up with the objective of spreading education among women. However, behind this ostensible purpose, the real motive was to initiate the members of the sangha to the revolutionary ideal. The sangha’s work in the field of women’s rights was also remarkable. It aimed at inculcating self-reliance among women and guiding them to sort out their own problems.

3. What was the nature of the students’ role in armed revolutionary struggles?

Answer: The young student revolutionaries did not try to plan a violent revolution involving the masses. Their idea was to strike terror in the hearts of the alien rulers. Although their immediate goal was to end British rule, they could not set forth any alternative plan for government after the British withdrawal. These student revolutionaries mostly belonged to middle-class families, and consequently, a vast majority of common people remained outside their purview.

Explanatory Answer Type Questions

1. What was the role of womenfolk in the anti-Partition Movement of 1905?

Answer: One of the remarkable features of the Swadeshi, an integral part of the anti-partition movement, was the participation of women. Although Professor Sumit Sarkar pointed out that it was limited in extent and that with the exception of Saraladebi Choudhurani no one dreamt of including women in the movement, recent research revealed other significant contributions. Saraladebi spread the gospel of nationalism in Punjab and maintained close links with the Suhrid Samiti of Mymensingh, a secret revolutionary society. Srimati Hemantakumari Choudhury edited the journal Antahpur between 1901 and 1904.

The womenfolk in general also did not turn a deaf ear to the anti-partition movement. The day of Partition (16 October, 1905) was observed by the women throughout Bengal as the day of protest. About five hundred women gathered on the day of Partition in North Calcutta to watch the foundation of the Federation Hall, a symbol of unity of the Bengali people. In Dacca, an eleven-year-old girl, Ashalata Sen, inspired by her grandmother Nabashashi Sen, went house to house encouraging women to join the Swadeshi cause. There were also instances where housewives came out into the open and led processions; for example, Manorama Basu, a young housewife in Barisal, led a procession of women. In Khulna, a good number of women attended a meeting addressed by Kaliprasanna Kavya-visharad, where they broke their glass-bangles symbolizing the boycott of foreign goods. A report in the Bamabodhini Patrika stated, “Women like men are organizing meetings in towns as well as villages to express sorrow at the partition of Bengal; and are taking the swadeshi vows…..” Women also played an important role in the revolutionary phase of the anti-partition movement.

2. Write about the participation of women in the Non Cooperation Movement. What was the importance of Sarojini Naidu’s appointment as the Congress President?

Answer: The interest in politics roused amongst women by the Swadeshi Movement continued in the following decades. London-born Mrs. Annie Besant agitated for India’s cause by founding the Home Rule League in 1916 and became the first lady President of the Indian National Congress in 1917. Her involvement inspired many Indian women to join politics and make immense contributions.

During the Non Co-operation days, Bengali women were led by Basanti Devi, wife of Chittaranjan Das. Under her leadership, a demonstration of women was organized before shops selling foreign goods. Basanti Devi became the President of the Bengal Provincial Congress in 1921. Her close political associate was her sister-in-law, Urmila Debi. Together with Chittaranjan Das’s two sisters, Urmila Devi and Sunita Devi, Basanti Devi established the ‘Nari Karma Mandir’ in 1921, a training centre for women activists. Following Gandhiji’s doctrine of reviving the village economy, Urmila Debi primarily devoted herself to setting up an organization for popularizing spinning and weaving among women. In 1924, Leela Roy organized the Dipali Sangha, ostensibly to spread education amongst womenfolk, but with the real objective of initiating members into revolutionary ideals.

Sarojini Naidu became the Congress President in 1926. She was the first Indian woman to become the Congress President. The importance of Sarojini Naidu’s appointment to this high post was that it served as an inspiration to the womanhood of India. Although the Non Co-operation Movement was abruptly called off after the Chauri Chaura incident, Indian women’s interest in politics did not subside.

3. Write in short about the role of students in the Civil Disobedience Movement. Write in short about the women wing of the Indian National Army.

Answer: Indications of the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement were clear from the demand for Complete Independence raised in the Lahore Congress (1929). In the wake of demonstrations against the Simon Commission in 1927, students of most Calcutta colleges and suburbs went on strike; notably, the girls of Bethune College joined the strike for the first time. With the outbreak of the Civil Disobedience, the student community of Bengal became a formidable force. Between 1930 and 1933, as many as fifteen thousand students were imprisoned by the British for violating section 144 or picketing in front of business establishments. Students of Midnapur played a remarkable role; in Tamluk, thousands of students went on strike for a long 6 months.

Regarding the women’s wing of the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj), the supreme command was formally handed over to Subhas Chandra Bose on 5 July, 1943, in Singapore. In his first public meeting, Subhas Chandra called for women volunteers for a women’s regiment. The proposed regiment was named the Rani of Jhansi Regiment. Thousands of women from the audience rushed to the dias offering services. Lakshmi Sehgal described that Netaji told the womenfolk he was not asking for anything unknown to them, referring to the bravery of women like Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi and the sacrifices of Shanti and Suniti of Comilla, Kalpana Dutta, and Pritilata of Chittagong. From that moment, preparations were made for training the women recruits. The Rani of Jhansi was trained as an infantry regiment.

4. How did Midnapore come to fore during the Quit India Movement?

Answer: Midnapur district of West Bengal came to fore during the Quit India Movement through significant peasant and student actions. The peasants attacked police stations and disrupted the communication network by destroying telegraph lines. An incident that immortalized Midnapur was the lead given by Srimati Matangini Hazra, a 73-year-old widow, in capturing the court and the police station of Tamluk.

Furthermore, the narrative of students’ participation would be incomplete without mentioning the militant action of the youths of Midnapur. The students of Tamluk, Contai (Kanthi), and Midnapur became restive. Young students like Pulin Sen, Birendranath Mal, Srimati Abha Maiti, and many others found an opportunity for open rebellion in Gandhiji’s call. They began to spread the message of militant action and emerged as a leading political force in the region.

5. How did the women in Bengal come to the front line of battle against foreign power?

Answer: Women in Bengal came to the front line of battle against foreign power through active participation in various phases of the freedom movement. During the Swadeshi movement, an integral part of the anti-partition movement, women like Saraladebi Choudhurani spread nationalism, Hemantakumari Choudhury edited the journal Antahpur, and general womenfolk observed the day of Partition as a day of protest, with about five hundred gathering for the foundation of Federation Hall. Young girls like Ashalata Sen encouraged others to join the Swadeshi cause, and housewives like Manorama Basu led processions. Women in Khulna broke their glass bangles symbolizing the boycott of foreign goods, and the Bamabodhini Patrika reported women organizing meetings and taking swadeshi vows. Women also played an important role in the revolutionary phase.

During the Non Co-operation days, Bengali women were led by Basanti Devi, who organized demonstrations before shops selling foreign goods and became President of the Bengal Provincial Congress in 1921. Along with Urmila Devi and Sunita Devi, she established the ‘Nari Karma Mandir’, a training centre for women activists. Urmila Devi popularized spinning and weaving. Leela Roy organized the Dipali Sangha to initiate members into revolutionary ideals.

In the Civil Disobedience Movement, women picketed shops selling foreign goods, and leaders like Kumudini Bose, Latika Ghosh, and Hemalata Tagore promoted women’s welfare and training in useful crafts.

During the Quit India Movement, peasant women protested against the land-system and illegal taxes. In Midnapur, women participated in attacks on police stations and disrupting communication networks. Srimati Matangini Hazra, a 73-year-old widow, gave the lead in capturing the court and police station of Tamluk. Usha Mehta set up a radio transmitter, the Voice of Freedom.

Women also participated in the armed revolutionary struggles, often joining on their own initiative without the encouragement seen in non-violent movements. Pritilata Waddedar led a daring attack on the European Club in Chittagong, and Kalpana Dutta was a member of the Indian Republican Army, Chittagong branch, associated with Surya Sen. Finally, women joined the Indian National Army, forming the Rani of Jhansi Regiment led by figures like Lakshmi Sehgal.

6. Write what you know about Anti-circular Society.

Answer: The British Government made attempts to suppress student involvement in political movements by issuing circulars. In 1905, a circular known as the Carlyle Circular was issued, threatening to penalize schools and colleges whose students took part in the Swadeshi agitation. In response to this and to encourage students to participate in the movement despite the threats, Sachindra Prasad Basu organized the Anti-Circular Society in 1905. He also served as the Secretary of the Society. The Anti-Circular Society was formed as a challenge to the Carlyle Circular. Besides encouraging students to participate in the Swadeshi movement, the Society also made necessary arrangements for imparting education to those students who had been expelled by the government authorities under the terms of the Carlyle Circular.

7. Write about students’ role in the armed revolutionary struggle. What was Sarala Devis’s role in the Indian political struggle against the British?

Answer: The students’ role in the armed revolutionary struggle involved young revolutionaries, mostly belonging to middle-class families, who aimed to strike terror in the hearts of the alien rulers to put an end to British rule. However, they did not try to plan a violent revolution involving the masses and could not set forth an alternative plan of government for after the British withdrawal, leaving a vast majority of common people outside their purview. Notable actions include the activities of Surya Sen (Masterda) and the youths of Chittagong, who raised the standard of rebellion calling themselves the ‘Indian National Army’ and conducted the Chittagong Armoury raid in 1930. Members of the Bengal Volunteers (BV) of Dhaka, like the trio Benoy-Badal-Dinesh, were responsible for terrorist killings, bombing, and the killing of Colonel Simpson in the Writers’ Buildings, known as the Corridor Warfare. Student activists like Bina Das, an organizer of the Chhatri Sangha, attempted revolutionary acts, such as her attempt on the life of the Governor of Bengal, Stanley Jackson, in 1932.

Sarala Devi Choudhurani played a role in the Indian political struggle against the British, particularly during the anti-partition movement. She spread the gospel of nationalism in Punjab and maintained close links with the Suhrid Samiti of Mymensingh, which was a secret revolutionary society. She was noted as an exception by Professor Sumit Sarkar regarding the inclusion of women in the movement at that time.

8. What was the significant of Sarojini Naidu’s appointment as the Congress President?

Answer: The significance of Sarojini Naidu’s appointment as the Congress President in 1926 was that she was the first Indian woman to become the Congress President. Her entry to this high post served as an inspiration to the womanhood of India.

9. Write what you know about the women wing of the Indian National Army.

Answer: The women’s wing of the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) was established following a call by Subhas Chandra Bose on July 5, 1943, in Singapore, shortly after the supreme command of the INA was handed over to him. In his first public meeting, Bose called for women volunteers to form a women’s regiment under the Azad Hind Fauj. The proposed regiment was named the Rani of Jhansi Regiment. Thousands of women from the audience rushed to the dias offering their services. Lakshmi Sehgal vividly described the situation, noting that Netaji reminded the audience of the bravery of women like Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi and the sacrifices made by Shanti and Suniti of Comilla, Kalpana Dutta, and Pritilata of Chittagong for the country’s freedom. From that moment, preparations began for training the women recruits. The Rani of Jhansi regiment was trained as an infantry regiment.

Extras

MCQs

1. Who spread the gospel of nationalism in Punjab?

A. Saraladebi Choudhurani
B. Hemantakumari Choudhury
C. Manorama Basu
D. Ashalata Sen

Answer: A. Saraladebi Choudhurani

2. Who edited the journal Antahpur between 1901 and 1904?

A. Hemantakumari Choudhury
B. Saraladebi Choudhurani
C. Latika Ghosh
D. Kumudini Bose

Answer: A. Hemantakumari Choudhury

3. On which date did women throughout Bengal observe the day of Partition?

A. 16 October 1905
B. 1 August 1905
C. 1 April 1907
D. 15 May 1907

Answer: A. 16 October 1905

4. Which eleven‑year‑old girl encouraged women to join the Swadeshi cause?
A. Ashalata Sen
B. Nabashashi Sen
C. Saraladebi Choudhurani
D. Manorama Basu

Answer: A. Ashalata Sen

5. Who led a procession of women in Barisal during the anti‑partition agitation?
A. Manorama Basu
B. Saraladebi Choudhurani
C. Ashalata Sen
D. Latika Ghosh

Answer: A. Manorama Basu

6. What did women of Khulna break to symbolise the boycott of foreign goods?
A. Glass bangles
B. Golden anklets
C. Silver rings
D. Copper bracelets

Answer: A. Glass bangles

7. Which publication reported women organising meetings and taking Swadeshi vows?
A. Bamabodhini Patrika
B. Amritabazar Patrika
C. The Statesman
D. The Hindu

Answer: A. Bamabodhini Patrika

8. Who founded the Home Rule League in 1916?
A. Annie Besant
B. Sarojini Naidu
C. Basanti Devi
D. Leela Roy

Answer: A. Annie Besant

9. In which year did Annie Besant become the first lady President of the Indian National Congress?
A. 1917
B. 1916
C. 1921
D. 1924

Answer: A. 1917

10. Who led Bengali women’s demonstrations before shops selling foreign goods during Non‑Cooperation?
A. Basanti Devi
B. Urmila Devi
C. Leela Roy
D. Sarojini Naidu

Answer: A. Basanti Devi

11. What was the name of the training centre for women activists set up in 1921?
A. Nari Karma Mandir
B. Chhatri Sangha
C. Dipali Sangha
D. Suhrid Samiti

Answer: A. Nari Karma Mandir

12. In which year did Leela Roy organise the Dipali Sangha?
A. 1924
B. 1921
C. 1917
D. 1930

Answer: A. 1924

13. Who was the first Indian woman to become President of the Indian National Congress?
A. Sarojini Naidu
B. Annie Besant
C. Basanti Devi
D. Leela Roy

Answer: A. Sarojini Naidu

14. Which community’s women in Bombay advocated female education during Civil Disobedience?
A. Parsee and Christian
B. Gujarati
C. Bengali
D. Marwari

Answer: A. Parsee and Christian

15. Which group of women under Gandhiji’s influence aimed at the attainment of Swaraj?
A. Gujarati women
B. Parsee women
C. Christian women
D. Bengali women

Answer: A. Gujarati women

16. Which elderly leader voted for khadi in the streets of Uttar Pradesh?
A. Swarup Rani Nehru
B. Kumudini Bose
C. Latika Ghosh
D. Hemalata Tagore

Answer: A. Swarup Rani Nehru

17. In which district did peasant women attack police stations during Quit India?
A. Midnapur
B. Barisal
C. Khulna
D. Dacca

Answer: A. Midnapur

18. Who led the capture of the Tamluk court and police station?
A. Matangini Hazra
B. Usha Mehta
C. Sarojini Naidu
D. Ashalata Sen

Answer: A. Matangini Hazra

19. On what date was Usha Mehta arrested by the British police?
A. 12 November 1942
B. 9 August 1942
C. 15 August 1942
D. 26 January 1943

Answer: A. 12 November 1942

20. What was the name of the radio transmitter set up by Usha Mehta?
A. Voice of Freedom
B. Radio Swaraj
C. Freedom Radio
D. Voice of India

Answer: A. Voice of Freedom

…continued in next message (questions 21–60)…

21. Who led the raid on the European Club at Chittagong on 24 September 1932?
A. Pritilata Waddedar
B. Kalpana Dutta
C. Leela Roy
D. Sarojini Naidu

Answer: A. Pritilata Waddedar

22. What did Pritilata Waddedar use to end her life after being wounded?
A. Potassium cyanide
B. Arsenic pill
C. Morphine injection
D. Strangulation

Answer: A. Potassium cyanide

23. Who of the following was associated with the Chhatri Sangha?
A. Kalpana Dutta
B. Pritilata Waddedar
C. Sarojini Naidu
D. Basanti Devi

Answer: A. Kalpana Dutta

24. What was the name of the women’s regiment proposed under the Azad Hind Fauj?
A. Rani of Jhansi Regiment
B. Jhansi Battalion
C. Azad Regiment
D. Jhansi Corps

Answer: A. Rani of Jhansi Regiment

25. On which date was supreme command of the Indian National Army handed to Subhas Chandra Bose?
A. 5 July 1943
B. 15 August 1947
C. 26 January 1950
D. 1 January 1944

Answer: A. 5 July 1943

26. Who organised the Anti‑Circular Society in 1905?
A. Sachindra Prasad Bose
B. Bipan Chandra
C. Annie Besant
D. Surya Sen

Answer: A. Sachindra Prasad Bose

27. In which year was the Anti‑Circular Society formed?
A. 1905
B. 1906
C. 1907
D. 1908

Answer: A. 1905

28. Where did students shout Bande Mataram in defiance of a ban during 1906?
A. Barisal
B. Calcutta
C. Dacca
D. Midnapur

Answer: A. Barisal

29. On which dates did the Barisal conference police atrocities occur?
A. 14–15 April 1906
B. 16 October 1905
C. 9–10 August 1942
D. 24–25 September 1932

Answer: A. 14–15 April 1906

30. Which student was almost beaten to death at that conference?
A. Chittaranjan Guha Thakurta
B. Sachindra Prasad Bose
C. Surya Sen
D. Ashalata Sen

Answer: A. Chittaranjan Guha Thakurta

31. In which year did students demonstrate before the Prince of Wales?
A. 1921
B. 1905
C. 1930
D. 1942

Answer: A. 1921

32. What did students display to protest the Prince’s visit?
A. Black flags
B. White flags
C. Red flags
D. Green flags

Answer: A. Black flags

33. Who became the first student martyr when arrested in Tamluk?
A. Gunadhar Hazra
B. Pulin Sen
C. Birendranath Sasmal
D. Sachindra Prasad Bose

Answer: A. Gunadhar Hazra

34. Which college’s girls joined the Civil Disobedience strike for the first time?
A. Bethune College
B. Ripon College
C. Calcutta University
D. Surendranath College

Answer: A. Bethune College

35. Approximately how many students were imprisoned between 1930 and 1933?
A. 15,000
B. 5,000
C. 10,000
D. 20,000

Answer: A. 15,000

36. For how long did Tamluk students remain on strike?
A. 6 months
B. 3 months
C. 1 year
D. 2 months

Answer: A. 6 months

37. On what date did the Quit India Movement begin?
A. 9 August 1942
B. 15 August 1947
C. 16 October 1905
D. 24 September 1932

Answer: A. 9 August 1942

38. Which newspaper reported many students laid down their lives in 1942?
A. Amritabazar Patrika
B. Bamabodhini Patrika
C. The Hindu
D. The Times of India

Answer: A. Amritabazar Patrika

39. Which city’s youths like Pulin Sen and Abha Maiti became militant during Quit India?
A. Midnapur
B. Calcutta
C. Barisal
D. Khulna

Answer: A. Midnapur

40. Who was popularly known as Masterda in Chittagong?
A. Surya Sen
B. Sachindra Prasad Bose
C. Ganesh Ghosh
D. Lokenath Baul

Answer: A. Surya Sen

41. On which date did the Chittagong Armoury Raid occur?
A. 18 April 1930
B. 19 April 1930
C. 24 September 1932
D. 8 December 1930

Answer: A. 18 April 1930

42. Which official did Benoy, Badal and Dinesh assassinate in 1930?
A. Colonel Simpson
B. District Magistrate
C. Governor Stanley Jackson
D. Inspector General

Answer: A. Colonel Simpson

43. In which year did Bina Das attempt to assassinate Governor Stanley Jackson?
A. 1932
B. 1930
C. 1928
D. 1924

Answer: A. 1932

44. On whom did Bina Das attempt an assassination?
A. Stanley Jackson
B. Simon Commission member
C. Colonel Simpson
D. District Magistrate

Answer: A. Stanley Jackson

45. When was Rashid Ali Day observed by students in Calcutta?
A. 11 February 1946
B. 9 August 1942
C. 24 September 1932
D. 18 April 1930

Answer: A. 11 February 1946

46. What was the demand on Rashid Ali Day?
A. Release of Captain Rashid Ali
B. Independence
C. Temple entry
D. Women’s vote

Answer: A. Release of Captain Rashid Ali

47. How many people were killed or injured when police fired at students on Rashid Ali Day?
A. 84
B. 52
C. 108
D. 64

Answer: A. 84

48. Which word originates from the Sanskrit root ‘dal’ meaning oppressed?
A. Dalit
B. Harijan
C. Shudra
D. Panchama

Answer: A. Dalit

49. Who first used the term ‘Dalit’ to mean Scheduled Caste?
A. Jyotiba Phule
B. Dr Ambedkar
C. Mahatma Gandhi
D. Narasimha Mehta

Answer: A. Jyotiba Phule

50. Before which committee did Dr Ambedkar argue for communal representation in 1919?
A. Montague‑Chelmsford Reforms
B. Simon Commission
C. Poona Pact
D. Round Table Conference

Answer: A. Montague‑Chelmsford Reforms

51. In which year was the Mahad Satyagraha led by Dr Ambedkar?
A. 1927
B. 1928
C. 1930
D. 1932

Answer: A. 1927

52. Which movement for temple entry began at Vaikom in 1924?
A. Vaikom Satyagraha
B. Mahad Satyagraha
C. Non‑Cooperation
D. Quit India

Answer: A. Vaikom Satyagraha

53. Who organised the Mahad Satyagraha?
A. Dr Ambedkar
B. Mahatma Gandhi
C. Jyotiba Phule
D. Harichand Thakur

Answer: A. Dr Ambedkar

54. Which agreement resulted from Gandhi’s fast in 1932?
A. Poona Pact
B. Simon Commission Report
C. Round Table Agreement
D. Communal Award

Answer: A. Poona Pact

55. Who was regarded as the ‘father of the Namasudra renaissance’?
A. Guruchand Thakur
B. Harichand Thakur
C. Dr Ambedkar
D. Jyotiba Phule

Answer: A. Guruchand Thakur

56. In which year did Harichand Thakur launch the Namasudra movement?
A. 1872
B. 1907
C. 1924
D. 1919

Answer: A. 1872

57. What religion did Harichand Thakur introduce among the Namasudras?

A. Mathua
B. Bhakti
C. Vaikom
D. Sahlal

Answer: A. Mathua

58. What was the main purpose of Uttaloni Sabha and Harisabhas?

A. Social uplift
B. Tax protest
C. Land reform
D. Women’s rights

Answer: A. Social uplift

59. Which Bhakti saint coined the term ‘Harijan’?

A. Narasimha Mehta
B. Harichand Thakur
C. Surya Sen
D. Jyotiba Phule

Answer: A. Narasimha Mehta

60. Who led a delegation to the Governor in 1907 to appraise him about Namasudra plight?

A. Guruchand Thakur
B. Harichand Thakur
C. Jyotiba Phule
D. Dr Ambedkar

Answer: A. Guruchand Thakur

Questions and Answers

1. Who edited the journal Antahpur from 1901 to 1904?

Answer: Srimati Hemantakumari Choudhury was the one who edited the journal Antahpur between 1901 and 1904.

2. What symbolic action was performed by the women of Khulna to boycott foreign goods?

Answer: The assembled women of Khulna broke their glass-bangles symbolizing the boycott of foreign goods.

3. Who was the first Indian woman President of the Indian National Congress?

Answer: Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman to become the Congress President in 1926.

4. What was the aim behind establishing the Nari Karma Mandir?

Answer: The Nari Karma Mandir was established in 1921, and it was a training centre for women activists.

5. Name the woman revolutionary who set up a radio transmitter during the Quit India Movement?

Answer: During the Quit India Movement, Usha Mehta set up a radio transmitter, known as the Voice of Freedom.

6. Who coined the term “Dalit”?

Answer: The word Dalit was first used by Jyotiba Phule.

7. Where was the Mahad Satyagraha organised?

Answer: The Mahad Satyagraha was organised in Mahad town in Colaba district of south Bombay.

8. What was the objective behind the Vaikom Satyagraha?

Answer: The objective behind the Vaikom Satyagraha, which began in 1924, was for temple entry of the dalits.

9. Who started the Mathua religion?

Answer: Harichand Thakur introduced the Mathua religion.

10. Who succeeded Harichand Thakur as the leader of the Mathua community?

Answer: After the death of Harichand, the leadership of the Mathuas passed on to his son, Guruchand Thakur (1846-1937).

11. Discuss the role of Sarala Devi Choudhurani in spreading nationalism?

Answer: Saraladebi Choudhurani spread the gospel of nationalism in Punjab and maintained close links with the Suhrid Samiti of Mymensingh (in present Bangladesh), which was a secret revolutionary society.

12. Describe the contributions of Basanti Devi in the Non-Cooperation Movement?

Answer: During the Non Co-operation days, the Bengali women were led by Basanti Devi, the wife of Chittaranjan Das (C.R. Das). Under her leadership, a demonstration of women was organized before the shops selling foreign goods. Basanti Devi became the President of the Bengal Provincial Congress in 1921. During the Non Co-operation days, Basanti Devi, along with Urmila Devi and Sunita Devi (two sisters of Chittaranjan Das), established the ‘Nari Karma Mandir’ in 1921, which served as a training centre for women activists.

13. Explain the activities undertaken by Leela Roy through the Dipali Sangha?

Answer: In 1924, Leela Roy organized the Dipali Sangha in Dhaka (capital of Bangladesh). The sangha, or association, was established with the objective of spreading education among women. However, behind this ostensible purpose, the real motive was to initiate the members of the sangha to the revolutionary ideal. The sangha’s work in the field of women’s rights was particularly remarkable. The Dipali Sangha aimed at inculcating self-reliance among women and guiding them to sort out their own problems.

14. Describe the various forms of women’s participation during the Civil Disobedience Movement?

Answer: The participation of women in the Civil Disobedience Movement constituted an important chapter in the history of women’s struggle in the freedom movement. Between 1930 and 1932, women in many places played an important role by conducting picketing in front of shops selling foreign goods. Women’s participation in the Movement took various forms:

(i) Parsee and Christian women residing in Bombay advocated female education.
(ii) Gujarati women, under the influence of Gandhiji, aimed at the attainment of Swaraj and women’s freedom.
(iii) In Bengal, women leaders like Kumudini Bose, Latika Ghosh, and Hemalata Tagore made sincere efforts promoting women’s welfare and training women in some useful crafts.
(iv) In U.P., Swarup Rani Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru’s mother, despite her age, did not hesitate to vote for khadi in the streets.

15. Highlight the role of women during the Quit India Movement with special reference to rural areas?

Answer: Women’s participation in the Quit India Movement took various forms in rural and urban areas. Specifically in the rural areas, peasant women joined the men in lodging protests against the hike in land-revenue and other taxes imposed illegally. Women also protested against the landholders’ rights. In the Midnapur district of West Bengal, during the Quit India Movement, peasants, including women, attacked police stations and disrupted communication networks by destroying telegraph lines. A notable incident that immortalized Midnapur was the lead given by Srimati Matangini Hazra, a 73-year-old widow, in capturing the court and the police station of Tamluk.

16. Discuss the constraints on direct participation of women in armed revolutionary struggles?

Answer: Direct participation of women in the revolutionary movement was not feasible due to certain constraints. First, women were not allowed by their male relatives to join the revolutionary secret societies. Second, the risk was too high to allow women to participate in revolutionary feats on an equal basis with men. Furthermore, unlike the non-violent struggle supported by Gandhiji, there had been no encouragement from any quarter to enthuse women to join the revolutionary struggle. In fact, the revolutionary secret societies made no concerted efforts to encourage the participation of women.

17. Describe the revolutionary activities led by Pritilata Waddedar?

18. Write about Kalpana Dutta’s contributions to the revolutionary activities of Chittagong?

Answer: Like Pritilata Waddedar, Kalpana Dutta of Chittagong also played a very important role in the revolutionary upsurge. Indeed, Kalpana Dutta, later on known as Kalpana Joshi, was one of the leading freedom fighters of the contemporary period. From her very youth, Kalpana became associated with Chhatri Sangha, which was a female students’ organization of Calcutta founded in 1928. She became a member of the Indian Republican Army, Chittagong branch, and was a part of the armed resistance group led by Surya Sen. Kalpana was to accompany Pritilata in the European Club raid, but had been arrested by the police a few days before when she was going to meet Surya Sen. After her release on bail, she went underground in 1933. Later on she was detained and was sentenced to life term imprisonment.

19. What led Subhas Chandra Bose to establish the women’s regiment under the Azad Hind Fauj?

Answer: After the supreme command of the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) was formally handed over to Subhas Chandra Bose on 5 July, 1943 at Singapore, in the very first public meeting, Subhas Chandra called for women volunteers for a woman regiment to be set up under the Azad Hind Fauj. The proposed women’s regiment was named Rani of Jhansi Regiment. Ms. Sehgal writes that Netaji told the audience that he was not asking for anything that was unknown to the womenfolk of India. He referred to the bravery of the women like Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi and others who opposed the British. Also, mention was made of the sacrifice Shanti and Suniti of Comilla, Kalpana Dutta and Pritilata of Chittagong had made to the cause of the country’s freedom. Thousands of women from the audience rushed to the dias offering services, and from that very moment preparations were made for training the women recruits.

20. How did the student community first become significantly involved in Indian political movements?

Answer: In Western countries, students and youths played an important role in political developments. In India, occasionally some students’ groups formed associations, but the matter they discussed was not politics but social reforms and protest against prevailing superstitious beliefs amongst the countrymen. It was not before the twentieth century that the Indian students became involved in politics.

21. Explain the role of students during the anti-partition agitation in Bengal?

Answer: A prominent part was played for the first time by the students in the Swadeshi movement of Bengal that erupted during the anti-partition agitation. Professor Bipan Chandra has said that the student community was perhaps the main creators of the Swadeshi spirit in Bengal. They propagated the Swadeshi and took the lead in organizing picketing in front of the shops selling foreign goods. In an assembly of students held in the Ripon College (presently Surendranath College) in Calcutta, they took a vow to boycott everything foreign. An important event concerning the agitating students was the formation of the anti-Circular Society in 1905 by Sachindra Prasad Bose as a challenge to the Carlyle Circular (1905), which had directed British officials to take stern measures against students involved in politics. Professor Gautam Chattopadhyay referred to an incident during the Provincial Conference at Barisal in 1906 where students defied the District Magistrate’s ban on shouting Bande Mataram, resulting in police atrocities and the severe beating of student Chittaranjan Guha Thakurta.

22. Describe the participation of students in the Non-Cooperation Movement?

Answer: At the call of Mahatma Gandhi, the student community of Bengal participated in a big way in the Non Co-operation Movement. Thousands of students left government schools and colleges and joined national schools and colleges. Gandhiji had no hesitation in saying that he had no doubt that the ‘students of Bengal would give the lead in our sustained struggle for freedom.’ In 1921, when the Prince of Wales came to Calcutta, a large number of students demonstrated before the Prince showing him black flags, and the day of his visit was marked by a complete strike in all schools and colleges. The students’ movement during the Non Co-operation did not remain confined to Calcutta alone. In Tamluk, in Medinipur district of West Bengal, a student leader named Gunadhar Hazra became the first martyr when he was arrested by the British police.

23. What was the impact of the student community during the Civil Disobedience Movement?

Answer: Indications of the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement were clear from the demand for Complete Independence raised in the Lahore Congress (1929). In the wake of the demonstration against the coming of the Simon Commission in 1927, the students of most of the colleges of Calcutta and the suburbs went on strike. Notably, the girls of the Bethune College, for the first time, joined the strike. With the outbreak of the Civil Disobedience, the student community of Bengal became a formidable force. Between 1930 and 1933, as many as fifteen thousand students were imprisoned by the British on the charge of violating 144 or for picketing in front of business establishments. A remarkable role was played by the students of Midnapur during this phase; in Tamluk, thousands of students went on strike for a long 6 months.

24. Discuss the significance of student participation in the Quit India Movement in Bengal?

Answer: Students were very much in the forefront of the Quit India Movement. In the movement, the students of all schools and colleges of Bengal observed general strikes despite police atrocities on them. The Amritabazar Patrika reported that many students laid down their lives in the ’42 Movement. However, in spite of Gandhiji’s non-violence, the Quit India Movement did not proceed along non-violent lines everywhere. In Bengal, militancy had been growing among the common people, and the tendency was heightened under the influence of the students’ activities. In Calcutta, schools and colleges remained closed after 9 August, 1942. The narrative of students’ participation would be incomplete without mentioning the militant action of the youths of Midnapur. The students of Tamluk, Contai (Kanthi) and Midnapur became restive. Young students like Pulin Sen, Birendranath Mal, Srimati Abha Maiti and many others found in Gandhiji’s call an opportunity for open rebellion, began to spread the message of militant action and emerged as a leading political force.

25. Outline the activities of Surya Sen during the Chittagong Armoury raid?

Answer: During the 30s of the twentieth century, Chittagong emerged as an important centre of revolutionary activities under the leadership of Surya Sen, popularly known as Masterda. Some youths of Chittagong under the leadership of Masterda and others (Ganesh Ghosh, Ananta Singha, etc.) raised the standard of rebellion calling them ‘Indian National Army’. The most daring revolutionary feat of Surya Sen was the raid on the Chittagong Armoury on 18 April, 1930. In organizing the raid, Surya Sen was assisted by other revolutionaries like Lokenath Baul, Ganesh Ghosh and others. After the loot of the armoury, the revolutionaries took shelter in the hilly tract of Jalalabad where they engaged in fighting the British forces for quite some time. Under the able leadership of Surya Sen, the revolutionaries were successful in keeping the city free from British control for at least two days.

26. Describe the role and activities of the Bengal Volunteers in the freedom movement?

Answer: At a time when the Chittagong Armoury Raid created a nation-wide stir, the members of the Bengal Volunteers, also known simply as ‘BV’ of Dhaka (Dacca), set an example of terrorist action. The Bengal Volunteers, founded under the initiative of the revolutionary Hem Chandra Ghosh, were responsible for a good number of revolutionary acts. Benoy Krishna Bose, Badal Bose (alias Sudhir) and Dinesh Gupta, the three members of the Bengal Volunteers, are popular by the short trio Benoy-Badal-Dinesh. After committing a series of terrorist killings and bombing, the three were again involved in killing Colonel Simpson, the then Inspector of Prisons. On 8 December, 1930 the three revolutionaries entered the Writers’ Buildings and fatally shot Simpson. The encounter that took place between the police and the revolutionaries became famous in history as the Corridor Warfare. In the encounter, all three were cornered. Badal Bose and Benoy Bose were killed by the police. Dinesh Gupta, however, was brought to trial and hanged to death by a judgement of the Court.

27. What was Bina Das’s role in the revolutionary struggles?

Answer: In her early days, Bina Das was one of the organizers of a student body at the political level, the Chhatri Sangha, started in Calcutta in 1928. During the Civil Disobedience Movement, Bina Das along with other members of the Chhatri Sangha were the major actors in the armed movement. Bina Das was instrumental in organizing the women students of different colleges of Calcutta for participation in the Satyagraha during the Civil Disobedience Movement. In 1932, Bina Das made an attempt on the life of Stanley Jackson, the then Governor of Bengal, though the attempt misfired.

28. Discuss the events and significance of Rashid Ali Day?

Answer: During the popular upsurge between 1945 and 1947, the student community of Calcutta played a very important role, organizing series of protest meetings and processions. On 11 February, 1946, later celebrated as the Rashid Ali Day, a massive students’ agitation was organized in Calcutta. The occasion was the demand raised for the release from prison of Captain Rashid Ali, who had been an officer of the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj). On that day, a strike call was given by the Muslim Students’ League, supported by the Calcutta branch of the All India Students’ Federation (AISF). In the demonstrations and processions organized on the day, the Congress, League and SF flags were seen tied together flying side by side. However, as the passage of the procession was blocked by the police, the student demonstrators squatted on Clive Street. In the night of 11-12 February, the police opened fire in which 84 people died and were injured. The strong anti-British sentiment expressed by the students in their demonstrations was a feature that the countrymen had never seen before.

29. Explain Ambedkar’s views on communal representation for Dalits?

Answer: In Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar, the dalits found a spokesman as they had never found before. Ambedkar’s maiden entry into Indian politics came about in 1919 when he was called to appear before the Franchise Committee working for the implementation of the Reform Act of 1919 (Montague-Chelmsford Reforms). There he argued in favour of communal representation for the dalits. Ambedkar’s next major advocacy for the dalit issue was to the Simon Commission in 1928. During the Round Table Conference in 1930 in London, Dr. Ambedkar expressed that he wanted the dalits to be politically empowered. Contrarily to Gandhiji, Ambedkar, describing the dalits as ‘slaves’, advocated for communal representation of the dalits on the ground that ‘untouchability constitutes a definite set of interests which the untouchables alone can speak for.’ In the two Round Table Conferences, Ambedkar ended up supporting separate electorate for the untouchables (dalits).

30. Discuss the debate between Gandhi and Ambedkar regarding Dalit rights?

Answer: There is little doubt that both Gandhi and Ambedkar were very much aware of the problem of untouchability of the dalits, yet there was sharp difference between the two regarding the dalit issue.

(i) That there was little in common in the perception between the two came to the forefront in the early 30s of the nineteenth century.
(ii) Gandhiji refused to view the dalits as a minority who should be given political safeguards. Rather he considered it essentially a social problem, and that was to be tackled by the Hindu community itself. Contrarily, Ambedkar describing the dalits as ‘slaves’ advocated for communal representation of the dalits on the ground that ‘untouchability constitutes a definite set of interests which the untouchables alone can speak for.’
(iii) Throughout 1920s Ambedkar had a soft spot for Gandhi as he took him as one different from the elitist Brahmanic leaders he (Ambedkar) hated. The real break between the two surfaced during the events of the Round Table Conference of 1932.
(iv) In the two Round Table Conferences Ambedkar ended up supporting separate electorate for the untouchables (dalits). But this proved to be too much for Gandhiji. For him the untouchables were a part of Hinduism, and a separate electorate for them would create a division in Hinduism.

31. What were the primary aims and activities of the Namasudra or Mathua Movement?

Answer: The Namasudra movement was launched in 1872 by Harichand Thakur. What inspired the Namasudras to hold their heads high was the influence of the Bhakti movement and a sect developed around Sahlal Pir in rural East Bengal which challenged the hierarchy of caste. Harichand Thakur tried to unite the Namasudras in the struggle against the exploitation of the Brahmin priests as also the Brahmin zamindars. Harichand also introduced the Mathua religion through which the Namasudras emerged as a united power and grew into the Mathua community. Behind the movement’s superficial religiosity the emphasis was essentially secular. The primary aims of the movement were:

(i) Attainment of perfect peace of mind
(ii) Eradication of social inequality, and
(iii) To uplift the downtrodden.

Harichand also gave as many as twelve instructions to his followers.

After the death of Harichand, the leadership passed to his son, Guruchand Thakur (1846-1937). Under his leadership, the Mathua Movement progressed a lot. He was responsible for the spread of educational institutions for the Namasudras. Besides, Uttaloni Sabha (uplift meeting) and Harisabhas were organized for social uplift of the Namasudras. Guruchand Thakur was able to inspire among the Namasudras a sense of urgency regarding the spread of education. In 1907, under the leadership of Guruchand Thakur, a delegation met the Governor of Bengal and Assam and appraised him about the plight of the Namasudras. The Namasudra or Mathua movement did not ultimately remain confined to social uplift and educational progress of the community. During the early period of the twentieth century the movement acquired political dimension as well.

Ron'e Dutta

Ron'e Dutta is a journalist, teacher, aspiring novelist, and blogger who manages Online Free Notes. An avid reader of Victorian literature, his favourite book is Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. He dreams of travelling the world. You can connect with him on social media. He does personal writing on ronism.

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