Key MCQ Questions for Class 10 Nationalism in India - 2025-26 Exam Prep
FAQs on Class 10 Social Science MCQs: Nationalism in India Chapter 2025-26
1. What is the Rowlatt Act? Explain why it is considered one of the most important questions for 3 marks from Chapter 3, Nationalism in India?
The Rowlatt Act of 1919 was a legislative act passed by the Imperial Legislative Council in Delhi. It is a frequently asked question because it was a pivotal moment in the Indian freedom struggle. For a 3-mark answer, you should include these points:
- Purpose: It gave the British government enormous powers to repress political activities.
- Provisions: It allowed for the detention of political prisoners without trial for a period of two years.
- Impact: It led to widespread anger and opposition across India, with Mahatma Gandhi calling for a nationwide hartal and launching the Rowlatt Satyagraha, marking a significant escalation in the nationalist movement.
2. Explain the key features and course of the Civil Disobedience Movement. Why is this a probable 5-mark question for the 2025-26 board exam?
The Civil Disobedience Movement is a high-weightage topic often appearing as a 5-mark question. A comprehensive answer should cover its launch, methods, participation, and limitations. Key points to include are:
- Launch: Started by Mahatma Gandhi with the historic Dandi March (Salt March) in 1930, breaking the salt law which symbolised British oppression.
- Methods of Protest: It involved the non-payment of taxes, boycotting of British goods and institutions (like schools and courts), and peaceful defiance of colonial laws.
- Widespread Participation: The movement saw active participation from various social groups, including peasants, women in large numbers, and business classes.
- Government's Response: The British government responded with brutal repression, arresting thousands of leaders and satyagrahis, including Gandhi himself.
- Conclusion: The movement was called off with the Gandhi-Irwin Pact in 1931, where Gandhi agreed to attend the Second Round Table Conference, although the movement was later resumed.
3. How did the First World War help in the growth of the National Movement in India?
The First World War acted as a significant catalyst for the Indian nationalist movement in several ways:
- Economic Hardship: The war led to a huge increase in defence expenditure, which was financed by war loans and increased taxes. Customs duties were raised and income tax was introduced, causing extreme hardship for the common people.
- Forced Recruitment: Villagers were called upon to supply soldiers, and the forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger.
- Price Rise: Prices of essential goods doubled between 1913 and 1918, adding to the public's suffering.
- Spread of Nationalism: Indian soldiers returning from the war were exposed to new ideas of democracy and self-determination, which they spread in their communities, fuelling nationalist sentiments.
4. Why did different social groups join the Non-Cooperation Movement? Explain their varying interpretations of 'Swaraj'.
Different social groups joined the Non-Cooperation Movement with their own unique aspirations, interpreting the call for 'Swaraj' (self-rule) differently. This is a higher-order thinking question that tests analytical skills.
- Middle Class in Towns: They envisioned Swaraj as freedom from British administrative and economic control. They boycotted foreign goods, schools, and courts, hoping to replace British institutions with Indian ones.
- Peasants in the Countryside: For peasants in places like Awadh, Swaraj meant fighting against the oppressive system of talukdars and landlords who demanded high rents and forced labour (begar).
- Tribal Peasants: In regions like the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh, tribals interpreted Swaraj as the right to enter forests to graze their cattle and collect firewood and fruits, which had been restricted by colonial forest laws.
- Plantation Workers: For plantation workers in Assam, freedom meant the right to move freely in and out of the confined spaces of the tea gardens and a hope that they would be given land in their own villages under 'Gandhi Raj'.
5. How did leaders create a sense of collective belonging among Indians during the freedom struggle?
Creating a sense of collective belonging was crucial for uniting a diverse country against a common enemy. Leaders used various cultural processes and symbols to achieve this:
- Symbolism in Images: The image of Bharat Mata, first created by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and later famously painted by Abanindranath Tagore, gave a visual identity to the nation.
- Nationalist Folklore: Leaders collected and recorded folk songs, tales, and legends to revive a sense of pride in India's traditional culture, which they believed had been damaged by colonialism.
- Design of the National Flag: A tricolour Swadeshi flag was first designed during the Swadeshi movement. Later, Gandhi designed the Swaraj flag (a tricolour with a spinning wheel in the centre), which became a powerful symbol of defiance.
- Reinterpretation of History: Nationalists wrote about India's glorious past and achievements in arts, science, and governance to counter the British portrayal of Indians as backward and incapable of self-rule.
6. From which key topics in 'Nationalism in India' are important questions frequently asked in the CBSE Class 10 board exams?
For the CBSE Class 10 Social Science exam, important questions from 'Nationalism in India' are consistently framed from a few core areas. Students should focus on:
- The impact of the First World War on India.
- Gandhiji's idea of Satyagraha and his early movements (Champaran, Kheda, Ahmedabad).
- The Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
- The course and withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
- The objectives and methods of the Civil Disobedience Movement, especially the Salt March.
- The participation of different social groups and their interpretation of Swaraj.
- The development of a sense of collective belonging through symbols and history.
7. What are some expected 1-mark or MCQ-type important questions from the chapter Nationalism in India?
For very short answer or MCQ questions, focus on specific facts, dates, and personalities. Expected questions for the 2025-26 exam could be on:
- The author of the book 'Hind Swaraj' (Mahatma Gandhi).
- The year the Jallianwala Bagh incident took place (1919).
- The leader of the peasant movement in Awadh (Baba Ramchandra).
- The president of the Muslim League in 1930 (Sir Muhammad Iqbal).
- The meaning of 'begar' (forced labour without payment).
- The pact that led to the calling off of the Civil Disobedience Movement (Gandhi-Irwin Pact).
8. Why did the Non-Cooperation Movement, which started with wide urban support, gradually slow down in the cities?
The Non-Cooperation Movement slowed down in cities for several practical and economic reasons. This is a critical analysis question often asked to test a deeper understanding of the movement's limitations.
- Lack of Indian Alternatives: While people boycotted British goods, Khadi cloth was often more expensive than mass-produced mill cloth, making it unaffordable for the poor.
- No Alternative Institutions: Similarly, the boycott of British institutions posed a problem. There were no alternative Indian educational institutions for students and teachers to go to. Lawyers could not sustain their families for long without returning to British courts.
- Loss of Momentum: The initial enthusiasm waned over time as the economic pressures of the boycott became too difficult for many to bear, leading to a gradual return to government-run schools and workplaces.
