Gk Questions on Socio-Religious and Political Reform Movements

 

Previous year paper ssc questions  GK Questions| Modern History of India| Socio-Religious and Political Reform Movements  | 

Socio-Religious and Political Reform Movements-Part 1

Daily Online General Knowledge Quiz: Previous year paper gk questions with answers and explanation in English on Socio-Religious and Political Reform Movements of Modern History of India.

1. Tulsidas wrote Ramcharitmanas in the reign of?
A. Babur
B. Akbar
C. Aurangzeb
D. Jahangir

Akbar

Note: Tulsidas is considered to be one of the greatest of the Hindu saints of India. He is considered to be one of the most famous representatives of the Bhakti school of Hinduism. In the year Vikram Samvat 1631 (1575 CE), Tulsidadas started composing the Ramcharitmanas in Ayodhya.

The 'Ramcharitmanas', also called 'Tulsi-krit Ramayan', is an inspiring collection of beautiful couplets.

2. Who was the founder of the 'Prarthana Samaj'?
A. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
B. Swami Vivekananda
C. Dr Atmaram Panduranga
D. Dayananda Saraswati

Dr Atmaram Panduranga

Note: 'Prarthana Samaj' means 'prayer society', was a socio-religious movement founded by Dr Atmaram Panduranga. As a result of Keshav Chandra Sen's visit to Maharashtra, the Prarthana Samaj was founded in 1867. Dr Atmaram Panduranga was one of the prominent leaders. The two main planks of the samaj were worship and social reform.

3. The famous Bhakti Saint who belonged to the royal family of Mewar was?
A. Chaitanya
B. Andal
C. Meerabai
D. Ramabai

Meerabai

Note: Meerabai was one of the greatest saints of 16th century India. She was the only child of Ratna Singh Rathor of Merta. After her husband's death, she devoted herself entirely to religious pursuits.

Her fame as a sincere devotee of Krishna and a patron of men of religion spread far and wide and drew hermits of both sexes from distant places to Chittoor. She remained engrossed in spiritual meditation and in religious music and dance. Meera is said to have composed numerous poems, all of them being devotional songs.

4. Who is called as the 'Prophet of New India'?
A. Dayananda Saraswati
B. Sri Ramakrishna
C. Raja Ram mohan Roy
D. Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda

Note: Swami Vivekananda is called as the 'Prophet of New India'. He was not only the source of inspiration and gentle piety to the common people, but a powerful magnet for sophisticated middle class Westernised men, who were attracted by his utter humility, humanity and spiritual integrity.

In 1893, he went to America and attended the World Parliament of Religions at Chicago. He stayed in America lecturing, establishing Vedanta societies and making disciples.

5. 'Go back to Veddas', this call was given by?
A. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
B. Vivekananda
C. Jyotiba Phule
D. Dayananda Saraswati

Swami Dayananda Saraswati

Note: Swami Dayananda Saraswati originally known as Mula Shankar founded the Arya Samaj in 1875, in Bombay. He wrote Satyartha Prakash(in Hindi) and Veda Bhashya Bhumika.

One of the main messages of Swami Dayanda Saraswati was for Hindus to go back to the roots of their religion, which are the Vedas. By doing this, he felt that Hindus would be able to improve the depressive religious, social, political and economic conditions prevailing in India in his times.

6. Who started the 'Servants of India Society'?
A. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
B. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
C. Surendra Nath Banerjee
D. Dadabhai Naoroji

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Note: Gopal Krishna Gokhale (1866-1915) was a great educationist, humanitarian, social reformer and a great patriot. He went to England and South Africa to further the cause of India's struggle for freedom

The servants of India society was formed in Pune, Maharashtra, on 12th June,1905 by Gopal Krishna Gokhale who left the Deccan Education Society to form this association.

Along with him were a small group of educated Indians, as Natesh Appaji Dravid, Gopal Krishna Deodhar and Anant Patwardhan who wanted to promote social and human development and overthrow the British rule in India.

7. The Rama Krishan Mission was established by?
A. Swami Vivekananda
B. Rama Krishna
C. Mahadev Govind Ranade
D. Keshab Chandra sen

Swami Vivekanda

Note: The Rama Krishna monastic order and mission was officially established on 1st May, 1897 by Swami Vivekananda, the chief disciple of Swami RamaKrishna Paramahamsa (1836-86) of Dakshineshwar. The mission conducts extensive work in health care, disaster relief, rural management, tribal welfare, elementary and higher education and culture.

8. The 'Arya Samaj' was founded by?
A. Swami Dayananda Saraswati
B. Swami Vivekananda
C. Keshav Chandra Sen
D. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Swami Dayananda Saraswati

Note: Arya Samaj is a Hindu reform Movement founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati on 10th April, 1875. He was born as Mula shankar in 1824 in Gujarat.

He was known as the earliest neo-nationalist. He was the first Hindu reformer who turned from defence to attack for protection Hindu Youths from assaults.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati Published his views in his famous work Satyartha Prakash.He gave a wider concept of Aryan religion. He was the first man to advocate concept of swaraj. On 24th June, 1877, the second major Arya samaj was established at Lahore.

9. Which of the following reform movements was the first to be started in the 19th century?
A. Prarthana Samaj
B. Brahmo Samaj
C. Arya Samaj
D. Rama Krishna Mission

Brahmo Samaj

Note: The Brahmo Samaj was the first modern Hindu Reform Movement. It was founded in Calcutta in 1828 by Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833). It was first rationalistic and intellectual movement in India. His belief was one universal God and prayer, meditation, reading from Upanishads was used as a medium to worship God.

There was no place for temple, rituals, sacrifices, priest etc in the samaj and believed in progressive social practices and propagated it.

10. The Kuka Movement started in mid 19th century in?
A. Western Punjab
B. Maharashtra
C. Bengal
D. Madhya Pradesh

Western Punjab

Note: Ram Singh Kuka was the founder of the Kuka Movement. He was strongly opposed to the British rule and started an intense Non-Cooperation movement. Under his leadership, people boycotted English education, mill-made clothes and other imported goods. The Namdhari or Kuka Movement had its origin in the North-West corner of the Sikh kingdom.

The main difference between Namdhari Sikhs and main stream Sikhs is their belief in Jagjit Singh as their living Guru (as opposed to the Guru Granth Sahib, the present Guru of Sikhs). Other differences include being strict vegetarians; placing equal importance between the Guru Granth Sahib and the Dasam Granth, the holy book Written by the 10th Guru, Gobind Singh.

11. When was the all Indian Women's Conference founded?
A. 1924
B. 1925
C.1926
D. 1927

1927

Note: All India Women's Conference was founded in 1927 for the upliftment and betterment of women and children. Its founder members were Maharani Chimnabai Gaekwad Rani Sahiba of Sangli, Sarojini Naidu, Kamla Devi Chattopadhyaya, Lady Dorab Tata etc. It first met at the Ferguson College, Pune on 3rd January , 1927.

Some of the legislative reforms initiated by the AIWC include Sharada Act (1929), Hindu Women's Right to Property act(1937), Factory Act (1947), Hindu Marriage and Divorce Act (1954), Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act(1956), Special Marriage Act(1954), Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act(1956).

12. When did British make English the medium of instruction in India?
A. 1813
B. 1833
C.1835
D. 1844

1835

Note: Lord William Bentinck assumed the office of the Governor-General in 1828. He implemented many reforms like abolition of Sati, suppression of thugi, abolition of female infanticide. He introduced Western or English education in India in 1835. Macaulay's Minute formed the basis for the reforms introduced in the English Education Act of 1835.

13. Who was the founder of Aligarh Movement?
A. Sri Agha Khan
B. Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali
C. Maulana Shibli
D. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

Note: Aligarh Movement was the movement led by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan to educate the Muslims of the South Asia after the defeat of the rebels in Indian rebellion of 1857.

Its most significant achievement was the establishment of Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh, which later became Aligarh Muslim university.

It was a reformist movement founded with prime focus to modernise Indian Muslims. He was convinced that in order to get larger share is government of modern education was a must. He tried to modernise Muslim community and propagated his ideas through his writings in the journal named Tahzib-al-Akhlaq.

14. The founder of the 'Brahmo-Samaj' was?
A. Swami Dayananda Saraswathi
B. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
C. Raja Ram Mohan Roy
D. Swami Vivekananda

Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Note: Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded Brahmo Sabha on 20th August,1828. It was renamed Brahmo Samaj about a year later. It was first rationalistic and intellectual Movement in India.

It was for the reformation of the prevailing Brahmanism of the time and began the Bengal Renaissance of the 19th century pioneering all religious, social and educational advance of the Hindu community in the 19th century. After the death of Raja Ram Mohan Roy in 1833, the samaj found a new leader Debendranath Tagore, who joined Brahmo Samaj in 1842 and infused a new life into it.

15. Raja Ram Mohan Roy organised a historic agitation against the?
A. caste system
B. evil custom of sati
C. degrading position of women in society
D. practice of superfluous religious rituals

evil custom of sati

Note: The central figure in social and cultural awakening was Raja Ram Mohan Roy. He is the father of Indian renaissance, He was a man of versatile genius. He was rightly regarded as the first great leader of Modern India. Although , he was born in an orthodox family, he was liberal and rational to the core.

The best example of his life long crusade against social evils was the historic agitation, he organised against the inhuman custom of women becoming sati.

When the orthodox Hindus petitioned to parliament to withhold its approval of William Bentinck's action of banning the rite of sati, he organised a counter-petition of enlightened Hindus in favour of Bentinck's action.