CAPF Answerkey 2015: History & Culture Questions solved with Explanations- Major focus on Freedom Struggle GK

1. Observations about 17 History-culture Qs in CAPF-2015
2. Toughness of the History Questions
3. Culture related (3 Qs)
4. Freedom struggle: Socio-Reforms(3 Qs)
5. Freedom Struggle: Gandhi (2 Qs)
6. Freedom Struggle: organizations (3 Qs)
7. Freedom Struggle: Extremists/Communists (2 Qs)
8. Freedom Struggle: Movements / Campaigns (4Qs)

Observations about 17 History-culture Qs in CAPF-2015

• Only 3 questions in culture, out of them 2 quite easy – directly available in Lucent GK (English) | (Also available in Hindi) / Tamilnadu Class11 textbook.
• Otherwise 14 MCQs from Freedom struggle only. (~1/10^th of the paper)
• 1-1 verbatim questions each from Sumit Sarkar and From Plassey to Partition (English) | also available in Hindi. Perhaps a hint of “things to come” in CSAT-2015? only 23^rd August can tell.
• 4-5 Questions from Bipan Chandra, but required good recalling power of GK-factoids.
• Overall, looks easy but rather challenging paper in history portion. UPSC examiner did not go for random academic (google) books, but used conventional reference books to come up with tough questions, by focusing on *not so famous* movements and freedom fighters.
• Strategy for next year? Lucent GK (English) | (Also available in Hindi) + maximum practice of MCQs given in general studies manuals. If simultaneously preparing for UPSC civil services (And have plenty of free time), then go through Sumit Sarkar and From Plassey to Partition (English) | also available in Hindi as well.
• Page number may vary in Spectrum, depending on Edition. I’ve used booklet “C” for Question Numbers. Answerkey Credit:Mr. Brijesh Patel

Toughness of the History Questions

Home rule movement statements	Easy because available in Lucent GK (English) or Tamilnadu Textbook Class11/12 or Spectrum History Book (English)
Gandhi-first hunger strike
RIN mutiny
Atlee and Partition
Amarsimha, the lexigrapher
Tolkappiyam, the tamil grammar book
Gandhi-Irwin pact
Movement vs. Mass	Easy to medium depending on your GK power
Freedom fighter vs. Political party match	medium to tough depending on your GK power
Peasant movement vs. leader	medium to tough depending on your GK power
Pslams sung by women	Tough
Quit India phases	Tough and trap question, lifted from From Plassey to Partition (English)
Vasudeo Phadke	Tough, because lifted verbatim from Sumit Sarkar book. Sumit Sarkar was a hot book for UPSC prelims back in pre-CSAT era but CAPF level exams, usage of this book is unexpected!
Women edu. Champions	Tough, because not so famous persons asked
Tilak	Tough, depending on your GK power of recalling chronological order
Communist leader	Tough, GK type question from not-so-famous leaders, asked from Bipan Chandra
Arya Samaj split	Tough, hardly any book talks about this topic

Culture related (3 Qs)

Q9. Which one of the following is believed to be a compilation of the psalms sung by the women?

1. Sumangalavilasini
2. Therigatha
3. Stridharmapaddhati
4. Ritusamhara

From the Fragmented information in various google books, following is derived

Sumangalavilasini	Buddhaghosa’s Commentary on Digha-nikaya
Therigatha	plasm of the sisters / songs of the nuns (Buddhist nuns)
Stridharmapaddhati	manual for “perfect wife”- how to worship husband as god etc.
Ritusamhara	an account of seasons by Kalidasa

So, among the given – most appropriate is option “B” Therigatha.

Q14. Amarasimha is the name of a:

1. famous lexicographer of ancient India
2. Rajput king of Chalukya lineage
3. poet mentioned by Kautilya in his Arthashastra
4. dance form of Odisha

During Gupta period, The Buddhist author Amarasimha compiled a lexicon called Amarakosa. Says Tamilnadu Class11 page 108. Another source: Lucent GK (English) page 43. Either way, Answer is “A”.

Q15. The Tolkappiyam is the name of:

1. a step-well of Western India
2. the book on Tamil grammar
3. a collection of Tamil bhakti poems
4. a collection of Kannada poems

Answer- B Tamilnadu Class 11 History textbook and Lucent GK (English) page 40.

Freedom struggle: Socio-Reforms(3 Qs)

115. Balgangadhar Tilak was associated with :

1. Poona Sarvajanik Sabha
2. The Age of Consent Bill
3. Gaurakshini Sabha
4. Atmiya Sabha

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1, 2 and 4
3. 3 and 4
4. 2 and 4 only

Atmiya sabha timing 1815 so Tilak association not possible, he was born in 1856. By Eliminating option A remains.
60. In 1893, there occurred a split in the Arya Samaj on the issue(s) of :

1. Meat-eating vs vegetarianism
2. Caste system and widow remarriage
3. Shuddhi of converts
4. Anglicised vs Sanskrit-based education

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1, 3 and 4
2. 2 and 4
3. 1 and 4 only
4. 1 only

Answer- D: In 1893 Arya Samaj split over linked issues of Vegetarianism and cow protection. Page 152 A Concise History of Modern India by Metcalf & Metcalf.

75. Who among the following were well known as champions of women’s education in colonial India ?

1. Sister Subbalaksmi
2. Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain
3. Keshub Chandra Sen
4. Ananda Coomaraswamy

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

5. 1, 2, 3 and 4
6. 1, 2 and 3 only
7. 3 and 4 only
8. 1 and 2 only

As per google books- Sister Subbalakshmi setup a school for young high caste widows in Madras. So 1 is right. I’m unable to find any specific reference which says Ananda Coomaraswamy did xyz magnificent thing for women education. He was mainly focused on teaching the western world good things about Indian culture. So, 1 is right and 4 is not right – there is only one such option B: 1,2 and 3 correct.

Freedom Struggle: Gandhi (2 Qs)

Q8. Which one of the following statements about the Gandhi-Irwin Pact is NOT correct?

1. Gandhi wrote a letter seeking an interview with the Viceroy
2. Civil Disobedience movement was to be discontinued
3. The imprisoned freedom fighters were to be released
4. All the lands that had been confiscated were to be returned to the original owners

Ans. Spectrum History Book (English)– Page 174 mentions B to D, so only “A” is left and that’s the answer.

64. Where and when did Mahatma Gandhi first use his method of hunger-strike to achieve a desired goal ?

1. At Natal in South Africa in the year 1906
2. At Champaran in the year 1917
3. At Ahmedabad in the year 1918
4. At Cape Town in South Africa in the year 1906

Gandhi’s first hunger strike was in 1913 to atone for immoral behavior of his friends. Then in 1918, he fasted to protest for low wages of mill workers in A’bad. says this google book.

Another source Spectrum History Book (English) page 124.although it doesn’t mention the word “first”. Bipan Chandra page 180 implies it was the first.

Anyways, Among the given options, “C” would be most appropriate.

Freedom Struggle: organizations (3 Qs)

1.Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists:

List-I (Person)	List-II (Political Party)
A. B.R. Ambedkar	1.Pakistan Muslim League
B.Sikander Hayat Khan	2.Krishak Praja Party
C.Fazlul Huq	3.Unionist Party
D.Khaliquzzaman	4.Independent Labour Party

Answer choices:

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

B.R.Ambedakar – Indipendent labour Party. Fazlul HAq- Krishak Praja Party. There is only one option where A4C2 observed. so By eliminating correct answer is B.

52. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists :

List-I (Movement)	List-II (Mass base/Following)
A. Bardoli Satyagraha	1. Bargadars
B. Tebhaga	2. Kaliparaj
C. Satyasodhak	3. Mundas Samaj
D. Ulgulan	4. Kunbi peasantry

Answer choices:

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

Lucent GK (English), ready reference data given in last part of the book:

• Spectrum History Book (English)– ready reference data: Bardoli = Kanbi Patidar peasants: A4. but there is no such option matching.
• But, as per Mrunal’s land reform article series:: Bardoli Satyagraha also aimed for social upliftment of Kaliparaj caste- who worked as landless laborers. That means, A2
• Tebhaga was Rich farmers (Jotedars) vs. Sharecroppers (Bargadar) So B1. And Birsa Munda’s Ulgulan (1899) involved Munda tribals. so,
• A2B1D3=only seen in option (b) so, by elimination the Answer is B.

56. Which one of the following was NOT the feature of the Home Rule movement in India?

1. Boycott and Picketing
2. Two separate Home-Rule Leagues rather than one All-India Home-Rule Organisation
3. Setting up of discussion groups and reading rooms
4. Sale and circulation of pamphlets

Ans.A Spectrum History Book (English)– Page 104 and 105- statements from b to D are right. that means “A” was not the feature.

Freedom Struggle: Extremists/Communists (2 Qs)

69. Which of the following were the main influences on Vasudeo Balvant Phadke ?

1. Experience of the Deccan famine of 1876-77
2. Hindu revivalism
3. Theory of Drain of Wealth
4. Reformist idea of Phule

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1. 1, 2 and 3
2. 2, 3 and 4
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 2 and 4 only

Sumit Sarkar Page 41: he was a clerk who seems to have been influenced by

Ranade’s lectures on drain of wealth (#3), experience of Deccan Famine (#1) and growing Hindu revivalist mood (#2). accordingly, the answer is #A.

74. Who among the following was NOT a Communist leader in colonial India ?

1. P. C. Roy
2. S. A. Dange
3. Muzaffar Ahmad
4. Singaravelu

As per Bipan Chandra Ch.24. The rise of left wing- page 197

Leader	Region	communist pamphlet
S.A.Dange	Bombay	Gandhi and Lenin
Muzaffar Ahmad	Bengal	Navayug, Langal
M.Singaravelu	Madras	Labour-Kisan Gazette

That means only “A” is left, so he can’t be a ‘leftist’ leader! Google reveals P.C. Roy was not communisis leader. He was the founder ofBengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, India’s firstpharmaceuticalcompany, so answer is “A”

Freedom Struggle: Movements / Campaigns (4Qs)

109. Which of the following represents the main phases of the Quit India Movement ?

1. Strikes, boycotts, and picketing in urban centres
2. Widespread attacks in rural areas on the many symbols and means of colonial rule and authority, e.g. railways, telegraph lines, and Government buildings
3. Formation of Home Rule leagues
4. The ‘Karnataka method’

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2, 3 and 4
3. 1, 2 and 4
4. 1 and 4 only

From From Plassey to Partition (English) page 416– as per Sumit Sarkar, Quit India movement had 3 phases, and accordingly statement 1, 2 and 4 are right. Hence option “C”
112. Which of the following was / were NOT part/parts of the RIN Mutiny ?

1. Indian National Army
2. HMIS Talwar
3. Hunger strike by naval ratings
4. Lord Irwin

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1. 1 and 2
2. 2 and 3
3. 1 and 4
4. 4 only

Answer is “D” because RIN happened in 1946, so Lord Irwin not associated with it.

121. Which one of the following statements concerning the Freedom and Partition of India is NOT correct?

1. In February 1947, British Prime Minister Attlee announced that the British were not going to transfer power to Indians, come what may
2. Lord Wavell advocated total withdrawal of the British from India by 31 March, 1948
3. It was Lord Mountbatten who speeded up the process of transfer of power
4. The Plan Balkan was abandoned on account of Nehru’s opposition to it

Answer A, because Attlee – agreed in transfer of power with deadline 30 june 1948 (Spectrum History Book (English) page 234) so Option “A”.

124.Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists:

List-I (Peasant Movement)	List-II (Leader/Follower)
A.Bakasht Land Movement	1.Baba Ramchandra
B.Eka Movement	2.Kunhammed Haji
C.Mappila Rebellion	3.Madari Pasi
D.Avadh Kisan Sabha Movement	4.Karyanand Sharma

Code:

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

• Mrunal’s land reform article series. Eka Movement – Madari Pasi –so B3
• Bipan Chandra page 202: Kunhammad Haji was associated with Mappila rebellion and ensured Hindus were not looted or molested. So C2.
• Bipan Chandra page 349: Karyanand Sharma led Bakasht Land movement in Monghyr district. So, A4
• A4B3C2: Accordingly, the answer is “A”.