Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) with answers on The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919) – Indian History

1. When did the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre take place?

• A) 15th August 1918
• B) 13th April 1919
• C) 23rd March 1920
• D) 26th January 1921
• Answer: B) 13th April 1919

2. Who was the British officer responsible for ordering the firing at Jallianwala Bagh?

• A) Lord Curzon
• B) General Reginald Dyer
• C) Lord Mountbatten
• D) General Cornwallis
• Answer: B) General Reginald Dyer

3. In which city is Jallianwala Bagh located?

• A) Delhi
• B) Lahore
• C) Amritsar
• D) Kolkata
• Answer: C) Amritsar

4. What was the primary reason for the gathering at Jallianwala Bagh on 13th April 1919?

• A) Celebration of Baisakhi
• B) Protest against the Rowlatt Act
• C) A public festival
• D) Support for the British government
• Answer: B) Protest against the Rowlatt Act

5. Approximately how many people were killed in the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre according to official British sources?

• A) 100
• B) 200
• C) 379
• D) 500
• Answer: C) 379

6. Which Indian leader resigned from the Imperial Legislative Council in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?

• A) Mahatma Gandhi
• B) Rabindranath Tagore
• C) Motilal Nehru
• D) Shankaran Nair
• Answer: D) Shankaran Nair

7. What was the immediate reaction of the British government to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?

• A) Apology and compensation
• B) Reward to General Dyer
• C) Declaration of martial law
• D) Dismissal of General Dyer
• Answer: B) Reward to General Dyer

8. Which commission was set up by the British government to investigate the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?

• A) Hunter Commission
• B) Simon Commission
• C) Muddiman Committee
• D) Cripps Mission
• Answer: A) Hunter Commission

9. Which Indian leader returned his knighthood in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?

• A) Jawaharlal Nehru
• B) Subhas Chandra Bose
• C) Rabindranath Tagore
• D) Lala Lajpat Rai
• Answer: C) Rabindranath Tagore

10. What was the Rowlatt Act, which led to widespread protests including the gathering at Jallianwala Bagh?

• A) An act to suppress revolutionary activities
• B) A law for land reforms
• C) A tax regulation act
• D) An act promoting Indian industries
• Answer: A) An act to suppress revolutionary activities

11. How did the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre affect the Indian freedom movement?

• A) Weakened the movement
• B) Strengthened Indian resolve for independence
• C) Led to support for the British
• D) No significant impact
• Answer: B) Strengthened Indian resolve for independence

12. Which political movement gained momentum in India after the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?

• A) Swadeshi Movement
• B) Non-Cooperation Movement
• C) Quit India Movement
• D) Civil Disobedience Movement
• Answer: B) Non-Cooperation Movement

13. How long did General Dyer continue firing at the crowd during the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?

• A) 5 minutes
• B) 10 minutes
• C) 15 minutes
• D) 20 minutes
• Answer: C) 15 minutes

14. Approximately how many rounds of ammunition were fired during the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?

• A) 200
• B) 500
• C) 1,650
• D) 2,200
• Answer: C) 1,650

15. Which well-known Indian freedom fighter was present at the Jallianwala Bagh gathering but escaped unharmed?

• A) Mahatma Gandhi
• B) Jawaharlal Nehru
• C) Bhagat Singh’s uncle, Ajit Singh
• D) Vallabhbhai Patel
• Answer: C) Bhagat Singh’s uncle, Ajit Singh

16. What was the reaction of the British public towards General Dyer after the massacre?

• A) Outrage and condemnation
• B) Support and admiration
• C) Indifference
• D) Demand for his trial
• Answer: B) Support and admiration

17. Which Indian leader famously called the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre “a grave error of judgment”?

• A) Jawaharlal Nehru
• B) Mahatma Gandhi
• C) Winston Churchill
• D) Lord Chelmsford
• Answer: C) Winston Churchill

18. How did the Indian National Congress react to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?

• A) By demanding an independent inquiry
• B) By supporting General Dyer
• C) By forming a military wing
• D) By dissolving itself
• Answer: A) By demanding an independent inquiry

19. What was the significance of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in Indian history?

• A) It marked the end of British rule
• B) It led to the division of Bengal
• C) It became a turning point in the Indian freedom struggle
• D) It established British supremacy
• Answer: C) It became a turning point in the Indian freedom struggle

20. Which of the following was NOT an immediate consequence of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?

• A) Resignation of Indian members from the Viceroy’s Executive Council
• B) A surge in revolutionary activities
• C) Implementation of the Simon Commission
• D) Boycott of British goods
• Answer: C) Implementation of the Simon Commission

21. What was the official response of the British Parliament to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?

• A) Full support to General Dyer
• B) Condemnation and disapproval
• C) Ignorance of the incident
• D) Immediate grant of Indian independence
• Answer: B) Condemnation and disapproval

22. Which prominent figure wrote a series of articles in “Young India” condemning the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?

• A) Jawaharlal Nehru
• B) Mahatma Gandhi
• C) B.R. Ambedkar
• D) Lala Lajpat Rai
• Answer: B) Mahatma Gandhi

23. Which act passed by the British Parliament in 1919 was seen as a direct response to the unrest following the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre?

• A) Government of India Act 1919
• B) Indian Independence Act 1947
• C) Rowlatt Act
• D) Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
• Answer: A) Government of India Act 1919

24. Which British official referred to the massacre as “a monstrous event” and a tragedy?

• A) Lord Curzon
• B) Winston Churchill
• C) Lord Chelmsford
• D) Lloyd George
• Answer: B) Winston Churchill

25. What was the impact of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre on Rabindranath Tagore?

• A) He joined the British administration
• B) He continued his support for British policies
• C) He renounced his knighthood
• D) He led a military campaign against the British
• Answer: C) He renounced his knighthood

26. Which body was created by the Indian National Congress to conduct an independent investigation into the massacre?

• A) Simon Commission
• B) Congress Inquiry Committee
• C) Swaraj Party
• D) Khilafat Committee
• Answer: B) Congress Inquiry Committee

27. What was General Dyer’s justification for the firing at Jallianwala Bagh?

• A) To disperse the crowd peacefully
• B) To teach a moral lesson to the people
• C) To protect the British government
• D) To prevent the spread of rebellion
• Answer: B) To teach a moral lesson to the people

28. What was one of the long-term consequences of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre on British-Indian relations?

• A) Strengthened ties between the two nations
• B) Weakened Indian demands for independence
• C) Led to increased resistance and eventual independence
• D) Cemented British rule in India
• Answer: C) Led to increased resistance and eventual independence

29. Which British house strongly criticized General Dyer’s actions in the aftermath of the massacre?

• A) House of Commons
• B) House of Lords
• C) The British Cabinet
• D) The British Press
• Answer: A) House of Commons

30. What was the significance of the Baisakhi day on which the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre took place?

• A) It was a religious festival
• B) It marked the beginning of the Sikh New Year
• C) It was a day of protest
• D) Both A and B
• Answer: D) Both A and B

These questions cover various aspects of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, from the events leading up to it, the massacre itself, and its immediate and long-term consequences in Indian history.