Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) with answers on “The Simon Commission (1928) – Indian History”

1. What was the primary purpose of the Simon Commission?

• A) To discuss India’s independence
• B) To assess the functioning of the Government of India Act 1919
• C) To establish universities in India
• D) To promote British culture in India
• Answer: B) To assess the functioning of the Government of India Act 1919

2. When did the Simon Commission arrive in India?

• A) 1925
• B) 1928
• C) 1930
• D) 1931
• Answer: B) 1928

3. Why was the Simon Commission boycotted by Indians?

• A) It proposed oppressive laws
• B) It did not include any Indian members
• C) It was in favor of Indian independence
• D) It sought to abolish Indian political parties
• Answer: B) It did not include any Indian members

4. Who was the chairman of the Simon Commission?

• A) Clement Attlee
• B) Lord Simon
• C) John Simon
• D) Winston Churchill
• Answer: C) John Simon

5. Which slogan became popular during the protests against the Simon Commission?

• A) “Do or Die”
• B) “Quit India”
• C) “Simon Go Back”
• D) “Inquilab Zindabad”
• Answer: C) “Simon Go Back”

6. Which prominent Indian leader led the protest against the Simon Commission in Lahore?

• A) Mahatma Gandhi
• B) Jawaharlal Nehru
• C) Lala Lajpat Rai
• D) Sardar Patel
• Answer: C) Lala Lajpat Rai

7. What was the reaction of the British government to the Indian boycott of the Simon Commission?

• A) Immediate withdrawal of the commission
• B) Agreement to include Indian members
• C) Repression of the protests
• D) Grant of Indian independence
• Answer: C) Repression of the protests

8. Which committee was formed by the Indian National Congress as a response to the Simon Commission?

• A) Cripps Committee
• B) Nehru Report Committee
• C) Hunter Committee
• D) Cabinet Mission
• Answer: B) Nehru Report Committee

9. Lala Lajpat Rai was severely injured during the protests against the Simon Commission. What eventually happened to him?

• A) He recovered fully
• B) He was imprisoned
• C) He died due to his injuries
• D) He left India
• Answer: C) He died due to his injuries

10. Which year did Lala Lajpat Rai succumb to the injuries inflicted by the police during the Simon Commission protests?

• A) 1927
• B) 1928
• C) 1929
• D) 1930
• Answer: B) 1928

11. The Simon Commission led to the formulation of which important Indian constitutional document?

• A) Poona Pact
• B) Nehru Report
• C) August Offer
• D) Lahore Resolution
• Answer: B) Nehru Report

12. Which British official was responsible for the brutal police action during the Simon Commission protest in Lahore?

• A) General Dyer
• B) James A. Scott
• C) Lord Irwin
• D) Lord Simon
• Answer: B) James A. Scott

13. What did the Nehru Report, drafted in response to the Simon Commission, primarily demand?

• A) Full independence
• B) Dominion status
• C) Complete British rule
• D) Partition of India
• Answer: B) Dominion status

14. The Simon Commission was a precursor to which major constitutional development in India?

• A) Government of India Act 1935
• B) Indian Independence Act 1947
• C) Cripps Mission
• D) Round Table Conferences
• Answer: A) Government of India Act 1935

15. Which British Prime Minister appointed the Simon Commission?

• A) Ramsay MacDonald
• B) Winston Churchill
• C) Neville Chamberlain
• D) David Lloyd George
• Answer: A) Ramsay MacDonald

16. Which prominent leader was NOT a part of the Indian protests against the Simon Commission?

• A) Mahatma Gandhi
• B) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
• C) Subhas Chandra Bose
• D) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
• Answer: B) Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Tilak had passed away in 1920)

17. The Simon Commission recommended the abolition of which dual system introduced by the Government of India Act 1919?

• A) Dyarchy in provinces
• B) Federal system
• C) Separate electorates
• D) Reserved seats
• Answer: A) Dyarchy in provinces

18. Which Indian leader criticized the Simon Commission by stating, “a committee of the British Parliament to be sent to India to make inquiries, report on conditions, and make recommendations”?

• A) Mahatma Gandhi
• B) Jawaharlal Nehru
• C) B.R. Ambedkar
• D) Mohammad Ali Jinnah
• Answer: D) Mohammad Ali Jinnah

19. What was the main demand of the Indian National Congress concerning the Simon Commission?

• A) Immediate Indian independence
• B) Reforms in British governance
• C) Complete boycott and rejection
• D) Support for the commission’s recommendations
• Answer: C) Complete boycott and rejection

20. Which prominent youth leader played a significant role in the protests against the Simon Commission?

• A) Subhas Chandra Bose
• B) Bhagat Singh
• C) Jawaharlal Nehru
• D) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
• Answer: B) Bhagat Singh

21. Which report, formulated as an alternative to the Simon Commission, suggested the establishment of a federal government in India?

• A) Cripps Report
• B) Nehru Report
• C) August Offer
• D) Cabinet Mission Report
• Answer: B) Nehru Report

22. Who was the main author of the Nehru Report that responded to the Simon Commission?

• A) Jawaharlal Nehru
• B) Motilal Nehru
• C) Mahatma Gandhi
• D) Vallabhbhai Patel
• Answer: B) Motilal Nehru

23. The Simon Commission report led to which significant constitutional proposal in 1930?

• A) Cripps Mission
• B) First Round Table Conference
• C) Second Round Table Conference
• D) Third Round Table Conference
• Answer: B) First Round Table Conference

24. Which political party in India supported the Simon Commission?

• A) Indian National Congress
• B) Muslim League
• C) Hindu Mahasabha
• D) Justice Party
• Answer: D) Justice Party

25. Which famous event occurred as a direct consequence of the Simon Commission’s arrival in India?

• A) Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
• B) Dandi March
• C) Lahore Resolution
• D) Lathi charge on Lala Lajpat Rai
• Answer: D) Lathi charge on Lala Lajpat Rai

26. Which slogan was popularized by the Indian youth during the protests against the Simon Commission?

• A) “Inquilab Zindabad”
• B) “Jai Hind”
• C) “Vande Mataram”
• D) “Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna”
• Answer: D) “Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna”

27. Which Indian leader later praised the youth for their courage during the Simon Commission protests?

• A) Mahatma Gandhi
• B) Jawaharlal Nehru
• C) Subhas Chandra Bose
• D) C. Rajagopalachari
• Answer: B) Jawaharlal Nehru

28. Which British act was introduced as a result of the Simon Commission’s recommendations?

• A) Rowlatt Act
• B) Government of India Act 1935
• C) Indian Independence Act 1947
• D) Vernacular Press Act
• Answer: B) Government of India Act 1935

29. The Simon Commission’s arrival in India marked the beginning of which phase of the Indian freedom struggle?

• A) Revolutionary phase
• B) Constitutional reforms phase
• C) Civil disobedience phase
• D) Armed struggle phase
• Answer: B) Constitutional reforms phase

30. In which city did the Simon Commission face the most intense opposition?

• A) Bombay
• B) Delhi
• C) Lahore
• D) Calcutta
• Answer: C) Lahore

These MCQs cover various aspects of the Simon Commission, including its purpose, response, key events, and outcomes, providing a comprehensive understanding of this significant event in Indian history.