UPSC Prelims 2000 Q50: Modern History – Advent Of Europeans & British Expansion
- (a) Revolt of 1857
- (b) Champaran Satyagraha (1917)
- (c) Khilafat and Non - cooperation Movement (1919 - 22)
- (d) August Movement of 1942
Answer: (a) Revolt of 1857
Explanation
Aitchison's remark on Hindus and Muslims
| Event | Hindu-Muslim relations |
|---|---|
| Revolt of 1857 | Hindus and Muslims fought together under Bahadur Shah Zafar |
| Champaran Satyagraha (1917) | Indigo peasants of Bihar; not a Hindu-Muslim issue |
| Khilafat and Non-cooperation (1919-22) | Joint movement, but after Aitchison's time |
| August (Quit India) Movement (1942) | Muslim League stood aside |
Sir Charles Aitchison, a British official of the 19th century and later Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab, wrote of the Revolt of 1857 that 'in this instance we could not play off the Mohammedans against the Hindus'.
The remark admits that the British usual policy of divide and rule had failed in 1857, when sepoys and rebels of both communities rallied round the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar and leaders such as Nana Saheb and Rani Lakshmibai fought alongside Muslim commanders.
Aitchison died in 1896, so he could not have commented on the movements of 1917, 1919-22 or 1942.
Answer: (a) Revolt of 1857.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. Aitchison was admitting that Hindus and Muslims stood together in 1857.
- (b) Incorrect. Champaran was a peasant struggle against indigo planters, and Aitchison had died by then.
- (c) Incorrect. The Khilafat movement came after Aitchison's death in 1896.
- (d) Incorrect. In 1942 the Muslim League kept away from the movement, and Aitchison had long died.
Key point
1857: Bahadur Shah Zafar as the common symbol; British lesson → divide and rule afterwards.
Remember
Aitchison on 1857: 'could not play off the Mohammedans against the Hindus'.
Common mistakes
- Choosing Khilafat-Non-cooperation, the other famous moment of Hindu-Muslim unity.
- Not checking the speaker's lifetime (Aitchison died 1896).
- Thinking 'Mohammedans' points to a 20th-century source.
Exam tip
Check who said it and when: a 19th-century official → 1857.
Sources
- Bipan Chandra — India's Struggle for Independence (Penguin), chapter on the Revolt of 1857
- Rajiv Ahir — A Brief History of Modern India (Spectrum), chapter 'The Revolt of 1857'