UPSC Prelims 2018 Q80: Modern History – Social & Religious Reform Movements
- (a) Swami Dayanand established Arya Samaj.
- (b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan.
- (c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Anandmath.
- (d) Satyendranath Tagore became the first Indian to succeed in the Indian Civil Services Examination.
Answer: (b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan.
Explanation
Chronological Order of Events
| Event | Year |
|---|---|
| (b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neel Darpan | 1860 (published Bengali play on the indigo peasant revolt) |
| (d) Satyendranath Tagore became first Indian in ICS | 1863 |
| (a) Swami Dayanand established Arya Samaj | 1875 (April, Bombay) |
| (c) Bankim Chandra wrote Anandmath | 1882 |
The earliest event: Neel Darpan (1860) - a landmark literary work exposing the atrocities of British indigo planters on Bengali peasants, translated by Michael Madhusudan Dutt and published by Rev. James Long (who was imprisoned for it).
Answer: (b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neel Darpan.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Arya Samaj was established in 1875 - 15 years after Neel Darpan (1860).
- (b) CORRECT. Neel Darpan (1860) is the earliest of the four events.
- (c) Incorrect. Anandmath was published in 1882 - the latest of the four events.
- (d) Incorrect. Satyendranath Tagore joined ICS in 1863 - three years after Neel Darpan.
Key point
19th-century timeline: Neel Darpan (1860, Dinabandhu Mitra), Satyendranath Tagore ICS (1863), Prarthana Samaj (1867), Arya Samaj (1875, Swami Dayanand), Theosophical Society (1875), Anandmath (1882, Bankim), Indian National Congress (1885).
Remember
Of the four events, the earliest is Dinabandhu Mitra's Bengali play Neel Darpan (1860), exposing the atrocities inflicted on indigo peasants by British planters. Satyendranath Tagore joined the ICS in 1863, Swami Dayanand established the Arya Samaj in 1875, and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Anandmath (the source of Vande Mataram) in 1882.
Common mistakes
- Confusing when Arya Samaj was founded (1875) with when Satyarth Prakash was written (1875 also, but Bombay/Rajputana).
- Placing Anandmath earlier - Anandmath (1882) is later than Neel Darpan (1860), Arya Samaj (1875), and Satyendranath's ICS (1863).
- Missing that Neel Darpan sparked outrage that contributed to the abolition of forced indigo cultivation.
Exam tip
Late 19th century literary/social events: Neel Darpan (1860, indigo protest play), Anandmath (1882, Vande Mataram source), Rajmohan's Wife (1864, Bankim's first novel in English), Devdas (1901).
Sources
- NCERT Class 8 - Our Pasts III (Social Reform Movements)
- Bipan Chandra - India's Struggle for Independence (Social Reform Chapters)