Civil Services Prep

Prelims 2012 · Modern History and the Freedom Struggle · Question 66

Consider the following statements: The most effective contribution made by Dadabhai Naoroji to the cause of Indian National Movement was that he<br/>1. Exposed the economic exploitation of India by the British.<br/>2. Interpreted the ancient Indian texts and restored the self-confidence of Indians.<br/>3. Stressed the need for eradication of all the social evils before anything else.<br/><br/>Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Answer

1 only

1. Exposed the economic exploitation of India by the British — Correct. Dadabhai Naoroji’s biggest contribution was the Drain Theory, explained in Poverty and Un-British Rule in India, which exposed how British rule impoverished India.

2. Interpreted the ancient Indian texts and restored the self-confidence of Indians — Incorrect. This is associated more with figures like Swami Dayanand Saraswati and Swami Vivekananda, not Naoroji.

3. Stressed the need for eradication of all the social evils before anything else — Incorrect. Naoroji was primarily a moderate nationalist and economic critic of colonialism; this formulation fits social reformers more than him.

Therefore, only statement 1 is correct.

  1. Consider the following statements : I. Pali texts contain the first definite references to coins, e.g.,…
  2. Consider the following statements relating to the use of the place-value system in India : 1. The earliest…
  3. Consider the following statements about the archaeological findings in Harappan towns : I. There is wide…
  4. Which one of the following statements about the Eka Movement and Bardoli Satyagraha is correct ?
  5. Consider the following statements about the Rigvedic period : I. Irrigation from wells allowed agriculture to…
  6. Which of the following pairs of the king and his dynasty in early historical Tamilakam is/are **not**…