Question Discussion & Solution

The correct answer is A. O. Hume.

Key Points

• The Indian National Congress was formed in 1885 by A.O. Hume, an Englishman, and a retired civil servant. 
  • Indian National Congress was established in 1885.
  • The first session of INC was held at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskriti College in Bombay.
  • It was presided over by Womesh Chandra Banerjee.
  • A.O. Hume never served as president of any INC session. 
• George Yule was a Scottish merchant in England and India who served as the fourth President of the Indian National Congress in 1888 at Allahabad. 
  • He was the first non-Indian to hold that office.
  • He was the founder of George Yule & Co. of London and headed Andrew Yule & Co., of Calcutta. He served as Sheriff of Calcutta and as President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce.
• Sir Henry Cotton belonged to a distinguished family who served India for five generations.
  • His great grandfather Joseph Cotton joined the East India Company's mercantile service in the middle of the 18th century and was a Director of the Company for 28 years.
  • He was the president of the INC session of 1903 at Bombay. 
• Sir William Wedderburn was appointed Acting Judicial Commissioner in Sind and Judge of the Sadar Court in 1874.
  • In 1882 he became the District and Sessions Judge of Poona. At the time of his retirement in 1887, he was the Chief Secretary to the Government of Bombay.
  • He was the president of the INC session: 
    • ​Bombay Session of 1889
    • Allahabad Session of 1910

The correct answer is 1-c, 2-a, 3-b.

Key Points 

Additional Information

• Integration of Rajasthan:
  • Before the Independence and integration of Rajputana small states, Rajasthan consisted of twenty-two princely states.
  • Rajasthan includes 19 princely states and three thikanas of Neemrana, Lava and Kushalgarh. 
  • On 1 November 1956, the process of integration got completed.
  • Mohanlal Sukhadia becomes the first chief minister after the integration of Rajasthan. 

The correct answer is option 2 i.e. Prabhakara Vardhana

Key Points

• Prabhakara Vardhana defeated the Gurjaras and extended his control over neighbouring states.
• He belonged to the Pushyabhuti family.
• Around 606 CE Harshvardhan ascended the Throne and ruled till 647 CE.

The correct answer is Surat

Key Points

• The East India Company arrived first at Surat, India in 1608 in the ship Hector commanded by William Hawkins.
• The British established their first Indian factory at Surat (1612).
• Within a few years had established a permanent factory there.
• Surat was the port used by the textile manufacturers of Gujrat and was the most important center for the overseas trade of the Mughal Empire.
• A factory was eventually established at Surat in 1612 when the Portuguese fleet was defeated by the English.

Additional Information

• Cochin: The earliest account of Cochin is derived from the records made by the Chinese traveler, Ma Huan.
  • At the beginning of the XVI century, Cochin was the seat of the Portuguese in India, including the time of the capture of Goa in 1510.
  • Cochin was the first princely state to join India willingly after Independence.
• Calicut: Vasco da Gama sailed on a mission to reach India and open a sea route from Europe to the East.
  • He made numerous stops in Africa before reaching Calicut in 1498.

The correct answer is Abdul Gaffar Khan.

Key Points

• George Yule became the president of INC in 1888 (Allahabad).
• He was the founder of George Yule and Co.
• Alfred Webb became the president of INC in 1894 at the Madras session.
• Nawab Syed Mohammed became the president of INC in 1913 (Karachi).

Additional Information

• In 1885, WC Bannerjee became the first president of INC at the Bombay session.
• In 1886, Dadabhai Naroji became the second president of INC at the Calcutta session.
• In 1887, Badruddin Taiyabji became the third president of INC and also became the first Muslim president of INC at Madras Session.