Modern History · Chapter 10 of 52

Social and Religious Movements: BPSC Prelims PYQs

34 previous-year questions on Social and Religious Movements, asked 1994–2024. Each one opens to its answer and explanation.

1. 1. 40th BPSC Prelims 1995 · 47th BPSC Prelims 2005

   Which category of population was primarily attracted by the religious reform movements of the nineteenth century?

   • (i) Intellectuals
   • (ii) Urban upper castes
   • (iii) Poor ordinary class
   • (iv) Liberal princes

   Choose your answer from the given code:

   1. AOnly i
   2. Bi and ii
   3. Ci, ii and iii
   4. Di, ii and iv
   Answer and explanation →

2. 2. 56th–59th BPSC Prelims 2014

   Who were the Faraizis?

   1. AFollowers of Haji Shariatullah
   2. BFollowers of Dadu
   3. CFollowers of the Arya Samaj
   4. DFollowers of the Muslim League
   Answer and explanation →

3. 3. 64th BPSC Prelims 2018

   Who began the 'Faraiji Movement'?

   1. AHaji Shariatullah
   2. BSyed Ahmed
   3. CSalimullah
   4. DM.A. Jinnah
   5. ENone of the above / More than one of the above
   Answer and explanation →

4. 4. BPSC CDPO Prelims 2018

   Taiyuni Movement began in opposition to the Faraizi Movement at Dhaka in 1893 was started by

   1. ASyed Amir Ali of Calcutta
   2. BSir Syed Ahmed of Aligarh
   3. CHasan Imam of Patna
   4. DKaramat Ali of Jaunpur
   5. ENone of the above/More than one of the above
   Answer and explanation →

5. 5. 53rd–55th BPSC Prelims 2011

   Who was the father of the Indian Renaissance movement?

   1. ABal Gangadhar Tilak
   2. BDayanand Saraswati
   3. CShraddhanand
   4. DRaja Ram Mohan Roy
   Answer and explanation →

6. 6. BPSC TRE-1 (Aug 2023)

   Who is called the 'Prophet of New India'?

   1. ARaja Ram Mohan Roy
   2. BDayanand Saraswati
   3. CDadabhai Naoroji
   4. DMore than one of the above
   5. ENone of the above
   Answer and explanation →

7. 7. 41st BPSC Prelims 1996

   Who among the following was the founder of Atmiya Sabha?

   1. ARaja Ram Mohan Roy
   2. BSwami Dayanand Saraswati
   3. CSwami Vivekananda
   4. DAurobindo Ghosh
   Answer and explanation →

8. 8. 41st BPSC Prelims 1996 · 47th BPSC Prelims 2005

   Brahmo Samaj was founded in the year of-

   1. A1827
   2. B1829
   3. C1831
   4. D1843
   Answer and explanation →

9. 9. 41st BPSC Prelims 1996

   Raja Rammohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj in—

   1. A1816
   2. B1820
   3. C1828
   4. D1830
   Answer and explanation →

10. 10. 63rd BPSC Prelims 2017

    Who declared “Sati” illegal?

    1. AWarren Hastings
    2. BWilliam Bentinck
    3. CCornwallis
    4. DCurzon
    5. ENone of the above/More than one of the above
    Answer and explanation →

11. 11. 53rd–55th BPSC Prelims 2011

    Who was the founder of ‘Prarthana Samaj’?

    1. AAtmaram Pandurang
    2. BTilak
    3. CAnnie Besant
    4. DRashbehari Ghose
    Answer and explanation →

12. 12. BPSC Assistant 2019

    During the Indian independence movement, who founded the Prarthana Samaj?

    1. AAtmaram Pandurang
    2. BGopal Hari Deshmukh
    3. CIshwar Chandra Vidyasagar
    4. DKeshav Chandra Sen
    Answer and explanation →

13. 13. 41st BPSC Prelims 1996

    The best representative of Neo-Hinduism in the second half of the nineteenth century was –

    1. ARamakrishna Paramahamsa
    2. BSwami Vivekananda
    3. CBankim Chandra Chatterji
    4. DRaja Ram Mohan Roy
    Answer and explanation →

14. 14. 66th BPSC Prelims 2020

    Who among the following participated in the Parliament of Religions held at Chicago in 1893?

    1. ADayananda Saraswati
    2. BSwami Vivekananda
    3. CMahatma Gandhi
    4. DRaja Ram Mohan Roy
    5. ENone of the above/More than one of the above
    Answer and explanation →

15. 15. 41st BPSC Prelims 1996

    Swami Vivekananda established the Ramakrishna Mission in the year:

    1. A1861
    2. B1891
    3. C1893
    4. D1897
    Answer and explanation →

16. 16. BPSC TRE-3 (Jul 2024)

    The spiritual side of nationalism was voiced by–

    1. ARaja Ram Mohan Roy
    2. BSwami Shraddhanand
    3. CSwami Vivekananda
    4. DMore than one of the above
    5. ENone of the above
    Answer and explanation →

17. 17. 43rd BPSC Prelims 1999

    Dayanand Saraswati founded –

    1. ABrahmo Samaj
    2. BArya Samaj
    3. CPrarthana Samaj
    4. DBahujan Samaj
    Answer and explanation →

18. 18. BPSC CDPO Prelims 2005

    Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayanand -

    1. AIn 1820 AD
    2. BIn 1828 AD
    3. CIn 1830 AD
    4. DIn 1875 AD
    Answer and explanation →

19. 19. 66th BPSC Prelims Re-exam 2020

    Who established the 'Arya Samaj'?

    1. ARanade
    2. BPandita Ramabai
    3. CDayananda Saraswati
    4. DSwami Vivekananda
    5. ENone of the above/More than one of the above
    Answer and explanation →

20. 20. 40th BPSC Prelims 1995

    In 1873 who founded Satyashodhak Samaj?

    1. AGopal Krishna Gokhale
    2. BJyotiba Phule
    3. CShiv Nath Shastri
    4. DNone of the above
    Answer and explanation →

21. 21. 65th BPSC Prelims 2019

    ‘Satya Shodhak Samaj’ was founded by

    1. ADayanand Saraswati
    2. BJyotiba Phule
    3. CGandhiji
    4. DDr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar
    5. ENone of the above/More than one of the above
    Answer and explanation →

22. 22. 48th–52nd BPSC Prelims 2008

    The women’s movement in India started largely under the inspiration of:

    1. APadmabai Ranaday
    2. BAnnie Besant
    3. CSarojini Naidu
    4. DJyotiba Phule
    Answer and explanation →

23. 23. 53rd–55th BPSC Prelims 2011

    Who founded the ‘Theosophical Society’?

    1. AMadame H.P. Blavatsky
    2. BRaja Ram Mohan Roy
    3. CMahatma Gandhi
    4. DSwami Vivekananda
    Answer and explanation →

24. 24. BPSC CDPO Prelims 2005

    Who founded the Theosophical Society?

    1. AMadame H.P. Blavatsky
    2. BRaja Rammohan Roy
    3. CMahatma Gandhi
    4. DSwami Vivekananda
    Answer and explanation →

25. 25. 64th BPSC Prelims 2018

    Identify the correct combination from the options given below for Prarthana Samaj, Young India, Lokahitavadi, Satyashodhak Samaj, Rahnumai Mazdayasnan Sabha:

    1. AGopal Hari Deshmukh, Atmaram Pandurang, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Jyotiba Phule, Naoroji Furdunji.
    2. BAtmaram Pandurang, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Gopal Hari Deshmukh, Jyotiba Phule, Naoroji Furdunji
    3. CAtmaram Pandurang, Jyotiba Phule, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Gopal Hari Deshmukh, Naoroji Furdunji.
    4. DNaoroji Furdunji, Atmaram Pandurang, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Gopal Hari Deshmukh, Jyotiba Phule.
    5. ENone of the above/More than one of the above
    Answer and explanation →

26. 26. 39th BPSC Prelims 1994

    ‘Nai-Dhobi Band’ was a form of social boycott in 1919 which–

    1. Awas started by the farmers of Pratapgarh district
    2. Bwas a movement started by saints for the emancipation of the people lower classes
    3. Cwas a step against contractors of lower castes by landlords
    4. Dwas a movement against contractors by lower castes
    Answer and explanation →

27. 27. 40th BPSC Prelims 1995

    Who demanded the right to enter temples that caused a terrible riot in Tirunelveli in 1899?

    1. AOkkalinga
    2. BNadars
    3. CMahar
    4. DPali
    Answer and explanation →

28. 28. 47th BPSC Prelims 2005

    Who was Sharada Mani?

    1. AWife of Raja Ram Mohan Roy
    2. BWife of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
    3. CMother of Vivekananda
    4. DDaughter of Keshab Chandra Sen.
    Answer and explanation →

29. 29. 47th BPSC Prelims 2005

    ‘Satyarth Prakash’ was written by –

    1. ARaja Ram Mohan Roy
    2. BMahatma Gandhi
    3. CSwami Vivekanand
    4. DSwami Dayanand Saraswati
    Answer and explanation →

30. 30. 66th BPSC Prelims Re-exam 2020

    Poona Sarvajanik Sabha was founded in:

    1. A1858 by Mahadev Govind Ranade
    2. B1870 by Mahadev Govind Ranade
    3. C1870 by Pandita Ramabai Ranade
    4. D1870 by Surendranath Banerjee
    5. ENone of the above/More than one of the above
    Answer and explanation →

31. 31. 67th BPSC Prelims 2022

    Who founded the Servants of India Society in 1905?

    1. ASurendranath Banerjee
    2. BBipin Chandra Pal
    3. CMahadev Govind Ranade
    4. DGopal Krishna Gokhale
    5. ENone of the above
    Answer and explanation →

32. 32. 65th BPSC Prelims 2019

    Who established the 'Servants of India Society'?

    1. ALala Lajpat Rai
    2. BBipin Chandra Pal
    3. CGopal Krishna Gokhale
    4. DBhagat Singh
    5. ENone of the above/More than one of the above
    Answer and explanation →

33. 33. 69th BPSC Prelims 2023

    Match List-I with List-II:

    List-I	List-II
    A. Servants of India Society	1. Debendranath Tagore
    B. Tattwabodhini Sabha	2. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
    C. Atmiya Sabha	3. Ram Mohan Roy
    	4. Keshab Chandra Sen

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

    1. A2 1 3
    2. B2 4 3
    3. C1 2 3
    4. D1 4 3
    Answer and explanation →

34. 34. 70th BPSC Prelims Re-exam 2024

    Match List - I of social reformers with List - II of their societies and choose the answer from the code given below:

    List - I	List - II
    (A) Brahma Samaj	(i) Vishnu Shastri Pandit
    (B) Ramakrishna Mission	(ii) Swami Vivekananda
    (C) Servants of India Society	(iii) Raja Rammohan Roy
    (D) Vidhva Vivah Samaj	(iv) Gopal Krishna Gokhale

    1. Aiii i ii iv
    2. Biii ii iv i
    3. Ciii ii i iv
    4. DNone of the above
    Answer and explanation →