The Muslim League
Class 10 – Total History & Civics Solutions
Multiple Choice Questions
Question 1
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan had started a reform movement among the
Muslims called the …………… Movement.
Sufi
Aligarh
Jaipur
Wahabi
Answer. Aligarh
Question 2
What were Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan’s initial views on ‘Hindu-Muslim’
unity?
He regarded them to be different entities.
He regarded them to be one Quam (nation).
He believed that their interests were different.
He regarded them to be two separate Quams (nations)
Answer
He regarded them to be one Quam (nation).
Question 3
The First President of the Muslim League was …………… .
Shaukat Ali
Aga Khan
Sir Sayyid Ahmad
NawabSalimullah
Answer. NawabSalimullah
Question 4
A deputation to the Viceroy Lord Minto with a view to secure more
political rights for Muslims was led by ………….. .
Aga Khan
NawabSalimullah
Archibald
Shaukat Ali.
Answer. Aga Khan
Question 5.
Which of the following factors made leaders in the Muslims League
realise that rapproachement with the Congress was desirable?
Britain’s hostility to Turkey
Provision of separate electorate in the Morley-Minto Reforms
Two-nation Theory of Jinnah
Drain Theory of DadabhaiNaoroji.
Answer. Britain’s hostility to Turkey
Short Answer Questions
Question 1
Why did the British treat the Muslims harshly immediately after the
uprising of 1857? Why did the British attitude towards the Muslims
change in the later part of the 19th century?
Answer
The British established their supremacy in India after dethroning the
Mughal rulers. Therefore, the Muslims became bitter enemies of the
British. They participated in the Wahabi Movement and also took part in
the uprising of 1857. This made the British view them with suspicion. The
British government consciously discriminated against the Muslims,
holding them responsible for the uprising of 1857.
After the 1870s, the British government changed its attitude and
followed the policy of appeasing the Muslims in order to undermine the
National Movement. They sowed the seeds of dissension between the
Hindus and the Muslims and encouraged separatist and communal
tendencies.
Question 2
How did the Hindi-Urdu controversy become an important factor in the
formation of the Muslim League?
Answer
In the United Provinces, Urdu was the court language and all the
petitions to the offices and courts were submitted in Urdu. Some
sections of the society protested against this practice. On April 8, 1900,
the Government instructed that all petitions were to be submitted in
Hindi, in Devanagari script, and the court summons and official
announcements to be issued in Hindi as well as in Urdu. The Muslims
resented this. The controversy continued for months and relations
between the communities became worse.
Question 3
How did the relative economic backwardness of the Muslims foster
communal feelings in India?
Answer
The communal and separatist trend of thinking grew among the
Muslims to some extent because of their relative backwardness in
education, trade and industry.
The upper class Muslims were conservative and hostile to modern
education. Because of this, the number of Muslims educated in western
system of education remained small.
The British government in India had consciously discriminated against
the Muslims after 1858, holding them responsible for the uprising of
1857. They were discriminated in the recruitment to civil and military
services.
The Muslim community was not much involved in the growth of any
organised industry. Here too they lagged behind.
Some members of the Muslim community did not keep up with the
modern trends in social and cultural spheres. Many Hindus, on the
other hand, adopted the Western system of education. Since modern
education was essential for entry into government service, the Muslims
had the disadvantage in this respect.
