The Revolt Of 1857 – NDA History PYQs

NDA 2021-II

Q. 1. Which one of the following statements about the ishtahars issued during the Revolt of 1857 is correct?

(a) They glorified the Muslim rule in India.

(b) They glorified the co-existence of different communities under the Mughal Empire.

(c) They glorified the message of Islam.

(d) They glorified the role of Queen Victoria.

Answer: (b) They glorified the co-existence of different communities under the Mughal Empire.

Explanation: Rebel ishtahars praised communities living together under Mughal rule. This framing aimed to unite Hindus and Muslims behind the cause. They did not narrowly glorify only Muslim rule or Islam’s message. They certainly did not praise Queen Victoria’s role. So option (b) is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Theme of unity in the 1857 rebel proclamations (ishtahars)

NDA 2020 I&II

Q. 2. Which one of the following statements about the Revolt of 1857 is correct?

(a) It was a Revolt carefully organised and planned by the Rajas, Nawabs and Taluqdars

(b) Rumours and prophecies did not play any role in its outbreak and spread

(c) The rebel proclamations in 1857 repeatedly appealed to all sections of the population irrespective of their caste and creed

(d) The British succeeded in quickly and easily controlling the rebels

Answer: (c) The rebel proclamations in 1857 repeatedly appealed to all sections of the population irrespective of their caste and creed

Explanation: Rebel proclamations did reach out across caste and religious lines. This appeal helped unite diverse groups behind the uprising. The revolt was not a single, carefully pre-planned elite conspiracy. Rumours and prophecies did genuinely shape its spread. The British also took considerable time to suppress the rebellion. So option (c) is the only correct statement among the four. Concept Tested: Nature and appeal of rebel proclamations during 1857

NDA 2019-II

Q. 3. Who among the following died in exile?

(a) Rani Laxmibai

(b) Bahadur Shah Zafar

(c) Tantia Tope

(d) Nana Saheb

Answer: (b) Bahadur Shah Zafar

Explanation: Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled to Rangoon after his trial. He died there in 1862, far from Delhi. Rani Laxmibai and Tantia Tope died fighting during the revolt itself. So option (b) Bahadur Shah Zafar is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Figure who died in exile after 1857

NDA 2019-I

Q. 4. The Azamgarh Proclamation of August 25, 1857 stressed on which one of the following issues?

(a) Hindu-Muslim divide

(b) Support to the English Government

(c) The return of the Badshahi

(d) The imposition of heavy Jumas (revenue demand)

Answer: (c) The return of the Badshahi

Explanation: The Azamgarh Proclamation called for restoring Mughal Badshahi rule. It aimed to rally support around this reclaimed royal authority. It did not stress a Hindu-Muslim divide or heavy new revenue demands. So option (c) is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Central demand of the Azamgarh Proclamation

NDA 2019-I

Q. 5. The art piece “In Memoriam” was a creation of which one of the following European painters?

(a) Thomas Jones Barker

(b) Joseph Noel Paton

(c) Thomas Daniell

(d) Charles D’Oyly

Answer: (b) Joseph Noel Paton

Explanation: Joseph Noel Paton painted “In Memoriam” after the 1857 events. It depicted British figures amid the trauma of the uprising. Barker, Daniell, and D’Oyly created separate, unrelated works. So option (b) Joseph Noel Paton is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Painter behind the artwork ‘In Memoriam’

NDA 2018-I

Q. 6. Name the rebel who fought against the British in the battle of Chinhat in the course of the 1857 Revolt?

(a) Ahmadullah Shah

(b) Shah Mal

(c) Mangal Pandey

(d) Kunwar Singh

Answer: (a) Ahmadullah Shah

Explanation: Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah led rebel forces at the Battle of Chinhat. This battle took place near Lucknow during the 1857 revolt. Shah Mal, Mangal Pandey, and Kunwar Singh fought in other regions. So option (a) Ahmadullah Shah is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Rebel leader at the Battle of Chinhat

NDA 2017-II

Q. 7. Who among the following was believed to be a leader of the Sanyasis and Fakirs conspiring against the British in 1857?

(a) Mangal Pandey

(b) Bahadur Shah II

(c) Queen Zeenat Mahal

(d) Nana Sahib

Answer: (d) Nana Sahib

Explanation: Nana Sahib was believed to lead this network of Sanyasis and Fakirs. The British suspected this ascetic network of coordinating unrest. Mangal Pandey, Bahadur Shah II, and Zeenat Mahal played separate roles. So option (d) Nana Sahib is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Leader linked to the Sanyasi-Fakir conspiracy network

NDA 2017-I

Q. 8. Which one of the following was NOT a cause of the Revolt of 1857?

(a) The rumour that the British had mixed the bone dust of cows and pigs into the flour being sold in the market

(b) The prophecy that British rule would come to an end on the centenary of the Battle of Plassey on 23rd June, 1857

(c) Popular discontent with British rule

(d) The prophecy that the end of British rule would lead to the end of the Kali Yuga and the return of Ram Rajya

Answer: (d) The prophecy that the end of British rule would lead to the end of the Kali Yuga and the return of Ram Rajya

Explanation: No documented Kali Yuga or Ram Rajya prophecy drove the 1857 revolt. Such a Hindu-specific prophecy would have undercut Hindu-Muslim unity. So option (d) describes a cause that is not actually recorded. The bone dust rumour genuinely spread fear among sepoys and civilians. The Plassey centenary prophecy did circulate and stir action. Popular discontent with British rule was a real underlying cause. These other three options describe real, documented causes. Concept Tested: Genuine rumours and prophecies behind the 1857 revolt

NDA 2016-I

Q. 9. Which of the following statements about the first act of the Revolt of 1857 is/are true?

1. It occurred in Meerut when two sepoys stole a superior officer’s rifle.

2. It began when the Rani of Jhansi declared war on the British.

3. It began when Mangal Pandey fired at a European officer in Meerut.

4. It began when Mangal Pandey fired at a European officer in Barrackpore.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 2 only

(b) 1, 2 and 3 only

(c) 4 only

(d) 1 and 4 only

Answer: (c) 4 only

Explanation: No stolen rifle incident marks the actual first act of the revolt. So statement 1 does not match the documented opening event. The Rani of Jhansi joined the revolt later, not at its very start. So statement 2 wrongly places her at the outbreak. Mangal Pandey’s famous act took place at Barrackpore, not Meerut. So statement 3 wrongly names Meerut as the location. Statement 4 correctly places this event at Barrackpore. Only statement 4 is correct among the four. Concept Tested: Location of Mangal Pandey’s opening act of defiance

NDA 2013-II

Q. 10. Who among the following has described the uprising of 1857 as the First Indian War of Independence?

(a) S.N. Sen

(b) R.C. Majumdar

(c) B.G. Tilak

(d) V.D. Savarkar

Answer: (d) V.D. Savarkar

Explanation: V.D. Savarkar termed the 1857 uprising India’s first war of independence. His influential book popularised this specific framing. S.N. Sen, R.C. Majumdar, and Tilak offered separate perspectives on 1857. So option (d) V.D. Savarkar is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Historian who termed 1857 the First War of Independence

NDA 2013-I

Q. 11. Which one among the following statements is not true about Bahadur Shah Jafar II?

(a) The rebels of 1857 proclaimed their loyalty to him

(b) He was killed by Lt. Hodson, a cavalry officer in Delhi

(c) He was reluctant to lead the Revolt of 1857 in the beginning

(d) He was a poet

Answer: (b) He was killed by Lt. Hodson, a cavalry officer in Delhi

Explanation: Hodson actually captured Bahadur Shah Zafar, rather than killing him. He was later tried and exiled to Rangoon, where he died in 1862. So statement (b) wrongly claims Hodson killed him in Delhi. Rebels genuinely did proclaim loyalty to him during the revolt. He was indeed reluctant to lead the uprising at first. He was also a noted Urdu poet, writing under the name Zafar. These other statements about him are accurate. Concept Tested: Fate of Bahadur Shah Zafar after the 1857 revolt

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: NDA often blurs capture with killing. Hodson captured Zafar; he executed Zafar’s sons and grandson separately, not the emperor himself.

NDA 2012-II

Q. 12. Which one among the following prominently rose in revolt against the British in 1857?

(a) Punjab Army

(b) Madras Regiment

(c) Bengal Army

(d) Awadh Regiment

Answer: (c) Bengal Army

Explanation: Sepoys of the Bengal Army formed the core of the 1857 uprising. Their revolt spread rapidly across northern India from this base. The Punjab, Madras, and Awadh forces did not rise in this same way. So option (c) Bengal Army is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Military force at the centre of the 1857 revolt

NDA 2010-II

Q. 13. Rajmohan Gandhi’s book ‘A Tale of Two Revolts’ (2009) deals with the:

(a) Taiping and Indigo revolts

(b) Revolt of 1857 and the American Civil War

(c) Revolt of 1857 and the Deccan Uprising

(d) American Civil War and Santhal Uprising

Answer: (b) Revolt of 1857 and the American Civil War

Explanation: Rajmohan Gandhi’s book compares two roughly contemporary conflicts. It places the Revolt of 1857 alongside the American Civil War. The Taiping, Deccan, and Santhal events are not this book’s focus. So option (b) is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Subject of Rajmohan Gandhi’s ‘A Tale of Two Revolts’

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