Daily Quiz #84 UPSC Prelims Marathon – February 10, 2020

Explanation: In response to the inadequacy of the Simon Report, the Labor Government, which had come to power under Ramsay MacDonald in 1929, decided to hold a series of Round Table Conferences in London. The first Round Table Conference convened from 12 November 1930 to 19 January 1931. Prior to the Conference, M. K. Gandhi had initiated the Civil Disobedience Movement on behalf of the Indian National Congress. Consequently, since many of the Congress’ leaders were in jail, Congress did not participate in the first conference, but representatives from all other Indian parties and a number of Princes did. The outcomes of the first Round Table Conference were minimal: India was to develop into a federation, safeguards regarding defense and finance were agreed and other departments were to be transferred. However, little was done to implement these recommendations and civil disobedience continued in India. The British Government realized that the Indian National Congress needed to be part of deciding the future of constitutional government in India.

Explanation: The Berlin Committee for Indian Independence was established in 1915 by Virendranath Chattopadhyay, Bhupendranath Dutta, Lala Hardayal and others with the help of the German foreign office under ‘Zimmerman Plan’. These revolutionaries aimed to mobilize the Indian settlers abroad to send volunteers and arms to India to incite rebellion among Indian troops there and to even organize an armed invasion of British India to liberate the country. The Indian revolutionaries in Europe sent missions to Baghdad, Persia, Turkey and Kabul to work among Indian troops and the Indian prisoners of war (POWs) and to incite anti-British feelings among the people of these countries.

Explanation: In March 1918, Gandhi intervened in a dispute between cotton mill owners of Ahmadabad and the workers over the issue of discontinuation of the plague bonus. The mill owners wanted to withdraw the bonus. The workers were demanding a rise of 50 per cent in their wages so that they could manage in the times of wartime inflation (which doubled the prices of food-grains, cloth, and other necessities) caused by Britain’s involvement in World War I. The mill owners were ready to give only a 20 per cent wage hike. The workers went on strike. Anusuya Sarabhai was a social worker who was also the sister of Ambalal Sarabhai, one of the mill owners and the president of the Ahmadabad Mill Owners Association (founded in 1891 to develop the textile industry in Ahmadabad), for help in fighting for justice. Anusuya Behn went to Gandhi, who was respected by the mill owners and workers, and asked him to intervene and help resolve the impasse between the workers and the employers. Gandhi asked the workers to go on a strike and demand a 35 per cent increase in wages instead of 50 per cent. In the end, the tribunal awarded the workers a 35 per cent wage hike.

Explanation: Mughal emperor Humayun attacked Sherkhan, the ruler of Bengal and Bihar, in 1537 with aim of bringing the latter’s province under the control of the Mughals. Sherkhan was an able strategist than Humayum and he coped up a peace treaty with the Mughal king. When Humayun turned his attention from the east Sherkhan attacked him at a place called Chausa. In this battle of Chausa in 1539, Humayun was defeated and he escaped to Agra. Sher Khan after defeating a Bengal army, he took over the rule of Bihar. In early 1539 he conquered Bengal and, through clever deception, the Rohtas stronghold southwest of Bengal. At the Battle of Chausa on June 26, 1539, he defeated the Mughal emperor Humāyūn and assumed the royal title of Farīd al-Dīn Shēr Shah.

Explanation: Kailash Temple is located near the village of Ellora which is 30 km from Aurangabad. This temple is considered as one among the most astonishing buildings in the history of architecture. This temple is one of the largest 34 excavations at Ellora, which took almost a century. The Kailash Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the idol here is 109 feet wide by 164 feet long. The Kailash Temple of the Ellora is the most and amazing architecture of the Rock art and the marvelous art. This Kailash temple was made by the Rashtrakuta King that is King Krishna I in the 8th Century A.D. It is the huge and big sculpture of the rocks that made the big elephant in the couple of the head and that are the sign of the great emperor.