Ch. 30 MCQs
Answer the following questions using the sources and your knowledge of world history.
Group 1
Questions 1-3 refer to the passage below
“The [British] Raj* did bring benefits to the Indian people and its importance to the successor states of India . . . cannot be overstated. Whether they like the fact or not, these countries are what they are now because they were once governed by Britain and brought directly into contact with British ideas, values, learning and technology. The process of exposure and absorption was slow and uneven; old faiths, customs and habits of mind proved remarkably durable, and outlasted a Raj which lacked either the capacity or will to uproot them.
Any balance sheet of the Raj would not be complete without reference to [the public benefits that it brought]. When [the Raj] ended, the sub-continent possessed what today would be called a communications ‘infrastructure’ which included over 40,000 miles of railways. . . . Enormous headway has been made in education by the successor states, but it could not have been achieved without foundations laid down during the Raj. . . . Likewise, the criminal and civil law codes of the entire sub-continent are a legacy of the Raj. . . .
Quite simply, the Raj cannot be disinvented. It happened, and its consequences remain deeply rooted in Indian soil.”
*a term used in various Indian languages to refer to a ruler; in this case, the term refers to the British Empire in India
Lawrence James, British historian, Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India, 1997.
Question 1a
Which of the following developments in the period after 1945 could most directly be used as evidence to challenge the author’s assertion regarding the effects of British rule in India in the first two paragraphs?
After achieving independence, India remained economically tied to Great Britain by joining the British Commonwealth of Nations.
Great Britain’s divide-and-rule strategy in India deepened religious tensions, leading to a partition of India that resulted in millions of people dying or ending up as refugees.
After achieving its independence, India joined the Non-Aligned Movement, a group of nation-states that refused to side with either the United States or the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Indian leaders adopted the policies of many other postcolonial states by using government resources and policy to guide economic development.
Question 1b
The fact that large numbers of South Asians migrated to Great Britain after the end of British rule could indirectly be used as evidence to support the author’s arguments mostly because the migrations of former colonial subjects to imperial metropoles in the late twentieth century demonstrate that
migrants from former colonies could expect to encounter little racial discrimination in imperial societies
migrants were attracted to many aspects of the cultural, political, and economic systems that imperial powers had brought to their colonies
migrants from former colonies quickly found lucrative jobs in imperial societies and could use their income to boost the fortunes of their families back home
migrants were quick to relinquish their cultural traditions upon settling in imperial societies
Question 1c
All of the following statements about British rule in India in the twentieth century are factually accurate. Which could best be used as evidence to modify the author’s claim about the “public benefits” of British rule in India in the second paragraph?
The British government in India often allowed different religious groups to use their own legal customs in civil matters such as marriage and divorce.
The British government in India developed educational institutions in which instruction was conducted in English, providing a common language that many Indians of diverse linguistic traditions used to communicate with each other.
British investment in infrastructure such as railways and roads provided the largest economic benefit to British companies operating in India rather than to ordinary Indians.
British companies cooperated with the British government to expand India’s canal system and irrigation network in order to improve agricultural production and interior communications.
Group 2
Questions 4-6 refer to the passages below
"The British...have for many decades had settled notions about India's future. Their concept of party government and parliamentary rule has become the ideal with them as the best form of government for every country...
It is extremely difficult to appreciate why our Hindu friends fail to understand the real nature of Islam and Hinduism. It is only a dream that the Hindus and Muslims can ever evolve a common nationality. This misconception of one Indian nation will lead India to destruction if we fail to revise our notions in time. The Hindus and Muslims in India belong to two different religious philosophies, social customs, literatures.... They have different epics and different heroes. Very often the hero of one is a foe of the other. To yoke together two such nations under a single state, one as a numerical minority and the other as a majority, must lead to growing discontent and final destruction of any fabric that may be built up for the government of such a state."
Muhammad Ali Jinnah, leader of the All-India Muslim League, an organization of Indian Muslims that had split from the Indian National Congress, address to a meeting of the League, March 1940
"We, the inhabitants of India, have one thing in common and that is our India-ness, which we share despite our religious and cultural differences. Just as our different features and personalities do not affect our common humanity, so our religious and cultural differences should not interfere with our shared association with our homeland. Therefore, like other religious groups in India, we Muslims have a duty to struggle for the attainment of our common Indian interests and fight against the evils that hamper our common progress and prosperity. This is what I mean when I speak of a common nationhood of all Indians. The [Indian National] Congress, having the same position as ours, has made provisions for the protection of all religions, cultures, and languages in a future Indian state.
On the other hand, the European concept of nationalism is unacceptable to our organization. We denounce it and are totally against it."
Husain Ahmad Madani, leader of the Council of Indian Muslim Religious Scholars, address to the annual meeting of the organization, June 1940
Question 2a
Taken together, the two sources best support which of the following conclusions regarding the situation in British India in 1940?
The British skillfully manipulated religious tensions within India to rally support for the imperial war effort.
Indian opposition to British rule involved groups pursuing very different political goals.
Indian Muslim religious scholars rejected Gandhi's emphasis on nonviolence to achieve political change.
There was a clear difference between Hindu and Muslim visions of what postwar India should be.
Question 2b
During the negotiations to end British rule in India in the aftermath of the Second World War, British actions were ultimately most strongly influenced by which of the following arguments?
The argument in Source 1 that, for the British, "the concept of party government and parliamentary rule has become the ideal...for every country"
The argument in Source 1 that "to yoke together two such nations under a single state" would lead to "destruction"
The argument in Source 2 that "religious and cultural differences should not interfere with [Indians'] shared association with our homeland."
The argument in Source 2 that "the [Indian National Congress... has made provisions for the protection of all religions, cultures, and languages in a future Indian state"
Question 2c
In the second half of the twentieth century, the kind of tensions illustrated by the two sources would most directly lead to the emergence of which of the following in postcolonial Asian and African states?
Communist movements
Popular movements advocating the restoration of colonial rule
Movements advocating for regional autonomy
Famines and epidemics
Group 3
Questions 7-9 refer to the passage below
“Since 1930, the Brazilian government has been undertaking a social policy whose main goal is to protect the working classes through the betterment of their working conditions, elevating their standard of life and extending the social security system. Indeed, the 1937 constitution proclaims that work is a social duty and establishes that it is the government’s responsibility to guarantee the fulfillment of this duty by securing favorable conditions for workers and protecting them. In this way, the constitution guarantees the right of organization, recognizes the current unions as representatives of the workers, and authorizes the signing of collective-bargaining agreements.
Salaries are protected and must provide a minimum standard of life. The workday is eight hours long, and there is one mandatory day of rest. Paid vacations are mandatory. Workers are protected against unjustified dismissal. Minors under 14 years old are not allowed to work, and women and men under 18 years old cannot work in unhealthy sites. The constitution establishes that the state must provide medical assistance to workers, and it must protect maternity and create insurance against old age and disability. The constitution also compels professional associations to assist its members. In order to enforce these principles, the constitution anticipates the creation of a Work Tribunal whose goal will be to arbitrate in all work-related litigation.”
Document produced by the Brazilian government of Getúlio Vargas circa 1940; Vargas had come to power in 1930 following a military coup.
Question 3a
Which of the following best explains the historical significance of views such as those expressed in the passage?
They show that many political leaders used the economic challenges of the Great Depression to justify implementing repressive policies.
They show that many states responded to the Great Depression by using race-based ideologies to mobilize economic resources.
They show that, in response to the disruptions of the Great Depression, many political leaders saw it as their duty to take an active role in guiding economic life.
They show that, in response to the disruptions of the Great Depression, some states reaffirmed their commitment to pursuing liberal economic policies.
Question 3b
The Brazilian government’s pride in listing the extensive workers’ rights guaranteed under the 1937 constitution is significant because it shows that
governments across the political spectrum sought the support of the military in obtaining political power
governments across the political spectrum were influenced by socialist economic and social policies
governments across the political spectrum used nationalism to mobilize their populations for war
governments across the political spectrum promoted state-led industrialization to foster economic growth
Question 3c
Which of the following best explains a potentially significant limitation of using the document for understanding the reforms described in the passage in Brazil?
The document likely exaggerates the extent to which the reforms benefited Brazil’s middle and upper classes.
The document likely exaggerates the importance of the Work Tribunal in reshaping economic development in Brazil.
The document likely ignores the deep tensions that existed between workers and union leaders.
The document likely ignores some economic problems that might have occurred because of the reforms.
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