UPSC Prelims 2026 · Question 8 of 96
UPSC Prelims 2026 question on Communal Politics 1919 Act
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2026
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectModern History
- TopicConstitutional Development
- DifficultyMedium
- TypeStatement
Consider the following assertion:
The genesis of political alliances based on community lay in the very nature of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, 1919.
Which of the following statements support/supports the above assertion?
1. Reforms retained and extended the principle of separate electorates.
2. Separate electorates were supposed to counter Indian nationalism, which was growing stronger.
3. Deprived classes rallied around the favours inherent in separate electorates.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Show answer
Answer: D. 1, 2 and 3
Verdict
All three statements support the assertion, so the answer is Option (d).
Analysis
The Government of India Act 1919 introduced limited constitutional reforms in British India but also deepened communal representation in politics. By expanding the system of separate electorates and encouraging representation on religious and social lines, the reforms strengthened community-based political mobilisation.
Statement by statement
Statement 1 is correct: The 1919 reforms further extended the 1909 communal electorate and gave communal representation to additional groups such as Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians and Europeans in certain provinces.
Statement 2 is correct: The British policy of separate electorates formed part of the broader strategy of 'divide and rule'. The British believed that dividing political interests along communal lines would reduce the possibility of a consolidated anti-colonial struggle led by the Congress.
Statement 3 is correct: Over time, several socially and politically marginalised groups began viewing separate electorates and reserved political representation as instruments for securing political safeguards and access to power. Different communities increasingly organised themselves politically to demand constitutional concessions and representation within the colonial framework, for example the Communal Award.