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Q93 (IAS/2017) History & Culture › National Movement (1857–1947) › National movement chronology Official Key

With reference to Indian freedom struggle, consider the following events : 1. Mutiny in Royal Indian Navy 2. Quit India Movement launched 3. Second Round Table Conference What is the correct chronological sequence of the above events ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

The correct chronological sequence is 3-2-1, making option C the correct answer.

The Second Round Table Conference was held in London from September 7, 1931 to December 1, 1931.[1] This was the earliest of the three events.

The Quit India Movement came next, when the Congress Working Committee passed the historic 'Quit India' resolution on 14 July 1942 in Wardha, which was endorsed by the All India Congress Committee on 8 August 1942 in Bombay.[2]

The Mutiny in the Royal Indian Navy occurred last, on February 18, 1946, when some 1100 Royal Indian Navy (RIN) ratings of HMIS Talwar went on strike.[3] The mutiny was a protest against racial discrimination, unpalatable food, abuse by officers, and the INA trials.

Therefore, the events occurred in the order: Second Round Table Conference (1931) → Quit India Movement (1942) → Royal Indian Navy Mutiny (1946), which corresponds to the sequence 3-2-1.

Sources
  1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 19: Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences > Second Round Table Conference > p. 384
  2. [2] India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > Quit India Movement > p. 49
  3. [3] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 24: Post-War National Scenario > p. 467
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. With reference to Indian freedom struggle, consider the following events : 1. Mutiny in Royal Indian Navy 2. Quit India Movement launch…
At a glance
Origin: From standard books Fairness: High fairness Books / CA: 10/10 · 0/10

This is a textbook 'Sitter'—a fundamental chronology question derived directly from the chapter headings of Spectrum or NCERT. It tests the broad phases of the freedom struggle (1930s vs 1940s) rather than obscure dates. Missing this indicates a critical gap in basic timeline comprehension.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
In the context of the Indian freedom struggle, in which year did the Second Round Table Conference take place?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 19: Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences > Second Round Table Conference > p. 384
Presence: 5/5
“Members of the Indian Liberal Party such as Tej Bahadur Sapru, C.Y. Chintamani and Srinivasa Sastri appealed to Gandhi to talk with the Viceroy. Gandhi and Irwin reached a compromise which came to be called the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (the Delhi Pact). The second Round Table Conference was held in London from September 7, 1931 to December 1, 1931. The Indian National Congress nominated Gandhi as its sole representative. A. Rangaswami Iyengar and Madan Mohan Malaviya were also there. There were a large number of Indian participants, besides the Congress.”
Why this source?
  • Gives exact dates: 'September 7, 1931 to December 1, 1931', directly indicating the year 1931.
  • Explicitly states it was the 'second Round Table Conference' held in London in those 1931 dates.
THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT > 3.2 Dialogues > p. 300
Presence: 4/5
“A second Round Table Conference was held in London in the latter part of 1931. Here, Gandhiji represented the Congress. However, his claims that his party represented all of India came under challenge from three parties: from the Muslim League, which claimed to stand for the interests of the Muslim minority; from the Princes, who claimed that the Congress had no stake in their territories; and from the brilliant lawyer and thinker B.R. Ambedkar, who argued that Gandhiji and the Congress did not really represent the lowest castes. The Conference in London was inconclusive, so Gandhiji returned to India and resumed civil disobedience.”
Why this source?
  • States a second Round Table Conference was held in London 'in the latter part of 1931', corroborating the year.
  • Notes Gandhi represented the Congress at that conference, linking the event to the same 1931 context.
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > 17. Lord Willingdon 1931-1936 > p. 822
Presence: 5/5
“• (i) Second Round Table Conference (1931) and failure of the conference, resumption of Civil Disobedience Movement.• (ii) Announcement of Communal Award (1932) under which separate communal electorates were set up.• (iii) 'Fast unto death' by Gandhi in Yeravada prison, broken after the Poona Pact (1932).• (iv) Third Round Table Conference (1932).• (v) Launch of Individual Civil Disobedience (1933).• (vi) The Government of India Act of 1935.• (vii) Establishment of All India Kisan Sabha (1936) and Congress Socialist Party by Acharya Narendra Dev and Jayaprakash Narayan (1934).• (viii) Burma separated from India (1935).”
Why this source?
  • Lists 'Second Round Table Conference (1931)' as an item, directly identifying the year.
  • Places the conference in a timeline of related events (failure, resumption of Civil Disobedience) confirming 1931.
Statement 2
In the context of the Indian freedom struggle, in which year was the Quit India Movement launched?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT > 4. Quit India > p. 303
Presence: 5/5
“After the failure of the Cripps Mission, Mahatma Gandhi decided to launch his third major movement against British rule. This was the "Quit India" campaign, which began in August 1942. Although Gandhiji was jailed at once, younger activists organised strikes and acts of sabotage all over the country. Particularly active in the underground resistance were socialist members of the Congress, such as Jayaprakash Narayan. In several districts, such as Satara in the west and Medinipur in the east, "independent" governments were proclaimed. The British responded with much force, yet it took more than a year to suppress the rebellion. "Quit India" was genuinely a mass movement, bringing into its ambit hundreds of thousands of ordinary Indians.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states the Quit India campaign began in August 1942.
  • Connects the launch to the failure of the Cripps Mission, giving immediate temporal context.
India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > Quit India Movement > p. 49
Presence: 5/5
“The failure of the Cripps Mission and the effects of World War II created widespread discontentment in India. This led Gandhiji to launch a movement calling for complete withdrawal of the British from India. The Congress Working Committee, in its meeting in Wardha on 14 July 1942, passed the historic 'Quit India' resolution demanding the immediate transfer of power to Indians and quit India. On 8 August 1942 in Bombay, the All India Congress Committee endorsed the resolution which called for a non-violent mass struggle on the widest possible scale throughout the country. It was on this occasion that Gandhiji delivered the famous 'Do or Die' speech.”
Why this source?
  • Records dates of Congress actions in July and August 1942 (Wardha meeting on 14 July; AICC endorsement on 8 August 1942).
  • Notes Gandhi's 'Do or Die' speech at the August 1942 AICC meeting, linking that month to the movement's launch.
History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: Last Phase of Indian National Movement > Summary > p. 95
Presence: 4/5
“• The last phase of India's struggle for freedom began with the 'Anti-War Individual Satyagraha' launched in November 1940. • The calm, however, was only a prelude to the storm that rocked the British Empire with the Quit India Movement of 1942. • Despite brutal repressive measures, the mass upsurge did not fade away and the INA trials and the RIN mutiny bear evidence to this. 12th_History_EM_Unit_7.indd 95 1/6/2024 3:06:40 AM”
Why this source?
  • Refers to the 'Quit India Movement of 1942', identifying the year directly.
  • Frames the movement as the major event that followed earlier 1940–42 developments, reinforcing the 1942 date.
Statement 3
In the context of the Indian freedom struggle, in which year did the Royal Indian Navy mutiny occur?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 15: Struggle for Swaraj > Post-War Struggle > p. 302
Presence: 5/5
“The INA had shown that patriotic ideas had entered the ranks of the professional Indian army, the chief instrument of British rule in India. Another straw in the wind was the famous revolt of the Indian naval ratings at Bombay in February 1946 Fourthly, and above all, the confident and determined mood of the Indian people was by now obvious. They would no longer tolerate the humiliation of foreign rule. They would no longer rest till freedom was won. There was the Naval Mutiny and the struggle for the release of INA prisoners. In addition there were during 1945-46 numerous agita-”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly names the revolt of the Indian naval ratings at Bombay and places it in February 1946.
  • Connects the naval revolt to the broader post‑war upsurge, confirming the year 1946.
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 24: Post-War National Scenario > p. 467
Presence: 5/5
“In the next step (February 11, 1946), the protest was led by Muslim League students in which some Congress and communist students' organisations joined. Some arrests provoked the students to defy Section 144. There were more arrests and the agitating students were lathicharged. Rebellion by Naval Ratings On February 18, 1946 some 1100 Royal Indian Navy (RIN) ratings of HMIS Talwar went on a strike to protest against • * racial discrimination (demanding equal pay for Indian and white soldiers)• * unpalatable food• * abuse by superior officers• * arrest of a rating for scrawling 'Quit India' on HMIS Talwar• * INA trials• * use of Indian troops in Indonesia, demanding their withdrawal.”
Why this source?
  • Gives a specific date (February 18, 1946) for the strike by Royal Indian Navy ratings.
  • Lists the grievances and context, directly tying the RIN action to events in 1946.
THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 12: FRAMING THE CONSTITUTION > 1. A Tumultuous Time > p. 317
Presence: 4/5
“The years immediately preceding the making of the Constitution had been exceptionally tumultuous: a time of great hope, but also of abject disappointment. On 15 August 1947, India had been made free, but it had also been divided. Fresh in popular memory were the Quit India struggle of 1942 – perhaps the most widespread popular movement against the British Raj – as well as the bid by Subhas Chandra Bose to win freedom through armed struggle with foreign aid. An even more recent upsurge had also evoked much popular sympathy – this was the rising of the ratings of the Royal Indian Navy in Bombay and other cities in the spring of 1946.”
Why this source?
  • Refers to the rising of the Royal Indian Navy ratings in Bombay and other cities in the spring of 1946.
  • Provides corroboration of the year from a constitutional/framing period perspective.
Pattern takeaway: UPSC consistently targets the 1930–1947 window for chronology questions. They often mix events from the 'Gandhian Negotiation Phase' (1930s) with the 'Final Transfer of Power Phase' (1940s) to ensure you understand the escalation of the movement.
How you should have studied
  1. [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Found in the Table of Contents of Spectrum (Rajiv Ahir) and NCERT Class XII Themes Part III.
  2. [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: The 'Phases of Struggle' timeline: The shift from Negotiation (RTCs) to Mass Militancy (Quit India) to Institutional Revolt (RIN Mutiny).
  3. [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Master the micro-chronologies of these specific years. 1931: Gandhi-Irwin Pact (Mar) → Bhagat Singh Execution (Mar) → Karachi Session (Mar) → 2nd RTC (Sept). 1945-47: INA Trials (Nov '45) → RIN Mutiny (Feb '46) → Cabinet Mission (Mar '46) → Direct Action Day (Aug '46).
  4. [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not memorize isolated dates. Build a 'Narrative Ladder': The failure of talks (RTC 1931) led to frustration; the war pressure triggered the final mass attempt (QIM 1942); the post-war atmosphere emboldened the military (RIN 1946).
Concept hooks from this question
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Second Round Table Conference — 1931
💡 The insight

All core references identify the Second RTC as occurring in 1931 (exact dates or 'latter part of 1931').

High-yield chronology: UPSC often asks dates/years of major political events. Mastering exact years and sequence (1st, 2nd, 3rd RTC) helps answer timeline and cause-effect questions about negotiations and subsequent movements.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 19: Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences > Second Round Table Conference > p. 384
  • THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT > 3.2 Dialogues > p. 300
🔗 Anchor: "In the context of the Indian freedom struggle, in which year did the Second Roun..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Gandhi-Irwin Pact → Congress attendance at Second RTC
💡 The insight

References link the Gandhi–Irwin Pact (March 1931) to Congress agreeing to attend the Second RTC and Gandhi representing Congress at the 1931 conference.

Understanding cause-effect: UPSC questions probe why Congress attended the RTC and the role of negotiations like the Gandhi–Irwin Pact. This concept ties political negotiation to diplomatic outcomes and subsequent phases of mass movements.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 19: Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences > Second Round Table Conference > p. 384
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 19: Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences > Ideological Differences and Similarities between Gandhi and Ambedkar > p. 400
  • Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 15: Struggle for Swaraj > The Second Civil Disobedience Movement > p. 290
🔗 Anchor: "In the context of the Indian freedom struggle, in which year did the Second Roun..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Outcome of Second RTC and immediate political consequences
💡 The insight

Sources describe the conference as inconclusive/fruitless and link it to the resumption of civil disobedience and other 1931–32 developments.

Exam-relevant linkage: questions often require connecting conferences to policy outcomes (resumption of Satyagraha, Communal Award, Poona Pact). Master this to answer causation and impact-based questions in modern history.

📚 Reading List :
  • THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT > 3.2 Dialogues > p. 300
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > 17. Lord Willingdon 1931-1936 > p. 822
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Advent of Gandhi and Mass Mobilisation > Summary > p. 57
🔗 Anchor: "In the context of the Indian freedom struggle, in which year did the Second Roun..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Timing of the Quit India Movement (August 1942)
💡 The insight

Multiple references specify August 1942 (and generally 1942) as the start of the Quit India campaign, directly answering the question about year and month.

High-yield factual anchor for chronology-based UPSC questions; links to broader timelines of WWII-era nationalist actions and subsequent events (INA trials, 1946 unrest). Master by memorising key dates and their causes to answer both direct date questions and contextual essay/GS prompts.

📚 Reading List :
  • THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT > 4. Quit India > p. 303
  • India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > Quit India Movement > p. 49
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: Last Phase of Indian National Movement > Summary > p. 95
🔗 Anchor: "In the context of the Indian freedom struggle, in which year was the Quit India ..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Cripps Mission as immediate trigger
💡 The insight

References repeatedly cite the failure of the Cripps Mission as the catalyst for launching Quit India in 1942.

Understanding causation is vital for UPSC questions that ask ‘why’ movements began—helps link international (WWII/Cripps) factors with domestic mobilization. Useful for answers that require cause–effect and continuity in modern Indian history.

📚 Reading List :
  • India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > Quit India Movement > p. 49
  • THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT > 4. Quit India > p. 303
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: Last Phase of Indian National Movement > Introduction > p. 84
🔗 Anchor: "In the context of the Indian freedom struggle, in which year was the Quit India ..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Mass character and repression of Quit India
💡 The insight

Sources describe Quit India as a widespread mass movement in 1942 and note severe British repression.

Important for answering questions on features, impact, and consequences of the movement; links to topics like civil disobedience, provincial responses, and subsequent events (INA trials, RIN mutiny). Practice by mapping features → examples → outcomes.

📚 Reading List :
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: Last Phase of Indian National Movement > Summary > p. 95
  • THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT > 4. Quit India > p. 303
  • THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 12: FRAMING THE CONSTITUTION > 1. A Tumultuous Time > p. 317
🔗 Anchor: "In the context of the Indian freedom struggle, in which year was the Quit India ..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S3
👉 RIN Mutiny (Feb 1946) — date, causes and immediate context
💡 The insight

All references identify the naval ratings' uprising in early 1946 and link it to grievances (racial discrimination, pay, INA trials) and wartime/postwar conditions.

High‑yield for questions on late‑colonial unrest: helps date events accurately, explain proximate causes, and connect military dissent to the independence movement. Useful for essay and static‑paper answers on 1945–47 unrest and for source‑based questions requiring chronology and causal linkage.

📚 Reading List :
  • Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 15: Struggle for Swaraj > Post-War Struggle > p. 302
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 24: Post-War National Scenario > p. 467
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: Last Phase of Indian National Movement > Summary > p. 95
🔗 Anchor: "In the context of the Indian freedom struggle, in which year did the Royal India..."
🌑 The Hidden Trap

The '1946 Sequence' is a future trap. Remember the order: RIN Mutiny (Feb) → Cabinet Mission Arrival (March) → Direct Action Day (Aug 16) → Interim Government Formation (Sept 2).

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

Apply the 'Escalation Logic': RTCs were diplomatic talks (Civil). Quit India was a mass uprising (Civil Unrest). RIN Mutiny was an armed revolt within the state machinery (Military Mutiny). Historically, military mutinies usually signal the final collapse of a regime, occurring right before the end. Thus, RIN must be last.

🔗 Mains Connection

Mains GS1 & GS2 Link: The RIN Mutiny (1946) wasn't just an event; it was the decisive signal to the British that the 'Instrument of Coercion' (the Army/Navy) was broken. This connects to the 'Transfer of Power' debates—the British left not just because of non-violence, but because they lost control of the gun.

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