Question map
With reference to Madanapalle of Andhra Pradesh, which one of the following statements is correct?
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 3. Madanapalle, located in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, holds immense historical significance in the context of India's national identity.
In early 1919, Rabindranath Tagore visited the Besant Theosophical College in Madanapalle. During his stay, he translated the lyrics of "Jana Gana Mana" from Bengali to English, titling it "The Morning Song of India." Crucially, it was here that he, along with Margaret Cousins (the college vice-principal's wife), set the anthem to the musical tune that is used today.
Regarding other options:
- Option 1: Pingali Venkayya presented his flag design to Gandhi during the Bezwada (Vijayawada) session, not Madanapalle.
- Option 2: Pattabhi Sitaramaiah operated primarily from the Machilipatnam/Krishna region.
- Option 4: The Theosophical Society's headquarters were established in Adyar, Madras (Chennai), in 1882, not Madanapalle.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a classic 'Centenary Trap' disguised as a static question. The event (Tagore's translation) occurred in 1919, making the 2019-2021 period its centenary celebration. While standard books miss this specific location, it was widely covered in 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' features.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Did Pingali Venkayya design the Indian tricolour national flag in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh?
- Statement 2: Did Pattabhi Sitaramaiah lead the Quit India Movement of the Andhra region from Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh?
- Statement 3: Did Rabindranath Tagore translate the Indian National Anthem from Bengali into English in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh?
- Statement 4: Did Helena (Madame) Blavatsky and Colonel H. S. Olcott establish the headquarters of the Theosophical Society first in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh?
Says different tricolour flags were designed during the freedom movement and that Gandhiji had designed a Swaraj flag by 1921, indicating multiple earlier flag designs and designers existed before the later official flag.
A student could use this to infer that attribution of the currently recognised tricolour may be contested or involve earlier prototypes and then check timelines and individual claims (e.g., Pingali Venkayya) against 1921 and later developments.
Records the Constituent Assembly resolution specifying a horizontal tricolour (saffron, white, dark green) with a wheel, showing the final official design was a formal adoption process distinct from earlier versions.
A student could compare the Constituent Assembly's description and date with claims about where/when Pingali proposed his design to see if his design matches or predates the Assembly's decision.
Notes a tricolour flag of freedom being hoisted in 1929, showing public use of tricolours before formal adoption and multiple events/places associated with the flag.
Use this to check whether Pingali's claimed design was the flag used in 1929 or whether other versions were in circulation, and to place possible designers in a chronological/public context.
Gives the official modern specifications of the national flag (colour order, Ashoka Chakra, proportions), highlighting differences a claimed earlier design must be compared against.
Compare any claim about Pingali's design (colors, wheel, proportions) to these specifications to judge whether his design corresponds to the ultimately adopted flag or to an earlier variant.
Describes Andhra/Andhra Pradesh as an administrative entity created post‑Independence, implying that places now in Andhra Pradesh (like Madanapalle) may have been in different provinces historically.
A student could use a historical map or basic administrative-history facts to check whether Madanapalle lay in the Madras Presidency or another unit at the time of the alleged design, to test the geographic claim.
States Pattabhi Sitaramayya (Sitaramaiah) was a recognised Congress leader who led the Non-Cooperation Movement in the Andhra delta region, showing he was active as a regional leader in Andhra.
A student could infer that because he led major regional campaigns earlier, it is plausible he might have been involved in other mass movements (like Quit India) in Andhra and should check Quit India-era accounts for his role and base.
Notes Pattabhi Sitaramayya's prominence at national level (election as Congress President and membership of the JVP committee), indicating national-level engagement and influence.
Given national stature, a student could extend this to ask whether his national duties during 1942 affected local leadership roles and thus look for dates/locations to confirm or refute leadership from Madanapalle.
Describes the Quit India Movement as a mass movement with many regional leaders and named local leaders in various provinces, illustrating that regional leadership often mattered and was documented.
Use this pattern to guide a search for named Andhra leaders during Quit India (e.g., local newspapers, lists of arrested leaders) to see if Pattabhi or Madanapalle is mentioned.
Gives examples of local Andhra activists (Duggirala Balaramakrishnaya) leading regional campaigns and cultural mobilisation, showing Andhra had distinct local leaders active in various Gandhian campaigns.
A student could compare lists of Andhra leaders across different movements to see whether Pattabhi appears in Quit India-specific lists or whether other local leaders were the primary organisers.
Documents strong political mobilisation in Telugu-speaking areas and widespread regional protests, confirming that Andhra was a politically active theatre where local leadership roles for major movements were likely.
Combine this with a timeline of Pattabhi's activities to check if he was present in Madanapalle or engaged in Andhra Quit India leadership during 1942.
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Shows Tagore composed prominent patriotic songs (e.g., 'Amar Sonar Bangla') that became national anthems for another country, indicating he did produce anthem-related translations or versions in his oeuvre.
A student could check lists of Tagore's multilingual publications or biography timelines to see where and when he produced English versions of his songs.
States Tagore composed a national song that was sung widely in Bengal during the 1905 protests, indicating his anthem-related activity was centered in Bengal during that period.
Combine this with biographical timelines (locations where Tagore lived/worked) to test whether he was in Madanapalle at the time he might have translated the anthem.
Identifies Tagore as the central literary figure of Bengali language and culture, implying his primary work and activities were tied to Bengal.
Use basic geography/biography to compare Tagore's Bengal-centered life with Madanapalle (Andhra) to assess plausibility of him doing a translation there.
Gives a language-region pattern: Bengali's cultural core is West Bengal and its periphery excludes Andhra Pradesh (whose core language is Telugu).
A student could use this to argue it's less likely a major Bengali-language literary act (like translating a Bengali anthem) would occur in a Telugu-majority town unless there is specific evidence of Tagore's presence there.
Describes Tagore's efforts collecting Bengali folk traditions to build national identity, indicating his translations/English versions might be connected to his cultural work rather than distant regional locales.
Cross-reference Tagore's cultural projects and travel record to see whether translating the anthem in Madanapalle fits his documented activities.
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States the Society was founded in New York (1875) and that in 1882 they shifted their headquarters to Adyar on the outskirts of Madras.
A student could use the dates and locations given (New York → Adyar, 1882) and compare them with Madanapalle's geography and any local timelines to see if Madanapalle plausibly hosted an earlier headquarters.
Explicitly says Blavatsky and Olcott later came to India and founded the Society's headquarters at Adyar near Madras (given year 1886 here).
A student could reconcile the years (1882 vs 1886) and check historical chronologies and maps to determine whether any interim headquarters in Madanapalle are consistent with these reported dates and the move to Adyar.
Notes they came to India in 1879 and established their headquarters at 'Advar' in 1882, reinforcing the Adyar location and an early-1880s move.
Using the arrival year (1879) and HQ-established year (1882), a student could look for records of the Society's activities between those years to test whether Madanapalle appears as a temporary HQ.
Records a 1884 meeting of the Theosophical Society in Madras where the idea of forming the Indian National Congress was discussed — showing the Society's presence and activity in Madras/Adyar region in the 1880s.
A student could map centers of Theosophical activity (Madras/Adyar) against Madanapalle to judge whether Madanapalle was likely to have been a primary headquarters at that time.
Describes Colonel Olcott's influence in the Tamil country in the 1890s, indicating sustained Theosophical activity centered in the Madras/Tamil region rather than Andhra towns.
A student could use regional influence patterns (Tamil country focus) to assess the probability that the Society's HQ was based in nearby Adyar rather than in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh.
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- [THE VERDICT]: Bouncer (Current Affairs driven History). Source: News articles on '100 years of National Anthem' rather than standard history textbooks.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Evolution of National Symbols. Specifically, the micro-history of Jana Gana Mana, Vande Mataram, and the Tricolour.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: 1. Vande Mataram (Anandamath, 1882, first sung 1896 Calcutta Session). 2. National Flag (Pingali Venkayya presented design at Vijayawada Session 1921). 3. National Calendar (Saka Era, adopted 1957). 4. Margaret Cousins (Irish suffragette who composed the musical notation for the Anthem in Madanapalle).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Always filter Modern History for 'Centenaries' (100 years). If a cultural event hit a 100-year milestone recently (e.g., 1919-1922 events for 2019-2022 exams), memorize the specific location and minor characters involved.
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Earlier regional tricolours and Gandhi's Swaraj flag form the immediate historical background against which claims about the flag's designer must be assessed.
High-yield for UPSC as questions often probe the evolution of national symbols and attributions; ties the freedom movement's symbolic repertoire to later official adoption, enabling candidates to place claims about authorship in chronological context.
- India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > 4 The Sense of Collective Belonging > p. 48
The Constituent Assembly's resolution defining a horizontal saffron-white-green tricolour with a wheel is the authoritative milestone for the flag's official design.
Important for constitutional and modern history questions, since knowing the Assembly's role links debates on national identity, legal adoption of symbols, and contributions of leaders like Nehru; useful for questions on formal versus popular origins.
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 12: FRAMING THE CONSTITUTION > 1.2 The dominant voices > p. 320
Public hoisting events by national leaders mark the timeline of the tricolour's acceptance and help situate claims about when and by whom the flag became prominent.
Useful for timeline-based questions and for distinguishing symbolic acts of leaders from design authorship; connects to topics on political mobilization and mass symbolism in the independence movement.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 19: Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences > December 31, 1929 > p. 369
The record distinguishes movements such as the Non‑Cooperation Movement, the Salt/Satyagraha campaigns and the Quit India Movement as separate phases with different leaders and regional expressions.
High‑yield for UPSC because questions often ask to distinguish movements by period, methods, and regional leaders; mastering this clarifies which leader is associated with which movement and prevents conflation. It links to polity (Congress strategies), modern history timelines, and regional studies, enabling question types like compare‑and‑contrast or match‑the‑leader.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Appendices ✫ 809 > p. 809
- India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > Quit India Movement > p. 49
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Appendices ✫ 813 > p. 813
Pattabhi Sitaramayya is recorded as leading regional Non‑Cooperation activity in Andhra and later holding national Congress office and participating in the JVP committee on reorganisation.
Important to distinguish a leader's regional activism from formal national roles; useful for questions on personalities who played dual roles (regional organiser vs Congress president). This concept helps answer questions on leadership impact, committee roles, and policy influence.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Appendices ✫ 809 > p. 809
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Reconstruction of Post-colonial India > 8.4 Linguistic Reorganization of States > p. 107
The demand for a separate Andhra (Vishalandhra) and subsequent fasts and protests are central to the Andhra regional political narrative and state reorganisation.
Crucial for UPSC topics on state reorganisation, federalism and regional movements; explains causes, mobilisations (e.g., Potti Sriramulu’s fast), and administrative outcomes (creation of Andhra). Prepares aspirants for questions linking regional movements to constitutional/administrative changes.
- Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: Challenges of Nation Building > Reorganisation of States > p. 19
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 38: Developments under Nehru’s Leadership (1947-64) > Political Developments > p. 638
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Reconstruction of Post-colonial India > 8.4 Linguistic Reorganization of States > p. 107
Patriotic songs by writers such as Rabindranath Tagore were used as rallying cries and sung by crowds during anti‑partition and Swadeshi protests.
High-yield for questions on cultural nationalism and mass mobilisation: explains how literature and music functioned as tools of protest and identity formation. Connects to topics on nationalist movements, public rituals, and the use of symbols in political mobilisation.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 12: Era of Militant Nationalism (1905-1909) > Anti-Partition Campaign Under Moderates (1903-05) > p. 263
- Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 14: Nationalist Movement 1905—1918 > The Anti-Partition Movement or the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement > p. 241
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 12: Era of Militant Nationalism (1905-1909) > Impact in the Cultural Sphere > p. 267
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Margaret Cousins. She was the wife of the college principal in Madanapalle and helped transcribe the musical notations for the Anthem. She also founded the All India Women's Conference (AIWC) in 1927—a high-probability future question.
Use 'Standard Fact Dominance'. Option D is incorrect because standard texts (Spectrum) explicitly state the Theosophical HQ moved to Adyar. Option A is incorrect because Pingali Venkayya is famously linked to the Vijayawada session (1921). Eliminating these two leaves a 50/50, where 'Translation' (a specific intellectual act) fits a specific educational town like Madanapalle better than a broad regional movement leadership.
GS1 (Nationalism & Art): Use this anecdote to argue for the 'Cosmopolitan roots of Indian Nationalism'—A Bengali poet translating a song in a Telugu town (Madanapalle) with Irish help (Cousins) into English. It perfectly illustrates national integration.
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