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Question 39 of 66 · Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence
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In protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the government's treatment of the Khilafat issue, Gandhi returned the medal awarded to him by the British for his services in South Africa. This medal was the:

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Answer: Option B — Kaiser-i-Hind gold medal

Detailed Solution

In August 1920, Mahatma Gandhi returned the Kaiser-i-Hind gold medal, which had been awarded to him by the British government for his services in South Africa, in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the government's handling of the Punjab disturbances, and the Khilafat issue.

About the Kaiser-i-Hind medal:

  • It was instituted in 1900 by Queen Victoria, as a reward for distinguished public service in India.
  • It was awarded in gold, silver and bronze.
  • Gandhi was awarded the gold medal in 1915 for his humanitarian work, including the ambulance corps he organised during the Boer War (1899-1902) and the Zulu rebellion (1906) in South Africa.
  • "Kaiser-i-Hind" means "Emperor of India", the title used for the British monarch in India.

Gandhi's letter to the Viceroy:

  • In his letter returning the medal (1 August 1920), Gandhi wrote that he could not retain any respect or affection for a government that had acted so unscrupulously and immorally.
  • He also returned the Zulu War Medal and the Boer War Medal.

The Non-Cooperation Movement:

  • The surrender of titles and honours was the first step in the programme of non-cooperation.
  • Many Indians followed Gandhi's example and returned their titles and honours.

Other protests against Jallianwala Bagh:

Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood in protest (May 1919), in a famous letter to the Viceroy.

Sir C. Sankaran Nair resigned from the Viceroy's Executive Council.

Udham Singh later shot Michael O'Dwyer in London (1940).

Why not the other options?

  • ✗The Victoria Cross and the Military Cross are military gallantry awards.
  • ✗The Order of the Star of India was an order of knighthood.

Quick tip

Remember: Gandhi returned the Kaiser-i-Hind gold medal (August 1920; awarded 1915 for ambulance work in South Africa); Tagore renounced his knighthood (1919).

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Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the freedom struggle from Gandhi's return to India in 1915 to independence in 1947: the Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad movements, the Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh, the Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements, the Round Table Conferences, the Cripps Mission, the Cabinet Mission and the partition of India. Most questions ask about the year, cause or result of a movement, or the event that ended it. For example, the Chauri Chaura incident (1922) led Gandhi to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement, and the Dandi March (1930) started the Civil Disobedience Movement. Learning these events on a timeline is the best way to avoid confusion. Practise the Gandhian era questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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