Official UPSC Format

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 :

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.

⚡ Quick Recall Snippet

The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 extended the divisive principle of separate electorates to Sikhs and Christians. The British administration weaponized community-based political representation to actively undermine Indian nationalism.

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Detailed Solution & Authority Citations

Correct Answer is Option D
Historical analysis of the Government of India Act, 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms) confirms the assertion through the following mechanisms:
  • Statement 1 Supports: The 1909 Morley-Minto reforms introduced separate electorates for Muslims. The 1919 reforms institutionalized this further by retaining and explicitly extending these separate electorates to Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, and Europeans, fundamentally cementing community-based voting blocks.

  • Statement 2 Supports: This was a deliberate imperial strategy. By rewarding fractured, micro-identities, the British sought to legally institutionalize 'Divide and Rule' to counter and weaken the unified Indian nationalist movement that was gaining alarming momentum post-World War I.

  • Statement 3 Supports: Because the new legislative framework tied political power, jobs, and administrative favors directly to these isolated communal seats, deprived classes and minorities were practically incentivized to rally around their distinct community identities rather than a secular national identity to secure their rights.
    • Conclusion: All three statements accurately explain how the 1919 reforms structurally forced the genesis of community-based political alliances.

    🚨 The Examiner's Trap

    This is a conceptual assertion question. Candidates who only memorize the technical facts of 1919 (like 'dyarchy in provinces') without understanding the sociological intent of the British legislative strategy will struggle to connect the statements to the core assertion.

    Active Recall Flashcard

    Tap to Flip

    Which major constitutional reform act extended the principle of separate electorates beyond Muslims to include Sikhs, Indian Christians, and Anglo-Indians?

    The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (Government of India Act, 1919).

    Concept Flow Mapping

    Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
    Expanded
    Separate Electorates
    Separate Electorates
    Countered
    Indian Nationalism
    Separate Electorates
    Fostered
    Community Alliances

    Logic Quest

    "How did separate electorates create 'community alliances'?"

    Not analyzing core concepts like Institutionalization of Divide and Rule through the lens of Previous Year Questions is a serious miss-out. This PYQ engine is specifically designed to help you decode the examiner's mindset and master highly probable Modern History questions for your upcoming Prelims.