European Rule: 27 MCQs with answers

Portuguese

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in India for trade, with Vasco da Gama reaching Calicut in 1498.

1757

The Battle of Plassey was fought in 1757 between the British East India Company and the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah.

Lord Clive

Robert Clive led the British East India Company forces at the Battle of Plassey.

True

Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer, was the first European to reach India by sea, arriving at Calicut in 1498.

True

The British East India Company was established in 1600 by a royal charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I.

To trade in spices and textiles

European powers came to India primarily for trade in spices and textiles.

Vasco da Gama

Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in 1498, becoming the first European to reach India by sea.

English East India Company

The English East India Company was chartered in 1600 to trade in India.

Political control of Bengal

The Battle of Plassey resulted in the British gaining political control of Bengal.

Robert Clive

Robert Clive was the British commander at the Battle of Plassey.

Diwani of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa

The Treaty of Allahabad granted the Company the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.

Lord Wellesley

The Subsidiary Alliance system was introduced by Lord Wellesley in 1798.

A policy to annex states without a natural heir

The Doctrine of Lapse was a policy declaring that states without a natural heir would lapse to the British.

It confirmed British control over Bengal's revenues

The Battle of Buxar confirmed British control over Bengal's revenues through the Treaty of Allahabad.

1856

Awadh was annexed in 1856 on the pretext of misgovernance.

1765

The Treaty of Allahabad was signed in 1765 between the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II and Robert Clive, granting the East India Company the Diwani rights of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.

Portuguese

The Portuguese established the first trading post in India at Calicut in 1498, followed by Cochin and Goa.

1764

The Battle of Buxar was fought in 1764 between the British East India Company and the combined forces of Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah, and Shah Alam II.

Warren Hastings

Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of Bengal, serving from 1772 to 1785.

Lord Wellesley

The Subsidiary Alliance system was introduced by Lord Wellesley in the late 18th century to bring Indian princely states under British control.

Lord Dalhousie

The Doctrine of Lapse was implemented by Lord Dalhousie, allowing the British to annex Indian states if the ruler died without a natural heir.

French

The French were the last major European power to arrive in India for trade, establishing their first factory in Surat in 1668.

British and French

The Carnatic Wars were a series of military conflicts between the British and French in the Carnatic region of India during the 18th century.

Lord Cornwallis

The Permanent Settlement was introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793 in Bengal, fixing land revenue permanently with zamindars.

Battle of Plassey

The Battle of Plassey in 1757 marked the beginning of British political rule in India, as it established the East India Company's dominance over Bengal.

1773

The Regulating Act was passed in 1773 by the British Parliament to regulate the affairs of the East India Company and establish a Governor-General of Bengal.

Lord William Bentinck

Lord William Bentinck was the first Governor-General of India, serving from 1828 to 1835 under the Charter Act of 1833.