15 November 2023

Q1. The first county to enter to trade in India was:

1. Dutch
2. England
3. Portuguese
4. France

• Explanation:
• By the time the first English ships sailed down the west coast of Africa, round the Cape of Good Hope, and crossed the Indian Ocean, the Portuguese had already established their presence in the western coast of India, and had their base in Goa. In fact, it was Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer, who had discovered this sea route to India in 1498.

Q2. Consider the following European bases for factories during the Mughal Era and choose the ones correctly matched:

1. French in Panaji
2. Dutch in Masulipatnam
3. Portuguese in Pondicherry
4. British in Madras

Select the correct answer using the code below:

1. 1 and 4 only
2. 2 and 4 only
3. 3 and 4 only
4. 1 and 2 only

• Explanation:
• Changes in the networks of trade were reflected in the history of urban centres. The European commercial Companies had set up base in different places early during the Mughal era: the Portuguese in Panaji in 1510, the Dutch in Masulipatnam in 1605, the British in Madras in 1639 and the French in Pondicherry (present-day Puducherry) in 1673. With the expansion of commercial activity, towns grew around these trading centres. By the end of the eighteenth century the land-based empires in Asia were replaced by the powerful sea-based European empires. Forces of international trade, mercantilism and capitalism now came to define the nature of society.
• From the mid-eighteenth century, there was a new phase of change. Commercial centres such as Surat, Masulipatnam and Dhaka, which had grown in the seventeenth century, declined when trade shifted to other places. As the British gradually acquired political control after the Battle of Plassey in 1757, and the trade of the English East India Company expanded, colonial port cities such as Madras, Calcutta and Bombay rapidly emerged as the new economic capitals. They also became centres of colonial administration and political power. New buildings and institutions developed, and urban spaces were ordered in new ways. New occupations developed and people flocked to these colonial cities. By about 1800, they were the biggest cities in India in terms of population.

Q3. Sea route to India from Europe was discovered by:

1. British
2. Portugese
3. French
4. Spanish

• Explanation:
• The Portuguese discovered the sea route to India from Europe when Vasco da Gama landed with his ship in Kerala.

Q4. Consider the following statements related to the advent of Portuguese in India:

1. The first Governor of Portuguese in India was Alfonso d’ Albuquerque.
2. Francisco Almeida captured Goa from the Bijapur ruler.
3. Nino-da-Cunha had transferred the Portuguese capital in India from Cochin to Goa.

Which of the above statements is/are true?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. None

• Explanation:
• The first Governor of Portuguese in India was Francisco Almeida. He was followed by Alfonso d’ Albuquerque in 1503. He captured Goa in 1510 from the Bijapur ruler. He also abolished Sati. Nino-da-Cunha transferred the Portuguese capital in India from Cochin to Goa in 1530.

Q5. Consider the following statements:

1. There were many Portuguese Officers in Shivaji’s Army
2. The idea for establishment of Topkhana and Darukhana was borrowed from Portuguese

Which among the above statements is/ are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

• Explanation:
• We must know that there were many Portuguese Officers in Shivaji’s army, especially for the Topkhana and Darukhana. Shivaji`s establishment of Darukhana and Topkhana was based upon the Casa de Polbora of the Portuguese. Before that Marathas had no ammunition factories of their own. But Shivaji had also obtained some ammunition from French.

Q6. Which among the following items were introduced by the Portuguese into India?

1. Tomato
2. Camphor
3. Chilli

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1, 2 and 3
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 2 only

• Explanation:
• It was with the entry of the Portuguese that a floodgate of new vegetables entered the Indian land and kitchens. They brought potato, tomato, tapioca, groundnuts, corn, papaya, pineapple, guava, avocado, rajma (kidney bean), cashew, sapota (chiku), and capsicum and chilli in all its forms.
• The Chinese had their influence too, though not to the extent of the Portuguese and the Moghuls. Mulberry, blackberry and the litchi fruit came to us through them. Of Chinese origin are also the sweet cherry and the peach. China also developed the leafy variety of Brassica juncea (rai), which we in India use as a vegetable. Camphor is a Chinese import.

Q7. What was the main reason for the ‘White Mutiny’ by European troops in 1859?

1. Resentment due to waging of more wars in British colonies.
2. Resentment due to change of allegiance from British East India Company to the Queen and Royal Army.
3. Dissatisfaction with increase in proportion of Indians to Europeans in the army.
4. Dissatisfaction related to quality of arms and artillery.

• Explanation:
• White Mutiny of 1859 by the European troops took place during Viceroy Lord Canning. With the Queen’s Proclamation of 1858, India’s administration was handed over to the British Crown. But the transfer of power meant that the Soldiers of the three Presidency Armies would now require making over their allegiance to the Queen (British Crown) and the Royal Army. This led to resentment among the European troops as while serving the East India Company (EIC), they used to receive ‘batta’ (Extra allowance) to cover the various expenditures relating to the operations outside their home territories but after shifting their allegiance to British Army, they did not get any extra payment. Also, the officers of British Army were senior in age to those of the same rank in the EIC unit.

Q8. With reference to impact by advent of Portuguese in 16th century, consider the following statements:

1. They replaced the Gujarati and Arab traders and monopolised the Asian trade networks.
2. The scientific advancements of Europe were transmitted to India.
3. Central American agricultural products like potato and maize were introduced in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

• Explanation:
• The Portuguese were hardly able to change the established pattern of Asian trade networks. The Gujarati and Arab merchants continued to dominate the most lucrative Asia trade, i.e. the trade in Indian textiles, supplemented by rice and sugar against which they obtained spices from the South East, gold and horses from the West Asia and silk and porcelain from China. Hence, statement 1 is not correct. The Portuguese could not act as a bridge for transmitting to India the science and technology which had grown in Europe since Renaissance. This was partly because the Portuguese were themselves not as deeply affected by the Renaissance as Italy and North Europe. They did however help to transmit a number of agricultural products from Central America such as potato, tobacco, maize, pea nuts etc. introduce to India. Hence, statement 2 is not correct and statement 3 is correct.

Q9. The Carnatic wars (1740-1763) were fought between which of the following European powers?

1. Dutch and Portuguese
2. English and French
3. French and Dutch
4. English and Dutch

• Explanation:
• Anglo-French rivalry in India coincided with the wars between the English and French in Europe for primarily two reasons: For protection of commercial interests. Political developments in the south India and Europe provided pretexts to contest their claims which culminated in the three Carnatic wars. First Carnatic War (1740-48) – It was an extension of the Anglo-French rivalry in Europe and ended in 1748 with the treaty of Aix-La-Chapelle. Second Carnatic War (1749-54) – Although inconclusive, it undermined the French power in the south India vis-a-vis the English. Third Carnatic War (1758-63) – A decisive war, known for the Battle of Wand wash. By the Treaty of Paris (1763), the French were allowed to use Indian settlements for commercial purposes only and fortification of settlements was banned.

Q10. Portuguese were the first to arrive in India and had established monopoly of eastern trade for nearly a century. Yet they were unable to maintain dominions in India because:

1. Their merchants enjoyed less power than landed aristocrats.
2. As compared to other European powers they lagged in the development of shipping.
3. They followed a policy of religious intolerance.

Select the correct answer using the code given below?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

• Explanation:
• Portugal had a monopoly of the highly profitable Eastern trade for nearly a century. In India, she established her trading settlements at Cochin, Goa, Dlu, and Daman. From the beginning, the Portuguese combined the use of force with trade. Portugal was, however, incapable of maintaining for long its trade monopoly or its dominions in the East. By the 18th century, the Portuguese in India lost their commercial influence, though some of them still carried on trade in their individual capacity and many took to piracy and robbery. The decline of the Portuguese was brought about by several factors: o The local advantages gained by the Portuguese in India were reduced with the emergence of powerful dynasties in Egypt, Persia and North India and the rise of the turbulent Marathas as their immediate neighbors. (The Marathas captured Salsette and Bassein in 1739 from the Portuguese). Also, their merchants enjoyed much less power and prestige than the landed aristocrats in India. Hence statement 1 is correct. The religious policies of the Portuguese, such as the activities of the Jesuits, gave rise to political fears. Their antagonism for the Muslims apart, the Portuguese policy of conversion to Christianity made Hindus also resentful. Hence statement 3 is correct.  Their dishonest trade practices also evoked a strong reaction. The Portuguese earned notoriety as sea pirates. Their arrogance and violence brought them the animosity of the rulers of small states and the imperial Mughals as well. The earlier monopoly of knowledge of the sea route to India held by the Portuguese could not remain a secret forever; soon enough the Dutch and the English, who were learning the skills of ocean navigation, also learned it and outshined the Portuguese. Hence statement 2 is correct.  As new trading communities from Europe arrived in India, there began a fierce rivalry among them. In this struggle, the Portuguese had to give way to the more powerful and enterprising competitors. The Dutch and the English had greater resources and more compulsions to expand overseas, and they overcame the Portuguese resistance. One by one, the Portuguese possessions fell to its opponents

Q11. Consider the following statements with reference to the Battle of Wandi wash:

1. It was fought between the British and the Dutch.
2. The outbreak of the Seven Years’ War in Europe provided the context for the battle.
3. After the battle, the British had no European rival in India.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

• Explanation:
• The outbreak of the Seven Years’ War in Europe between England and France in 1756 provided the context for the third and decisive round of Anglo-French conflict in south India. The most decisive battle of the Third Carnatic War was the Battle of Wandiwash in 1760. Hence, statement 1 is not correct and statement 2 is correct. In the Battle of Wandiwash, General Eyre Coote of the English defeated the French army under Count Thomas Arthur de Lally and took Bussy as a prisoner. French also lost Pondicherry to the British.During the Third Carnatic War, French lost their positions in India, such as Chandernagore in Bengal, settlements at Masulipatnam and Yanam etc. However, by the Peace of Paris in 1763 France got back all the factories and settlements that it possessed in India prior to 1749, with the provision that it could not any more fortify Chandernagore. But the balance of power in India had by now decisively changed with the steady expansion of the power of the English company. The French East India Company was finally wound up in 1769.The Treaty of Peace of Paris (1763) restored to the French their factories in India but not allowed to fortify them. Also, the French ceased to be a political power in India. The victory at Wandiwash left the English East India Company with no European rival in India. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Q12. Arrange the following in the correct Chronological order of their arrival in India:

1. Danes
2. Portuguese
3. English
4. French

Select the correct answer using the code given below?

1. 1-2-3-4
2. 2-3-1-4
3. 2-1-3-4
4. 1-2-4-3

• Explanation:
• Portuguese-English-Danes-French: In 1498, Vasco da Gama of Portugal discovered a new sea route from Europe to India. He reached Calicut by sailing around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope. This was the first arrival of Europeans in India by sea route.The British East India Company was established in 1600.The Danish formed an East India Company and arrived in India in 1616.French East India Company was established in 1664.Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.

Q13. Consider the following statements:

1. Out of all the European colonial powers that came to India, it was the Dutch who had the shortest presence in comparison to the Portuguese and the English.
2. The first factory founded by the Dutch in India was at Masulipatnam.
3. The Battle of Colachel permanently ended Dutch presence in South India when the Travancore army defeated an army of the Dutch East India company.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

• Explanation:
• The Dutch East India Company was created in 1602 as “United East India Company” and in India, they established the first factory in Masulipatanam in 1605, followed by Pulicat in 1610, Surat in 1616, Bimilipatam in 1641 and Chinsura in 1653. Hence, statement 2 is correct.The Dutch had the shortest presence in India in comparison to the Portuguese and the English. Dutch presence on the Indian subcontinent lasted from 1605 to 1825. Hence, statement 1 is correct.The Battle of Colachel was fought in 1741 between the Indian kingdom of Travancore and the Dutch East India Company. During the Travancore-Dutch War, King Marthanda Varma’s force defeated the Dutch East India Company’s forces. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Q14. Which among the following civil services reforms were introduced by Lord Cornwallis?

1.Promotion in civil services on the basis of seniority.

2.Establishment of Fort William college at Calcutta to train young recruits.

3.Holding civil services examination in India

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

• Explanation:
• Lord Cornwallis, who came to India as Governor-General in 1786, was determined to purify the administration, but he realised that the Company’s servants would not give honest and efficient service so long as they were not given adequate salaries. He therefore enforced the rules against private trade and acceptance of presents and bribes by officials with strictness. At the same time, he raised the salary of the Company’s servants. For example, the Collector of a district was to be paid Rs. 1500 a month and one per cent commission on the revenue collection of his district. In fact, the Company’s Civil Service became the highest paid service in the world. Cornwallis also laid down that promotion in the Civil Services would be by seniority so that its members would remain independent of outside influence. Hence, statement 1 is correct. In 1800, Lord Wellesley pointed out that even though civil servants often ruled over vast areas, they came to India at the immature age of 18 or so and were given no regular training before starting on their jobs. They generally lacked knowledge of Indian languages. Wellesley therefore established the Fort William college at Calcutta for the education of young recruits to the Civil Services. Hence, statement 2 is not correct. Civil services examination started to be held in India from 1922 (Lord Reading) onwards. It was not introduced by Lord Cornwallis. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Q15. With reference to judicial organization during British rule in the 18th century, consider the following statements:

1.Any official could be brought before a court of law for acts done in excess of official authority.

2.Punishments were in accordance with the prevalent social system.

3.The Europeans and their descendants had separate courts and laws.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

• Explanation:
• The British introduced the modern concept of the rule of law. This meant that their administration was to be carried out, at least in theory, in obedience to laws, which clearly defined the rights, privileges, and obligations of the subjects and not according to the caprice or personal discretion of the ruler. One important feature of the concept of the rule of law was that any official could be brought before a court of law for breaches of official duty or for acts done in excess of his official authority. The rule of law was to some extent, a guarantee of the personal liberty of a person. Hence, statement 1 is correct. The Indian legal system under the British was based on the concept of equality before law. This meant that in the eyes of law all men were equal. The same law applied to all persons irrespective of their caste, religion, or class. Previously, the judicial system had paid heed to caste distinctions and had differentiated between the high-born and low-born. For the same crime lighter punishment was awardedto a Brahmin than to a non-Brahmin. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• There was one exception to this principle of equality before law. The Europeans and their descendants had separate courts and even laws. In criminal cases they could be tried only by European judges. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Q16. Which of the following factors led to the stagnation and deterioration of agriculture during the British period in India?

1.Overcrowding of agriculture

2.Excessive land revenue demand

3.Growth of intermediaries

4.Absence of use of modern machinery and technology.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1, 3 and 4 only
3. 2, 3 and 4 only
4. 1, 2, 3 and 4

• Explanation:
• All the statements are correct. Following were the reasons for stagnation and deterioration of agriculture during the British period in India- The destruction of the traditional industries resulted in unemployment among the handicraftsmen and rural artisans. This forced them to crowd them into agriculture.
• British government used to charge heavy taxation over peasantry. The growth of sub infatuation or intermediaries was a remarkable feature of the spread of landlordism. Through this process a large number of rents receiving intermediaries sprang up between the actual cultivator and the government. It was the tenants who had to bear the burden of maintaining the horde of superior landlords. Indian agriculture was technologically stagnating. There was absence of use of modern machinery to improve the status of indian agriculture.

Q17. Which of the following were the reasons behind the collapse of the urban handicrafts industry during the British rule in India?

1.Competition with the cheaper imported machine-goods from Britain.

2.Forcing craftsmen to sell their goods below the market price.

3.The gradual disappearance of Indian rulers and their courts.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

• Explanation:
• Statement 1 is correct: The quick collapse of the urban handicrafts was caused largely by competition with the cheaper imported machine-goods from Britain. Indian goods made with primitive techniques could not compete with goods produced on a mass scale by powerful steam-operated machines. Statement 2 is correct: The ruin of Indian industries was also contributed by oppression practiced by the East India Company. They forced craftsmen to sell their goods below the market price. Statement 3 is correct: The gradual disappearance of Indian rulers and their courts who were the main customers of the handicrafts also gave a big blow to these industries.

Q18. With reference to Permanent Settlement System, consider the following statements:

1.It recognized zamindars as the owner of the land.

2.The revenue settled was revised every 20-30 years.

3.It was introduced in Orissa, Bengal and Bihar.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

• Explanation:
• Permanent Settlement System: The Permanent Settlement of Bengal was brought into effect by the East India Company headed by the Governor-General Lord Cornwallis in 1793. This system was also called the Zamindari System. This was basically an agreement between the company and the Zamindars to fix the land revenue. First enacted in Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, this was later followed in northern Madras Presidency and the district of Varanasi. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
• Features of the system were as follows: Landlords or Zamindars were recognised as the owners of the land. They were given hereditary rights of succession of the lands under them. The Zamindars could sell or transfer the land as they wished. Hence, statement 1 is correct. The Zamindars ‘proprietorship would stay as long as he paid the fixed revenue at the said date to the government. If they failed to pay, their rights would cease to exist and the land would be auctioned off. The amount to be paid by the landlords was fixed. It was agreed that this would not increase in future (permanent). The fixed amount was 10/11th portion of the revenue for the government and 1/10th was for the Zamindar. (The revenue settled under the Ryotwari settlement was periodically revised after 20-30 years when the revenue demand was usually raised.) Hence, statement 2 is not correct. The Zamindar also had to give the tenant a patta which described the area of the land given to him and the rent he had to pay the landlord.

Q19.  In the context of Indian history, ‘Dual Government’ refers to:

1. introduction of bicameralism at the Centre.
2. vesting of both diwani and nizamat powers with the Company in Bengal.
3. introduction of double government at Centre and provinces.
4. division of central subjects into two categories.

• Explanation:
• The East India company became the real master of Bengal at least from 1765. As the Diwan, the Company directly collected its revenues, while through the right to nominate the Deputy Subahdar, it controlled the Niza mat or the police and judicial powers. The virtual unity of two branches of Government under British control was signified by the fact that the same person acted in Bengal as the Deputy Diwan on behalf of the Company and as Deputy Subahdar on behalf of the Nawab. This arrangement is known in history as the Dual or Double Government. It held a great advantage for the British: they had power without responsibility. They controlled the finances of the province and its army directly and its administration indirectly. The Nawab and his officials had the responsibility of administration but not the power to discharge it. The weakness of the government could be blamed on the Indians while its fruits were gathered by the British. The consequences for the people of Bengal were disastrous: neither the Company nor the Nawab cared for their welfare. In any case, the Nawab ‘s officials had no power to protect the people from the greed and rapacity of the Company and its servants. On the other hand, they were themselves in a hurry to exploit their official powers. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Q20. Which among the following Acts, marks the beginning of parliamentary control over the East India Company?

1. Charter Act of 1813
2. Charter Act of 1833
3. Pitts Act, 1784
4. Regulating Act, 1773

• Explanation:
• The Regulating Act of 1773 holds a special significance in the legislative history of India because it marks the beginning of parliamentary control over the government of the Company. This Act is also said to have started the process of territorial integration and administrative centralization in India. It accorded supremacy to the Presidency of Bengal and the Governor of Bengal was appointed as the Governor- General. A Council consisting of four members was constituted to assist the Governor-General.