Indian History Test

(The questions cover Indian History from the Later Mughals, Rise of Independent States, Arrival of Europeans, British Economic Policies.)

1. Who was the Mughal Emperor when Nadir Shah invaded India and looted the Peacock Throne in 1739?
A. Farrukhsiyar
B. Muhammad Shah ‘Rangeela’
C. Jahandar Shah
D. Shah Alam II

2. Which Portuguese Governor is credited with the “Blue Water Policy”?
A. Alfonso de Albuquerque
B. Francisco de Almeida
C. Nino da Cunha
D. Vasco da Gama

3. The independent state of Hyderabad was founded in 1724 by whom?
A. Saadat Khan
B. Murshid Quli Khan
C. Nizam-ul-Mulk (Asaf Jah)
D. Alivardi Khan

4. The “Battle of Bedara” (1759) fought in Bengal marked the end of which European power’s political ambitions in India?
A. French
B. Dutch
C. Portuguese
D. Danish

5. Which treaty brought the First Anglo-Mysore War to an end?
A. Treaty of Madras
B. Treaty of Mangalore
C. Treaty of Seringapatam
D. Treaty of Salbai

6. Who was the first Indian ruler to organize an army on European lines and establish a modern arsenal at Dindigul?
A. Tipu Sultan
B. Haider Ali
C. Nana Phadnavis
D. Mahadji Scindia

7. Who propounded the ‘Drain of Wealth’ theory in the book “Poverty and Un-British Rule in India”?
A. R.C. Dutt
B. Dadabhai Naoroji
C. M.G. Ranade
D. Gopal Krishna Gokhale

8. Which Later Mughal Emperor granted the ‘Golden Farman’ to the British in 1717 (often called the Magna Carta of Company trade)?
A. Bahadur Shah I
B. Farrukhsiyar
C. Ahmad Shah
D. Alamgir II

9. The city of Jaipur and the Jantar Mantar observatories were built by:
A. Sawai Jai Singh
B. Jaswant Singh
C. Rana Kumbha
D. Ajit Singh

10. The “Black Hole Tragedy” is associated with which Nawab of Bengal?
A. Mir Jafar
B. Alivardi Khan
C. Siraj-ud-Daulah
D. Mir Qasim

11. Where did the British East India Company establish their first permanent factory in South India (1611)?
A. Surat
B. Masulipatnam
C. Madras
D. Kochi

12. The Permanent Settlement (Zamindari System) was introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793 primarily in:
A. Madras and Bombay
B. Punjab and Sindh
C. Bengal and Bihar
D. Central Provinces

13. Who was known as the “Plato of the Jat tribe”?
A. Churaman
B. Badan Singh
C. Suraj Mal
D. Gokula

14. In the Third Battle of Panipat (1761), the Marathas were defeated by:
A. The British
B. The Rohillas
C. Ahmad Shah Abdali
D. Shuja-ud-Daula

15. Which Sikh Guru established the ‘Khalsa Panth’ in 1699?
A. Guru Tegh Bahadur
B. Guru Gobind Singh
C. Guru Arjan Dev
D. Guru Hargobind

16. Arrange the following Later Mughal Emperors in correct chronological order:

Jahandar Shah
Bahadur Shah I
Farrukhsiyar
Muhammad Shah
Codes:
A. 2, 1, 3, 4
B. 1, 2, 3, 4
C. 2, 3, 1, 4
D. 1, 3, 2, 4

18. Which battle is considered more significant than Plassey in establishing British “military supremacy” in India?
A. Battle of Wandiwash (1760)
B. Battle of Buxar (1764)
C. Battle of Panipat (1761)
D. Battle of Assaye (1803)

19. Regarding the “Ryotwari System,” consider the following:

It was introduced by Alexander Read and Thomas Munro.
The settlement was made directly with the cultivators (Ryots).
It was primarily implemented in Bengal.
Which statement(s) is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

20. The Battle of Colachel (1741) is historically significant because:
A. It was the first time the British defeated the French.
B. An Indian kingdom (Travancore) defeated a European naval power (Dutch).
C. The Marathas defeated the Portuguese.
D. Hyder Ali defeated the British.

21. Who among the following was the French Governor who first used the policy of intervening in the mutual quarrels of Indian princes to acquire territory?
A. Colbert
B. Dupleix
C. Bussy
D. Count de Lally

22. Which of the following statements about Ranjit Singh is INCORRECT?
A. He belonged to the Sukerchakia Misl.
B. He signed the Treaty of Amritsar (1809) with the British.
C. He modernized his army with the help of French and Italian officers.
D. He bequeathed the Kohinoor diamond to the Mughal Emperor.

23. The “Dual System of Government” in Bengal (1765-1772) implied:
A. Rule by both the Nawab and the Mughal Emperor.
B. Rule by the East India Company and the French.
C. Separation of Diwani (Revenue) and Nizamat (Law & Order) functions.
D. Joint rule of Hindu and Muslim elites.

24. Which English fort is NOT correctly matched with its location?
A. Fort William – Calcutta
B. Fort St. George – Madras
C. Fort St. David – Cuddalore
D. Fort Louis – Bombay

25. Assertion (A): The British won the Battle of Wandiwash against the French.
Reason (R): The British Navy was superior to the French Navy.
A. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
B. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
C. A is true but R is false.
D. A is false but R is true.

26. The term “Dastak” implies:
A. A tax on religious pilgrimage.
B. A free pass or permit for duty-free trade.
C. A form of land revenue in Mysore.
D. A cavalry unit in the Maratha army.

27. “De-industrialization” of India in the 19th century was majorly caused by:
A. Loss of royal patronage for handicrafts.
B. Competition from machine-made British goods and one-way free trade.
C. Lack of raw materials in India.
D. Obsolescence of Indian technology.

28. Who founded the city of Calcutta by merging the villages of Sutanuti, Gobindapur, and Kalikata?
A. Job Charnock
B. Gerald Aungier
C. Francis Day
D. William Hedges

29. The “Treaty of Seringapatam” (1792) forced Tipu Sultan to:
A. Surrender half his territory to the British and their allies.
B. Give two of his sons as hostages to Cornwallis.
C. Accept a British Resident at his court.
D. Both A and B.

30. Which European power was the last to arrive in India for trade?
A. French
B. English
C. Dutch
D. Danish

31. Consider the following statements regarding the Portuguese in India:

They were the first to introduce tobacco cultivation in India.
They introduced the Gothic style of architecture in India.
Alfonso de Albuquerque encouraged his men to marry Indian women.
They captured Goa from the Sultan of Bijapur in 1530.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A. 1 and 3 only
B. 1, 2 and 3 only
C. 2, 3 and 4 only
D. 1, 3 and 4 only

33. With reference to the “Mahalwari System,” consider the following statements:

It was introduced by Holt Mackenzie.
The revenue settlement was made with the village community as a whole.
The revenue demand was fixed permanently and could not be revised.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

34. Consider the following treaties regarding the Anglo-Maratha Wars:

Treaty of Surat
Treaty of Purandar
Treaty of Salbai
Treaty of Bassein
What is the correct chronological order of these treaties?
A. 1 – 2 – 3 – 4
B. 1 – 3 – 2 – 4
C. 2 – 1 – 3 – 4
D. 4 – 3 – 2 – 1

35. Assertion (A): The Battle of Plassey was not a great military engagement but a transaction.
Reason (R): Mir Jafar, the Commander-in-Chief, along with rich bankers like Jagat Seth, conspired with Clive to defeat Siraj-ud-Daulah.
A. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
B. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
C. A is true but R is false.
D. A is false but R is true.

36. Which of the following was NOT a feature of the “Subsidiary Alliance” system devised by Lord Wellesley?
A. The Indian ruler had to maintain a British contingent at his own expense.
B. The Indian ruler could not employ any European without British approval.
C. The British promised not to interfere in the internal affairs of the state.
D. The Indian ruler could declare war or negotiate treaties with other Indian rulers freely.

37. With reference to the entry of European powers, which statement is incorrect?
A. The Dutch established their headquarters at Nagapatam (replacing Pulicat).
B. The English obtained the lease of Madras in 1639 from the Ruler of Chandragiri.
C. The French East India Company was a private limited company with no state control.
D. The Portuguese lost Hugli in 1632 to Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.

38. Consider the following statements about the “Commercialization of Agriculture” under British rule:

It led to an increase in food grain production over cash crops.
It increased the vulnerability of peasants to famines.
It linked Indian agriculture to the global market prices.
Which statements are correct?
A. 1 and 2
B. 2 and 3
C. 1 and 3
D. 1, 2 and 3

39. Who among the following established the “Dharma Sabha” to counter the reformist trends of the Brahmo Samaj, but politically cooperated with them against the “Lex Loci Act”?
A. Radhakanta Deb
B. Debendranath Tagore
C. Keshub Chandra Sen
D. Ram Mohan Roy

40. Identify the Personality:

He was a blind poet and a musician.
He was the ruler of Awadh who built the ‘Bada Imambara’ in Lucknow.
He transferred the capital from Faizabad to Lucknow.
Who is he?
A. Shuja-ud-Daula
B. Asaf-ud-Daula
C. Wajid Ali Shah
D. Safdar Jung

41. Which of the following statements about the Anglo-Sikh Wars is true?
A. The First Anglo-Sikh war resulted in the complete annexation of Punjab.
B. Rani Jindan was treated with great respect and given a pension after the first war.
C. The Treaty of Lahore (1846) imposed a heavy war indemnity on the Sikhs.
D. Mulraj’s revolt in Multan was the immediate cause of the First Anglo-Sikh War.

42. The “Cartaz System” used by the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean was:
A. A tax on spices.
B. A naval trade license/pass without which ships could be confiscated.
C. A method of religious conversion.
D. A fortification technique.

43. Regarding the “Jagirdari Crisis” in the late Mughal Empire, what does it signify?
A. Shortage of Jagirs (land) to be assigned to the increasing number of Mansabdars.
B. Revolt of the Jagirdars against the Emperor.
C. Conversion of Jagir lands into Khalisa lands.
D. Refusal of peasants to pay tax to Jagirdars.

44. What was the primary implication of the “Inam Commission” (1852) established by Lord Dalhousie?
A. To reward loyal princes.
B. To investigate rent-free land grants and confiscate them if titles were invalid.
C. To provide pension to the families of soldiers.
D. To survey the educational standards in India.

45. Which of the following pairs regarding the Carnatic Wars is incorrectly matched?
A. First Carnatic War — Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
B. Second Carnatic War — Treaty of Pondicherry
C. Third Carnatic War — Treaty of Paris
D. Battle of St. Thome — Third Carnatic War

46. The British policy of “Masterly Inactivity” is associated with:
A. The annexation of Awadh.
B. Policy towards Afghanistan (John Lawrence).
C. Policy towards Marathas.
D. The suppression of Thuggee.

47. “Economic Drain” was not just the transfer of wealth, but also “Moral Drain.” Who argued that the British rule was “Acting as a sponge, drawing up all the good things from the banks of the Ganges and squeezing them down on the banks of the Thames”?
A. John Sullivan
B. Dadabhai Naoroji
C. William Bentinck
D. Karl Marx

48. Consider the following about the “Misls” in Sikh history:

They were originally military brotherhoods with democratic setups.
Gurmatta (resolution) was passed by the Sarbat Khalsa to coordinate the Misls.
Ranjit Singh eliminated all Misls to create a unified empire.
Which is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

49. The “Agency Houses” in the late 18th and early 19th centuries were:
A. Government bodies regulating trade.
B. European private trading firms that financed trade and indigo plantation.
C. Indian banking houses like the Jagat Seths.
D. Intelligence units of the East India Company.

50. Which historian described the 18th Century in India not as a “Dark Age” but as an age of “economic continuity and regional assertiveness”?
A. Jadunath Sarkar
B. C.A. Bayly
C. R.C. Majumdar
D. V.A. Smith

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Indian History Test