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50 Most Frequently Asked MCQs on British Expansion in India

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Part I – Battle of Plassey & Battle of Buxar (Questions 1–15)

1. The Battle of Plassey was fought in:

A. 1756
B. 1757
C. 1764
D. 1765

Answer: B. 1757

2. The Battle of Plassey was fought between:

A. British and Tipu Sultan
B. British and Siraj-ud-Daulah
C. British and Mir Qasim
D. British and Shah Alam II

Answer: B. British and Siraj-ud-Daulah

3. The Battle of Plassey was fought on:

A. 23 June 1757
B. 22 October 1764
C. 12 August 1765
D. 10 January 1758

Answer: A. 23 June 1757

4. Who commanded the British forces at the Battle of Plassey?

A. Warren Hastings
B. Lord Wellesley
C. Robert Clive
D. Lord Cornwallis

Answer: C. Robert Clive

5. Who betrayed Siraj-ud-Daulah during the Battle of Plassey?

A. Mir Madan
B. Mohan Lal
C. Mir Jafar
D. Jagat Seth

Answer: C. Mir Jafar

6. Which battle marked the beginning of British political rule in India?

A. Battle of Buxar
B. Battle of Panipat
C. Battle of Plassey
D. Battle of Wandiwash

Answer: C. Battle of Plassey

7. The Battle of Buxar was fought in:

A. 1757
B. 1761
C. 1764
D. 1765

Answer: C. 1764

8. The Battle of Buxar was fought between the British and the combined forces of:

A. Siraj-ud-Daulah, Mir Jafar and Shah Alam II

B. Mir Qasim, Shah Alam II and Shuja-ud-Daulah

C. Tipu Sultan, Nizam and Marathas

D. Nawab of Carnatic, French and Mysore

Answer: B. Mir Qasim, Shah Alam II and Shuja-ud-Daulah

9. Which battle established the political supremacy of the British in India?

A. Battle of Plassey

B. Battle of Buxar

C. Battle of Wandiwash

D. Third Battle of Panipat

Answer: B. Battle of Buxar

10. After the Battle of Buxar, the Treaty of Allahabad was signed in:

A. 1764

B. 1765

C. 1766

D. 1773

Answer: B. 1765

11. Who granted the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to the East India Company?

A. Mir Jafar

B. Shah Alam II

C. Shuja-ud-Daulah

D. Siraj-ud-Daulah

Answer: B. Shah Alam II

12. The Diwani rights were obtained in:

A. 1757

B. 1764

C. 1765

D. 1772

Answer: C. 1765

13. Which battle is considered more decisive for British rule?

A. Battle of Plassey

B. Battle of Buxar

C. Battle of Wandiwash

D. Battle of Assaye

Answer: B. Battle of Buxar

14. Who became the Nawab of Bengal after the Battle of Plassey?

A. Mir Qasim

B. Mir Jafar

C. Siraj-ud-Daulah

D. Shuja-ud-Daulah

Answer: B. Mir Jafar

15. Match the following correctly:

  1. Battle of Plassey – 1757
  2. Battle of Buxar – 1764
  3. Treaty of Allahabad – 1765

A. 1 only

B. 1 & 2 only

C. 2 & 3 only

D. 1, 2 & 3

Answer: D. 1, 2 & 3

Part II – Governor-Generals (Questions 16–35)

16. Warren Hastings became the first:

A. Governor-General of India

B. Governor-General of Bengal

C. Viceroy of India

D. Governor of Madras

Answer: B. Governor-General of Bengal

17. The Regulating Act of 1773 made Warren Hastings the:

A. First Governor-General of Bengal

B. First Viceroy

C. Governor of Bombay

D. Governor of Madras

Answer: A. First Governor-General of Bengal

18. Who introduced the Permanent Settlement?

A. Warren Hastings

B. Cornwallis

C. Wellesley

D. Dalhousie

Answer: B. Lord Cornwallis

19. The Permanent Settlement was introduced in:

A. 1773

B. 1793

C. 1805

D. 1856

Answer: B. 1793

20. Lord Cornwallis is known as the:

A. Father of Civil Services in India

B. Father of Local Self-Government

C. Maker of Modern India

D. Iron Man

Answer: A. Father of Civil Services in India

21. Who introduced the Subsidiary Alliance?

A. Cornwallis

B. Wellesley

C. Dalhousie

D. Hastings

Answer: B. Lord Wellesley

22. The main objective of the Subsidiary Alliance was to:

A. Promote Indian industries

B. Expand British political control

C. Improve education

D. Encourage trade only

Answer: B. Expand British political control

23. Which Indian state first accepted the Subsidiary Alliance?

A. Hyderabad

B. Mysore

C. Awadh

D. Maratha Confederacy

Answer: A. Hyderabad

24. Which Governor-General annexed Punjab?

A. Wellesley

B. Dalhousie

C. Hastings

D. Cornwallis

Answer: B. Lord Dalhousie

25. Who introduced the Doctrine of Lapse?

A. Wellesley

B. Dalhousie

C. Ripon

D. Canning

Answer: B. Lord Dalhousie

26. Under the Doctrine of Lapse, adopted sons were:

A. Recognised as legal heirs

B. Not recognised for succession

C. Given pensions only

D. Allowed to rule jointly

Answer: B. Not recognised for succession

27. Which of the following states was NOT annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse?

A. Satara

B. Jhansi

C. Nagpur

D. Hyderabad

Answer: D. Hyderabad

28. Which state was the first annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse?

A. Jhansi

B. Satara

C. Nagpur

D. Sambalpur

Answer: B. Satara

29. Jhansi was annexed in:

A. 1848

B. 1853

C. 1854

D. 1856

Answer: C. 1854

30. Which Governor-General introduced railways, telegraph and the postal system?

A. Cornwallis

B. Dalhousie

C. Hastings

D. Ripon

Answer: B. Lord Dalhousie

31. The first railway in India started during the tenure of:

A. Wellesley

B. Dalhousie

C. Hastings

D. Canning

Answer: B. Lord Dalhousie

32. The first railway in India ran between:

A. Bombay and Thane

B. Calcutta and Howrah

C. Delhi and Agra

D. Madras and Bangalore

Answer: A. Bombay and Thane

33. Who is known as the architect of British paramountcy in India?

A. Cornwallis

B. Wellesley

C. Dalhousie

D. Hastings

Answer: B. Lord Wellesley

34. Match the following:

  1. Cornwallis – Permanent Settlement
  2. Wellesley – Subsidiary Alliance
  3. Dalhousie – Doctrine of Lapse

A. 1 only

B. 1 & 2 only

C. 2 & 3 only

D. 1, 2 & 3

Answer: D. 1, 2 & 3

35. Which Governor-General is called the “Maker of Modern India”?

A. Wellesley

B. Dalhousie

C. Cornwallis

D. Ripon

Answer: B. Lord Dalhousie

Part III – Annexation of Awadh & British Expansion (Questions 36–50)

36. Awadh was annexed by:

A. Wellesley

B. Dalhousie

C. Canning

D. Ripon

Answer: B. Lord Dalhousie

37. Awadh was annexed in:

A. 1848

B. 1853

C. 1856

D. 1857

Answer: C. 1856

38. The official reason for the annexation of Awadh was:

A. Doctrine of Lapse

B. Misgovernment

C. Subsidiary Alliance

D. Trade disputes

Answer: B. Misgovernment

39. Who was the Nawab of Awadh at the time of annexation?

A. Wajid Ali Shah

B. Siraj-ud-Daulah

C. Mir Jafar

D. Shuja-ud-Daulah

Answer: A. Wajid Ali Shah

40. The annexation of Awadh became an important cause of:

A. Anglo-Mysore Wars

B. Revolt of 1857

C. Carnatic Wars

D. Anglo-Maratha Wars

Answer: B. Revolt of 1857

41. Which battle marked the beginning of British political control?

A. Buxar

B. Plassey

C. Panipat

D. Wandiwash

Answer: B. Plassey

42. Which battle gave the British the Diwani rights?

A. Plassey

B. Buxar

C. Assaye

D. Arcot

Answer: B. Buxar

43. Which Governor-General greatly expanded British territory through alliances?

A. Cornwallis

B. Wellesley

C. Hastings

D. Ripon

Answer: B. Wellesley

44. Which Governor-General expanded British territory through annexation?

A. Dalhousie

B. Hastings

C. Ripon

D. Curzon

Answer: A. Dalhousie

45. Consider the following statements:

  1. Plassey was fought in 1757.
  2. Buxar was fought in 1764.
  3. Treaty of Allahabad was signed in 1765.

A. 1 only

B. 1 & 2 only

C. 2 & 3 only

D. 1, 2 & 3

Answer: D. 1, 2 & 3

46. Consider the following statements:

  1. Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement.
  2. Wellesley introduced the Subsidiary Alliance.
  3. Dalhousie introduced the Doctrine of Lapse.

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. 1 & 2 only

D. 1, 2 & 3

Answer: D. 1, 2 & 3

47. Which pair is NOT correctly matched?

A. Robert Clive – Battle of Plassey

B. Cornwallis – Permanent Settlement

C. Dalhousie – Subsidiary Alliance

D. Wellesley – Subsidiary Alliance

Answer: C. Dalhousie – Subsidiary Alliance

48. Arrange the following events chronologically:

  1. Battle of Plassey
  2. Battle of Buxar
  3. Permanent Settlement
  4. Subsidiary Alliance

A. 1 → 2 → 3 → 4

B. 2 → 1 → 3 → 4

C. 3 → 2 → 1 → 4

D. 1 → 3 → 2 → 4

Answer: A. 1 → 2 → 3 → 4

49. Which of the following states was annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse?

A. Satara

B. Jhansi

C. Nagpur

D. All of the above

Answer: D. All of the above

50. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

  1. Lord Dalhousie annexed Awadh in 1856.
  2. Wellesley introduced the Subsidiary Alliance.
  3. Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement.

A. 1 only

B. 1 & 2 only

C. 2 & 3 only

D. 1, 2 & 3

Answer: D. 1, 2 & 3

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