1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

25. 26. 27. 28.

Question-Bank on History

When and where was British East India Company established? In which name was it referred? What are the other companies that were trading in India at that time? When did the British East India Company gain footing in India? When and whom did they get permission from? Where and when did British East India Company establish its first factory in India? When did formal rule of British East India Company commence in India and after what occasion? When was companys rule in India ended and the task of administration transferred to British parliament? Why did the European companies want to have trade relations with India? What are the three methods that the British East India Company adopted to expand the British Empire in India? Name the regional states that emerged after the fall of Mughal Empire in the first half of 18th century after the death of Aurangzeb? By the beginning of 18th century, only two European companies were left in India. Name these? When and where did the Seven Years War take place? Who were the parties to this war? What is Anglo-French war? How many wars were fought? When and between whom did the wars take place? What were the consequences of each war? Who were the commanders from each side? When and between whom did Battle of Wandiwash take place? Who were the commanders and what was the result? When and between whom did Treaty of Paris take place? What was the outcome of this treaty? What were the causes of the British success in Carnatic wars? What were the weaknesses of the Indian regional powers that got exposed during the Carnatic wars? Discuss the after-effects of the Carnatic wars? When and where did the first major conflict of the British against an Indian power take place? When did Siraj-ud-Daula succeed Ali Vardi Khan as the nawab of Bengal? Which acts on the part of the English Company provoked the nawab Siraj-ud-Daula against the company? When did Battle of Plassey take place? What was the outcome? The East India Company conspired with the officers of Siraj-ud-Daula to defeat him in the Battle of Plassey. Who are they? How much bribe did Mir-Zafer pay to company to become Nawab? According to this Imperial farman, the Company had to pay ---------------(fill in the amount) a year and in return could carry on trade duty- free in Bengal. Who was the Mughal king that issued the farman to the company before the Battle of Plassey? Where did the Battle of Plassey get its name from? When was Mir-zafar deposed from the post of Nawab and Mir Qasim placed on the throne by the British in Bengal? Why did they do so? What were the districts that Mir-Qasim allotted to the British to collect revenue after becoming Nawab? 1

29. What were the acts of Mir-Qasim those were considered as unforgivable offences by the Company and it lead to the war with the company? When did it take place? Who was the British army commander at that time? 30. When, why and between whom was Battle of Buxar fought? What was the consequence? Who was the British commander at that time? 31. Who was the Nawab of Awadh and Mughal Emperor at the time of Battle of Buxar? 32. When and between whom was the Treaty of Allahabad signed? 33. The Mughal Emperor Shah-Alam II granted the diwani rights of certain regions to British? What are those? How much money was to be paid by the company per year to the Mughal treasury in return for this favor? 34. When was Dual system of administration imposed in Bengal? What does this mean? Describe the system. Which British Governer introduced this system? 35. Explain the terms nizamat and diwani during the period of Dual government in Bengal. Who was in charge of Nizamat (name the grade of officer) ? Who was in charge of Diwani? 36. Who was in charge of Nawabs Naib Diwan and Naib Nazim during the period of Dual government in Bengal? 37. Why did Lord Clive introduce system of Dual or Double Government in Bengal? 38. When did Anglo-Mysore wars take place? Describe all of these? 39. When did Anglo-Maratha wars take place? Describe all of these? 40. Under whose (name of British Governer) command did the British secure the entire region of Southern India (with the exception of small enclaves of French and local rulers), Western India and Eastern India? 41. What is meant by Native or Princely states? 42. Who introduced the system of Subsidiary Alliance? When did it take place? What is the meaning of Subsidy? 43. What were the conditions of Subsidiary Alliance? What are the advantages of this system to the British rule? What is the main purpose of Subsidiary Alliance system? 44. Who was the first to enter into a subsidiary alliance with the English? When did it take place? Which territories did he offer to British for the maintenance of the army under this alliance? 45. What are the princely states of British rule that were formed under Subsidiary Alliance? 46. When and between whom did Anglo-Sikh war take place? 47. What is Treaty of Amritsar? When did it take place? What is the consequence? 48. Which was the last Indian state to be conquered by British? Why did this state remain free from British control for a long time? 49. Why did British want to control the North-West Frontier provinces? When did it take place? 50. Which king united Sikh misls of Punjab into one state? Whe did this happen? Which misl did this king belong to? 51. Who adopted the policy of Doctrine of lapse? What is the period of his Governorship? 52. What are conditions of Doctrine of lapse? Which Indiah states become victims of this policy? 53. Which was Indian state was annexed on the context of incompetence of the ruler? When did it take place? Who was the ruler then? 54. When did British East India Company become political power in India? 55. What is Regulating Act When was it passed? What are its provisions?

56. When was the system of Governor-General introduced in India? Who was the first Governor-General of India? What was his tenure? What are the provinces that existed during this time? Which province did the Governor-General belong? 57. When was Pitts-India act passed? Who passed it? What were its provisions? This act is sarcastically called as _________________ system? 58. What was period of Governor-Generalship of Lord Cornwallis? What were his administrative reforms for the company? 59. What is meant by Revenue Farming? Who started this system in Bengal? When did it happen? 60. Who introduced the system of Permanent Settlement in Bengal? What were the provisions? When was it introduced? Why is the term permanent used? What is the alternate name of this system? 61. Describe Ryotwari and Mahalwari system of revenue collection? When and where did these systems introduced? Who introduced these systems in India? 62. What is The Charter Act of 1813? What are its consequences to the Company? 63. What is The Charter Act of 1833? What are its consequences to the Company? 64. Who created a professional cadre of Company servants who were given generous salaries, had no private trading or production interests in India, enjoyed the prospect of regular promotion and were entitled to pensions? When did this happen? 65. Where and when did the Company train its young recruits for civil services in India? What was the system for selection and appointment of candidates at that time? 66. Who appointed British judges, and established British officials as revenue collectors and magistrates in each district of Bengal? 67. When was the system of establishment of districts (and recruitment of district collectors) throughout British India take place for convenience of administration? 68. When was competitive examination introduced for selection of civil servants in India from a pool of nominated candidates? 69. When did the system of complete merit for recruitment of civil servants in India introduced and it was thrown open to any British candidate? 70. Why was Civil service in India so popular among British youth? 71. When and where was the Mayors Court established? By what name was the elaborate judicial system known as? 72. What are the two main theoretical principles underlying the entire British judicial system in India? What is the meaning of these principles? 73. Who established the first Supreme Court in British India? When and where did this happen? Under which act of British Government, this court was established? What were the regions of jurisdiction of this Supreme Court at that time? 74. When were the Supreme Courts in Madras and Bombay established? 75. Who separated the executive and judicial duties of officers at district level? 76. What are the hierarchy and types of courts for civil and criminal courts during the time of Lord Cornwallis? Where were these courts located in the province of Bengal? 77. Who abolished the four provincial civil and criminal courts (system introduced by Lord Cornwallis) and redistributed their work to Commissioners and District Collectors? When did this happen? 78. When was the direct rule of the British-Crown finally established in place of the British East India Companys rule? Why did this happen? 3

79. When did Mughal Emperor grant Diwani rights of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to the company? 80. When and where did the Company first establish its capital in British India and appoint first Governor-General? Who was the first Governor-General of India? 81. What were the three phases of colonial exploitation of British in India? Discuss the features and name of each phase. 82. From which British ruler did the company get a charter to trade in India? 83. How was the farman from the Mughal Emperor misused by company officials in India? What were the original provisions of the farman? From which Indian ruler and when did the company officials first get the farman? 84. What are the chief factors which led to the Battle of Plassey? 85. What were the goods that the company used to buy from India in the initial years of its trade? 86. By what name were the rich company officials referred to in Britain on account of their flashy lifestyles? 87. Who wrote the book titled An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations? What is the theme of this book? 88. When did Indigo Rebellion take place? 89. When did Bengl famine take place? What are the causes of these famines? 90. What steps did the colonial government take towards improving agricultural productivity of crops? 91. When was Railways constructed in India? Who started this? When and where did the first rail-movement occur in India? What was the main purpose of British government in India to construct railway lines? 92. Which economist propounded the idea of free trade or laissez faire in the 18th century? 93. How did the commercialization of agriculture cause famine? 94. Which region benefited most by the irrigation canals built by the British? 95. How did the Industrial Revolution in Britain lead to de-industrialization in British India? 96. Which Indian businessmen invested in jute industry during First World War? 97. Who established first cotton mills in India? When and where were these established? 98. Who put forward the drain of wealth theory? Discuss the salient points of this theory? 99. Who were the early Indian nationalists those had expected Britain to undertake capitalist industrialization in India, but were deeply disillusioned with the results of colonial industrial policies? 100. What do you understand by the term Orientalist? Which British administrators were known as Orientalists? 101. Who founded Calcutta Madrassa, Asiatic Society of Bengal and Sanskrit College at Benaras? Which years did these institutions found in? 102. Who found the important linguistic connection between Sanskrit and classical western languages like Greek and Latin? 103. What are the tasks of Asiatic Society of Bengal? Name the important journal that was published from this society? 104. Who propounded the theory that the British need to know Hindu laws and the Sanskrit language (n which these law texts were written) if they wished to establish their governance in the country? 105. Who wrote the book A Code of Gentoo Laws? In which year was it published? From which Indian book was it translated?

106. Who founded Fort William College? When and where was it founded? What was the purpose of this college? Where and when was a similar college founded in Britain? 107. Which Governor-General was influenced by the 18th century Whig political philosophy? What are the main features of this philosophy? 108. Which two important political thinkers influenced Cornwallis policy of Permanent Settlement for Bengal, Bihar and Orissa in 1793? What were their political philosophies? 109. Name some important institutions established by the Orientalists? 110. Which was the first country to experience Industrial Revolution? 111. Underline the importance of the Asiatic Society in promoting studies on India. 112. Which Act abolished the monopoly of the East India Company over the India Trade? 113. Which Act abolished the monopoly of the East India Company over the trade in tea and the territory
of China?

114. What do you understand by the term Bengal Renaissance? Who referred to the developments in the 19th century Bengal as the period of Renaissance? What are the main features of Bengal Renaissance? 115. Who can be termed as the most notable reformer of the modern times? 116. Who founded Atmiya Sabha? When was it founded? 117. Who founded Bramo Samaj? When was it founded? What was it called initially? 118. When was customs of sati abolished? Who abolished this custom? 119. What are the main ideologies of Raja Rammohan Roy and Brahmo Samaj? 120. What schools and colleges did Raja Rammohan Roy establish? Write the place and year of establishment of these schools? 121. Which social reformer opposed to idolatry and found Upanishads as the basis of true Hinduism? 122. Which social reformer said Go back to Vedas? Why did he say so? 123. When did Raja Rammohan Roy die? 124. Name two important reformers from Brahmo Samaj who propagated its philosophy after the death of Raja Rammohan Roy. Write the years of their joining of Brahmo Samaj. 125. Who gave Brahmo Samaj given a definite shape and popularized it beyond the city of Calcutta? 126. Write the name of the book written by Devendranath Tagore? What are the contents of this book? 127. Who is considered as a radical Brahmo Samaj reformer? What were his radical ideas? 128. Who took the activities of the Brahmo Samaj beyond Bengal and into UP, Punjab, Madras and Bombay? 129. In which year did Brahmo Samaj Split? What is the name of the later day organizations and their heads? 130. Who was the pioneer of the movement for education of girl child? Which Englishman helped him in this work? 131. In which year did the Widow re-marriage act passed? Who was instrumental in campaigning for this cause? 132. What were the main philosophies of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar? 133. When and by whom was Ramakrishna mission found? 134. When did Swami Vivekananda accept Ramakrishna Paramahansa as his guru? When did he undertake the America and Europe tour? 135. What are the actual names of Ramakrishna Paramahansa and Swami Vivekananda? 136. 5