British Conquest – Punjab  Top 100 MCQs With Answer and Explanation

1. The Sikh empire was founded by___________.
A) Guru Gobind Singh
B) Maharaja Ranjit Singh
C) Banda Bahadur
D) Guru Arjan Dev

2. Maharaja Ranjit Singh is popularly known as___________.
A) Lion of Punjab
B) Tiger of Mysore
C) Sword of Delhi
D) Protector of Hindustan

3. Ranjit Singh captured Lahore and made it his capital in___________.
A) 1799
B) 1801
C) 1805
D) 1810

4. Ranjit Singh proclaimed himself Maharaja of Punjab in___________.
A) 1799
B) 1801
C) 1805
D) 1815

5. The military system under Ranjit Singh was modernized with the help of___________.
A) French officers
B) British officers
C) Mughal nobles
D) Afghan chiefs

6. Ranjit Singh’s army was popularly called___________.
A) Bengal Army
B) Khalsa Army
C) Punjab Regiment
D) Lahore Sepoys

7. Which important Afghan province did Ranjit Singh annex in 1819?
A) Kabul
B) Peshawar
C) Kashmir
D) Multan

8. Ranjit Singh signed the Treaty of Amritsar (1809) with the___________.
A) Afghans
B) British
C) Marathas
D) French

9. The Treaty of Amritsar (1809) restrained Ranjit Singh from___________.
A) Expanding westward
B) Expanding eastward beyond Sutlej
C) Recruiting French officers
D) Controlling Kashmir

10. Ranjit Singh’s famous diamond, later possessed by the British crown, was___________.
A) Hope Diamond
B) Peacock Diamond
C) Kohinoor Diamond
D) Darya-i-Noor Diamond

11. Which Afghan stronghold did Ranjit Singh capture in 1818?
A) Kabul
B) Multan
C) Ghazni
D) Kandahar

12. Ranjit Singh’s court was famous for its___________.
A) Religious intolerance
B) Secular and inclusive policies
C) Alliance with French alone
D) Purely Sikh administration

13. Ranjit Singh never fought a direct war with the___________.
A) Afghans
B) Marathas
C) British
D) French

14. Ranjit Singh’s famous horse was named___________.
A) Pavan Putra
B) Laili
C) Chetak
D) Sherdil

15. Ranjit Singh’s army was nicknamed___________.
A) Fauj-i-Khas
B) Fauj-i-Hind
C) Bengal Sepoys
D) Army of the Five Rivers

16. Which river became the boundary between British territories and Ranjit Singh’s empire after 1809?
A) Beas
B) Ravi
C) Sutlej
D) Indus

17. Ranjit Singh died in the year___________.
A) 1835
B) 1837
C) 1839
D) 1841

18. After Ranjit Singh’s death, Punjab faced___________.
A) Stronger Khalsa army
B) Internal instability and weak rulers
C) Peaceful succession
D) British withdrawal

19. The regent for the minor ruler Dalip Singh was___________.
A) Ranjit Singh’s widow, Rani Jindan
B) Maharaja Sher Singh
C) Gulab Singh
D) General Ventura

20. The collapse of Ranjit Singh’s empire was hastened by___________.
A) British invasions
B) Sikh army’s dominance in politics
C) Lack of natural resources
D) Afghan resurgence

21. Which Sikh ruler was assassinated in 1843, deepening Punjab’s instability?
A) Sher Singh
B) Dalip Singh
C) Kharak Singh
D) Ranjit Singh

22. The British were alarmed by the___________.
A) Disunity in Punjab
B) Strength of the Khalsa army
C) Support of French officers
D) Afghan alliances

23. The child ruler of Punjab during the Anglo-Sikh wars was___________.
A) Sher Singh
B) Dalip Singh
C) Kharak Singh
D) Hira Singh

24. Which European officers played key roles in training the Khalsa army?
A) Allard and Ventura
B) Cornwallis and Lake
C) Baird and Munro
D) Hastings and Wellesley

25. The weakening of Punjab after 1839 gave the British an opportunity to___________.
A) Annex Sindh
B) Interfere in Punjab politics
C) Attack Nepal
D) Fight Burma

26. The First Anglo-Sikh War was fought in___________.
A) 1839–1840
B) 1842–1844
C) 1845–1846
D) 1848–1849

27. The immediate cause of the First Anglo-Sikh War was___________.
A) Death of Ranjit Singh
B) Sikh army crossing the Sutlej
C) British attack on Lahore
D) Rebellion of Rani Jindan

28. The Governor-General during the First Anglo-Sikh War was___________.
A) Cornwallis
B) Lord Hardinge
C) Lord Hastings
D) Lord Dalhousie

29. The Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in the First Anglo-Sikh War was___________.
A) Sir Hugh Gough
B) Sir Henry Lawrence
C) Sir Charles Napier
D) Lord Wellesley

30. The Regent of Punjab during the First Anglo-Sikh War was___________.
A) Dalip Singh
B) Sher Singh
C) Rani Jindan
D) Kharak Singh

31. The first major battle of the First Anglo-Sikh War was___________.
A) Battle of Mudki
B) Battle of Aliwal
C) Battle of Sobraon
D) Battle of Ferozeshah

32. In the Battle of Mudki (1845)___________.
A) The Sikhs defeated the British
B) The British suffered a defeat
C) Both sides claimed heavy losses
D) The Afghans joined the Sikhs

33. The Battle of Ferozeshah (21–22 December 1845) ended in___________.
A) Sikh victory
B) British decisive victory
C) Indecisive but tilted towards British
D) Sikh recapture of Lahore

34. Which battle of the First Anglo-Sikh War is described as “one of the bloodiest in Indian history”?
A) Mudki
B) Ferozeshah
C) Aliwal
D) Sobraon

35. The Battle of Aliwal (January 1846) resulted in___________.
A) British defeat
B) Sikh victory
C) Clear British victory
D) Afghan entry into Punjab

36. The final decisive battle of the First Anglo-Sikh War was___________.
A) Mudki
B) Aliwal
C) Ferozeshah
D) Sobraon

37. The Battle of Sobraon (1846) is often called the___________.
A) “Waterloo of the Sikhs”
B) “Triumph of Lahore”
C) “Fall of Punjab”
D) “Victory of Dalip Singh”

38. Which Sikh leader betrayed the Khalsa at Sobraon by failing to reinforce?
A) Lal Singh
B) Tej Singh
C) Rani Jindan
D) Dalip Singh

39. Which treaty ended the First Anglo-Sikh War?
A) Treaty of Amritsar (1809)
B) Treaty of Lahore (1846)
C) Treaty of Bhyrowal (1846)
D) Treaty of Sugauli (1815)

40. Under the Treaty of Lahore (1846), the Sikhs had to___________.
A) Cede Jullundur Doab
B) Pay heavy indemnity
C) Reduce army size
D) All of the above

41. The Jullundur Doab was annexed by___________.
A) Afghans
B) Marathas
C) British
D) French

42. Since the Sikhs could not pay full war indemnity, they ceded___________.
A) Kashmir
B) Sindh
C) Ladakh
D) Delhi

43. Kashmir was sold by the British to___________.
A) Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu
B) Sher Singh
C) Dalip Singh
D) Rani Jindan

44. The Treaty of Bhyrowal (December 1846) placed Punjab under___________.
A) Rani Jindan’s regency
B) British Resident with Council of Regency
C) Dalip Singh’s direct rule
D) Afghan suzerainty

45. The British Resident appointed after the First Anglo-Sikh War was___________.
A) Henry Lawrence
B) John Lawrence
C) Dalhousie
D) Charles Metcalfe

46. The Treaty of Bhyrowal reduced Dalip Singh to a___________.
A) Independent ruler
B) Titular ruler under British control
C) Military commander
D) Prisoner

47. The Sikh army after the First Anglo-Sikh War was___________.
A) Increased
B) Abolished completely
C) Reduced drastically
D) Absorbed into British army

48. Rani Jindan, regent of Punjab, was removed because___________.
A) She was suspected of conspiring against the British
B) She supported Gulab Singh
C) She abdicated voluntarily
D) She moved to Kabul

49. The First Anglo-Sikh War showed that___________.
A) Sikhs were militarily weak
B) British won easily
C) The Khalsa army was a formidable force
D) Punjab was already annexed

50. The First Anglo-Sikh War resulted in___________.
A) Full annexation of Punjab
B) Partial subjugation and British control of Punjab politics
C) Sikh victory
D) Restoration of Ranjit Singh’s empire

51. The Second Anglo-Sikh War was fought in___________.
A) 1845–1846
B) 1847–1848
C) 1848–1849
D) 1850–1851

52. The immediate cause of the Second Anglo-Sikh War was___________.
A) British annexation of Kashmir
B) Revolt in Multan
C) Afghan invasion
D) Betrayal of Rani Jindan

53. The Multan rebellion was led by___________.
A) Sher Singh Attariwala
B) Mulraj, governor of Multan
C) Gulab Singh
D) Rani Jindan

54. Two British officers killed at Multan in 1848 were___________.
A) Patrick Vans Agnew and Lt. Anderson
B) Henry Lawrence and John Lawrence
C) Napier and Hardinge
D) Dalhousie and Metcalfe

55. The Governor-General during the Second Anglo-Sikh War was___________.
A) Lord Hardinge
B) Lord Hastings
C) Lord Dalhousie
D) Lord Minto

56. The first major battle of the Second Anglo-Sikh War was___________.
A) Battle of Chillianwala
B) Battle of Ramnagar
C) Battle of Multan
D) Battle of Gujarat

57. The Sikh general who rebelled against the British in 1848 was___________.
A) Mulraj
B) Sher Singh Attariwala
C) Ranjit Singh
D) Gulab Singh

58. The Battle of Chillianwala (January 1849) is remembered as___________.
A) A decisive British victory
B) A humiliating setback for the British
C) A Sikh defeat with massive losses
D) The last battle of the war

59. The British Commander-in-Chief during the Second Anglo-Sikh War was___________.
A) Sir Hugh Gough
B) Sir Harry Smith
C) General Lake
D) Sir Charles Napier

60. Which battle finally decided the outcome of the Second Anglo-Sikh War?
A) Ramnagar
B) Chillianwala
C) Gujarat (1849)
D) Mudki

61. The Battle of Gujarat (1849) was won by the British under___________.
A) Lord Dalhousie
B) Sir Hugh Gough
C) Henry Lawrence
D) Charles Napier

62. The Sikh artillery surrendered to the British after which battle?
A) Mudki
B) Ferozeshah
C) Chillianwala
D) Gujarat

63. After the Second Anglo-Sikh War, Punjab was___________.
A) Given to Gulab Singh
B) Divided between British and Afghans
C) Annexed by the British
D) Restored to Dalip Singh

64. Dalip Singh, the minor Sikh ruler, was sent to___________.
A) England
B) Kashmir
C) Kabul
D) Satara

65. After annexation, the famous Kohinoor diamond was___________.
A) Given to Rani Jindan
B) Taken by the British and sent to Queen Victoria
C) Sold to Gulab Singh
D) Lost in Punjab

66. Rani Jindan, mother of Dalip Singh, was___________.
A) Restored as regent
B) Imprisoned and exiled
C) Made queen of Kashmir
D) Supported by the Afghans

67. Which treaty completed the annexation of Punjab in 1849?
A) Treaty of Amritsar
B) Treaty of Lahore (1846)
C) No treaty – annexed unilaterally
D) Treaty of Bhyrowal

68. The official British declaration of annexation of Punjab was made in___________.
A) March 1849
B) December 1848
C) February 1850
D) July 1847

69. The annexation of Punjab in 1849 was carried out under the policy of___________.
A) Subsidiary Alliance
B) Doctrine of Lapse
C) Direct conquest
D) Permanent Settlement

70. After annexation, Punjab was administered by___________.
A) A Governor-General
B) A Board of Administration
C) A single British Commissioner
D) The East India Company directly from London

71. Members of the Punjab Board of Administration included Henry Lawrence, John Lawrence, and___________.
A) Charles Metcalfe
B) Lord Dalhousie
C) Charles Mansel
D) Herbert Edwardes

72. Who later replaced the Board of Administration in Punjab?
A) Henry Lawrence as sole Commissioner
B) John Lawrence as Chief Commissioner
C) Lord Dalhousie directly
D) British Parliament

73. The annexation of Punjab is often considered Dalhousie’s___________.
A) First conquest
B) Most important military achievement
C) Failure
D) Peaceful settlement

74. After annexation, Punjab became important for the British because___________.
A) It provided revenue
B) It was a buffer against Afghan and Russian threat
C) It supplied soldiers to the British army
D) All of the above

75. The Second Anglo-Sikh War marked the___________.
A) Rise of Sikh power
B) End of Sikh sovereignty
C) Restoration of Rani Jindan
D) Alliance between Sikhs and Afghans

76. Punjab was formally annexed by the British in___________.
A) 1846
B) 1848
C) 1849
D) 1853

77. The annexation of Punjab was carried out under the Governor-General___________.
A) Lord Hardinge
B) Lord Dalhousie
C) Lord Auckland
D) Lord Hastings

78. Who was the last Sikh ruler of Punjab before annexation?
A) Sher Singh
B) Dalip Singh
C) Ranjit Singh
D) Hira Singh

79. Dalip Singh, after annexation, was sent to___________.
A) Kabul
B) England
C) Kashmir
D) Satara

80. Which famous jewel was taken from Dalip Singh and sent to Queen Victoria?
A) Hope Diamond
B) Kohinoor Diamond
C) Darya-i-Noor
D) Peacock Throne Jewel

81. After annexation, Punjab was initially administered by___________.
A) A Governor
B) A Board of Administration
C) The Madras Presidency
D) The East India Company from London

82. The Punjab Board of Administration included Henry Lawrence, John Lawrence, and___________.
A) Charles Mansel
B) Charles Metcalfe
C) James Outram
D) Charles Napier

83. Who was the President of the Punjab Board of Administration?
A) John Lawrence
B) Henry Lawrence
C) Charles Mansel
D) Lord Dalhousie

84. The Punjab Board of Administration was abolished in___________.
A) 1850
B) 1853
C) 1856
D) 1857

85. Who became the first Chief Commissioner of Punjab in 1853?
A) Henry Lawrence
B) John Lawrence
C) Charles Mansel
D) Herbert Edwardes

86. John Lawrence later rose to become___________.
A) Governor-General of India
B) Commander-in-Chief of India
C) Resident of Delhi
D) Viceroy of Burma

87. The annexation of Punjab is regarded as one of the greatest achievements of___________.
A) Lord Hardinge
B) Lord Dalhousie
C) Lord Canning
D) Lord Ripon

88. Why was Punjab strategically important for the British?
A) Rich revenue base
B) Buffer against Afghan and Russian invasions
C) Source of soldiers
D) All of the above

89. After annexation, the British recruited heavily from___________.
A) Rajputs
B) Sikhs and Punjabis
C) Afghans
D) Marathas

90. During the Revolt of 1857, Punjab___________.
A) Supported the rebels
B) Remained loyal to the British
C) Declared independence
D) Was annexed again

91. Who played a leading role in keeping Punjab loyal during the Revolt of 1857?
A) Henry Lawrence
B) John Lawrence
C) Charles Metcalfe
D) Lord Canning

92. Rani Jindan, mother of Dalip Singh, was considered dangerous by the British because___________.
A) She plotted with Afghans
B) She conspired with the Khalsa army
C) She opposed British annexation
D) All of the above

93. The Sikh kingdom was unique in Indian history because it was___________.
A) The last large independent kingdom annexed by the British
B) The first to accept Subsidiary Alliance
C) A confederacy of chiefs
D) Allied with the French

94. After annexation, Punjab was directly administered under___________.
A) Madras Presidency
B) Bombay Presidency
C) Chief Commissioner system
D) Bengal Presidency

95. The annexation of Punjab was done through___________.
A) Doctrine of Lapse
B) Subsidiary Alliance
C) Right of conquest
D) Treaty of Lahore

96. The Sikh soldiers later became___________.
A) A threat to the British
B) The backbone of the British Indian Army
C) Mercenaries for the Afghans
D) Disbanded entirely

97. Which famous Sikh regiment traces its origin to post-annexation recruitment?
A) Jat Regiment
B) Punjab Regiment
C) Maratha Regiment
D) Gurkha Regiment

98. Punjab’s annexation gave the British control of which strategic frontier?
A) North-East frontier
B) Afghan frontier
C) Burmese frontier
D) Deccan plateau

99. After annexation, the British built a strong military base in Punjab, including ___________.
A) Ferozepur and Rawalpindi cantonments
B) Bombay fortresses
C) Madras garrisons
D) Calcutta dockyards

100. The conquest of Punjab (1849) is significant because it ___________.
A) Ended French power in India
B) Completed British conquest of India’s northwest frontier
C) Restored Mughal authority in Delhi
D) Revived Sikh sovereignty