18th Century India Top 100 MCQs With Answer and Explanation

1. The decline of the Mughal Empire began after the death of ____________.
A) Akbar
B) Aurangzeb
C) Shah Jahan
D) Bahadur Shah

2. The chief cause of Mughal decline was ____________.
A) Weak successors
B) Financial crisis
C) Maratha resistance
D) All of the above

3. The Mughal “jagirdari crisis” meant ____________.
A) Shortage of jagirs (land assignments)
B) Excess land for peasants
C) End of mansabdari system
D) Loss of Delhi

4. Who was the first Mughal emperor after Aurangzeb?
A) Jahandar Shah
B) Bahadur Shah I
C) Farrukhsiyar
D) Muhammad Shah

5. The Sayyid Brothers were popularly known as____________.
A) Badshah-makers
B) Empire-builders
C) Mughal defenders
D) Rajput allies

6. The 1717 Farman of Farrukhsiyar granted____________.
A) Portuguese trade monopoly
B) British duty-free trade in Bengal
C) French naval rights
D) Dutch customs-free ports

7. The invasion of Nadir Shah occurred in____________.
A) 1739
B) 1748
C) 1757
D) 1761

8. The Peacock Throne and Koh-i-Noor diamond were taken by____________.
A) Ahmad Shah Abdali
B) Nadir Shah
C) British
D) Portuguese

9. Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India____________.
A) 3 times
B) 5 times
C) 7 times
D) 9 times

10. The Third Battle of Panipat (1761) was fought between____________.
A) Mughals and Marathas
B) Marathas and Abdali
C) British and French
D) British and Marathas

11. The later Mughals became pensioners of____________.
A) Marathas first, then British
B) Sikhs
C) Portuguese
D) Jats

12. The Mughal emperor during the Battle of Plassey (1757) was____________.
A) Alamgir II
B) Shah Alam II
C) Muhammad Shah
D) Farrukhsiyar

13. The Mughal emperor defeated at Buxar (1764) was____________.
A) Farrukhsiyar
B) Shah Alam II
C) Bahadur Shah I
D) Muhammad Shah

14. Which treaty granted the British Diwani rights of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa?
A) Treaty of Plassey
B) Treaty of Allahabad (1765)
C) Treaty of Pondicherry
D) Treaty of Paris

15. Which Mughal ruler was the last effective emperor?
A) Aurangzeb
B) Bahadur Shah I
C) Muhammad Shah
D) Bahadur Shah II

16. The Mughal emperor during the Revolt of 1857 was____________.
A) Shah Alam II
B) Bahadur Shah II (Zafar)
C) Akbar Shah II
D) Alamgir II

17. Bahadur Shah II was deported to____________.
A) Mauritius
B) Rangoon (Burma)
C) Calcutta
D) Delhi

18. Which Mughal emperor issued the farman recognizing Raja Ram Mohan Roy?
A) Muhammad Shah
B) Akbar Shah II
C) Shah Alam II
D) Bahadur Shah II

19. The Battle of Karnal (1739) showed____________.
A) Mughal military weakness
B) French naval power
C) Maratha supremacy
D) Sikh uprising

20. The Mughal empire fragmented because____________.
A) Nobles became powerful
B) Provinces became independent
C) Central control collapsed
D) All of the above

21. The court of later Mughals was dominated by____________.
A) Strong emperors
B) Nobles and wazirs
C) European advisors
D) Rajputs

22. The emperor called “Rangeela” was____________.
A) Shah Alam II
B) Muhammad Shah
C) Bahadur Shah I
D) Alamgir II

23. After Nadir Shah’s invasion, Delhi became____________.
A) Stronger than before
B) Politically insignificant
C) A British base
D) Maratha capital

24. The Mughal army could not resist Europeans because____________.
A) It was outdated
B) Lack of funds
C) Nobles disloyal
D) All of the above

25. Which foreign invasion directly weakened Mughal prestige most?
A) Abdali’s invasions
B) Nadir Shah’s invasion (1739)
C) British at Plassey
D) Maratha raids

26. Who founded the autonomous state of Bengal?
A) Alivardi Khan
B) Murshid Quli Khan
C) Siraj-ud-Daulah
D) Shuja-ud-Daulah

27. Who succeeded Murshid Quli Khan in Bengal?
A) Alivardi Khan
B) Shuja-ud-Daulah
C) Siraj-ud-Daulah
D) Saadat Khan

28. The last independent Nawab of Bengal before British rule was____________.
A) Alivardi Khan
B) Siraj-ud-Daulah
C) Mir Jafar
D) Mir Qasim

29. Who founded the autonomous state of Awadh?
A) Shuja-ud-Daulah
B) Asaf-ud-Daula
C) Saadat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk
D) Murshid Quli Khan

30. The Awadh rulers were known for____________.
A) Efficient administration
B) Agricultural prosperity
C) Patronage of art and culture
D) All of the above

31. Who founded the autonomous state of Hyderabad?
A) Nizam-ul-Mulk (Asaf Jah I)
B) Alivardi Khan
C) Murshid Quli Khan
D) Shuja-ud-Daulah

32. Which dynasty ruled Hyderabad after the decline of Mughals?
A) Sayyids
B) Nizams (Asaf Jahis)
C) Marathas
D) Jats

33. The most powerful regional state in 18th century India was____________.
A) Bengal
B) Awadh
C) Hyderabad
D) Maratha Confederacy

34. The Marathas became powerful under____________.
A) Shivaji
B) Peshwa Baji Rao I
C) Madhavrao I
D) All of the above

35. The Marathas aimed to establish____________.
A) Swarajya
B) Mughal alliance
C) Hindu Pad Padshahi (Hindu Empire)
D) Sikh Confederacy

36. The Maratha Confederacy was organized under____________.
A) Shivaji
B) Shahu
C) Peshwas
D) Holkars

37. Who was the most successful Maratha Peshwa?
A) Balaji Vishwanath
B) Baji Rao I
C) Balaji Baji Rao (Nana Saheb)
D) Madhavrao I

38. The Third Battle of Panipat (1761) marked the____________.
A) Final defeat of Mughals
B) Defeat of Marathas by Abdali
C) British victory over French
D) Rise of Sikhs

39. The Jats became powerful under____________.
A) Suraj Mal
B) Badan Singh
C) Ranjit Singh
D) Banda Bahadur

40. The Jat kingdom was centered around____________.
A) Mathura and Bharatpur
B) Lahore
C) Pune
D) Delhi

41. The Sikhs rose to power under____________.
A) Guru Gobind Singh
B) Banda Singh Bahadur
C) Misls (confederacies)
D) All of the above

42. Banda Singh Bahadur was executed by the Mughals in____________.
A) 1705
B) 1716
C) 1720
D) 1739

43. The Sikh misls finally united under____________.
A) Banda Bahadur
B) Ranjit Singh
C) Maharaja Dalip Singh
D) Guru Gobind Singh

44. Mysore rose as a regional power under____________.
A) Haider Ali
B) Tipu Sultan
C) Wodeyars
D) All of the above

45. Haider Ali came to power in Mysore in____________.
A) 1748
B) 1757
C) 1761
D) 1769

46. Tipu Sultan was also known as____________.
A) The Tiger of Mysore
B) Lion of Punjab
C) Kingmaker
D) The Great Wazir

47. The Rohillas established themselves in____________.
A) Bengal
B) Awadh
C) Rohilkhand (U.P.)
D) Punjab

48. The Rohillas were finally defeated by____________.
A) Marathas
B) Sikhs
C) British and Awadh
D) French

49. Which regional state became the richest after Mughal decline?
A) Bengal
B) Awadh
C) Hyderabad
D) Mysore

50. The rise of regional states in 18th century India shows____________.
A) Decentralization of Mughal power
B) Growth of regional identities
C) Weakness of central authority
D) All of the above

51. The main European powers competing in India in the 18th century were____________.
A) Portuguese and Dutch
B) British and French
C) Danes and Russians
D) Spanish and Dutch

52. The Carnatic Wars were fought mainly in____________.
A) Bengal
B) Carnatic region (Coromandel Coast)
C) Punjab
D) Gujarat

53. The First Carnatic War (1746–1748) was part of____________.
A) Austrian War of Succession
B) Seven Years’ War
C) Napoleonic Wars
D) Hundred Years’ War

54. The First Carnatic War began with____________.
A) Capture of Arcot
B) Capture of Madras by the French
C) Battle of Wandiwash
D) Battle of Buxar

55. The Battle of St. Thome (1746) showed____________.
A) Mughal supremacy
B) European-trained troops defeating Indian armies
C) Portuguese revival
D) Dutch victory

56. The First Carnatic War ended with____________.
A) Treaty of Pondicherry (1748)
B) Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)
C) Treaty of Paris (1763)
D) Treaty of Alinagar (1757)

57. The Second Carnatic War (1749–1754) was fought mainly over____________.
A) Austrian succession
B) Disputed succession in Hyderabad and Carnatic
C) British conquest of Bengal
D) Maratha raids

58. The hero of the Siege of Arcot (1751) was____________.
A) Dupleix
B) Robert Clive
C) Eyre Coote
D) Warren Hastings

59. The Second Carnatic War ended with____________.
A) Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
B) Treaty of Pondicherry (1754)
C) Treaty of Paris (1763)
D) Treaty of Allahabad

60. The French Governor-General recalled to France after failure in Second Carnatic War was____________.
A) La Bourdonnais
B) Dupleix
C) Bussy
D) Lally

61. The Third Carnatic War (1757–1763) coincided with____________.
A) War of Spanish Succession
B) Seven Years’ War
C) American War of Independence
D) First Anglo-Mysore War

62. The decisive battle of the Third Carnatic War was____________.
A) Battle of Arcot
B) Battle of Plassey
C) Battle of Wandiwash (1760)
D) Battle of Buxar

63. The French general defeated at Wandiwash was____________.
A) Dupleix
B) La Bourdonnais
C) Count de Lally
D) Bussy

64. After Wandiwash, the British captured the French capital in India at____________.
A) Pondicherry (1761)
B) Chandernagore
C) Goa
D) Karaikal

65. The Third Carnatic War ended with____________.
A) Treaty of Pondicherry
B) Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
C) Treaty of Paris (1763)
D) Treaty of Allahabad

66. After 1763, French possessions in India included____________.
A) Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe, Yanam, Chandernagore
B) Goa and Diu
C) Bombay and Calcutta
D) Tranquebar and Cochin

67. The main reason for British victory over the French was____________.
A) Naval superiority
B) Better finances
C) Support from Parliament and Company
D) All of the above

68. The main weakness of the French in India was____________.
A) Lack of strong navy
B) Neglect by home government
C) Failure of leadership after Dupleix
D) All of the above

69. Who was the French officer who maintained influence in Hyderabad?
A) Dupleix
B) Bussy
C) Lally
D) La Bourdonnais

70. The Anglo-French rivalry in India was ultimately decided by____________.
A) Land battles
B) Naval power
C) Mughal support
D) Maratha alliance

71. Which battle confirmed British supremacy in South India?
A) Battle of Arcot
B) Battle of Wandiwash
C) Battle of Plassey
D) Battle of Buxar

72. The First European power to arrive in India was____________.
A) British
B) Dutch
C) Portuguese
D) French

73. Which European power finally replaced the Mughals as supreme rulers?
A) Portuguese
B) French
C) British
D) Dutch

74. The Anglo-French struggle in India was part of____________.
A) Indian politics alone
B) Global Anglo-French colonial rivalry
C) Portuguese revival
D) Maratha expansion

75. The failure of French in India ensured____________.
A) Portuguese revival
B) Maratha expansion
C) British colonial empire
D) Mughal revival

76. The Battle of Plassey was fought in____________.
A) 1748
B) 1757
C) 1761
D) 1764

77. The immediate cause of the Battle of Plassey was____________.
A) British refusal to pay customs
B) Siraj-ud-Daulah’s capture of Fort William, Calcutta
C) French-British rivalry
D) Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle

78. The British commander at Plassey was____________.
A) Eyre Coote
B) Robert Clive
C) Warren Hastings
D) Stringer Lawrence

79. The victory at Plassey was secured mainly due to____________.
A) British military superiority
B) Treachery of Mir Jafar and others
C) French withdrawal
D) Mughal support

80. The Battle of Plassey made the British masters of____________.
A) Bengal
B) Deccan
C) Carnatic
D) Awadh

81. After Plassey, who was installed as Nawab of Bengal?
A) Mir Qasim
B) Mir Jafar
C) Alivardi Khan
D) Siraj-ud-Daulah

82. The Battle of Buxar (1764) was fought between____________.
A) British and Siraj-ud-Daulah
B) British and Nadir Shah
C) British vs Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah & Shah Alam II
D) British and French

83. The British commander at the Battle of Buxar was____________.
A) Eyre Coote
B) Robert Clive
C) Hector Munro
D) Stringer Lawrence

84. The significance of the Battle of Buxar was____________.
A) Confirmed British supremacy in Bengal
B) Gave Diwani rights
C) Defeated both Mughals and Nawabs
D) All of the above

85. The Treaty of Allahabad (1765) granted the British____________.
A) Military power
B) Diwani rights of Bengal, Bihar, Orissa
C) Monopoly of trade
D) Control of Hyderabad

86. The Diwani rights meant____________.
A) Judicial control
B) Revenue collection
C) Military power
D) Control of land

87. The dual government in Bengal (1765–1772) meant____________.
A) Nawab controlled revenue, Company controlled army
B) Company collected revenue, Nawab handled administration
C) British parliament and Company both ruled
D) Mughal and Marathas ruled jointly

88. The famine of Bengal (1770) occurred due to____________.
A) Maratha raids
B) Misrule of Nawabs
C) Exploitative Company revenue policy
D) Failure of trade

89. Who abolished the dual system in Bengal?
A) Warren Hastings
B) Robert Clive
C) Lord Cornwallis
D) Shah Alam II

90. The real foundation of British rule in India was laid by____________.
A) Battle of Plassey (1757)
B) Battle of Buxar (1764)
C) Treaty of Allahabad (1765)
D) All of the above

91. The British expansion in 18th century was helped most by____________.
A) Mughal decline
B) Maratha defeat at Panipat
C) French defeat in Carnatic Wars
D) All of the above

92. The Nawab of Bengal defeated at Plassey was____________.
A) Alivardi Khan
B) Siraj-ud-Daulah
C) Mir Jafar
D) Mir Qasim

93. The Nawab of Bengal defeated at Buxar was____________.
A) Alivardi Khan
B) Mir Jafar
C) Mir Qasim
D) Siraj-ud-Daulah

94. Which Mughal emperor granted Diwani rights to the British?
A) Farrukhsiyar
B) Shah Alam II
C) Muhammad Shah
D) Bahadur Shah II

95. Which battle gave the British the key to political dominance in India?
A) Plassey (1757)
B) Buxar (1764)
C) Wandiwash (1760)
D) Panipat (1761)

96. Robert Clive is remembered for____________.
A) Victory at Plassey
B) Treaty of Allahabad
C) Laying foundation of British Empire in Bengal
D) All of the above

97. The biggest beneficiaries of the decline of Mughal Empire were____________.
A) Marathas
B) Sikhs
C) British
D) Jats

98. The Treaty of Paris (1763) was important because____________.
A) It ended French political power in India
B) It gave Bengal to British
C) It restored Madras to French
D) It ended Mughal rule

99. Which one was the first decisive battle that confirmed British supremacy in Bengal?
A) Plassey (1757)
B) Buxar (1764)
C) Allahabad Treaty (1765)
D) Panipat (1761)

100. The 18th century in Indian history is often described as____________.
A) Century of decline and transition
B) Century of Mughal glory
C) Century of Portuguese rule
D) Century of Indian unification