Arrival of Europeans: British Top 100 MCQs With Answer and Explanation

1. The English East India Company was established in ___________.
A) 1599
B) 1600
C) 1602
D) 1608

2. The East India Company was granted monopoly of Eastern trade by___________.
A) British Parliament
B) Queen Elizabeth I
C) King James I
D) Dutch States General

3. The first British ship to reach India was___________.
A) Red Dragon
B) Mayflower
C) Royal Merchant
D) Charles I

4. The first British factory in India was established at___________.
A) Surat
B) Masulipatnam
C) Calcutta
D) Madras

5. Who was the Mughal emperor when the British established their first factory in India?
A) Akbar
B) Jahangir
C) Shah Jahan
D) Aurangzeb

6. Who secured permission from Jahangir to establish the English factory at Surat?
A) Captain Hawkins
B) Sir Thomas Roe
C) Ralph Fitch
D) William Hawkins

7. The first English factory on the East coast of India was at___________.
A) Calcutta
B) Masulipatnam
C) Madras
D) Pulicat

8. Which British official got trading privileges from Mughal Emperor Jahangir?
A) Ralph Fitch
B) Sir Thomas Roe
C) Robert Clive
D) Job Charnock

9. The British established their factory at Madras in___________.
A) 1611
B) 1639
C) 1651
D) 1661

10. The fort built by the British at Madras was called___________.
A) Fort St. George
B) Fort William
C) Fort St. David
D) Fort Geldria

11. The British established their first factory in Bengal at___________.
A) Hooghly
B) Calcutta
C) Balasore
D) Patna

12. Who is regarded as the founder of Calcutta?
A) Robert Clive
B) Warren Hastings
C) Job Charnock
D) Lord Dalhousie

13. Which three villages later formed the city of Calcutta?
A) Kalikata, Sutanuti, Govindpur
B) Hooghly, Balasore, Patna
C) Chinsurah, Chandernagore, Serampore
D) Fort William, Barrackpore, Garden Reach

14. Fort William at Calcutta was constructed in___________.
A) 1696
B) 1700
C) 1702
D) 1710

15. In which year did the British East India Company officially begin trade with India?
A) 1600
B) 1601
C) 1608
D) 1612

16. The British East India Company established its Bombay factory in___________.
A) 1611
B) 1639
C) 1668
D) 1690

17. The British got Bombay as dowry when Charles II married___________.
A) Catherine of Braganza
B) Anne of Austria
C) Mary of Portugal
D) Elizabeth of Spain

18. The headquarters of British East India Company shifted from Surat to Bombay in___________.
A) 1668
B) 1687
C) 1690
D) 1700

19. The British established Fort St. David near___________.
A) Calcutta
B) Madras
C) Bombay
D) Surat

20. The English East India Company was reorganized as the “United Company of Merchants of England” in___________.
A) 1698
B) 1708
C) 1712
D) 1720

21. Who gave permission to the English to establish a factory at Hooghly (Bengal) in 1651?
A) Shah Jahan
B) Jahangir
C) Aurangzeb
D) Murshid Quli Khan

22. The English fortified Calcutta in violation of orders under___________.
A) Shah Jahan
B) Aurangzeb
C) Bahadur Shah I
D) Farrukhsiyar

23. The Mughal Emperor who issued farman granting duty-free trade to English in Bengal (1717)___________.
A) Aurangzeb
B) Farrukhsiyar
C) Shah Alam II
D) Bahadur Shah I

24. Who negotiated the 1717 farman with Farrukhsiyar?
A) Robert Clive
B) John Child
C) William Hamilton (doctor) & John Surman
D) Job Charnock

25. The first Governor of Fort William at Calcutta was___________.
A) Job Charnock
B) Robert Clive
C) Sir Charles Eyre
D) Warren Hastings

26. Who led the English in their conflict with the Mughal governor of Bengal in 1686 (Child’s War)?
A) Robert Clive
B) Job Charnock
C) Josiah Child
D) John Child

27. The Child’s War (1686–1690) ended with___________.
A) Victory of the English
B) Treaty of Alinagar
C) Apology of the English to Aurangzeb
D) Concessions by Aurangzeb

28. The Black Hole Tragedy of Calcutta took place in___________.
A) 1756
B) 1757
C) 1764
D) 1772

29. The Treaty of Alinagar (1757) was signed between___________.
A) British and Mughals
B) British and Siraj-ud-Daulah
C) British and French
D) British and Dutch

30. The Battle of Plassey was fought in ___________.
A) 1756
B) 1757
C) 1764
D) 1772

31. Who betrayed Siraj-ud-Daulah in the Battle of Plassey?
A) Manik Chand
B) Mir Jafar
C) Mir Qasim
D) Jagat Seths

32. The main significance of the Battle of Plassey (1757) was___________.
A) End of French power in India
B) Beginning of British political control in India
C) Control over Delhi
D) End of Maratha power

33. The Battle of Buxar was fought in___________.
A) 1757
B) 1764
C) 1765
D) 1772

34. The British commander at the Battle of Buxar was___________.
A) Robert Clive
B) Hector Munro
C) Eyre Coote
D) Warren Hastings

35. The Treaty of Allahabad (1765) gave the British___________.
A) Zamindari rights in Bengal
B) Diwani rights of Bengal, Bihar, Orissa
C) Right to fortify Calcutta
D) Sovereignty over Delhi

36. Who granted the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa to the East India Company in 1765?
A) Mir Jafar
B) Shah Alam II
C) Shuja-ud-Daulah
D) Warren Hastings

37. The Diwani rights gave the British___________.
A) Rights of land ownership
B) Rights of revenue collection
C) Rights of judicial control
D) Rights of minting coins

38. The Dual Government in Bengal (1765–1772) meant___________.
A) Both British and Mughals ruled jointly
B) British collected revenue while Nawab looked after administration
C) British and French shared power
D) Zamindars and Nawabs shared power

39. The Dual Government in Bengal was abolished by___________.
A) Robert Clive
B) Warren Hastings
C) Lord Cornwallis
D) Shah Alam II

40. Who was the first Governor-General of Bengal?
A) Robert Clive
B) Warren Hastings
C) William Bentinck
D) Lord Cornwallis

41. The Regulating Act (1773) made which post the supreme authority?
A) Governor of Madras
B) Governor of Bombay
C) Governor-General of Bengal
D) Governor of Surat

42. The first Governor of Bengal was___________.
A) Robert Clive
B) Warren Hastings
C) William Bentinck
D) Lord Cornwallis

43. Robert Clive is famous for___________.
A) Defeating Tipu Sultan
B) Victory at Plassey and reforms in Bengal
C) Anglo-Maratha Wars
D) Abolition of Sati

44. Which Governor introduced the Dual Government in Bengal?
A) Robert Clive
B) Warren Hastings
C) Lord Cornwallis
D) Lord Wellesley

45. The Battle of Wandiwash (1760) was fought between___________.
A) British and Dutch
B) British and French
C) British and Portuguese
D) British and Marathas

46. The British Governor during the Battle of Plassey was___________.
A) Robert Clive
B) Warren Hastings
C) Charles Eyre
D) William Bentinck

47. The Permanent Settlement of Bengal was introduced by___________.
A) Robert Clive
B) Warren Hastings
C) Lord Cornwallis
D) Lord Wellesley

48. The first British Governor-General to annex Indian territory was___________.
A) Robert Clive
B) Warren Hastings
C) Lord Cornwallis
D) Lord Wellesley

49. Who introduced the Subsidiary Alliance system?
A) Warren Hastings
B) Lord Cornwallis
C) Lord Wellesley
D) Robert Clive

50. Under the Subsidiary Alliance, Indian rulers had to___________.
A) Keep British troops and pay for their maintenance
B) Abolish their armies
C) Surrender foreign policy to British
D) All of the above

51. The first major naval battle of the British in India was___________.
A) Battle of Swally (1612)
B) Battle of Colachel (1741)
C) Battle of Buxar (1764)
D) Battle of Plassey (1757)

52. The British defeated the Portuguese for the first time in___________.
A) 1608, Surat
B) 1612, Swally
C) 1620, Goa
D) 1630, Diu

53. The British and Portuguese signed a treaty of alliance in___________.
A) 1612
B) 1661
C) 1670
D) 1700

54. The British captured Bombay from the Portuguese in___________.
A) 1612
B) 1639
C) 1661
D) 1668

55. The most decisive battle between the British and the French in India was:
A) Battle of Swally
B) Battle of Plassey
C) Battle of Buxar
D) Battle of Wandiwash

56. The First Carnatic War (1746–1748) ended with___________.
A) Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
B) Treaty of Alinagar
C) Treaty of Paris
D) Treaty of Mangalore

57. The First Carnatic War was triggered by___________.
A) Anglo-French rivalry in Europe
B) Mughal succession crisis
C) Portuguese resurgence
D) Maratha invasions

58. The British won the decisive Battle of Wandiwash (1760) under___________.
A) Robert Clive
B) Warren Hastings
C) Eyre Coote
D) Hector Munro

59. The Second Carnatic War (1749–1754) was fought mainly over___________.
A) French vs Portuguese rivalry
B) Succession disputes in Hyderabad and Carnatic
C) Control of Surat
D) British vs Dutch rivalry

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

61. The Third Carnatic War (1757–1763) coincided with___________.
A) Seven Years’ War in Europe
B) Austrian Succession War
C) Napoleonic Wars
D) Maratha wars

62. The Third Carnatic War ended with ___________.
A) Treaty of Mangalore
B) Treaty of Paris (1763)
C) Treaty of Pondicherry
D) Treaty of Bassein

63. Who was the French Governor-General who lost to the British in the Carnatic Wars?
A) Dupleix
B) Lally
C) Bussy
D) De Lannoy

64. Who was the French commander defeated at Wandiwash (1760)?
A) Dupleix
B) Lally
C) Bussy
D) Suffren

65. The British finally emerged as the dominant European power in India after___________.
A) Battle of Plassey (1757)
B) Battle of Buxar (1764)
C) Battle of Wandiwash (1760)
D) Treaty of Paris (1763)

66. The French were confined mainly to which settlement after Carnatic Wars?
A) Pondicherry
B) Chandernagore
C) Karikal
D) All of the above

67. The British defeated the Dutch in India at___________.
A) Plassey (1757)
B) Colachel (1741)
C) Buxar (1764)
D) Biderra (1759)

68. The Treaty of Alinagar (1757) was signed before which major battle?
A) Wandiwash
B) Plassey
C) Buxar
D) Swally

69. Which battle confirmed British supremacy in Bengal after Plassey?
A) Wandiwash
B) Buxar
C) Negapatam
D) Assaye

70. Which Anglo-Mysore War ended with the Treaty of Mangalore (1784)?
A) First Anglo-Mysore War
B) Second Anglo-Mysore War
C) Third Anglo-Mysore War
D) Fourth Anglo-Mysore War

71. The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799) ended with___________.
A) Treaty of Srirangapatna
B) Death of Tipu Sultan
C) Alliance with Marathas
D) Treaty of Bassein

72. The Treaty of Srirangapatna (1792) was signed after___________.
A) First Anglo-Mysore War
B) Second Anglo-Mysore War
C) Third Anglo-Mysore War
D) Fourth Anglo-Mysore War

73. The Treaty of Bassein (1802) was signed between___________.
A) British and Marathas (Baji Rao II)
B) British and Mysore
C) British and Nizam
D) British and Hyder Ali

74. Which battle led to British victory over Marathas in 1803?
A) Battle of Plassey
B) Battle of Assaye
C) Battle of Panipat
D) Battle of Buxar

75. The Anglo-French rivalry in India was decided finally in favour of the British after___________.
A) Battle of Wandiwash (1760)
B) Treaty of Paris (1763)
C) Battle of Buxar (1764)
D) Both a & b

76. The Battle of Plassey is often considered a “battle of treachery” because___________.
A) Siraj-ud-Daulah lacked courage
B) French betrayed Siraj
C) Mir Jafar and bankers betrayed Siraj
D) Robert Clive bribed Mughal emperor

77. Which Mughal emperor issued the “Magna Carta of East India Company” in 1717?
A) Aurangzeb
B) Farrukhsiyar
C) Shah Alam II
D) Bahadur Shah I

78. The East India Company became the “real ruler of Bengal” after___________.
A) Plassey (1757)
B) Buxar (1764)
C) Treaty of Allahabad (1765)
D) Dual Government system

79. The “Dual Government” system in Bengal (1765–1772) was___________.
A) British ruled politics, Nawabs ruled revenue
B) British collected revenue, Nawabs ruled administration
C) British ruled both
D) Nawabs ruled both

80. Which Governor-General ended the Dual Government system?
A) Robert Clive
B) Warren Hastings
C) Lord Cornwallis
D) Lord Wellesley

81. The Regulating Act (1773) made whom the supreme authority in India?
A) Governor of Madras
B) Governor of Bombay
C) Governor-General of Bengal
D) Viceroy of India

82. The Pitt’s India Act (1784) established___________.
A) Supreme Court in Calcutta
B) Board of Control in Britain
C) End of Company monopoly
D) Permanent Settlement

83. The British introduced Permanent Settlement (1793) in Bengal under___________.
A) Warren Hastings
B) Robert Clive
C) Lord Cornwallis
D) Lord Wellesley

84. The Subsidiary Alliance (1798) was introduced by___________.
A) Robert Clive
B) Warren Hastings
C) Lord Wellesley
D) Lord Cornwallis

85. Which Indian ruler first accepted the Subsidiary Alliance?
A) Nizam of Hyderabad
B) Nawab of Oudh
C) Peshwa Baji Rao II
D) Mysore Sultan

86. The British policy of “ring-fence” was introduced by___________.
A) Robert Clive
B) Warren Hastings
C) Lord Cornwallis
D) Lord Wellesley

87. The British gained control of Delhi in___________.
A) 1757
B) 1764
C) 1803
D) 1857

88. Which Maratha treaty placed Peshwa Baji Rao II under British protection?
A) Treaty of Salbai (1782)
B) Treaty of Bassein (1802)
C) Treaty of Purandar (1776)
D) Treaty of Deogaon (1803)

89. The Battle of Assaye (1803) was fought between___________.
A) British and Tipu Sultan
B) British and Marathas
C) British and French
D) British and Portuguese

90. Who was the British Governor-General during the defeat of Tipu Sultan (1799)?
A) Warren Hastings
B) Lord Cornwallis
C) Lord Wellesley
D) Robert Clive

91. The Charter Act of 1813 ended the monopoly of the East India Company in___________.
A) Salt trade
B) Indian trade except tea & China
C) Tea trade only
D) Trade with England

92. The Charter Act of 1833 ended the Company’s___________.
A) Trading rights in India
B) Political role in India
C) Administrative power
D) Both a & b

93. The Governor-General became the Governor-General of India under___________.
A) Regulating Act (1773)
B) Pitt’s India Act (1784)
C) Charter Act (1833)
D) Charter Act (1853)

94. The Treaty of Sugauli (1816) was signed between___________.
A) British and Burma
B) British and Marathas
C) British and Nepal
D) British and Mysore

95. The Anglo-Burmese Wars strengthened British control over___________.
A) Assam and Manipur
B) Mysore and Hyderabad
C) Bengal and Orissa
D) Punjab and Sindh

96. The annexation of Punjab was completed in___________.
A) 1839
B) 1846
C) 1849
D) 1857

97. Who was the Governor-General responsible for the Doctrine of Lapse?
A) Lord Cornwallis
B) Lord Wellesley
C) Lord Dalhousie
D) Lord Bentinck

98. Which was the first Indian state annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse?
A) Jhansi
B) Satara
C) Nagpur
D) Awadh

99. The immediate cause of the Revolt of 1857 was___________.
A) Heavy taxation
B) Doctrine of Lapse
C) Annexation of Awadh
D) Greased cartridge issue

100. The final event marking the transfer of power from Company to Crown was___________.
A) Revolt of 1857
B) Queen Victoria’s Proclamation (1858)
C) Charter Act (1853)
D) Regulating Act (1773)