Arrival of Europeans: French and Danes Top 100 MCQs With Answer and Explanation

1. The French East India Company was established in___________.
A) 1600
B) 1602
C) 1664
D) 1670

2. The first French factory in India was established at___________.
A) Surat
B) Pondicherry
C) Chandernagore
D) Masulipatnam

3. The headquarters of French settlements in India was___________.
A) Pondicherry
B) Chandernagore
C) Surat
D) Karaikal

4. Who founded Pondicherry as the French settlement in India?
A) Dupleix
B) Colbert
C) Francois Martin
D) Bussy

5. Pondicherry was captured by the Dutch in 1693 and returned to the French in___________.
A) 1697
B) 1700
C) 1710
D) 1720

6. Which French settlement was in Bengal?
A) Pondicherry
B) Chandernagore
C) Karikal
D) Mahe

7. The French obtained Chandernagore in Bengal from the___________.
A) Portuguese
B) Dutch
C) Mughals
D) Nawabs of Bengal

8. The French settlement on the Malabar Coast was___________.
A) Calicut
B) Cochin
C) Mahe
D) Tellicherry

9. Which French settlement was in Tamil Nadu other than Pondicherry?
A) Karikal
B) Tranquebar
C) Pulicat
D) Madras

10. Which of the following was NOT a French settlement in India?
A) Pondicherry
B) Chandernagore
C) Karikal
D) Serampore

11. The French Governor-General who strengthened Pondicherry was___________.
A) Dupleix
B) Francois Martin
C) Lally
D) Bussy

12. Who was the French governor when Pondicherry became capital?
A) Francois Martin
B) Dupleix
C) Lally
D) Colbert

13. The French tried to establish political supremacy in India mainly under___________.
A) Bussy and Dupleix
B) Colbert
C) Lally
D) Francois Martin

14. French ambitions in India clashed mainly with___________.
A) Portuguese
B) Dutch
C) British
D) Danes

15. Which Mughal emperor gave trading rights to the French in Bengal?
A) Aurangzeb
B) Farrukhsiyar
C) Shah Alam II
D) Jahangir

16. The French officer Bussy established influence in___________.
A) Carnatic
B) Hyderabad
C) Bengal
D) Malabar

17. Who was the French governor recalled to Europe in 1754, weakening French power in India?
A) Dupleix
B) Bussy
C) Lally
D) Francois Martin

18. The French East India Company was reorganized by___________.
A) Napoleon
B) Colbert
C) Louis XV
D) Dupleix

19. The French and British fought mainly for control of___________.
A) Bengal
B) Deccan and Carnatic
C) Punjab
D) Gujarat

20. The French settlement at Mahe was named after___________.
A) A French king
B) A French governor
C) A nearby ruler
D) A Dutch trader

21. The French maintained naval superiority over British until___________.
A) 1739
B) 1746
C) 1757
D) 1760

22. Who led the French forces in the Battle of Wandiwash (1760)?
A) Dupleix
B) Lally
C) Bussy
D) Suffren

23. Which treaty ended French political ambitions in India?
A) Treaty of Paris (1763)
B) Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)
C) Treaty of Pondicherry (1754)
D) Treaty of Bassein (1802)

24. The French retained which settlements after 1763?
A) Pondicherry, Karikal, Chandernagore, Mahe, Yanam
B) Bombay and Calcutta
C) Surat and Madras
D) Goa and Diu

25. French power in India declined mainly because___________.
A) Strong British navy & finance
B) Recall of Dupleix
C) Poor coordination with native rulers
D) All of the above

26. The French established their first factory at Masulipatnam in which year?
A) 1608
B) 1611
C) 1666
D) 1674

27. The French East India Company’s headquarters in India was finally settled at___________.
A) Surat
B) Pondicherry
C) Chandernagore
D) Karaikal

28. The French obtained Karaikal from___________.
A) Dutch
B) British
C) Portuguese
D) Nayak of Tanjore

29. The French settlement of Yanam was located in___________.
A) Tamil Nadu
B) Andhra Pradesh
C) Kerala
D) Bengal

30. The French trade in Bengal was centered at___________.
A) Calcutta
B) Chinsurah
C) Chandernagore
D) Serampore

31. The French trade in South India focused mainly on___________.
A) Cotton textiles
B) Indigo
C) Pepper and spices
D) All of the above

32. The First Carnatic War (1746–1748) was part of which European conflict?
A) Seven Years’ War
B) Austrian War of Succession
C) Napoleonic Wars
D) Anglo-Spanish War

33. The immediate cause of the First Carnatic War was___________.
A) British attack on French Pondicherry
B) French capture of Madras
C) Anglo-Dutch rivalry
D) Mughal succession crisis

34. The naval commander La Bourdonnais was associated with which European power?
A) Dutch
B) French
C) Portuguese
D) Danish

35. The Battle of St. Thomé (1746) was fought between___________.
A) French and British
B) French and Dutch
C) British and Portuguese
D) French and Danes

36. The First Carnatic War ended with___________.
A) Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)
B) Treaty of Paris (1763)
C) Treaty of Pondicherry (1754)
D) Treaty of Alinagar (1757)

37. The Second Carnatic War (1749–1754) was fought over___________.
A) French-British rivalry in Bengal
B) Succession disputes in Hyderabad & Carnatic
C) Trade monopoly in Gujarat
D) Control of Surat

38. In the Second Carnatic War, French supported___________.
A) Chanda Sahib & Muzaffar Jang
B) Muhammad Ali & Nasir Jang
C) Tipu Sultan & Hyder Ali
D) Zamorin of Calicut

39. In the Second Carnatic War, British supported___________.
A) Chanda Sahib & Muzaffar Jang
B) Muhammad Ali & Nasir Jang
C) Mir Jafar & Siraj-ud-Daulah
D) Bussy & Lally

40. The Second Carnatic War ended with___________.
A) Treaty of Pondicherry (1754)
B) Treaty of Paris (1763)
C) Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)
D) Treaty of Alinagar (1757)

41. The French governor Dupleix was recalled in___________.
A) 1748
B) 1754
C) 1760
D) 1763

42. The Third Carnatic War (1757–1763) coincided with___________.
A) Austrian War of Succession
B) Napoleonic Wars
C) Seven Years’ War
D) Anglo-Burmese Wars

43. The decisive battle of the Third Carnatic War was___________.
A) Plassey (1757)
B) Buxar (1764)
C) Wandiwash (1760)
D) Negapatam (1781)

44. The French commander defeated at Wandiwash was___________.
A) Dupleix
B) Bussy
C) Lally
D) Suffren

45. The French general Bussy was active in___________.
A) Bengal
B) Carnatic
C) Deccan (Hyderabad)
D) Gujarat

46. The Treaty of Paris (1763) allowed the French to retain___________.
A) Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe, Yanam, Chandernagore
B) Only Pondicherry
C) Pondicherry and Chandernagore
D) No settlements

47. The French decline in India was mainly due to___________.
A) Strong British navy
B) Better British finance
C) French government neglect & Dupleix’s recall
D) All of the above

48. The French settlement of Mahe was important because___________.
A) Naval base on Malabar Coast
B) Center of cotton textile trade
C) Spice trade
D) All of the above

49. Which European power was the last serious rival of the British in India?
A) Portuguese
B) Dutch
C) French
D) Danes

50. The French power in India finally ended with___________.
A) Treaty of Paris (1763)
B) Defeat at Wandiwash (1760)
C) Recall of Dupleix (1754)
D) All of the above

51. The Danish East India Company was founded in___________.
A) 1600
B) 1602
C) 1616
D) 1624

52. The first Danish factory in India was established at___________.
A) Tranquebar
B) Serampore
C) Masulipatnam
D) Surat

53. The Danish settlement at Tranquebar was obtained from___________.
A) Nayak of Tanjore
B) Portuguese
C) Dutch
D) Mughals

54. The Danish settlement of Serampore was located in___________.
A) Bengal
B) Orissa
C) Tamil Nadu
D) Kerala

55. Which Danish settlement became famous for missionary activities?
A) Pondicherry
B) Serampore
C) Tranquebar
D) Karikal

56. The famous Protestant missionary who worked at Tranquebar was___________.
A) William Carey
B) Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg
C) Robert de Nobili
D) Alexander Duff

57. The Danish Asiatic Company was founded in___________.
A) 1616
B) 1664
C) 1732
D) 1757

58. The Danes established Serampore (Bengal) in which year?
A) 1620
B) 1676
C) 1698
D) 1706

59. Which Danish settlement was known for its printing press and education?
A) Tranquebar
B) Serampore
C) Karikal
D) Mahe

60. The Danes mainly traded in___________.
A) Cotton and silk textiles
B) Saltpetre
C) Pepper and spices
D) All of the above

61. The Danish East India Company’s Indian headquarters was at___________.
A) Pondicherry
B) Serampore
C) Tranquebar
D) Surat

62. The Danish trade never became powerful in India because___________.
A) Limited resources
B) Stronger British and Dutch competitors
C) Weak navy
D) All of the above

63. Serampore College, a famous institution, was founded in___________.
A) 1800
B) 1818
C) 1824
D) 1830

64. Which Danish possession was purchased by the British in 1845?
A) Tranquebar and Serampore
B) Pondicherry
C) Chandernagore
D) Goa

65. The Danish flag was finally lowered in India in___________.
A) 1799
B) 1824
C) 1845
D) 1858

66. Which Danish settlement was also called “Frederiksnagore”?
A) Serampore
B) Tranquebar
C) Pondicherry
D) Yanam

67. The Danes established a Lutheran Mission in India at___________.
A) Serampore
B) Tranquebar
C) Goa
D) Calicut

68. The Danish settlement of Serampore was famous for___________.
A) Indigo trade
B) Printing press
C) Missionary activities
D) All of the above

69. The decline of Danish power in India was mainly due to___________.
A) Limited finance and military
B) British competition
C) Weak political backing from Denmark
D) All of the above

70. The Danes lost their remaining colonial possession of Nicobar Islands to___________.
A) British
B) Dutch
C) French
D) Portuguese

71. The Serampore Mission was led by which three missionaries?
A) Ziegenbalg, Carey, Duff
B) William Carey, Joshua Marshman, William Ward
C) Robert de Nobili, Francis Xavier, Caldwell
D) Carey, Bussy, Dupleix

72. The Danish presence in India lasted from___________.
A) 1600–1700
B) 1616–1799
C) 1620–1845
D) 1700–1857

73. The Danes were the only Europeans in India mainly remembered for___________.
A) Military power
B) Naval conquests
C) Missionary and educational work
D) Cotton trade dominance

74. The Tranquebar Mission press published books in___________.
A) English only
B) Tamil and other Indian languages
C) Portuguese
D) Persian

75. The Danes finally withdrew from India by selling their possessions to___________.
A) French
B) Dutch
C) British
D) Portuguese

76. The main reason for French failure against the British in India was___________.
A) Weak navy
B) Lack of support from home government
C) British financial superiority
D) All of the above

77. The French governor who dreamed of a French empire in India was___________.
A) Francois Martin
B) Dupleix
C) Lally
D) Bussy

78. The Carnatic Wars were fought mainly between___________.
A) French and Dutch
B) British and French
C) British and Portuguese
D) French and Danes

79. The decisive battle that sealed British supremacy over French in India was___________.
A) Plassey (1757)
B) Wandiwash (1760)
C) Buxar (1764)
D) Pondicherry (1778)

80. The French support to which Indian rulers prolonged their influence in the Deccan?
A) Nizams of Hyderabad
B) Nawabs of Arcot
C) Tipu Sultan
D) Marathas

81. The French officer Bussy made himself powerful in___________.
A) Bengal
B) Carnatic
C) Deccan (Hyderabad)
D) Malabar

82. The French settlements in India that remained even after their defeat were___________.
A) Pondicherry, Karaikal, Chandernagore, Mahe, Yanam
B) Bombay, Calcutta, Madras
C) Goa, Daman, Diu
D) Surat, Hooghly, Balasore

83. The French were finally confined to their Indian enclaves by which treaty?
A) Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)
B) Treaty of Paris (1763)
C) Treaty of Pondicherry (1754)
D) Treaty of Bassein (1802)

84. The French East India Company was revived in 1785 but failed again because___________.
A) Lack of funds
B) British dominance
C) French Revolution & Napoleonic Wars
D) All of the above

85. The Danes were different from other Europeans because they___________.
A) Focused on trade and missions, not conquest
B) Were militarily strong
C) Defeated the Portuguese
D) Allied with Mughals

86. The Danes first came to India in___________.
A) 1600
B) 1616
C) 1620
D) 1624

87. The Danes’ biggest contribution in India was___________.
A) Cotton trade
B) Saltpetre export
C) Missionary and printing work
D) Indigo trade

88. The Danish missionary Ziegenbalg is remembered for___________.
A) Printing the first Indian newspaper
B) Translating Bible into Tamil
C) Supporting Indian freedom movement
D) Training Indian soldiers

89. The Danish colony of Serampore was famous for___________.
A) Serampore Mission & College
B) Shipbuilding
C) Cotton textiles
D) Naval base

90. The Danes sold their Indian possessions to the British in___________.
A) 1795
B) 1824
C) 1845
D) 1858

91. The Danes remained in the Nicobar Islands until___________.
A) 1700
B) 1800
C) 1848
D) 1869

92. Which Danish settlement was also called “Frederiksnagore”?
A) Serampore
B) Tranquebar
C) Pondicherry
D) Karikal

93. The Danish Asiatic Company was founded to___________.
A) Trade with East Indies
B) Control Bengal
C) Conquer Pondicherry
D) Compete with Portuguese in Goa

94. Which European power is remembered more for education than political rule in India?
A) Portuguese
B) Dutch
C) French
D) Danes

95. The French officer who defended Hyderabad against Marathas was___________.
A) Dupleix
B) Bussy
C) Lally
D) Suffren

96. French decline in India was sealed because___________.
A) They focused more on Europe than India
B) British naval superiority
C) Dupleix was recalled
D) All of the above

97. Which was the last European power to leave India?
A) French
B) Portuguese
C) Danes
D) Dutch

98. The French settlements in India today are preserved as___________.
A) Tourist and heritage sites
B) Naval bases
C) Military cantonments
D) Abandoned ruins

99. The Danes are mainly remembered in Indian history for___________.
A) Battles with British
B) Helping Tipu Sultan
C) Education, printing, and missions
D) Cotton textile exports

100. The overall role of French and Danes in India can be summed up as ___________.
A) French – political challengers, Danes – minor traders/missionaries
B) Both had large empires
C) Both defeated the British
D) Both ruled India together