British Top 100 MCQs With Answer and Explanation

1. The first Anglo-Mysore War (1767–69) ended with which treaty?
A) Treaty of Madras
B) Treaty of Srirangapatna
C) Treaty of Mangalore
D) Treaty of Salbai

2. Who was the ruler of Mysore during the First Anglo-Mysore War?
A) Krishnaraja Wodeyar II
B) Hyder Ali
C) Tipu Sultan
D) Raja Wodeyar I

3. The Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780–84) ended with ___________.
A) Treaty of Madras
B) Treaty of Srirangapatna
C) Treaty of Mangalore
D) Treaty of Paris

4. The Treaty of Mangalore (1784) is historically significant because___________.
A) Last treaty signed on equal terms between British and an Indian ruler
B) First treaty signed by Tipu Sultan
C) Both a & b
D) None of the above

5. The Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790–92) was led by which British Governor-General?
A) Lord Wellesley
B) Warren Hastings
C) Lord Cornwallis
D) Lord Dalhousie

6. The Treaty of Srirangapatna (1792) forced Tipu Sultan to___________.
A) Surrender half his territory
B) Pay 3.5 crore rupees
C) Hand over two sons as hostages
D) All of the above

7. The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799) ended with___________.
A) British defeat
B) Tipu Sultan’s death
C) Restoration of Wodeyars
D) Both b & c

8. Who was the Governor-General during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War?
A) Lord Cornwallis
B) Lord Wellesley
C) Lord Dalhousie
D) Lord Hastings

9. After Tipu’s death in 1799, who was placed on the throne of Mysore?
A) Tipu’s son Fateh Ali
B) Krishnaraja Wodeyar III
C) Hyder Ali II
D) Mir Sadiq

10. Which Maratha ruler allied with the British against Tipu Sultan in the Third Anglo-Mysore War?
A) Madhavrao I
B) Mahadji Scindia
C) Peshwa Baji Rao II
D) None of the above

11. The fall of Srirangapatna (1799) marked___________.
A) British supremacy in South India
B) End of French influence in Mysore
C) Decline of native resistance in Karnataka
D) All of the above

12. Who betrayed Tipu Sultan during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War?
A) Purnaiah
B) Mir Sadiq
C) Mir Jumla
D) Krishna Rao

13. The British East India Company annexed which important region from Mysore after 1799?
A) Kanara
B) Coimbatore
C) Malabar
D) All of the above

14. Which Governor-General implemented the Doctrine of Lapse in India?
A) Lord Wellesley
B) Lord Cornwallis
C) Lord Dalhousie
D) Lord Hastings

15. The Wodeyars lost direct control of Mysore in 1831 due to___________.
A) Doctrine of Lapse
B) Alleged misrule by Krishnaraja Wodeyar III
C) Treaty of Madras
D) Tipu’s heirs

16. Who was the first British Commissioner of Mysore?
A) Mark Cubbon
B) Thomas Munro
C) Lushington
D) Bowring

17. Who was the most famous British Commissioner in Mysore, remembered for administration?
A) Mark Cubbon
B) Lushington
C) Bowring
D) Charles Metcalfe

18. Under British rule, the headquarters of Mysore administration was shifted from Mysuru to___________.
A) Bengaluru
B) Mangalore
C) Srirangapatna
D) Shimoga

19. The famous Bangalore Cantonment was established by___________.
A) Hyder Ali
B) Tipu Sultan
C) British
D) Wodeyars

20. Which Commissioner encouraged coffee cultivation in Coorg and Chikmagalur?
A) Mark Cubbon
B) Bowring
C) Thomas Munro
D) Lushington

21. The British introduced railways in Karnataka in___________.
A) 1853
B) 1864
C) 1881
D) 1899

22. Who was the last British Commissioner of Mysore before Rendition (1881)?
A) Mark Cubbon
B) Bowring
C) Lushington
D) Thomas Munro

23. The British restored Mysore to the Wodeyars in 1881 under___________.
A) Doctrine of Lapse
B) Treaty of Mangalore
C) Rendition of Mysore
D) Treaty of Srirangapatna

24. Which Governor-General carried out the Rendition of Mysore (1881)?
A) Lord Ripon
B) Lord Dalhousie
C) Lord Curzon
D) Lord Cornwallis

25. The British introduced modern education in Karnataka through___________.
A) Missionary schools
B) Government colleges
C) Both a & b
D) None

26. The British introduced Commissioners’ Rule in Mysore in which year?
A) 1799
B) 1831
C) 1857
D) 1881

27. Who was the first British Commissioner of Mysore (1831)?
A) Mark Cubbon
B) Bowring
C) Lushington
D) Thomas Munro

28. Which British officer took over as Commissioner in 1834 and ruled Mysore for nearly 30 years?
A) Lushington
B) Mark Cubbon
C) Bowring
D) Elphinstone

29. Under Commissioners’ Rule, the headquarters of Mysore administration was shifted from Mysuru to___________.
A) Srirangapatna
B) Bengaluru
C) Chitradurga
D) Tumakuru

30. Which Commissioner is remembered for creating a stable administrative structure in Mysore?
A) Lushington
B) Mark Cubbon
C) Bowring
D) Lord Ripon

31. The most important police reform under Commissioners’ Rule was___________.
A) Creation of Kotwal system
B) Separation of military and civil police
C) Establishment of village watchmen
D) British Indian Penal Code introduction

32. Which British Commissioner encouraged coffee cultivation in Chikmagalur and Coorg?
A) Bowring
B) Lushington
C) Mark Cubbon
D) Thomas Munro

33. Under British rule, coffee plantations in Karnataka were started mainly by___________.
A) Local zamindars
B) British planters
C) French settlers
D) Wodeyar family

34. The Nagar revolt of 1830, which led to Commissioners’ Rule, was mainly caused by___________.
A) Religious issues
B) Excessive taxation
C) British intervention in temples
D) Farmers’ resistance to land surveys

35. Which Commissioner developed roads connecting Bangalore with other regions?
A) Lushington
B) Mark Cubbon
C) Bowring
D) Cornwallis

36. The first railway line in Karnataka was opened in___________.
A) 1853
B) 1864
C) 1881
D) 1890

37. Which British Commissioner established the Bangalore Civil and Military Station (Cantonment)?
A) Mark Cubbon
B) Bowring
C) Lushington
D) Cornwallis

38. The Bangalore Cantonment became important because___________.
A) It housed British troops
B) It became a trade hub
C) It introduced modern education and culture
D) All of the above

39. Which British Commissioner promoted silk industry in Mysore?
A) Lushington
B) Mark Cubbon
C) Bowring
D) Thomas Munro

40. Bowring’s period (1862–1870) in Mysore is remembered for___________.
A) Revenue reforms
B) Public works and education
C) Silk industry development
D) All of the above

41. Who was the last British Commissioner of Mysore?
A) Bowring
B) Mark Cubbon
C) Lushington
D) Cornwallis

42. Under Commissioners’ Rule, local administration was largely handled by___________.
A) Village panchayats
B) British officers
C) Zamindars
D) Missionaries

43. Which British policy increased land revenue pressure on Mysore peasants?
A) Zamindari settlement
B) Ryotwari settlement
C) Permanent Settlement
D) Ryotwari-cum-plantation system

44. Which cash crops were encouraged in Karnataka under Commissioners’ Rule?
A) Coffee and cotton
B) Sugarcane and tobacco
C) Areca nut and cardamom
D) All of the above

45. Which city became the hub of British commercial and administrative activities in Mysore?
A) Mysuru
B) Bengaluru
C) Mangalore
D) Dharwad

46. The postal system in Karnataka was modernized under___________.
A) Mark Cubbon
B) Bowring
C) Cornwallis
D) Dalhousie

47. Who introduced municipal administration in Bangalore during British rule?
A) Mark Cubbon
B) Bowring
C) Lord Ripon
D) Lushington

48. Under Commissioners’ Rule, the British encouraged which industry in Bangalore?
A) Textile mills
B) Silk weaving
C) Tanneries and breweries
D) All of the above

49. The Rendition of Mysore in 1881 restored power to which ruler?
A) Krishnaraja Wodeyar III
B) Chamaraja Wodeyar X
C) Jayachamaraja Wodeyar
D) Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar

50. The British Governor-General who carried out the Rendition of Mysore (1881) was___________.
A) Lord Dalhousie
B) Lord Wellesley
C) Lord Ripon
D) Lord Cornwallis

51. The earliest organized revolt against the British in Karnataka was___________.
A) Kittur Chennamma’s revolt (1824)
B) Sangolli Rayanna’s rebellion (1829–30)
C) Nagar revolt (1830)
D) Amara Sulya rebellion (1837)

52. Kittur Chennamma revolted against the British due to___________.
A) Excessive taxation
B) Doctrine of Lapse
C) Religious restrictions
D) Annexation of Kanara

53. Who was the military commander that assisted Rani Chennamma in her revolt?
A) Sangolli Rayanna
B) Purnaiah
C) Gurusiddappa
D) Krishnaraja Wodeyar III

54. Sangolli Rayanna’s rebellion (1829–30) was centered in___________.
A) Chitradurga
B) Kittur-Belgaum region
C) Kodagu
D) Bengaluru

55. Sangolli Rayanna was finally captured and executed by the British in___________.
A) 1824
B) 1830
C) 1831
D) 1832

56. The Amara Sulya rebellion (1837) was led by___________.
A) Gowda peasants of Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada
B) Naga tribes of Western Ghats
C) Marathas of North Karnataka
D) Chitradurga Nayakas

57. The 1837 Amara Sulya revolt is also called___________.
A) South Canara rebellion
B) Nagar revolt
C) Salt Satyagraha of Karnataka
D) Sepoy mutiny

58. Which revolt in Karnataka is known as the “First War of Independence in Karnataka”?
A) Kittur Chennamma’s revolt
B) Sangolli Rayanna’s rebellion
C) Amara Sulya rebellion
D) 1857 revolt in Karnataka

59. Who were the main leaders of the Amara Sulya rebellion (1837)?
A) Guddemane Appaiah Gowda and Kedambadi Ramiya Gowda
B) Sangolli Rayanna and Kittur Chennamma
C) Purnaiah and Krishna Rao
D) Mark Cubbon and Bowring

60. During the 1857 Revolt, the sepoys of which regiment revolted in Karnataka?
A) Bangalore
B) Belgaum
C) Dharwad
D) All of the above

61. The leader of the 1857 Revolt in South Canara was___________.
A) Venkatappa Nayaka
B) Kalyanaswamy
C) Mundargi Bhimarao
D) Kedambadi Ramiya Gowda

62. Mundargi Bhimarao revolted against the British in___________.
A) 1857
B) 1858
C) 1860
D) 1862

63. The Surpur rebellion of 1858 in Raichur district was led by___________.
A) Raja Venkatappa Nayaka
B) Sangolli Rayanna
C) Mundargi Bhimarao
D) Guddemane Appaiah Gowda

64. Venkatappa Nayaka’s revolt was crushed by___________.
A) Mark Cubbon
B) British troops from Hyderabad
C) Peshwas
D) Tipu Sultan’s heirs

65. Which freedom fighter of Karnataka is called the “Tiger of Kittur”?
A) Sangolli Rayanna
B) Guddemane Appaiah Gowda
C) Mundargi Bhimarao
D) Kalyanaswamy

66. The tribal revolt in Uttara Kannada against British forest policies was led by___________.
A) Venkatappa Nayaka
B) Halagali Bedas
C) Amara Sulya Gowdas
D) Sangolli Rayanna

67. The British policy that angered Halagali Bedas was___________.
A) Doctrine of Lapse
B) Ryotwari settlement
C) Arms Act (Disarming Act)
D) Forest laws

68. Which Karnataka leader is associated with the revolt of 1857 in Dharwad?
A) Mundargi Bhimarao
B) Sangolli Rayanna
C) Guddemane Appaiah Gowda
D) Kalyanaswamy

69. Which region of Karnataka was most affected by peasant revolts against British taxation?
A) Malnad
B) South Canara
C) Kittur-Belgaum
D) All of the above

70. Which British Commissioner ruthlessly suppressed the Amara Sulya rebellion?
A) Bowring
B) Mark Cubbon
C) Lushington
D) Thomas Munro

71. In the nationalist era, the first Indian National Congress session with Karnataka participation was in___________.
A) 1885, Bombay
B) 1886, Calcutta
C) 1887, Madras
D) 1888, Allahabad

72. The Karnataka Vidhyavardhaka Sangha (1905) at Dharwad was founded by___________.
A) R. R. Diwakar
B) Gangadharrao Deshpande
C) R. H. Deshpande
D) Alur Venkatrao

73. Who is known as the “Father of Karnataka Renaissance”?
A) R. H. Deshpande
B) Alur Venkatrao
C) Kittur Chennamma
D) Sangolli Rayanna

74. The “Gandhi of Karnataka” who led freedom movements in Belgaum was___________.
A) R. H. Deshpande
B) R. R. Diwakar
C) Gangadharrao Deshpande
D) Alur Venkatrao

75. The Belgaum session of Indian National Congress (1924), the only session presided over by Gandhi, was held in___________.
A) Bangalore
B) Mysore
C) Belgaum
D) Dharwad

76. The introduction of the Ryotwari system in Karnataka mainly affected___________.
A) Zamindars
B) Peasants
C) British planters
D) Missionaries

77. Which crop became the major British plantation crop in Karnataka during the 19th century?
A) Coffee
B) Tea
C) Cotton
D) Sugarcane

78. The British encouraged coffee plantations in Karnataka because___________.
A) Coffee grew easily in Malnad
B) High demand in Europe
C) Both a & b
D) Religious reasons

79. The British suppressed the Amara Sulya rebellion (1837) using___________.
A) Indian sepoys only
B) Nizam’s troops
C) Madras Army
D) Both a & c

80. The British annexed Coorg (Kodagu) in which year?
A) 1799
B) 1834
C) 1857
D) 1881

81. The Commissioner’s Rule in Mysore (1831–1881) lasted for how many years?
A) 30
B) 40
C) 50
D) 60

82. Which British policy led to the disarming of tribal communities like Halagali Bedas?
A) Doctrine of Lapse
B) Arms Act (Disarming Act), 1857
C) Ryotwari Settlement
D) Forest Act of 1865

83. The Halagali Beda revolt (1857) was part of___________.
A) Kittur rebellion
B) Sepoy Mutiny
C) Amara Sulya rebellion
D) Peasant movement of Belgaum

84. Which British officer suppressed Sangolli Rayanna’s rebellion?
A) Sir Thomas Munro
B) Mark Cubbon
C) Chaplin
D) Bowring

85. Which British Governor-General restored Mysore to Wodeyars in 1881?
A) Lord Dalhousie
B) Lord Ripon
C) Lord Wellesley
D) Lord Cornwallis

86. Who was restored to power in Mysore under the Rendition of 1881?
A) Krishnaraja Wodeyar III
B) Chamaraja Wodeyar X
C) Jayachamaraja Wodeyar
D) Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar

87. Which Kannada newspaper played a major role in the nationalist movement in Karnataka?
A) Mysore Patriot
B) Samyukta Karnataka
C) Mangalore Samachara
D) Kesari

88. Who is called the “Gandhi of Karnataka” for his role in the freedom movement?
A) Alur Venkatrao
B) R. R. Diwakar
C) Gangadharrao Deshpande
D) R. H. Deshpande

89. Who authored Karnataka Gatha Vaibhava, inspiring Karnataka unification?
A) Alur Venkatrao
B) R. H. Deshpande
C) R. R. Diwakar
D) M. Visvesvaraya

90. The only Indian National Congress session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi was held in Karnataka at___________.
A) Bangalore
B) Dharwad
C) Belgaum
D) Mysuru

91. The Karnataka Vidhyavardhaka Sangha (1905) was established in___________.
A) Bangalore
B) Dharwad
C) Belgaum
D) Mysuru

92. The British introduced modern education in Karnataka mainly through___________.
A) Missionaries
B) Government colleges
C) Indian reformers
D) Both a & b

93. The Mysore State Railway was first opened in___________.
A) 1864
B) 1870
C) 1881
D) 1899

94. Who was the first Kannada journalist, known for starting Mangalore Samachara?
A) Alur Venkatrao
B) Hermann Mögling
C) R. H. Deshpande
D) Gangadharrao Deshpande

95. Which reformer from Karnataka strongly opposed British land policies and taxation?
A) Kittur Chennamma
B) Sangolli Rayanna
C) Guddemane Appaiah Gowda
D) All of the above

96. The British annexed which coastal region from Mysore after the fall of Tipu in 1799?
A) South Canara
B) North Canara
C) Both a & b
D) None

97. The first printing press in Kannada was established at___________.
A) Mysuru
B) Bangalore
C) Mangalore
D) Dharwad

98. The 1857 Revolt in Karnataka was most intense in___________.
A) Belgaum, Dharwad, South Canara
B) Bangalore, Mysuru
C) Chitradurga, Shimoga
D) Kodagu, Hassan

99. Which British policy hurt Karnataka’s forests and tribal communities?
A) Doctrine of Lapse
B) Indian Penal Code
C) Indian Forest Act (1865)
D) Arms Act

100. The biggest legacy of British rule in Karnataka was___________.
A) Administrative modernization
B) Railways, education, plantations
C) Rise of nationalist movement and Kannada unification
D) All of the above