British Conquest – Burma, Nepal, Bhutan Top 100 MCQs With Answer and Explanation

1. The First Anglo-Burmese War began in __________.
A) 1814
B) 1824
C) 1834
D) 1844

2. The main cause of the First Anglo-Burmese War was__________.
A) Dispute over Assam and Manipur
B) Trade monopoly issues
C) Border disputes in Arakan
D) French influence in Burma

3. The First Anglo-Burmese War ended with the__________.
A) Treaty of Yandabo
B) Treaty of Sugauli
C) Treaty of Rangoon
D) Treaty of Titalia

4. Which areas did Burma cede after the First Anglo-Burmese War?
A) Assam, Arakan, Manipur
B) Tenasserim, Assam, Manipur
C) Arakan, Assam, Tenasserim
D) Assam, Cachar, Mizoram

5. The Second Anglo-Burmese War was fought in__________.
A) 1834
B) 1852
C) 1862
D) 1885

6. The Second Anglo-Burmese War was fought mainly over__________.
A) Trade disputes at Rangoon
B) Border disputes in Manipur
C) French influence in Ava
D) Smuggling in Tenasserim

7. The outcome of the Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852) was annexation of__________.
A) Arakan
B) Tenasserim
C) Pegu (Lower Burma)
D) Ava (Upper Burma)

8. The Third Anglo-Burmese War occurred in__________.
A) 1872
B) 1885
C) 1892
D) 1901

9. The Third Anglo-Burmese War was provoked by__________.
A) French influence in Upper Burma
B) Smuggling in Tenasserim
C) British trade monopoly
D) Border disputes

10. The Third Anglo-Burmese War resulted in annexation of__________.
A) Lower Burma
B) Arakan only
C) Entire Burma
D) Tenasserim only

11. The capital of Burma during the Third Anglo-Burmese War was__________.
A) Rangoon
B) Ava
C) Mandalay
D) Pegu

12. King Thibaw was the last ruler of__________.
A) Ava
B) Pegu
C) Mandalay
D) Tenasserim

13. The Treaty of Yandabo was signed in__________.
A) 1824
B) 1826
C) 1832
D) 1836

14. The Treaty of Yandabo imposed how much indemnity on Burma?
A) 10 lakh rupees
B) 1 crore rupees
C) 1 million pounds
D) 50 lakh rupees

15. The First Anglo-Burmese War was fought during which Governor-General’s tenure?
A) Lord Hastings
B) Lord Amherst
C) Lord Bentinck
D) Lord Dalhousie

16. The Second Anglo-Burmese War was fought under which Governor-General?
A) Lord Dalhousie
B) Lord Canning
C) Lord Auckland
D) Lord Curzon

17. The Third Anglo-Burmese War was fought under which Viceroy?
A) Lord Ripon
B) Lord Curzon
C) Lord Dufferin
D) Lord Lansdowne

18. Which city became the capital of British Burma after annexation?
A) Ava
B) Mandalay
C) Rangoon
D) Pegu

19. Burma was made a separate province from India in__________.
A) 1886
B) 1897
C) 1935
D) 1937

20. The First Anglo-Burmese War cost the British about__________.
A) 10 crore rupees
B) 13 crore rupees
C) 20 crore rupees
D) 5 crore rupees

21. The British annexation of Burma was mainly motivated by__________.
A) Security of India’s eastern frontier
B) Economic opportunities
C) Preventing French influence
D) All of the above

22. The Anglo-Burmese Wars collectively resulted in__________.
A) Loss of British prestige
B) Expansion of British India eastwards
C) Strengthening of Burmese empire
D) Failure of British diplomacy

23. The Burmese monarchy finally ended in__________.
A) 1826
B) 1852
C) 1862
D) 1885

24. King Thibaw was exiled to__________.
A) Rangoon
B) Madras
C) Ratnagiri
D) Calcutta

25. The annexation of Burma added greatly to British control over__________.
A) Bay of Bengal trade routes
B) Himalayas
C) Deccan plateau
D) Persian Gulf

26. The Anglo-Nepalese (Gurkha) War took place between__________.
A) 1803–1805
B) 1814–1816
C) 1824–1826
D) 1834–1836

27. The main cause of the Anglo-Nepalese War was__________.
A) Dispute over Kumaon-Garhwal and Sikkim frontiers
B) Religious tensions
C) French influence in Nepal
D) Nepal’s invasion of Bengal

28. The Anglo-Nepalese War was fought during which Governor-General’s tenure?
A) Lord Wellesley
B) Lord Cornwallis
C) Lord Hastings
D) Lord Bentinck

29. The ruler of Nepal during the Anglo-Nepalese War was__________.
A) Prithvi Narayan Shah
B) Bahadur Shah
C) Girvan Yuddha Vikram Shah
D) Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah

30. The famous Gurkha commander during the Anglo-Nepalese War was__________.
A) Amar Singh Thapa
B) Prithvi Narayan Shah
C) Jung Bahadur Rana
D) Bhimsen Thapa

31. The Anglo-Nepalese War is also known as__________.
A) Anglo-Gurkha War
B) Indo-Nepalese War
C) Frontier War
D) Anglo-Himalayan War

32. The British Army faced difficulties in the war mainly due to__________.
A) Harsh Himalayan terrain and guerrilla tactics of Gurkhas
B) Lack of soldiers
C) Lack of artillery
D) French support to Nepal

33. The British initially suffered defeat at which fort in 1814?
A) Almora Fort
B) Kalanga (Nalapani) Fort
C) Sugauli Fort
D) Kathmandu Fort

34. Who was the young Gurkha commander at the Battle of Nalapani (Kalanga) in 1814?
A) Amar Singh Thapa
B) Balbhadra Kunwar
C) Bhimsen Thapa
D) Jung Bahadur Rana

35. The British commander who faced defeat at Nalapani Fort was__________.
A) Sir David Ochterlony
B) General Gillespie
C) General Martindell
D) John Malcolm

36. The British General who eventually succeeded in the Nepal campaign was__________.
A) Sir David Ochterlony
B) Lord Hastings
C) General Gillespie
D) Charles Metcalfe

37. The turning point of the war came with the British capture of__________.
A) Kathmandu
B) Almora
C) Kumaon and Garhwal
D) Kalanga Fort

38. The Anglo-Nepalese War ended with which treaty?
A) Treaty of Yandabo
B) Treaty of Sugauli
C) Treaty of Kathmandu
D) Treaty of Titalia

39. The Treaty of Sugauli (1816) was signed between Nepal and__________.
A) Lord Hastings
B) Sir David Ochterlony
C) Mountstuart Elphinstone
D) Charles Metcalfe

40. Under the Treaty of Sugauli, Nepal ceded which territories to the British?
A) Kumaon, Garhwal, and Sikkim
B) Darjeeling and Assam
C) Kathmandu Valley
D) Kangra and Simla

41. Which hill station was later gifted by the Raja of Sikkim to the British after the war?
A) Simla
B) Darjeeling
C) Nainital
D) Almora

42. The Treaty of Sugauli fixed Nepal’s boundary with British India along__________.
A) Sutlej River
B) Ganga River
C) Kali River
D) Teesta River

43. Which famous regiment of the British Indian Army originated after the Anglo-Nepalese War?
A) Sikh Regiment
B) Gurkha Regiment
C) Madras Regiment
D) Jat Regiment

44. Who was the influential Nepalese Prime Minister during the war?
A) Amar Singh Thapa
B) Jung Bahadur Rana
C) Bhimsen Thapa
D) Balbhadra Kunwar

45. Which British Resident was later stationed at Kathmandu after the Treaty of Sugauli?
A) Charles Metcalfe
B) Brian Hodgson
C) Mountstuart Elphinstone
D) James Fraser

46. The Anglo-Nepalese War was significant for the British because__________.
A) It secured north-eastern frontier
B) It allowed recruitment of Gurkhas
C) It reduced Nepal’s expansionist threat
D) All of the above

47. The Nepalese viewed the Treaty of Sugauli as__________.
A) Victory
B) Equal compromise
C) National humiliation
D) Step to modernization

48. The Anglo-Nepalese War demonstrated that__________.
A) Nepal could defeat the British
B) British power could be resisted by mountain warfare
C) British diplomacy was weak
D) Gurkhas were unreliable fighters

49. The Anglo-Nepalese War indirectly paved the way for__________.
A) British entry into Tibet
B) British dominance in Assam and Sikkim
C) French withdrawal from Burma
D) End of Maratha resistance

50. The Anglo-Nepalese War was concluded finally in__________.
A) 1815
B) 1816
C) 1817
D) 1818

51. The first Anglo-Bhutanese conflict started in__________.
A) 1772
B) 1782
C) 1814
D) 1826

52. The immediate cause of the 1772 conflict with Bhutan was__________.
A) Bhutan’s interference in Cooch Behar succession
B) Border disputes in Assam
C) French influence in Bhutan
D) Trade disputes in Bengal

53. The 1772 Anglo-Bhutan conflict ended with which treaty?
A) Treaty of Sugauli
B) Treaty of Sinchula
C) Treaty of Cooch Behar
D) Treaty of Yandabo

54. The Bhutanese territory known as the “Duar region” was strategically important because__________.
A) It connected Bengal with Assam and Tibet
B) It was a tea-growing zone
C) It had coal deposits
D) It was a strong fort region

55. The Anglo-Bhutanese War of 1864–65 is also known as__________.
A) Bhutan Campaign
B) Duar War
C) Frontier War
D) Himalayan Campaign

56. The Anglo-Bhutanese War of 1864 began during the tenure of which Viceroy?
A) Lord Dalhousie
B) Lord Canning
C) Lord Lawrence
D) Lord Mayo

57. The main reason for the Duar War was__________.
A) Bhutan’s raids into Assam and Bengal Duars
B) French trade relations with Bhutan
C) Nepal-Bhutan alliance
D) Bhutan’s refusal to accept British Resident

58. Which treaty concluded the Anglo-Bhutanese War of 1864–65?
A) Treaty of Sinchula
B) Treaty of Punakha
C) Treaty of Cooch Behar
D) Treaty of Simla

59. Under the Treaty of Sinchula, Bhutan ceded__________.
A) Assam
B) Bengal Duars
C) Cooch Behar
D) Kathmandu Valley

60. In return for ceding the Duars, Bhutan was granted__________.
A) Annual subsidy of Rs. 50,000
B) Return of Cooch Behar
C) Protection from Nepal
D) Right to trade in Bengal

61. The Treaty of Sinchula (1865) was signed at__________.
A) Punakha
B) Sinchula
C) Sikkim
D) Darjeeling

62. The Duar region after annexation was divided between__________.
A) Bengal and Punjab
B) Bengal and Assam
C) Bihar and Bengal
D) Bengal and Sikkim

63. Which Bhutanese officials negotiated with the British in 1865?
A) Dzongpens
B) Ranas
C) Shahs
D) Nawabs

64. After the Duar War, Bhutan became__________.
A) A British colony
B) A princely state under British suzerainty
C) An independent kingdom with British subsidy
D) Annexed to Assam

65. The Anglo-Bhutanese War of 1864–65 is significant because__________.
A) It ended Bhutan’s expansion into India
B) It secured Bengal and Assam frontiers
C) It increased British influence in the Himalayas
D) All of the above

66. Which neighboring state’s fate was similar to Bhutan, facing British annexation pressures?
A) Nepal
B) Sikkim
C) Tibet
D) Burma

67. The British primarily valued Bhutan for__________.
A) Trade routes to Tibet
B) Agricultural wealth
C) Military manpower
D) Tea plantations

68. Bhutan resisted British entry partly because__________.
A) It feared loss of sovereignty
B) It relied on raiding economy
C) It distrusted foreign treaties
D) All of the above

69. After the Duar War, the British policy towards Bhutan was__________.
A) Annexationist
B) Indirect control with subsidies
C) Direct colonial rule
D) Integration with Bengal

70. The Anglo-Bhutanese conflict demonstrated the British strategy of__________.
A) Annexation only
B) Buffer state diplomacy
C) Divide and rule
D) Religious propagation

71. Bhutan’s defeat in 1865 marked the decline of__________.
A) Tibetan trade influence in Bengal
B) Bhutanese raids into Assam and Bengal
C) French interest in the Himalayas
D) Maratha alliances with Bhutan

72. The Anglo-Bhutanese War occurred just after__________.
A) Revolt of 1857
B) Second Anglo-Burmese War
C) Annexation of Punjab
D) Treaty of Yandabo

73. Which Himalayan state did NOT directly fight the British but signed treaties like Bhutan and Nepal?
A) Sikkim
B) Assam
C) Garhwal
D) Ladakh

74. Which later British Viceroy redefined relations with Bhutan and Tibet?
A) Lord Curzon
B) Lord Ripon
C) Lord Lytton
D) Lord Canning

75. The long-term impact of the Duar War was__________.
A) Bhutan isolated internationally but protected by Britain
B) Bhutan merged with India
C) Bhutan became a British colony
D) Bhutan allied with Nepal against Britain

76. Which of the following states was fully annexed into British India?
A) Nepal
B) Bhutan
C) Burma
D) Sikkim

77. The Anglo-Nepalese War ended with the Treaty of__________.
A) Yandabo
B) Sinchula
C) Sugauli
D) Kathmandu

78. The Anglo-Bhutanese War ended with the Treaty of__________.
A) Punakha
B) Sinchula
C) Titalia
D) Cooch Behar

79. The Anglo-Burmese Wars collectively ended with the annexation of__________.
A) Lower Burma only
B) Assam
C) Entire Burma
D) Upper Assam

80. Which war resulted in the British gaining Kumaon and Garhwal?
A) Anglo-Burmese War
B) Anglo-Nepalese War
C) Anglo-Bhutanese War
D) Anglo-Sikh War

81. Which of the following states continued as independent buffer states after wars with the British?
A) Burma only
B) Nepal and Bhutan
C) Sikkim and Burma
D) Assam and Manipur

82. Which state’s soldiers were actively recruited into the British Indian Army after their war?
A) Burma
B) Nepal
C) Bhutan
D) Assam

83. Which state lost Darjeeling to the British indirectly after these wars?
A) Bhutan
B) Sikkim
C) Nepal
D) Assam

84. The common British motive in conquering Burma, Nepal, and Bhutan was__________.
A) Tea plantations
B) Securing India’s northern and eastern frontiers
C) Spreading Christianity
D) Mining resources

85. Which of the following was most expensive for the British financially?
A) Anglo-Nepalese War
B) Anglo-Bhutanese War
C) First Anglo-Burmese War
D) Anglo-Sikh War

86. Which war was fought during Lord Amherst’s tenure?
A) Anglo-Nepalese War
B) First Anglo-Burmese War
C) Anglo-Bhutanese War
D) Second Anglo-Burmese War

87. Which war was fought during Lord Hastings’ tenure?
A) Anglo-Nepalese War
B) Anglo-Burmese War
C) Anglo-Bhutanese War
D) Anglo-Sikh War

88. Which war was fought during Viceroy Lord Lawrence’s tenure?
A) Anglo-Burmese War
B) Anglo-Bhutanese War (Duar War)
C) Anglo-Sikh War
D) Anglo-Nepalese War

89. Which of the following treaties resulted in an annual subsidy being paid to a Himalayan state?
A) Treaty of Yandabo (1826)
B) Treaty of Sugauli (1816)
C) Treaty of Sinchula (1865)
D) Treaty of Lahore (1846)

90. Which of the following rulers was exiled after British conquest?
A) King Thibaw of Burma
B) Girvan Yuddha Vikram Shah of Nepal
C) Dzongpens of Bhutan
D) Ranjit Singh of Punjab

91. The Treaty of Sugauli reduced Nepal’s boundaries but allowed it to remain__________.
A) A British colony
B) An independent buffer state
C) Part of Bengal
D) Annexed to Punjab

92. The annexation of Burma gave Britain control of__________.
A) Himalayan passes
B) Bay of Bengal trade routes
C) Punjab frontiers
D) Sindh deserts

93. Which two states were preserved as buffers against possible Chinese/Tibetan influence?
A) Nepal and Burma
B) Bhutan and Nepal
C) Burma and Assam
D) Sikkim and Assam

94. Which state was formally separated from India in 1937?
A) Nepal
B) Burma
C) Bhutan
D) Sikkim

95. Which common feature is seen in the Anglo-Nepalese and Anglo-Bhutanese wars?
A) Both ended with subsidies to the rulers
B) Both resulted in ceding of frontier regions to British
C) Both annexed into India
D) Both abolished monarchy

96. The British maintained Nepalese Gurkha regiments mainly because__________.
A) Gurkhas were loyal and brave soldiers
B) They were cheaper to recruit
C) They were against Tibet
D) They had knowledge of mountain terrain

97. Which British motive is common to all three conquests (Burma, Nepal, Bhutan)?
A) Frontier security and check on foreign influence
B) Tea plantations in all three regions
C) Control of oil and minerals
D) Missionary expansion

98. Which was the chronological order of the three main wars?
A) Anglo-Nepalese → Anglo-Bhutanese → Anglo-Burmese
B) Anglo-Burmese → Anglo-Nepalese → Anglo-Bhutanese
C) Anglo-Nepalese → Anglo-Burmese → Anglo-Bhutanese
D) Anglo-Bhutanese → Anglo-Burmese → Anglo-Nepalese

99. Which state was most directly affected by British fear of French influence?
A) Nepal
B) Bhutan
C) Burma
D) Assam

100. Collectively, the British wars with Burma, Nepal, and Bhutan highlight which feature of 19th century British policy?
A) Religious reform
B) Defensive imperialism on India’s frontiers
C) Agricultural exploitation
D) Naval expansion only