India under East India Company’s Rule MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for India under East India Company’s Rule - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is option 2.

Key Points

• The Wood's Dispatch of 1854, also known as the "Magna Carta of English Education in India," was a comprehensive educational policy laid down by Sir Charles Wood, the President of the Board of Control. Hence, option 2 is correct.
• It laid the foundation of the modern education system in India.
• Key Features of the Wood's Dispatch:
  • Establishment of a Department of Education in each province
  • Creation of universities in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras (established in 1857)
  • Promotion of secular and vocational education
  • Emphasis on teacher training and female education
  • Grant-in-aid system introduced for private schools
  • Recommended a hierarchical structure: primary, secondary, and higher education.

Additional Information

• Macauley’s Minute (1835): Promoted English as the medium of instruction but lacked a structured educational policy
• Hunter Commission (1882–83): Focused on secondary education and provincial responsibilities
• Hartog Committee (1929): Dealt with quality and efficiency in education, especially primary level

The Correct Answer is Option 2 i.e Charter Act 1833.

The correct answer is Bombay.

Key Points

• The first successful textile mill in India was established in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1854.
• It was set up by Cowasji Nanabhai Davar and was named Bombay Spinning and Weaving Company.
• This marked the beginning of the cotton textile industry in India.
• Bombay rapidly became the center of textile production in India, contributing significantly to the city’s economic growth.

Additional Information

• Textile Industry in India:
  • The textile industry is one of the largest industries in India, both in terms of production and employment.
  • It plays a pivotal role in the Indian economy, contributing about 2.3% to the GDP and 13% to industrial production.
  • India is one of the largest producers and exporters of textiles and garments in the world.
  • The industry is labor-intensive and employs around 45 million people directly and 60 million people indirectly.
• Cotton Textile Industry:
  • Cotton textiles were among the first industries to develop in India during the British colonial period.
  • It remains a major segment of the Indian textile industry, with states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal being major producers.
  • Modernization and expansion in the cotton textile industry have led to increased productivity and quality.
• Impact of Industrialization:
  • The establishment of textile mills played a crucial role in the industrialization of India.
  • It led to urbanization and economic development in several regions, particularly in Bombay.
  • Industrialization also brought about significant social changes, including the rise of a new working class and changes in labor practices.
• Modern Textile Industry:
  • Today's textile industry in India is highly diversified, producing a wide range of products from traditional handloom fabrics to modern synthetic textiles.
  • It continues to be a major contributor to India's export economy, with key markets in the USA, European Union, and Middle East.
  • Government initiatives like the Textile Policy aim to support and promote the growth and modernization of the textile sector.

The correct answer is - Captain Jervis

Key Points

• Captain Jervis
  • He was the Secretary of the Bombay Native Education and School Book Society.
  • In 1823, he founded The Engineer Institution in Mumbai, a significant step toward technical education in India.
  • The institution aimed to promote engineering and technical knowledge among the local population, emphasizing the importance of applied sciences in the early 19th century.
  • This contribution highlights his role in the development of education and infrastructure in India during the British colonial period.

Additional Information

• Bombay Native Education and School Book Society
  • Founded in 1822, the society aimed to promote native education and provide educational materials in local languages.
  • It played a crucial role in spreading literacy and knowledge during the British era in India.
  • Prominent members of the society included British officials and Indian intellectuals working toward the modernization of education.
• Significance of The Engineer Institution
  • The Engineer Institution laid the foundation for technical education in India, which later influenced the establishment of engineering colleges.
  • It reflected the growing need for trained technical professionals to support infrastructure development during the British rule.
  • The institution served as a precursor to modern engineering institutes like the IITs in India.
• Captain Jervis's Contributions
  • In addition to founding The Engineer Institution, Captain Jervis was involved in several initiatives to improve education and infrastructure.
  • His efforts aligned with the broader British goal of developing administrative and technical capabilities in the colony.

The correct answer is Thomas Munro.

Important Points 

• The Ryotwari system was a land revenue system introduced during the British raj.
• The Ryotwari System was introduced by Thomas Munro.
  • Thomas Munro served as the governor of Madras from 1820 to 1827.
• Thomas Munro introduced the Ryotwari System in Bombay and Madras in 1820.
• A direct settlement was made between the government and the cultivators under the Ryotwari System.
• The Ryotwari System was first recommended by Charles Reed.
• The revenue was fixed for a period of time on the basis of the quality of soil and the nature of the crop.

Additional Information

• Warren Hastings served as the governor-general of Bengal from 1772 to 1785.
  • He is the only British governor-general who was impeached by the British government.
• Lord Cornwallis is known as the 'father of civil service in India'.
  • The Permanent Settlement in Bengal and Bihar was introduced by Lord Cornwallis.
• Lord Ripon is known as the 'father of local self-government' in India.
  • He repealed the vernacular press act in 1882.

The correct answer is A-II, B - I, C - III.

Key Points

Anglo - Maratha wars

• First Anglo - Maratha war (1775-82): treaty of Surat, the treaty of Purandhar, the treaty of Salbai (1782).
• Second Anglo - Maratha war (1802-05): Peshwa Bajirao-2 signed a treaty with the English on Dec 11-1802 (treaty of Bassein) and accepted the subsidiary alliance.
• Third Anglo - Maratha war (1817-19):
  • Peshwa Bajirao-2 was defeated at Kharki and forced to sign the treaty of Poona.
  • Maratha chiefs Yashvant Rao Holkar, Appa sahib Bhosale and Scindhia were defeated in different battles. 

The correct answer is 1765.

Important Points

• Treaty of Allahabad was signed in 1765 by Shuja-ud-Daulah and Shah Alam II with Robert Clive marking the beginning of British Rule in India.
• Through this treaty, East India Company was granted to collect taxes from the eastern province of Bengal-Bihar-Orrisa in return for which Shah Alam II was given Kora and Allahabad.
• The company promised to support Shuja-ud-Daulah, Nawab of Awadh against attacks which made him dependent on the company for which he had paid Rs. 53 lakhs.
• This treaty followed the Battle of Buxar in which Mughal emperors were lost to the Company.
• This treaty made the company richer and now they didn’t require any money from England.
• Treaty of Allahabad was written by I’tisam-ud-Din who was a diplomat to the Mughal Empire.

Additional Information

• Treaties signed in 1766: Treaty of Batticaloa (Dutch Imperial possession in Sri Lanka)

• Nawab of Bengal was having only judicial powers but the power to collect revenue and taxed was vested in the company. 

The correct answer is 1845-46.

• The First Anglo-Sikh war takes place in 1845 and 1846.
• The First Anglo-Sikh War was fought between the British East India Company and the Sikh Empire.
• It consists of a series of Five battles namely:
  1. Battle of Mudki.
  2. Battle of Aliwal.
  3. Battle of Ferozshah.
  4. Battle of Sobraon.
  5. Battle of Baddowal.
• Sikhs were defeated in all four battles against the British East India Company.
• The war ended with the treaty of Lahore in 1846.
• The treaty of Lahore was signed on 9^th March 1846.
• The Second Anglo-Sikh war takes place in 1848 and 1849.

The correct answer is Wood's Dispatch on Education,1854.

Key Points

• The Wood's Despatch is considered as 'Magna-Carta' of English Education in India.
• Charles Wood was the President of the Board of Control of East India Company.
• Objectives of the Wood's Despatch:
  • To impart Western knowledge, information about the western culture to the Indians.
  • To educate the natives of India so that a class of public servants could be created.
  • It promoted women's education at all levels.
  • To promote intellectual development and also raise the moral character of the young generation.
  • Grants-in-aid to encourage private enterprise.
• The wood's dispatch recommended the five provinces of Bengal, Bombay, Madras, Punjab, and the North-Western provinces.
• It recommended the establishment of universities at Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras.
  • Bethune School was started for women's education.

Additional Information

• Hunter Education Commission was a landmark commission appointed by Viceroy Lord Ripon.
  • This commission, headed by Sir William Wilson Hunter, had submitted its report in 1882.
  • The objectives are to look into the complaints of the non-implementation of the Wood’s Despatch of 1854, the contemporary status of elementary education in the British territories, and suggest means by which this can be extended and improved.
• On February 2, 1835, British politician Thomas Babington Macaulay circulated Minute on Education.
  • A treatise that offered definitive reasons for why the East India Company and the British government should spend money on the provision of English language education, as well as the promotion of European learning, especially the sciences, in India.

The correct answer is 1856.

Key Points

• Annexed states and year of annexation are as follows -​

• From the above table, hence the correct answer is option 4.

Important Points

• Doctrine Of Lapse -Princely States Annexed
  • The Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy adopted by the Britishers in India to expand their control.
  • The doctrine of Lapse was based on Hindu law and Indian customs, but Hindu law seemed to be somewhat inconclusive on this point
  • Lord Dalhousie annexed eight princely states under the Doctrine of Lapse Policy during his service.
  • He is said to have annexed about a quarter-million square miles of the Indian territory.
  • The first princely state to be annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse was Satara.
  • Awadh was under the rule of Wajid Ali Shah when Lord Dalhousie announced annexing Awadh based on the allegation of ‘Internal Misrule”.

The correct answer is Charter act  - 1833.

Key Points

The correct answer is Awadh.

Key Points

• Awadh was annexed by the British under the pretext of 'misgovernment of the Nawab.
  • Awadh was annexed on the pretext of misgovernance by the existing Nawab, Wajid Ali Shah.
  • Awadh was the epicentre of the revolt of 1857.
  • The revolt led to widespread death and destruction in Awadh.

Additional Information

• The British used the doctrine of a lapse to justify the annexation of the princely state of Nagpur.
  •  In 1818, at the conclusion of the Third Anglo-Maratha War, the Bhonsle Maharaja submitted to a subsidiary alliance, and Nagpur became a princely state under the suzerainty of the British crown.
• Satara state was a short-lived Princely state in India created by the British in 1818 after the Third Anglo-Maratha War and annexed by them in 1849 using the Doctrine of lapse.
• Udaipur was annexed by Lord Dalhousie under the pretext of misgovernance.

The correct answer is Establishment of minimum marriage age.

Key Points

• The Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 was also known as Sarda Act.
• The act was passed on 28 September 1929.
• As per the act, the age of marriage for girls was fixed at 14 years and for boys, it was 18 years.
• Later through an amendment, it was changed to 18 for girls and 21 for boys.
• The name Sarda was derived from its sponsor Harbilas Sarda.

The correct answer is ​Option 4.

Key PointsCharter Act of 1833:

•  Centralization:
  • The Charter Act of 1833 marked the final step towards centralizing the British administration in India.
• Designation of the Governor-General:
  • The Act designated the Governor-General of Bengal as the Governor-General of India, granting him authority over all British territories in India.
  • This centralization vested all civil and military powers in the Governor-General of India.
• First Governor-General of India:
  • ​Lord William Bentick was appointed as the first Governor-General of India under this Act.
• Legislative Powers:
  • ​The Act took away the legislative powers of the governors of Bombay and Madras, giving the Governor-General of India exclusive legislative authority for the entire British India.
• Additional Provisions:
  • Ended the East India Company's role as a commercial entity, transforming it into a purely administrative body.
  • Introduced the idea of open competition for civil service appointments and stated that Indians should not be excluded from holding any office in the Company's administration.

Other Acts:

• The Regulating Act (1773):
  • Established the post of Governor-General of Bengal but did not designate him as the Governor-General of India.
• Pitt's India Act (1784):
  • Established dual control between the British Crown and the East India Company but did not change the Governor-General's designation.
• The Charter Act of 1793:
  • ​Renewed the Company's charter but maintained the existing administrative structure.
• Hence, Option 4: The Charter Act of 1833 is the correct answer.