Q70. Arrange chronologically: (I) First Anglo-Sikh War, (II) Second Carnatic War, (III) First Anglo-Mysore War, (IV) Battle of St. Thomé.
[PPSC Naib Tehsildar, 18 Jun 2023]
(a) I-II-III-IV
(b) II-I-III-IV
(c) IV-III-I-II
(d) IV-II-III-I
Answer: (d) IV-II-III-I
Explanation: The Battle of St. Thomé occurred in 1746, followed by the Second Carnatic War from 1749. The First Anglo-Mysore War began in 1767, and the First Anglo-Sikh War began in 1845, giving IV-II-III-I.
Q69. In which year did the British Parliament enact the Regulating Act?
[SSC MTS, 14 Jun 2023, Shift 2]
(a) 1775
(b) 1876
(c) 1877
(d) 1773
Answer: (d) 1773
Explanation: The Regulating Act was enacted in 1773 to improve oversight of East India Company government. Its creation of a Governor-General and executive council in Bengal began formal parliamentary intervention in the Company’s territorial administration.
Q68. Evaluate: (1) In 1765 the Company became Diwan of Bombay. (2) After Buxar it removed all British residents from Indian states.
[TGPSC AEE, 21 May 2023 (2022 paper)]
(a) Statement 1 only
(b) Both statements
(c) Neither statement
(d) Statement 2 only
Answer: (c) Neither statement
Explanation: The Company received Diwani rights over Bengal, Bihar and Orissa—not Bombay—in 1765. British political residents became increasingly important for influencing Indian courts, so neither of the statements accurately describes Company expansion.
Q67. In which year did the Company obtain Diwani rights over Bengal?
[SSC MTS, 10 May 2023, Shift 1]
(a) 1765
(b) 1755
(c) 1760
(d) 1770
Answer: (a) 1765
Explanation: Following the victory at Buxar, the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II granted the Company Diwani rights in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa in 1765. These rights allowed revenue collection and funded further Company administration and military expansion.
Q66. At which Indian location did the Danish establish an important early colonial settlement?
[NDA General Ability, 16 Apr 2023]
(a) Chinsurah
(b) Karaikal
(c) Mahé
(d) Tranquebar
Answer: (d) Tranquebar
Explanation: The Danes established a settlement at Tranquebar, now Tharangambadi, on the Tamil Nadu coast in 1620. They built Fort Dansborg and later developed a second important settlement at Serampore, Bengal, under Danish colonial administration.
Q65. The English East India Company’s original royal charter dates to which year?
[SSC CHSL, 16 Mar 2023, Shift 2]
(a) 1600
(b) 1610
(c) 1620
(d) 1580
Answer: (a) 1600
Explanation: Queen Elizabeth I chartered the English East India Company on 31 December 1600. The document granted an exclusive right to conduct English trade in the East, but it did not prohibit Portuguese, Dutch or French merchants.
Q64. The Battle of Bedara was fought between which European rivals?
[MP Excise Constable, 24 Feb 2023, Shift 3]
(a) French and Portuguese
(b) British and Dutch
(c) British and Danes
(d) British and Portuguese
Answer: (b) British and Dutch
Explanation: Bedara took place near Chinsurah in Bengal in November 1759. English Company forces under Francis Forde defeated Dutch troops, contributing to the decline of Dutch political ambitions in a region increasingly controlled by the British.
Q63. Which Gujarat sultan reached an agreement that permitted a Portuguese fortress at Diu?
[UPSC CSE Prelims 2023]
(a) Ahmad Shah
(b) Mahmud Begarha
(c) Bahadur Shah
(d) Muhammad Shah
Answer: (c) Bahadur Shah
Explanation: Bahadur Shah of Gujarat permitted the Portuguese to fortify Diu in 1535 while seeking assistance against Mughal pressure. The concession strengthened Portuguese strategic interests on the Gujarat coast, where maritime commerce and control of shipping were especially valuable.
Q62. In what year was Pitt’s India Act passed?
[Kolkata Police Constable, 2023]
(a) 1885
(b) 1848
(c) 1748
(d) 1784
Answer: (d) 1784
Explanation: Pitt’s India Act, enacted in 1784, created a Board of Control to supervise the Company’s political affairs. The Court of Directors continued to oversee commerce, resulting in a dual administrative system linking private trade to state oversight.
Q61. Captain William Hawkins visited the court of which Mughal emperor in 1608?
[MP ITI Training Officer, 20 Dec 2022, Shift 1]
(a) Jahangir
(b) Aurangzeb
(c) Shah Jahan
(d) Humayun
Answer: (a) Jahangir
Explanation: William Hawkins was an early English envoy who reached the Mughal court during Jahangir’s reign. The English East India Company wanted imperial approval for trade and a factory at Surat in a commercial environment dominated by competing Europeans.
