Q40. Consider the following statements regarding the Revolt of 1857:
1. Many Sikh and Rajput ruling elites supported the British.
2. The Nizam of Hyderabad provided decisive military assistance to the rebels.
3. Bahadur Shah Zafar exercised little effective control over rebel soldiers.
Which statements are correct?
[MP Police SI, 2026]
A. 1, 2 and 3
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 2 and 3 only
Answer: C. 1 and 3 only
Explanation: Important sections of the Sikh and Rajput aristocracies supported the British during the uprising. Bahadur Shah Zafar possessed nominal authority but could not effectively command the various rebel forces. Hyderabad’s Nizam did not provide the decisive rebel military assistance described in statement two.
Q39. On which date did Mughal emperor Shah Alam II grant the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha to the East India Company?
[Bihar Police SI, 2026 – Memory-Based]
A. 10 September 1765
B. 15 March 1765
C. 12 August 1765
D. 20 October 1765
Answer: C. 12 August 1765
Explanation: Shah Alam II granted the East India Company Diwani rights on 12 August 1765 under the Treaty of Allahabad arrangements. These rights authorised revenue collection in the eastern provinces and represented a major transfer of economic authority from the Mughal emperor to the Company.
Q38. The Treaty of Allahabad was concluded following which battle?
[MP Police SI, 2026]
A. Battle of Plassey
B. Battle of Wandiwash
C. Third Battle of Panipat
D. Battle of Buxar
Answer: D. Battle of Buxar
Explanation: The British victory at Buxar in 1764 defeated the combined forces of Shah Alam II, Shuja-ud-Daula and Mir Qasim. The subsequent Treaty of Allahabad established important British political and revenue rights, further reducing the Mughal emperor’s effective sovereignty.
Q37. Who was the last powerful Mughal emperor before the empire entered its period of rapid decline?
[Delhi Police Constable, 2026]
A. Shah Jahan
B. Jahangir
C. Aurangzeb
D. Bahadur Shah Zafar
Answer: C. Aurangzeb
Explanation: Aurangzeb ruled from 1658 to 1707 and presided over the Mughal Empire’s greatest territorial expansion. Nevertheless, prolonged Deccan campaigns, financial pressures and regional resistance weakened imperial institutions. After his death, succession struggles and provincial autonomy accelerated the decline.
Q36. Which of the following battles was fought in 1761?
[SSC CHSL, 2025]
A. Third Battle of Panipat
B. First Battle of Panipat
C. Second Battle of Tarain
D. First Battle of Tarain
Answer: A. Third Battle of Panipat
Explanation: The Third Battle of Panipat was fought on 14 January 1761 between the Marathas and Ahmad Shah Abdali’s Afghan coalition. The Marathas suffered a devastating defeat, temporarily weakening their northern expansion amid the continuing political fragmentation of the Mughal Empire.
Q35. Ahmad Shah Abdali defeated the Marathas in which famous battle of 1761?
[OSSSC CRE Preliminary Examination, 2025]
A. Battle of Karnal
B. Second Battle of Panipat
C. Third Battle of Panipat
D. First Battle of Panipat
Answer: C. Third Battle of Panipat
Explanation: Ahmad Shah Abdali, also called Ahmad Shah Durrani, commanded the Afghan coalition against the Marathas at Panipat. His victory severely damaged Maratha military strength and demonstrated how the declining Mughal imperial structure had become vulnerable to rival regional and foreign powers.
Q34. After the decline of Mughal authority, which community came to dominate the Peshwa administration of the Maratha state?
[SSC CGL, 2025 – Adapted]
A. Mughal nobles
B. Deshmukhs
C. Kunbis
D. Chitpavan Brahmanas
Answer: D. Chitpavan Brahmanas
Explanation: The Chitpavan Brahmanas rose to political prominence through the Peshwa office, especially under Balaji Vishwanath and his successors. As Mughal central authority declined, Peshwa-led Maratha forces expanded across large parts of India and challenged the remaining imperial political structure.
Q33. Which of the following battles took place in 1761?
[SSC MTS, 2024]
A. Battle of Buxar
B. Battle of Wandiwash
C. Third Battle of Panipat
D. Second Battle of Panipat
Answer: C. Third Battle of Panipat
Explanation: The Third Battle of Panipat took place in 1761 and ended in victory for Ahmad Shah Abdali over the Marathas. It temporarily interrupted Maratha expansion in northern India, where the Mughal emperor had already lost most of his independent military authority.
Q32. In which year did Nadir Shah invade India?
[WBCS Mains History, 2024]
A. 1708
B. 1688
C. 1739
D. 1750
Answer: C. 1739
Explanation: Nadir Shah’s invasion culminated in 1739 with the defeat of Muhammad Shah’s forces at Karnal and the occupation of Delhi. The enormous plunder, including the Peacock Throne and Koh-i-Noor, severely damaged Mughal financial strength and international prestige.
Q31. In which year did the Revolt of 1857 begin, marking the final crisis of the surviving Mughal dynasty?
[SSC CHSL, 2024 – Adapted]
A. 1839
B. 1857
C. 1887
D. 1819
Answer: B. 1857
Explanation: The uprising began at Meerut on 10 May 1857 and spread to several regions. Bahadur Shah Zafar became its symbolic imperial leader. Its suppression led to his deposition, the abolition of Mughal rule and the establishment of direct Crown administration in India.
