Q20. In which year did Mughal emperor Shah Alam II appoint the East India Company as Diwan of Bengal?
[SSC CGL 2020 Cycle, Held in 2021]
A. 1917
B. 1765
C. 1835
D. 1623
Answer: B. 1765
Explanation: Shah Alam II appointed the East India Company as Diwan in 1765 following the Treaty of Allahabad. The Company gained important revenue-collection powers in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, creating a financial basis for its expanding territorial government.
Q19. In which year was the Diwani of Bengal transferred to the English East India Company?
[SSC CHSL 2020 Cycle, Held in 2021]
A. 1880
B. 1765
C. 1554
D. 1678
Answer: B. 1765
Explanation: The East India Company received Diwani rights in 1765 from Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. This enabled the Company to collect provincial revenues while nominally acting under imperial authority. The arrangement represented a decisive expansion of British power in eastern India.
Q18. When did Nadir Shah invade India and sack Delhi?
[RRB NTPC CBT-I, 2021]
A. 1739
B. 1765
C. 1750
D. 1754
Answer: A. 1739
Explanation: Nadir Shah of Persia invaded northern India during Muhammad Shah’s reign. His victory at Karnal in 1739 was followed by the sack of Delhi. The enormous loss of wealth and military prestige accelerated the collapse of central Mughal authority.
Q17. Which Mughal emperor was overthrown by the British during the events of 1857?
[RRB NTPC CBT-I, 2021 – Adapted]
A. Bahadur Shah Zafar
B. Humayun
C. Akbar
D. Babur
Answer: A. Bahadur Shah Zafar
Explanation: Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last Mughal emperor and the symbolic head of the 1857 revolt. After suppressing the rebellion, the British removed him from power and sent him into exile, bringing the remaining Mughal imperial institution to an end.
Q16. Which battle was fought in 1764 and strengthened British authority over the declining Mughal political system?
[SSC JE Mechanical, 2020 – Adapted]
A. Second Battle of Panipat
B. Battle of Buxar
C. First Battle of Panipat
D. Battle of Plassey
Answer: B. Battle of Buxar
Explanation: The Battle of Buxar was fought in October 1764 between the East India Company and an alliance including Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. The Company’s victory led to political settlements in 1765 and greatly expanded British revenue and administrative influence.
Q15. Which Governor-General declared in 1856 that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be the last recognised Mughal emperor?
[DSSSB Junior Engineer, 2019]
A. Lord Canning
B. Lord Dalhousie
C. Lord Dufferin
D. Lord Mayo
Answer: A. Lord Canning
Explanation: Lord Canning announced in 1856 that no successor to Bahadur Shah Zafar would receive recognition as emperor. This policy reflected British determination to eliminate the remaining Mughal royal title, even before the Revolt of 1857 hastened its extinction.
Q14. Match the following centres with leaders associated with the Revolt of 1857: Delhi, Central India, Lucknow and Kanpur.
[TNPSC Group IV, 2019 – Adapted]
A. Delhi – Nana Sahib; Central India – Bahadur Shah II
B. Delhi – Bahadur Shah II; Central India – Rani Lakshmibai
C. Delhi – Tantia Tope; Lucknow – Bahadur Shah II
D. Delhi – Begum Hazrat Mahal; Kanpur – Bahadur Shah II
Answer: B. Delhi – Bahadur Shah II; Central India – Rani Lakshmibai
Explanation: Bahadur Shah Zafar represented the rebellion at Delhi, while Rani Lakshmibai led resistance in Jhansi and central India. Begum Hazrat Mahal was associated with Lucknow, and Nana Sahib with Kanpur. Their separate centres reflected the decentralised character of the uprising.
Q13. The Third Battle of Panipat in 1761 was fought between which two powers?
[SSC MTS, 2019]
A. Prithviraj Chauhan and Muhammad Ghori
B. Akbar and Hemu
C. Sikhs and Mughals
D. Maratha Empire and Durrani Empire
Answer: D. Maratha Empire and Durrani Empire
Explanation: The Third Battle of Panipat involved the Marathas and Ahmad Shah Abdali’s Durrani forces. The Mughal emperor played no decisive military role. This situation demonstrated how regional powers had largely replaced the Mughal dynasty as the principal competitors for northern India.
Q12. Which Mughal emperor issued the famous Farman of 1717 granting commercial privileges to the English East India Company?
[RPF Constable, 2019]
A. Bahadur Shah I
B. Aurangzeb
C. Akbar II
D. Farrukhsiyar
Answer: D. Farrukhsiyar
Explanation: Farrukhsiyar granted the East India Company important trade concessions through his Farman of 1717. The privileges facilitated trade in Bengal under specified conditions. Later disputes over their interpretation contributed to conflicts between the Company and Bengal’s increasingly autonomous Nawabs.
Q11. About Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, it was popularly said that his kingdom extended from where to where?
[BPSC 64th Preliminary Examination, 2018]
A. Chandni Chowk to Palam
B. Delhi to Bihar
C. Peshawar to Bihar
D. Peshawar to Varanasi
Answer: A. Chandni Chowk to Palam
Explanation: The expression illustrated the drastically reduced territorial authority of the last Mughal emperor. Bahadur Shah Zafar possessed little power beyond Delhi and its surroundings, while the British exercised extensive political control across the subcontinent.
