60. Who abolished the dual administrative system in Bengal?
[SSC MTS, 11 July 2022]
(A) Warren Hastings
(B) Robert Clive
(C) Lord Wellesley
(D) Lord Dalhousie
Answer: (A) Warren Hastings
Explanation: Warren Hastings ended the Dual Government in Bengal in 1772. Responsibility for revenue collection and civil governance passed into more direct Company management following the difficulties of divided authority. This division of financial and governing duties became a major controversy in early colonial administration.
59. Consider the statements: (1) Tipu Sultan was known as the Tiger of Mysore; (2) he ruled Mysore from 1782 to 1799. Which is correct?
[SSC MTS, 22 July 2022]
(A) Only statement 1
(B) Only statement 2
(C) Both statements
(D) Neither statement
Answer: (C) Both statements
Explanation: Both statements are historically accurate. Tipu inherited power in 1782 after Haidar Ali’s death and ruled until the British capture of Seringapatam in 1799, when he was killed in battle. The military conflict was part of a prolonged contest over sovereignty and Company influence in southern India.
58. Which British commander won the Battle of Plassey against Siraj ud-Daulah?
[DSSSB, 30 March 2022]
(A) Robert Clive
(B) John Nicholson
(C) Colin Campbell
(D) Henry Havelock
Answer: (A) Robert Clive
Explanation: Robert Clive led the East India Company army at Plassey. The 1757 victory changed Bengal’s political order and gave the Company extensive influence over its successor nawab and treasury. This episode helped shape the transfer of influence from Bengal’s court to Company officials and allied merchants.
57. In which year did Tipu Sultan become ruler of Mysore?
[DSSSB Primary Teacher, 23 March 2022]
(A) 1761
(B) 1769
(C) 1782
(D) 1799
Answer: (C) 1782
Explanation: Tipu succeeded his father Haidar Ali in 1782, while the Second Anglo-Mysore War was still in progress. His subsequent reign combined military resistance, diplomacy and changes to administration and commerce. The military conflict was part of a prolonged contest over sovereignty and Company influence in southern India.
56. The Treaty of Sugauli was concluded between British India and which country?
[DSSSB Junior Secretariat Assistant, 3 April 2022]
(A) Nepal
(B) Burma
(C) Afghanistan
(D) Bhutan
Answer: (A) Nepal
Explanation: The Treaty of Sugauli was settled after the Anglo-Nepal War of 1814–1816. It defined territorial concessions and British-Nepalese relations, including arrangements for a British representative in Kathmandu. The resulting frontier settlement reshaped British relations with Himalayan states for many subsequent decades.
55. Which legislation established the Board of Control to supervise Company political affairs?
[Odisha Police Sub-Inspector, 6 July 2022]
(A) Pitt’s India Act, 1784
(B) Regulating Act, 1773
(C) Charter Act, 1853
(D) Government of India Act, 1858
Answer: (A) Pitt’s India Act, 1784
Explanation: Pitt’s India Act introduced a Board of Control representing the British government while the Company retained a Court of Directors. This created a form of dual supervision over administration and imperial policy. This division of financial and governing duties became a major controversy in early colonial administration.
54. What principle was followed under Lord Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse?
[Odisha Police Sub-Inspector, 9 July 2022]
(A) Annexation when an heir was not recognised
(B) Tax remission after drought
(C) Recognition of every adopted successor
(D) Payment of Chauth to rulers
Answer: (A) Annexation when an heir was not recognised
Explanation: Under the Doctrine of Lapse the Company could take over a dependent state where a ruler died without an acknowledged natural heir and adoption was not accepted. The policy sharpened princely resentment. The Company moved over time from a trading corporation into a territorial and revenue-collecting power.
53. At which battle did Ahmadullah Shah’s forces defeat the British troops commanded by Henry Lawrence?
[RRB NTPC CBT 2, 15 June 2022, Shift 3]
(A) Third Battle of Panipat
(B) Battle of Plassey
(C) Battle of Chinhat
(D) Battle of Buxar
Answer: (C) Battle of Chinhat
Explanation: The Battle of Chinhat occurred near Lucknow in June 1857. Rebel forces decisively defeated a British-led column, demonstrating the strength of anti-Company resistance during the uprising. The Company moved over time from a trading corporation into a territorial and revenue-collecting power.
52. Who succeeded Shivaji as ruler after his death in 1680?
[RRB NTPC Stage II, 17 June 2022, Shift 3]
(A) Sambhaji
(B) Shahu
(C) Rajaram
(D) Balaji Vishwanath
Answer: (A) Sambhaji
Explanation: Sambhaji, Shivaji’s elder son, became the next Maratha Chhatrapati. His reign was characterised by continued confrontation with Aurangzeb’s expanding Deccan campaign and ended with his execution in 1689. The episode illustrates shifting political alliances as the Company advanced against powerful regional Indian states.
51. In what year was the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act passed under British rule?
[RRB Group D, 18 September 2022]
(A) 1829
(B) 1856
(C) 1861
(D) 1891
Answer: (B) 1856
Explanation: The Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act of 1856 legally enabled widow remarriage within the communities covered by the statute. It followed sustained campaigning by reformers including Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. The legislation illustrates expanding parliamentary involvement in the structures and powers of colonial government.
