20. The Third Battle of Panipat was fought between which two political powers?
[SSC MTS, 6 August 2019, Shift 1]
(A) Prithviraj Chauhan and Muhammad Ghori
(B) Akbar and Hemu
(C) Sikhs and Mughals
(D) Maratha and Durrani empires
Answer: (D) Maratha and Durrani empires
Explanation: The 1761 encounter pitted the Maratha confederate army against Ahmad Shah Durrani’s coalition. Its immediate result was a severe Maratha military defeat, but the confederacy later revived. The episode illustrates shifting political alliances as the Company advanced against powerful regional Indian states.
19. Match treaties and dates: (A) Allahabad; (B) Mangalore; (C) Salbai; (D) Madras.
[UPPSC Civil Services, 2019, Paper I]
(A) A–1765, B–1784, C–1769, D–1782
(B) A–1784, B–1765, C–1769, D–1782
(C) A–1765, B–1784, C–1782, D–1769
(D) A–1784, B–1765, C–1782, D–1769
Answer: (C) A–1765, B–1784, C–1782, D–1769
Explanation: Allahabad was signed in 1765, Mangalore in 1784, Salbai in 1782 and Madras in 1769. These treaties followed Buxar, the Second Anglo-Mysore War, the First Anglo-Maratha War and the First Anglo-Mysore War respectively. Its consequences are best understood through the treaty negotiations and Company revenue arrangements that followed.
18. In which year was the Treaty of Salbai signed?
[RRB Group D, 15 November 2018]
(A) 1769
(B) 1775
(C) 1782
(D) 1802
Answer: (C) 1782
Explanation: The Treaty of Salbai of 1782 ended the First Anglo-Maratha War and established a comparatively long peace between the Company and Maratha authorities. Its arrangements recognised important territorial and political compromises. The episode illustrates shifting political alliances as the Company advanced against powerful regional Indian states.
17. In which year was the Treaty of Bassein signed between the British and the Peshwa?
[RRB Group D, 8 October 2018]
(A) 1775
(B) 1782
(C) 1802
(D) 1818
Answer: (C) 1802
Explanation: The Treaty of Bassein was signed in December 1802 by Baji Rao II. By accepting a British subsidiary force, the Peshwa alienated other Maratha chiefs and precipitated further Anglo-Maratha conflict. The episode illustrates shifting political alliances as the Company advanced against powerful regional Indian states.
16. Which nawab moved Bengal’s administrative centre from Dhaka to Murshidabad?
[RRB Group D, 5 November 2018]
(A) Murshid Quli Khan
(B) Siraj ud-Daulah
(C) Mir Jafar
(D) Mir Qasim
Answer: (A) Murshid Quli Khan
Explanation: Murshid Quli Khan established Murshidabad as the seat of Bengal’s administration in the early eighteenth century. The city later became a central arena of Company–nawab politics preceding Plassey. This episode helped shape the transfer of influence from Bengal’s court to Company officials and allied merchants.
15. In which year was Queen Victoria proclaimed Empress of India?
[RRB Group D, 12 October 2018]
(A) 1858
(B) 1877
(C) 1885
(D) 1901
Answer: (B) 1877
Explanation: Queen Victoria received the title Empress of India under the Royal Titles Act of 1876, and the Delhi Durbar proclaimed it in 1877. This symbolised the consolidation of Crown rule after 1858. The legislation illustrates expanding parliamentary involvement in the structures and powers of colonial government.
14. Who introduced Dual Government in Bengal in 1765?
[SSC JE Electrical, 29 January 2018]
(A) Robert Clive
(B) Warren Hastings
(C) Lord Cornwallis
(D) Lord Wellesley
Answer: (A) Robert Clive
Explanation: Robert Clive established a system that gave the Company financial control through Diwani while assigning nominal governmental responsibility to the nawab. Warren Hastings abolished it in 1772. This division of financial and governing duties became a major controversy in early colonial administration.
13. Who established Fort William College in Calcutta?
[CDS General Knowledge, 18 November 2018]
(A) Warren Hastings
(B) Lord Cornwallis
(C) Richard Wellesley
(D) William Bentinck
Answer: (C) Richard Wellesley
Explanation: Lord Wellesley founded Fort William College in 1800 to prepare Company officials for administrative duties. It promoted language learning and translations while supporting the expanding colonial bureaucracy. The Company moved over time from a trading corporation into a territorial and revenue-collecting power.
12. Which pairing is incorrect?
[UPPSC Civil Services, 2017, Paper I]
(A) Hector Munro — Battle of Buxar
(B) Lord Hastings — Anglo-Nepal War
(C) Lord Wellesley — Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
(D) Lord Cornwallis — Third Anglo-Maratha War
Answer: (D) Lord Cornwallis — Third Anglo-Maratha War
Explanation: The Third Anglo-Maratha War was fought under Lord Hastings, not Cornwallis. Cornwallis governed during the Third Anglo-Mysore War; the other listed associations are broadly correct. The military conflict was part of a prolonged contest over sovereignty and Company influence in southern India.
11. Which Governor of Madras negotiated the Treaty of Mangalore with Tipu Sultan?
[MPPSC Assistant Professor History, 2017]
(A) Lord Harris
(B) Lord Hamilton
(C) Lord Macartney
(D) Lord Stephenson
Answer: (C) Lord Macartney
Explanation: Lord Macartney served as Governor of Madras during 1781–1785. The 1784 Treaty of Mangalore ended the Second Anglo-Mysore War and generally restored the territorial positions held before the war. The military conflict was part of a prolonged contest over sovereignty and Company influence in southern India.
