70. Which treaty ended the First Anglo-Burmese War?
[UPSC NDA General Ability, 16 April 2023]
(A) Treaty of Yandabo
(B) Treaty of Salbai
(C) Treaty of Lahore
(D) Treaty of Amritsar
Answer: (A) Treaty of Yandabo
Explanation: The Treaty of Yandabo of 1826 concluded the first war between British India and Burma. Burma ceded territory including Arakan and Tenasserim, while the Company gained an enhanced position along India’s eastern frontier. Britain’s eastward expansion linked military conquest with the strategic pursuit of ports and river trade.
69. Which Governor-General initiated the British invasion associated with the First Anglo-Afghan War?
[SSC JE Civil, 11 October 2023]
(A) Lord Auckland
(B) Lord Dalhousie
(C) Lord Hastings
(D) Lord Wellesley
Answer: (A) Lord Auckland
Explanation: Lord Auckland’s administration launched the invasion of Afghanistan in 1839 under the Forward Policy. British forces initially restored Shah Shuja but later faced revolt and a disastrous withdrawal from Kabul. British decisions were also shaped by anxiety over imperial rivalry and the security of India’s frontier.
68. During which Governor-General’s administration was Punjab annexed after the Second Anglo-Sikh War?
[SSC JE Civil, 10 October 2023]
(A) Lord Dalhousie
(B) Lord Cornwallis
(C) Lord William Bentinck
(D) Lord Curzon
Answer: (A) Lord Dalhousie
Explanation: Lord Dalhousie became governor-general in 1848. British victory in the Second Anglo-Sikh War led to annexation of Punjab in 1849 and the deposition of the young Maharaja Duleep Singh. This history belongs to the Company’s final phase of major territorial conquest in northwestern India.
67. Where was the First Anglo-Afghan War primarily fought?
[DDA Junior Engineer, 28 March 2023]
(A) Afghanistan
(B) Burma
(C) Nepal
(D) Mysore
Answer: (A) Afghanistan
Explanation: The British expedition entered Afghanistan in 1839 to install Shah Shuja on the throne. Fierce resistance and the withdrawal from Kabul made the campaign one of Britain’s most notorious imperial reverses. British decisions were also shaped by anxiety over imperial rivalry and the security of India’s frontier.
66. Which Peshwa signed the Treaty of Bassein with the Company in 1802?
[SSC Stenographer, 12 October 2023]
(A) Baji Rao II
(B) Baji Rao I
(C) Balaji Vishwanath
(D) Madhav Rao I
Answer: (A) Baji Rao II
Explanation: Baji Rao II agreed to a subsidiary alliance under the Treaty of Bassein in December 1802. This undermined Maratha autonomy and contributed to the Second Anglo-Maratha War in 1803. The episode illustrates shifting political alliances as the Company advanced against powerful regional Indian states.
65. In which year did the Third Battle of Panipat occur?
[SSC MTS, 4 September 2023, Shift 2]
(A) 1761
(B) 1707
(C) 1786
(D) 1751
Answer: (A) 1761
Explanation: The battle was fought on 14 January 1761 between the Maratha forces and Ahmad Shah Durrani’s army. It inflicted enormous losses on the Marathas and temporarily curbed their northern expansion. The episode illustrates shifting political alliances as the Company advanced against powerful regional Indian states.
64. Which of these wars started in 1852?
[CRPF Constable Technical, 12 July 2023, Shift 2]
(A) Second Anglo-Mysore War
(B) Second Anglo-Maratha War
(C) Second Anglo-Burmese War
(D) Second Anglo-Afghan War
Answer: (C) Second Anglo-Burmese War
Explanation: The Second Anglo-Burmese War began in 1852 under Dalhousie’s administration. The British subsequently annexed Pegu in Lower Burma, improving access to the Irrawaddy delta and expanding colonial territory. Britain’s eastward expansion linked military conquest with the strategic pursuit of ports and river trade.
63. Match these events to their years: Second Anglo-Afghan War (A), Third Anglo-Burmese War (B), Treaty of Gandamak (C), Kuka uprising (D).
[UGC NET History, 16 June 2023, Shift 2]
(A) A–1878, B–1879, C–1885, D–1872
(B) A–1885, B–1878, C–1872, D–1879
(C) A–1878, B–1885, C–1879, D–1872
(D) A–1885, B–1878, C–1879, D–1872
Answer: (C) A–1878, B–1885, C–1879, D–1872
Explanation: The Second Anglo-Afghan War began in 1878, the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885, the Treaty of Gandamak was signed in 1879 and the Kuka uprising took place in 1872. British decisions were also shaped by anxiety over imperial rivalry and the security of India’s frontier.
62. Which agreement ended the First Anglo-Maratha War?
[UPSC CDS General Knowledge, 16 April 2023]
(A) Treaty of Surat
(B) Treaty of Purandar
(C) Convention of Wadgaon
(D) Treaty of Salbai
Answer: (D) Treaty of Salbai
Explanation: The Treaty of Salbai signed in 1782 concluded the first war between the East India Company and the Marathas. It brought a period of relative stability following the conflict over succession to the Peshwaship. The episode illustrates shifting political alliances as the Company advanced against powerful regional Indian states.
61. Which Anglo-Maratha War led to the absorption of the Peshwa’s domains into the Bombay Presidency?
[SSC CHSL, 2 August 2023, Shift 1]
(A) Fourth Anglo-Maratha War
(B) Third Anglo-Maratha War
(C) Second Anglo-Maratha War
(D) First Anglo-Maratha War
Answer: (B) Third Anglo-Maratha War
Explanation: The Third Anglo-Maratha War of 1817–1818 ended the position of Peshwa Baji Rao II. Large areas of his territories were taken into British administration, substantially expanding the Bombay Presidency. The episode illustrates shifting political alliances as the Company advanced against powerful regional Indian states.
