70. Who was the first Governor-General of Bengal?
[MP Forest Guard and Jail Prahari (28 May 2023, Shift 2)]
A. Warren Hastings
B. William Bentinck
C. Wellesley
D. Lord Mountbatten
Answer: A. Warren Hastings
Explanation: Warren Hastings was appointed to the office created by the Regulating Act of 1773 and formally took up the governor-generalship in 1774. His council’s jurisdiction represented an early stage of centralized Company government.
69. Who was the first Governor-General of Bengal?
[SSC CHSL 2022 Paper (20 Mar 2023, Shift 2)]
A. Warren Hastings
B. William Bentinck
C. Charles Metcalfe
D. John Shore
Answer: A. Warren Hastings
Explanation: Warren Hastings served as the first Governor-General of Bengal under the system established by the Regulating Act 1773. He had already served as Bengal’s governor before the new office was introduced.
68. In which year was a Subsidiary Alliance imposed on Awadh?
[SSC CHSL 2022 Paper (20 Mar 2023, Shift 2)]
A. 1828
B. 1801
C. 1814
D. 1809
Answer: B. 1801
Explanation: Awadh entered the arrangement in 1801 during Lord Wellesley’s government. The treaty required British military presence and diminished control over diplomacy, increasing the Nawab’s dependence on Company power.
67. Who introduced the Subsidiary Alliance system requiring Indian rulers to accept British troops and residents?
[SSC GD Constable 2022 Paper (8 Feb 2023, Shift 2)]
A. Lord Minto
B. Lord Hastings
C. Lord William Bentinck
D. Lord Wellesley
Answer: D. Lord Wellesley
Explanation: Wellesley developed the Subsidiary Alliance system to assert British paramountcy over Indian states. Although rulers retained their courts, they lost control over important military and diplomatic decisions and supported British garrisons financially.
66. In which year was the Vernacular Press Act passed?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I (10 Aug 2023, Shift 2)]
A. 1867
B. 1882
C. 1878
D. 1876
Answer: C. 1878
Explanation: The Vernacular Press Act was enacted under Lord Lytton in 1878. It targeted newspapers printed in Indian languages and armed authorities with measures to intimidate publications critical of colonial government policies.
65. In which year was the Vernacular Press Act enacted in India?
[SSC CGL Tier-I (18 Jul 2023, Shift 1)]
A. 1876
B. 1874
C. 1872
D. 1878
Answer: D. 1878
Explanation: Enacted in March 1878, the Vernacular Press Act was a hallmark of Lytton’s repressive press policy. It treated non-English newspapers differently, triggering resentment before its eventual repeal under Ripon.
64. Under which Viceroy was the Vernacular Press Act passed?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I (4 Aug 2023, Shift 1)]
A. Lord Dalhousie
B. Lord Hastings
C. Lord Ripon
D. Lord Lytton
Answer: D. Lord Lytton
Explanation: The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 originated under Lord Lytton, whose government sought to restrict publication of anti-colonial criticism in Indian languages. Lord Ripon subsequently repealed the controversial measure.
63. Which theory of rent underpinned the Ryotwari land revenue system?
[SSC CGL Tier-I (14 Jul 2023, Shift 1)]
A. Smith’s theory
B. Ricardian theory
C. Malthusian theory
D. Marx’s theory
Answer: B. Ricardian theory
Explanation: Ryotwari assessments were commonly linked to Ricardian ideas about economic rent and land productivity. The settlement imposed liability directly on cultivators, with no intermediary zamindar collecting the government’s demand.
62. In which provinces was the Ryotwari settlement chiefly applied?
[SSC CGL Tier-I (24 Jul 2023, Shift 1)]
A. Central Provinces
B. Assam and Bengal
C. Madras and Bombay
D. Punjab
Answer: C. Madras and Bombay
Explanation: Ryotwari was applied extensively in the Madras and Bombay Presidencies. Under the arrangement cultivators paid revenue directly to government officials, unlike the landlord-based Permanent Settlement dominant in Bengal.
61. In what year was the Vernacular Press Act passed to repress allegedly seditious writing?
[CRPF Head Constable Ministerial (24 Feb 2023, Shift 3)]
A. 1867
B. 1878
C. 1761
D. 1796
Answer: B. 1878
Explanation: The 1878 Act granted colonial officials broad authority over Indian-language publications. It was widely criticized because English newspapers escaped comparable restrictions and native editors faced penalties for political commentary.
