30. Which East India Company Governor-General introduced the controversial Doctrine of Lapse?
[UPSSSC Junior Engineer (19 Dec 2021)]
A. Lord Curzon
B. Lord Mountbatten
C. Lord Dalhousie
D. Warren Hastings
Answer: C. Lord Dalhousie
Explanation: Dalhousie’s tenure from 1848 to 1856 saw several annexations justified by succession disputes. The Company refused to accept adopted heirs for political sovereignty in certain cases, expanding direct British territories.
29. Who was the first Viceroy of British India?
[Allahabad High Court ARO (15 Dec 2021, Shift 1)]
A. Lord Dalhousie
B. John Lawrence
C. Warren Hastings
D. Lord Canning
Answer: D. Lord Canning
Explanation: The transfer to Crown government in 1858 transformed Canning’s role from Company Governor-General into the Crown’s Viceroy. He remained in office during a critical period of post-rebellion administrative reorganization.
28. Who appointed the first Indian Education Commission in 1882?
[RPSC Assistant Professor Sociology Paper I (4 Oct 2021)]
A. Lord Wavell
B. Lord Mountbatten
C. Lord Irwin
D. Lord Ripon
Answer: D. Lord Ripon
Explanation: Ripon appointed the 1882 Indian Education Commission chaired by W. W. Hunter. It assessed education after Wood’s Despatch and urged improvements in primary schooling, including a larger role for local authorities.
27. Which Governor-General formulated the Doctrine of Lapse for princely-state succession?
[SSC Stenographer (11 Nov 2021, Shift 1)]
A. Lord Canning
B. Lord Dalhousie
C. Sir John Macpherson
D. John Shore
Answer: B. Lord Dalhousie
Explanation: The policy became closely identified with Lord Dalhousie, who expanded Company territory through disputed succession cases. Adoption without colonial recognition could lead to annexation, intensifying opposition among Indian rulers.
26. Who introduced the Ijardari system of revenue farming?
[Allahabad High Court RO (11 Dec 2021, Shift 1)]
A. Warren Hastings
B. John Cartier
C. Sir John Macpherson
D. Robert Clive
Answer: A. Warren Hastings
Explanation: Hastings experimented with revenue farming from 1772 by auctioning collection rights to contractors. The five-year arrangement, often called the quinquennial settlement, aimed to improve revenue but generated serious problems for cultivators.
25. Consider the Council of Four under the Regulating Act: (i) called the Calcutta Council; (ii) limited Warren Hastings’s authority. Which is correct?
[Allahabad High Court RO (10 Dec 2021, Shift 2)]
A. (i) only
B. (ii) only
C. Both (i) and (ii)
D. Neither
Answer: C. Both (i) and (ii)
Explanation: The Regulating Act 1773 created a four-member council alongside the Governor-General of Bengal. Decisions could be taken by majority, constraining Hastings and producing conflicts over Company policy and administrative control.
24. Permanent Settlement and Ryotwari were first associated with which two regions, respectively?
[Jharkhand Civil Services Prelims (19 Sep 2021)]
A. Madras and Punjab
B. Madras and Hyderabad
C. Punjab and Bengal
D. Bengal and Madras
Answer: D. Bengal and Madras
Explanation: The Permanent Settlement was established in Bengal under Cornwallis, whereas Ryotwari developed mainly in the Madras Presidency. Their basic difference concerned whether land revenue was collected through zamindars or directly from cultivators.
23. India’s regular budget system began during which Viceroy’s tenure?
[UPRVUNL Technician Grade II (17 Jul 2021)]
A. Lord Willingdon
B. Lord Mountbatten
C. Lord Ripon
D. Lord Canning
Answer: D. Lord Canning
Explanation: James Wilson presented the first budget for British India in 1860 during Lord Canning’s tenure. The introduction of a finance portfolio and systematic fiscal reporting helped shape modern colonial budget procedures.
22. Who was Governor-General during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857?
[RRB NTPC CBT-I (7 Apr 2021, Shift 1)]
A. Lord Dalhousie
B. Lord Cornwallis
C. Lord Hastings
D. Lord Canning
Answer: D. Lord Canning
Explanation: Canning took office in 1856, so he was Governor-General when the uprising spread in 1857. He subsequently oversaw the transition from Company administration to direct Crown control in 1858.
21. Under whom was English education formally promoted in British India in 1835?
[Allahabad High Court RO (10 Dec 2021, Shift 1)]
A. Lord William Bentinck
B. Lord Hastings
C. Lord Minto
D. Lord Ripon
Answer: A. Lord William Bentinck
Explanation: Bentinck’s government accepted the English education policy following Macaulay’s Minute of 1835. The decision prioritized Western learning and English in higher instruction, shaping the direction of colonial educational institutions.
