90. Who was Viceroy when the Indian Arms Act was passed in 1878?
[SSC MTS (9 Oct 2024, Shift 1)]
A. Lord Curzon
B. Lord Ripon
C. Lord Dufferin
D. Lord Lytton
Answer: D. Lord Lytton
Explanation: Lord Lytton oversaw the Arms Act of 1878, which imposed licensing rules and operated with discriminatory exemptions. Together with restrictions on the vernacular press, the law deepened criticism of his authoritarian administration.
89. In which present-day state was Ryotwari prevalent under Thomas Munro?
[SSC Selection Post Graduate (26 Jun 2024, Shift 3)]
A. Tamil Nadu
B. Odisha
C. Rajasthan
D. Punjab
Answer: A. Tamil Nadu
Explanation: The Madras Presidency, corresponding in part to present-day Tamil Nadu, was a principal area of Ryotwari assessment. Under this system cultivators paid land revenue directly to colonial officials instead of through zamindars.
88. In which year was the Permanent Settlement introduced in British India?
[SSC GD Constable (7 Mar 2024, Shift 3)]
A. 1783
B. 1793
C. 1773
D. 1763
Answer: B. 1793
Explanation: The Permanent Settlement took effect in 1793 under Lord Cornwallis. It locked in the Company’s assessment upon zamindars, creating a permanent state revenue obligation while leaving rent demands on cultivators much less secure.
87. Who devised the Mahalwari settlement?
[SSC GD Constable (7 Mar 2024, Shift 2)]
A. Thomas Munro
B. Alexander Read
C. Richard Wellesley
D. Holt Mackenzie
Answer: D. Holt Mackenzie
Explanation: Holt Mackenzie formulated the Mahalwari system in 1822. Settlements were based on a mahal, commonly a village or estate, and village communities or headmen were responsible for fulfilling the collective revenue demand.
86. Under which system did a village headman collect and pay revenue to the Company instead of the zamindar?
[SSC MTS (7 Oct 2024, Shift 1)]
A. Mahalwari
B. Iqtadari
C. Zamindari
D. Ryotwari
Answer: A. Mahalwari
Explanation: Mahalwari relied on village communities and their representatives to pay the assessed revenue demand. It differed from Permanent Settlement with zamindars and from Ryotwari payments made directly by individual farmers.
85. Who appointed the Hunter Commission for education in 1882?
[SSC MTS (13 Nov 2024, Shift 2)]
A. Robert Lytton
B. Lord Ripon
C. Lord Ellenborough
D. John Lawrence
Answer: B. Lord Ripon
Explanation: Lord Ripon appointed the Indian Education Commission in 1882 under William Wilson Hunter. It reviewed progress in schooling after Wood’s Despatch, with particular emphasis on primary education and responsibility of local authorities.
84. In which year did the Permanent Settlement become operative?
[SSC CGL Tier-I (23 Sep 2024, Shift 1)]
A. 1890
B. 1790
C. 1789
D. 1793
Answer: D. 1793
Explanation: Cornwallis’s 1793 Permanent Settlement was implemented chiefly in Bengal and adjoining regions. Its permanent land revenue assessment was designed to secure predictable Company receipts while granting zamindars an enduring proprietary role.
83. Which region was not primarily covered by Cornwallis’s Permanent Settlement?
[SSC MTS (14 Oct 2024, Shift 2)]
A. Bengal
B. Bihar
C. Odisha
D. Punjab
Answer: D. Punjab
Explanation: The Permanent Settlement chiefly applied to Bengal, Bihar and parts of Odisha. Punjab instead developed alternative revenue arrangements, particularly forms of village-based assessment, so it was not part of the original permanent zamindari settlement.
82. Which commission investigated the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh incident?
[SSC MTS (14 Nov 2024, Shift 2)]
A. Sadler Commission
B. Hunter Commission
C. Simon Commission
D. Peel Commission
Answer: B. Hunter Commission
Explanation: The Disorders Inquiry Committee chaired by Lord William Hunter investigated disturbances including Jallianwala Bagh in 1919. It was distinct from the education-focused Hunter Commission of 1882 appointed under Lord Ripon.
81. Which ruler first accepted Wellesley’s Subsidiary Alliance?
[Chandigarh JBT PRT (28 Apr 2024)]
A. Scindias of Gwalior
B. Gaikwad of Baroda
C. Nizam of Hyderabad
D. None of these
Answer: C. Nizam of Hyderabad
Explanation: The Nizam of Hyderabad entered the carefully structured Subsidiary Alliance in 1798. Wellesley’s system placed British forces within allied states and curtailed independent diplomacy, expanding Company influence without immediate territorial annexation.
