160. What was the primary objective of the Vernacular Press Act (1878)?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I (13 Jun 2026, Shift 3) — 2026]
A. Encouraging regional newspapers to defend imperial policies
B. Promoting bilingual journalism for cultural unity
C. Restricting non-English publications to prevent criticism of British actions
D. Removing censorship rules on vernacular publications
Answer: C. Restricting non-English publications to prevent criticism of British actions
Explanation: The law empowered colonial authorities to curb newspapers published in Indian languages. Introduced under Lord Lytton, it sought to suppress criticism of British policies, while English-language publications were treated differently. Its discriminatory character provoked substantial opposition.
159. Under the Permanent Settlement introduced by the British, what was the main responsibility assigned to the zamindars?
[SSC GD Constable (30 Apr 2026, Shift 2) — 2026]
A. To cultivate the land themselves
B. To collect rent from peasants and pay revenue to the Company
C. To trade goods with the British
D. To manage trade routes
Answer: B. To collect rent from peasants and pay revenue to the Company
Explanation: The 1793 settlement established zamindars as hereditary revenue intermediaries, holding them responsible for paying a permanently fixed amount to the East India Company. They collected rent from cultivators, who often faced heavy demands without corresponding protection.
158. Who introduced the Permanent Settlement of Bengal in 1793, fixing land revenue with landlords?
[Delhi Police Head Constable (9 Jan 2026, Shift 3) — 2026]
A. Lord Hastings
B. Lord Wellesley
C. Lord Cornwallis
D. Lord Curzon
Answer: C. Lord Cornwallis
Explanation: Lord Cornwallis implemented the Permanent Settlement in 1793, primarily in Bengal and Bihar. The state demand on zamindars was fixed permanently, while actual cultivators remained vulnerable to rental pressure and eviction by landlords.
157. Which combination reflects administrative, judicial and military reforms during the early nineteenth century?
[UPHESC Assistant Professor History (19 Apr 2026, Shift 1) — 2026]
A. Cornwallis Code, reorganization of army and establishment of civil courts
B. Permanent Settlement, Vernacular Press Act and Ilbert Bill
C. Doctrine of Lapse, Pitt’s India Act and Morley-Minto Reforms
D. Ryotwari Settlement, Government of India Act and Simon Commission
Answer: A. Cornwallis Code, reorganization of army and establishment of civil courts
Explanation: The Cornwallis Code regulated judicial and administrative arrangements, while colonial authorities reorganized forces and strengthened civil courts. The other combinations mix developments from widely separated periods, so they cannot represent one coherent early-nineteenth-century reform pattern.
156. Which policy decision of Lord Curzon directly provoked strong nationalist opposition in the early 1900s?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I (9 May 2026, Shift 1) — 2026]
A. Altering advisory councils without expanding representation
B. Making minor departmental procedural changes
C. Revising small grants to local bodies
D. Enacting the Universities Act of 1904 and tightening official control
Answer: D. Enacting the Universities Act of 1904 and tightening official control
Explanation: The Indian Universities Act of 1904 increased government supervision over higher education under Curzon. Nationalists criticized such centralizing measures because they reduced institutional autonomy and reinforced the colonial administration’s control over universities and academic governance.
155. Who was the only Indian member present when the Vernacular Press Bill came before the Legislative Council?
[UPSC CDS-I General Knowledge (12 Apr 2026) — 2026]
A. Jotendra Mohan Tagore
B. Peary Mohan Mukherjea
C. Dinshaw Petit
D. Dadabhai Naoroji
Answer: A. Jotendra Mohan Tagore
Explanation: Maharaja Jotendra Mohan Tagore was the Indian member present during consideration of the 1878 Vernacular Press Bill. Lytton’s administration pushed the restriction through rapidly, aggravating Indian resentment over unequal treatment of the vernacular press.
154. Under whose leadership was the Doctrine of Lapse introduced and extensively used between 1848 and 1856 to annex Indian states?
[DSSSB MTS (25 Mar 2026, Shift 3) — 2026]
A. Lord Dalhousie
B. Lord Canning
C. Lord Wellesley
D. Lord Cornwallis
Answer: A. Lord Dalhousie
Explanation: Dalhousie applied the Doctrine of Lapse during his governor-generalship from 1848 to 1856. It denied succession through adoption for certain dependent states and was used in annexations including Satara, Jhansi and Nagpur.
153. Who was the Governor-General of India during the Revolt of 1857?
[OSSSC Forester, Forest Guard and Excise Constable (28 Apr 2026, Shift 2) — 2026]
A. Lord Curzon
B. Lord Canning
C. Lord Dalhousie
D. Lord Ripon
Answer: B. Lord Canning
Explanation: Lord Canning became Governor-General in 1856 and remained in office during the rebellion of 1857. After authority passed from the Company to the Crown in 1858, he became the first Viceroy of British India.
152. Who was the Viceroy of India at the time of the Indian National Congress Bombay session of 1904?
[DSSSB MTS (6 Mar 2026, Shift 1) — 2026]
A. Lord Lansdowne
B. Lord Minto
C. Lord Ripon
D. Lord Curzon
Answer: D. Lord Curzon
Explanation: Lord Curzon governed as Viceroy from 1899 until 1905. The Congress met in Bombay in 1904 under Henry Cotton’s presidency, while Curzon’s centralizing measures and educational policies were attracting growing nationalist criticism.
151. Who advocated widow remarriage and helped secure the Widow Remarriage Act of 1856?
[DSSSB MTS (29 Mar 2026, Shift 2) — 2026]
A. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
B. Atmaram Pandurang
C. Raja Ram Mohan Roy
D. Dayananda Saraswati
Answer: A. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Explanation: Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar argued from Hindu scriptural sources in favour of widow remarriage and organized petitions for legal reform. His campaign contributed decisively to the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act enacted under Lord Canning in 1856.
150. In which year did British officials pass the widow remarriage law?
[SSC GD Constable (27 May 2026, Shift 3) — 2026]
A. 1833
B. 1856
C. 1861
D. 1885
Answer: B. 1856
Explanation: The Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act, Act XV of 1856, legally validated remarriage among Hindu widows. It followed a sustained reform campaign led by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and was enacted on 26 July during Lord Canning’s governorship.
149. In which year was the Mahalwari land revenue system introduced by the British in India?
[SSC MTS 2025 Paper (5 Feb 2026, Shift 2) — 2026]
A. 1765
B. 1793
C. 1801
D. 1822
Answer: D. 1822
Explanation: Holt Mackenzie formulated the Mahalwari settlement in 1822 for parts of northern India. Revenue was assessed for a village or estate unit called a mahal; village representatives typically managed collective payment responsibilities.
148. Which land revenue system introduced in 1793 recognized zamindars as intermediaries and fixed state revenue permanently?
[OSSSC Forester, Forest Guard and Excise Constable (23 Apr 2026, Shift 1) — 2026]
A. Ryotwari System
B. Mahalwari System
C. Permanent Settlement
D. Taluqdari System
Answer: C. Permanent Settlement
Explanation: The Permanent Settlement under Cornwallis recognized zamindars’ hereditary rights while fixing the East India Company’s revenue demand. Its permanent assessment distinguished it from Ryotwari settlements with individual cultivators and Mahalwari settlements based on village communities.
147. The Arms Act of 1878 was introduced during the tenure of which Viceroy?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I (20 Jun 2026, Shift 2) — 2026]
A. Lord Lytton
B. Lord Ripon
C. Lord Curzon
D. Lord Wellesley
Answer: A. Lord Lytton
Explanation: Lord Lytton’s administration enacted the Indian Arms Act in 1878. It imposed licensing restrictions on arms possession, with discriminatory exemptions for certain Europeans and officials, becoming another source of opposition to colonial rule.
146. Which policy was used by the British to weaken Awadh before its annexation in February 1856?
[DSSSB MTS (15 Mar 2026, Shift 1) — 2026]
A. Doctrine of Lapse
B. Ryotwari System
C. Subsidiary Alliance
D. Permanent Settlement
Answer: C. Subsidiary Alliance
Explanation: Awadh entered a Subsidiary Alliance in 1801, allowing the British to place troops and a Resident within its territory. This weakened the Nawab’s independence; the final annexation in 1856 was officially justified on alleged misgovernment, not lapse.
145. Which institution was founded by Mahadev Govind Ranade?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I (8 May 2026, Shift 3) — 2026]
A. Brahmo Samaj
B. Arya Samaj
C. Widow Remarriage Association
D. Indian National Congress
Answer: C. Widow Remarriage Association
Explanation: Mahadev Govind Ranade worked for women’s education and social reform in western India. He helped advance organized widow-remarriage initiatives, extending reform activity beyond the passage of the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act in 1856.
144. Which organization founded in Madras in 1864 promoted widow remarriage, women’s education and opposition to caste distinctions?
[CTET Social Studies Paper II (7 Feb 2026, Shift 1) — 2026]
A. Veda Samaj
B. Vedanta Samaj
C. Theosophical Society
D. Self-Respect Movement
Answer: A. Veda Samaj
Explanation: The Veda Samaj arose in Madras in 1864 under reformist influence from Bengal. Its supporters promoted women’s education, widow remarriage and opposition to caste restrictions, forming part of the broader nineteenth-century social reform climate.
143. Who introduced the Doctrine of Lapse?
[DSSSB TGT Social Science (7 Nov 2025, Shift 2) — 2025]
A. Lord Wellesley
B. Lord Auckland
C. Lord Dalhousie
D. Lord Wellington
Answer: C. Lord Dalhousie
Explanation: Lord Dalhousie used the Doctrine of Lapse to annex certain dependent princely states lacking an accepted successor. It was among the most disputed expansionist policies of the East India Company and helped fuel princely grievances.
142. Which Governor-General initiated the Doctrine of Lapse that expanded British territory?
[DSSSB PGT English (7 Jul 2025, Shift 2) — 2025]
A. Lord Hastings
B. Lord Dalhousie
C. Lord Curzon
D. Lord Canning
Answer: B. Lord Dalhousie
Explanation: Dalhousie’s government asserted the Company’s right to absorb states when a ruler’s succession was not recognized. This doctrine was heavily employed between 1848 and 1856 and became a symbol of colonial interference in Indian sovereignty.
141. Which British official implemented the Partition of Bengal in 1905?
[SSC GD Constable (19 Feb 2025, Shift 1) — 2025]
A. Lord Curzon
B. Lord Minto
C. Lord Mountbatten
D. Lord Wellesley
Answer: A. Lord Curzon
Explanation: Curzon announced the partition of Bengal, which took effect on 16 October 1905. While the administration cited convenience, nationalist leaders condemned its divisive political effects and launched the Swadeshi and boycott movements in protest.
140. Who introduced the Permanent Settlement in Bengal?
[70th BPSC Re-examination (4 Jan 2025) — 2025]
A. Holt Mackenzie
B. Lord Cornwallis
C. Warren Hastings
D. None of these
Answer: B. Lord Cornwallis
Explanation: Cornwallis made the Bengal revenue assessment permanent in 1793 through settlement with zamindars. Fixing the government share was expected to ensure reliable collections, though tenants did not receive similar permanent safeguards against landlord demands.
139. From whom was land revenue collected under the Mahalwari system?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I (13 Jun 2025, Shift 1) — 2025]
A. Religious institutions
B. Village head
C. Landlords
D. Individual peasants
Answer: B. Village head
Explanation: Under Mahalwari, the revenue obligation was linked to a mahal, often a village or group of villages. A village headman or representative collected contributions and remitted the assessed demand, rather than negotiating solely with a single cultivator.
138. What was a major consequence for Indian states entering Wellesley’s Subsidiary Alliance?
[SSC CPO (12 Dec 2025, Shift 1) — 2025]
A. Greater independent control of foreign affairs
B. British influence with diminished diplomatic independence
C. Rapid growth through guaranteed British investment
D. A united military front against Britain
Answer: B. British influence with diminished diplomatic independence
Explanation: An allied ruler had to maintain British troops and accept restrictions on external diplomacy. By controlling defense and foreign contacts, the Company gained substantial political leverage even where the Indian ruler retained nominal internal authority.
137. Who introduced the Permanent Settlement in Bengal in 1793?
[OSSSC CRE Preliminary Exam (8 Oct 2025, Shift 3) — 2025]
A. Lord Hastings
B. Lord Dalhousie
C. Lord Cornwallis
D. Lord Curzon
Answer: C. Lord Cornwallis
Explanation: Lord Cornwallis implemented the Permanent Settlement to stabilize East India Company revenue collections. Zamindars received hereditary rights subject to punctual payment of a fixed demand, while peasants often encountered heightened landlord power.
136. When was the Permanent Settlement implemented?
[DSSSB TGT Social Science (7 Nov 2025, Shift 3) — 2025]
A. 1821
B. 1793
C. 1852
D. 1805
Answer: B. 1793
Explanation: The Permanent Settlement dates to 1793, during Lord Cornwallis’s administration. The assessment payable by zamindars to the state was permanently fixed, unlike later systems that periodically reassessed land revenue based on cultivated holdings or village estates.
135. At which city did Lord Canning hold a Durbar following the Revolt of 1857?
[RPF Constable (6 Mar 2025, Shift 3) — 2025]
A. Agra
B. Lucknow
C. Delhi
D. Allahabad
Answer: D. Allahabad
Explanation: Canning organized the Allahabad ceremony associated with Queen Victoria’s Proclamation in November 1858. It symbolized the end of East India Company government and the transfer of political authority over British India to the Crown.
134. Who was identified in this examination as making the official demand for Bengal’s partition?
[RPF Constable (11 Mar 2025, Shift 3) — 2025]
A. Lala Lajpat Rai
B. A. O. Hume
C. Lord Curzon
D. Lord Dufferin
Answer: C. Lord Curzon
Explanation: Lord Curzon publicly advanced the proposal that led to Bengal’s division in 1905. The reorganization was defended as an administrative necessity but became a rallying point for the Swadeshi movement and criticism of imperial policy.
133. In which year did Awadh accept the Subsidiary Alliance arrangement?
[RPF Constable (12 Mar 2025, Shift 3) — 2025]
A. 1856 AD
B. 1801 AD
C. 1855 AD
D. 1851 AD
Answer: B. 1801 AD
Explanation: The Treaty of Lucknow brought Awadh under Wellesley’s Subsidiary Alliance in 1801. The much later annexation of Awadh in 1856 was justified by claims of maladministration; the two events should not be confused.
132. Which Governor-General oversaw the British annexation of Odisha?
[OPSC OAS Preliminary GS (12 Oct 2025) — 2025]
A. Warren Hastings
B. Lord Cornwallis
C. Lord Wellesley
D. Lord Dalhousie
Answer: C. Lord Wellesley
Explanation: During Lord Wellesley’s administration, British forces took control of Odisha in 1803 amid the Second Anglo-Maratha War. Its acquisition was connected to military victories over the Maratha authorities and the Company’s expanding eastern territory.
131. Match the policies: Warren Hastings, Dalhousie and Wellesley with Ring Fence, Doctrine of Lapse and Subsidiary Alliance.
[SSC Selection Post Matriculation (1 Aug 2025, Shift 3) — 2025]
A. Hastings–Ring Fence, Dalhousie–Lapse, Wellesley–Subsidiary Alliance
B. Hastings–Subsidiary Alliance, Dalhousie–Lapse, Wellesley–Ring Fence
C. Hastings–Lapse, Dalhousie–Ring Fence, Wellesley–Subsidiary Alliance
D. Hastings–Lapse, Dalhousie–Subsidiary Alliance, Wellesley–Ring Fence
Answer: A. Hastings–Ring Fence, Dalhousie–Lapse, Wellesley–Subsidiary Alliance
Explanation: Hastings used buffer-state protection approaches generally described as Ring Fence; Wellesley made Subsidiary Alliance central to imperial expansion; Dalhousie applied the Doctrine of Lapse. Distinguishing these three policies helps establish the chronological development of Company expansion.
130. In which regions was Cornwallis’s Permanent Settlement introduced in 1793?
[BPSC District Statistical Officer (3 Aug 2025) — 2025]
A. Bengal and Bombay
B. Bengal and Bihar
C. Bengal, Bihar and Orissa
D. Bengal, Bihar and Madras
Answer: C. Bengal, Bihar and Orissa
Explanation: The Permanent Settlement is traditionally associated with Bengal, Bihar and parts of Odisha, with further extensions elsewhere. Introduced in 1793, it fixed the Company’s land revenue demand and entrusted collection to hereditary zamindars.
129. Which Governor-General abandoned the Doctrine of Lapse after the Revolt of 1857?
[RPF Constable (12 Mar 2025, Shift 3) — 2025]
A. Lord William Bentinck
B. Lord Canning
C. Lord Hardinge
D. Lord Ellenborough
Answer: B. Lord Canning
Explanation: Lord Canning moved toward a conciliatory relationship with princely rulers after the uprising. The Crown’s post-1858 policy recognized adopted succession more readily, departing from the aggressive annexations identified with Lord Dalhousie.
128. Consider: (I) Canning held the Allahabad Durbar in November 1857; (II) Administration passed to Queen Victoria. Which statement is correct?
[RPF Constable (4 Mar 2025, Shift 1) — 2025]
A. Neither I nor II
B. Both I and II
C. Only I
D. Only II
Answer: D. Only II
Explanation: The Allahabad proclamation belongs to November 1858, not 1857. Queen Victoria’s government assumed authority under the Government of India Act 1858. Consequently the second statement is correct, while the date given in the first is wrong.
127. Who introduced the Ryotwari system in India?
[SSC Selection Post Matriculation (1 Aug 2025, Shift 1) — 2025]
A. Lord Cornwallis
B. Thomas Munro
C. Warren Hastings
D. Robert Clive
Answer: B. Thomas Munro
Explanation: Thomas Munro is closely associated with developing and extending the Ryotwari settlement, building upon earlier work by Alexander Read. The arrangement assessed revenue directly upon individual cultivators rather than through hereditary zamindari intermediaries.
126. Under Permanent Settlement, which group received hereditary ownership rights?
[OSSSC CRE Preliminary Exam (1 Nov 2025, Shift 3) — 2025]
A. Zamindars
B. Tenants
C. Farmers
D. Merchants
Answer: A. Zamindars
Explanation: Permanent Settlement transformed zamindars into recognized hereditary proprietors subject to payment of the Company’s fixed land revenue. Cultivating tenants generally lacked matching ownership protections, helping create a sharper distinction between landlords and cultivators.
125. Which land-revenue system was most prevalent in the Madras and Bombay Presidencies?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I (2 Sep 2025, Shift 1) — 2025]
A. Ryotwari
B. Mahalwari
C. Jagirdari
D. Zamindari
Answer: A. Ryotwari
Explanation: Ryotwari settlements predominated over extensive areas of the Madras and Bombay Presidencies. The government assessed cultivators individually and collected directly from them, contrasting with zamindari and village-based settlement methods elsewhere.
124. The Ilbert Bill controversy of 1883 was concerned principally with what?
[SSC Selection Post Matriculation (30 Jul 2025, Shift 1) — 2025]
A. Rights of Indian judges
B. Introduction of income tax
C. Expansion of railways
D. Indianisation of the army
Answer: A. Rights of Indian judges
Explanation: The Ilbert Bill proposed removing race-based limits on Indian judges trying European British defendants. European residents fiercely opposed this modest judicial equality, exposing entrenched colonial racial privilege under Lord Ripon’s administration.
123. In which year was the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act passed?
[OSSSC CRE Preliminary Exam (14 Oct 2025, Shift 3) — 2025]
A. 1861
B. 1856
C. 1848
D. 1872
Answer: B. 1856
Explanation: Act XV of 1856 recognized the right of Hindu widows to remarry. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s sustained campaign supplied intellectual and public support, and the legislation was finally enacted during Lord Canning’s term.
122. What lay at the centre of the Ilbert Bill controversy?
[DSSSB TGT Social Science (8 Nov 2025, Shift 3) — 2025]
A. Protection of properties of converts
B. Sharing assembly seats
C. Judicial discrimination based on race
D. Language of colonial education
Answer: C. Judicial discrimination based on race
Explanation: The bill sought to permit qualified Indian criminal judges to try European British subjects. European opposition was rooted in racial hierarchy rather than judicial competence, and the final legislative compromise limited the reform.
121. What did Wood’s Despatch of 1854 recommend for Indian education?
[SSC CPO (11 Dec 2025, Shift 1) — 2025]
A. Using vernacular languages at every level exclusively
B. A graded education system from primary schools to universities and English at higher levels
C. Complete educational privatization
D. Training only religious scholars
Answer: B. A graded education system from primary schools to universities and English at higher levels
Explanation: Wood’s Despatch proposed linked tiers of schooling, provincial education departments, universities, teacher training and grants-in-aid. It advocated vernacular instruction at primary levels and English in higher education, establishing a framework for later institutional expansion.
120. Whose social-reform efforts influenced Bentinck’s prohibition of Sati in 1829?
[RPF Constable (4 Mar 2025, Shift 2) — 2025]
A. Dayananda Saraswati
B. Raja Ram Mohan Roy
C. Swami Vivekananda
D. Jyotirao Phule
Answer: B. Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Explanation: Raja Ram Mohan Roy spoke publicly and wrote against Sati, providing important support for reform. Lord William Bentinck’s Bengal Sati Regulation of 1829 criminalized the practice and was later extended beyond Bengal.
119. Which Act of 1878 was associated with Lord Lytton?
[OSSSC CRE Preliminary Exam (18 Oct 2025, Shift 2) — 2025]
A. Vernacular Press Act
B. English Education Act
C. Bengal Tenancy Act
D. Censorship Act
Answer: A. Vernacular Press Act
Explanation: Lytton’s Vernacular Press Act imposed exceptional restrictions on Indian-language newspapers. The law threatened penalties and seizure for publications criticizing government actions and became notorious for distinguishing between vernacular and English journalism.
118. During whose viceroyalty did the Ilbert Bill controversy occur?
[UKPSC Lower PCS Prelims (11 May 2025) — 2025]
A. Lord Ripon
B. Lord Elgin
C. Lord Canning
D. Lord Curzon
Answer: A. Lord Ripon
Explanation: The 1883 Ilbert Bill was introduced during Lord Ripon’s viceroyalty. Its proposal to expand Indian judges’ criminal jurisdiction over Europeans produced an intense campaign by European settlers, making the controversy a landmark example of racial inequality.
117. Which policy was implemented under Lord Curzon?
[MP Police Constable (5 Dec 2025, Shift 2) — 2025]
A. Ilbert Bill
B. Partition of Bengal
C. Permanent Settlement
D. Vernacular Press Act
Answer: B. Partition of Bengal
Explanation: The Bengal partition was implemented in October 1905 while Curzon served as Viceroy. Opponents connected it with divide-and-rule tactics; widespread Swadeshi mobilization followed and the decision was reversed in 1911.
116. What was the object of the law enacted in India in 1856?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I (12 Aug 2025, Shift 1) — 2025]
A. Banning child labour
B. Abolishing caste
C. Allowing temple entry
D. Legalising widow remarriage
Answer: D. Legalising widow remarriage
Explanation: The Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act of 1856 removed the legal prohibition against Hindu widow remarriage. Vidyasagar’s reform campaign was especially influential, although wider acceptance in society developed unevenly after the Act.
115. Who passed the Bengal Sati Regulation Act in 1829?
[DSSSB TGT Hindi (17 Aug 2025, Shift 3) — 2025]
A. Lord Dalhousie
B. Lord William Bentinck
C. Lord Willingdon
D. Lord Irwin
Answer: B. Lord William Bentinck
Explanation: Lord William Bentinck issued Bengal Regulation XVII in December 1829, treating Sati as a punishable offence. The measure followed considerable public debate and reformist agitation, especially by Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
114. Which Governor-General abolished the practice of Sati?
[DSSSB TGT Social Science (7 Nov 2025, Shift 3) — 2025]
A. Robert Napier
B. William Bentinck
C. William Blunt
D. John Canning
Answer: B. William Bentinck
Explanation: Bentinck’s administration prohibited Sati by Bengal Regulation XVII of 1829. Reformers had challenged the practice on ethical and scriptural grounds, and the measure became one of the most prominent state-led social reforms of the Company period.
113. Under which Governor-General was the General Service Enlistment Act introduced?
[RPF Constable (10 Mar 2025, Shift 1) — 2025]
A. Lord Auckland
B. Lord Amherst
C. Lord Wellesley
D. Lord Canning
Answer: D. Lord Canning
Explanation: Canning’s administration introduced the General Service Enlistment Act in 1856, requiring new recruits to accept overseas service when ordered. Sea-voyage concerns contributed to wider sepoy suspicions preceding the 1857 revolt.
112. Who introduced the Subsidiary Alliance policy?
[RPF Constable (10 Mar 2025, Shift 1) — 2025]
A. John Nicholson
B. Colin Campbell
C. Henry Lawrence
D. Lord Wellesley
Answer: D. Lord Wellesley
Explanation: Lord Wellesley used Subsidiary Alliances to station British troops in Indian states at their expense. The system also limited diplomacy and armed independence, contributing to the Company’s growing paramountcy over princely rulers.
111. In which year was Awadh annexed by the British?
[RPF Constable (12 Mar 2025, Shift 3) — 2025]
A. 1856 AD
B. 1853 AD
C. 1855 AD
D. 1851 AD
Answer: A. 1856 AD
Explanation: Awadh was annexed in 1856 by Dalhousie’s administration, officially on allegations of maladministration. This was distinct from the Doctrine of Lapse and came decades after Awadh accepted Wellesley’s Subsidiary Alliance in 1801.
110. Who described the Permanent Settlement as a ‘sad blunder’?
[HTET PGT History 2024 Paper (held 2025) — 2025]
A. T. R. Holmes
B. Ishwari Prasad
C. R. C. Majumdar
D. Setton Carr
Answer: A. T. R. Holmes
Explanation: Historian T. R. Holmes criticized the Permanent Settlement as a grave policy error. Critics contended that permanent landlord rights neglected cultivators’ welfare, entrenched unequal rural relations and did not guarantee agricultural improvement.
109. What is T. B. Macaulay particularly associated with in British India?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I (18 Jun 2025, Shift 2) — 2025]
A. Drafting the Penal Code and supporting English education
B. Framing the Government of India Act 1858
C. Introducing the Vernacular Press Act
D. Leading the Revolt of 1857
Answer: A. Drafting the Penal Code and supporting English education
Explanation: Macaulay wrote the 1835 Minute that influenced Bentinck’s promotion of English education and chaired the first Law Commission, which prepared a draft Penal Code. These roles linked education policy with colonial legal codification.
108. Who introduced the 1882 resolution described as the Magna Carta of Local Self-Government in India?
[UPSC NDA-I General Ability Test (13 Apr 2025) — 2025]
A. Lord Macaulay
B. Lord Canning
C. Lord Ripon
D. Lord William Bentinck
Answer: C. Lord Ripon
Explanation: Lord Ripon’s 1882 resolution encouraged local boards and municipal bodies, with greater Indian participation in managing civic affairs. It became a landmark of administrative decentralization, earning Ripon the title Father of Local Self-Government in India.
107. Which Governor-General devised the Doctrine of Lapse for annexation of states?
[SSC CGL Tier-I (13 Sep 2024, Shift 1) — 2024]
A. Lord Wellesley
B. Lord Dalhousie
C. Lord Mayo
D. Lord Canning
Answer: B. Lord Dalhousie
Explanation: Dalhousie systematically applied the Doctrine of Lapse to selected princely states during 1848–1856. Where succession through adoption was rejected, the state was absorbed by the Company, provoking resentment among ruling families.
106. The Doctrine of Lapse was associated with which Governor-General?
[SSC GD Constable (1 Mar 2024, Shift 2) — 2024]
A. Lord Wellesley
B. Lord Hastings
C. Lord Clive
D. Lord Dalhousie
Answer: D. Lord Dalhousie
Explanation: Lord Dalhousie’s annexation policy undermined inherited and adopted succession in several dependent princely states. Its application to Satara, Jhansi and Nagpur became a widely cited grievance against East India Company rule.
105. Who introduced the Doctrine of Lapse?
[WBCS 2023 Mains History Paper III (18 Aug 2024) — 2024]
A. Lord Cornwallis
B. Lord Dalhousie
C. Lord Wellesley
D. Lord Ripon
Answer: B. Lord Dalhousie
Explanation: The doctrine was linked with Dalhousie’s administration between 1848 and 1856. The Company could claim dependent states when no approved successor inherited the throne, expanding its territories and unsettling established dynastic expectations.
104. Where was the Ryotwari revenue system first introduced?
[WBCS 2023 Mains History Paper III (18 Aug 2024) — 2024]
A. Bengal
B. Delhi
C. Madras
D. Gujarat
Answer: C. Madras
Explanation: Ryotwari revenue arrangements were first trialed by Alexander Read and developed further by Thomas Munro in southern India. Madras became their chief arena, with settlements negotiated directly with cultivators rather than zamindars.
103. Which Viceroy enacted the Vernacular Press Act?
[WBCS 2023 Mains History Paper III (18 Aug 2024) — 2024]
A. Lord Curzon
B. Lord Ripon
C. Lord Lytton
D. None of these
Answer: C. Lord Lytton
Explanation: Lord Lytton’s government enacted the Vernacular Press Act in March 1878. It restricted Indian-language newspapers viewed as critical of the colonial government; the measure was later repealed during Lord Ripon’s tenure.
102. Under which Viceroy was Bengal’s partition announced in 1905?
[WBCS 2023 Mains History Paper III (18 Aug 2024) — 2024]
A. Lord Curzon
B. Lord Wellesley
C. Lord Amherst
D. Lord William Bentinck
Answer: A. Lord Curzon
Explanation: Lord Curzon, who served from 1899 to 1905, was responsible for Bengal’s 1905 partition. Opponents argued that the rearrangement weakened nationalist unity; boycott and Swadeshi campaigns intensified after its implementation.
101. In which year did Lord Curzon announce the Partition of Bengal?
[SSC MTS (22 Oct 2024, Shift 3) — 2024]
A. 1905
B. 1914
C. 1900
D. 1909
Answer: A. 1905
Explanation: The Partition of Bengal was announced in 1905 and took effect on 16 October that year. Curzon’s decision ignited widespread protest and gave powerful impetus to Swadeshi politics and economic boycott campaigns.
100. Which Act converted Warren Hastings’s position from Governor of Bengal to Governor-General of Bengal?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I (9 Jul 2024, Shift 4) — 2024]
A. Pitt’s India Act 1784
B. Regulating Act 1773
C. Indian Councils Act 1861
D. Charter Act 1813
Answer: B. Regulating Act 1773
Explanation: The Regulating Act of 1773 established the Governor-General of Bengal with a council, making Hastings the first officeholder. It also represented an important parliamentary intervention in East India Company administration.
99. Whom did Curzon select to design Victoria Memorial Hall?
[SSC Selection Post Higher Secondary (26 Jun 2024, Shift 2)]
A. Robert Chisholm
B. William Emerson
C. Herbert Baker
D. Henry Irwin
Answer: B. William Emerson
Explanation: Architect William Emerson designed the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta. Curzon championed the monument to commemorate Queen Victoria, combining imperial symbolism with a grand architectural style blending multiple historical influences.
98. Which Viceroy was in office when Bengal’s partition was declared in 1905?
[WBPSC Food SI (17 Mar 2024, Shift 2)]
A. Lord Curzon
B. Lord Wellesley
C. Lord Amherst
D. Lord William Bentinck
Answer: A. Lord Curzon
Explanation: Curzon governed British India when the Bengal partition was proposed and brought into effect. The administrative justification failed to quell objections, and the issue galvanized Bengali political mobilization against imperial rule.
97. Who is called the Father of Local Self-Government in India?
[SSC CGL Tier-I (24 Sep 2024, Shift 1)]
A. Lord Cornwallis
B. Lord Wellesley
C. Lord Ripon
D. Lord William Bentinck
Answer: C. Lord Ripon
Explanation: Lord Ripon issued the 1882 Resolution on Local Self-Government, encouraging representative district and municipal bodies. His efforts to expand local participation earned him the traditional title of Father of Local Self-Government in India.
96. Who became the first Viceroy of India in 1858?
[OSSC Vital Statistics Assistant (12 Mar 2024, Shift 2)]
A. Lord Dalhousie
B. Lord Mountbatten
C. Lord Wellesley
D. Lord Canning
Answer: D. Lord Canning
Explanation: Canning was Governor-General when Company rule ended in 1858. As the Crown’s representative, he became the first Viceroy and supervised the initial transition to direct British government after the rebellion.
95. Which labour-welfare reform was introduced during Lord Ripon’s term?
[SSC MTS (29 Oct 2024, Shift 1)]
A. Financial Decentralisation
B. Factory Act
C. Vernacular Press Act
D. Educational Reforms
Answer: B. Factory Act
Explanation: The first Indian Factories Act was enacted in 1881 during Ripon’s viceroyalty. It introduced initial protections for young industrial workers, marking an early although limited attempt at state regulation of factory employment.
94. Who is regarded as the Father of Local Self-Government?
[Maharashtra Police Constable Mumbai (7 Jul 2024)]
A. Lord Ripon
B. Lord William Bentinck
C. Lord Wellesley
D. Lord Dalhousie
Answer: A. Lord Ripon
Explanation: Ripon’s 1882 resolution encouraged elected participation in municipalities and district boards. It is remembered as a major step toward local administrative decentralization during the British period, though official control remained substantial.
93. Who laid the foundations of local self-government in British India?
[Bihar CET B.Ed (25 Jun 2024)]
A. Lord Ripon
B. Lord Curzon
C. Lord Canning
D. Lord Dalhousie
Answer: A. Lord Ripon
Explanation: Lord Ripon advocated stronger local bodies and enacted an influential policy resolution in 1882. It helped expand municipal and district governance, offering limited opportunities for Indian participation in public administration.
92. Who was the last Governor-General of Company-ruled British India and the first Viceroy?
[WBPSC Miscellaneous 2023 Paper (15 Sep 2024)]
A. Lord Canning
B. Lord Dalhousie
C. Lord Curzon
D. Lord Mountbatten
Answer: A. Lord Canning
Explanation: Lord Canning continued in office through the 1858 transfer of power. The Government of India Act ended East India Company government and enabled the same officeholder to serve as Viceroy representing the British Crown.
91. Warren Hastings became Governor-General of Bengal under which Act?
[SSC MTS (7 Oct 2024, Shift 2)]
A. Regulating Act 1773
B. Government of India Act 1858
C. Indian Councils Act 1909
D. Government of India Act 1935
Answer: A. Regulating Act 1773
Explanation: The Regulating Act of 1773 created the governor-generalship at Fort William in Bengal. Warren Hastings, previously Governor of Bengal, became its first Governor-General, assisted by an executive council.
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.
80. In which year was Hindu widow remarriage declared legal?
[SSC MTS (8 Oct 2024, Shift 2)]
A. 1893
B. 1856
C. 1899
D. 1872
Answer: B. 1856
Explanation: Hindu widow remarriage received legal recognition through Act XV of 1856. The reform was advanced by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and enacted during Canning’s term, representing a notable legislative intervention in social custom.
79. How many are correct: Mill criticized Indian religion; Bentinck replaced Persian in courts with English in 1835; Wood’s Despatch led to universities at Calcutta, Bombay and Delhi?
[HPSC Prelims General Studies (11 Feb 2024)]
A. Only one
B. Only two
C. All three
D. None
Answer: B. Only two
Explanation: The first two propositions are correct according to the examination key. Wood’s Despatch supported universities at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras, not Delhi. Confusing Madras with Delhi makes the third assertion incorrect.
78. Who devised the Subsidiary Alliance system?
[SSC CGL Tier-I (9 Sep 2024, Shift 3)]
A. Lord Wellesley
B. Lord Canning
C. Lord William Bentinck
D. Lord Dalhousie
Answer: A. Lord Wellesley
Explanation: Lord Wellesley developed the Subsidiary Alliance into a central method of Company expansion. Allied states housed British forces, paid their costs and surrendered independent foreign relations, thereby reducing sovereignty without outright annexation.
77. Which 1883 proposal sought to allow Indian judges to try Europeans?
[SSC Selection Post Matriculation (24 Jun 2024, Shift 1)]
A. Christian Personal Law
B. Ilbert Bill
C. Indian Penal Code
D. Murderous Outrage Regulation
Answer: B. Ilbert Bill
Explanation: The Ilbert Bill sought to end racial restrictions on criminal jurisdiction under Lord Ripon. European residents mounted strong resistance, and the eventual compromise fell short of the proposal’s original promise of judicial equality.
76. Match Pitt’s India Act, Permanent Settlement, Subsidiary Alliance and abolition of Sati with 1784, 1793, 1798 and 1829.
[SSC CHSL 2023 Tier-II (10 Jan 2024, Shift 1)]
A. A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1
B. A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
C. A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
D. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
Answer: D. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
Explanation: Pitt’s India Act belongs to 1784, Cornwallis’s Permanent Settlement to 1793, Wellesley’s Subsidiary Alliance to 1798, and Bentinck’s Sati abolition to 1829. The sequence spans successive phases of Company government.
75. Whose efforts most helped secure passage of the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act, 1856?
[SSC CHSL Tier-I (5 Jul 2024, Shift 2)]
A. Atmaram Pandurang
B. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
C. Raja Ram Mohan Roy
D. Radhakant Deb
Answer: B. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Explanation: Vidyasagar advocated widow remarriage through petitions, publications and references to Hindu legal texts. The 1856 legislation reflected years of reformist pressure and opened a legal path for widows to remarry.
74. Who devised the policy known as the Doctrine of Lapse?
[SSC CGL Tier-I (27 Jul 2023, Shift 2)]
A. Lord Ellenborough
B. Lord William Bentinck
C. Lord Dalhousie
D. Lord Canning
Answer: C. Lord Dalhousie
Explanation: Lord Dalhousie employed the Doctrine of Lapse to absorb princely territories lacking a successor accepted by the Company. The policy supported territorial expansion and intensified mistrust between Indian rulers and British administrators.
73. Who devised the Doctrine of Lapse?
[SSC CHSL 2022 Paper (9 Mar 2023, Shift 3)]
A. Lord Dalhousie
B. Lord Hastings
C. Lord Cornwallis
D. Lord Minto
Answer: A. Lord Dalhousie
Explanation: Dalhousie is closely associated with the annexation doctrine applied between 1848 and 1856. In certain subordinate states, adopted heirs were denied sovereign succession, providing the Company a pretext for annexation.
72. Which Viceroy, as described in the question, formulated the Doctrine of Lapse?
[Kolkata Police Constable Mains 2022 Paper (3 Dec 2023) — 2023]
A. Lord Curzon
B. Lord Hastings
C. Lord Dalhousie
D. Lord Wellesley
Answer: C. Lord Dalhousie
Explanation: Though Dalhousie was technically Governor-General rather than Viceroy, the expected answer is Dalhousie. His expansionist policy was used to annex states when the Company refused recognition to an adopted successor.
71. Who devised the Subsidiary Alliance system in 1798?
[SSC MTS 2022 Paper (19 Jun 2023, Shift 3)]
A. Lord Wellesley
B. Lord Bentinck
C. Lord Dalhousie
D. Lord Hastings
Answer: A. Lord Wellesley
Explanation: Wellesley’s Subsidiary Alliance required Indian rulers to accept British forces and restrictions on independent diplomacy. The arrangement advanced Company dominance while obliging allied courts to fund the stationed troops.
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.
60. Who devised the Mahalwari settlement system?
[68th BPSC Prelims (12 Feb 2023, Set B)]
A. Lord Hastings
B. Lord Cornwallis
C. Holt Mackenzie
D. More than one of these
Answer: C. Holt Mackenzie
Explanation: Holt Mackenzie devised the Mahalwari settlement in 1822. Instead of individual peasants or hereditary landlords alone, village-level communities and their headmen were entrusted with fulfilling assessed revenue obligations.
59. What was the land revenue system associated with Thomas Munro called?
[Maharashtra Talathi (18 Aug 2023, Shift 1)]
A. Mahalwari
B. Land tenure system
C. Ryotwari
D. Permanent method
Answer: C. Ryotwari
Explanation: Munro expanded Ryotwari arrangements in the Madras Presidency, assessing cultivators individually. The system made each ryot liable to pay the state directly and contrasted with Bengal’s zamindari-based Permanent Settlement.
58. In which year were the Arms Act and Vernacular Press Act both enacted?
[SSC MTS (8 Sep 2023, Shift 2)]
A. 1878
B. 1879
C. 1877
D. 1876
Answer: A. 1878
Explanation: Lord Lytton’s administration passed both the Arms Act and the Vernacular Press Act in 1878. The measures imposed unequal restrictions on arms possession and political journalism, generating considerable Indian opposition.
57. Which settlement by Cornwallis gave Bengal zamindars ownership rights in return for fixed revenue by a fixed date?
[SSC CPO Paper-I (5 Oct 2023, Shift 1)]
A. Ryotwari
B. Mahalwari
C. Taluqdari
D. Permanent Settlement
Answer: D. Permanent Settlement
Explanation: Under Permanent Settlement, introduced in 1793, zamindars were recognized as proprietors responsible for fixed payments. Those who defaulted could lose estates through auction, while peasants faced pressure to satisfy landlords’ collections.
56. Who is known as the Father of Local Self-Government in India?
[MPPSC State Services Prelims (17 Dec 2023)]
A. Lord Dalhousie
B. Lord Mountbatten
C. Lord Macaulay
D. Lord Ripon
Answer: D. Lord Ripon
Explanation: Ripon’s Resolution of 1882 encouraged local boards and municipalities with wider Indian participation. As the measure trained residents in limited public administration, Ripon acquired the title Father of Local Self-Government.
55. The Hunter Commission set up in 1882 examined which field?
[Delhi Police Constable Executive (22 Nov 2023, Shift 3)]
A. Famine
B. Agriculture
C. Industry
D. Education
Answer: D. Education
Explanation: Lord Ripon appointed the Indian Education Commission under William Wilson Hunter in 1882. Its purpose was to review educational progress and recommend improvement, particularly in primary schooling and local administrative participation.
54. The Vernacular Press Act was passed in India in which year?
[DDA Junior Secretariat Assistant (24 Sep 2023, Shift 2)]
A. 1882
B. 1878
C. 1888
D. 1872
Answer: B. 1878
Explanation: The Vernacular Press Act was enacted under Lord Lytton in 1878 to control Indian-language publications. It gave the administration coercive powers and became a prominent issue in the history of freedom of the press.
53. Which Act redesignated the Governor-General of Bengal as the Governor-General of India?
[UPSC Civil Services Prelims (28 May 2023) ]
A. Regulating Act
B. Pitt’s India Act
C. Charter Act 1793
D. Charter Act 1833
Answer: D. Charter Act 1833
Explanation: The Charter Act of 1833 centralized legislative authority and renamed the Governor-General of Bengal as Governor-General of India. Lord William Bentinck was the first officeholder under the newly designated all-India post.
52. In which year did Warren Hastings become the first Governor-General of Bengal?
[SSC CGL Tier-I (7 Dec 2022, Shift 3)]
A. 1767
B. 1757
C. 1773
D. 1783
Answer: C. 1773
Explanation: The Regulating Act of 1773 created the governor-generalship of Bengal, naming Warren Hastings to the office. He formally occupied the new position in 1774, after having served as Governor of Bengal.
51. When was the Subsidiary Alliance imposed upon Awadh?
[DSSSB Junior Engineer (21 Mar 2022, Shift 1)]
A. 1810
B. 1801
C. 1805
D. 1808
Answer: B. 1801
Explanation: Awadh’s 1801 treaty with the Company imposed Wellesley’s Subsidiary Alliance arrangement. The Nawab surrendered much military and diplomatic freedom while British troops gained a permanent foothold within the kingdom.
50. Which Governor-General devised the Doctrine of Lapse?
[RRB Group D (16 Sep 2022, Shift 2)]
A. Lord Dalhousie
B. Lord Canning
C. Lord William Bentinck
D. Lord Ripon
Answer: A. Lord Dalhousie
Explanation: Dalhousie used the Doctrine of Lapse as an instrument of annexation during his administration from 1848 to 1856. The policy relied on denying succession in selected states where an approved biological heir was absent.
49. Which princely state was annexed through the Doctrine of Lapse?
[OSSC CGL (11 Oct 2022, Shift 1)]
A. Gangpur
B. Sambalpur
C. Mayurbhanj
D. Dhenkanal
Answer: B. Sambalpur
Explanation: Sambalpur was annexed by the British in 1849 under Dalhousie’s expansionist policy. The Doctrine of Lapse was used to reject certain claims of succession and integrate dependent princely territories into Company rule.
48. What did Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse imply for a state without a natural successor?
[Odisha Police SI Paper II (9 Jul 2022)]
A. It would remain a princely state forever
B. It would pass to Indian civil servants
C. None of these
D. It could be annexed by the British Company
Answer: D. It could be annexed by the British Company
Explanation: The policy treated certain subordinate states without an accepted natural successor as liable to lapse into Company territory. It curtailed recognition of adoption for sovereignty and facilitated territorial annexations under Dalhousie.
47. When was the Subsidiary Alliance imposed on Awadh?
[SSC CGL Tier-I (8 Dec 2022, Shift 1)]
A. 1802
B. 1803
C. 1801
D. 1804
Answer: C. 1801
Explanation: Wellesley compelled Awadh to accept a Subsidiary Alliance in 1801. The arrangement required British troops and greatly restricted the Nawab’s autonomy, decades before Awadh was finally annexed in 1856.
46. Wood’s Despatch concerned which subject?
[SSC CGL Tier-I (7 Dec 2022, Shift 4)]
A. Education
B. Famine
C. Trade
D. Military
Answer: A. Education
Explanation: Charles Wood’s 1854 educational despatch proposed a comprehensive framework of schooling in India. It supported provincial education departments, universities, teacher training and differentiated use of vernacular languages and English across levels.
45. In which year was the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act passed?
[UPRVUNL Assistant Engineer Mechanical (16 Jul 2022, Shift 1)]
A. 1849
B. 1852
C. 1844
D. 1856
Answer: D. 1856
Explanation: The Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act was enacted in July 1856 during Lord Canning’s tenure. Vidyasagar’s scholarly and social reform campaign was central to the move to validate remarriage legally.
44. Dr Bhau Daji Lad supported which social cause?
[MPSC Group B Prelims (8 Oct 2022)]
A. Homes for elderly women
B. Social discrimination
C. Widow remarriage
D. Christian conversion
Answer: C. Widow remarriage
Explanation: Bhau Daji Lad was a nineteenth-century reformer associated with campaigns supporting widow remarriage and female uplift. His participation in wider social reform movements complemented legal initiatives such as the 1856 remarriage legislation.
43. Veerasalingam Pantulu organized an association in Madras Presidency for what purpose?
[DSSSB Junior Secretariat Assistant (4 Apr 2022, Shift 1)]
A. Prohibiting child marriage
B. Widow remarriage
C. Removing untouchability
D. Higher education
Answer: B. Widow remarriage
Explanation: Kandukuri Veeresalingam worked to promote widow remarriage, women’s education and social reform in Andhra. His organized efforts helped challenge orthodox practices and broadened the movement beyond Bengal’s earlier reform legislation.
42. Who introduced the Doctrine of Lapse in British India?
[OSSC CGL (12 Oct 2022, Shift 1)]
A. Lord Canning
B. Lord Wellesley
C. Lord Dufferin
D. Lord Dalhousie
Answer: D. Lord Dalhousie
Explanation: Dalhousie’s government made annexation by lapse a major instrument of territorial policy. When designated heirs were not recognized, states such as Satara and Jhansi could be absorbed into Company administration.
41. Which expansionist policy was introduced by Lord Dalhousie?
[SSC CPO Tier-I (10 Nov 2022, Shift 3)]
A. Subsidiary Alliance
B. Policy of Paramountcy
C. Doctrine of Lapse
D. Ring Fence
Answer: C. Doctrine of Lapse
Explanation: Dalhousie is most identified with the Doctrine of Lapse. Unlike Wellesley’s Subsidiary Alliance, it enabled the Company to claim sovereign control of certain states following contested royal succession.
40. Which was the first princely state annexed under Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse?
[MPPSC State Services 2021 Paper (19 Jun 2022)]
A. Jaitpur
B. Sambalpur
C. Jhansi
D. Satara
Answer: D. Satara
Explanation: Satara was absorbed in 1848 and is usually cited as the earliest major annexation under Dalhousie’s application of lapse. Later cases included Sambalpur, Jhansi and Nagpur, creating alarm among princely families.
39. Who introduced Panchshala Bandobast, the five-year revenue settlement?
[Kolkata Police SI and Sergeant 2021 Paper (27 Mar 2022)]
A. Lord Wellesley
B. Warren Hastings
C. Lord Cornwallis
D. William Bentinck
Answer: B. Warren Hastings
Explanation: Warren Hastings introduced an early five-year revenue farming experiment in 1772. Known as the quinquennial settlement, it auctioned revenue collection contracts but suffered from excessive bidding and exploitative demands.
38. Which British Governor-General established the Covenanted Civil Service framework?
[CSPHCL Junior Engineer Electrical (10 Jan 2022)]
A. John Shore
B. Charles Cornwallis
C. George Barlow
D. Marquess Cornwallis
Answer: B. Charles Cornwallis
Explanation: Cornwallis reorganized Company service with salaries, restrictions on private trade and stronger administrative rules. For these reforms he is often called the Father of the Civil Service in India, although the service evolved further afterward.
37. Regarding the Vernacular Press Act, consider: 1. Indian press did not protest; 2. Lytton introduced it against his Law Member’s advice. Which is correct?
[UPSC CAPF Assistant Commandants Paper I (7 Aug 2022)]
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both
D. Neither
Answer: B. 2 only
Explanation: Indian editors and political groups did protest the 1878 Act, making the first statement false. Lytton pressed ahead despite objections associated with his Law Member, supporting the second statement in the examination key.
36. Who called Lord Ripon’s rule the beginning of a golden age for India?
[HPPSC State Services GS (2022)]
A. Florence Nightingale
B. P. E. Roberts
C. Lovat Frazer
D. Eric Stokes
Answer: A. Florence Nightingale
Explanation: Florence Nightingale praised Lord Ripon’s reforms and his treatment of Indian interests. His policies on local self-government, education and press freedom made him especially popular with many contemporary Indian reformers.
35. Which Viceroy was quoted as comparing child marriage and compulsory widowhood as two related evils?
[MPSC Group B 2021 Mains ASO (31 Jul 2022)]
A. Lord Ripon
B. Lord Lytton
C. Lord Bentinck
D. Lord Dalhousie
Answer: A. Lord Ripon
Explanation: The examination attributes the observation to Lord Ripon. His reputation for reform rested especially on local self-government, education inquiries and willingness to address Indian grievances during his viceroyalty of 1880–1884.
34. Which legislation established the British Board of Control over Company civil, military and revenue affairs?
[Odisha Police SI (6 Jul 2022)]
A. Government of India Act 1858
B. Regulating Act 1773
C. Charter Act 1833
D. Pitt’s India Act 1784
Answer: D. Pitt’s India Act 1784
Explanation: Pitt’s India Act of 1784 separated commercial management by Company directors from government supervision of political affairs through a Board of Control. It increased Parliament’s influence over administration in India.
33. Who traveled to London to pursue Nana Sahib’s claim to Baji Rao II’s pension?
[UPPSC Polytechnic Lecturer Electronics (22 Mar 2022)]
A. Azimullah Khan
B. Tatya Tope
C. Omar Pasha
D. Rango Bapuji
Answer: A. Azimullah Khan
Explanation: Azimullah Khan represented Nana Sahib’s pension claim before Company authorities in Britain. The refusal to continue Baji Rao II’s pension to his adopted heir contributed to resentment against Dalhousie’s annexation-era policies.
32. Who represented the Company at the Treaty of Seringapatam with Tipu Sultan?
[Kolkata Police SI and Sergeant 2021 Paper (held 2022)]
A. Warren Hastings
B. Lord Cornwallis
C. Robert Clive
D. Lord Dalhousie
Answer: B. Lord Cornwallis
Explanation: Lord Cornwallis commanded British forces during the Third Anglo-Mysore War. The Treaty of Seringapatam in 1792 forced Tipu Sultan to cede large territories and deliver hostages as security for payment.
31. Who introduced the Doctrine of Lapse?
[SSC GD Constable (18 Nov 2021, Shift 2)]
A. Lord Ripon
B. Warren Hastings
C. Lord Canning
D. Lord Dalhousie
Answer: D. Lord Dalhousie
Explanation: Lord Dalhousie’s doctrine targeted states whose rulers died without Company-recognized heirs. Its use in annexations such as Satara and Nagpur increased distrust of British paramountcy and succession policy.
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.
20. Who was described in the paper as the first Governor-General of British India from 1773 to 1785?
[SSC MTS 2020 Paper (26 Oct 2021, Shift 2)]
A. Lord Cornwallis
B. Warren Hastings
C. Sir John Shore
D. Lord Wellesley
Answer: B. Warren Hastings
Explanation: Warren Hastings became the first Governor-General of Bengal under the Regulating Act of 1773, serving formally from 1774 to 1785. The examination uses the broader expression British India for that early Bengal office.
19. Which Viceroy is described as a catalyst of Indian nationalism?
[Punjab Police Jail Warder (27 Aug 2021, Shift 2)]
A. Lord Canning
B. Lord Dalhousie
C. Lord Curzon
D. Warren Hastings
Answer: C. Lord Curzon
Explanation: Curzon’s 1905 partition of Bengal generated a powerful nationalist response, including Swadeshi campaigns and boycotts of foreign goods. His attempted administrative reorganization unintentionally helped spread organized political resistance.
18. Who devised the Ryotwari system during British rule?
[SSC GD Constable (3 Dec 2021, Shift 3)]
A. Lord Minto
B. Captain Alexander Read
C. Lord Dalhousie
D. Warren Hastings
Answer: B. Captain Alexander Read
Explanation: Alexander Read made pioneering Ryotwari experiments in South India, and Thomas Munro later developed and extended them. The central principle was direct settlement between the government and individual peasant cultivators.
17. In which year was the Cornwallis Code enacted?
[SSC CHSL 2020 Paper (4 Aug 2021, Shift 3)]
A. 1723
B. 1857
C. 1793
D. 1805
Answer: C. 1793
Explanation: The Cornwallis Code of 1793 organized administrative, judicial and revenue procedures for Company territories. It formed part of Cornwallis’s efforts to professionalize government while preserving European dominance over higher offices.
16. Which historical statement is correct?
[SSC CHSL 2020 Paper (5 Aug 2021, Shift 3)]
A. Siraj-ud-Daulah lost Plassey in 1775
B. India’s first Bombay–Thane railway opened in 1776
C. William Jones founded the Asiatic Society in 1774
D. The Cornwallis Code was enacted in 1793
Answer: D. The Cornwallis Code was enacted in 1793
Explanation: The Cornwallis Code was enacted in 1793. Plassey occurred in 1757, the Bombay–Thane railway began in 1853, and William Jones founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1784.
15. In which year was Bengal partitioned by Viceroy Lord Curzon?
[SSC MTS 2020 Paper (5 Oct 2021, Shift 2)1]
A. 1905
B. 1901
C. 1907
D. 1911
Answer: A. 1905
Explanation: Bengal’s partition took effect in 1905 under Curzon and triggered extensive nationalist protests. The British annulled it in 1911, but by then the Swadeshi campaign had reshaped anti-colonial politics.
14. Which Act was passed in British India in 1878?
[SSC MTS 2020 Paper (5 Oct 2021, Shift 1)]
A. Indian Contract Act
B. East India Stock Dividend Redemption Act
C. Transfer of Property Act
D. Vernacular Press Act
Answer: D. Vernacular Press Act
Explanation: The Vernacular Press Act was enacted in 1878 under Lord Lytton. The law restricted Indian-language newspapers and sought to suppress adverse reporting on British policy, attracting condemnation from Indian editors and associations.
13. Which educational report led to the establishment of Calcutta University?
[WBCS Prelims 2020 ]
A. Macaulay’s Minute
B. Hunter Commission
C. Charter Act
D. Wood’s Despatch
Answer: D. Wood’s Despatch
Explanation: Wood’s Despatch of 1854 recommended universities in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras modelled on the University of London. All three were established in 1857, marking an important phase in the institutional development of modern higher education.
12. Which Viceroy was associated with the Ilbert Bill controversy?
[WBCS Prelims 2020]
A. Lord Curzon
B. Lord Lytton
C. Lord Ripon
D. Lord Hardinge
Answer: C. Lord Ripon
Explanation: Lord Ripon’s government introduced the Ilbert Bill in 1883 to enable qualified Indian judges to try European British subjects. Fierce European opposition forced compromises and exposed racial inequality within the colonial judicial system.
11. Under whose viceroyalty was the first Indian Factory Act introduced?
[Karnataka State Police Civil SI 2020 Official Paper II]
A. Lord Dufferin
B. Lord Curzon
C. Lord Ripon
D. Lord Canning
Answer: C. Lord Ripon
Explanation: The Indian Factories Act of 1881 was enacted under Lord Ripon. It sought to regulate certain conditions of industrial labour, particularly child employment and working hours, although its initial reach and protections were limited.
10. Which Indian ruler first accepted Lord Wellesley’s Subsidiary Alliance?
[OSSTET TGT Arts 2019]
A. Peshwa Bajirao
B. Nana Saheb
C. Kunwar Singh
D. Nizam of Hyderabad
Answer: D. Nizam of Hyderabad
Explanation: The Nizam of Hyderabad concluded a subsidiary alliance with the East India Company in 1798. Such treaties required rulers to maintain British troops, restrict independent foreign relations and accept growing British interference in their affairs.
9. Who was the Viceroy of India when Bengal was partitioned in 1905?
[Delhi Police Constable (8 Dec 2020, Shift 1)]
A. Lord Irwin
B. Lord Curzon
C. Lord Hardinge
D. Lord Chelmsford
Answer: B. Lord Curzon
Explanation: Curzon announced and implemented the Partition of Bengal in 1905, creating Eastern Bengal and Assam. Protesters saw it as an attempt to divide nationalist opinion, leading to Swadeshi, boycott movements and wider political mobilization.
8. Who was appointed as the first Governor-General of Bengal?
[RPF Constable 2018]
A. William Bentinck
B. Warren Hastings
C. Lord Mayo
D. Robert Clive
Answer: B. Warren Hastings
Explanation: Warren Hastings became the first Governor-General of Bengal under the Regulating Act framework, formally assuming the title in 1774. He had earlier governed Bengal and pursued revenue, judicial and administrative restructuring for the Company.
7. Arrange these Governors-General chronologically: (i) Wellesley, (ii) William Bentinck, (iii) Warren Hastings, (iv) Cornwallis.
[APPSC Group I Prelims 2018]
A. (iii), (iv), (i), (ii)
B. (ii), (i), (iv), (iii)
C. (i), (iii), (ii), (iv)
D. (iv), (ii), (iii), (i)
Answer: A. (iii), (iv), (i), (ii)
Explanation: Warren Hastings held office first, followed by Cornwallis, then Wellesley and finally William Bentinck. Their principal tenures began in 1774, 1786, 1798 and 1828 respectively, illustrating successive phases of British expansion and administration.
6. Which statement about Warren Hastings is incorrect?
[TNTET Social Studies Paper II 2019]
A. Warren Hastings introduced the Dual Government system
B. Calcutta became Bengal’s administrative centre in 1772
C. The Rohilla War occurred during Hastings’s administration
D. Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of Fort William
Answer: A. Warren Hastings introduced the Dual Government system
Explanation: Robert Clive established the Dual Government in Bengal in 1765, separating nominal Indian administration from Company revenue control. Warren Hastings ended that arrangement in 1772 and brought the Company into more direct control of provincial administration.
5. In which two presidencies was the Ryotwari land-revenue system chiefly introduced?
[MPSC Group C 2019]
A. Madras and Bombay
B. Bengal and Punjab
C. Calcutta and Nagpur
D. Delhi and Himachal Pradesh
Answer: A. Madras and Bombay
Explanation: Ryotwari settlements were developed chiefly in Madras and Bombay, where land revenue was assessed directly on cultivators rather than collected through hereditary zamindars. Alexander Read and Thomas Munro were important early architects of its implementation.
4. Which princely state was the first annexed under Lord Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse?
[UPPSC Civil Services Prelims 2016]
A. Jhansi
B. Satara
C. Karauli
D. Sambalpur
Answer: B. Satara
Explanation: Satara was annexed in 1848 under Dalhousie after the colonial government refused to recognize succession through adoption. The doctrine later affected other states, notably Jhansi and Nagpur, and contributed to resentment toward Company expansion.
3. During whose administration did the Vellore Mutiny of 1806 occur?
[CGPSC State Service Prelims General Studies 2016]
A. Lord Wellesley
B. Lord Minto
C. Lord Cornwallis
D. Sir George Barlow
E. None of these
Answer: D. Sir George Barlow
Explanation: The Vellore Mutiny erupted in July 1806 during Sir George Barlow’s acting governor-generalship. Lord William Bentinck was then Governor of Madras, rather than Governor-General; administrative controversies in the Madras army contributed to the uprising.
2. Under which Viceroy did the Ilbert Bill dispute arise?
[RPSC Assistant Engineer General Knowledge and Science 2013]
A. Lord Lytton
B. Lord Curzon
C. Lord Ripon
D. Lord Dufferin
Answer: C. Lord Ripon
Explanation: The controversy broke out in 1883 under Lord Ripon. The measure sought to remove racial restrictions on Indian judicial officers trying Europeans, but resistance from European residents forced the administration to dilute its original proposal.
1. Which Governor-General created the Covenanted Civil Service of India, the predecessor of the Indian Civil Service?
[UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2010]
A. Warren Hastings
B. Lord Wellesley
C. Lord Cornwallis
D. Lord William Bentinck
Answer: C. Lord Cornwallis
Explanation: Lord Cornwallis restructured the Company’s higher civil service by improving salaries and imposing stricter service rules. The Covenanted Civil Service became a precursor of the Indian Civil Service, although senior positions were effectively reserved for Europeans.