Modern History of India MCQs with Answers and Explanations

Question #1

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Who among the following was the first Governor-General of Bengal?

A. Warren Hastings

B. Robert Clive

C. Lord Cornwallis

D. Lord Wellesley

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Correct Answer: Option A

Explanation:
The Regulating Act of 1773 designated the Governor of Bengal as the Governor-General of Bengal, and Warren Hastings became the first person to hold this post.

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Question #2

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Through which of the following acts did the British Crown completely assume the direct administration of British India, bringing an end to the rule of the East India Company?

A. Government of India Act 1858

B. Indian Councils Act 1861

C. Charter Act of 1833

D. Regulating Act of 1773

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Correct Answer: Option A

Explanation:
Following the Revolt of 1857, the Government of India Act 1858 liquidated the East India Company and transferred the governance of India directly to the British Crown.

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Question #3

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The Battle of Plassey was fought in which year?

A. 1757

B. 1748

C. 1761

D. 1764

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Correct Answer: Option A

Explanation:
The Battle of Plassey was fought on June 23, 1757, between the forces of Siraj-ud-Daulah (the Nawab of Bengal) and the British East India Company led by Robert Clive.

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Question #4

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Which British Governor-General introduced the Subsidiary Alliance system in India to establish British supremacy?

A. Lord Wellesley

B. Lord Cornwallis

C. Lord William Bentinck

D. Lord Dalhousie

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Correct Answer: Option A

Explanation:
The Subsidiary Alliance system was framed by Lord Wellesley (Governor-General from 1798 to 1805) to eliminate French influence and expand British territory in India.

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Question #5

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Who among the following founded the 'Atmiya Sabha' in 1815?

A. Debendranath Tagore

B. Raja Ram Mohan Roy

C. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

D. Swami Vivekananda

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Correct Answer: Option B

Explanation:
Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Atmiya Sabha in Calcutta in 1815 to propagate monotheistic ideals and campaign against socio-religious evils.

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Question #6

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The permanent settlement system of land revenue was introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793 primarily in which provinces?

A. Central Provinces and Berar

B. Bombay and Madras

C. Punjab and Awadh

D. Bengal and Bihar

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Correct Answer: Option D

Explanation:
The Permanent Settlement (Zamindari System) was introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793 in Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and northern districts of Madras.

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Question #7

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Who was the Mughal Emperor when the East India Company was granted the Diwani rights of Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha in 1765?

A. Bahadur Shah II

B. Shah Alam II

C. Farrukhsiyar

D. Muhammad Shah

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Correct Answer: Option B

Explanation:
Following the Battle of Buxar, Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II granted the Diwani rights (right to collect revenues) of Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha to the Company via the Treaty of Allahabad in 1765.

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Question #8

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Which of the following treaties brought an end to the First Anglo-Maratha War?

A. Treaty of Salbai

B. Treaty of Bassein

C. Treaty of Surat

D. Treaty of Purandar

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Correct Answer: Option A

Explanation:
The First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782) ended with the Treaty of Salbai, signed in May 1782 between Warren Hastings and Mahadji Shinde.

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Question #9

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The Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy extensively applied by which Governor-General?

A. Lord Dalhousie

B. Lord Hastings

C. Lord Auckland

D. Lord Curzon

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Correct Answer: Option A

Explanation:
Lord Dalhousie applied the Doctrine of Lapse to annex Indian princely states whose rulers died without a natural male heir. Satara, Sambalpur, Jhansi, and Nagpur were annexed under this policy.

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Question #10

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The practice of Sati was officially declared illegal and punishable by law during the tenure of which Governor-General?

A. Lord Canning

B. Lord William Bentinck

C. Lord Amherst

D. Lord Ellenborough

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Correct Answer: Option B

Explanation:
The Bengal Sati Regulation was passed in 1829 by Governor-General Lord William Bentinck, largely due to the sustained social reform efforts of Raja Ram Mohan Roy.

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Question #11

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Who was the leader of the Santhal Rebellion of 1855–56?

A. Alluri Sitarama Raju

B. Sidhu and Kanhu

C. Tirutsing

D. Birsa Munda

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Correct Answer: Option B

Explanation:
The Santhal rebellion against the oppressive zamindari system and British East India Company rule in Jharkhand/Bengal was led by two brothers, Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu.

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Question #12

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The historic Revolt of 1857 officially commenced from which of the following military stations?

A. Delhi

B. Barrackpore

C. Meerut

D. Ambala

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Correct Answer: Option C

Explanation:
While Mangal Pandey mutinied earlier at Barrackpore, the mutiny explicitly erupted as a large-scale rebellion on May 10, 1857, at the military station of Meerut.

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Question #13

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Who was the British Governor-General during the Revolt of 1857?

A. Lord Canning

B. Lord Elgin

C. Lord Lawrence

D. Lord Dalhousie

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Correct Answer: Option A

Explanation:
Lord Canning served as the Governor-General of India during the rebellion of 1857, subsequently becoming India's first Viceroy under the 1858 Act.

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Question #14

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Who led the anti-British rebel forces in Lucknow during the 1857 uprising?

A. Begum Hazrat Mahal

B. Rani Laxmibai

C. Khan Bahadur

D. Kunwar Singh

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Correct Answer: Option A

Explanation:
Begum Hazrat Mahal, wife of the deposed ruler Wajid Ali Shah, organized the rebellion and led the forces against the British at Lucknow.

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Question #15

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Who among the following was the founder of the 'Satyashodhak Samaj' in Maharashtra?

A. Bal Gangadhar Tilak

B. Atmaram Pandurang

C. Mahadev Govind Ranade

D. Jyotirao Phule

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Correct Answer: Option D

Explanation:
Mahatma Jyotirao Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth-seekers' Society) in Pune in 1873 to challenge Brahmanical hegemony and champion the rights of lower castes and women.

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Question #16

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In which year was the Vernacular Press Act passed, severely curbing the freedom of Indian-language newspapers?

A. 1882

B. 1872

C. 1875

D. 1878

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Correct Answer: Option D

Explanation:
The Vernacular Press Act was enacted by Viceroy Lord Lytton in 1878 to suppress critical local press reporting, particularly targeted at the Amrita Bazar Patrika.

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Question #17

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Who was the Viceroy of India when the Indian National Congress was founded in December 1885?

A. Lord Dufferin

B. Lord Ripon

C. Lord Lansdowne

D. Lord Lytton

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Correct Answer: Option A

Explanation:
Lord Dufferin served as the Viceroy of India from 1884 to 1888, which is the exact period during which the Indian National Congress was formed.

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Question #18

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The first session of the Indian National Congress in 1885 was presided over by whom?

A. Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee

B. Dinshaw Wacha

C. Allan Octavian Hume

D. Dadabhai Naoroji

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Correct Answer: Option A

Explanation:
The inaugural session of the Indian National Congress was held at Bombay in December 1885 and was presided over by Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (W.C. Bonnerjee).

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Question #19

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Who propounded the 'Drain of Wealth' theory in his book 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India'?

A. Romesh Chunder Dutt

B. Dadabhai Naoroji

C. Gopal Krishna Gokhale

D. M. G. Ranade

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Correct Answer: Option B

Explanation:
Dadabhai Naoroji, known as the 'Grand Old Man of India', put forward the Drain of Wealth theory, arguing that Britain was systematically draining India's resources.

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Question #20

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Which Viceroy of India was responsible for ordering the Partition of Bengal in 1905?

A. Lord Chelmsford

B. Lord Hardinge

C. Lord Curzon

D. Lord Minto

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Correct Answer: Option C

Explanation:
Lord Curzon issued the order for the partition of Bengal in July 1905, separating the Muslim-majority eastern areas from the Hindu-majority western areas, triggering the Swadeshi Movement.

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