Understand the role of the British East India Company in shaping South Asia’s history. These MCQs cover trade, policies, and political dominance.
British East India Company impact MCQs
When was the British East India Company founded?
a) 1498
b) 1600
c) 1757
d) 1857
Which British monarch granted a royal charter to the British East India Company in 1600?
a) Queen Elizabeth I
b) King James I
c) Queen Victoria
d) King George III
Who was the first Governor of the British East India Company in India?
a) Sir Thomas Roe
b) Sir Thomas Munro
c) Sir Warren Hastings
d) Sir Robert Clive
What was the primary commodity that the British East India Company sought to trade when it was first established?
a) Cotton
b) Tea
c) Opium
d) Spices
The Battle of Plassey in 1757 marked a significant turning point for the British East India Company in India. Who led the British forces to victory in this battle?
a) Sir Thomas Roe
b) Sir Thomas Munro
c) Sir Warren Hastings
d) Robert Clive
Which Mughal emperor granted the British East India Company the right to establish a trading post in Calcutta?
a) Shah Jahan
b) Aurangzeb
c) Jahangir
d) Bahadur Shah I
What was the famous incident that led to the imposition of the Government of India Act 1858, transferring the powers of the British East India Company to the British Crown?
a) Sepoy Mutiny
b) Battle of Buxar
c) Jallianwala Bagh massacre
d) Treaty of Amritsar
Which British Prime Minister is associated with the decision to dissolve the British East India Company and transfer control of India to the British Crown?
a) William Pitt the Younger
b) Robert Walpole
c) Benjamin Disraeli
d) William Ewart Gladstone
The Regulating Act of 1773 was enacted by the British Parliament to regulate the affairs of the British East India Company. Who was appointed as the first Governor-General of Bengal under this act?
a) Sir Thomas Munro
b) Sir Warren Hastings
c) Lord Cornwallis
d) Lord Curzon
What was the primary purpose of the Permanent Settlement of 1793 in Bengal, also known as the Zamindari System?
a) To promote industrialization
b) To encourage education
c) To fix land revenue rates
d) To abolish the caste system
The British East India Company introduced a system of taxation on the cultivation of indigo, which led to the famous Indigo Revolt in Bengal. What was this system called?
a) Ryotwari system
b) Mahalwari system
c) Zamindari system
d) Nilgiri system
Who authored the book “The Wealth of India” in 1813, which promoted British colonial interests in India?
a) Karl Marx
b) Adam Smith
c) David Ricardo
d) Thomas Malthus
The Doctrine of Lapse, a policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie, allowed the British East India Company to annex princely states if they lacked a natural heir. Which state’s annexation led to significant controversy and unrest?
a) Jodhpur
b) Jhansi
c) Mysore
d) Hyderabad
Who was the ruler of the Sikh Empire at the time of the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1848-49, which led to the annexation of Punjab by the British East India Company?
a) Maharaja Ranjit Singh
b) Bahadur Shah II
c) Rani Padmini
d) Maharaja Duleep Singh
What was the name of the 1857-1858 uprising against British rule in India, which is often referred to as the “First War of Independence” or the “Indian Mutiny?
a) Indian Rebellion of 1857
b) Sepoy Mutiny
c) Battle of Plassey
d) Mughal Uprising
Which British officer played a significant role in suppressing the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and later became the Viceroy of India?
a) Sir Charles Napier
b) Lord Canning
c) Lord Dalhousie
d) Sir Colin Campbell
Who was the last Mughal emperor and a symbolic leader of the Indian Rebellion of 1857?
a) Bahadur Shah II
b) Aurangzeb
c) Shah Jahan
d) Jahangir
The British East India Company’s rule in India ended with the passage of which act in 1858, transferring power to the British Crown?
a) Government of India Act
b) Charter Act of 1833
c) Regulating Act of 1773
d) Indian Independence Act
What was the name of the infamous event in 1919 when British troops opened fire on a peaceful gathering in Amritsar, resulting in numerous casualties?
a) Jallianwala Bagh massacre
b) Morley-Minto Reforms
c) Simon Commission
d) Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
What was the name of the proponent of “satyagraha” (nonviolent resistance) who played a key role in India’s struggle for independence against the British East India Company and the British Crown?
a) Jawaharlal Nehru
b) Bhagat Singh
c) Mahatma Gandhi
d) Subhas Chandra Bose
Which act passed in 1833 by the British Parliament ended the British East India Company’s monopoly on trade with India?
a) Regulating Act
b) Government of India Act
c) Charter Act
d) Indian Independence Act
The British East India Company had a significant impact on India’s infrastructure and communication. Who introduced the first Indian postal system in 1766?
a) Sir Thomas Munro
b) Sir Warren Hastings
c) Sir Warren Hastings
d) Robert Clive
The opium trade was a lucrative business for the British East India Company. Which Chinese conflict arose due to the opium trade, resulting in the Treaty of Nanking?
a) Opium Wars
b) Boxer Rebellion
c) Taiping Rebellion
d) First Sino-Japanese War
Who is known as the “Father of the Indian Railways” for his contributions to the development of the railway system in India during British rule?
a) George Stephenson
b) James Watt
c) Lord Dalhousie
d) Sir William Ramsay
The East India Company’s dominance in India is often associated with the term “raj.” What does “raj” mean in this context?
a) Rule
b) Religion
c) Rebellion
d) Rights
The British East India Company established a fort and trading post in what is now the city of Chennai. What was the name of this fort?
a) Fort St. George
b) Fort William
c) Fort Cornwallis
d) Fort Victoria
Who served as the Governor-General of India during the Indian Rebellion of 1857?
a) Lord Cornwallis
b) Lord Curzon
c) Lord Dalhousie
d) Lord Canning
Which act of 1784 granted the British government greater control over the British East India Company’s affairs in India?
a) Regulating Act
b) Charter Act
c) Government of India Act
d) Indian Independence Act
What was the British East India Company’s primary source of revenue collection in India during its rule?
a) Trade tariffs
b) Land revenue
c) Industrial taxes
d) Export duties
The British East India Company is often associated with the “Doctrine of __________,” which allowed it to take control of territories where there were no direct heirs.
a) Monarchy
b) Lapse
c) Annexation
d) Empire
Who was the British Governor-General of India during the time of the Indian Rebellion of 1857?
a) Lord Cornwallis
b) Lord Curzon
c) Lord Dalhousie
d) Lord Canning
What event in 1857 was a major catalyst for the Indian Rebellion against the British East India Company’s rule?
a) Battle of Plassey
b) Sepoy Mutiny
c) Treaty of Buxar
d) Jallianwala Bagh massacre
What was the name of the British government’s response to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, which ended the rule of the British East India Company and transferred control of India to the British Crown?
a) Government of India Act
b) Charter Act of 1833
c) Regulating Act of 1773
d) Indian Independence Act
Which British Viceroy of India is known for the introduction of the Vernacular Press Act of 1878?
a) Lord Curzon
b) Lord Dalhousie
c) Lord Lytton
d) Lord Ripon
Who was the Governor-General of India responsible for the introduction of the Doctrine of Lapse policy?
a) Lord Cornwallis
b) Lord Curzon
c) Lord Dalhousie
d) Lord Canning
What was the name of the famous Indian scholar who organized the first Indian Nationalistic organization, the Indian National Association, during the time of the British East India Company’s rule?
a) Bhagat Singh
b) Dadabhai Naoroji
c) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
d) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
The British East India Company held a trading monopoly in India, but they had to pay an annual tribute to the Mughal Empire for the right to trade. What was this tribute called?
a) Diwani
b) Nawabi
c) Rajya
d) Mughaliya
Which act passed by the British Parliament in 1813 allowed Christian missionaries to work in India, leading to increased missionary activities?
a) Charter Act
b) Regulating Act
c) Government of India Act
d) Indian Independence Act
Who is known for his role in the founding of the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1885, which played a crucial role in India’s struggle for independence?
a) Mahatma Gandhi
b) Jawaharlal Nehru
c) Allan Octavian Hume
d) Subhas Chandra Bose
Which state was the first to be annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie?
a) Jodhpur
b) Jhansi
c) Mysore
d) Satara
The introduction of the Vernacular Press Act of 1878 by Lord Lytton led to a significant outcry in India. What did this act aim to control?
a) Land revenue collection
b) The education system
c) The Indian press
d) Religious practices
What was the name of the treaty that concluded the Second Anglo-Sikh War, resulting in the annexation of Punjab by the British East India Company?
a) Treaty of Lahore
b) Treaty of Amritsar
c) Treaty of Buxar
d) Treaty of Jandiala
Who is often called the “Lion of Punjab” and played a key role in the annexation of Punjab by the British East India Company?
a) Rani Lakshmi Bai
b) Maharaja Ranjit Singh
c) Sir John Lawrence
d) Sir Henry Lawrence
What was the main commodity that the British East India Company traded with China during the early 19th century?
a) Cotton
b) Silk
c) Opium
d) Tea
Which Indian leader is associated with the famous slogan “Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it” and the concept of “Swaraj” (self-rule)?
a) Bhagat Singh
b) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
c) Dadabhai Naoroji
d) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Who is often referred to as the “Grand Old Man of India” and was a prominent figure in the Indian National Congress during the British East India Company’s rule?
a) Jawaharlal Nehru
b) Dadabhai Naoroji
c) Subhas Chandra Bose
d) Mahatma Gandhi
In what year did the British Crown assume direct control over India, effectively ending the rule of the British East India Company?
a) 1600
b) 1757
c) 1857
d) 1858
Who is often called the “Father of Indian Railways” for his contributions to the development of the railway system in India during British rule?
a) George Stephenson
b) James Watt
c) Lord Dalhousie
d) Sir William Ramsay
The British East India Company established a major trading post in Calcutta, which later became the capital of British India. What was the name of this trading post?
a) Bombay
b) Madras
c) Calcutta
d) Agra
Which British Viceroy of India introduced the Vernacular Press Act of 1878, which restricted the freedom of the Indian press?
a) Lord Curzon
b) Lord Dalhousie
c) Lord Lytton
d) Lord Ripon
Who was the first Governor-General of India under the direct control of the British Crown after the dissolution of the British East India Company?
a) Lord Cornwallis
b) Lord Curzon
c) Lord Dalhousie
d) Lord Canning
The British East India Company is often associated with the “Doctrine of __________,” which allowed it to take control of territories where there were no direct heirs.
a) Monarchy
b) Lapse
c) Annexation
d) Empire
Who was the British Governor-General of India during the Indian Rebellion of 1857?
a) Lord Cornwallis
b) Lord Curzon
c) Lord Dalhousie
d) Lord Canning
What event in 1857 was a major catalyst for the Indian Rebellion against the British East India Company’s rule?
a) Battle of Plassey
b) Sepoy Mutiny
c) Treaty of Buxar
d) Jallianwala Bagh massacre
What was the name of the British government’s response to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, which ended the rule of the British East India Company and transferred control of India to the British Crown?
a) Government of India Act
b) Charter Act of 1833
c) Regulating Act of 1773
d) Indian Independence Act
Which British Prime Minister is associated with the decision to dissolve the British East India Company and transfer control of India to the British Crown?
a) William Pitt the Younger
b) Robert Walpole
c) Benjamin Disraeli
d) William Ewart Gladstone
The Regulating Act of 1773 was enacted by the British Parliament to regulate the affairs of the British East India Company. Who was appointed as the first Governor-General of Bengal under this act?
a) Sir Thomas Munro
b) Sir Warren Hastings
c) Lord Cornwallis
d) Lord Curzon
What was the primary purpose of the Permanent Settlement of 1793 in Bengal, also known as the Zamindari System?
a) To promote industrialization
b) To encourage education
c) To fix land revenue rates
d) To abolish the caste system
The British East India Company introduced a system of taxation on the cultivation of indigo, which led to the famous Indigo Revolt in Bengal. What was this system called?
a) Ryotwari system
b) Mahalwari system
c) Zamindari system
d) Nilgiri system
Who authored the book “The Wealth of India” in 1813, which promoted British colonial interests in India?
a) Karl Marx
b) Adam Smith
c) David Ricardo
d) Thomas Malthus
The Doctrine of Lapse, a policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie, allowed the British East India Company to annex princely states if they lacked a natural heir. Which state’s annexation led to significant controversy and unrest?
a) Jodhpur
b) Jhansi
c) Mysore
d) Hyderabad
Who was the ruler of the Sikh Empire at the time of the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1848-49, which led to the annexation of Punjab by the British East India Company?
a) Maharaja Ranjit Singh
b) Bahadur Shah II
c) Rani Padmini
d) Maharaja Duleep Singh
What was the name of the 1857-1858 uprising against British rule in India, which is often referred to as the “First War of Independence” or the “Indian Mutiny”?
a) Indian Rebellion of 1857
b) Sepoy Mutiny
c) Battle of Plassey
d) Mughal Uprising
Which British officer played a significant role in suppressing the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and later became the Viceroy of India?
a) Sir Charles Napier
b) Lord Canning
c) Lord Dalhousie
d) Sir Colin Campbell
Who was the last Mughal emperor and a symbolic leader of the Indian Rebellion of 1857?
a) Bahadur Shah II
b) Aurangzeb
c) Shah Jahan
d) Jahangir
The British East India Company’s rule in India ended with the passage of which act in 1858, transferring power to the British Crown?
a) Government of India Act
b) Charter Act of 1833
c) Regulating Act of 1773
d) Indian Independence Act
What was the name of the infamous event in 1919 when British troops opened fire on a peaceful gathering in Amritsar, resulting in numerous casualties?
a) Jallianwala Bagh massacre
b) Morley-Minto Reforms
c) Simon Commission
d) Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
What was the name of the proponent of “satyagraha” (nonviolent resistance) who played a key role in India’s struggle for independence against the British East India Company and the British Crown?
a) Jawaharlal Nehru
b) Bhagat Singh
c) Mahatma Gandhi
d) Subhas Chandra Bose
Which act passed in 1833 by the British Parliament ended the British East India Company’s monopoly on trade with India?
a) Regulating Act
b) Government of India Act
c) Charter Act
d) Indian Independence Act
The East India Company’s dominance in India is often associated with the term “raj.” What does “raj” mean in this context?
a) Rule
b) Religion
c) Rebellion
d) Rights
The British East India Company established a fort and trading post in what is now the city of Chennai. What was the name of this fort?
a) Fort St. George
b) Fort William
c) Fort Cornwallis
d) Fort Victoria
Who served as the Governor-General of India during the Indian Rebellion of 1857?
a) Lord Cornwallis
b) Lord Curzon
c) Lord Dalhousie
d) Lord Canning
Which act of 1784 granted the British government greater control over the British East India Company’s affairs in India?
a) Regulating Act
b) Charter Act
c) Government of India Act
d) Indian Independence Act
What was the British East India Company’s primary source of revenue collection in India during its rule?
a) Trade tariffs
b) Land revenue
c) Industrial taxes
d) Export duties
The British East India Company is often associated with the “Doctrine of __________,” which allowed it to take control of territories where there were no direct heirs.
a) Monarchy
b) Lapse
c) Annexation
d) Empire
What event in 1857 was a major catalyst for the Indian Rebellion against the British East India Company’s rule?
a) Battle of Plassey
b) Sepoy Mutiny
c) Treaty of Buxar
d) Jallianwala Bagh massacre
What was the name of the British government’s response to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, which ended the rule of the British East India Company and transferred control of India to the British Crown?
a) Government of India Act
b) Charter Act of 1833
c) Regulating Act of 1773
d) Indian Independence Act
In what year did the British Crown assume direct control over India, effectively ending the rule of the British East India Company?
a) 1600
b) 1757
c) 1857
d) 1858
What event in 1857 was a major catalyst for the Indian Rebellion against the British East India Company’s rule?
a) Battle of Plassey
b) Sepoy Mutiny
c) Treaty of Buxar
d) Jallianwala Bagh massacre
What was the name of the British government’s response to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, which ended the rule of the British East India Company and transferred control of India to the British Crown?
a) Government of India Act
b) Charter Act of 1833
c) Regulating Act of 1773
d) Indian Independence Act
