British Expansion & Conquests MCQs for UPSC Prelims
33 practice questions on British Expansion & Conquests from the Modern History section of the UPSC Prelims syllabus.
33 come with a written explanation and 1 are actual previous year questions.
Try the sample set below - the answer stays hidden until you ask for it.
7 Easy13 Medium13 Hard1 from past papers
Sample questions
Q1
Previous year questionmedium
Which one of the following statements does not apply to the system of Subsidiary Alliance introduced by Lord Wellesley?
ATo maintain a large standing army at other's expense
BTo keep India safe from Napoleonic danger
CTo secure a fixed income for the Company
DTo establish British paramountcy over the Indian States
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C - To secure a fixed income for the Company
Under Lord Wellesley's Subsidiary Alliance the Company stationed troops maintained at the host state's expense (a), countered the perceived Napoleonic/French danger (b) and progressively established British paramountcy over Indian states (d); securing a fixed income for the Company was not an aim of the system, so (c) is the statement that does not apply and is the answer. The alliance worked by stripping rulers of independent foreign relations rather than by generating fixed revenue. Official and coaching keys agree the odd-one-out is the fixed-income clause.
Q2
medium
The 'Polygar Wars' fought against the East India Company in the early 19th century were concentrated mainly in which region?
AThe Tinnevelly and surrounding districts of the southern Tamil country
BThe Malabar coast of present-day Kerala
CThe Telangana plateau under the Nizam
DThe Konkan littoral of the western Maratha territory
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A - The Tinnevelly and surrounding districts of the southern Tamil country
The Polygar (Palaiyakkarar) Wars were rebellions by chieftains of the Tinnevelly, Ramnad and Madurai region of the southern Tamil country, led notably by Kattabomman of Panchalankurichi, against the Company's revenue and military demands. They were among the earliest armed resistances to Company rule in the south.
Q3
hard
The 'Dual Government' system in Bengal that operated between 1765 and 1772 is best described as an arrangement in which:
AThe Company held the Diwani (revenue) while the Nawab retained the Nizamat (police and judicial functions), with the Company exercising power without responsibility
BBengal was jointly administered by the British and the French Companies after the Treaty of Allahabad
CThe Mughal Emperor and the Nawab of Bengal shared revenue equally under Company supervision
DTwo deputy diwans, one British and one Indian, alternately governed Bengal each year
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A - The Company held the Diwani (revenue) while the Nawab retained the Nizamat (police and judicial functions), with the Company exercising power without responsibility
After the grant of the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa in 1765 (Treaty of Allahabad), Robert Clive instituted the 'Dual System': the Company acquired the right to collect revenue (Diwani) while the Nawab nominally retained administration of justice and policing (Nizamat). Real authority lay with the Company through deputies like Muhammad Reza Khan, but it bore no administrative responsibility. Warren Hastings abolished this system in 1772.
Q4
hard
The Battle of Buxar (1764) was fought by the East India Company against a combined force led by which of the following?
AMir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daula and Shah Alam II
BSiraj-ud-Daula, Mir Jafar and the French
CHyder Ali, the Nizam and the Marathas
DMir Jafar, Shah Alam II and the Rohillas
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A - Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daula and Shah Alam II
At Buxar (1764) the Company army under Hector Munro defeated the allied forces of Mir Qasim (the deposed Nawab of Bengal), Shuja-ud-Daula (Nawab of Awadh) and Shah Alam II (the Mughal Emperor). The victory was far more decisive than Plassey because it crushed three powers at once and led to the Treaty of Allahabad (1765), granting the Company the diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Siraj-ud-Daula and Plassey belong to 1757.
Q5
hard
With reference to the 'Doctrine of Lapse' as applied in the 1840s-50s, consider the following statements:
1. It was used to annex Satara, Jhansi and Nagpur among others.
2. Awadh (Oudh) was annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse on the ground of an absent natural heir.
3. The doctrine denied an adopted son the right to succeed to the gaddi without the paramount power's sanction.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
AOnly one
BOnly two
CAll three
DNone
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B - Only two
Statements 1 and 3 are correct: Satara (1848), Jhansi and Nagpur (1854) were annexed under the doctrine, which held that an adopted heir could not succeed without sanction of the paramount power. Statement 2 is wrong: Awadh was annexed in 1856 not under the Doctrine of Lapse but on the pretext of 'misgovernment' under the terms negotiated by Dalhousie, since the Nawab actually had heirs. Hence exactly two statements are correct.
Q6
easy
Consider the following statements regarding the Subsidiary Alliance system as developed by Lord Wellesley:
1. A state accepting the alliance was forbidden from maintaining diplomatic correspondence with another power without British consent.
2. The Nizam of Hyderabad was the first major ruler to accept the subsidiary alliance.
3. The maintained British force was to be stationed outside the territory of the allied state to preserve its sovereignty.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A1 and 2 only
B2 and 3 only
C1 and 3 only
D1, 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A - 1 and 2 only
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Under the subsidiary alliance, the allied state surrendered control of foreign relations and could not employ Europeans or correspond with other powers without British approval. The Nizam of Hyderabad accepted it first in 1798. Statement 3 is false: the subsidiary British force was stationed within the allied state's territory, and the state had to either pay for its upkeep or cede territory, deepening British control.
Q7
easy
The Battle of Buxar (1764) was fought by the East India Company against a combined force of which three rulers?
AMir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daula and Shah Alam II
BSiraj-ud-Daula, Mir Jafar and the Nizam of Hyderabad
CHaidar Ali, Tipu Sultan and the Nizam
DMir Jafar, Shah Alam II and Najib-ud-Daula
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A - Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daula and Shah Alam II
At Buxar in 1764 the Company under Hector Munro defeated the combined armies of Mir Qasim (the displaced Nawab of Bengal), Shuja-ud-Daula (Nawab of Awadh) and the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. The victory led to the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) and the grant of the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to the Company.
Q8
easy
The Battle of Buxar (1764) was a decisive engagement in the establishment of British power in India. The combined forces defeated by the English East India Company in this battle did NOT include which of the following?
AMir Qasim, the deposed Nawab of Bengal
BShuja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh
CShah Alam II, the Mughal Emperor
DSiraj-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Bengal
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D - Siraj-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Bengal
At Buxar (1764) the East India Company under Hector Munro defeated the combined armies of Mir Qasim (deposed Nawab of Bengal), Shuja-ud-Daula (Nawab of Awadh) and the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. Siraj-ud-Daula was the Nawab defeated earlier at the Battle of Plassey (1757) and was dead well before Buxar, so he was not part of the Buxar coalition. The victory led to the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) and the grant of Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha to the Company.
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