British Rule, Reforms & Early Movements MCQs with Answers
Solved MCQs on the Battle of Plassey, East India Company rule, the Regulating and Charter Acts, Governors-General and the early reform movements of the subcontinent — for PPSC, FPSC, NTS, CSS and PMS.
Lord Cornwallis is the father of civil services in India and introduced the Permanent Settlement (1793).
The Battle of Plassey (1757) — Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah, giving the Company Bengal.
The Battle of Buxar (1764) was led for the Company by Hector Munro.
Alivardi Khan became Nawab of Bengal in 1740.
The Regulating Act of 1773 was the first move to centralise Company rule.
Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of Bengal (1773).
The Governor-General’s council had four members and could outvote him.
The Supreme Court at Calcutta was established in 1774; first Chief Justice Sir Elijah Impey.
The Board of Control came from Pitt’s India Act 1784, not the 1773 Act.
The Charter Act of 1793 renewed the Company’s trade monopoly for 20 years.
The Charter Act of 1813 opened trade to British merchants but kept tea and China trade monopolies.
Lord Wellesley introduced the Subsidiary Alliance system.
Lord William Bentinck abolished Sati in 1829 and was the first Governor-General of India.
Lord Auckland launched the disastrous First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-42).
Lord Dalhousie introduced the Doctrine of Lapse (1848); Jhansi, Satara and Nagpur were annexed under it.
Lord Canning was the last Governor-General and the first Viceroy of India.
After 1858 the Governor-General also held the title of Viceroy, representing the Crown.
The East India Company was formally dissolved in 1874.
Sir William Jones founded the Asiatic Society in Calcutta in 1784.
Fort William College was established at Calcutta in 1800.
Indian Railways began operations in 1853.
The Battle of Saragarhi (1897) against Afghan tribesmen is history’s famous last-stand battle.
The Faraizi Movement was founded by Haji Shariatullah in Bengal (1818).
Syed Ahmad Shaheed (Barelvi) led the Jihad Movement against Sikh rule.
Titu Mir (real name Syed Mir Nisar Ali) led Bengal’s peasants against zamindars and the British.
Brahmo Samaj was founded in 1828 by Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
Arya Samaj was founded in 1875 by Dayananda Saraswati.
The Banaras Institute (1867) campaigned to replace Urdu with Hindi, starting the Hindi-Urdu controversy.
The Urdu-Hindi controversy is seen as an early step towards the Two-Nation Theory.
Satyendranath Tagore became the first Indian in the Civil Service in 1864.
The Quran was first translated in the subcontinent into Persian, by Shah Waliullah.
The RSS was founded in 1925 at Nagpur by Dr. K.B. Hedgewar.
Who is regarded as the father of civil services in India?
Lord Charles Cornwallis is known as the father of civil services in India for introducing the covenanted civil service and the Cornwallis Code.
Lord Cornwallis is best known for which land revenue reform in Bengal?
Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement of Bengal in 1793, fixing land revenue permanently with zamindars. Note: Cornwallis was a Governor-General, not a Viceroy — the Viceroy title only began in 1858.
Who was the Governor of Bengal from 1760 to 1765?
Henry Vansittart served as Governor of Bengal between 1760 and 1765.
Who was the Governor-General of the East India Company in 1849?
Lord Dalhousie was Governor-General in 1849, the year Punjab was annexed.
Who was Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces in 1895-1896?
Sir Anthony Patrick MacDonnell served as Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces during 1895-1896.
Who was the British Prime Minister in 1920?
David Lloyd George was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1920.
Who was the first Governor-General of India?
Lord William Bentinck became the first Governor-General of India under the Charter Act of 1833. Warren Hastings had earlier been the first Governor-General of Bengal.
Alivardi Khan became the Nawab of Bengal in which year?
Alivardi Khan became Nawab of Bengal in 1740. He was the grandfather and predecessor of Siraj-ud-Daulah.
In which year was the Battle of Plassey fought?
The Battle of Plassey was fought in 1757, giving the East India Company control over Bengal.
Which Nawab of Bengal was defeated by Lord Clive at the Battle of Plassey?
Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah was defeated at Plassey in 1757, betrayed by his commander Mir Jafar.
Who led the East India Company forces at the 1764 Battle of Buxar?
Major Hector Munro led the British forces to victory at the Battle of Buxar in 1764.
The Asiatic Society, formed in 1784 to advance oriental research, was founded by whom and headquartered where?
Sir William Jones founded the Asiatic Society in Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1784.
Fort William College was established in which city?
Fort William College was established in Calcutta in 1800 by Lord Wellesley to train Company officials.
Murree was constructed in 1853 at:
Murree was developed by the British as a hill station, with Sunny Bank among its earliest settled localities near Rawalpindi.
Indian Railways started operation in:
The first passenger railway line in India began operations in 1853, between Bombay and Thane.
The Battle of Saragarhi, a famous last-stand battle, was fought against forces from which country?
The Battle of Saragarhi (1897) was fought against Afghan (Orakzai and Afridi) tribesmen on the North-West Frontier.
The Saragarhi battle against Afghan forces is best described as a:
Saragarhi is famous as a last-stand battle, in which 21 soldiers of the 36th Sikhs fought to the last man.
When did women get voting rights in British India?
Limited female franchise was extended through the early 1930s, with 1931 commonly cited; the Government of India Act 1935 later broadened it considerably.
Which Act was passed by the British Parliament in 1773 to centralise the administration of the East India Company?
The Regulating Act of 1773 was the first British parliamentary attempt to control and centralise East India Company governance.
Who was the first Governor-General of Bengal under the Regulating Act of 1773?
Warren Hastings became the first Governor-General of Bengal under the Regulating Act of 1773.
How many members sat on the Governor-General's Council under the Regulating Act of 1773?
The Council consisted of four members alongside the Governor-General.
What did the Regulating Act of 1773 establish?
The Act provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court at Calcutta.
In what year was the Supreme Court in Calcutta established?
The Supreme Court at Calcutta was established in 1774, a year after the Regulating Act.
Who was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Calcutta?
Sir Elijah Impey was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court at Calcutta.
What was the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in Calcutta under the Regulating Act of 1773?
The Supreme Court was given jurisdiction over both civil and criminal cases.
Under the Regulating Act of 1773, which body was strengthened to supervise the East India Company?
The Regulating Act reformed the Court of Directors, requiring it to report to the British government. The separate Board of Control was created later, by Pitt's India Act of 1784.
What was a significant feature of the Governor-General's Council under the Regulating Act of 1773?
The Governor-General was bound by the majority decision of his four-member council and could be outvoted — a source of considerable friction for Warren Hastings.
Which system of governance formed the backdrop to the Regulating Act of 1773 in Bengal?
The Act was implemented against the background of the Dual System (Diwani and Nizamat) established in Bengal after 1765.
Who served as Governor-General of Bengal between 1786 and 1793?
Lord Cornwallis served as Governor-General from 1786 to 1793.
What did the Charter Act of 1793 approve regarding the East India Company's trade monopoly?
The Charter Act of 1793 renewed the Company's commercial privileges for a further 20 years.
Which Act ended the East India Company's trade monopoly on most goods?
The Charter Act of 1813 opened Indian trade to British merchants, ending the Company's monopoly on most goods.
Who introduced the Subsidiary Alliance system in India?
The Subsidiary Alliance system was introduced by Lord Wellesley to bring Indian states under British control without direct annexation.
What change was made to the position of Governor-General after 1858?
After the 1857 revolt and the Government of India Act 1858, the Governor-General also held the title of Viceroy, representing the Crown directly.
When was the East India Company officially dissolved?
The East India Company was formally dissolved in 1874, under the East India Stock Dividend Redemption Act.
Who was the last Governor-General of Bengal and the first Governor-General of India?
Lord William Bentinck was the last Governor-General of Bengal and became the first Governor-General of India under the Charter Act of 1833.
Which system did Lord Wellesley use to bring Indian states under British control?
The Subsidiary Alliance allowed the British to control native states indirectly, by stationing troops and controlling foreign relations.
Which controversial practice was abolished by Lord William Bentinck?
Lord William Bentinck abolished Sati (widow burning) in 1829.
What major military action marked Lord Auckland's tenure as Governor-General?
Lord Auckland's tenure is best known for the disastrous First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842).
Who introduced the Doctrine of Lapse in 1848?
Lord Dalhousie introduced the controversial Doctrine of Lapse, under which states without a natural heir passed to the British.
Which states were affected by the Doctrine of Lapse and related annexations under Lord Dalhousie?
Jhansi, Satara and Nagpur were annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse, while Oudh (Awadh) was annexed on the grounds of alleged misrule.
Who was the last Governor-General of India and its first Viceroy?
Lord Canning was the last Governor-General of India and became its first Viceroy after 1858.
Which policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie caused major annexations?
The Doctrine of Lapse was Dalhousie's principal annexation policy and a major grievance leading to the 1857 revolt.
What was the purpose of the Charter Act of 1793?
The Act renewed the East India Company's commercial privileges and reinforced its power in India for a further 20 years.
For how long did the Charter Act of 1793 renew the East India Company's trade monopoly?
The monopoly was renewed for 20 years, until the Charter Act of 1813.
Which trade did the East India Company retain as a monopoly even after the Charter Act of 1813?
The 1813 Act opened Indian trade to British merchants but the Company kept its monopoly over the tea trade and trade with China.
Under the Charter Act of 1793, from where were the salaries of the Board of Control members paid?
Paying the Board of Control's salaries out of Indian revenues was a controversial feature of the 1793 Act.
What was the primary goal of the Charter Act of 1793 for the East India Company?
The Act's primary goal was to legally reinforce the Company's existing power and its revenue-collection rights.
How did the Charter Act of 1813 differ from that of 1793?
The 1813 Act allowed British merchants to trade freely in India, ending the Company's monopoly on most goods.
The Hindu nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was founded in 1925 at Nagpur by:
The RSS was founded by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar at Nagpur in 1925.
In which year was the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) founded?
The RSS was founded in 1925 at Nagpur.
The Holy Quran was first translated into which language in the subcontinent?
The earliest complete translation of the Quran in the subcontinent was into Persian, by Shah Waliullah.
Who was the founder of Bahawalpur State?
Nawab Bahawal Khan Abbasi established the princely state of Bahawalpur.
The Faraizi Movement was started by Haji Shariatullah in:
Haji Shariatullah launched the Faraizi Movement after returning from the Hijaz in 1818; some sources date its wider organisation to the 1820s.
Which movement claimed that land belongs to Allah, so no one could levy tax or rule over it?
The Faraizi Movement, opposing illegal taxes and oppression by zamindars, advanced this claim.
The Faraizi movement started in which region?
The movement was active primarily in eastern Bengal among Muslim peasants.
Syed Ahmad Shaheed was the founder of which movement?
Syed Ahmad Barelvi (Shaheed) founded the Jihad Movement, also known as the Mujahideen Movement.
Syed Ahmad Shaheed's Jihad Movement was directed against:
The movement's immediate military target was Sikh rule in Punjab and the North-West Frontier.
Titu Mir worked for the Muslim peasants of:
Titu Mir's movement against oppressive landlords was based in Bengal.
Titu Mir struggled against which forces?
Titu Mir fought against oppressive Hindu zamindars and the British colonial system that supported them.
Titu Mir's struggle was aimed at improving conditions for:
Although closely associated with Muslim peasants, Titu Mir's goal was broader emancipation for the peasantry of Bengal.
Titu Mir was a follower of which reformist movement?
Titu Mir was a follower of the Tariqah-i-Muhammadiya, the reformist movement associated with Syed Ahmad Barelvi.
What was the real name of Titu Mir?
Titu Mir's real name was Syed Mir Nisar Ali.
Brahmo Samaj was founded in:
Brahmo Samaj was founded in 1828 by Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
The Banaras Institute (1867) was the first organised practical step taken against which language?
The Banaras Institute was formed by Hindi campaigners seeking to replace Urdu with Hindi in official use — the start of the Hindi-Urdu controversy. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan responded to this campaign, which deepened Hindu-Muslim division.
When was the first Indian inducted into the civil services?
Satyendranath Tagore became the first Indian to enter the Indian Civil Service, in 1864.
The 1867 Urdu-Hindi controversy widened the rift between Hindus and Muslims and is seen as a precursor to which idea?
The Urdu-Hindi controversy is regarded as an early step towards the Two-Nation Theory, which later underpinned the demand for Pakistan.
Who founded the Arya Samaj?
Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati.
Arya Samaj was founded in:
Arya Samaj was founded in 1875.
British Rule, Reforms & Early Movements — Complete Reference
This chapter covers the century between the Battle of Plassey (1757) and the War of Independence (1857) — how the East India Company turned a trading concern into a governing power, the British Acts that regulated it, the Governors-General who expanded it, and the early Muslim reform movements that resisted it. These topics recur heavily in PPSC, FPSC, NTS, CSS, PMS and OTS papers. It is Chapter 4 of our Pakistan Studies MCQs hub.
Key British Acts — What Each One Did
| Act | Year | Main Provisions |
|---|---|---|
| Regulating Act | 1773 | First move to centralise Company rule; Warren Hastings became first Governor-General of Bengal; 4-member council that could outvote him; Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774) |
| Pitt’s India Act | 1784 | Created the Board of Control — dual control of Company and Crown |
| Charter Act | 1793 | Renewed the Company’s trade monopoly for 20 years; Board of Control salaries paid from Indian revenues |
| Charter Act | 1813 | Opened Indian trade to British merchants; Company kept tea and China trade monopolies only |
| Charter Act | 1833 | Lord William Bentinck became first Governor-General of India |
| Government of India Act | 1858 | Crown rule begins; Governor-General also titled Viceroy |
Governors-General & Their Signature Policies
| Governor-General | Known For |
|---|---|
| Warren Hastings | First Governor-General of Bengal (1773) |
| Lord Cornwallis (1786–93) | Father of civil services; Permanent Settlement of 1793; Cornwallis Code |
| Lord Wellesley | Subsidiary Alliance; Fort William College; Fourth Anglo-Mysore War |
| Lord William Bentinck | Abolished Sati (1829); first Governor-General of India |
| Lord Auckland | First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–42) |
| Lord Dalhousie | Doctrine of Lapse (1848); annexed Punjab (1849); railways began 1853 |
| Lord Canning | Last Governor-General and first Viceroy of India |
Early Reform & Resistance Movements
| Movement / Figure | Year | Key Facts |
|---|---|---|
| Faraizi Movement — Haji Shariatullah | 1818 | Bengal; held that land belongs to Allah, opposing zamindari taxes |
| Jihad Movement — Syed Ahmad Shaheed | 1820s–1831 | Directed against Sikh rule in Punjab and the Frontier |
| Titu Mir (Syed Mir Nisar Ali) | 1830s | Bengal peasant resistance against zamindars and the British; follower of Tariqah-i-Muhammadiya |
| Brahmo Samaj — Raja Ram Mohan Roy | 1828 | Hindu reform movement |
| Banaras Institute | 1867 | Campaign to replace Urdu with Hindi — start of the Hindi-Urdu controversy |
| Arya Samaj — Dayananda Saraswati | 1875 | Hindu revivalist movement |
Common exam trap: Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of Bengal (1773), while Lord William Bentinck was the first Governor-General of India (1833). And the Board of Control came from Pitt’s India Act of 1784 — not the Regulating Act of 1773, which reformed the Court of Directors.
For further reading see Wikipedia’s entries on the Company rule in India and the Battle of Plassey. Syllabus references are published by FPSC and PPSC.