Modern History MCQs for UPSC, SSC and all other Exams Quiz-5

Bahadur Shah Zafar was captured on:

• 10 May 1857
• 8 April 1857
• 21 September 1857
• 1 November 1857

British forces recaptured Delhi in September 1857. Bahadur Shah Zafar fled after the fall of Delhi. He was subsequently captured by the British. 21 September 1857 was the date of his capture. He was later tried and exiled to Rangoon.

Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled to:

• London
• Rangoon
• Kabul
• Colombo

Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last Mughal emperor. He became the symbolic leader of the Revolt of 1857. After the British recaptured Delhi, he was captured. He was tried by the British for his role in the uprising. He was exiled to Rangoon, where he died in 1862.

Rani Laxmibai was the ruler of:

• Kanpur
• Satara
• Lucknow
• Jhansi

Rani Laxmibai was the Queen of Jhansi. Jhansi was annexed by the British under the Doctrine of Lapse. The British refused to recognize her adopted son as successor. This became an important reason for her resistance. She later fought at Kalpi and Gwalior and died in battle in 1858.

Who was the adopted son of Rani Laxmibai?

• Nana Sahib
• Damodar Rao
• Birjis Qadr
• Kunwar Singh

Maharaja Gangadhar Rao was the husband of Rani Laxmibai. He died in 1853. A son named Damodar Rao had been adopted. The British refused to recognize the adopted heir under the Doctrine of Lapse. The annexation of Jhansi intensified Rani Laxmibai's resistance.

Rani Laxmibai died while fighting at:

• Delhi
• Meerut
• Barrackpore
• Gwalior

Rani Laxmibai actively participated in the Revolt of 1857. She defended Jhansi against British forces. After leaving Jhansi, she fought alongside rebel forces at Kalpi. She subsequently fought at Gwalior.

The Sanyasi Revolt occurred mainly in:

• Bengal
• Punjab
• Bombay
• Madras

The Sanyasi Revolt took place primarily in Bengal. Ascetic monks and Muslim fakirs played important roles. British economic exploitation contributed to the movement. Restrictions on religious activities also generated resentment. The Bengal famine of 1770 and heavy taxation further intensified hardships.

The Sanyasi Revolt received support from:

• Only British officials
• Dispossessed peasants and demobilized soldiers
• Only European traders
• Only zamindars

The movement was not limited to religious mendicants. Dispossessed peasants joined the resistance. Demobilized soldiers also participated. Heavy taxation and economic hardship encouraged participation. The Bengal famine of 1770 further worsened the social and economic situation.

The Poligar Revolt was associated mainly with:

• Punjab
• Tamil Nadu
• Bengal
• Awadh

The Poligars were local chieftains of Tamil Nadu. Their revolt occurred during 1799–1805. The British attempted to abolish their traditional revenue and administrative rights. This threatened their political and economic position. Veerapandiya Kattabomman was one of the prominent leaders associated with the revolt.

Veerapandiya Kattabomman was associated with:

• Sanyasi Revolt
• Poligar Revolt
• Santhal Rebellion
• Revolt of 1857

Veerapandiya Kattabomman was a prominent Poligar leader. The Poligars resisted British attempts to centralize revenue administration. Their traditional authority was threatened by British expansion. Kattabomman was captured by the British. He was subsequently executed.

The Santhal Rebellion took place during:

• 1770–1772
• 1820–1822
• 1855–1856
• 1905–1906

The Santhal Rebellion is also known as the Santhal Hul. It occurred during 1855–56. Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu were prominent leaders. Economic exploitation by zamindars and moneylenders was an important grievance. The British eventually suppressed the rebellion through military force.

Who were the prominent leaders of the Santhal Rebellion?

• Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu
• Nana Sahib and Tantia Tope
• Rani Laxmibai and Kunwar Singh
• Dayananda Saraswati and Rammohun Roy

Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu led the Santhal uprising. The rebellion occurred in 1855–56. Santhals faced exploitation by zamindars and moneylenders. Loss of land and indebtedness created severe social distress. The British ultimately suppressed the rebellion using military force.

The Ho and Munda uprisings were mainly associated with:

• Chotanagpur and Singhbhum
• Bengal Delta
• Punjab plains
• Deccan plateau

The Ho and Munda movements occurred in eastern-central India. Singhbhum was an important area of Ho resistance. The Kol uprising of 1831–33 involved Ho and Munda participation. Displacement of traditional chiefs and heavy taxation were major grievances. British forces eventually suppressed the uprisings.

Which Act transferred the administration of India from the East India Company to the British Crown?

• Charter Act 1813
• Charter Act 1833
• Government of India Act 1858
• Indian Councils Act 1861

The Revolt of 1857 had major political consequences. The East India Company's rule came to an end. The Government of India Act 1858 transferred power to the British Crown. A Secretary of State for India was appointed. India was thereafter governed directly in the name of the British monarch.

What happened to the Doctrine of Lapse after the Revolt of 1857?

• It was strengthened
• It was extended to all princely states
• It was abandoned
• It became compulsory

The Revolt showed the dangers of aggressive annexation policies. The British subsequently changed their policy towards princely states. The Doctrine of Lapse was abandoned. Indian rulers were assured of their rights and allowed to adopt heirs. The change was intended to secure the cooperation of princely states.

One important consequence of the Revolt of 1857 was:

• End of British Crown rule
• End of East India Company rule
• Restoration of Mughal sovereignty
• Independence of India

The East India Company had controlled British territories in India before 1858. The Revolt of 1857 exposed weaknesses in Company administration. The British Parliament transferred administration to the Crown. The Company consequently lost its governing role. Direct Crown rule began after 1858.

British economic policies before 1857 contributed to:

• Industrialization of Indian handicrafts
• Deindustrialization of Indian handicrafts
• Complete elimination of British imports
• Rapid prosperity of Indian artisans

British economic policy favored British industrial and commercial interests. Indian handicrafts faced competition from British machine-made goods. Indian goods also faced heavy duties in British markets. Many Indian artisans lost their traditional livelihoods. India increasingly became a supplier of raw materials and a market for British manufactured goods.

Which of the following became an important raw material supplied by India to British industries?

• Cotton
• Coal only
• Steel
• Machinery

British commercial policy increasingly integrated India into the colonial economic system. India supplied raw materials to British industries. Cotton was one of the important raw materials. Jute and indigo were also important commercial products. At the same time, British manufactured goods entered the Indian market.

The British commercial policy primarily sought to make India:

• An independent industrial economy
• A supplier of raw materials and market for British goods
• A closed agricultural economy
• A producer of only luxury goods

British commercial policy served Britain's industrial interests. India supplied raw materials such as cotton, jute and indigo. British manufactured goods were sold in the Indian market. Indian handicraft industries consequently faced severe competition. This economic relationship contributed to the deindustrialization.

British railways and communication infrastructure primarily helped:

• Eliminate colonial trade
• Facilitate resource extraction and movement
• End British economic control
• Protect Indian handicrafts

Railways, roads and telegraphs expanded during British rule. They improved communication and movement across territories. Raw materials could be transported from interior regions to ports. These facilities therefore served important colonial economic objectives.

British commercialization of agriculture encouraged cultivation of:

• Only food grains
• Only vegetables
• Cash crops such as indigo, cotton and opium
• Only forest products

British policies encouraged the commercialization of Indian agriculture. Cash crops became increasingly important. Commercial crops could sometimes replace food crops. Many peasants consequently faced economic difficulties and market dependence.