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Tag: Unit-7 SOURCES OF MODERN INDIAN HISTORY AND RISE OF BRITISH POWER

  • UGC NET History UNIT-7 Sources of Modern Indian History & Rise of British Power (16th–20th Century) MCQs

    🧾 SECTION A — SOURCES OF MODERN INDIAN HISTORY (1–15)

    1. The Imperial Record Department, precursor of the National Archives of India, was founded in—
      (A) 1861 (B) 1881 (C) 1891 (D) 1901
      Answer: (C) 1891
      Explanation: Established in Calcutta, later shifted to Delhi (1911), to preserve official records.

    1. The India Office Records in London mainly contain—
      (A) Mughal court chronicles (B) East India Company papers (C) Buddhist texts (D) Persian manuscripts
      Answer: (B) East India Company papers.

    1. Which of the following is the earliest English newspaper in India?
      (A) The Hindu (B) Bombay Chronicle (C) Bengal Gazette (D) Madras Courier
      Answer: (C) Bengal Gazette
      Explanation: Started by James Augustus Hickey in 1780 at Calcutta.

    1. Who is considered the “Father of the Indian Press”?
      (A) Raja Rammohan Roy (B) James Hickey (C) Bal Gangadhar Tilak (D) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
      Answer: (B) James Hickey.

    1. ‘Neel Darpan’ by Dinabandhu Mitra deals with—
      (A) Sati (B) Indigo cultivation (C) Widow Remarriage (D) Education reform
      Answer: (B) Indigo cultivation
      Explanation: Highlighted exploitation of peasants by indigo planters.

    1. ‘Anandamath’ was written by—
      (A) Rabindranath Tagore (B) Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (C) Dinabandhu Mitra (D) Bipin Chandra Pal
      Answer: (B) Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

    1. Who wrote “My Experiments with Truth”?
      (A) Bal Gangadhar Tilak (B) Mahatma Gandhi (C) Jawaharlal Nehru (D) Rabindranath Tagore
      Answer: (B) Mahatma Gandhi.

    1. Which archive holds documents relating to East India Company’s administration?
      (A) National Archives, Delhi (B) State Archives (C) India Office Records, London (D) British Library
      Answer: (C) India Office Records, London.

    1. Company Paintings represent—
      (A) Mughal style (B) Indo-European hybrid art (C) Persian art (D) Dravidian temple murals
      Answer: (B) Indo-European hybrid art.

    1. Oral sources are particularly useful for studying—
      (A) Dynastic politics (B) Folk traditions and local movements (C) Parliamentary debates (D) British bureaucracy
      Answer: (B) Folk traditions and local movements.

    1. Raja Ravi Varma is famous for—
      (A) Miniature painting (B) Classical dance (C) Mythological oil paintings (D) Landscape art
      Answer: (C) Mythological oil paintings.

    1. Which of the following periodicals was associated with Bal Gangadhar Tilak?
      (A) Young India (B) Kesari (C) Indian Mirror (D) The Hindu
      Answer: (B) Kesari.

    1. The ‘National Archives of India’ was shifted to Delhi in—
      (A) 1911 (B) 1917 (C) 1920 (D) 1930
      Answer: (A) 1911.

    1. The first vernacular newspaper banned by the British under the Vernacular Press Act (1878) was—
      (A) Kesari (B) Amrita Bazar Patrika (C) Calcutta Chronicle (D) Mahratta
      Answer: (B) Amrita Bazar Patrika.

    1. Which of these is not a source for modern Indian history?
      (A) Inscriptions (B) Archival records (C) Newspapers (D) Biographies
      Answer: (A) Inscriptions
      Explanation: Inscriptions mainly belong to ancient/medieval periods.

    ⚓ SECTION B — EUROPEAN POWERS & BRITISH EXPANSION (16–40)

    1. The first European to reach India by sea was—
      (A) Columbus (B) Vasco da Gama (C) Magellan (D) Cabral
      Answer: (B) Vasco da Gama (1498).

    1. The Portuguese established their first factory in India at—
      (A) Goa (B) Cochin (C) Calicut (D) Diu
      Answer: (B) Cochin.

    1. Which European power established Pulicat as its early capital in India?
      (A) French (B) Portuguese (C) Dutch (D) British
      Answer: (C) Dutch.

    1. The English East India Company was founded in—
      (A) 1599 (B) 1600 (C) 1601 (D) 1602
      Answer: (B) 1600
      Explanation: Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I.

    1. The first English factory in India was established at—
      (A) Bombay (B) Calcutta (C) Surat (D) Madras
      Answer: (C) Surat (1613).

    1. The French East India Company was established in—
      (A) 1600 (B) 1615 (C) 1664 (D) 1707
      Answer: (C) 1664.

    1. The decisive Anglo–French conflict in India was the—
      (A) Battle of Wandiwash (B) Battle of Buxar (C) Battle of Plassey (D) Battle of Panipat
      Answer: (A) Battle of Wandiwash (1760).

    1. French Governor Dupleix was defeated by—
      (A) Robert Clive (B) Warren Hastings (C) Lord Cornwallis (D) Wellesley
      Answer: (A) Robert Clive.

    1. The English acquired Bombay from the Portuguese as—
      (A) War spoil (B) Royal dowry (C) Purchase (D) Military treaty
      Answer: (B) Royal dowry (1661, marriage of Charles II & Catherine of Braganza).

    1. Battle of Plassey was fought in—
      (A) 1756 (B) 1757 (C) 1764 (D) 1772
      Answer: (B) 1757.

    1. Siraj-ud-Daulah was defeated at Plassey by—
      (A) Clive (B) Wellesley (C) Cornwallis (D) Hastings
      Answer: (A) Robert Clive.

    1. The Battle of Buxar (1764) was fought between—
      (A) British & Marathas (B) British & French (C) British & Bengal–Oudh–Mughal coalition (D) British & Mysore
      Answer: (C) British & Bengal–Oudh–Mughal coalition.

    1. The Treaty of Allahabad (1765) granted—
      (A) Military control (B) Diwani rights of Bengal to British (C) Judicial authority (D) Monopoly of trade
      Answer: (B) Diwani rights of Bengal to British.

    1. The Mysore ruler who died fighting the British in 1799 was—
      (A) Hyder Ali (B) Tipu Sultan (C) Krishnadevaraya (D) Haidar Jung
      Answer: (B) Tipu Sultan.

    1. The policy of Subsidiary Alliance was introduced by—
      (A) Wellesley (B) Hastings (C) Cornwallis (D) Dalhousie
      Answer: (A) Lord Wellesley.

    1. The main aim of Subsidiary Alliance was—
      (A) Revenue collection (B) Expansion of trade (C) Political domination (D) Religious conversion
      Answer: (C) Political domination.

    1. Doctrine of Lapse was formulated by—
      (A) Wellesley (B) Dalhousie (C) Bentinck (D) Curzon
      Answer: (B) Lord Dalhousie.

    1. Jhansi was annexed under—
      (A) Subsidiary Alliance (B) Doctrine of Lapse (C) Partition of Bengal (D) Direct annexation
      Answer: (B) Doctrine of Lapse.

    1. Punjab was annexed in—
      (A) 1843 (B) 1846 (C) 1849 (D) 1856
      Answer: (C) 1849.

    1. Who was the Governor-General during the annexation of Punjab?
      (A) Wellesley (B) Dalhousie (C) Canning (D) Hastings
      Answer: (B) Lord Dalhousie.

    1. Oudh was annexed by the British in—
      (A) 1843 (B) 1856 (C) 1857 (D) 1860
      Answer: (B) 1856.

    1. The first Indian state to sign the Subsidiary Alliance was—
      (A) Hyderabad (B) Mysore (C) Awadh (D) Gwalior
      Answer: (A) Hyderabad (1798).

    1. Tipu Sultan’s capital was—
      (A) Mysore (B) Srirangapatna (C) Bangalore (D) Arcot
      Answer: (B) Srirangapatna.

    1. The British Residency system was meant to—
      (A) Collect taxes (B) Supervise princely states (C) Promote education (D) Conduct trade fairs
      Answer: (B) Supervise princely states.

    1. Who among the following called the East India Company’s rule “a great robbery”?
      (A) Dadabhai Naoroji (B) Tilak (C) Marx (D) Gandhi
      Answer: (C) Karl Marx.

    ⚔️ SECTION C — REVOLT OF 1857 (41–55)

    1. The immediate cause of the Revolt of 1857 was—
      (A) Doctrine of Lapse (B) Greased cartridges (C) Annexation of Oudh (D) Social reforms
      Answer: (B) Greased cartridges.

    1. The Revolt of 1857 began at—
      (A) Delhi (B) Meerut (C) Kanpur (D) Jhansi
      Answer: (B) Meerut.

    1. Bahadur Shah II was proclaimed Emperor by rebels at—
      (A) Delhi (B) Kanpur (C) Lucknow (D) Jhansi
      Answer: (A) Delhi.

    1. Rani Lakshmibai was ruler of—
      (A) Oudh (B) Jhansi (C) Gwalior (D) Satara
      Answer: (B) Jhansi.

    1. Tantia Tope was associated with—
      (A) Jhansi (B) Kanpur (C) Bihar (D) Delhi
      Answer: (B) Kanpur.

    1. Kunwar Singh led the revolt in—
      (A) Delhi (B) Bihar (C) Lucknow (D) Punjab
      Answer: (B) Bihar.

    1. Begum Hazrat Mahal led the revolt in—
      (A) Lucknow (B) Delhi (C) Kanpur (D) Gwalior
      Answer: (A) Lucknow.

    1. The Revolt of 1857 was described as the “First War of Indian Independence” by—
      (A) Savarkar (B) R.C. Majumdar (C) Marx (D) Nehru
      Answer: (A) V.D. Savarkar.

    1. Who was the Governor-General during the Revolt of 1857?
      (A) Dalhousie (B) Canning (C) Curzon (D) Hastings
      Answer: (B) Lord Canning.

    1. Queen Victoria’s Proclamation of 1858 promised—
      (A) Freedom (B) Religious neutrality & equality (C) Economic reforms (D) End of monarchy
      Answer: (B) Religious neutrality & equality.

    1. After 1858, India came directly under—
      (A) British Parliament (B) East India Company (C) Queen of Britain (D) Governor-General
      Answer: (C) Queen of Britain.

    1. The Revolt of 1857 ended with—
      (A) Capture of Delhi (B) Death of Bahadur Shah (C) Capture of Gwalior (D) Queen’s Proclamation
      Answer: (D) Queen’s Proclamation (1858).

    1. Main cause of failure of the Revolt was—
      (A) Lack of leadership & coordination (B) Lack of arms (C) British diplomacy (D) All of these
      Answer: (D) All of these.

    1. Post-1857, the ratio of European to Indian soldiers was fixed at—
      (A) 1:2 (B) 1:3 (C) 1:5 (D) 2:3
      Answer: (A) 1:2.

    1. Which Governor-General abolished the East India Company?
      (A) Canning (B) Dalhousie (C) Curzon (D) Ripon
      Answer: (A) Lord Canning.

  • UGC NET History Unit-7 SOURCES OF MODERN INDIAN HISTORY AND RISE OF BRITISH POWER

    🧾 I. SOURCES OF MODERN INDIAN HISTORY

    Modern Indian History (roughly 1600–1947 CE) is one of the best-documented phases of Indian past because of the availability of a wide range of archival, literary, official, and material evidence. These sources help us reconstruct the political, administrative, economic, social, and cultural developments during the colonial period.

    🔹 1. Archival Materials

    • Definition: Archival materials include official documents, correspondence, minutes of meetings, government orders, treaties, revenue records, and administrative reports preserved by governments and institutions.

    • Major Repositories:

      • National Archives of India (New Delhi): Established in 1891 as the Imperial Record Department, it preserves central government records from the East India Company and British India.

      • State Archives: In Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Patna, Bhopal, Hyderabad, etc., which keep regional and provincial records.

      • India Office Records (London): Contain vast documentation on British rule in India, including correspondence between the East India Company and the British government.

    • Importance:

      • Provide firsthand data about policy decisions, revenue systems, and colonial administration.

      • Serve as authentic records for political, legal, and economic history.

    🔹 2. Biographies, Memoirs, and Personal Papers

    • These writings give a subjective and human dimension to historical events.

    • European administrators (Clive, Hastings, Curzon) and Indian nationalists (Nehru, Gandhi) left detailed accounts.

    • Important Examples:

      • Warren Hastings: A Biography by Gleig.

      • Life of Clive by Macaulay.

      • Autobiography of an Indian Princess by Sunity Devi.

      • An Autobiography by Jawaharlal Nehru.

      • The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi.

    • Value: These records reveal mentalities, motivations, and the personal side of imperial and nationalist figures.

    🔹 3. Newspapers and Periodicals

    • Newspapers were crucial in creating nationalist consciousness and documenting socio-political changes.

    • Early Newspapers:

      • Bengal Gazette (1780) by James Augustus Hickey – first newspaper printed in India.

      • Calcutta Chronicle, Madras Courier, and Bombay Herald followed soon.

    • Indian-run Newspapers:

      • Amrita Bazar Patrika (Bengal), The Hindu (Madras), Kesari and Mahratta (Bal Gangadhar Tilak), Bombay Chronicle (Parsee press).

    • Importance:

      • Reflected public opinion, political debates, and nationalist aspirations.

      • Contain valuable information on social reform movements, colonial policies, and the rise of nationalism.

    🔹 4. Oral Evidence

    • Includes oral traditions, songs, ballads, folktales, and testimonies passed through generations.

    • Crucial for understanding subaltern, tribal, and peasant histories where written records are lacking.

    • Used for reconstructing events like 1857 revolt, peasant uprisings, and local resistance movements.

    🔹 5. Creative Literature and Paintings

    • Novels and plays reflected the growing awareness of colonial exploitation and social change.

      • Anandamath by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay — inspired nationalism.

      • Neel Darpan (Dinabandhu Mitra) — exposed the plight of indigo cultivators.

      • Gitanjali (Rabindranath Tagore) — expressed universal humanism.

    • Company Paintings: Fusion of Indian and European styles depicting Indian life under the Company.

    • Raja Ravi Varma: Pioneer of Indian modern art — blended mythological themes with realism.

    🔹 6. Monuments and Coins

    • Colonial Architecture: Forts (Fort St. George, Fort William), churches, government buildings (Writers’ Building, Victoria Memorial, Rashtrapati Bhavan).

    • Coins: Issued by East India Company and the Crown reflect sovereignty, economy, and trade systems.

    • Provide visual and economic evidence of the colonial transition.

    ⚓ II. RISE OF BRITISH POWER IN INDIA

    🔹 1. European Rivalry in India (16th–18th Centuries)

    Power Year of Arrival Important Centres Nature of Rule and Decline
    Portuguese 1498 (Vasco da Gama) Goa, Diu, Daman, Cochin First Europeans in India; monopoly declined after 17th century.
    Dutch 1605

    Pulicat, Nagapattinam, Cochin

    		 Lost dominance to the British by 1759.
    English (EIC)

    1600 (Charter by Queen Elizabeth I)

    		 Surat, Bombay, Madras, Calcutta Became dominant political power by mid-18th century.
    French

    1664 (French East India Company)

    		 Pondicherry, Chandernagore, Mahe, Karaikal Defeated by British in Carnatic Wars (1757–1763).

    🔹 2. Anglo–French Rivalry and Carnatic Wars

    • Fought mainly in South India for political and commercial supremacy.

    • First Carnatic War (1746–1748): Result of Anglo–French rivalry in Europe.

    • Second Carnatic War (1749–1754): French under Dupleix interfered in local politics; Clive defeated them.

    • Third Carnatic War (1758–1763): British victory at Wandiwash ended French political influence.

    🏰 III. ESTABLISHMENT OF BRITISH DOMINION

    🔹 1. Bengal – The Beginning of Empire

    • Battle of Plassey (1757):

      • British (Robert Clive) defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah with help from Mir Jafar.

      • British gained political control over Bengal.

    • Battle of Buxar (1764):

      • British (Hector Munro) defeated Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daula (Oudh), and Shah Alam II.

      • Confirmed Company’s control over Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.

    • Treaty of Allahabad (1765):

      • Mughal Emperor granted Diwani rights (revenue collection) to the East India Company.

      • Foundation of British administrative rule in India.

    🔹 2. Expansion to South and West India

    • Mysore Wars (1767–1799): Four wars between British and Mysore rulers (Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan).

      • Fourth War (1799): Tipu Sultan killed; Mysore brought under British control.

    • Subsidiary Alliance (1798): Introduced by Lord Wellesley — Indian rulers had to accept British troops for “protection” → loss of sovereignty.

    🔹 3. Anglo–Maratha Wars (1775–1818)

    • Three wars fought:

      • First (1775–82) — inconclusive.

      • Second (1803–05) — British victory under Wellesley.

      • Third (1817–18) — Peshwa Baji Rao II defeated; end of Maratha Confederacy.

    • Result: British supremacy established in western India.

    🔹 4. Annexation of the Punjab (1849)

    • Two Anglo–Sikh Wars:

      • First War (1845–46): Treaty of Lahore — limited Sikh independence.

      • Second War (1848–49): Annexation of Punjab under Lord Dalhousie.

    🤝 IV. RELATIONS WITH PRINCIPAL INDIAN STATES

    State Relationship with the British
    Bengal Became the base of British rule after 1765.
    Oudh (Awadh)

    Ally turned annexed in 1856 under “Doctrine of Misrule.”
    Hyderabad First to accept Subsidiary Alliance (1798).
    Mysore

    Defeated (1799); puppet Wodeyar dynasty restored.
    Carnatic

    Site of Anglo–French rivalry; came under Company rule.
    Punjab Annexed after Second Anglo–Sikh War (1849).

    ⚔️ V. THE REVOLT OF 1857

    🔹 1. Causes

    Political:

    • Doctrine of Lapse (Dalhousie) annexed Jhansi, Satara, Nagpur.

    • Displacement of traditional rulers and nobles.

    Economic:

    • Exploitative land revenue systems; destruction of handicrafts and trade.

    • Decline of old aristocracy and artisans.

    Military:

    • Discrimination in pay and promotion.

    • Greased cartridge controversy (cow/pig fat).

    Social and Religious:

    • Fear of Christian missionary activities.

    • Disrespect for Indian traditions and customs.

    🔹 2. Nature and Leadership

    • Began at Meerut (10 May 1857).

    • Spread to Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi, Bareilly, Central India.

    • Leaders:

      • Bahadur Shah II – nominal leader, Delhi.

      • Nana Sahib, Tantia Tope – Kanpur.

      • Rani Lakshmibai – Jhansi.

      • Kunwar Singh – Bihar.

      • Begum Hazrat Mahal – Lucknow.

    🔹 3. Nature of the Revolt

    • Described as:

      • “Sepoy Mutiny” (British historians).

      • “National War of Independence” (Indian historians).

      • Combined character – both rebellion and early nationalism.

    🔹 4. Impact and Results

    • Suppressed by 1858.

    • End of East India Company rule → Power transferred to British Crown.

    • Queen Victoria’s Proclamation (1858):

      • Guaranteed religious tolerance.

      • Equal protection under law.

      • Recognition of princes and subjects’ rights.

    • Reorganization of Army, Administration, and Financial Control.

    🏛️ VI. ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE COMPANY AND THE CROWN

    🔹 1. Under East India Company (1773–1858)

    Regulating Act (1773):

    • First attempt at parliamentary control.

    • Governor of Bengal → Governor-General (Warren Hastings).

    • Supreme Court established at Calcutta (1774).

    Pitt’s India Act (1784):

    • Created Board of Control in Britain to supervise Company affairs.

    • Dual control system (Company + Parliament).

    Charter Acts (1813, 1833, 1853):

    • Ended Company trade monopoly (1813).

    • Made Governor-General of India (1833).

    • Introduced open competition for civil services (1853).

    🔹 2. Under the British Crown (1858–1947)

    Government of India Act, 1858:

    • Transferred power from Company to Crown.

    • Created Secretary of State for India and Viceroy.

    • Abolished the Company.

    Indian Councils Acts (1861, 1892):

    • Introduced limited legislative representation for Indians.

    Indian Civil Service (ICS):

    • Introduced merit-based exams (1853 onwards).

    • Indians admitted gradually (first Indian — Satyendranath Tagore, 1863).

    Judiciary:

    • 1774: Supreme Court at Calcutta.

    • 1861: High Courts Act unified legal system.

    Police & Army:

    • Regular police system organized (Cornwallis).

    • Army reorganized — ratio of Europeans to Indians fixed (1:2).

    👑 VII. BRITISH PARAMOUNTCY AND PRINCELY STATES

    • Doctrine of Lapse: (Lord Dalhousie, 1848–56)

      • Annexation of states without a male heir (Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur, Sambalpur).

    • Subsidiary Alliance: (Lord Wellesley)

      • Indian states forced to maintain British troops and accept a Resident.

    • Paramountcy under Crown:

      • British claimed ultimate supremacy; Indian princes retained internal rule.

      • Chamber of Princes (1920) created as advisory body.

    🏙️ VIII. LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

    🔹 Lord Mayo (1870)

    • Initiated financial decentralization between Centre and Provinces.

    🔹 Lord Ripon (1882)

    • Known as “Father of Local Self-Government in India.”

    • Introduced:

      • Elected members in municipalities and district boards.

      • Local bodies to handle education, health, sanitation.

      • Foundation for democratic decentralization.

    ⚖️ IX. CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS (1909–1935)

    Act Main Features Significance
    Indian Councils Act, 1909 (Morley–Minto Reforms) Introduced separate electorates for Muslims; allowed limited Indian participation in councils. Beginning of communal representation.
    Government of India Act, 1919 (Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms)

    Introduced Dyarchy in provinces (transferred and reserved subjects); bicameral legislature at Centre.

    		 Step towards responsible government.
    Government of India Act, 1935

    Proposed All-India Federation; introduced Provincial Autonomy; extended franchise.

    		 Basis of the 1950 Indian Constitution.

    🧭 X. SUMMARY OF BRITISH EXPANSION AND ADMINISTRATION

    Period Character Major Features
    1600–1765 Commercial phase Trade, rivalries, Company settlements.
    1765–1857 Political-military phase

    Conquest, revenue reforms, economic exploitation.
    1858–1935 Bureaucratic–constitutional phase

    Centralization, nationalism, gradual reforms.

    🪔 XI. IMPACT OF BRITISH RULE (Brief Overview)

    • Political: Centralized administration, modern bureaucracy, law courts.

    • Economic: Drain of wealth, deindustrialization, new land systems (Permanent Settlement, Ryotwari, Mahalwari).

    • Social: Western education, reform movements (Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar).

    • Cultural: English language, press, modern arts and architecture.

    • Nationalism: Emergence of Indian National Congress (1885) and freedom struggle.