Advent of the Europeans into India — Question Answer
Welcome to HSLC Guru. This post provides complete ASSEB Class 9 Social Science History Chapter 1 solutions for Advent of the Europeans into India.
সাৰাংশ: পঞ্চদশ শতিকাৰ শেষভাগত ইউৰোপীয়সকলে ভাৰতবৰ্ষলৈ সাগৰীয় বাণিজ্য পথ আৱিষ্কাৰ কৰাৰ পিছত এই উপমহাদেশত পোৰ্তুগীজ, ওলন্দাজ, ইংৰাজ আৰু ফৰাচীসকলৰ আগমন ঘটে। ১৪৯৮ চনত ভাস্কো-ডা-গামাই কালিকট বন্দৰত উপস্থিত হৈ ভাৰত আৰু ইউৰোপৰ মাজত নতুন বাণিজ্য পথৰ সূচনা কৰে। ১৬০০ চনত ইংলেণ্ডত প্ৰতিষ্ঠা হোৱা ইষ্ট ইণ্ডিয়া কোম্পানীয়ে ক্ৰমান্বয়ে মাছুলিপট্টম, মাদ্ৰাজ আৰু কলিকতাত বাণিজ্য কেন্দ্ৰ স্থাপন কৰি ভাৰতত ৰাজনৈতিক আধিপত্য বিস্তাৰ কৰে। ১৭৫৭ চনৰ পলাশীৰ যুদ্ধৰ পিছত ৰবাৰ্ট ক্লাইভৰ নেতৃত্বত ব্ৰিটিছ সাম্ৰাজ্যৰ ভেটি স্থাপন হয় আৰু ১৮৫৭ চনৰ চেপয় বিদ্ৰোহৰ পিছত ১৮৫৮ চনৰ ‘গৱৰ্নমেণ্ট অৱ ইণ্ডিয়া এক্ট’ৰ জৰিয়তে ভাৰতৰ শাসনভাৰ ব্ৰিটিছ ৰাজতন্ত্ৰৰ হাতলৈ যায়।
Summary: After Europeans discovered a sea route to India at the end of the fifteenth century, the Portuguese, Dutch, English and French arrived in the subcontinent for trade. In 1498 Vasco-da-Gama reached the port of Calicut, opening a new trade route between India and Europe. The English East India Company, founded in England in 1600, gradually set up trade centres at Masulipatam, Madras and Calcutta and expanded its political control over India. After the Battle of Plassey in 1757 Robert Clive laid the foundation of the British Empire, and following the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 the administration of India passed to the British Crown through the Government of India Act of 1858.
Textbook Questions and Answers
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
1. The Sepoy Mutiny occurred in: (a) 1857 (b) 1858 (c) 1757 (d) 1758
Answer: (a) 1857.
2. The administration of British India was transferred to the British Crown by which Act? (a) Indian Councils Act, 1892 (b) Indian Councils Act, 1861 (c) Government of India Act, 1858 (d) Queen’s Proclamation, 1858
Answer: (c) Government of India Act, 1858.
3. Appointment to the Indian Civil Service was assured by: (a) Queen’s Proclamation of 1858 (b) Indian Councils Act, 1861 (c) India Act, 1858 (d) Indian Councils Act, 1892
Answer: (a) Queen’s Proclamation of 1858.
4. The policy of territorial conquest was given up by: (a) Indian Councils Act, 1861 (b) Queen’s Proclamation, 1858 (c) India Act, 1858 (d) Indian Councils Act, 1892
Answer: (b) Queen’s Proclamation, 1858.
5. The Indian Civil Service Act was passed in: (a) 1863 (b) 1851 (c) 1861 (d) 1892
Answer: (c) 1861.
6. The Viceroy’s Executive Council of 1858 consisted of: (a) 10 members (b) 4 members (c) 8 members (d) 5 members
Answer: (d) 5 members.
7. Under the Indian Councils Act of 1861, the number of administrative units placed under Chief Commissioners was: (a) 5 (b) 8 (c) 10 (d) 15
Answer: (b) 8.
8. The Public Service Commission of 1886 was appointed by: (a) Lord Ripon (b) Lord Lytton (c) Lord Mayo (d) Lord Dufferin
Answer: (d) Lord Dufferin.
9. The Local Board was created in the sub-divisions in 1882 by: (a) Lord Dufferin (b) Lord Ripon (c) Lord Mayo (d) Lord Lytton
Answer: (b) Lord Ripon.
10. The Indianisation of the Indian Civil Service began after: (a) 1870 (b) 1861 (c) 1919 (d) 1930
Answer: (c) 1919.
Very Short Answer
11. Who was the first Portuguese sailor to discover the sea route to India, and when and where did he arrive?
Answer: Vasco-da-Gama was that first Portuguese sailor; he arrived in 1498 at the port of Calicut in South India.
12. Who was the English sailor that circumnavigated the earth?
Answer: Francis Drake.
13. Who was the first English sailor to enter India, and when?
Answer: John Mildenhall was the first English sailor to enter India; he did so in 1599.
14. When and where was the East India Company established?
Answer: The East India Company was established in England in 1600; it was called the ‘English East India Company’.
15. What were the two objectives of the East India Company for establishing permanent rule?
Answer: (1) To establish supremacy in trade, and (2) to secure political dominance.
16. When and where was the first English trade centre established in India?
Answer: The first English trade centre was established in 1611 A.D. at Masulipatam, under the Sultanate of Golconda.
17. What is ‘Fort William’?
Answer: Fort William is a fort built by the British at Calcutta (Kolkata) during their administration of Bengal; it was formerly called the Calcutta Trade Centre.
18. What are the two main phases of the British administrative period?
Answer: (i) From the establishment of Company rule (around 1717) to the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857; and (ii) from 1858 to the transfer of power to Indians in 1947.
19. When was the ‘Government of India Act’ introduced, and what was its objective?
Answer: It was introduced in 1858; its objective was to divest the East India Company of its powers and bring the administration of India directly under the British Crown.
20. When and with what objective was the ‘Indian Councils Act’ introduced?
Answer: It was introduced in 1861 by Lord Canning; its objective was to include Indians in the legislative council and thereby gain their support.
Long Answer
21. What efforts did the British make to establish trade relations with India, and how did they succeed?
Answer: After the East India Company was established in 1600, the English made a series of efforts to build trade relations with India. In 1599 John Mildenhall came to India carrying a letter of request from Queen Elizabeth I of England. He was followed by Captain William Hawkins in 1608 and Sir Thomas Roe in 1615, who came to the Mughal court; Sir Thomas Roe obtained permission from Emperor Jahangir to set up a factory at Surat. As a result the English gradually managed to establish trade centres at Surat, Masulipatam, Madras and Calcutta. In 1715 a delegation led by John Surman secured three imperial firmans from the emperor, by which the Company obtained the right to trade in Bengal free of customs duty. In this way the English steadily built a firm commercial base in India and later paved the way for political dominance.
22. How did the East India Company establish three trade centres at three important places in India?
Answer: The East India Company established trade centres one after another in the southern, western and eastern parts of India. In 1611 the Company set up its first trade centre at Masulipatam under the Sultanate of Golconda. It then built a second centre at Armagaon in 1636 and established Fort St. George at Madras in 1639. In eastern India, Job Charnock acquired the zamindari rights over three villages in 1690 and laid the foundation of the town of Calcutta, and the fort built there was named Fort William. Thus, using Masulipatam, Madras and Calcutta as its bases, the Company expanded its commercial and political power in India.
23. Who was the most remarkable person of the East India Company to pave the way for the establishment of British imperialism in India? Write with four arguments about his strategies to lay the foundation of the British Empire.
Answer: The most remarkable person who paved the way for British imperialism in India was Robert Clive. First, by defeating Siraj-ud-Daula in the Battle of Plassey in 1757, he laid the foundation of British power in Bengal. Second, through the Treaty of Allahabad in 1765 the Company obtained the Diwani, that is, the right to collect revenue, of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, which established the Company’s political authority over these regions. Third, he introduced the system of dual government in Bengal, reducing the Nawab to a nominal ruler while keeping real power in the hands of the Company. Fourth, by organising Calcutta, Bombay and Madras as administrative centres, he built up the framework of British rule. Through these strategies Robert Clive laid a firm foundation for the British Empire in India.
24. Write four causes for the outbreak of the Sepoy Mutiny.
Answer: There were various causes behind the outbreak of the Sepoy Mutiny. (i) Political cause: Lord Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse and his annexation of states created deep discontent among many native rulers and the common people. (ii) Economic cause: the exploitative policies of the British ruined peasants, craftsmen and artisans. (iii) Social and religious cause: British interference in religion and the fear of conversion to Christianity created fear and resentment in the minds of Indians. (iv) Military cause: the greased cartridges of the Enfield rifle, said to be coated with the fat of cows and pigs, hurt the religious feelings of both Hindu and Muslim soldiers, and this became the immediate cause of the revolt.
25. Mention four important results of the Sepoy Mutiny.
Answer: The Sepoy Mutiny had far-reaching effects on the history of India. (i) As a result of the revolt the rule of the East India Company came to an end and in 1858 the administration of India passed directly to the British Crown. (ii) The British attitude towards governance changed, and they adopted a policy of not interfering in the religion and social customs of Indians. (iii) The army was reorganised, the number of Indian soldiers was reduced and the proportion of English soldiers was increased. (iv) The revolt awakened a sense of unity and nationalism among Indians, which later laid the foundation of the Indian nationalist movement.
26. Mention four administrative changes brought about through the ‘Government of India Act’.
Answer: The Government of India Act of 1858 brought several important changes to the administration of India. (i) The rule of the East India Company was ended and the administration of India was brought directly under the British Crown. (ii) The Governor-General was retained as the supreme head of the administration and was given the title of ‘Viceroy’. (iii) A new post called the Secretary of State for India was created in England to manage the administration of India. (iv) To win the confidence of the native rulers, the Doctrine of Lapse was abandoned and a promise was made not to annex their states.
27. Write about two main reforms of Lord Canning.
Answer: As the first Viceroy of India, Lord Canning carried out several important reforms. (i) To end the disorder created by the Permanent Settlement, he enacted the ‘Bengal Rent Act’ in 1859 and secured the rights of the ryots or cultivators. (ii) After the Sepoy Mutiny he reorganised the army and introduced several organisational changes in it so that such a revolt would not recur in future.
28. Write two merits and two demerits of the ‘Indian Councils Act’.
Answer: The Indian Councils Act of 1861 had both merits and demerits. Merits: (i) The Act made provision, for the first time, to include Indians in the legislative council. (ii) By granting some legislative powers to the provinces, it began the process of decentralisation of power. Demerits: (i) The powers of the Indian members included in the council were very limited, and they were kept merely as advisers. (ii) Any law framed by the council required the consent of the Governor-General to come into effect, so real power remained in British hands.
29. Discuss the changes that occurred in local self-government during the British period.
Answer: During the British period, especially in the time of Lord Ripon, significant changes took place in local self-government. In 1882 Lord Ripon created a ‘Local Board’ in every sub-division and laid the foundation of local self-government. ‘Primary Boards’ were formed in rural areas, while ‘Town Committees’ and ‘Municipal Boards’ were set up in urban areas. Provision was made to include elected members in these boards, which gave Indians the opportunity to participate in local administration. For this reason Lord Ripon is called the ‘Father of Local Self-Government in India’.
30. Mention three differences between the civil services of British-occupied India and independent India.
Answer: There are several differences between the civil services of British-occupied India and independent India. (i) In terms of purpose: in the British period the main aim of the civil service was to strengthen colonial rule and collect revenue, whereas in independent India its aim is public welfare and nation-building. (ii) In terms of structure: in the British period it was called the ‘Indian Civil Service’ (ICS) and was dominated by the British, while in independent India it is called the ‘Indian Administrative Service’ (IAS). (iii) In terms of participation: in the British period the higher posts were filled mainly by the English and opportunities for Indians were limited, whereas in independent India there is equal opportunity for all citizens through competitive examinations.
Extra Questions and Answers
1. When and between whom was the Battle of Plassey fought, and what was its significance?
Answer: The Battle of Plassey was fought in 1757 between Robert Clive of the East India Company and Siraj-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Bengal. The Company’s victory in this battle laid the foundation of British political power in India.
2. What did the East India Company gain through the Treaty of Allahabad?
Answer: Through the Treaty of Allahabad of 1765, the East India Company obtained the Diwani, that is, the right to collect the revenue, of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
3. Which European nation was the first to come to India for trade by the sea route?
Answer: The Portuguese were the first European nation to come to India for trade by the sea route.
4. Who was the first Viceroy of India?
Answer: Lord Canning was the first Viceroy of India.
5. What was the Doctrine of Lapse and who introduced it?
Answer: The Doctrine of Lapse was a policy under which, if a native ruler died without a direct heir, his state was annexed into the British Empire; it was introduced by Lord Dalhousie.
Key Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Firman | A royal permit or order issued by the Mughal emperor. |
| Factory | A trading post or warehouse where the Company stored goods and carried on business. |
| Sepoy Mutiny | The 1857 revolt of Indian soldiers against British rule. |
| Viceroy | The supreme official who governed India as the representative of the British Crown after 1858. |
| Diwani | The right to collect the land revenue of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. |
| Doctrine of Lapse | The annexation policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie. |