January 19, 2023

Modern India before 1857 – History – WBCS Preliminary Question Paper

By Sutirtha Datta WBCS Prelims Question Paper 0 Comments

Modern India before 1857

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2022

84. Who was the founder of Tattwabodhini Sabha in Bengal?

(A) Dadoba Pandurang

(B) Debendranath Tagore

(D) Keshab Chandra Sen

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2021

28. The names of Sidho and Kanho are associated with which rebellion ?

(1856-57)

(A) Chuar rebellion

(B) Sannyasi rebellion

(D) Kol rebellion

44. Who wrote the drama Neel darpan ?

(1858-59)

(A) Harishchandra Mukherjee

(B) Girishchandra Ghosh

(D) Dinabandhu Mitra

52. Who was the Mughal emperor during the Revolt of 1857 ?

(A) Aurangzeb

(B) Mir Qasim

(D) Sarfaraz Khan

112. Who founded the Asiatic Society in Calcutta ?

(1784)

(A) Alexander Cuaningham

(B) John Stuart Mill

(D) David Hare

144. When was the University of Calcutta established ?

(24 Jan)

(A) 1911

(B) 1817

(D) 1857

153. What was the original name of Titumir ?

(A) Syed Amanullah Khan

(B) Syed Mir Nasar Ali

(D) Syed Mir Muhammad Khan

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2020

30. The English established their first factory in India at

(A) Bombay

(B) Surat

(D) Madras

32. What was the Act III,1872?

(Special Marriage Act)

(A) Social Reform Act

(B) Jury Act

(D) Executive Act

47. In which Act yearly Rs.1 lakh was allotted for the education of Indians ?

(A) 1813 Charter Renewal Act

(B) 1773 Regulating Act

(D) 1833 Charter Renewal Act

72. In which year was India’s first cotton textile industry set up in Ghusuri near Kolkata ?

(Fort Gloster, Howrah)

(A) 1818

(B) 1821

(D) 1823

118. Who was the founder of the Tattabodhini Sabha?

(1839)

(A) Debendranath Tagore

(B) Rammohon Roy

(D) Iswarchandra Vidyasagar

127. When the Hindu College was founded?

(20 Jan)

(A) 1800 A.D

(B) 1817 AD

(D) 1857 A D

135. Under whose Governor Generalship the Railways were introduced in India ?

(1848-56)

(A) Lord Wellesley

(B) Lord Cornwallis

(D) Lord Dalhousie

142. Through which Educational Report Calcutta University came into existence?

(1854)

(A) Macaulay’s Minute

(B) Hunter Commission

(D) Wood’s Despatch

146. Who was the Governor General during the annulment of Sati?

(4 Dec 1829)

(A) Lord Bentinck

(B) Lord Hastings

(D) Lord Canning

147. Who planted the ‘Tree of Liberty‘ at Serangapatnam ?

(A) Hyder Ali

(B) Tipu Sultan

(D) Murshld Quli Khan

173. Who started the first English Newspaper in India ?

(1780)

(A) Bal Gangadhar Tilak

(B) Raja Rammohan Roy

(D) Lord William Bentinck

183. Who was Birjis Kader?

(A) The Nizam of Hyderabad

(B) The Nawab of Oudh

(D) The Nawab of Bengal

193. What was meant by ‘Kherwari Hul‘ ?

(June 1855)

(A) Chuar movement

(B) Paik revolt

(D) Indigo revolt

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2019

57. Between whom Carnatic Wars were fought ?

(1742 to 1763)

(A) French East India Co. and English East India Co.

(B) French East India Co. and Dutch East India Co.

(D) English East India Co. and the Dutch (OLONDAZ)

60. Who among the following, led the sepoys at Kanpur in the 1857 uprising ?

(A) Tantia Tope

(B) Rani Lakshmibai

(D) Kunwar Singh

61. The Asiatic Society of Bengal was founded by

(1784)

(A) C. F. Andrews

(B) Raja Rammohan Roy

(D) William Marshal

66. The Battle of Buxar was fought in

(21 Oct)

(A) 1762

(B) 1764

(D) 1772

67. With whose permission did the English set up their first factory in Surat ?

(1613)

(A) Akbar

(B) Jahangir

(D) Aurangzeb

68. When did Vasco-da-Gama come to India ?

(21 May 1498)

(A) 1498 A.D.

(B) 1409 A.D.

(D) 1492 A.D.

196. Which battle established the supremacy of the British rule in India ?

(A) Battle of Plassey, 1757

(B) Battle of Buxar, 1764

(D) 4th Mysore War, 1799

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2018

41. Who among the following was associated with the French?

(a) Haidar Ali

(b) Safdar Jang

(d) Tipu Sultan

61. Leader of Lucknow during the revolt of 1857 was

(a) Bahadur Shah

(b) Liyaqat Ali

(d) Begum Hajrat Mahal

64. Which Governor General of India advocated rapid railway construction in India?

(a) Lord Cornwallis

(b) Lord Dalhousie

(d) Lord Hastings

68. Who first came to India for trading purposes?

(a) The French

(b) The Dutch

(d) The English

76. Who was the Nawab of Bengal at the time of Battle of Buxar (1764)?

(a) Mir Qasim

(b) Mir Jafar

(d) Saja-ud-Daulah

85. Who was the editor of the ‘Hindoo Patriot’?

(1853)

(a) Surendranath Banerjee

(b) Motilal Ghosh

(d) Harish Chandra Mukherjee

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2017

89. Dewan Velu Thampi’s rebellion against the British took place in the Indian state of

(1808, Kerala)

(A) Awadh

(B) Kashmir

(C) Travancore

(D) Mysore

91. The custom of ‘Sati’ was banned through legislation in the year

(A) 1795

(B) 1800

(C) 1829

(D) 1858

96. The title ‘Raja’ was conferred on Ram Mohan Roy by the Mughal emperor

(A) Jahandar Shah

(B) Mohammad Shah

(C) Akbar II

(D) Bahadur Shah Zafar

104. With which Revolt names of Sindu and Kanu are associated?

(1856)

(A) Santhal

(B) Chakma

(D) Indigo

105. Who was the Governor General of India at the time of the outbreak of the Revolt of 1857?

(A) William Bentinck

(B) Lord Cornwallis

(C) Lord Canning

(D) Lord Dalhousie

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2016

68. The English set up their first factory on Indian soil in 1613 at –

(Gujarat)

(A) Goa

(B) Surat

(D) Madras

71. Ranjit Singh was a leader of the

(1780 to 1839)

(A) Sukerchakia misl

(B) Bhangi misl

(D) Gobind misl

76. Tipu’s final defeat came at the hands of

(1782-99)

(A) Lord Wellesley

(B) Lord Cornwallis

(D) John Shore

93. Who organised the ‘Council of Barabhais’ ?

(1773 by Maratha Machiavelli)

(A) Madhav Rao Narayan

(B) Baji Rao II

(D) Nana Phadnavis

95. In collaboration with David Hare and Alexander Duff who of the following established Hindu College at Calcutta ?

(1817- Presidency University)

(A) Derozio

(B) Vidyasagar

(D) Raja Rammohan Roy

126. During whose Governor-Generalship, Indian Civil Service (I.C.S.) was introduced ?

(1786-93)

(A) Lord Dalhousie

(B) Lord Curzon

(D) Lord Cornwallis

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2015

27. In which year was the Pitt’s India Act passed ?

(A) 1773

(B) 1781

(D) 1858

31. Which language was replaced by English as the official language for the government of India in 1835 ?

(Macaulay’s Minute)

(A) Arabic

(B) Persian

(D) Urdu

34. Between whom and when was the Treaty of Bassein signed ?

(2nd Anglo-Maratha War)

(A) Peshwa Baji Rao II and the English, 1802

(B) Tipu Sultan and the English. 1784

(D) Ranjit Singh and the English, 1809

37. During the uprising of 1857, which part of India was largely unaffected ?

(A) Bengal

(B) Punjab

(D) All of the above

40. When was the Hindu Widow Remarriage Act passed ?

(26 July, Canning & Bidyasagar)

(A) 1856

(B) 1817

(D) 1867

51. Who introduced the system of Civil Services ?

(A) Lord Hardinge

(B) William Bentinck

(C) Warren Hastings

(D) Lord Dalhousie

55. Who was Titumir ?

(A) Wahabi Movement

(B) Faraji Movement

(D) Indigo Revolt

58. Who introduced the railways and telegraphs in India ?

(A) Lord Dalhousie (1848-56)

(B) Lord Canning

(D) Lord Ripon

68. The first Maratha War took place during the tenure of

(Treaty of Salbai, Maratha victory)

(A) Warren Hastings

(B) William Bentinck

(D) Charles Canning

71. Tattwabodhini Sabha was founded by

(1839)

(A) Debendranath Tagore

(B) Sivnath Sastri

(D) Raja Ramohan Roy

99. Who was known as the Liberator of the Press ?

(15 Sept 1835)

(A) Bentinck

(B) Macaulay

(D) Metcalfe

118. Who was the main inspirator for the Young Bengal Movement ?

(Hindu College)

(A) Rammohan Ray

(B) Derozio (1809-31)

(D) David Hare

123. Who is called a traditional modernizer ?

(Amales Tripathi)

(A) Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar

(B) Vivekananda

(D) B. G. Tilak

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2014

143. Who organised “The Council of Barbhais” ?

(1773)

(A) Nana Phadnavis

(B) Madhav Rao Narayan

(D) Mahadji Scindia

160. The centre of Portuguese power in India was

(A) Cochin

(B) Calicut

(D) Goa

164. Who was the Governor-General of India during the revolt of 1857 ?

(A) Canning

(B) Dalhousie

(D) Ripon

170. Who founded the Asiatic Society ?

(1784)

(A) David Hare

(B) Alexander Duff

(D) William Jones

178. Which one of the following is known as the ‘Magna-Carta’ of English Education in India ?

(Wood’s despatch)

(A) Charter of Act of 1813

(B) Indian Education Commission’s Report of 1882

(D) Educational Despatch of 1854

199. Who among the following was not the active leader of the Brahmo Samaj ?

(20 Aug 1828)

(A) Devendra Nath Tagore

(B) Keshab Chandra Sen

(D) Swami Vivekananda

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2013

140. In which year was the Asiatic Society founded ?

(15 Jan, William Jones)

(A) 1784

(B) 1785

(D) 1796

146. Who said : ‘Sab Lal ho Jayega’ ?

(1801-39)

(A) Guru Gobind Sing

(B) Ajit Sing

(D) Ranjit Singh

149. Where did Bhil revolt take place ?

(1818, Rajasthan, MP)

(A) Chhotonagpur

(B) Singbhum

(D) Khandesh

150. Who introduced the ‘Sunset Law’ ?

(1786, Permanent Settlement)

(A) Warren Hastings

(B) Lord Cornwallis

(D) Lord Canning

151. Who was the leader of the Tariqa movement in Bengal ?

(Tariqah-i-Muhammadiya)

(A) Dudu Mian

(B) Titu Mir

(D) Sayed Ahmed

155. The ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ was introduced by –

(A) Lord Wellesley

(B) Lord Dalhousie

(D) Lord Linlithgow

158. Which place did the Santhal call Damin-i-Koh ?

(Jharkhand)

(A) Dhalbhum

(B) Palamau

(D) Hazaribag

160. Tipu’s final defeat came at the hands of

(1799, 4th Anglo-Mysore war)

(A) Lord Wellesley

(B) Lord Cornwallis

(D) John Shore

164. In which year was the widow-remarriage Act passed ?

(16th July)

(A) 1829

(B) 1833

(D) 1890

169. Which Act allowed the Christian Missionaries to enter India ?

(A) Charter act of 1793

(B) Charter act of 1813

(D) Pitt’s India act of 1784

199. The first jute mill was set up in India in –

(Acland Mill, Rishra)

(A) 1920

(B) 1850

(D) 1755

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2012

26. Who was the Editor of ‘Hindu Patriot’ ?

(1853-55, Girish Chandra Ghosh)

(A) Harischandra Mukherjee (1855-61)

(B) Krishna Mitra

(D) Shivnath Shastri

141. The Santhal Revolt took place in the year

(Murmu Brothers-Sidhu, Kanhu)

(A) 1855 (30 June)

(B) 1857

(D) 1871

181. In which year Permanent settlement introduced by the British in Bengal –

(Cornwallis)

(A) 1791 AD

(B) 1792 AD

(D) 1794 AD

184. Why is 1761 is important in Indian history ?

(14 Jan 1761)

(A) The English Company became the Diwan of Bengal

(B) The Marathas were defeated in Third Battle of Panipat

(D) Death of Haider Ali of Mysore

189. Who, among the early British rulers, introduced the system of Subsidiary Alliance ?(Nizam of Hyderabad, 1798)

(A) Lord Wellesley

(B) Warren Hastings

(D) Sir John Shore

193. Who succeeded Murshid Quli Khan as the ruler of Bengal ?

(1740)

(A) Sarfaraz Khan

(B) Shaukat Jung

(D) Shajauddin

196. When did Lord Dalhousie annex Awadh ?

(grounds of misrule)

(A) 1848 AD

(B) 1857 AD

(D) 1856 AD

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2011

40. Who introduced Permanent Settlement ?

(1793)

(A) Lord Cornwallis

(B) Warren Hastings

(D) Lord Bentinck

73. Who is called ‘the Morningstar’ of Indian Renaissance ?

(1772 – 1833)

(A) Rabindranath Tagore

(B) Raja Rammohan Roy

(D) Swami Vivekananda

105. Indian Civil Service was introduced during the Governor-General ship of

(1786-93)

(A) Lord Dalhousie

(B) Lord Curzon

(D) Lord Cornwallis

148. When was University of Calcutta founded ?

(A) 1854

(B) 1857

(D) 1874

152. Which Indian ruler was made the prisoner of the Revolt of 1857 ?

(A) Rani Lakshmi Bai

(B) Nana Shaheb

(D) None of the above

165. The first political society started under British rule in India was

(1838, Dwarkanath Tagore)

(A) Brahma Samaj

(B) Arya Samaj

(D) None of the above

183. The policy of Subsidiary Alliance was introduced by

(A) Dalhousie

(B) Canning

(D) Warren Hastings

187. Who was the main inspiration of the Young Bengal movement ?

(Hindu College)

(A) Raja Rammohan Roy

(B) L. V. Derozio

(D) David Hare

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2010

64. The Treaty of Amritsar was signed by the English with Ranjit Singh in the year

(A) 1807 A.D.

(B) 1809 A.D.

(D) 1813 A.D.

66. Prohibition of Sati was enacted by Regulation XVII in the year

(Bentinck, Bengal Sati Regulation)

(A) 1829 A.D.

(B) 1830 A.D.

(D) None of the above

88. Who was the main inspiration of the Young Bengal movement ?

(Hindu College, Calcutta)

(A) Rammohan

(B) Derozio

(D) David Hare

89. Who is called “A traditional moderniser” ?

(Book – 1974, Amales Tripathi)

(A) Vidyasagar

(B) Swami Vivekananda

(D) B. G. Tilak

90. The capital of Tipu Sultan was at

(A) Mysore

(B) Seringapattam

(D) Belur

98. Who was the Governor-General who decided in favour of Western education in India ?

(Macaulay minute 1835)

(A) Lord Cornwallis

(B) Lord Bentinck

(D) Lord Curzon

99. Who was the Governor-General of India when Widow Remarriage Act was passed ?

(A) Lord Ripon

(B) Lord Canning

(D) Lord Bentinck

122. The first to be designated as the Governor General of India was

(1773-85)

(A) Lord Clive

(B) Sir John Shore

(D) Lord Cornwallis

130. Who is called “Sher-e-Punjab” ?

(1780–1839)

(A) Ranjit Singh

(B) Amar Singh

(D) Bhagat Singh

150. Who founded the “School Book Society” ?

(1817, Radhakanta Deb)

(A) William Jones

(B) Hyde East

(D) David Hare

163. The Diwani of Bengal was granted to Clive in the year

(Treaty of Allahabad, Shah Alam II)

(A) 1757 A.D.

(B) 1765 A.D.

(D) 1784 A.D.

176. The Medical College in Kolkata was established in the year

(A) 1829 A.D.

(B) 1835 A.D.

(D) 1884 A.D.

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2009

95. Name the first Bengali newspaper

(1818, Baptist Mission Press, Serampore)

(A) Samachar Darpan

(B) Samvad Kaumudi

(D) Tattvadohini Patrika

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2008

27. The East India Company secured the Diwani from

(A) Suja-ud-Daulah

(B) Aurangzeb

(D) Shah Alam II

30. Who was the Governor General of India at the time of the Sepoy Mutiny ?

(A) Lord Hastings

(B) Wellesley

(D) Canning

50. The Civil Service was brought into existence in Indian by

(A) Warren Hastings

(B) Cornwallis

(D) Ripon

57. Who was the Governor General when the first Anglo-Burmese war started ?

(A) George Barlow

(B) Lord Hastings

(D) Lord Amherst

58. The Calcutta University was founded in the year

(A) 1855

(B) 1856

(D) 1858

36. Sidhu was associated with the

(A) Sannyasi Rebellion

(B) Kol Rebellion

(D) Santhal Rebellion

83. Permanent Settlement was a feature of

(A) Zamindari System

(B) Mahalwary System

(D) None of the above

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2007

29. Who was the first secretary of the Brahmo Sabha?

(A) Chandrasekhar Deb

(B) Tarachand Chakraborti

(D) Dwarakanath Tagore

61. Who was called “Chanakya of Maratha Politics“?

(A) Baji Rao II

(B) Balaji Viswanath

(D) Maharaja Scindia

76. Who founded Asiatic Society of Bengal?

(A) William Jones

(B) Drinkwater Bethune

(D) Lord Ripon

101. Who was inspiration behind Young Bengal Movement?

(A) Madhsudan Dutt

(B) Henry Vivian Derozio

(D) Ramgopal Ghosh

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2006

68. Who is called the prophet of New India?

(a) Sri Ramakrishna

(b) Mahatma Gandhi

(d) Rammohan Roy

70. Who was the Governor General of India when Widow Remarriage Act was passed?

(a) Lord Bentinck

(b) Lord Dalhousie

(c) Lord Canning

(d) Lord Ripon

74. The Regulating Act was passed by

(a) Bengal Council

(b) Company’s Govt.

(d) Privy Council

81. Who is called “A traditional modernizer”?
(Author: Amales Tripathi)

(a) Vidyasagar

(b) Swami Vivekananda

(d) B.G. Tilak

108. ‘Digdarshan’ monthly was published by

(a) Marshman

(b) Rammohan Roy

(d) Dwarakanath Tagore

122. Lord William Bentinck became Governor General in

(a) 1820

(b) 1825

(d) 1830

145. Who among the following annexed Punjab into British Dominion?
(1849)

(a) Elgin

(b) Dalhousie

(d) Morley

150. The Times of India was first published in
(Mumbai)

(a) 1875

(b) 1861

(d) 1838

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2005

28. Who was the main inspiration behind the Young Bengal Movement?

(a) Derozio

(b) Rammohan

(d) David Hare

97. Who was the Governor-General of India during the Revolt of 1857?

(a) Lord Dalhousie

(b) Lord Canning

(d) Lord Ripon

113. In which year was the Treaty of Bassein signed?

(a) 1765

(b) 1792

(d) 1805

153. Who was proclaimed as an Emperor of India during the Revolt of 1857?

(a) Bahadur Shah II

(b) Tantia Topi

(d) Mangal Pandey

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2004

63. Which battle dashed the hopes of Dupleix to establish an empire in India?

(A) First Carnatic War

(B) Second Carnatic War

(D) Battle of Plassey

78. Who was the Governor General who decided in favour of Western education in India?

(1835)

(A) Lord Cornwallis

(B) Lord Ripon

(D) Lord Curzon

117. The founder of the Atmiya Sabha was

(1815)

(A) Raja Rammohan Roy

(B) Devendranath Tagore

(D) Rajnarayan Bose

134. Who founded the “School Book Society”?

(1817, Mrityunjay Vidyalankar, Radhakanta Deb)

(A) David Hare

(B) Hyde East

(D) Bethune

152. ‘Samachar Darpan’ Was published by

(1818)

(A) Bhabani Charan Bandyopadhyay

(B) Tarachand Datta

(D) J.C. Marshman

153. Who was the Governor General who enacted widow remarriage in India?

(Act XV, 1856)

(A) Lord Bentinck

(B) Lord Dalhousie

(D) Lord Canning

180. What was the name of the first Bengali Newspaper?

(1818, William Carey)

(A) Sambad Kaumudi

(B) Samachar Darpan

(D) Sambad Prabhakar

186. “Sab Lai ho Jayega”- who of the Indian “rulers said this?

(A) Ranjit Singh

(B) Alivardi Khan

(D) Tipu Sultan

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2003

32. Royal Asiatic Society was founded in

(William Jones)

(A) 1784

(B) 1761

(D) 1791

35. Hindu Female School was founded by

(Bethune College 1849)

(A) Madanmohan Tarkalankar

(B) Bethune

(D) Parry Chand Mitra

52. Who introduced Dual Government in Bengal?

(A) Warren Hastings

(B) Lord Clive

(D) Cornwallis

58. The East India Company received its Charter from

(1600)

(A) Queen Elizabeth

(B) James I

(D) Queen Victoria

90. Tattwabodhini Patrika was started by

(1843)

(A) Madhusudan Datta

(B) Vidyasagar

(D) Debendranath ThakuK

102. English as the medium of instruction of education among the Indians was officially announced in

(A) 1825

(B) 1835

(D) 1855

112. The first Bengali newspaper is

(A) Samachar Darpan

(B) Samachar Chandrika

(D) Banga Darshan

142. Titumir was associated with the movement.

(A) Wahabi

(B) Faraji

(D) Ahmadiya

170. First Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University was

(A) William Colvile

(B) Ritchie

(D) Maine

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2002

33. Who pioneered the 19th Century Renaissance in India?

(A) Raja Rammohan Roy

(B)Radhakanta Deb

(D) Devendranath Tagore.

42. The most significant battle in the establishment of British Supremacy in India was that of

(A) Wandiwash

(B) Plassey

(D) Seringapatta’nam

97. The system of open competition through examination for entering civil services was introduced in

(A) 1813

(B) 1833

(D) 1858

127. Who called the 1857 revolt “a planned war Of national independence”?

(A) Sir John Seeley

(B) R. C. Majumdar

(D) Benjamin Disraeli

129. Which is the first Bengali Newspaper in this country?

(A) Samachar Darpan

(B) Sambad Koumbdi

(D) Jugantar

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2001

28. What was the Wahavi movement?

(A) Rebellious Movement led by S.A. Brelvi

(B) Movement to organize people

(D) None of these

88. Who among the following was not a leader of the Revolt of 1857?

(A) Nana Saheb

(B) Rani Lakshmi Bai

(D) Kunwar Singh

104. Who abolished the Dual Government in Bengal?

(1773)

(A) Clive

(B) Holwell

(D) Cornwallis

128. The East India Company set up its first factory in the South at

(A) Madras

(B) Telangana

(D) Hyderabad

132. Pitt’s India Government Act. which was meant to remove the defects of the Regulating Act was passed in the year

(A)1781

(B) 1782

(D) 1786

WBCS Preliminary Question – 2000

91. Who founded the Asiatic Society in Calcutta?

(A) William Jones

(B) Lord Bentinck

(D) Drinkwater Bethune

92. Which was the first newspaper in Bengali?

(A) Sambad Kaumudi

(B) Sambad Prabhakar

(D) Tatwabodhini Patrika

93. Who founded the Atmiya Sabha?

(A) Rammohan Roy

(B) Debendranath Tagore

(D) Keshab Chandra Sen

145. who, among the following did first unfurl the flag of the revolt of 1857?

(A) Nana Sahed

(B) Tantia Topee

(D) Mangal Pande