April 11, 2019
Modern India before 1857
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2019
57. Between whom Carnatic Wars were fought ?
(A) French East India Co. and English East India Co.
(B) French East India Co. and Dutch East India Co.
(C) Dutch East India Co. and the Portuguese
(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
(C) Nana Sahib
(D) Kunwar Singh
61. The Asiatic Society of Bengal was founded by
(A) C. F. Andrews
(B) RaJa Rammohan Roy
(C) Sir William Jones
(D) William Marshal
66. The Battle of Buxar was fought in
(A) 1762 (B) 1764
(C) 1768 (D) 1772
67. With whose permission did the English set up their first factory in Surat ?
(A) Akbar
(B) Jahangir
(C) Shahjehan
(D) Aurangzeb
68. When did Vasco-da-Gama come to India ?
(A) 1498 A.D.
(B) 1409 A.D.
(C) 1496 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
(C) 3rd Mysore War, 1790-92
(D) 4th Mysore War, 1799
197. Kuka movement is associated with which of the following states ?
(A) Assam
(B) Bengal
(C) Punjab
(D) Maharashtra
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2018
41. Who among the following was associated with the French?
(a) Haidar Ali
(b) Safdar Jang
(c) Mir Qasim
(d) Tipu Sultan
61. Leader of Lucknow during the revolt of 1857 was
(a) Bahadur Shah
(b)Liyaqat Ali
(c)Nana Sahib
(d) Begum Hajrat Mahal
64. Which Governor General of India advocated rapid railway construction in India?
(a)Lord Cornwallis
(b)Lord Dalhousie
(c)Lord Hardinge
(d)Lord Hastings
68. Who first came to India for trading purposes?
(a)The French
(b)The Dutch
(c)The Portuguese
(d)The English
76. Who was the Nawab of Bengal at the time of Battle of Buxar (1764)?
(a) Mir Qasim
(b) Mir Jafar
(c) Nizam-ud-Daulah
(d) Saja-ud-Daulah
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2017
89. Dewan Velu Thampi’s rebellion against the British took place in the Indian state of
Awadh
Kashmir
Travancore
Mysore
91. The custom of ‘Sati’ was banned through legislation in the year
1795
1800
1829
1858
96. The title ‘ Raja’ was conferred on Ram Mohan Roy by the Mughal emperor
Jalanadar Singh
Mohammad Shah
Akbar II
Bahadur Shah zafar
104. With which Revolt names of Sindu and Kanu are associated?
Santhal
Chakma
Khasi
Indigo
105. Who was the Governor General of India at the time of the outbreak of the Revolt of 1857?
William Bentick
Lord Cornwallis
Lord Canning
Lord Dalhousie
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2016
68. The English set up their first factory on Indian soil in 1621 at –
(A) Goa
(B) Surat
(C) Calicut
(D) Madras
71. Ranjit Singh was a leader of the — (1780 –1839)
(A) Sukerchakia misl
(B) Bhangi misl
(C) Kanheya misl
(D) Gobind misl
76. Tipu’s final defeat came at the hands of — (1782-99)
(A) Lord Wellesley (1798-1805)
(B) Lord Cornwallis
(C) Lord Dalhousie
(D) John Shore
87. Who started the newspaper Shom Prakash ?
(A) Dayananda Saraswati
(B) Raja Rammohan Roy
(C) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-1891)
(D) Surendranath Banerjee
93. Who organised the ‘Council of Barabhais’ ? (1773 by the Marattha Machiavelli)
(A) Madhav Rao Narayan
(B) Baji Rao II
(C) Mahadji Scindia
(D) Nana Phadnavis (1742-1800)
95. In collaboration with David Hare and Alexander Duff who of the following established Hindu College at Calcutta ? (1817- Presidency College)
(A) Derozio
(B) Vidyasagar
(C) Keshab Chandra Sen
(D) Raja Rammohan Roy (1772-1833)
126. During whose Governor-Generalship, Indian Civil Service (I.C.S.) was introduced ?
(A) Lord Dalhousie
(B) Lord Curzon
(C) Lord William Bentinck
(D) Lord Cornwallis (1786-93)
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2015
27. In which year was the Pitt’s India Act passed ?
(A) 1773
(B) 1781
(C) 1784
(D) 1858
31. Which language was replaced by English as the official language for the government of India in 1835 ?
(A) Arabic
(B) Persian
(C) Turkish
(D) Urdu
34. Between whom and when was the Treaty of Bassein signed ?
(A) Peshwa Baji Rao II and the English, 1802
(B) Tipu Sultan and the English. 1784
(C) Marathas and Ahmed Shah Abdali, 1761
(D) Ranjit Singh and the English, 1809
37. During the uprising of 1857, which part of India was largely unaffected ?
(A) Bengal
(B) Punjab
(C) Awadh
(D) All of the above
40. When was the Hindu Widow Remarriage Act passed ? (Dalhousie & Bidyasagar)
(A) 1856 (B) 1817
(C) 1838 (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 ? The leader of ( or Syed Mir Nisar Ali)
(A) Wahabi Movement (1831)
(B) Faraji Movement
(C) Sepoy Mutiny
(D) Indigo Revolt (1859)
58. Who introduced the railways (1853) and telegraphs (Calcutta and Diamond Harbour-1851) in India ?
(A) Lord Dalhousie (1848-56)
(B) Lord Canning
(C) Lord Hardinge
(D) Lord Ripon
68. The first Maratha War took place during the tenure of (Treaty of Salbai,1775–1782, Maratha victory)
(A) Warren Hastins
(B) William Bentinck
(C) Marquess Cornwallis
(D) Charles Canning
71. Tattwabodhini Sabha was founded by (1839)
(A) Debendranath Tagore
(B) Sivnath Sastri
(C) Keshab Chandra Sen
(D) Raja Ramohan Roy
99. Who was known as the Liberator of the Press ?
(A) Bentinck
(B) Macaulay
(C) Hastings
(D) Metcalfe (1835–36)
118. Who was the main inspirator of the Young Bengal Movement ?
(A) Rammohan Ray
(B) Derozio (1809-31)
(C) Debendra Nath Tagore
(D) David Hare
123. Who is called a traditional modernizer ?
(A) Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar (1820-91)
(B) Vivekananda
(C) Rammohan Roy
(D) B. G. Tilak
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2014
143. Who organised “The Council of Barabhais” ? (1773)
(A) Nana Phadnavis
(B) Madhav Rao Narayan
(C) Baji Rao II
(D) Mahadji Scindia
164. Who was the Governor-General of India during the revolt of 1857 ?
(A) Canning
(B) Dalhousie
(C) Elgin
(D) Ripon
170. Who founded the Asiatic Society ? (1784)
(A) David Hare
(B) Alexander Duff
(C) H. V. Derozio
(D) William Jones
178. Which one of the following is known as the ‘Magna-Carta’ of English Education in India ?
(A) Charter of Act of 1813
(B) Indian Education Commissiion’s Report of 1882
(C) Indian Universities Act of 1904
(D) Educational Despatch of 1854
199. Who among the following was not the active leader of the Brahmo Samaj ? (1828)
(A) Devendra Nath Tagore
(B) Keshab Chandra Sen
(C) Akshay Kumar Datta
(D) Swami Vivekananda
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2013
140. In which year was the Asiatic Society founded ? (Sir William Jones)
(A) 1784
(B) 1785
(C) 1794
(D) 1796
144. Who translated ‘Neel Darpan’ ?
(A) Rev. James Long
(B) William Gary
(C) Satish Chandra Mukherjee
(D) Michael Madhusudan Dutta
146. Who said : ‘Sab Lal ho Jayega’ ?
(A) Guru Gobind Sing
(B) Ajit Sing
(C) Tegh Bahadur
(D) Ranjit Sing (1801-36)
150. Who introduced the ‘Sunset Law’ ? (1786)
(A) Warren Hastings (B) Lord Comwallis (C) Lord Bentink (D) Lord Canning
151. Who was the leader of the Tariqa movement in Bengal ?
(A) Dudu Mian (B) Titu Mir (C) Haji Shariatullah (D) Sayed Ahmed (1826 − 1906)
155. The ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ was introduced by —
(A) Lord Wellesley (B) Lord Dalhousie (C) Lord Canning (D) Lord Linlithgo
158. Which place did the Santhal call Damin-i-Koh ?
(A) Dhalbhum (B) Palamau (C) Rajmahal hills (D) Hazaribag
160. Tipu’s final defeat came at the hands of — (1782-99)
(A) Lord Wellesley (B) Lord Cornwallis (C) Lord Dalhousie (D) John Shore
164. In which year was the widow-remarriage Act passed ?
(A) 1829 (B) 1833 (C) 1856 (D) 1890
169. Which Act allowed the Christian Missionaries to enter India ?
(A) Charter act of 1793 (B) Charter act of 1813 (C) Charter act of 1833 (D) Pitt’s India act of 1784
199. The first jute mill was set up in India in — (Rishra, production-1856)
(A) 1920 (B) 1850 (C) 1800 (D) 1755
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2012
26. Who was the Editor of ‘Hindu Patriot’ ? (1853, Girish Chandra Ghosh 1853-55)
(A) Harischandra Mukherjee (1855-61) (B) Krishna Mitra (C) Bipin Chandra Pal (D) Shivnath Shastri
141. The Santhal Revolt took place in the year :
(A) 1855 (B) 1857 (C) 1859 (D) 1871
181. In which year Permanent settlement introduced by the British in bengal – (Cornwallis)
(A) 1791 AD (B) 1792 AD (C) 1793 AD (D) 1794 AD
184. Why is 1761 is important in Indian history ?
(A) The English Company became the Diwan of Bengal
(B) The Marathas were defeated in Third Battle of Panipath
(C) Occupation of Delhi by the English Company’s army
(D) Death of Haider Ali of Mysore
189. Who, among the early British rulers, introduced the system of Subsidiary Alliance ? (1798)
(A) Lord Weliesley (1798-1805) (B) Warren Hastings (C) Lord Cornwallis (D) Sir John Shore
193. Who succeeded Murshid Quli Khan as the ruler of Bengal ?
(A) Sarfaraz Khan (B) Shaukat Jung (C) Alivardi Khan (D) Shajauddin
196. When did Lord Dalhousie annex Awadh ?
(A) 1848 AD (B) 1857 AD (C) 1853 AD (D) 1856 AD
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2011
40. Who introduced Permanent Settlement ? (1793)
(A) Lord Cornwallis (1786-93) (B) Warren Hastings (C) John Shore (D) Lord Bentinck
73. Who is called ‘the morningstar’ of Indian Renaissance ?
(A) RabindranathTagore (B) Raja Rammohan Roy (C) M.K.Gandhi (D) Swami Vivekananda
105. Indian Civil Service was introduced during the Governor-Generalship of (1786-93)
(A) Lord Dalhousie (B) Lord Curzon (C) Lord William Bentinck (D) Lord Cornwallis
148. When was University of Calcutta founded ?
(A) 1854 (B) 1857 (C) 1860 (D) 1874
152. Which Indian ruler was made the prisoner of the Revolt of 1857 ?
(A) Rani Lakshmi Bai (B) Nana Shaheb (C) Bahadur Shah Zafar (D) None of the above
165. The first political society started under British rule in India was (1831, Dwarkanath Tagore)
(A) Brahma Samaj (B) Arya Samaj (C) Bengal land-holders’society (D) None of the above
183. The policy of Subsidiary Alliance was introduced by
(A) Dalhousie (B) Canning (C) Wellesley (D) Warren Hastings
187. Who was the main inspiration of the Young Bengal movement ?
(A) Raja Rammohan Roy (B) L. V. Derozio (C) Debendranath Tagore (D) David Hare
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 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. (C) 1811 A.D. (D) 1813 A.D.
66. Prohibition of Sati was enacted by Regulation XVII in year (Bentinck)
(A) 1829 A.D. (B) 1830 A.D. (C) 1835 A.D. (D) None of the above
89. Who is called “A traditional moderniser” ?
(A) Vidyasagar (B) Swami Vivekananda (C) Rammohan Roy (D) B. G. Tilak
90. The capital of Tipu Sultan was at (1782-99)
(A) Mysore (B) Seringapattam (C) Sringeri (D) Belur
98. Who was the Governor-General who decided in favour of Western education in India ?
(A) Lord Cornwallis (B) Lord Bentinck (C) Lord Ripon (D) Lord Curzon
99. Who was the Governor-General of India when Widow Remarriage Act was passed ?
(A) Lord Ripon (B) Lord Canning (C) Lord Dalhousie (D) Lord Bentinck
122. The first to be designated as the Governor General of India was
(A) Lord Clive (B) Sir John Shore (C) Warren Hastings (1773-85) (D) Lord Cornwallis
130. Who is called “Sher-i-Punjab” ?
(A) Ranjit Singh (B) Amar Singh (C) Lala Lajpat Rai (D) Bhagat Singh
150. Who founded the “School Book Society” ? (1817, Radhakanta Deb)
(A) William Jones (B) Hyde East (C) D. Bethune (D) David Hare
163. The Diwani of Bengal was granted to Clive in the year (Treaty of Allahabad, Shah Alam II, Baxser)
(A) 1757 A.D. (B) 1765 A.D. (C) 1772 A.D. (D) 1784 A.D.
176. The Medical College in Koikata was established in the year
(A) 1829 A.D. (B) 1835 A.D. (C) 1858 A.D. (D) 1884 A.D.
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2009
95. Name the first Bengali newspaper (1818, Baptist Mission Press at Serampore)
(A) Samachar Darpan (B) Samvad Kaumudi (C) Samvad Prabhakar (D) Tattvadohini Patrika
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2008
27. The East India Company secured the Diwani from
(A) Suja-ud-Daulah (B) Aurangzeb (C) Bahadur Shah I (D) Shah Alam II
30. Who was the Governor General of India at the time of the Sepoy Mutiny ?
(A) Lord Hastings (B) Wellesley (C) Daihousie (D) Canning
50. The Civil Service was brought into existence in Indian by
(A) Warren Hastings (B) Cornwallis (C) Dalhousie (D) Ripon
57. Who was the Governor General when the first Anglo-Burmese was started ?
(A) George Barlow (B) Lord Hastings (C) Lord Minto (D) Lord Amherst
58. The Calcutta University was founded in the year
(A) 1855 (B) 1856 (C) 1857 (D) 1858
36. Sidhu was associated with the
(A) Sannyasi Rebellion (B) Kol Rebellion (C) Munda Rebellion (D) Santhal Rebellion
83. Permanent Settlement was a feature of
(A) Zamindari System (B) Mahalwary System (C) Ryotwari System (D) None of the above
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2007
29. Who was the first secretary of the Brahma Sabha?
(A) Chandrasekhar Deb (B)Tarachand Chakraborti (C) Prasanna Tagore (D) Dwarakanath Tagore
61. Who was called “Chanakya of Maratha Politics”?
(A) Baji Rao II (B) Balaji Viswanath (C) Nana Pharnabis (D) Mahadaji Scindia
76. Who founded Asiatic Society of Bengal?
(A) William Jones (B) Drinkwater Bethune (C) David Hare (D) Lord Ripon
101. Who was inspiration behind Young Bengal Movement?
(A) Madhsudan Dutt (B) Henry Vivian Derozio (C) Krishnamohan Banerjee (D) Ramgopal Ghosh
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2006
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. (c) British Parliament (d) Privy Council
81. Who is called “A traditional modernizer”?
(a) Vidyasagar (b) Swami Vivekananda (c) Rammohan Roy (d) B.G. Tilak
108. ‘Dikarshan’ monthly was published by
(a) Marshman (b) Rammohan Roy (c) Sisir Kumar Ghosh (d) Dwarakanath Tagore
122. Lord William Bentinck became Governor General in
(a) 1820 (b) 1825 (c) 1828 (d) 1830
145. Who among the following annexed Punjab into British Dominion? (1849)
(a) Elgin (b) Dalhousie (c) Minto (d) Morley
150. The Times of India was first published in. (Mumbai)
(a) 1875 (b) 1861 (c) 1862 (d) 1838
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2005
28. Who was the main inspiration behind the Young Bengal Movement?
(a) Derozio (b) Rammohan (c) Dsbendranath (d) David Hare
97. Who was the Governor-General of India during the Revolt of 1857?
(a) Lord Dalhousie (b) Lord Canning (c) Lord Lytton (d) Lord Ripon
113. In which year was the Treaty of Bassein signed?
(a) 1765 (b) 1792 (c) 1802 (d) 1805
153. Who was proclaimed as an Emperor of India during the Revolt of 1857?
(a) Bahadur Shah II (b) Tantia Topi (c) Nana Shaheb (d) Mangal Pandey
l73. The song ‘Bande Mataram’ is from
(a) Pather Dabi (b) Durgesh Nandini (c) Ananda Math (d) Gora
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2004
63. Which battle dashed the hopes of Dupleix to establish an empire in India?
(A) First Carnatic War (B) Second Carnatic War (C) Third 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 (C) Lord Bentinck (D) Lord Curzon
134. Who founded the “School Book Society”? (1817, Mrityunjay Vidyalankar, Radhakanta Deb)
(A) David Hare (B) Hyde East (C) William Jones (D) Bethune
152. ‘Samachar Darpan’ Was published by (1818)
(A) Bhabani Charan Bandyopadhyay (B) Tarachand Datta
(C) Hansh Chandra Mukherjee (D) J.C. Marshman
153. Who was the Governor General who enacted widow remarriage in India?
(A) Lord Bentinck (B) Lord Dalhousie (C)Lord Ripon (D) Lord Canning
180. What was the name of the first Bengali Newspaper? (1818, William Carey)
(A) Sambad Kaumudi (B) Samachar Darpan (C) Tattabodhini Patrika (D) Sambad Prabhakar
186. “Sab Lai ho Jayega”- who of the Indian “rulers said this?
(A) Ranjit Singh (B) Alivardi Khan (C) Haider Ali (D) Tipu Sultan
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2003
32. Royal Asiatic Society was founded in (William Jones)
(A) 1784 (B) 1761 (C) 1771 (D) 1791
35. Hindu Female School was founded by (Bethun Colleage 1849)
(A) Madanmohan Tarkalankar (B) Bethun (C) De Rozio (D) Parry Chand Mitra
52. Who introduced Dual Government in Bengal?
(A) Warren Hastings (B) Lord Clive (C) Vansittart (D) Cornwallis
58. The East India Company received its Charter from (1600)
(A) Queen Elizabeth (B) James I (C) Charles I (D) Queen Victoria
90. Tattwabodhini Patrika was started by (1843)
(A) Madhusudan Datta (B) Vidyasagar (C) Ramtanu Lahiri (D) Debendranath ThakuK
102. English as the medium of instruction of education among the Indians was offcially announced in
(A) 1825 (B) 1835 (C) 1845 (D) 1855
112. The first Bengali newspaper is
(A) Samachar Darpan (B) Samachar Chandrika (C) Sambad Provakar (D) Banga Darshan
142. Titumir was associated with the movement.
(A) Wahabi (B) Faraji (C) Aligarh (D) Ahmadiya
170. First Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University was
(A) William Colvile (B) Ritchie (C) Erskine (D) Maine
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2002
33. Who pioneered the 19th Century Renaissance in India?
(A) Raja Rammohan Roy (B)Radhakanta Deb (C) Keshab Sen (D) Devendranath Tagore.
42. The most significant battle in the establishment of British Supremacy in India was that of
(A) Wandiwash (B) Plassey (C) Baxar (D) Seringapatta’nam
97. The system of open competition through examination for entering civil services was introduced in
(A) 1813 (B) 1833 (C) 1853 (D) 1858
127. Who called the 1857 revolt “a planned war Of national independence”?
(A) Sir John Seeley (B) R. C. Majumbar (C) V.D. Savarkar (D) Benjamin Disraeli
129. Which is the first Bengali Newspaper in this country?
(A) Samachar Darpan (B) Sambad Koumbdi (C) Sambad Prabhakar (D) Jugantar
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2001
28. What was the Wahavi movement?
(A) Rebellious Movement led by S.A. Brelvi (B) Movement to organize people
(C) A move to oppose religious attitude (D) None of these
88. Who among following was not a leader of the Revolt of 1857?
(A) Nana Saheb (B) Rani Lakshmi Bai (C) Mansing (D) Kunwar Singh
104. Who abolished the Dual Government in Bengal? (1773)
(A) Clive (B) Holwell (C) Warren Hastings (D) Cornwallis
128. The East India Company set up its first factory in the South at
(A) Madras (B) Telengana (C) Masulipatnam (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 (C) 1784 (D) 1786
Question Paper – WBCS Prelims – 2000
91. Who founded the Asiatic Society in Calcutta?
(A) William Jones (B) Lord Bentinck (C) David Hare (D) Drinkwater Bethune
92. Which was the first newspaper in Bengali?
(A) Sambad Kaumudi (B) Sambad Prabhakar (C) Samachar Darpan (D) Tatwabodhini Patrika
93. Who founded the Atmiya Sabha?
(A) Rammohan Roy (B) Debendranath Tagore (C) shibnath Shastri (D) Keshab Chandra Sen
145. who, among the following did first unfurl the flag of revolt of 1857?
(A) Nana Sahed (B) Tantia Topee (C) Rani Lakshimi (D) Mangal Pande
