Advent of European Companies in India Multiple Choice Questions and Answers

Question 1. Who discovered the sea-route to India via cape of good hope? [SSC 2011]

(a) Vasco da Gama
(b) John Cobot
(c) Christopher Columbus
(d) Amundsen

Answer : a

Question 2. Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to India in which of the following years? [NDA 2004, MPPSC (Pre) 1995]

(a) 1498
(b) 1492
(c) 1494
(d) 1453

Answer : a

Question 3. Vasco da Gama reached to famous port of Calicut by the help of

(a) Gujarati navigator
(b) Bengali trader Manik Chand
(c) Arabian navigator Ibn Majid
(d) None of the above

Answer : c

Question 4. Name the Indian king who welcomed Portuguese sailor, Vasco da Gama at Calicut? [UP Lower Sub (Pre) 2013]

(a) Gaspar Correia
(b) Albuquerque
(c) de Almeida
(d) Zamorin

Answer : d

Question 5. Who was the first Portuguese viceroy in India? [BPSC 2002]

(a) Diaz
(b) Vasco da Gama
(c) Francisco de Almeida
(d) Albuquerque

Answer : c

Question 6. Who is considered as the real founder of the Portuguese power in India? [UP Lower Sub (Pre) 2003]

(a) Vasco da Gama
(b) Albuquerque
(c) Francis Drake
(d) Almeida

Answer : b

Question 7. Which of the following is correct chronological sequence of Portuguese Governors?

(a) Francisco de Almeida–Alfonso de Albuquerque–Nuno da Cunha–Martin Alfonso
(b) Francisco de Almeida–Martin Alfonso– Alfonso de Albuquerque– Nuno da Cunha
(c) Martin Alfonso–Nuno da Cunha– Francisco de Almeida–Alfonso de Albuquerque
(d) None of the above

Answer : d

Question 8. Which of the following is/are not correct regarding Alfonso De Albuquerque?

I. He was the second Governor of Portuguese in India.
II. He had captured Goa from the ruler of Bijapur.
III. He discouraged his countrymen to marry Indian women.
IV. He consolidated Portuguese power in India.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

(a) I and II
(b) Only II
(c) Only IV
(d) Only III

Answer : d

Question 9. Consider the following statements.

I. The Portuguese Governor Alfonso De Sousa had acquired Diu and Bassein from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat.
II. The famous Jesuit Saint Francisco Xavier came to India with Alfonso de Sousa.

Which of the following statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) Only I
(b) Only II
(c) Both I and II
(d) Neither I nor II

Answer : b

Question 10. Who first came to India for trading purposes? [WBCS 2018, UPPSC (Mains) 2007]

(a) The French
(b) The Dutch
(c) The Portuguese
(d) The English

Answer : c

Question 11. The first to come and last to leave India were [SSC 2008]

(a) The French
(b) The Portuguese
(c) The English
(d) The Dutch

Answer : b

Question 12. The Portuguese East India Company were known by the name

(a) Estado da India
(b) East India Company
(c) Company da and Oriental
(d) Varingde ost Indishe

Answer : a

Question 13. Who were the first Europeans to set up sea trade centres in India? [UKPSC (Pre) 2004]

(a) The English
(b) The French
(c) The Portuguese
(d) The Dutch

Answer : c

Question 14. During the Mughal period which one of the following traders first came to India? [NDA 2004]

(a) Portuguese
(b) English
(c) Dutch
(d) Danish

Answer : a

Question 15. Which of the following place in India was the Headquarters of Portuguese? [SSC 2010]

(a) Cochin
(b) Goa
(c) Calicut
(d) Coonoor

Answer : b

Question 16. Among the following factories in Bengal, the one established by the Portuguese was [UPPSC 2004]

(a) Kasim Bazar
(b) Chinsurah
(c) Hoogly
(d) Srirampur

Answer : c

Question 17. Where did the Portuguese construct their first fort in India? [UPPSC (Mains) 2010]

(a) Anjidiv
(b) Coonoor
(c) Cochin
(d) Goa

Answer : c

Question 18. Who used Hooghly as a base for piracy in the Bay of Bengal? [BPSC 2019, IAS (Pre) 1995]

(a) Dutch
(b) French
(c) Portuguese
(d) English

Answer : c

Question 19. The ruler of Gujarat Bahadur Shah was killed in conflict with [SSC 2018]

(a) Dutch
(b) English
(c) Portuguese
(d) French

Answer : c

Question 20. Which one of the following crops was introduced by the Portuguese in India? [NDA 2018]

(a) Opium
(b) Coffee
(c) Betal leaf
(d) Chili

Answer : d

Question 21. The cotton clothes of Calicut, which were taken by the Portuguese, were commonly called in Europe as [SSC 2017]

(a) Calco
(b) Calico
(c) Cotex
(d) None of these

Answer : b

Question 22. Which of the following is related to Blue Water Policy? [UKPSC 2016]

(a) De Almeida
(b) Albuquerque
(c) Dupleix
(d) Robert Clive

Answer : a

Question 23. With reference to Pondicherry (now Puducherry), consider the following.

I. The first European power to occupy Pondicherry were the Portuguese.
II. The second European power to occupy Pondicherry were the French.
III. The English never occupied Pondicherry.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? [IAS (Pre) 2010]

(a) Only I
(b) II and III
(c) Only III
(d) All of these

Answer : a

Question 24. Which among the following statements are correct with regard to the Portuguese in India?

I. They had the monopoly over the Eastern trade in the 16th century.
II. They possessed Mumbai in the beginning.
III. They had trading settlements at Cochin, Daman and Diu.
IV. The Mughals denied them any trading concessions. [NDA 2010]

Codes

(a) I, II and III
(b) II, III and IV
(c) I, II and IV
(d) I and III

Answer : d

Question 25. Consider the following statements regarding Portuguese.

I. Their first effort to establish commerce in Bengal was made for Chittagong.
II. The second settlement at Hugh was granted to them by Akbar in 1579-80.
III. The third settlement was established at Bandel through a Firman of Shah Jahan in 1633.
IV. Portuguese lost Hormuz in 1622 to Mughals.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) I and III
(b) Only IV
(c) Only III
(d) None of the above

Answer : c

Question 26. Where did the Dutch found their first factory in India? [NDA 2010]

(a) Masulipatnam
(b) Pulicat
(c) Surat
(d) Ahmedabad

Answer : a

Question 27. Who was the first Dutch to come to India in 1596?

(a) Francis de
(b) Cornelis de Houtman
(c) Gabriel Broton
(d) William Hawkins

Answer : b

Question 28. At which place in Bengal did Dutch establish its factory?

(a) Bandel
(b) Chinsura
(c) Hooghly
(d) Srirampur

Answer : b

Question 29. Why did Dutch East India Company fail to maintain its influence in India? [CDS 2005]

(a) Portuguese did not allow them to trade in India.
(b) There was a growing interference of Dutch Government in the Company’s internal affairs.
(c) Dutch indulged in forcible religious conversion of the people and thus were expelled by local kings.
(d) The English forces made them to leave India.

Answer : d

Question 30. Who were first to start a Joint Stock Company to trade with India? [IAS (Pre) 1994]

(a) Portuguese
(b) French
(c) Dutch
(d) Danish

Answer : c

Question 31. In which of the following places the Dutch established their trading centres in India? [UPPSC 2017]

(a) Nagapattinam, Chinsura, Machilipatnam
(b) Surat, Bharuch, Agra
(c) Cochin, Ahmedabad, Patna
(d) All of the above

Answer : d

Question 32. Dutch East India Company established its factory at Patna in which year? [BPSC 2019]

(a) 1601
(b) 1632
(c) 1774
(d) 1651

Answer : b

Question 33. Which of the following regarding the establishment of Dutch factories in India is not correctly matched? Place Year

(a) Pulicat – 1610
(b) Surat – 1616
(c) Karaikal – 1645
(d) Cochin – 1670

Answer : d

Question 34. When was the British East India Company established in India? [SSC 2018]

(a) 1600
(b) 1601
(c) 1604
(d) 1607

Answer : a

Question 35. Who was the ruler of India when the British East India Company was formed in London? [UPPSC (Pre) 2012]

(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb

Answer : a

Question 36. In 1600, the Charter to the English East India Company for monopoly of Eastern trade for 15 years was given by

(a) Queen Elizabeth I
(b) Queen Victoria
(c) James I
(d) Oliver Cronwell

Answer : a

Question 37. In the reign of which Mughal Emperor did English East India Company establish its first factory in India? [IAS (Pre) 2009, 2008]

(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb

Answer : b

Question 38. What is the name of the fort constructed by British in Calcutta? [SSC 2010]

(a) Fort Saint David
(b) Fort Saint Andrew
(c) Fort William
(d) Fort Victoria

Answer : c

Question 39. Name the first English Voyage to come in India. [SSC 2011]

(a) Elizabeth
(b) Bengal
(c) Red Dragon
(d) Mayflower

Answer : c

Question 40. The Englishman appointed by Akbar for verification of diamond was

(a) William leads
(b) John Mildnall
(c) Ralph Fitch
(d) William Hawkins

Answer : a

Question 41. What was the name of ambassador sent by James I in the court of Jahangir in 1608?

(a) Captain Charles
(b) Captain Hawkins
(c) Sir Thomas Roe
(d) Robert Clive

Answer : b

Question 42. Which English Governor of East India Company in India was expelled by Aurangzeb? [MPPSC 2008]

(a) Aungier
(b) Sir John Child
(c) Sir John Gayer
(d) Sir Nicholas Waite

Answer : b

Question 43. The English established their first factory in India at [WBCS 2020]

(a) Bombay
(b) Surat
(c) Sutanuti
(d) Madras

Answer : b

Question 44. The place of English East India Company settlement in Madras was known as [NDA 2018]

(a) Fort William
(b) Fort St George
(c) Elphinston Circle
(d) Marble Palace

Answer : b

Question 45. Which one of the following was the first fort constructed by the British in India? [IAS (Pre) 2007]

(a) Fort William
(b) Fort St George
(c) Fort St David
(d) Fort St Angelo

Answer : b

Question 46. The staple commodities of export by the East India Company from Bengal in the middle of the 18th century were

(a) raw cotton, oil seeds and opium
(b) sugar, salt, zinc and lead
(c) copper, silver, gold, spices, and tea
(d) cotton, silk, saltpetre and opium.

Answer : d

Question 47. Where was the Western presidency situated is the early period of the East India company? [MPPCS (Pre) 2018]

(a) Surat
(b) Satara
(c) Bombay
(d) Panji

Answer : a

Question 48. Which one of the following is the correct statement? [IAS (Pre) 2005]

(a) The modern Kochi was a Dutch colony till India’s Independence.
(b) The Dutch defeated the Portuguese and built Fort Williams in the modern Kochi.
(c) The modern Kochi was first a Dutch colony before the Portuguese took over from them.
(d) The modern Kochi never became a part of the British colony.

Answer : d

Question 49. Which area of the India was famous for cultivating opium during British period? [BPSC 2005]

(a) Bihar
(b) South India
(c) Gujarat
(d) Assam

Answer : a

Question 50. The correct chronological order of the places where the trading centres were set up by the Britishers are [SSC 2007]

(a) Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Surat
(b) Bombay, Madras, Surat, Calcutta
(c) Surat, Madras, Bombay, Calcutta
(d) Surat, Madras, Calcutta, Bombay

Answer : c

Question 51. Consider the following statements.

I. Firman issued by Farrukhsiyar in favour of British (for duty free trade) was known as ‘Magna Carta’ of the British Company.
II. The English opened their first factory at Surat.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) Only I
(b) Only II
(c) Both I and II
(d) Neither 1 nor II

Answer : c

Question 52. Initially, the Mughals tried to develop friendly relations with the English. Why?

I. They could use the English to counter the Portuguese on the sea.
II. They could use English to keep them in opening trading points in spice islands.
III. Indian merchants could certainly benefit by competition among their foreign buyers.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

(a) I and II
(b) I and III
(c) Only III
(d) All of these

Answer : c

Question 53. At which place in Bengal did the Mughal Emperor grant the permission to East India Company to trade and set up its factories in 1651? [SSC 2011]

(a) Calcutta
(b) Qasim Bazar
(c) Saingar
(d) Burdwan

Answer : b

Question 54. Who founded the Fort William George (Calcutta)? [UKPSC (Mains) 2006]

(a) Charles Eyer
(b) Job Carnock
(c) Garold angyar
(d) William Naurice

Answer : b

Question 55. Who was the first President of Fort William?

(a) Sir Thomas
(b) Sir Charles Eyre
(c) William Naurice
(d) Captain Hawkins

Answer : b

Question 56. Consider the following statements about English East India Company.

I. In 1667, the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb issued firman in favour of Company to trade in Bengal.
II. William Hawkins succeeded to get permission from Jahangir to set up a factory at Surat.
III. The company constantly increased its power by taking the advantages of the corrupt nobles of the later Mughal Empire.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are not correct?

(a) I and III
(b) Only II
(c) I and II
(d) I, II and III

Answer : b

Question 57. When was Danish East India Company established?

(a) 1615
(b) 1616
(c) 1620
(d) 1640

Answer : b

Question 58. Name the ruler of Thanjavur who willingly negotiated with the Danish Merchants for trade.

(a) Raja Ravi Varma
(b) Raja Raghu Varma
(c) Raja Raghunatha Nayak
(d) Raja Narasimha Varma

Answer : c

Question 59. The Headquarters of Danish settlement was

(a) Tranquebar
(b) Serampore
(c) Cochin
(d) Nagapattinam

Answer : a

Question 60. At which place in India did Danish East India Company set up its first factory in 1620?

(a) Tranquebar
(b) Srirampur
(c) Hooghly
(d) Surat

Answer : a

Question 61. In which part of Bengal did the second Danish factory was set up in 1676 to speed up the trade?

(a) Srirampur
(b) Hooghly
(c) Chinsura
(d) Surat

Answer : a

Question 62. To whom did the Danes sold all their settlements and returned to their country? [UPPSC 2004]

(a) English
(b) Portuguese
(c) French
(d) Dutch

Answer : a

Question 63. Which of the following statements regarding Danish are correct?

I. They could not establish their position in India.
II. They sold all their settlements to Portuguese.
III. They were more concerned with the missionary activities than trade.
IV. They established their factory at Masulipatnam and Porto Novo.

(a) I, III and IV
(b) II, III and IV
(c) I, II and III
(d) None of the above

Answer : a

Question 64. Where did the French East India Company first establish its factory in India? [NDA 2018]

(a) Calicut
(b) Surat
(c) Pondicherry
(d) Masulipatnam

Answer : b

Question 65. French East India Company was set up [UPPSC (Mains) 2014]

(a) during the reign of Louis XIV.
(b) during the reign of Louis XIII.
(c) during the reign of Louis XV.
(d) during the reign of Louis XVI.

Answer : a

Question 66. Who among the following was the founder of French India Company for trade in India? [UPPSC (Mains) 2003]

(a) Rishlu
(b) Mazare
(c) Colbert
(d) Francois Martin

Answer : c

Question 67. Which one of the following Europeans were the last to come to pre-independent India as traders? [APSC 2017, IAS (Pre) 2007]

(a) Dutch
(b) English
(c) French
(d) Portuguese

Answer : c

Question 68. The French East India Company was founded in 1664. It made rapid progress and was finally established at

(a) Calicut and Pondicherry
(b) Madras and Chandernagar
(c) Chandannagar and Pondicherry
(d) Chandannagar and Bassein

Answer : c

Question 69. Which one among the following was a reason for which the French could not succeed in India in the 18th century? [CDS 2011]

(a) They sided with the weak Indian sides such as Chanda Sahib and Muzaffar Jung.
(b) Dupleix was called back at a crucial time.
(c) They conspired against the Indian powers.
(d) Their trading company was heavily dependent on the French Government.

Answer : d

Question 70. Who lived in the ‘Black Towns’ esablished by the European in the 18th Century?

(a) Rulers of the Indian States
(b) Nobles of the Mughal Emperor
(c) Merchants and Artisans
(d) Both (a) and (c)

Answer : c

Question 71. The immediate cause of the first Carnatic war was [BPSC 2000]

(a) Anglo-French rivalry.
(b) war of succession of Austria.
(c) Karnataka throne issue.
(d) capturing of French naval fleet by English.

Answer : d

Question 72. Which Carnatic Nawab was defeated by the Joint army of Muzaffar Jung, Chanda Sahib and Dupleix in the Battle of Ambur (1749)?

(a) Anwaruddin
(b) Mohammad Ali
(c) Nasir Jung
(d) Muzaffar Jung

Answer : a

Question 73. Which Carnatic war came to an end by the Treaty of Pondicherry or Treaty of Godehu (1754)?

(a) First Carnatic War
(b) Second Carnatic War
(c) Third Carnatic War
(d) None of the above

Answer : b

Question 74. The Battle of Wandiwash was fought between the

(a) Nizam of Hyderabad and the French
(b) English and the French
(c) English and Hyder Ali
(d) Nawab of Carnatic and the English

Answer : b

Question 75. Who was defeated by the English in the Battle of Wandiwash? [CGPSC 2004]

(a) Portuguese
(b) French
(c) Den
(d) Dutch

Answer : b

Question 76. Which of the following is not correctly matched?

(a) First Carnatic War – 1746-48
(b) Second Carnatic War – 1750-52
(c) Third Carnatic War – 1758-63
(d) Third Battle of Panipat – 1761

Answer : b

Question 77. With reference to the Treaty of ‘‘Aix-la-Chapelle 1748’’ which of the following statements is/are correct?

I. The I Carnatic War was ended.
II. The English got back Madras.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below. [UPPSC 2020]

Codes. 

(a) Only I
(b) Only II
(c) Both I and II
(d) Neither I nor II

Answer : c

Question 78. Which one of the following groups of plants was domesticated in the ‘New World’ and introduced into the ‘Old World’? [IAS (Pre) 2019]

(a) Tobacco, cocoa and rubber
(b) Tobacco, cotton and rubber
(c) Cotton, coffee and sugarcane
(d) Rubber, coffee and wheat

Answer : a

Question 79. Who among the following was the first to arrive in Africa as traders that eventually led to European colonisation of Africa?

(a) French
(b) Spanish
(c) Portuguese
(d) Dutch

Answer : c

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