8TH SOCIAL - HISTORY - ADVENT OF THE EUROPEANS - MCQs - 7

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The British East India Company Challenge

1. Which entity originally granted the charter on December 31, 1600, enabling the Governor and company of Merchants of London to trade with the East Indies?

A) King James I of England B) Queen Elizabeth, the Queen of England C) Mughal Emperor Jahangir D) The Portuguese King

Correct Answer: B) Queen Elizabeth, the Queen of England
Explanation: The text explicitly states that on 31st December 1600, Queen Elizabeth granted a charter to the governor and company of Merchants of London to establish trade relations with the East Indies.

2. How was the initial administrative setup of the newly chartered company structured according to the text?

A) Headed by a King and a council of 12 ministers B) Headed by a Governor and a court of 24 directors C) Headed by Captain Hawkins and 12 merchants D) Headed jointly by the Governor of London and Portuguese officials

Correct Answer: B) Headed by a Governor and a court of 24 directors
Explanation: The company was structured with leadership consisting of a single Governor alongside a court composed of 24 directors.

3. What primary setback did Captain Hawkins encounter after visiting Emperor Jahangir’s court in 1608 to secure concessions?

A) He was imprisoned by Mughal authorities for treason B) The Emperor cancelled the permission to raise a settlement at Surat due to Portuguese pressure C) He failed to reach Agra due to a massive naval defeat D) Jahangir refused to grant any audience to British representatives

Correct Answer: B) The Emperor cancelled the permission to raise a settlement at Surat due to Portuguese pressure
Explanation: Although Captain Hawkins initially secured permission to build a settlement at Surat, the Emperor was forced to revoke it under heavy political and tactical pressure exerted by the Portuguese.

4. Which military confrontation directly paved the way for Emperor Jahangir to permit the English to establish their factory at Surat in 1613?

A) Captain Thomas Best’s severe naval defeat over the Portuguese near Surat in 1612 B) Sir Thomas Roe's signature commercial treaty at Agra C) Francis Day’s capture of Madras from Chandragiri rulers D) Job Charnock's fortification of Sutanuti

Correct Answer: A) Captain Thomas Best’s severe naval defeat over the Portuguese near Surat in 1612
Explanation: In 1612, English Captain Thomas Best defeated the Portuguese in a naval battle near Surat, which convinced Jahangir to let the English set up their factory in 1613.

5. What consequential outcome followed Captain Nicholas Downton’s victory over the Portuguese in 1614?

A) The British were expelled completely from Western India B) It significantly enhanced British prestige at the Mughal court C) King Charles II received Bombay as part of a royal dowry D) The factory at Surat was immediately renamed Fort St. George

Correct Answer: B) It significantly enhanced British prestige at the Mughal court
Explanation: Downton's decisive victory in 1614 further elevated the military standing and prestige of the British in the eyes of the Mughal rulers.

6. Who was sent to Jahangir’s court by King James I of England in 1615, and what major diplomatic success did he achieve during his stay at Agra?

A) Captain Hawkins; he acquired Madras on lease B) Sir Thomas Roe; he successfully concluded a commercial treaty with the Emperor C) Captain Thomas Best; he founded Calcutta D) Francis Day; he secured Bombay from the Portuguese

Correct Answer: B) Sir Thomas Roe; he successfully concluded a commercial treaty with the Emperor
Explanation: Sent by King James I, Sir Thomas Roe spent three years at Agra and successfully negotiated a commercial treaty before his departure.

7. Prior to the departure of Sir Thomas Roe, which trading centers had the English successfully established?

A) Madras, Calcutta, Bombay, and Delhi B) Surat, Agra, Ahmedabad, and Broach C) Masulipatam, Sutanuti, Kalikata, and Govindpur D) Surat, Goa, Pondicherry, and Calicut

Correct Answer: B) Surat, Agra, Ahmedabad, and Broach
Explanation: The text specifies that before Sir Thomas Roe left, trading centres were established specifically at Surat, Agra, Ahmedabad, and Broach.

8. Where did the English establish their first factory on the coastline of the Bay of Bengal, and in which kingdom was it located?

A) Sutanuti, in the kingdom of Bengal B) Madras, in the territory of Chandragiri C) Masulipatam, in the territory of the kingdom of Golconda D) Surat, in the kingdom of Gujarat

Correct Answer: C) Masulipatam, in the territory of the kingdom of Golconda
Explanation: On the Bay of Bengal coastline, the first factory was set up in 1611 at Masulipatam, an essential port inside the kingdom of Golconda.

9. Who obtained Madras on a lease in 1639 from Chennappa Nayaka (the ruler of Chandragiri), leading to the construction of 'Fort St. George'?

A) Job Charnock B) Francis Day C) Sir Thomas Roe D) Captain Nicholas Downton

Correct Answer: B) Francis Day
Explanation: English merchant Francis Day leased Madras in 1639 from Chennappa Nayaka, subsequent to which 'Fort St. George' was built as the Eastern belt headquarters and the first British fort.

10. How did King Charles II of England acquire the island of Bombay, and under what financial terms did the East India Company acquire it in 1668?

A) Through a naval conquest against the Portuguese; acquired for free B) Received as part of a dowry from the Portuguese King upon marrying Catherine; acquired by the Company at an annual rent of £10 C) Purchased directly from Emperor Jahangir; acquired at an annual rent of £100 D) Granted by Chennappa Nayaka as dowry; acquired for an annual rent of £50

Correct Answer: B) Received as part of a dowry from the Portuguese King upon marrying Catherine; acquired by the Company at an annual rent of £10
Explanation: King Charles II got Bombay as a wedding dowry from the Portuguese King, and later in 1668, transferred it to the East India Company for a nominal annual rent of £10.

11. Who established a factory at Sutanuti in 1690, which eventually evolved alongside Kalikata and Govindpur into the city of Calcutta?

A) Job Charnock B) Francis Day C) Captain Thomas Best D) Sir Thomas Roe

Correct Answer: A) Job Charnock
Explanation: Job Charnock established the factory at Sutanuti in 1690. The Zamindari of Sutanuti, Kalikata, and Govindpur was later acquired in 1698, forming the foundation of Calcutta.

12. In what year was the factory at Sutanuti fortified, and what name was given to this newly fortified settlement in 1700?

A) Fortified in 1696; named ‘Fort St. George’ in 1700 B) Fortified in 1696; named ‘Fort William’ in 1700 C) Fortified in 1698; named ‘Calcutta’ in 1700 D) Fortified in 1690; named ‘Fort Surat’ in 1700

Correct Answer: B) Fortified in 1696; named ‘Fort William’ in the year 1700
Explanation: The text documents that the Sutanuti factory was fortified in 1696 and officially designated as ‘Fort William’ in the year 1700.

13. Which specific historical conflicts transformed the East India Company from a purely trading body into a recognized political power in India?

A) The naval battles near Surat against the Portuguese in 1612 and 1614 B) The Battle of Plassey (1757) and the Battle of Buxar (1764) C) The acquisition of Bombay in 1668 and Sutanuti in 1690 D) The commercial treaty negotiated by Sir Thomas Roe at Agra

Correct Answer: B) The Battle of Plassey (1757) and the Battle of Buxar (1764)
Explanation: According to the text, it was following the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and the Battle of Buxar in 1764 that the Company firmly transitioned into a political power.

14. Until what year did India remain under the direct rule of the East India Company before its administration was transferred straight to the British Crown?

A) 1700 B) 1764 C) 1858 D) 1947

Correct Answer: C) 1858
Explanation: India remained under the East India Company's rule until 1858, after which governance shifted to the direct administration of the British Crown.

15. What significant political change took place regarding the administration of India immediately after the year 1858?

A) India gained complete independence from foreign rule B) The administration came directly under the British Crown C) The East India Company expanded its rule to neighboring countries D) The Mughal Empire was fully restored to power

Correct Answer: B) The administration came directly under the British Crown
Explanation: The text notes that following 1858, the rule of the East India Company ended and India came under the direct administration of the British Crown.