D.N. Kundra Textbook Solutions Traders to Rulers - History Class 8 ICSE

History - Chapter 5

Traders to Rulers

Class 8 - DN Kundra History & Civics Solutions

Objective Type Questions

Question 1

Arrange the following in chronological order:

(i) Regulating Act changed the function of the English East India company from a trading company to an administrative body.

(ii) The Battle of Plassey transformed the British from a trading community to a political power.

(iii) Annexation of Awadh on the pretext of misgovernance.

Options:

1. (iii), (i) and (ii)
2. (iii), (ii) and (i)
3. (ii), (iii) and (i)
4. (ii), (i) and (iii)

Answer

Ans: (d)
Explanation: The correct chronological order is: (ii) Battle of Plassey (1757) - this marked the change of the Company from traders into a political power; (i) the Regulating Act (1773) - this act began the process of government control and changed the Company's role towards administration; (iii) Annexation of Awadh (1856) - this came much later under Lord Dalhousie's policies. These events occurred in the order (ii), (i) and (iii).Question 2

Read the two statements given below about the Battle of Buxar (1764). Select the option that shows the correct relationship between (A) and (R).

Assertion (A): The British emerged victorious.

Assertion (A):

Reason (R): The British made Mir Jafar the Nawab of Bengal for the second time.

Reason (R):

1. (R) contradicts (A)
2. (R) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (R) is false
4. (A) and (R) are independent of each other

Answer

Ans:
Explanation:
(i) Assertion: True. The British East India Company defeated the combined forces at the Battle of Buxar (1764) and emerged victorious.
(ii) Reason: True. After the fighting and political settlements, Mir Jafar was reinstated as Nawab of Bengal at different times during the mid-1760s as part of British arrangements.
(iii) Justification: The reinstatement of Mir Jafar was a political outcome of the post-battle settlement and not the cause of the British victory. Thus both statements are true but the Reason is not the cause of the Assertion; they are independent of each other.Question 3

Identify the methods used by Lord Dalhousie to expand British rule in India.

P: Dual government

Q: Doctrine of Lapse

R: Subsidiary Alliance

S: Maladministration

1. P and Q
2. R and S
3. P and R
4. Q and S

Answer

Ans: (d)
Explanation: Lord Dalhousie used the Doctrine of Lapse (Q) to annex states without a lawful heir and often cited maladministration (S) as a reason to take direct control. Dual government (P) and Subsidiary Alliance (R) were policies associated with earlier governors. Therefore the correct pair is Q and S.Question 4

Priyanka is doing a project on Subsidiary Alliance. Which of the following Indian rulers is she MOST LIKELY to highlight?

1. Ruler of Panipat
2. Ruler of Ajmer
3. Nizam of Hyderabad
4. Rajputana States

Answer

Ans: (c)
Explanation: The Nizam of Hyderabad is the most famous example of a ruler who accepted the Subsidiary Alliance system introduced by Lord Wellesley. Under this system the Nizam kept internal control while agreeing to host British troops and accept restrictions on foreign policy, making him a central example for Priyanka's project.Question 5

Identify the ODD one out of the following provinces annexed under the Doctrine of lapse.

1. Bengal
2. Jhansi
3. Nagpur
4. Satara

Answer

Ans: (a)
Explanation: Bengal was not annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse. States annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse included Satara, Nagpur and Jhansi. Bengal came under British control through earlier political and military events, not by Dalhousie's doctrine.Question 6

Which of the following aspects is being depicted by the given map.

1. Division of Atlantic Ocean
2. Division of African continent
3. Discovery of Europe through sea route
4. Discovery of India through sea route

Answer

Ans: (d)
Explanation: The map illustrates the sea route taken to reach India from Europe, showing the maritime path that led to the discovery of India by sea. This route opened direct trade between Europe and India and changed long-distance trade patterns.Question 7

Madhu is preparing a speech on the Anglo-French rivalry. Which of the following wars must she mention in her speech?

1. Battle of Buxar
2. Battle of Chanderi
3. Battle of Panipat
4. Battle of Wandiwash

Answer

Ans: (d)
Explanation: The Battle of Wandiwash was the decisive conflict between the English and the French in India (1760s). The English victory at Wandiwash ended French hopes of dominating Indian territory and effectively settled the Anglo-French struggle in India in favour of the British.Question 8

Consider the statements given below and choose the correct answer.

Statement I: With the help of the Battle of Plassey, the British were transformed from a trading community to a political power.

Statement I:

Statement II: Shah Alam was made Nawab of Bengal after the Battle of Plassey.

Statement II:

1. Statement (I) is correct and statement (II) is incorrect.
2. Statement (I) is incorrect and statement (II) is correct.
3. Both statements (I) and (II) are incorrect.
4. Both statements (I) and (II) are correct.

Answer

Ans: (a)
Explanation: Statement I is correct: the Battle of Plassey (1757) enabled the Company to move from trade to political control in Bengal. Statement II is incorrect: Shah Alam II was the Mughal Emperor, but he was not made Nawab of Bengal after Plassey; Mir Jafar was installed as Nawab with British support.Question 9

Which among the following statements is incorrect?

1. The victory at Buxar made the English the supreme power in India.
2. The Dual system was characterised by the rule of two - the Nawab and the Company.
3. Warren Hastings abolished the Dual Government.
4. The Regulating Act of 1783 is very significant in the history of modern India.

Answer

Ans: (d)
Explanation: Option (d) is incorrect because the Regulating Act that is significant in the history of modern India was passed in 1773, not 1783. The other statements are correct: Buxar strengthened British supremacy, the Dual system did involve rule by the Nawab and the Company, and Warren Hastings worked to reform that system.Question 10

The corruption and inefficiency of the Dual Government was exposed when

1. terrible famine struck Bengal in 1760 whereby one-fourth of the entire population lost their lives.
2. terrible famine struck Bengal in 1770, whereby one-third of the entire population lost their lives.
3. Massive earthquake took place in Bengal in 1770, whereby one-third of the entire population lost their lives.
4. Massive earthquake took place in Bengal in 1770 whereby one-fourth of the entire population lost their lives.

Answer

Ans: (b)
Explanation: The famine of 1770 in Bengal exposed how corrupt and inefficient the Dual Government was. About one-third of the population is estimated to have died, and the crisis revealed the failure of both the Nawab's administration and Company officials to provide relief.

Fill in the blanks

Question II

Fill in the blanks.

1. Elizabeth I was the Queen of ............... .
2. The French company set up its headquarters at ............... .
3. The first Englishman to meet Emperor Jahangir was ............... .
4. The wars between the English and the French companies in India are known as ............... .

Answer

Ans:

1. England
2. Pondicherry
3. Sir Thomas Roe
4. Carnatic Wars

Match the following

Question III

Match Column A with Column B:

Answer

Ans:

True or False

Question IV

State whether the following statements are True or False.

1. Calcutta (now Kolkata) was the centre of the English East India Company's power in India for many years.
2. Mir Qasim from the very beginning had very cordial relations with the English.
3. Mir Jafar hatched a conspiracy with the English against Siraj-ud-Daulah.
4. Robert Clive rose to fame after his success in the Second Carnatic War.
5. The Battle of Buxar led to the foundation of the British empire in India.

Answer

Ans:

1. Ans: True
   Explanation: Calcutta (Fort William) served for many years as the centre of the English East India Company's power in eastern India.
2. Ans: False
   Explanation: Mir Qasim did not have cordial relations with the English throughout; relations worsened over trade privileges and interference, which led to open conflict.
3. Ans: True
   Explanation: Mir Jafar conspired with Company officials against Siraj-ud-Daulah; this conspiracy helped the English secure victory at Plassey (1757).
4. Ans: False
   Explanation: Robert Clive's fame is chiefly connected with his success at the Battle of Plassey (1757), although he had earlier military successes in southern India.
5. Ans: True
   Explanation: The Battle of Buxar (1764) strengthened the Company's political position and paved the way for the Treaty of Allahabad and the foundation of British fiscal and administrative control in Bengal.

Answer the following questions briefly

Question 1

When and how was the English East India Company formed?

Answer

Ans: The English East India Company was formed in 1600 by a group of English merchants. Queen Elizabeth I granted the Company a royal charter giving it exclusive rights to trade with the East. This charter allowed the Company to operate as the principal English trading body in Asia and gave it monopoly privileges for overseas trade.Question 2

What were the main reasons for Anglo-French rivalry in India?

Answer

Ans: The rivalry between the English and French East India Companies arose mainly because:
- Both sought to control trade and win a monopoly over valuable goods from India.
- Both tried to gain political influence by making alliances with local rulers and by taking territory.
- This competition led to a series of conflicts in southern India called the Carnatic Wars, which were direct military contests between the two companies for trade and political dominance.Question 3

What were the causes of conflict between Siraj-ud-Daulah and the English?

Answer

Ans: Causes of conflict included:
- The Company's fortification of its settlements (Fort William) in Bengal, which Siraj-ud-Daulah saw as a challenge to his authority.
- The English claimed trading privileges that reduced revenue for the Nawab and harmed local merchants.
- Repeated British refusal to stop fortifying and expanding led Siraj to attack Calcutta in 1756. This action and the subsequent confrontations triggered the struggle that ended at the Battle of Plassey (1757).Question 4

Describe the circumstances that led to the Battle of Buxar. What were its results?

Answer

Ans: Circumstances:
- Conflict grew between the English Company and Mir Qasim (Nawab of Bengal) over trade privileges, Company interference and abuses by Company officials.
- Mir Qasim formed an alliance with Shuja-ud-Daula (Nawab of Awadh) and Shah Alam II (the Mughal Emperor) to resist Company power.
- The allied forces met the Company's army at Buxar (1764).
Results:
- The Company won a decisive victory, which made it the dominant military power in north India.
- The Treaty of Allahabad (1765) followed: the Mughal Emperor granted the Company the right of Diwani (land-revenue collection) for Bengal, Bihar and Orissa in return for an annual payment, marking the Company's direct involvement in administration and revenue collection in Bengal.

Picture Study

1. Identify the fort.
2. When was it built?
3. This fortification resulted in a battle. Mention the battle and its results.

Answer

Ans:

1. The fort shown is Fort William in Kolkata.
2. Fort William was first established by the British East India Company in 1696.
3. The fortification of Fort William and related tensions helped lead to the Battle of Plassey (1757). The Company, led by Robert Clive, defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah. The victory gave the British control over Bengal and initiated their growing political dominance in India.