East India Company & Bengal Nawabs- 2 - Free MCQ Practice Test with solutions,

Shuja-ud-din- 1 July 1727 – 26 August 1739

Sharfaraj Khan- 13 March 1739 – 29 April 1740

Alivardi Khan- ‎29 April 1740 – 9 April 1756

Siraj-ud-daula- 9 April 1756 – 23 June 1757

Nazm-ud-daula- ‎5 February 1765 – 8 May 1766

Drake- 1742 to 1762

Vansittart-1759 to 1764

Verelst-1767 to 1769

Cartier-1769 to 1772

Warren Hastings-1774 to 1785

Answer: (D)

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct

After the battle of Plassey in 1757,  Mir Jafar became king of the Bengal by supporting the British East Indian company, As a reward, the company was granted undisputed right to free trade in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. It also received the zamindari of the 24 Parganas near Calcutta. 

Statement 2 is correct

After becoming king with help of East India Company, Mir Jafar eventually ran into disputes with the East India Company and attempted to ally with the Dutch East India Company instead. The British eventually defeated the Dutch at Chinsura (The Battle of Chinsurah (also known as the Battle of Biderra or Battle of Hoogly))and overthrew Mir Jafar, replacing him with Mir Qasim.

Statement 3 is incorrect

Clearly, from statement 2 explanation, Mir Jafar did not give his throne voluntarily to Mir Qasim.

Statement 4 is incorrect

He was the army chief of Siraj-ud-daulah.

options II and III are correct, making the answer C.

- II. Escape alive after his defeat in the Battle of Buxar:
- Mir Qasim escaped alive after his defeat in the Battle of Buxar in 1764. He fled to Awadh and sought refuge with Shuja-ud-Daula.

- III. Stop the British from misusing the ‘Dastaks’:
- Mir Qasim opposed the misuse of the ‘Dastaks,’ or free trade permits, by the British, which allowed them to trade without paying taxes. He wanted to establish fair trade practices.

- he did not transfer his capital to Decca( It was Munger) (IV) or grant Zamindari rights (I)
 

Let's carefully reevaluate the events related to Siraj-ud-Daulah and his interactions with the British:

I. Protest against the British conquest of Chandranagore
   - This is incorrect Siraj-ud-Daulah did not protest against the British conquest of Chandranagore because it was a French settlement. He was against the British fortifications in Calcutta, not their conflict with the French at Chandranagore.

II. Concede almost all the demands of the British by concluding a Treaty with them
   - This is incorrect. Siraj-ud-Daulah did not concede to British demands. In fact, he was in conflict with the British and wanted to restrain their influence in Bengal. After capturing Calcutta in 1756, the British later recaptured the city and forced him to sign the Treaty of Alinagar in February 1757.

III. Order the British to demolish additional fortifications of Calcutta
   - This is correct  Siraj-ud-Daulah was unhappy with the unauthorized fortifications that the British had made in Calcutta and ordered them to demolish these fortifications, which they ignored.

IV. Besiege and capture Calcutta in June 1756
   - This is correct. Siraj-ud-Daulah besieged and captured Calcutta in June 1756, which led to the Black Hole of Calcutta incident.

Therefore
- Statement I is incorrect.
- Statement II is incorrect.
- Statement III is correct.
- Statement IV is correct.

Thus, the correct option is:
d) III, IV

.

- Statement I is true: Alivardi Khan prohibited the English and the French from fortifying their factories at Calcutta and Chandannagar to maintain control and prevent foreign dominance.

- Statement II is false: Alivardi Khan did not choose Shaukhat Jang as his successor; he selected his grandson Siraj-ud-Daulah.
- Statement III is true: He paid Rs. 2 crores to the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah in 1740, securing a farman that confirmed his position as the Governor of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.
- Statement IV is true: Alivardi Khan refused to pay tribute to the Mughal Emperor when demanded in 1748, asserting his autonomy.


Therefore, the correct answer is A: I, III, IV.

The answer is option (D). John Zephaniah Holwell FRS was a surgeon, an employee of the English East India Company, and a temporary Governor of Bengal. He was a survivor of the Black Hole of Calcutta, June 1756, the incident in which British subjects and others were crammed into a small poorly ventilated chamber overnight, with many deaths.

British marched out to the grove of Plassey, about 100 Kilometers north of Calcutta, at the head of 1000 Europeans and 2000 sepoys, with 8 pieces of artillery. The Bengal viceroy’s army numbered 35,000 foot and 15,000 horse, with 50 cannon. On 23 June 1757, the Battle of Plassey was fought between the forces of Siraj Ud Daulah, and his French support troops and the troops of the British East India Company, led by Robert Clive. This event was a part of the Seven Years War.

In the battle of Plassey the forces of Nawab were defeated and Nawab fled the scene on a Camel along with his 2000 horsemen. He went first to Murshidabad and then to Patna by boat, but was eventually pursued by Mir Jafar’s soldiers.

On 2 July 1757, Siraj-Ud-Daulah was executed under orders from Mir Miran, son of Mir Jafar.

 In May 1765, Clive came to India as the governor of Bengal for the second time. Clive followed a moderate policy and a settlement policy with the emporer and Nawab of Oudh. After the settlement, clive turned to the internal administration of Bengal, which at that time presente a scene of chaos and corruption. Clive himself described the situation as ‘Shall I only say that such a scene of anarchy, confusion, bribery, corruption, and extortion was never seen or heard of in any country but Bengal; nor such and so many fortunes acquired in so unjust and rapacious manner.’ Clive took the resolution of cleansing the Augean stable.

The charter to the English East India Company for monopoly of eastern trade for 15 years was given by Queen Elizabeth I in 1600. Initially, the Company struggled in the spice trade due to the competition from the already well-established Dutch East India Company. The company opened a factory in Bantam on the first voyage and imports of pepper from Java were an important part of the company's trade for twenty years. The factory in Bantam was closed in 1683. During this time, ships belonging to the company arriving in India docked at Surat, which was established as a trade transit point in 1608.

Answer Explanation:

- The first President of the Council of Fort William was Sir Charles Eyre.
- Established in 1700 A.D., the Council of Fort William was created by the English East India Company.
- The purpose of the council was to manage the administration and governance of the company's territories in India, particularly in the region of Bengal.
- Sir Charles Eyre was appointed as the first President of the council, responsible for overseeing the company's affairs and ensuring the smooth functioning of its operations in India.

B is the correct option.
Background:

• In 1714, an Englishman John Surman was sent to Delhi Court for securing trading facilities for the company.
• He succeeded in obtaining from Emperor Farukhsiyar a farman in 1717
• The East India Company secured valuable privileges in 1717 under the royal farman

What’s the Farman?

• The Company was permitted to carry on trade in Bengal, Bombay and Madras free of customs duty.
• The Company was also permitted to mint its own coins.
• The Nawabs of Bengal, however, showed scant regard for the imperial farman
• Granted the Company the freedom to export and import their goods in Bengal without paying taxes
• Right to issue passes or dastaks for the movements of such goods.
• The Company servants were also permitted to trade but were not covered by this farman. They were required to pay the same taxes as Indian merchants.

SO?

• This farman was a perpetual source of conflict between the Company and the Nawabs of Bengal.
• All the Nawabs of Bengal from Mushid Quli Khan to Alivardi Khan, had objected to the English interpretation of the farman of 1717.
• They had compelled the Company to pay lumps sums to their treasury, and firmly suppressed the misuse of dastaks
   

The Third Battle of Katwa occurred between the Nawab of Bengal, Mir Qasim and the British East India Company in 1763.Dissatisfied with Nawab Mir Qasim's administration, the English deposed him in favor of his father-in-law Mir Jafar and officially declared war against Mir Qasim on July 7, 1763. The English command was given to Major Thomas Adams, who led a small force, variously estimated as between 3,000 and 5,000 men, of whom, approximately 1,000 were European.

• According to the Permanent Settlement the Zamindars were recognized as the permanent owners of the land.
• They were instructed to pay 89% of the annual revenue to the state and were permitted to enjoy 11% of the revenue as their share.
• The Zamindars were left independent in the internal affairs of their respective districts.

Najim-ud-daula, son of Mir Jafar, was made the Nawab of Bengal in 1765 and remained a puppet in the hands of the British during the period of 'Dual system of Government. ' He signed a treaty with the Company and became a titled pensioner on fifty-three lakhs of rupees per year which was subsequently reduced.

D is the correct option.In 1775, Warren Hastings referred to the Nawab of Bengal as 'a Phantom, a man of straw'.Warren Hastings, an English statesman, was the first Governor of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), the head of the Supreme Council of Bengal, and thereby the first de facto Governor-General of Bengal from 1772 to 1785.

The first factory in the interior of Bengal was established in 1651 at Hughli. This was followed by Other factories at Patna and Qasim Bazar.

• The East India Company, led by its president, Job Charnock, established a factory in Hugli in Bengal, which was an important trading center under the control of Aurangzeb, the Mughal Emperor.
• The company faced restrictions on trade and high taxes, which affected their profits. In response, they sought to negotiate better terms, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
• In 1686, the East India Company decided to take matters into their own hands by sacking Hugli and declaring war on Aurangzeb. This led to the outbreak of hostilities between the two parties.
• The company's aggressive actions resulted in a series of conflicts and skirmishes, ultimately leading to the loss of their trading privileges in Bengal and the relocation of their headquarters to Calcutta (now Kolkata).

Outcome of the Battle:

• The East India Company was driven out of its factories in Bengal.
• This defeat led to a temporary setback for the English in the region.
• However, the English later managed to regain their presence and influence in Bengal.

• Calcutta was situated on the banks of the Hooghly River, which provided easy access to the rich hinterland of Bengal.
• Its location near the Bay of Bengal also facilitated trade and communication with other regions, as well as with European countries.

• The British East India Company had established Fort William in Calcutta, which served as a stronghold and base for their military operations.
• It played a crucial role in the conquest of Bengal, particularly during the Battle of Plassey (1757) and the subsequent consolidation of British power in the region.

• Calcutta developed as a major administrative and commercial center for the British East India Company.
• It became the capital of British India in 1772, and the Governor-General and other high-ranking officials were based here.
• Various institutions, such as the Supreme Court, the Bank of Bengal, and the Calcutta Stock Exchange, were established in the city, further consolidating its importance.

Reason for English Privileges under Royal Farman by Farrukh Siyar:

• Farrukh Siyar, a Mughal emperor, granted privileges to the English under a royal farman because an English doctor had cured him of a serious illness.
• Dr. John Hamilton, a surgeon from the British East India Company, successfully treated the Mughal emperor and, in gratitude, Farrukh Siyar issued the farman in 1717.
• The farman allowed the British East India Company to trade in Bengal without having to pay taxes, which significantly increased their profits and influence in the region.
• This marked a turning point in British-Indian relations, as it laid the groundwork for the British East India Company's eventual domination of Indian trade and subsequent colonization of the country.

Misuse of Royal Farman for Trade in Bengal by the British: The English East India Company secured a royal farman in 1717 AD by the Mughal Emperor granting theCompany the freedom to export and import goods from and to Bengal without paying taxes and right to issue dastaks (passes) for the movement of such goods.

Reasons for Conflict between the Company and the Nawab of Bengal due to the Royal Farman of 1717:

1. Loss of Revenue for the Bengal Government:

• The Farman granted the British East India Company the right to trade in Bengal without paying customs duties, which led to a significant loss of revenue for the Bengal government.
• This created financial difficulties for the Nawab of Bengal, who relied on customs duties as a crucial source of income for maintaining his administration and military forces.

2. Misuse of Dastaks by Company Servants:

• The Farman allowed the Company to issue dastaks (passes) for the transportation of its goods, which were intended to facilitate the Company's official trade.
• However, Company servants began to misuse these dastaks to evade taxes on their private trade, which further deprived the Bengal government of revenue and created resentment among local merchants who had to pay taxes.
• This abuse of power by Company servants led to conflicts between the Company and the Nawab of Bengal, who sought to enforce the payment of customs duties and uphold the economic interests of his territory.

In conclusion, the Royal Farman of 1717 created a perpetual source of conflict between the Company and the Nawab of Bengal due to the loss of revenue for the Bengal government and the misuse of dastaks by Company servants to evade taxes on their private trade.

Alivardi Khan was the Nawab of Bengal during 1740–1756. He toppled the Nasiri Dynasty of the Nawabs and took powers of the Nawab. He is also one of the few Mughal-era leaders known for his victory during the Battle of Burdwan against the Maratha Empire.

The British East India Company chose Calcutta as their operations center because it was nearer the sea than other European settlements. It was also near three localvillages where Indian merchants had settled. When rebellion erupted in 1696, the trading post was fortified.