MCQ Ch 4 The Colonial Era in India Class 8 Social Science CBSE Board

1. What was one of the primary motivations for European powers to undertake colonial campaigns?

To spread democracy

To gain access to new natural resources and trade routes

To promote scientific inquiry exclusively

To establish equal partnerships with native populations

Question 1 of 20

2. Which European power arrived first in India, landing at Calicut in 1498?

British

French

Portuguese

Dutch

Question 2 of 20

3. What system did the Portuguese implement to control maritime trade in the Arabian Sea?

Subsidiary alliance

Cartaz (pass) system

Doctrine of Lapse

Free market policy

Question 3 of 20

4. What was a significant consequence of the Portuguese Inquisition in Goa?

Promotion of Hindu temples

Persecution of Hindus, Muslims, and Jews

Encouragement of local trade

Establishment of schools for native education

Question 4 of 20

5. Which European power focused primarily on commercial dominance in the spice trade in India?

Portuguese

British

French

Dutch

Question 5 of 20

6. What was the outcome of the Battle of Colachel in 1741?

British victory over the Dutch

Travancore’s defeat of the Dutch

French capture of Travancore

Portuguese dominance in Kerala

Question 6 of 20

7. Who pioneered the training of Indian sepoys in European military techniques?

Robert Clive

Dupleix

Vasco da Gama

Lord Lytton

Question 7 of 20

8. What was the primary focus of French colonial activities in India?

Religious conversion

Establishing a vast empire

Promoting local governance

Agricultural reforms

Question 8 of 20

9. What was a key outcome of the Carnatic Wars (1746–1763)?

French dominance over India

British reduction of French influence to Pondicherry

Dutch control over southern India

Portuguese victory over the British

Question 9 of 20

10. How did the British East India Company initially establish its presence in India?

Through large-scale military invasions

By establishing trading posts with local rulers’ consent

By imposing religious conversions

Through direct rule over princely states

Question 10 of 20

11. What was the British East India Company granted by Queen Elizabeth I?

A royal charter to raise a private army

Complete control over India

Exclusive rights to trade with Europe

Authority to impose taxes directly

Question 11 of 20

12. What strategy did the British use to exploit tensions between Indian rulers?

Free market policy

Divide and rule

Subsidiary alliance

Doctrine of Lapse

Question 12 of 20

13. What was the significance of the Battle of Plassey in 1757?

It marked the end of British rule in India

It established British control over Bengal

It was a French victory over the British

It ended Maratha power

Question 13 of 20

14. Who was promised the position of Nawab of Bengal in exchange for betraying Siraj-ud-daulah?

Robert Clive

Mir Jafar

Dupleix

Bahadur Shah Zafar

Question 14 of 20

15. What was the Doctrine of Lapse introduced by the British?

A policy to promote Indian education

A rule to annex princely states without a natural male heir

A system to control maritime trade

A method to train sepoys

Question 15 of 20

16. What was a key feature of the British subsidiary alliance system?

Indian rulers maintained full sovereignty

British troops were maintained at the expense of Indian rulers

It promoted local self-governance

It allowed Indian rulers to conduct independent foreign relations

Question 16 of 20

17. What was a major consequence of the British revenue collection in Bengal during 1770–1772?

Economic prosperity for farmers

A catastrophic famine killing millions

Increased agricultural exports

Improved local governance

Question 17 of 20

18. How did the British handle grain exports during the Great Famine of 1876–1878?

They stopped all exports to feed the population

They continued exporting grain to Britain

They distributed grain to famine relief camps

They imported grain to India

Question 18 of 20

19. What was Lord Lytton’s stance on food prices during the Great Famine of 1876–1878?

He ordered price controls to reduce food costs

He prohibited interference with food prices

He subsidized food for the poor

He banned grain exports

Question 19 of 20

20. What was the estimated range of deaths due to famines during British rule in India?

1–5 million

10–20 million

50–100 million

200–300 million

Question 20 of 20

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

CBSE Board English Medium

CBSE Board Hindi Medium

ગુજરાત બોર્ડ

PSC Exam Preparation