Daily Quiz: UPSC Prelims Marathon – February 12, 2018

Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Warren Hastings abolished the system of dastaks, or free passes and regulated the internal trade. He reduced the number of custom houses and enforced a uniform tariff of 2.5 percent for Indian and non-Indiangoods.

Private trade by the Company’s servants continued but within enforceable limits. Weavers were given better treatment and facilities were made to improve their condition. He also introduced a uniform system of pre-paid postage system. A bank was started in Calcutta. He improved the police in Calcutta and the dacoits were severely dealt with.

Warren Hastings felt the necessity of re-organising the judicial system. Each district was provided with a civil court under the Collector and a criminal court under an Indian Judge. To hear appeals from the district courts two appellate courts, one for civil cases and another for criminal cases, were established at Calcutta. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

The correct sequence of arrival of European Traders in India during 17th and 18th centuries is Portuguese; Dutch; English; French; Danes.

Statement 3 is correct.Statements 1 and 2 are incorrect.

1. First Carnatic war: Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
2. Second Carnatic war: Treaty of Pondicherry
3. Third Carnatic war: Treaty of Paris

Statement 1 is correct. The first English factory was set up on the banks of the river Hugli in 1651.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Aurangzeb issued a farman granting the company the right to trade duty free. But duties were expected from all private businesses carried out by company officials. This they refused to pay, causing an enormous loss of revenue for Bengal.

Statement 1 is incorrect. After the Battle of Plassey, the Nawabs continued to rule which resulted conflict of interests between the Nawabs and the East India Company. It was the battle of Buxer that ended the rule of Nawabs.

After the defeat at Plassey, Sirajuddaulah was assassinated and Mir Jafar made the nawab. The Company was still unwilling to take over the responsibility of administration. Its prime objective was the expansion of trade. The Company wanted to take over territories without direct conquest but through the help of local rulers who were willing to grant privileges.

When Mir Jafar protested, the Company deposed him and installed Mir Qasim in his place. When Mir Qasim complained, he in turn was defeated in a battle fought at Buxar (1764), driven out of Bengal, and Mir Jafar was reinstalled. The Nawab had to pay Rs 500,000 every month but the Company wanted more money to finance its wars, and meet the demands of trade and its other expenses.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The East India Company’s control over the whole of Bengal was legalised after the Battle of Buxar. The Treaty of Allahabad (16 August 1765) was an important outcome of the Battle of Buxar. It was signed between Lord Clive (East India Company) and Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, who had submitted to the British in the battle.

As per the threaty, the Mughal Emperor granted Fiscal Rights (Diwani) or right to administer the territory and collect taxes to the East India Company at Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Thus the British became the masters of fate of the people of Bihar, Bengal and Orissa and now they would collect the revenue. In lieu of this Right, the Company gave an annual tribute of 26 Lakh Rupees to the Mughals.

The districts of Kora and Allahabad were returned to Mughal Emperor.

Awadh was returned to Shuja-ud-Daulah but Allahabad and Kora was taken from him.

Murshid Quli Khan and the succeeding Nawabs gave equal opportunities for employment to Hindus and Muslims. They filled the highest civil posts and many of the military posts with Bengalis, most of whom were Hindus.

They recognised that expansion of trade benefited the people and the Government, and, therefore, gave encouragement to all merchants, Indian or foreign. They provided for the safety of roads and rivers from thieves and robbers by establishing regular thanas and chowkies.

At Vellore, some orders were passed by Sir John Cradock and Lord Howdon, the commander in Chief in Madras to regulate the dress of the Sepoys. They must change the turban of the Indians so that it looks more like the Helmet and the why the Hindu Brahmin Sepoys put caste marks on their foreheads? The Muslims must get rid of their beards.

It appeared to the Sepoys that they were going to be “Christianized”. The result was that on the midnight of 10 July 1806, the crowd got collected, sepoys mixed with them led by one of Tipu’s son, massacred the Europeans and hoisted the Flag of the Mysore Sultanate out there. The mutiny was subdued by dawn, but it sends ripples of fear among the British overlords, as first sign of losing an empire.

But the empire was established. It was now turn to look at the foreign countries and establish diplomatic relations with them. In 1807 Lord Minto came to India as Governor General.