Question No. 1
With reference to the British annexation of Sindh in 1843, consider the following statements:
1.Mountstuart Elphinstone described the conquest as a “bullying” act that resembled a bully who has been beaten in the street coming home to beat his wife in revenge.
2.The annexation was widely criticized by British historians and officials as a “post-facto justification” for the failure of the First Anglo-Afghan War.
3.General Charles Napier’s dispatch “Peccavi” (I have Sinned/Sind) was intended as a sincere apology to the British Parliament for exceeding his legal authority.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Question No. 2
Consider the following statements regarding the rise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Sikh state:
1.Ranjit Singh belonged to the Sukerchakia Misl, which was one of the twelve sovereign Sikh confederacies (Misls) that emerged after the decline of the Mughals.
2.In 1799, Ranjit Singh was appointed as the Governor of Lahore by the Afghan ruler Zaman Shah, which served as a legitimate foundation for his future expansion.
3.The unification of the trans-Sutlej Sikh territories was achieved primarily through the use of the “Gurmata” (central council of the Misls), which Ranjit Singh revived.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Question No. 3
Regarding the military and administrative systems of the Sikh Empire under Ranjit Singh, consider the following:
1.The Fauj-i-Khas was a specialized elite brigade of the Sikh army, trained on the French model by European officers like Ventura and Allard.
2.Ranjit Singh’s administration was strictly theo-centric, where only baptized (Khalsa) Sikhs were allowed to hold high ministerial or military positions.
3.The state maintained a neutral religious policy, making significant grants to Hindu temples and Sufi shrines alongside Gurudwaras.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Question No. 4
With reference to the relationship between the British and the Sikh state, consider the following statements:
1.The British and Ranjit Singh were both parties to the Tripartite Treaty of 1838, aimed at placing Shah Shuja on the throne of Kabul to counter Russian influence.
2.Despite his military strength, Ranjit Singh followed a policy of cautious avoidance of conflict with the British, famously stating, “I see all India becoming red.”
3.The British violated the spirit of mutual non-interference by occupying Ferozepur in 1835, which Ranjit Singh had long claimed as his territory.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Question No. 5
Consider the following statements regarding the Treaty of Amritsar (1809):
1.It established the Sutlej River as the permanent boundary between the British territories and the Sikh Empire.
2.The treaty forced Ranjit Singh to abandon his dream of unifying all the Sikh-dominated territories, specifically those of the Cis-Sutlej states.
3.It provided the British with a secure northern frontier, allowing them to focus on the Napoleonic threat and their expansion in Central India.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Question No. 6
Following the death of Ranjit Singh in 1839, the Punjab state collapsed into chaos. Consider the following statements regarding the court factions:
1.The “Dogra Faction,” led by brothers Dhian Singh and Gulab Singh, sought to maintain their influence by manipulating the succession of Ranjit Singh’s descendants.
2.The “Sikh Aristocracy” (the Sandhawalias) were in constant conflict with the Dogras, leading to a series of assassinations of monarchs like Kharak Singh and Nao Nihal Singh.
3.The British took advantage of this instability by encouraging the Khalsa army to take a dominant role in political decision-making, knowing it would lead to a clash.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Question No. 7
With reference to the outbreak of the First Anglo-Sikh War, consider the following statements:
1.The war was officially declared by Lord Hardinge following the crossing of the Sutlej River by the Sikh army in December 1845.
2.A major cause of the war was the British annexation of Gwalior and the buildup of British troops along the Punjab frontier, which the Sikhs viewed as an imminent threat.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Question No. 8
Regarding the military engagements of the First Anglo-Sikh War, consider the following statements:
1.The Sikh forces were defeated not just by British military might, but by the strategic betrayal of their own commanders, Lal Singh and Teja Singh.
2.The Battle of Sobraon (1846) was the decisive engagement where the Sikh army was trapped against the Sutlej River and nearly annihilated.
3.Throughout the war, the British forces remained consistently victorious without suffering any significant setbacks or heavy casualties.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Question No. 9
Consider the following statements regarding the provisions of the Treaty of Lahore (1846):
1.The Sikh state was forced to cede the Jalandhar Doab (the territory between the Beas and Sutlej) to the British.
2.A war indemnity of 1.5 crore rupees was imposed, leading to the sale of Kashmir to Gulab Singh Dogra to cover part of the debt.
3.The British were granted the right to annex the Punjab administration directly, ending the sovereignty of Maharaja Duleep Singh immediately.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Question No. 10
With reference to the Treaty of Bhairowal, consider the following statements:
1.It replaced the previous arrangement by establishing a Council of Regency for the minor Maharaja Duleep Singh, presided over by the British Resident.
2.Under this treaty, the British were permitted to garrison their troops in any fort within the Sikh state, effectively turning Punjab into a British protectorate.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
