Level 1
What attracted the Britishers to India?
The fine qualities of cotton, silk, and spices. They could buy goods at a cheap price and sell them to Europe at a higher price.
Explain the term puppet rulers.
A puppet ruler is a person with a title indicating possession of political power, but who, in reality, is controlled by outside individuals or forces.
How did the political landscape of India change after the Battle of Plassey? Consider both immediate and long-term effects.
The immediate effect was the establishment of British political influence in Bengal with Mir Jafar as a puppet ruler. Long-term effects included the consolidation of British power, the erosion of traditional Indian sovereignties, and the eventual establishment of British colonial rule across India.
Who won the Battle of Plassey? In which year?
British and 1757
What are mercantile trading companies?
Mercantile trading companies are the ones that make a profit primarily through trade, they buy goods at cheap prices and sell them at higher prices.
In what ways did the introduction of the railway and telegraph systems by the British transform the administration and economic landscape of India?
Improving communication and transportation.
Faster troop movements and more effective control over distant regions.
Integrating local markets into a national economy and promoting trade.
Prioritized British economic interests, often at the expense of local industries and self-sufficiency.
Name the types of courts established under the new system of justice.
A criminal court is faujdari adalat, and a civil court is diwani adalat.
How did the new policy of paramountcy get challenged in Kitoor?
When the British tried to annex the small state of Kitoor (in Karnataka today) Rani Channamma took arms in her hands and led an anti-British resistance movement. But after she died in prison, Rayanna a poor chowkidar of Sangoli in Kitoor carried on challenging the policy of the British.
British appointed political and commercial agents in the courts of kings. Who were these agents? What power they Enjoyed?
They were Residents.
Residents appointed by the Company were very powerful. The Indian Nawabs were expected to agree to every rule laid down by the Resident. The Nawabs should be submissive to the British Government and this was ensured by the Resident. If any Nawab acted against the Resident, it resulted in war.
Who introduced the Doctrine of Lapse? Name one of the places where it was implemented.
Lord Dalhousie. Jhansi
How did the subsidiary alliance system work?
How did Tipu Sultan's friendship with the French help him fight against the British?
Crucial military support and strategic advantages against the British. The French supplied Tipu with advanced weapons, military training, and technical expertise.(Canons)
Which treaty marked the end of the First Anglo-Mysore War?
Treaty of Madras
What year did the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War end?
Which major city fell to the British at the end of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War?
1799.
Seringapatam
How did the decline of Mughal authority in the 1700s facilitate British expansion in India, and what were the main socio-economic impacts on Indian society?