Q1. What was the primary aim of the British administration in India?
- To modernize Indian industry
- To promote Indian exports
- To economically exploit India for British benefit
- To spread British culture
Correct Option: 3. To economically exploit India for British benefit.
Explanation: The British administrative system was designed to serve their own economic interests. The chief aim was to exploit India economically to benefit British stakeholders like the East India Company and Lancashire manufacturers.
Q2. Why did Indian rulers initially tolerate the East India Company’s presence in India before 1757?
- The Company promoted Indian goods abroad
- The Company supported Indian wars
- The Company helped modernize agriculture
- The Company invested in Indian infrastructure
Correct Option: 1. The Company promoted Indian goods abroad.
Explanation: Before 1757, the Company functioned primarily as a trading corporation, buying Indian goods (like textiles and spices) and selling them in foreign markets, thus benefiting Indian manufacturers.
Q3. What effect did British industrialists have on the East India Company after 1760?
- They helped expand its monopoly
- They lobbied to restrict Indian textile imports to Britain
- They encouraged Indian manufacturers to compete
- They encouraged the Company to adopt free trade
Correct Option: 2. They lobbied to restrict Indian textile imports to Britain.
Explanation: British manufacturers were jealous of Indian textiles’ popularity in Britain. They pressured the government to ban or heavily tax Indian imports to protect their own products.
Q4. What significant economic shift occurred after the Battle of Plassey in 1757?
- The Company stopped exporting goods
- The Company invested in Indian industries
- The Company began using Bengal’s revenues to finance trade
- The Company introduced Indian goods to new markets
Correct Option: 3. The Company began using Bengal’s revenues to finance trade.
Explanation: After gaining political control, the Company used Bengal’s tax revenues to fund the export of Indian goods, rather than relying on bullion or reciprocal trade.
Q5. How were Indian weavers affected by British trade practices in Bengal post-1757?
- They received fair prices and flourished
- They were forced to work under exploitative conditions
- They were hired to train British textile workers
- They formed profitable partnerships with British merchants
Correct Option: 2. They were forced to work under exploitative conditions.
Explanation: Weavers were forced to sell at dictated prices, sometimes below cost, and compelled to work for the Company under monopolistic control, losing both economic freedom and income.