The College of Fort William was established by which one of the following Governor-Generals?
- A.Warren Hastings
- B.Lord Cornwallis
- C.Richard Wellesley
- D.William Bentinck
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Richard Wellesley. Lord Wellesley founded the College of Fort William at Calcutta in 1800 to train young British civil servants of the East India Company.
The college taught new recruits Indian languages, law and history so that they could administer the Company's territories. It also became an early centre for modern Indian-language prose: scholars such as John Gilchrist worked there, and textbooks in Hindustani, Bengali and other languages were written and printed for its students. The Company's directors later preferred training in England, and the East India College, later at Haileybury, opened there in 1806.
Option A is wrong because Warren Hastings founded the Calcutta Madrasa in 1781. Option B is wrong because Cornwallis is known for the Permanent Settlement of 1793 and the Cornwallis Code. Option D is wrong because William Bentinck is known for abolishing sati in 1829 and for adopting English education in 1835.
Exam tip: Calcutta Madrasa 1781 (Hastings), Benaras Sanskrit College 1791 (Jonathan Duncan), Fort William College 1800 (Wellesley).
Practice Questions
View allWhich of the following was/were founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy?
1. Atmiya Sabha
2. Brahmo Samaj
3. Prarthana Samaj
4. Arya Samaj
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- A.1, 2 and 3
- B.2 only
- C.1 and 2 only
- D.1, 3 and 4
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Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Atmiya Sabha in 1815 and the Brahmo Sabha, later the Brahmo Samaj, in 1828.
Read the full explanation →Which politician in British India had opposed to a Pakistan that would mean "Muslim Raj here and Hindu Raj elsewhere"?
- A.Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
- B.Sikandar Hayat Khan
- C.Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
- D.Rafi Ahmed Kidwai
Show answer
As Premier of Punjab, he told the Punjab Legislative Assembly in March 1941 that he did not want freedom so that there could be "Muslim Raj here and Hindu Raj elsewhere", and that if this was what Pakistan meant he would have nothing to do with it.
Read the full explanation →Simla was founded as a hill station to use as strategic place for billeting troops, guarding frontier and launching campaign during the course of
- A.Anglo-Maratha War
- B.Anglo-Burmese War
- C.Anglo-Gurkha War
- D.Anglo-Afghan War
Show answer
Simla came under British control during the Anglo-Gurkha War of 1814-16 and grew as a military post on the hill frontier.
Read the full explanation →In 1921, during which one of the following tours, Gandhiji shaved his head and began wearing loincloth in order to identify with the poor?
- A.Ahmadabad
- B.Champaran
- C.Chauri Chaura
- D.South India
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In September 1921, while touring the south during the Non-Cooperation Movement, Gandhi gave up his shirt and cap at Madurai and took to a simple loincloth.
Read the full explanation →Harshacharita has references to various presents sent by a ruler named Bhaskara to Harshavardhana. Bhaskara belonged to
- A.Haryanka Dynasty of Magadha
- B.Varman Dynasty of Assam
- C.Nanda Dynasty of North India
- D.None of the above
Show answer
Bhaskaravarman was the king of Kamarupa, ancient Assam, and a close ally of Harsha. Harshacharita was written by Banabhatta, the court poet of Harshavardhana of Kannauj in the seventh century.
Read the full explanation →