Which one of the following statements about the Industrial Revolution is correct?
- A.Thomas Savery invented astrolabe
- B.Thomas Newcomen invented chemical dyes
- C.James Watt's invention converted the steam engine from being a mere pump into one which would provide energy to power machines in factories
- D.Mathew Boulton discovered the technique of refining gold of impurities
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, the statement about James Watt. Watt's improvements turned the steam engine from a device that merely pumped water out of mines into a source of power for factory machines. Thomas Savery built a steam pump in 1698 and Thomas Newcomen built a better engine in 1712, but both were used mainly to drain water from mines. In 1769 James Watt added a separate condenser, which saved fuel, and later rotary motion, so the engine could drive spinning and weaving machines. NCERT's Class 11 world history chapter on the Industrial Revolution makes exactly this point. Option A is wrong because Savery is known for the steam pump, while the astrolabe is an ancient astronomical instrument. Option B is wrong because Newcomen built an atmospheric steam engine, not chemical dyes. Option D is wrong because Matthew Boulton was a Birmingham manufacturer who partnered with Watt and produced his engines from 1775. Exam tip: Savery (1698, pump) → Newcomen (1712, mine engine) → Watt (1769, condenser; engine for factories) with Boulton as partner.
Practice Questions
View allThe ruins of Hampi were brought to light by which of the following British officers of the East India Company ?
- A.Colonel Colin Mackenzie
- B.James Prinsep
- C.William Jones
- D.James Rennell
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In 1800 Colin Mackenzie, an engineer and surveyor of the East India Company, prepared the first survey map of the ruins of Hampi.
Read the full explanation →With reference to the Junagadh inscription of Rudradaman, consider the following statements:
1. The script of this inscription is Kharosthi and the language is Prakrit.
2. The inscription records the restoration of a reservoir called Sudarshana Lake.
3. It is an undated inscription.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.1 and 2 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
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The Junagadh rock inscription of the Shaka ruler Rudradaman I records how he restored the Sudarshana lake after a storm burst its dam.
Read the full explanation →The concept of "Four Pillar State", free from district magistracy for India was suggested by
- A.Lala Lajpat Rai
- B.Ram Manohar Lohia
- C.Raja Ram Mohan Roy
- D.Subash Chandra Bose
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The socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia proposed the Chaukhamba Raj, a Four Pillar State, to spread power away from the centre.
Read the full explanation →In which one of the following years was the first telegraphic connection established between Europe and India ?
- A.1851
- B.1854
- C.1865
- D.1871
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In 1865 the overland line through the Ottoman Empire and Persia was joined to a submarine cable in the Persian Gulf, and messages could pass between Britain and India for the first time.
Read the full explanation →With reference to the Swadeshi Movement, consider the following statements :
1. The Swadeshi Movement had its genesis in the Anti-Partition movement, which was started to oppose the British decision to partition Bengal.
2. Aurobindo Ghosh was in favour of extending the movement to the rest of India and carrying it beyond the programme of just Swadeshi and Boycott to a full-fledged political mass struggle.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
The Swadeshi Movement grew out of the protest against the partition of Bengal, and the Extremists, Aurobindo Ghosh among them, wanted to turn it into a nationwide mass struggle.
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