Why was the year 1757 an important year for the English East India Company in India?
- A.In 1757 the English East India Company got control over Hyderabad by defeating the Nizam in the Battle of Plassey.
- B.In 1757 the English East India Company got control over Madras by defeating Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah in the Battle of Plassey.
- C.In 1757 the English East India Company got control over Oudh by defeating Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah in the Battle of Berar.
- D.In 1757 the English East India Company got control over Bengal by defeating Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah in the Battle of Plassey.
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D. The Battle of Plassey was fought on 23 June 1757 on the bank of the Bhagirathi near Palashi in Bengal, and Robert Clive's small Company force defeated Nawab Siraj-ud-daulah there. The victory owed less to fighting than to treachery: the Nawab's commander Mir Jafar kept his troops out of the battle after a secret bargain, and the bankers of Murshidabad backed the plot. Mir Jafar was made Nawab, and the Company won a hold over the trade and revenue of Bengal, which is why 1757 is treated as the start of British political power in India. Option A is wrong because the Nizam of Hyderabad was not a party to Plassey. Option B is wrong because Madras was already a Company settlement and Plassey was fought in Bengal. Option C is wrong because there was no Battle of Berar, and Oudh came under Company influence later. Exam tip: Plassey 1757 against Siraj-ud-daulah, Buxar 1764 against Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-daula and Shah Alam II.
Practice Questions
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- B.It was patronized mainly by richer landowning and urban middle class Non-Brahmins.
- C.It succeeded in getting the provision for 28 reserved seats for the Non-Brahmins in the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms.
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- B.The All India Depressed Classes Association was not attended by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar in 1926.
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