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Question 78 of 108 · Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule
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British colonial rule (political control) in India was first established in which region?

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Answer: Option C — Bengal

Detailed Solution

British colonial rule (political control) in India was first established in Bengal, in the second half of the 18th century.

How it happened:

  • NCERT notes that colonial rule was first established in Bengal.
  • It is here that the earliest attempts were made to reorder rural society and establish a new regime of land rights and a new revenue system.

The Battle of Plassey (1757):

  • The English East India Company defeated the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daula, with the help of the treachery of Mir Jafar.
  • Mir Jafar was made Nawab, but he was dependent on the Company.

The Battle of Buxar (1764):

  • The Company defeated the combined forces of Mir Qasim (Nawab of Bengal), Shuja-ud-Daula (Nawab of Awadh) and Shah Alam II (the Mughal emperor).
  • After this, the Company received the Diwani (the right to collect revenue) of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
  • This made the Company the real ruler of Bengal.
  • Why Bengal?
  • Bengal was one of the richest provinces of the Mughal empire, with fertile land, a large population, and a flourishing trade in textiles, silk, saltpetre and other goods.
  • The English had established their trading base at Calcutta (Fort William) in Bengal.
  • The weakness of the Nawabs and the support of powerful merchants and bankers helped the Company.

Results:

  • Bengal became the base from which the Company extended its power over the rest of India.
  • Calcutta became the capital of the Company's territories, and later of British India.
  • The Permanent Settlement (1793) was introduced in Bengal.

NCERT on the Permanent Settlement:

NCERT notes that the Company tried new experiments in revenue collection in Bengal, which later influenced policies elsewhere.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Punjab and Sind were annexed much later (in the 1840s).
  • ✗Madras was an important centre of English trade, but political control was first established in Bengal.

Quick tip

Remember: colonial rule was first established in Bengal (Plassey 1757, Buxar 1764, Diwani; NCERT); Bengal was the base for British expansion.

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  1. Q1.The Battle of Buxar, which established British power in Bengal, was fought in:
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Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the arrival of the Portuguese, Dutch, English, Danes and French in India, the growth of the East India Company, and the battles, wars and treaties through which British power expanded, including the Battles of Plassey and Buxar, the Anglo-Mysore, Anglo-Maratha and Anglo-Sikh wars, and policies such as subsidiary alliance and the doctrine of lapse. Typical questions ask which battle was fought in which year and between whom, which treaty ended which war, and which Governor-General introduced a policy. For example, the Battle of Plassey (1757) was fought between Robert Clive and Siraj-ud-Daulah, and the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) gave the Company the diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Practise the arrival of Europeans and expansion of British rule questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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