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Question 95 of 108 · Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule
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Chandernagore (Chandannagar), the former French settlement on the Hooghly, became a part of the state of West Bengal in:

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Answer: Option B — 1954

Detailed Solution

Chandernagore, a French settlement on the river Hooghly, became a part of the state of West Bengal on 2 October 1954, under the Chandernagore (Merger) Act of 1954.

The French in Chandernagore:

  • The French East India Company established a trading post at Chandernagore in the 1670s, with permission from the Mughal authorities.
  • It became an important centre of French trade in Bengal, especially under the governor Dupleix (1731-1741).
  • It was captured by the English under Robert Clive and Admiral Watson in March 1757, shortly before the Battle of Plassey.
  • It was returned to the French later, and remained a small French settlement until Independence.

The process of integration:

  • After India's independence, the French government agreed that the people of its Indian settlements could decide their own future.
  • In a referendum held on 19 June 1949, the people of Chandernagore voted overwhelmingly to join India.
  • The French handed over control of Chandernagore to India on 2 May 1950 (de facto transfer).
  • A treaty of cession was signed in February 1951, and it came into force in June 1952 (de jure transfer).
  • The Chandernagore (Merger) Act, 1954, merged it with the Hooghly district of West Bengal, with effect from 2 October 1954.

Chandernagore and the freedom struggle:

  • Because it was outside British control, Chandernagore was a refuge for Indian revolutionaries.
  • Rash Behari Bose lived for some time at Chandernagore.

Present-day Chandannagar:

  • It is now a municipal corporation in the Hooghly district of West Bengal.
  • It is famous for its Jagaddhatri Puja and its decorative lighting.
  • The Chandannagar Museum and Institute preserves French-era objects.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗1947 was the year of Independence; 1950 was the year of the de facto transfer; 1962 is not the year of the merger with West Bengal.

Quick tip

Remember: Chandernagore = referendum 1949, de facto transfer 1950, de jure 1952, merged with West Bengal on 2 October 1954.

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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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