Vision Academy EducareVision Academy Educare
Question 20 of 73 · Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule
Questionmedium
This question was previously asked in

SSC

In the Battle of Buxar (1764), the forces of the English East India Company were commanded by:

Answer View answer ▾

Answer: Option C — Major Hector Munro

Detailed Solution

In the Battle of Buxar, fought on 22 October 1764, the forces of the English East India Company were commanded by Major Hector Munro.

The opposing side:

The English faced a combined army of three rulers:

  • Mir Qasim, the deposed Nawab of Bengal.
  • Shuja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh.
  • Shah Alam II, the Mughal emperor.

Background:

After Plassey (1757), the Company placed Mir Jafar on the throne of Bengal, and later replaced him with Mir Qasim (1760).

Mir Qasim tried to rule independently; he moved his capital away from Murshidabad, reorganised his army, and abolished internal duties for all traders, which hurt the Company's servants, who had been misusing their trading privileges.

War broke out between Mir Qasim and the Company in 1763; Mir Qasim was defeated and fled to Awadh.

He formed an alliance with Shuja-ud-Daula and Shah Alam II.

The battle:

  • It was fought near Buxar, on the bank of the Ganga, in present-day Bihar.
  • The Company's army, though smaller, was well disciplined and won a decisive victory.

Results:

  • The battle established the Company as the dominant power in north India.
  • Mir Qasim fled and died in poverty in 1777.
  • Shuja-ud-Daula and Shah Alam II surrendered.
  • Robert Clive, who returned as Governor of Bengal, later signed treaties with them.
  • Historians regard Buxar as more decisive than Plassey, as it defeated the combined forces of the main powers of north India.

About Hector Munro:

  • He was a Scottish officer in the Company's army.
  • He later fought in the Second Anglo-Mysore War, where he suffered a defeat at Pollilur (1780) at the hands of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Robert Clive led the Company at Plassey.
  • ✗Eyre Coote led the British at Wandiwash.
  • ✗Warren Hastings was a later Governor-General.

Quick tip

Remember: Battle of Buxar (22 October 1764) = Major Hector Munro vs Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daula and Shah Alam II; Company victory led to the Treaties of Allahabad.

💬 Discussions on this question

Ask a doubt ›

Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.

Ask a doubt

More Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule Questions

View all ›
  1. Q1.The Battle of Buxar, which established British power in Bengal, was fought in:
  2. Q2.The Battle of Plassey (1757) was fought between the East India Company and:
  3. Q3.Under which treaty did the East India Company obtain the Diwani rights of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa from Shah Alam II?
  4. Q4.The treaty signed between Lord Wellesley and Peshwa Baji Rao II in 1802, accepting the Subsidiary Alliance, was the:
  5. Q5.In 1651, the English established their first factory in Bengal on the banks of which river?

More General Knowledge Questions

  1. Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
  2. Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
  3. Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
  4. Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
  5. Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms

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.

‹ All Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule questionsBrowse all topics ›