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Question 76 of 108 · Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule
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In the second half of the 19th century, British control over India's foreign trade was strengthened, and the cost of transport between Britain and India reduced, by the opening of the:

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Answer: Option D — Suez Canal (1869)

Detailed Solution

The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 strengthened British control over India's foreign trade, by greatly reducing the distance, time and cost of transport between Britain and India.

About the Suez Canal:

  • It is an artificial waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea.
  • It was built by a French company under the direction of the French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps, and was opened in November 1869.
  • Before the canal, ships from Europe had to sail around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope.

Effects on India's trade:

  • The sea route between Britain and India was shortened by about 7,000 km (4,000-4,500 miles).
  • Steamships could now travel faster and more cheaply.
  • British manufactured goods, especially cotton textiles, could be exported to India more cheaply, which hurt Indian handicrafts.
  • Indian raw materials, such as cotton, jute, wheat, indigo, tea and oilseeds, could be exported to Britain more easily.

NCERT on India's foreign trade:

NCERT notes that the opening of the Suez Canal served as a direct route for ships operating between Britain and India, and further intensified British control over India's foreign trade.

NCERT also notes that India became an exporter of primary products such as raw silk, cotton, wool, sugar, indigo and jute, and an importer of finished consumer goods like cotton, silk and woollen clothes, and capital goods like light machinery produced in the factories of Britain.

More than half of India's foreign trade was restricted to Britain.

Strategic importance:

  • The canal became vital for the British empire as the "highway to India".
  • In 1875, the British government bought Egypt's shares in the canal company.
  • The Suez Crisis (1956) occurred when Egypt nationalised the canal.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗The Panama Canal (1914) connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
  • ✗The Kiel Canal is in Germany.
  • ✗The Grand Trunk Road is a land route in South Asia.

Quick tip

Remember: Suez Canal (1869; Ferdinand de Lesseps) shortened the Britain-India route and intensified British control over India's foreign trade (NCERT).

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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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