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Question 33 of 73 · Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule
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In the Siege of Arcot, Robert Clive captured and successfully defended Arcot, the capital of the Carnatic, in the year:

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Answer: Option A — 1751

Detailed Solution

In the Siege of Arcot, Robert Clive captured Arcot, the capital of the Carnatic, in August-September 1751, and successfully defended it against a much larger force for about 50 days.

Background - the Second Carnatic War:

  • The English and the French supported rival claimants to the throne of the Carnatic.
  • The French supported Chanda Sahib, who had become Nawab, and besieged Trichinopoly (Tiruchirappalli), where the English-supported claimant, Muhammad Ali, was holding out.

The siege of Arcot:

  • To divert Chanda Sahib's forces from Trichinopoly, Robert Clive, then a young captain, proposed attacking Arcot.
  • With only about 200 European and 300 Indian soldiers, he marched to Arcot and captured it without much resistance in August 1751.
  • Chanda Sahib sent a large army of about 10,000 men, under his son Raza Sahib, along with French soldiers, to recapture Arcot.
  • Clive defended the fort for about 50 days, from September to November 1751, despite heavy losses and shortages.
  • The besiegers finally withdrew.

Significance:

  • The defence of Arcot made Clive famous, and raised the prestige of the English.
  • It was a turning point in the Second Carnatic War.
  • The English later relieved Trichinopoly, and Chanda Sahib was killed (1752).
  • Muhammad Ali became the Nawab of the Carnatic, under English protection.

About Robert Clive:

  • He was born in 1725 in England.
  • He came to Madras as a clerk (writer) of the East India Company in 1744.
  • He later joined the Company's army.
  • He won the Battle of Plassey (1757) and became the first Governor of Bengal (1758-1760, and again 1765-1767).
  • He was accused of corruption in England, and died in 1774.

About Arcot:

  • It is a town in the Ranipet district of Tamil Nadu, on the Palar river.
  • It was the capital of the Nawabs of the Carnatic.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗1746 was during the First Carnatic War.
  • ✗1757 was the year of Plassey.
  • ✗1760 was the year of the Battle of Wandiwash.

Quick tip

Remember: Siege of Arcot (1751) = Robert Clive captured and held Arcot (Second Carnatic War); Clive came to Madras in 1744 as a clerk; Plassey 1757.

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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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