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Question 72 of 73 · Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule
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The capital of British India was transferred from Calcutta to Delhi, as announced at the Delhi Durbar by King George V, in:

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Answer: Option A — 1911

Detailed Solution

The transfer of the capital of British India from Calcutta to Delhi was announced by King George V at the Delhi Durbar on 12 December 1911.

About the Delhi Durbar of 1911:

  • It was held to celebrate the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary as Emperor and Empress of India.
  • It was the only durbar attended by the reigning British monarch in person.
  • At the durbar, the King made two major announcements: the transfer of the capital to Delhi, and the annulment of the Partition of Bengal.
  • Why Delhi?
  • Delhi had been the capital of many great empires, including the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal empire, and was seen as a symbol of imperial power.
  • It was more central than Calcutta, which was on the eastern edge of the country.
  • The British also wanted to move away from Calcutta, which had become a centre of nationalist agitation, especially after the Swadeshi Movement.

Building New Delhi:

  • The foundation stone was laid in 1911.
  • The new city was designed by the architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.
  • The government moved temporarily to Delhi (the Old Secretariat in north Delhi).
  • Important buildings include Viceroy's House (now Rashtrapati Bhavan), the North and South Blocks (Secretariat), Parliament House and India Gate.
  • New Delhi was formally inaugurated as the capital on 13 February 1931.

Significance:

NCERT notes that New Delhi was built as a city that would reflect the might and grandeur of British rule.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗1905 was the year of the Partition of Bengal.
  • ✗1912 was when the government started functioning from Delhi.
  • ✗1931 was the year New Delhi was formally inaugurated.

Quick tip

Remember: capital transfer from Calcutta to Delhi announced on 12 December 1911 (Delhi Durbar, George V); New Delhi designed by Lutyens and Baker; inaugurated 13 February 1931.

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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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