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The 'Child's War' (1686-1690), the first armed conflict between the English East India Company and the Mughal empire, took place during the reign of:

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Answer: Option D — Aurangzeb

Detailed Solution

The "Child's War" (1686-1690), the first armed conflict between the English East India Company and the Mughal empire, took place during the reign of Aurangzeb.

Why it is called the Child's War:

It is named after Sir Josiah Child, the governor (chairman) of the East India Company in London, who encouraged an aggressive policy against the Mughals.

Causes:

  • The English were unhappy with the customs duties and restrictions imposed by Mughal officials in Bengal and on the western coast.
  • They wanted to fortify their settlements and trade without interference.
  • The Company decided to use force to obtain better terms.

The war:

  • In Bengal, the English under Job Charnock attacked Mughal positions and seized some places, but were defeated by the forces of the Mughal governor, Shaista Khan.
  • The English had to leave Hugli.
  • On the western coast, the English attacked Mughal ships and tried to block the route of pilgrims to Mecca.
  • In response, the Mughal admiral, Sidi Yaqub, besieged Bombay in 1689, and the English settlements at Surat were seized.

Result:

  • The English were badly defeated and had to beg Aurangzeb for pardon.
  • In 1690, Aurangzeb pardoned them on condition that they pay a large fine (about 1,50,000 rupees), return the goods they had seized, and behave properly in future.
  • The English were allowed to resume trade.
  • Job Charnock returned to Bengal in 1690 and set up a settlement on the Hugli river, which grew into the city of Calcutta.

Significance:

  • It showed that in the 17th century the Mughal empire was still far more powerful than the English Company.
  • The Company returned to a policy of peaceful trade for some decades.

Later conflicts:

In the 18th century, as the Mughal empire weakened, the Company became stronger and began to interfere in Indian politics, especially in Bengal and the Carnatic.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Shah Jahan, Bahadur Shah I and Farrukhsiyar did not fight this war.

Quick tip

Remember: Child's War (1686-1690) = English Company vs Mughals under Aurangzeb (named after Josiah Child); English defeated and pardoned in 1690; Job Charnock then settled at Calcutta.

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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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