Answer all questions carefully. Each question has exactly one correct answer.
hard•10 questions•~15 min
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Question 01
medium
Which of the following correctly describes the fundamental difference between British colonialism and earlier foreign rule in India, as highlighted by economic historians?
(a) Earlier rulers imposed heavier taxes than the British
(b) British rule caused structural transformation of India's economy into a colonial economy serving British interests
(c) Earlier invaders also drained wealth systematically through tribute arrangements
(d) British rule, unlike earlier rule, encouraged Indian industrialisation alongside resource extraction
Question 02
hard
Consider the following statements about the Charter Act of 1813:
1. It ended the East India Company's monopoly over trade with India.
2. It imposed heavy tariffs on British goods entering India to protect Indian handicrafts.
3. It opened India to British manufactured goods, especially textiles.
4. It also ended the Company's China trade monopoly.
Which of the above statements are correct?
Question 03
hard
Rajni Palme Dutt identified three stages of British colonialism in India. Match the following stages with their dominant characteristics:
Stage — Characteristic
I. First Stage (1757–1813) — A. Finance capital investment; reactionary imperialism; ideology of permanent trusteeship
II. Second Stage (1813–1860s) — B. Monopoly trade; direct appropriation of revenues; drain funding British Industrial Revolution
III. Third Stage (1860s onwards) — C. Free trade; India as market for British manufactures and supplier of raw materials
The correct matching is:
Question 04
medium
The 'Drain Theory' associated with Dadabhai Naoroji referred to:
(a) The forced migration of Indian artisans from cities to rural areas due to deindustrialisation
(b) A portion of India's national product transferred to Britain for political reasons without adequate material return to India
(c) The outflow of skilled labour from India to service the British Empire in other colonies
(d) The reduction in India's agricultural surplus caused by commercialisation of agriculture
Question 05
hard
Consider the following statements about the commercialisation of Indian agriculture under British rule:
1. It was a voluntary process driven by Indian peasants seeking better incomes.
2. The plantation sector in crops like tea, coffee, and rubber was mostly owned by Europeans.
3. The cotton price boom of the 1860s primarily benefited Indian cultivators.
4. Commercialisation linked Indian agriculture to volatile international market fluctuations.
Which statements are INCORRECT?
Question 06
medium
Which of the following correctly identifies the authors and their associated works in the nationalist critique of colonial economy?
(a) Romesh Chandra Dutt — *Poverty and UnBritish Rule in India*; Dadabhai Naoroji — *The Economic History of India*
(b) Dadabhai Naoroji — *Poverty and UnBritish Rule in India*; Romesh Chandra Dutt — *The Economic History of India*
(c) M.G. Ranade — *Poverty and UnBritish Rule in India*; G. Subramaniya Iyer — *The Economic History of India*
(d) Dadabhai Naoroji — *The Economic History of India*; Gopal Krishna Gokhale — *Poverty and UnBritish Rule in India*
Question 07
hard
The British enacted a law in 1814 that dealt with Indian-built ships. What was its primary effect?
(a) Indian ships below 350 tonnes were prohibited from sailing between India and Britain
(b) Indian-built ships were denied recognition as 'British-registered vessels', barring them from trade with America and Europe
(c) Indian shipbuilders were required to pay a 50% duty on all timber used in construction
(d) Indian ships were allowed to trade only within the Indian Ocean under Company escort
Question 08
hard
G.V. Joshi's remark that 'Expenditure on railways should be seen as an Indian subsidy to British industries' was primarily directed at which aspect of railway development?
(a) The use of Indian forced labour in building railway lines
(b) The fact that benefits from railway investment in steel, machinery and capital accrued to British industry, not India
(c) The deliberate routing of railway lines through areas of low agricultural productivity
(d) The excessive fare charges levied on Indian passengers compared to European travellers
Question 09
hard
Consider the following features and identify which Stage of British colonialism (as per Rajni Palme Dutt) they belong to:
1. India absorbed 10–12% of British exports and 20% of Britain's textile exports.
2. The ideology of permanent 'trusteeship' replaced the earlier notion of training Indians for self-government.
3. The drain of wealth constituted 2–3% of Britain's national income and helped finance the British Industrial Revolution.
4. Personal law was largely left untouched, while criminal law and contract law were overhauled.
The correct stage-wise assignment is:
Question 10
medium
Which of the following pairs correctly matches the first modern industrial establishment with its founding year and location?
(a) First cotton textile mill — 1855, Rishra (Bengal) by Cowasjee Nanabhoy
(b) First jute mill — 1853, Bombay by Cowasjee Nanabhoy
(c) First cotton textile mill — 1853, Bombay by Cowasjee Nanabhoy; First jute mill — 1855, Rishra (Bengal)
(d) First cotton textile mill — 1855, Bombay; First jute mill — 1853, Rishra (Bengal)