Q. Which one of them made an attempt to estimate India’s national and per capita income?
A). Dadabhai Naoroji
B). R.C. Desai
C). V.K.R.V. Rao
D). All of the Above
Answer: D). All of the Above
Explanation: William Digby and Findlay Shirras also tried to estimate India’s national and per capita income.
Q. Which French traveller travelled Bengal in the seventeenth century?
A). Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
B). Francois Bernier
C). Domingo Paes
D). Napolean Bonaparte
Answer: B). Francois Bernier
Q. Who wrote the book “India Divided”?
A). Mahatma Gandhi
B). Rajendra Prasad
C). Jawaharlal Nehru
D). Sardar Patel
Answer: B). Rajendra Prasad
Q. Who wrote the book “Poverty and Famines”?
A). Amartya Sen
B). Dadabhai Naoroji
C). Malthus
D). Mahalanobis
Answer: A). Amartya Sen
Q. The main objective of British economic policies in India was to:
A). Promote Indian industries
B). Make India a supplier of raw materials
C). Improve Indian agriculture
D). Reduce India’s foreign trade
Answer: B). Make India a supplier of raw materials
Explanation: British policies focused on making India a market for British goods and a provider of cheap raw materials, strengthening Britain’s industrial growth.
Q. The destruction of Indian handicraft industries under British rule was mainly due to:
A). High export of Indian goods
B). Competition from machine-made British goods
C). Decline in population
D). Lack of skilled artisans
Answer: B). Competition from machine-made British goods
Explanation: British factories produced cheaper machine-made goods, which flooded the Indian market, leading to the collapse of traditional Indian handicrafts.
Q. Which of the following is true about the Indian economy on the eve of independence?
A). High industrialisation
B). Vibrant economy
C). Stagnant economy
D). High per capita income
Answer: C). Stagnant economy
Explanation: At independence, India’s economy was underdeveloped, with low productivity, limited industries, and widespread poverty due to colonial exploitation.
Q. TISCO was founded in which year?
A). 1905
B). 1907
C). 1909
D). 1911
Answer: B). 1907
Explanation: TISCO is located in Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), formerly known as Sakchi.
Q. The first synchronous census of India was conducted in:
A). 1857
B). 1867
C). 1881
D). 1891
Answer: C). 1881
Explanation: Although some incomplete counts were done earlier, the first synchronous and regular census for all of India was conducted in 1881 under British rule.
Q. The Suez Canal was officially opened for navigation in:
A). 1860
B). 1865
C). 1869
D). 1875
Answer: C). 1869
Explanation: The canal was inaugurated in 1869, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea (Gulf of Suez).
Q. The first railway line in India was opened in:
A). 1850s
B). 1910s
C). 1830s
D). 1860s
Answer: A). 1850s
Q. What was the major impact of the colonial transport system (railways) in India?
A). Boosted Indian industries
B). Promoted British economic interests
C). Reduced agricultural production
D). Limited internal trade
Answer: B). Promoted British economic interests
Explanation: Railways primarily helped British trade by transporting raw materials to ports and distributing British goods across India.
Q. Tata Airlines was started in:
A). 1929
B). 1930
C). 1932
D). 1935
Answer: C). 1932
Explanation: Tata Airlines, founded by J.R.D. Tata, began operations in 1932, marking the birth of Indian civil aviation.
Q. Which was the main occupation of the people of India on the eve of independence?
A). Industry
B). Trade and commerce
C). Agriculture
D). Transport services
Answer: C). Agriculture
Explanation: At the time of independence in 1947, agriculture was the dominant occupation, employing nearly 70–75% of India’s population.
Q. Which land revenue system was implemented in the Bengal Presidency during British rule?
A). Ryotwari System
B). Zamindari System
C). Mahalwari System
D). Pattidari System
Answer: B). Zamindari System
Q. Under the Zamindari System, revenue was collected from:
A). British officials
B). Peasants through Zamindars
C). Traders
D). Village headmen
Answer: B). Peasants through Zamindars
Explanation: Zamindars often extracted high rents from peasants, leading to widespread poverty and indebtedness among cultivators.
Q. The second stage of demographic transition began after _.
A). 1881
B). 1901
C). 1919
D). 1929
Answer: D). 1929
Explanation: The total population of India nor the rate of population growth at this stage was very high.
Q. The overall literacy rate in India by 1947 was approximately:
A). 10%
B). 12%
C). 16%
D). 20%
Answer: C). 16%
Explanation: By the time of independence in 1947, India’s literacy rate was around 16% and women literacy population was only 7%.
Q. By the eve of independence, infant mortality in India was:
A). 58 per 1000 live births
B). 108 per 1000 live births
C). 188 per 1000 live births
D). 218 per 1000 live births
Answer: D). 218 per 1000 live births
Q. What was the life expectancy in India during the British rule?
A). 32
B). 44
C). 58
D). 67
Answer: B). 44
Q. The first census in India during the colonial period was conducted in:
A). 1800
B). 1833
C). 1872
D). 1901
Answer: C). 1872
Explanation: The first partial census began in 1872, with a complete census in 1881.
Q. The main occupation of Indians at the eve of independence was:
A). Industry
B). Trade
C). Agriculture
D). Transport
Answer: C). Agriculture
Explanation: About 70–75% population depended on agriculture in 1947.