British Expansion in India: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Modern History)

Explanation

Kochi, located on the Malabar Coast, was a key maritime hub during the colonial era due to its strategic location and spice trade. Over centuries, Kochi witnessed control by multiple European powers, including the Portuguese, Dutch, and British, each leaving a distinct mark on its history and architecture. Statement (a) is incorrect: The Dutch controlled Kochi after defeating the Portuguese in 1663, but their control ended long before India’s independence. Kochi later became a princely state under British suzerainty. Statement (b) is incorrect: The Portuguese built Fort Emmanuel in Kochi, not Fort William. Fort William, located in Kolkata, was constructed by the British. Statement (c) is incorrect: The Portuguese were the first Europeans to establish control over Kochi in 1503. The Dutch defeated the Portuguese in 1663 and took over, but Kochi was never a Dutch colony before the Portuguese. Statement (d) is correct: Kochi remained a princely state under British indirect rule, but it was never fully integrated as a part of British India. The local rulers retained nominal control, and Kochi maintained its identity distinct from direct British colonies.

Explanation

The 18th century in India was a tumultuous period marked by battles involving European powers and Indian states, vying for dominance over trade, territory, and political control. Key battles during this era shaped the trajectory of British colonial rule and defined European influence in India. The Battle of Ambur (1749), during the Second Carnatic War, marked the start of Anglo-French rivalry, with the French backing Chanda Sahib and the British supporting Muhammad Ali. The Battle of Plassey (1757) saw Robert Clive’s British East India Company defeat Siraj-ud-Daulah, establishing British political control in India. The Battle of Wandiwash (1760), in the Third Carnatic War, ended French ambitions in India with a British victory. The Battle of Buxar (1764) secured British control over Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha, defeating a coalition of the Nawab of Awadh, Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, and Mir Qasim.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of India, did not establish a regular police force. Instead, he reorganized the existing system of policing and appointed a superintendent of police for each district. The British-style police system was introduced later by Lord Cornwallis in 1786.

Statement 2 is correct: The Regulating Act of 1773 established the Supreme Court in Calcutta with jurisdiction over Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, hearing civil, criminal, and commercial cases, and exercising both original and appellate jurisdiction.

Statement 3 is correct: The Indian Penal Code (IPC) was drafted by the first Law Commission of India established in 1834 under the Charter Act of 1833 under the chairmanship Thomas Babington Macaulay and was formally enacted in 1860 during the time of the British East India Company.