European Companies and the Conquest of India– NDA History PYQs

NDA 2025-I

Q. 1. Maize (makka) was introduced into India in the seventeenth century via

(a) Portugal

(b) Africa and Spain

(c) China and Mongolia

(d) Turkey

Answer: (a) Portugal

Explanation: Portuguese traders brought maize into India during the seventeenth century. This followed their wider role in the Columbian Exchange of crops. Africa/Spain, China/Mongolia, and Turkey are not this specific route. So option (a) Portugal is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Country through which maize reached seventeenth-century India

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: NDA sometimes rephrases the same maize-route fact with different option sets across sessions. The core answer, Portugal, stays constant.

NDA 2025-I

Q. 2. At which one among the following places did the British East India Company found its factory in the year 1611?

(a) Madras

(b) Masulipatam

(c) Bombay

(d) Balasore

Answer: (b) Masulipatam

Explanation: The Company’s first Indian factory rose at Masulipatam in 1611. Madras, Bombay, and Balasore were established only in later years. So option (b) Masulipatam is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Site of the Company’s first factory in India

NDA 2024-II

Q. 3. Maize (makka) was introduced into India via

(a) America and England

(b) Africa and Spain

(c) France and Russia

(d) Portugal and Italy

Answer: (d) Portugal and Italy

Explanation: Maize reached India mainly through Portuguese and Italian traders. This introduction happened as part of wider Columbian Exchange routes. The other listed country pairs are not linked to this specific route. So option (d) Portugal and Italy is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Route by which maize reached India

NDA 2024-I

Q. 4. Consider the following statements about the arrival of tobacco in India:

1. Tobacco plant arrived first in the Deccan.

2. Tobacco spread to northern India in the early years of the seventeenth century.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2

Explanation: Tobacco did first reach India through the Deccan region. It then spread north early in the seventeenth century. Both statements together are accurate here. Concept Tested: Route and timing of tobacco’s arrival in India

NDA 2023-I

Q. 5. Which Governor General of Bengal underwent impeachment proceedings in the British Parliament?

(a) Robert Clive

(b) Henry Vansittart

(c) Warren Hastings

(d) Lord Cornwallis

Answer: (c) Warren Hastings

Explanation: Warren Hastings faced formal impeachment proceedings in Britain. The trial ran for years before ending in his eventual acquittal. Clive, Vansittart, and Cornwallis did not face this same process. So option (c) Warren Hastings is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Governor General who faced impeachment in Parliament

NDA 2023-I

Q. 6. At which one of the following places did the Danes establish their settlement in India?

(a) Chinsura

(b) Karaikal

(c) Mahe

(d) Tranquebar

Answer: (d) Tranquebar

Explanation: The Danes established their Indian settlement at Tranquebar. This site lay on the Tamil Nadu coast under Danish control. Chinsura, Karaikal, and Mahe belonged to other European powers instead. So option (d) Tranquebar is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Location of the Danish settlement in India

NDA 2023-I

Q. 7. The Treaty of Yandabo was concluded as part of which one of the following wars?

(a) First Anglo-Burmese War

(b) Second Anglo-Burmese War

(c) Anglo-Kuki War

(d) Anglo-Maratha War

Answer: (a) First Anglo-Burmese War

Explanation: The Treaty of Yandabo concluded the First Anglo-Burmese War. This 1826 settlement followed years of conflict in Burma. The other wars listed ended through entirely separate treaties. So option (a) First Anglo-Burmese War is the correct answer. Concept Tested: War concluded by the Treaty of Yandabo

NDA 2022-II

Q. 8. Which one of the following battles could be seen as laying the formal foundation of the British Raj in India?

(a) Third Battle of Panipat

(b) Battle of Plassey

(c) Battle of Buxar

(d) Revolt of 1857

Answer: (b) Battle of Plassey

Explanation: The Battle of Plassey marked the start of British political power in Bengal. This 1757 victory gave the Company its first real territorial foothold. Panipat, Buxar, and 1857 mark separate, later turning points instead. So option (b) Battle of Plassey is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Battle marking the formal foundation of British rule

NDA 2022-II

Q. 9. Where in South India did the British East India Company construct a trading post in 1639?

(a) Cuddalore

(b) Madraspatam

(c) Kalahasti

(d) Karwar

Answer: (b) Madraspatam

Explanation: The Company built its Madras-area trading post at Madraspatam in 1639. This site later grew into the fortified settlement of Fort St. George. Cuddalore, Kalahasti, and Karwar were not this specific 1639 site. So option (b) Madraspatam is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Site of the Company’s 1639 South Indian trading post

NDA 2022-II

Q. 10. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. The Dutch East India Company was formed after the formation of the British East India Company.

2. Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in 1498.

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2

Explanation: The British East India Company formed in 1600. The Dutch East India Company followed two years later, in 1602. So statement 1 correctly places the Dutch company’s formation later. Vasco da Gama did land at Calicut in 1498. Both statements together are accurate here. Concept Tested: Formation order of the European trading companies

NDA 2019-II

Q. 11. Consider the following statements related to Wellesley’s administration:

1. In the six years of Wellesley’s administration, the army accounted for 42.5 percent of the Company’s total expenditure.

2. Wellesley’s administrative measures were restricted to the affairs of the Company and had nothing to do with the commercial and military affairs of the Indian ruling families.

Which of the statement/s given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (a) 1 only

Explanation: Wellesley’s army spending did reach roughly this share of expenditure. So statement 1 correctly states this six-year figure. His Subsidiary Alliance system directly reshaped allied states’ armies. It also reached into their commercial and military affairs deeply. So statement 2 wrongly claims no such involvement occurred. Only statement 1 is correct among the two. Concept Tested: Scale and reach of Wellesley’s administrative measures

NDA 2019-I

Q. 12. The treaty of Yandabo was signed in:

(a) 1826

(b) 1825

(c) 1824

(d) 1823

Answer: (a) 1826

Explanation: The Treaty of Yandabo was signed in the year 1826. It ended the First Anglo-Burmese War on British terms. The other years listed do not match this treaty’s signing date. So option (a) 1826 is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Year of the Treaty of Yandabo

NDA 2018-II

Q. 13. Which one of the following crops was introduced by the Portuguese in India?

(a) Opium

(b) Coffee

(c) Betel leaf

(d) Chili

Answer: (d) Chili

Explanation: Chili is a New World crop that reached India through Portuguese traders. Opium and betel leaf were already established in India beforehand. Coffee instead arrived mainly through Arab trading connections. So option (d) Chili is the correct answer. Concept Tested: New World crop introduced to India by the Portuguese

NDA 2018-II

Q. 14. Where did the French East India Company first establish its factory in India?

(a) Calicut

(b) Surat

(c) Pondicherry

(d) Masulipatnam

Answer: (b) Surat

Explanation: The French East India Company’s first Indian factory rose at Surat. Francois Caron established it there in 1668. Pondicherry and Masulipatnam followed only in the years after. So option (b) Surat is the correct answer. Concept Tested: First factory established by the French East India Company

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: NDA often assumes Pondicherry was the French East India Company’s first factory, but Surat (1668) actually came first.

NDA 2018-II

Q. 15. The place of English East India Company settlement in Madras was known as

(a) Fort William

(b) Fort St. George

(c) Elphinstone Circle

(d) Marble Palace

Answer: (b) Fort St. George

Explanation: Fort St. George marked the English Company’s settlement in Madras. Its construction began after the 1639 grant at Madraspatam. Fort William instead named the Company’s Calcutta settlement. So option (b) Fort St. George is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Name of the English Company’s Madras settlement

NDA 2017-I

Q. 16. Which one of the following was NOT a feature of the Subsidiary Alliance of Lord Wellesley?

(a) The British were responsible for protecting the ally from any external threats

(b) All internal threats were to be handled by the ally alone, with no help from the British

(c) The ally was to provide resources for maintaining a British armed contingent stationed in its territory

(d) The ally could not enter into any agreement with other rulers without the permission of the British

Answer: (b) All internal threats were to be handled by the ally alone, with no help from the British

Explanation: The British actually promised help against internal disorder too. So statement (b) wrongly claims the ally handled this entirely alone. The British genuinely did guard the ally against external threats. The ally did fund the British contingent stationed in its land. The ally did need British approval for outside agreements. These other three statements describe real features of the system. Concept Tested: Internal and external protection duties under the Subsidiary Alliance

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: NDA reuses this internal-versus-external protection detail across multiple sessions. British protection covered BOTH internal and external threats, not external alone.

NDA 2016-II

Q. 17. Subsidiary Alliance was a system devised by

(a) Lord Wellesley

(b) Lord Dalhousie

(c) Lord Canning

(d) Lord Ripon

Answer: (a) Lord Wellesley

Explanation: Lord Wellesley introduced the Subsidiary Alliance system in 1798. It became a key tool for extending British control over Indian states. Dalhousie, Canning, and Ripon are linked to separate policies instead. So option (a) Lord Wellesley is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Architect of the Subsidiary Alliance system

NDA 2015-II

Q. 18. Which one of the following statements about Subsidiary Alliance devised by Lord Wellesley in the year 1798 is not correct?

(a) The territories entering into a subsidiary alliance with the British were responsible for their own internal and external protection

(b) In the territory of the ally, a British armed contingent would be stationed

(c) The ally would have to provide the resources for maintaining the British contingent in the territory

(d) The permission of the British was needed for the ally to enter into agreements with other rulers

Answer: (a) The territories entering into a subsidiary alliance with the British were responsible for their own internal and external protection

Explanation: The British actually took on protection duties for the ally. This covered both external threats and internal disorder. So statement (a) wrongly leaves this responsibility with the ally alone. A British contingent genuinely was stationed in the ally’s territory. The ally did have to fund the upkeep of this contingent. The ally did need British permission for outside agreements. These other statements about the Subsidiary Alliance are accurate. Concept Tested: Division of protection duties under the Subsidiary Alliance

NDA 2015-II

Q. 19. The British Officer who was a representative of the Governor General and who lived in a State which was not under direct British rule was called:

(a) Collector

(b) Viceroy

(c) Resident

(d) Agent

Answer: (c) Resident

Explanation: A Resident represented the Governor General in a princely state. This state remained outside direct British administrative rule. Collector and Viceroy instead named separate, distinct roles. So option (c) Resident is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Role of the British Resident in princely states

NDA 2015-I

Q. 20. Consider the following statements about the early modern technology in India:

1. The Portuguese brought European movable metal types to Goa in 1550.

2. The first Indian script of which types were prepared was Tamil.

3. The English Company’s first experiment with printing press was at Calcutta.

4. The English Company imported printing press to India in 1674-75 at the request of Bhimji Parak.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3

(c) 3 and 4

(d) 1, 2 and 4

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 4

Explanation: The Portuguese did bring movable metal type printing to Goa. Tamil was indeed the first Indian script to receive prepared types. The English Company’s first printing experiment was actually at Bombay. So statement 3 wrongly names Calcutta instead of Bombay. Bhimji Parak did request this Bombay press in 1674-75. Statements 1, 2, and 4 together are accurate here. Concept Tested: Early printing technology introduced by European traders

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: NDA often swaps Bombay and Calcutta in early printing-press facts. The English Company’s first press experiment was at Bombay, not Calcutta.

NDA 2014-II

Q. 21. Who among the following did not bring trading ships to the port of Surat in pre-British times?

(a) Portuguese and English

(b) Russian and German

(c) English and Arab

(d) French and Arab

Answer: (b) Russian and German

Explanation: Surat drew ships from the Portuguese, English, French, and Arabs. Russian and German traders did not send ships to this port. So option (b) correctly names the pair absent from Surat’s trade. Concept Tested: Traders absent from pre-British Surat’s port activity

NDA 2014-I

Q. 22. The ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ was a policy that aimed to

(a) control the rebellions in the Princely States

(b) extend the military strength of the British

(c) regulate the landlords

(d) extend the territorial boundaries of the English East India Company

Answer: (d) extend the territorial boundaries of the English East India Company

Explanation: The Doctrine of Lapse let the Company annex heirless princely states. This steadily expanded Company territory across India. It was not aimed at controlling rebellions or regulating landlords. So option (d) correctly states this policy’s true aim. Concept Tested: Purpose of the Doctrine of Lapse

NDA 2012-II

Q. 23. Which one among the following was the fundamental cause of the first Karnataka War between the British and the French?

(a) Participation of the English and the French in the native politics of Karnataka

(b) The ambition of Dupleix to drive out the English from the South

(c) The trade rivalry between the English and the French

(d) The war of Austrian succession because of which Britain and France became each other’s enemy in every part of the world

Answer: (d) The war of Austrian succession because of which Britain and France became each other’s enemy in every part of the world

Explanation: The War of Austrian Succession pitted Britain and France against each other. This European conflict spread to their colonies, including India. The resulting Indian clash became the first Carnatic War. So option (d) correctly identifies this underlying European cause. Concept Tested: European origin of the first Carnatic War

NDA 2011-II

Q. 24. Tipu Sultan’s major interest in building ships was to

(a) fight the English at sea

(b) promote trade and commerce

(c) maintain diplomatic relations with Muscat (Oman)

(d) establish an overseas settlement at port Basra (Iraq), which would be under his control, on lines of the European companies

Answer: (d) establish an overseas settlement at port Basra (Iraq), which would be under his control, on lines of the European companies

Explanation: Tipu Sultan wanted his own controlled trading base overseas. He specifically envisioned this settlement at the port of Basra. The plan mirrored the European companies’ own overseas trading posts. So option (d) correctly describes his main shipbuilding ambition. Concept Tested: Tipu Sultan’s shipbuilding and overseas trade ambitions

NDA 2011-II

Q. 25. The First Anglo-Burmese War was concluded by a treaty. Which one among the following is that?

(a) Treaty of Bharma

(b) Treaty of Tamu

(c) Treaty of Bhamo

(d) Treaty of Yandaboo

Answer: (d) Treaty of Yandaboo

Explanation: The Treaty of Yandaboo formally ended the First Anglo-Burmese War. It was signed in 1826 between the British and the Burmese court. Bharma, Tamu, and Bhamo are not the treaty names for this war. So option (d) Treaty of Yandaboo is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Treaty ending the First Anglo-Burmese War

NDA 2011-II

Q. 26. Which of the following statements regarding consolidation of British power in 18th century Bengal is/are correct?

1. The Nawab granted the Company the Nizamat powers in 1765.

2. The duties of collecting revenues and administration of justice were entrusted with the European officials of the East India Company.

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (a) 1 only

Explanation: The Nawab did transfer key administrative powers to the Company in 1765. So statement 1 correctly places this shift in that year. Revenue and justice duties were actually run through Indian officers. These Indian officials worked under Company approval, not as Europeans themselves. So statement 2 wrongly claims direct European staffing of these duties. Only statement 1 is correct among the two. Concept Tested: Nature of British administrative control in 1765 Bengal

★ JOVIK Exam Insight: NDA often tests whether Company control was direct (European officials) or indirect (Indian officers under Company oversight). It began as the latter.

NDA 2011-I

Q. 27. Which one among the following is common to the treaty of Yandaboo (1826), the treaty of Salbai (1782) and the treaty of Gandamak (1879)?

(a) With these treaties various Indian powers formed alliances to defeat the British

(b) These treaties enabled the British to control the South Asian powers

(c) These treaties expedited the spread of Indian culture abroad

(d) These treaties gave an essential boost to enhanced trade in South Asia

Answer: (b) These treaties enabled the British to control the South Asian powers

Explanation: Yandaboo, Salbai, and Gandamak each ended a major regional war. Each treaty left the defeated power more dependent on British control. Burma, the Marathas, and Afghanistan all lost ground through these pacts. So option (b) correctly identifies their shared outcome. Concept Tested: Shared effect of major nineteenth-century British treaties

NDA 2010-II

Q. 28. Which among the following statements are correct with regard to the Portuguese in India?

1. They had the monopoly over the Eastern trade in the 16th Century

2. They possessed Bombay in the beginning

3. They had trading settlements at Cochin, Diu and Daman

4. The Mughals denied them any trading concessions

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 2, 3 and 4

(c) 1, 2 and 4

(d) 1 and 3 only

Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3

Explanation: Portuguese traders did dominate Eastern trade through the 16th century. They also held Bombay before later ceding it to the English. Cochin, Diu, and Daman were genuine Portuguese trading settlements. The Mughals actually did grant them certain trading concessions. So statement 4 wrongly claims a total denial of such concessions. Statements 1, 2, and 3 together are accurate here. Concept Tested: Extent and limits of Portuguese trading presence in India

NDA 2010-I

Q. 29. Consider the following paragraph and identify with the help of the code given below the Church referred to therein: “Considered as one of the best examples of baroque architecture in India, this World Heritage Monument is dedicated to Infant Jesus. It houses the sacred relics of St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint, who died in 1552.”

(a) Santa Cruz Basilica

(b) St. Francis Church

(c) Church of the Holy Cross

(d) Basilica of Bom Jesus

Answer: (d) Basilica of Bom Jesus

Explanation: The Basilica of Bom Jesus stands as a baroque landmark in Goa. Its name literally means the church of the Infant, or Good, Jesus. It houses the preserved relics of St. Francis Xavier. So option (d) Basilica of Bom Jesus is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Identifying the Basilica of Bom Jesus from a description

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