From Trade to Territory
The Company Establishes Power

Q20. Who initiated the policy of paramountcy?

Ans. Lord Hastings (Governor- General from 1813 to 1823) initiated a new policy of “paramountcy”.

Q21. Why could Delhi no longer function as an effective centre?

Ans. As powerful regional kingdoms emerged in various parts of India, Delhi could no longer function as an effective centre.

Q22. What led to intense conflict between British and local rulers?

Ans. Fortification of settlements and effort to carry on profitable trade led to intense conflict between British and local rulers.

Q23. What constituted the Mughal army?

Ans. The Mughal army was mainly composed of cavalry (sawars: trained soldiers on horseback) and infantry, that is, paidal (foot) soldiers.

Q24. Name the two rulers under whose leadership Mysore became powerful.

Ans. Haidar Ali and his famous son Tipu Sultan were the two rulers under whose leadership Mysore became powerful.

Q25. Why did Tipu Sultan develop a close relationship with the French in India?

Ans. Tipu Sultan established a close relationship with the French in India in order to modernized his army with their help.

Q26. Who were two famous Maratha soldiers and statesmen of the late eighteenth century?

Ans. Mahadji Sindhia and Nana Phadnis were two famous Maratha soldiers and statesmen of the late eighteenth century.

Q27. “After the Battle of Buxar (1764), the Company appointed Residents in Indian states.” Who were the Residents?

Ans. They were political or commercial agents and their job was to serve and further the interests of the Company.

Q28. When did the Mughal emperor appoint the Company as the Diwan of the provinces of Bengal?

Ans. In 1765 the Mughal emperor appointed the Company as the Diwan of the provinces of Bengal.

Q29. Why did the Company want a puppet ruler?
Or
Why was the Company keen on puppet ruler?
Or
Why did British want to establish puppet ruler in Bengal?

Ans. The Company was keen on a puppet ruler because he would willingly give trade concessions and other privileges.

Q30. Explain the term ‘Mercantile’.

Ans. Mercantile means a business enterprise that makes profit primarily through trade, buying goods cheap and selling them at higher prices.

Q31. What do you mean by puppet?

Ans. Puppet literally means a toy that you can move with strings. The term is used disapprovingly to refer to a person who is controlled by someone else.

Q32. Name the Mughal emperor seen as the natural leader during the revolt of 1857.

Ans. When a massive rebellion against British rule broke out in 1857, Bahadur Shah Zafar, the Mughal emperor at the time, was seen as the natural leader.

Q33. List the Kingdoms which were annexed on the basis of ‘Doctrine of Lapse’.

Ans. Kingdoms annexed on the basis of ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ were: Satara (1848), Sambalpur (1850), Udaipur (1852), Nagpur (1853) and Jhansi (1854).

Q34. What were the grievances of the Company regarding the Nawabs of Bengal?

Ans. The Company on its part declared that the unjust demands of the local officials were ruining the trade of the Company, and trade could flourish only if the duties were removed.

Q35. Who were called ‘nabobs’?

Ans. Company officials who managed to return Britain with wealth led flashy lives and flaunted their riches. They were called “nabobs” – an anglicised version of the Indian word nawab.

Q36. How Plassey got its name?

Ans. Plassey is an anglicised pronunciation of Palashi and the place derived its name from the palash tree known for its beautiful red flowers that yield gulal, the powder used in the festival of Holi.