History Chapter 1
MCQ Questions with Answers:
1. Who divided Indian history into three periods – Hindu, Muslim, and British?
Answer: b) James Mill
2. What was the primary focus of the histories written by British historians in India?
Answer: a) Life of Governor-Generals
3. What did British officials believe was essential for effective administration in India?
Answer: b) Writing and preserving official records
4. Which year marked the beginning of James Mill’s periodization of Indian history?
Answer: b) 1817
5. What was the main aim of surveys conducted by the British in India?
Answer: c) To map the country for administrative purposes
6. What was a major criticism of James Mill’s periodization of Indian history?
Answer: b) It was biased towards British rule
7. Why did the British feel the need to preserve official documents and letters?
Answer: b) For future administrative reference
8. What was one of the primary reasons behind conducting detailed surveys in Indian
villages?
Answer: b) To facilitate better governance
9. Which of the following was not a focus of the surveys conducted by the British?
Answer: b) Cultural practices
10. How did British historians typically view the period before British rule in India?
Answer: c) As an era of darkness
11. What significant change did British historians bring to Indian history writing?
Answer: d) Documentation of administrative details
12. Which tool was extensively used by the British to control and administer India
effectively?
Answer: c) Detailed surveys
13. What was the main purpose of ‘official records’ kept by the British?
Answer: c) For administrative purposes
14. What kind of information was generally not focused on in the surveys conducted by
the British?
Answer: c) Local customs and rituals
15. What is the main criticism of James Mill’s classification of Indian history?
Answer: d) It was biased and unidimensional
16. Why did the British emphasize the importance of writing and preserving official
records?
Answer: b) For future reference and administration
17. What was a key feature of the histories written during the British period?
Answer: b) Emphasis on the lives of Governor-Generals
18. What was the British perspective on the period before their rule in India?
Answer: c) Seen as an era of darkness
19. What aspect of Indian history was largely ignored by James Mill?
Answer: b) The diversity of the Indian population
20. What was the primary aim of the British in conducting surveys in India?
Answer: c) To map the country for administrative purposes
Fill in the Blanks with Answers:
1. James Mill divided Indian history into three periods: ___, ___, and British.
Answer: Hindu, Muslim
2. The British thought that surveys were important for ___.
Answer: effective administration
3. The official records of the British administration are an important source for
understanding the last ___ years of Indian history.
Answer: 250
4. The British believed that every instruction, plan, policy decision, agreement, and
investigation had to be clearly ___.
Answer: written up
5. Warren Hastings became the first ___ in 1773.
Answer: Governor-General
6. By the early nineteenth century, detailed surveys were being carried out to map the
entire ___.
Answer: country
7. From the end of the nineteenth century, Census operations were held every ___
years.
Answer: ten
8. Mill’s periodization of Indian history was seen as problematic because it was ___.
Answer: biased
9. ___ surveys, ___ surveys, and ___ surveys were among the many conducted by the
British in India.
Answer: Botanical, zoological, archaeological
10. Historians have usually divided Indian history into ‘’, ‘’, and ‘___’.
Answer: ancient, medieval, modern
True or False Questions with Answers:
1. James Mill divided Indian history into three periods: Hindu, Muslim, and
Christian.
Answer: False
2. Official documents help us understand what the people of the country think.
Answer: False
3. The British thought surveys were important for effective administration.
Answer: True
4. Warren Hastings was the first Viceroy of India.
Answer: False
5. Detailed surveys were carried out by the British to understand cultural practices in
Indian villages.
Answer: False
6. The British preserved official documents to showcase their rule in India.
Answer: True
7. James Mill’s periodization of Indian history was widely accepted without criticism.
Answer: False
8. Histories written by British historians in India primarily focused on the
achievements of Indian rulers.
Answer: False
9. The British established record rooms in every administrative office in India.
Answer: True
10. James Mill’s division of Indian history into Hindu, Muslim, and British periods
reflects a bias in historical perspective.
Answer: True
Mixed Type Questions with Answers:
1. Goddess ___ was a symbol of British power in India.
Answer: c) Britannia
2. Who became the first Governor General of British India in 1773?
Answer: c) Warren Hastings
3. Who wrote the book 'A History of British India' in 1817?
Answer: c) James Mill
4. According to Mills, all societies were of lower level of civilisation.
Answer: b) Asian
5. National Museum is located at
Answer: a) Delhi
6. British introduced practice of ___ to know about rural topography.
Answer: c) surveying
7. ___ came up in the 1920s to store important documents.
Answer: c) National Archive of India
8. British documents were carefully copied by ___ during the 18th century.
Answer: b) calligraphists
9. An important source regarding dates is ___ of British administration.
Answer: b) official records
10. According to Mills, ___ rule was capable of civilising Indian society.
Answer: c) British
11. Census operations are held every ___ years.
Answer: d) 10 years
12. Which is not a source of describing history?
Answer: b) Conversation between people
13. History is about finding out how things were in the past and how things have ___
Answer: a) Changed
14. Historians often compared Past with the Present and always referred to ___ i.e.
Before and After.
Answer: b) Time
15. Who was asked by Robert Clive to produce maps of Hindustan?
Answer: a) James Rennell
16. A list of historical events is given below. Choose the one where a precise date can be
fixed.
Answer: c) Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi
17. James Mill was of the opinion that before British came to India, ___ ruled the
country.
Answer: a) Hindus and Muslims
18. What is Imperialism?
Answer: a) Imperialism is a political system
19. The chosen set of dates by the Historians become more vital when the focus is on a
___
Answer: b) Particular set of events
20. Why did British preserve official documents?
Answer: d) All of the above
21. In which year did James Rennell produce the first map of Hindustan?
Answer: c) 1765
22. The British thought surveys were important for
Answer: a) Effective administration
23. When New Delhi was built, the National Museum and the National Archives were
both located close to the
Answer: b) Parliament House