Reviewing the Class 8 SST MCQ and Class 8 Social Science Chapter 4 The Colonial Era in India MCQ Questions Online Test with Answers before exams can boost your confidence.
Class 8 The Colonial Era in India MCQ with Answers
MCQ on The Colonial Era in India Class 8
Class 8 SST Chapter 4 The Colonial Era in India MCQ Questions with Answers
Question 1.
When did Vasco da Gama arrive at Calicut on the Malabar Coast?
(a) 1488
(b) 1498
(c) 1508
(d) 1518
Answer:
(c) 1508
Question 2.
Which trading post became the main base for French colonial operations in India?
(a) Madras
(b) Surat
(c) Pondicherry
(d) Calcutta
Answer:
(b) Surat
Question 3.
What was the primary purpose of the cartaz system introduced by the Portuguese?
(a) To collect taxes from Indian rulers
(b) To require ships to obtain permits for navigation in the Arabian Sea
(c) To establish trade agreements with Indian merchants
(d) To build forts in the interior regions of India
Answer:
(c) To establish trade agreements with Indian merchants
Question 4.
The Doctrine of Lapse allowed the British to annex princely states when:
(a) The state failed to pay revenue
(b) The ruler died without a natural male heir
(c) The state refused to trade with Britain
(d) The ruler rebelled against the British
Answer:
(c) The state refused to trade with Britain
Question 5.
What was the immediate trigger for the Great Rebellion of 1857?
(a) High taxation policies imposed by the British
(b) Introduction of rifle cartridges greased with animal fat
(c) Annexation of Indian states through the Doctrine of Lapse
(d) Reduction in the powers and privileges of Indian rulers
Answer:
(b) Introduction of rifle cartridges greased with animal fat
Question 6.
Which ruler led resistance against Portuguese attacks at Ullal?
(a) Rani Lakshmibai
(b) Rani Abbakka I
(c) Begum Hazrat Mahal
(d) Rani Chennamma
Answer:
(b) Rani Abbakka I
Question 7.
What real purpose did the railways and telegraphs serve under British rule?
(a) To promote national unity in India
(b) To transport raw materials and troops efficiently
(c) To develop Indian tourism
(d) To improve communication between villages
Answer:
(c) To develop Indian tourism
Question 8.
According to the economic historian Angus Maddison, India’s share in world GDP before colonisation was:
(a) One-sixth
(b) One-eighth
(c) One-fourth
(d) One-half
Answer:
(c) One-fourth
Question 9.
Who was the first European to discover the sea route to India?
(a) Christopher Columbus
(b) Ferdinand Magellan
(c) Vasco da Gama
(d) Bartholomew Diaz
Answer:
(c) Vasco da Gama
Question 10.
Vasco-da-Gama first landed in India at which place?
(a) Bombay
(b) Calicut
(c) Cochin
(d) Surat
Answer:
(b) Calicut
Question 11.
The Portuguese established their first trading centre in India at :
(a) Goa
(b) Calicut
(c) Cochin
(d) Daman
Answer:
(c) Cochin
Question 12.
The main aim of the Portuguese in India was to :
(a) Spread Christianity
(b) Conquer the Mughal Empire
(c) Trade in spices
(d) Teach Indian rulers European culture
Answer:
(c) Trade in spices
Question 13.
The Dutch East India Company was established in :
(a) 1502
(b) 1602
(c) 1652
(d) 1702
Answer:
(b) 1602
The Colonial Era in India Class 8 Assertion and Reasoning Questions
The following questions consist of two statements – Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Answer these questions by selecting the correct option:
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.
1. (A) : The East India Company initially came to India as traders but gradually assumed political power.
(R) : Gradually, the Company started interfering in local politics through alliances and military victories like the Battle of Plassey.
Answer:
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
2. (A) : British free trade policies created prosperity in Indian industries.
(R) : These policies allowed cheap British manufactured goods to enter India, destroying local crafts and textiles.
Answer:
(d) The assertion is false because British free trade policies destroyed Indian industries rather than creating prosperity. The reason is true because it correctly explains how cheap British goods destroyed local crafts and textiles.
3. (A) : The Portuguese captured and ruled Goa as their colonial capital in India for nearly 500 years.
(R) : The Portuguese arrived in India in 1498 and established the Inquisition at Goa in 1560 to maintain control.
Answer:
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
4. (A) : The Great Rebellion of 1857 was the first Indian resistance to British rule.
(R) : Farlier resistance movements like the Samyasi-Fakir Rebellion, Kol Uprising and Santhal Rebellion had already occurred before 1857.
Answer:
(d) The assertion is false because earlier resistance movements had already taken place before 1857. The reason is true because it correctly identifies these earlier uprisings.
5. Assertion (A): The Doctrine of Lapse was a key strategy used by the British to annex princely states.
Reason (R): It allowed any princely state without a natural male heir to be annexed by the British.
Answer:
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and R is the correct explanation of (A).
6. Assertion (A): The British improved India’s economy and increased its share of world GDP.
Reason (R): They invested heavily in Indian industries and local trade.
Answer:
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and R is the correct explanation of (A).
The Colonial Era in India Class 8 Fill in the Blanks
1. The ________ was a harsh tribunal established by the Portuguese at Goa in 1560 that persecuted Hindus, Muslims and Jews.
Answer:
Inquisition
2. Under the ______ policy, Indian rulers had to maintain British garrisons at their own expense and accept British residents in their courts.
Answer:
Subsidiary Alliance
3. The first major famine in Bengal occurred in _____and killed approximately 10 million people due to exploitative British revenue policies.
Answer:
1770-1772
4. The _______ East India Company was granted a royal charter by Queen Elizabeth I.
Answer:
British
5. The battle of _______ (1757) marked the beginning of major British political control in India.
Answer:
Plassey
6. _______ was the queen of Jhansi who fought bravely in the 1857 Rebellion.
Answer:
Rani Lakshmibai
7. The Great Famine of 1876-78 killed nearly _______ million people in the Deccan region.
Answer:
eight
8. The _______ Revolt (1859-62) was a peasant uprising against forced cultivation of indigo.
Answer:
Indigo
The Colonial Era in India Class 8 True or False
1. The Dutch East India Company displaced the Portuguese from several key trading centres in the Malabar region.
Answer: True
2. The French emerged as the dominant colonial power in India after defeating the British in the Carnatic Wars.
Answer:
False The British emerged as the dominant colonial power in India after defeating the French in the Carnatic Wars.
3. The Santhal Rebellion was a major tribal uprising against British revenue demands and exploitative economic policies in 1855-1856.
Answer: True
4. The Dutch were the first European power to colonize India.
Answer: False
5. The British exploited India’s wealth to fund the Industrial Revolution.
Answer: True
6. Famines under British rule were worsened by the export of grain and free-market policies.
Answer: True
7. The British abolished all traditional village councils immediately after arriving.
Answer: False
8. The Kol Uprising occurred in northern Bengal.
Answer: False
The Colonial Era in India Class 8 Match the Following
Question 1.
| Column I | Column II |
| (i) Battle of Plassey | A. Travancore’s victory over Dutch naval forces |
| (ii) Battle of Colachel | B. Revolt of sepoys against greased cartridges |
| (iii) Carnatic Wars | C. British victory establishing dominance in Bengal |
| (iv) Great Rebellion of 1857 | D. Conflicts between British and French for South India control |
| (v) Doctrine of Lapse | E. Policy allowing annexation of states without natural male heirs |
Answer:
| Column I | Column II |
| (i) Battle of Plassey | C. British victory establishing dominance in Bengal |
| (ii) Battle of Colachel | A. Travancore’s victory over Dutch naval forces |
| (iii) Carnatic Wars | D. Conflicts between British and French for South India control |
| (iv) Great Rebellion of 1857 | B. Revolt of sepoys against greased cartridges |
| (v) Doctrine of Lapse | E. Policy allowing annexation of states without natural male heirs |
Question 2.
| Column A | Column B |
| 1. Vasco da Gama | (a) East India Company Governor-General (French) |
| 2. Battle of Colachel | (b) The Dutch were defeated by Travancore |
| 3. Dupleix | (c) Portuguese explorer to India in 1498 |
| 4. Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu | (d) Leaders of the Santhal Rebellion |
| 5. Macaulay | (e) Advocated English education in India |
Answer:
| Column A | Column B |
| 1. Vasco da Gama | (c) Portuguese explorer to India in 1498 |
| 2. Battle of Colachel | (b) The Dutch were defeated by Travancore |
| 3. Dupleix | (a) East India Company Governor-General (French) |
| 4. Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu | (d) Leaders of the Santhal Rebellion |
| 5. Macaulay | (e) Advocated English education in India |
The Colonial Era in India Class 8 Passage Based Questions
1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
A few centuries ago, the port town of I hal (in present-day southern Karnataka) was an important trading point controlled by Rani Abbakka I. In the latter half of the 16th century, the Portuguese repeatedly attempted to take it over, but Rani Abbakka I formed strategic alliances with neighbouring kingdoms and thwarted their attempts.
She was eventually captured and died fighting in prison. Her successor, Rani Abbakka II, is reported to have created fireballs out of coconut shells and set several ships of the Portuguese navy on fire. Their inspirational stories are remembered even today through the Yakshagana, a traditional form of dance-drama.
Question 1.
Who controlled the port town of Ullal a few centuries ago?
(a) Portuguese
(b) Rani Abbakka I
(c) Rani Abbakka-II
(d) Neighboring kingdoms
Answer:
(b) Rani Abbakka I
Question 2.
In which century did the Portuguese repeatedly attempt to take over Ullal?
(a) 15th century
(b) 16th century
(c) 17th century
(d) 18th century
Answer:
(b) 16th century
Question 3.
How did Rani Abbakka I defend Ullal from the Portuguese?
(a) By forming strategic alliances
(b) By building forts
(c) By negotiating with them
(d) By fleeing the town
Answer:
(a) By forming strategic alliances
The Colonial Era in India Class 8 Map-Based Questions
Question 1.
Locate and label the following on the map of India :
1. Port established by the Dutch
2. A place of the Vellore Mutiny (1806)
3. A place associated with Rani Lakshmibai
Answer:
1. Nagapattinam port, Tamil Nadu-B
2. Vellore, Tamil Nadu-C