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1857 REVOLT MCQs

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From the 100 in PrepShark’s 1857 REVOLT set (Indian History). Pick an answer, then open the explanation.

Question 01
Consider the following statements about the role of Nepal in 1857–58: 1. Jang Bahadur Rana sent Gurkha troops to help the British recover Awadh. 2. Jang Bahadur personally led Nepalese troops in the campaign in Awadh. 3. Leading rebels from Awadh finally took refuge in Nepal. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. Option A: 1 and 2 only
2. Option B: 2 and 3 only
3. Option C: 1 and 3 only
4. Option D: 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
Answer: D. 1, 2 and 3
**Statement 1 is correct.** **Jang Bahadur**, Nepal's prime minister, sent **Gurkha** forces that took part in the recovery of **Lucknow**. **Statement 2 is correct.** **Jang Bahadur** marched into Awadh at the head of his army in **1857–58**. **Statement 3 is correct.** Rebels retreating north, including **Begum Hazrat Mahal** and **Nana Sahib**, crossed into **Nepal**.
Question 02
With reference to Christian missionaries in Company territory before 1857, consider the following statements: 1. Missionary activity was confined to the Bengal Presidency until 1857. 2. The Charter Act of 1813 allowed missionaries to work in the Company's territories. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. Option A: 1 only
2. Option B: 2 only
3. Option C: Both 1 and 2
4. Option D: Neither 1 nor 2
Answer and explanation
Answer: B. 2 only
**Statement 1 is incorrect.** Missionaries worked across **Madras**, **Bombay** and the north as well; Serampore, Madras and Bombay all had active missions. **Statement 2 is correct.** The **Charter Act of 1813** opened India to **missionaries**, who had earlier needed Company permission.
Question 03
In the context of 1857, the term 'Purbiya' sepoys referred to
1. Option A: Madras Army sepoys recruited from the Coromandel coast
2. Option B: Gurkha soldiers recruited from Nepal
3. Option C: Sikh soldiers recruited from the Punjab after 1849
4. Option D: Bengal Army sepoys recruited from the eastern Gangetic plains, especially Awadh and Bihar
Answer and explanation
Answer: D. Bengal Army sepoys recruited from the eastern Gangetic plains, especially Awadh and Bihar
**Why D is correct.** **Purbiya** means 'easterner': the high-caste sepoys of **Awadh** and **Bihar** who formed the core of the **Bengal Army**. **Why A is incorrect.** The **Madras Army** recruited in the south and is not meant by the term. **Why B is incorrect.** **Gurkhas** came from the hills of **Nepal** and were not called Purbiyas. **Why C is incorrect.** **Sikh** soldiers were recruited in the **Punjab**, to the west.
Question 04
Consider the following statements about events at Kanpur in July 1857: 1. British women and children held at the Bibighar were killed. 2. The Bibighar killings took place before Havelock's relieving force entered Kanpur. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. Option A: 1 only
2. Option B: 2 only
3. Option C: Both 1 and 2
4. Option D: Neither 1 nor 2
Answer and explanation
Answer: C. Both 1 and 2
**Statement 1 is correct.** The **Bibighar** killing of captive **women and children** became central to British accounts and fuelled savage reprisals. **Statement 2 is correct.** The killings took place on **15 July 1857**, as **Havelock** approached; he entered Kanpur on **17 July**.
Question 05
After the revolt, the British set up a penal settlement to hold large numbers of rebel prisoners at
1. Option A: Singapore
2. Option B: Penang
3. Option C: Port Blair
4. Option D: Aden
Answer and explanation
Answer: C. Port Blair
**Why C is correct.** A penal settlement was founded at **Port Blair** in the **Andaman Islands** in **1858**; the **Cellular Jail** came much later (**1896–1906**). **Why A is incorrect.** **Singapore** and the Straits had received Indian convicts earlier, but the post-1857 settlement was in the **Andamans**. **Why B is incorrect.** **Penang** was likewise not the post-1857 settlement. **Why D is incorrect.** **Aden** was a Bombay-administered port, not the main settlement for 1857 rebels.

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