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Historical Background MCQs

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Question 01
In the constitutional history of British India, the expression 'double government' refers to
1. Option A: the division of authority over the Company's Indian affairs between the Court of Directors and the Board of Control, from 1784 until 1858
2. Option B: the division of provincial subjects into 'reserved' and 'transferred' categories under the Government of India Act, 1919
3. Option C: the combination, in one person, of the offices of Governor-General and Governor of the Bengal Presidency
4. Option D: the joint exercise of legislative power by the Viceroy and the Secretary of State for India
Answer and explanation
Answer: A. the division of authority over the Company's Indian affairs between the Court of Directors and the Board of Control, from 1784 until 1858
**Why A is correct.** **Pitt's India Act, 1784** created the **Board of Control** alongside the Company's **Court of Directors**. This dual arrangement is called **double government**, and it lasted until **1858**, when both bodies were abolished. **Why B is incorrect.** That arrangement is **dyarchy**, a twentieth-century device. Students often conflate the two because both divide authority, but double government concerned control of the Company from England. **Why C is incorrect.** The combined office was a feature of Company administration in Bengal; it was never called double government. **Why D is incorrect.** The Secretary of State belongs to Crown rule after 1858, by which time double government had already ended.
Question 02
With reference to the Law Member of the Governor-General's council, consider the following statements: 1. Under the Charter Act of 1833, the Law Member could sit and vote only at meetings of the council held for making laws. 2. The Charter Act of 1853 made the Law Member a full member of the Governor-General's executive council. 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 fourth member added in **1833** had a **limited** role: he could **sit and vote only** at meetings for **legislation**. **Statement 2 is correct.** In **1853** the Law Member became a **full member** of the **executive council**, with the right to vote on all its business.
Question 03
Suppose that in 1928 the Central Legislature refused to pass a bill that the Governor-General considered essential. Under the Government of India Act, 1919, the Governor-General could
1. Option A: certify the bill, after which it would have effect as if it had been passed by the Legislature
2. Option B: do nothing, since the Legislature's decision was final
3. Option C: refer the bill to the Federal Court for an advisory opinion
4. Option D: dissolve the Legislature and enact the bill through the provincial councils
Answer and explanation
Answer: A. certify the bill, after which it would have effect as if it had been passed by the Legislature
**Why A is correct.** Under the 1919 Act the Governor-General had the power of **certification**: a bill he certified as **essential** would take effect **as if passed**, subject to being laid before the **British Parliament**. **Why B is incorrect.** The Legislature did not have the last word; the executive remained **irresponsible** to it. **Why C is incorrect.** The **Federal Court** did not exist until **1937**. **Why D is incorrect.** Provincial councils had no power to legislate on central matters.
Question 04
Consider the following statements regarding Pitt's India Act of 1784: 1. It reduced the strength of the Governor-General's council from four members to three. 2. The members of the Board of Control were appointed by the Court of Directors of the Company. 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: A. 1 only
**Statement 1 is correct.** The council created in **1773** with **four** members was reduced to **three**, making it easier for the Governor-General to command a majority. **Statement 2 is incorrect.** The **Board of Control** was a body of **Privy Councillors** appointed by the **Crown**, not by the Company. A board chosen by the Company's own directors could not have controlled them.
Question 05
The immediate circumstance that led the British Parliament to pass the Regulating Act of 1773 was
1. Option A: the East India Company's financial crisis, which forced it to seek a loan from the British Government, together with complaints of misgovernment in Bengal
2. Option B: the outbreak of a widespread revolt against Company rule in northern India
3. Option C: a demand by Indian princes for representation in the Company's government
4. Option D: the Company's request to surrender its territories to the Crown
Answer and explanation
Answer: A. the East India Company's financial crisis, which forced it to seek a loan from the British Government, together with complaints of misgovernment in Bengal
**Why A is correct.** In **1772** the Company was on the edge of **bankruptcy** and asked the **British Government** for a **loan**. Parliament used the opportunity to regulate a trading company that had become a territorial power, amid reports of **misgovernment** in Bengal. **Why B is incorrect.** The great revolt against Company rule came in **1857**, more than eighty years later. **Why C is incorrect.** Indian princes had no voice in the Company's government, and none was sought in 1773. **Why D is incorrect.** The Company resisted, rather than requested, the loss of its territories; the transfer to the Crown came only in **1858**.

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