Revolt of 1857 – UGC NET History – Practice Questions

1. Who among the following regarded the Revolt of 1857 as a “wholly unpatriotic and selfish sepoy mutiny”?
A. Sir John Lawrence
B. Sir John Seeley
C. Ashoka Mehta
D. V.D. Savarkar

2. According to Outram, the Revolt of 1857 was primarily the result of:
A. Peasant unrest
B. Hindu conspiracy
C. Mohammedan conspiracy
D. Economic exploitation alone

3. Who authored the book The Indian War of Independence?
A. R.C. Majumdar
B. S.N. Sen
C. Ashoka Mehta
D. V.D. Savarkar

4. Which Mughal Emperor was proclaimed the Emperor of India during the Revolt of 1857?
A. Bahadur Shah II
B. Akbar II
C. Shah Alam II
D. Farrukhsiyar

5. The immediate cause of the Revolt of 1857 was:
A. Annexation of Oudh
B. Greased cartridges
C. Doctrine of Lapse
D. General Service Enlistment Act

6. The Revolt began at which place?
A. Delhi
B. Kanpur
C. Meerut
D. Lucknow

7. Who among the following described the Revolt as “an eruption of the social volcano”?
A. S.N. Sen
B. R.C. Majumdar
C. Sir John Lawrence
D. Ashoka Mehta

8. The annexation of which state particularly affected the Bengal Army?
A. Oudh
B. Satara
C. Nagpur
D. Jhansi

9. Which Act of 1856 offended the sepoys by requiring overseas service?
A. Vernacular Press Act
B. General Service Enlistment Act
C. Regulating Act
D. Charter Act

10. Who among the following was the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II?
A. Tatia Tope
B. Kunwar Singh
C. Nana Sahib
D. Azimullah Khan

11. The Doctrine of Lapse was aggressively implemented by:
A. Lord Wellesley
B. Lord Hastings
C. Lord Canning
D. Lord Dalhousie

12. The Revolt of 1857 was described by R.C. Majumdar as:
A. Not a national movement
B. A complete national war
C. A communist uprising
D. A tribal revolt

13. Which region became the chief centre of the Revolt?
A. Punjab
B. Oudh
C. Bengal
D. Madras

14. The Rani of Jhansi died in:
A. 1856
B. 1857
C. 1858
D. 1859

15. Who captured Delhi from the rebels in 1857?
A. Colin Campbell
B. Havelock
C. Outram
D. Nicholson and British forces

16. The circulation of chapatis before the Revolt symbolized:
A. A mysterious warning network
B. Revenue collection
C. Trade expansion
D. Religious reform

17. Which historian wrote the book Eighteen Fifty-Seven?
A. R.C. Majumdar
B. S.N. Sen
C. Savarkar
D. Kaye

18. The Revolt of 1857 mainly affected which army?
A. Madras Army
B. Bombay Army
C. Bengal Army
D. Punjab Army

19. Who among the following betrayed Tatia Tope?
A. Scindhia
B. Salar Jung
C. Nana Sahib
D. Mansingh

20. Which British officer described Rani Lakshmibai as the “bravest and best military leader” among the rebels?
A. Sir Hugh Rose
B. Outram
C. Havelock
D. Nicholson

21. Match List I with List II regarding leaders of the Revolt of 1857:

A- a-i, b-ii, c-iii, d-iv
B- a-iii, b-i, c-ii, d-iv
C- a-iv, b-iii, c-i, d-ii
D- a-ii, b-iv, c-i, d-iii

22. Which among the following remained largely unaffected by the Revolt?
A. Delhi
B. Kanpur
C. South of the Narmada
D. Lucknow

23. Bahadur Shah II was exiled to:
A. Singapore
B. Colombo
C. Rangoon
D. Kabul

24. The sepoys refused to use which rifle cartridges?
A. Enfield rifle cartridges
B. Brown Bess cartridges
C. Matchlock cartridges
D. Flintlock cartridges

25. Assertion (A): The Revolt of 1857 witnessed Hindu-Muslim unity in many areas.
Reason (R): Bahadur Shah II prohibited cow slaughter during the Revolt.

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.

26. Who among the following supported the British during the Revolt?
A. Nana Sahib
B. Patiala rulers
C. Rani Lakshmibai
D. Kunwar Singh

27. Which British official relieved Lucknow Residency along with Outram?
A. Nicholson
B. Edwardes
C. Havelock
D. Lawrence

28. The annexation of Jhansi took place in:
A. 1848
B. 1850
C. 1851
D. 1853

29. The Revolt of 1857 was suppressed completely by:
A. 1860
B. 1857
C. 1858
D. 1862

30. Which Governor-General introduced the Doctrine of Lapse?
A. Lord Ripon
B. Lord Dalhousie
C. Lord Canning
D. Lord Curzon

31. Match List I with List II regarding historians and their interpretations:

A- a-ii, b-i, c-iii, d-iv
B- a-i, b-ii, c-iv, d-iii
C- a-ii, b-i, c-iii, d-iv
D- a-iii, b-iv, c-i, d-ii

32. Which among the following was NOT a political cause of the Revolt?
A. Doctrine of Lapse
B. Annexation of Oudh
C. Withdrawal of Nana Sahib’s pension
D. Introduction of railways

33. The policy of “Subordinate Union” was adopted after:
A. Battle of Plassey
B. Regulating Act
C. Revolt of 1857
D. Charter Act of 1833

34. Which community was particularly repressed after the Revolt according to the passage?
A. Sikhs
B. Marathas
C. Muslims
D. Rajputs

35. Who among the following presided over the Indian Historical Records Commission in 1955?
A. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
B. Jawaharlal Nehru
C. R.C. Majumdar
D. Tara Chand

36. Which city became the symbolic centre of the Revolt?
A. Kanpur
B. Delhi
C. Agra
D. Bareilly

37. The slogan of ending British rule after 100 years was associated with the centenary of:
A. Battle of Buxar
B. Charter Act
C. Battle of Plassey
D. Anglo-Mysore War

38. The taluqdars of which region actively supported the rebels?
A. Punjab
B. Bengal
C. Oudh
D. Bombay

39. Who among the following considered the Revolt inevitable due to foreign domination?
A. Savarkar
B. Ashoka Mehta
C. R.C. Majumdar
D. S.N. Sen

40. The British officer Hodson is associated with:
A. Arrest of Bahadur Shah II
B. Annexation of Jhansi
C. Relief of Lucknow
D. Capture of Kanpur

41. Assertion (A): The Revolt failed partly due to lack of unified leadership.
Reason (R): Rebel leaders pursued separate objectives and lacked coordination.

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.

42. Which among the following was a military cause of the Revolt?
A. Widow Remarriage Act
B. Withdrawal of batta allowances
C. Permanent Settlement
D. Vernacular Press restrictions

43. Who among the following was called a true patriot by Malleson?
A. Nana Sahib
B. Tatia Tope
C. Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah
D. Kunwar Singh

44. Which British law changed Hindu inheritance rights after conversion?
A. Charter Act
B. Ilbert Bill
C. Hindu Law of Property modification
D. Pitts India Act

45. Which among the following Indian rulers remained loyal to the British during the Revolt?
A. Scindhia
B. Nana Sahib
C. Rani Lakshmibai
D. Kunwar Singh

46. The rebels captured Gwalior under the leadership of:
A. Kunwar Singh
B. Rani Lakshmibai and Tatia Tope
C. Bahadur Shah II
D. Ahmadullah Shah

47. The Bengal Army mainly consisted of soldiers from:
A. Madras and Mysore
B. Punjab and Sindh
C. Oudh and North-West Provinces
D. Bombay Presidency

48. The massacre at Kanpur is mainly associated with:
A. Nana Sahib
B. Kunwar Singh
C. Bahadur Shah II
D. Scindhia

49. Which British Governor-General was in office during the Revolt?
A. Dalhousie
B. Wellesley
C. Ripon
D. Lord Canning

50. Match List I with List II regarding places and associated leaders:

A- a-ii, b-i, c-iii, d-iv
B- a-i, b-iii, c-iv, d-ii
C- a-iv, b-ii, c-i, d-iii
D- a-ii, b-i, c-iii, d-iv

51. Who among the following considered the Revolt of 1857 as essentially a feudal revolt?
A. V.D. Savarkar
B. R.C. Majumdar
C. Ashoka Mehta
D. S.N. Sen

52. Which among the following was a religious cause of the Revolt of 1857?
A. Doctrine of Lapse
B. Withdrawal of batta
C. Fear of forced conversion to Christianity
D. Annexation of Oudh

53. Who among the following led the rebellion in Bihar?
A. Nana Sahib
B. Tatia Tope
C. Ahmadullah Shah
D. Kunwar Singh

54. The immediate trigger of unrest among sepoys in Meerut was:
A. Public humiliation and imprisonment of soldiers
B. Non-payment of salary
C. Withdrawal of jagirs
D. Refusal to promote Indians

55. Who among the following stated that the Revolt was “wholly unpatriotic and selfish”?
A. Sir John Lawrence
B. Sir John Seeley
C. Thompson
D. Garratt

56. The Revolt spread rapidly to all of the following places EXCEPT:
A. Bareilly
B. Jhansi
C. Madras
D. Kanpur

57. Which British officer was killed during the siege of Lucknow?
A. Nicholson
B. Outram
C. Sir Henry Lawrence
D. Colin Campbell

58. Which among the following was NOT annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse?
A. Jhansi
B. Satara
C. Oudh
D. Nagpur

59. The chief military weakness of the rebels was:
A. Lack of manpower
B. Lack of motivation
C. Lack of central leadership and planning
D. Absence of cavalry