Revolt of 1857 MCQ: Bahadur Shah Zafar, Regional Uprisings & Post-Revolt Reforms

Attempt the quiz above first, then review every question with its correct answer and a short explanation below.

1. Q1.Who described the native rulers loyal to the British as 'barriers against the high and fast-moving wave of seas'?

   • A.Lord Canning✓ Correct Answer
   • B.Lord Dalhousie
   • C.Lord Curzon
   • D.Lord Mountbatten

   Explanation: Lord Canning said, 'These rulers acted as barriers against the high and fast-moving wave of seas, in the absence of which we would have washed out from India completely.'

2. Q2.Who continued the struggle in Bihar after the death of Kunwar Singh?

   • A.Amar Singh✓ Correct Answer
   • B.Peer Ali
   • C.Harak Singh
   • D.Dudhu Miyan

   Explanation: The mantle of the old chief Kunwar Singh fell on his brother Amar Singh who continued the struggle and ran a parallel government in Shahabad.

3. Q3.Who was the leader of the revolt in Sambalpur?

   • A.Surender Sahi✓ Correct Answer
   • B.Radhakrishna Dandsena
   • C.Maniram Dewan
   • D.Kushal Singh

   Explanation: Surender Sahi was the leader of the revolt in Sambalpur.

4. Q4.Who was the leader of the revolt in Ganjam?

   • A.Radhakrishna Dandsena✓ Correct Answer
   • B.Surender Sahi
   • C.Kandpeshwar Singh
   • D.Chittu Pandey

   Explanation: Radhakrishna Dandsena was the leader of the revolt in Ganjam.

5. Q5.Which Act established High Courts at Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras under Lord Canning?

   • A.Indian High Court Act, 1861✓ Correct Answer
   • B.Charter Act of 1853
   • C.Regulating Act of 1773
   • D.Government of India Act, 1858

   Explanation: Under judicial reforms, Lord Canning established High Courts at Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras through the Indian High Court Act, 1861.

6. Q6.Who called the revolt of 1857 a 'Sepoy Mutiny'?

   • A.John Lawrence and Seeley✓ Correct Answer
   • B.T.R. Holmes
   • C.Benjamin Disraeli
   • D.V.D. Savarkar

   Explanation: According to John Lawrence and Seeley, it was only a Sepoy Mutiny.

7. Q7.Which British officer defeated Kunwar Singh's force at Arrah?

   • A.Major Vincent Eyre✓ Correct Answer
   • B.General Neil
   • C.General Havelock
   • D.Campbell

   Explanation: Major Vincent Eyre relieved the town of Arrah on 3rd August, defeated Kunwar Singh's force and destroyed Jagdishpur.

8. Q8.Who was the leader of the revolt in Indore?

   • A.Saadat Khan✓ Correct Answer
   • B.Fazil Mohammad Khan
   • C.Dost Mohammad Khan
   • D.Bakht Khan

   Explanation: Saadat Khan struggled against the British in the revolt of 1857 at Indore.

9. Q9.Who led the main movement in Bhopal during the 1857 revolt?

   • A.Fazil Mohammad Khan✓ Correct Answer
   • B.Sheikh Ramzan
   • C.Dost Mohammad Khan
   • D.Habibulla Khan

   Explanation: Nawab Fazil Mohammed Khan from Bhopal led the main movement and sacrificed his life during the first Struggle for Independence in 1857.

10. Q10.What was the ratio of European to Indian soldiers in Madras after the Peel Commission recommendations?

    • A.1:3✓ Correct Answer
    • B.1:2
    • C.1:4
    • D.1:5

    Explanation: The ratio of Europeans to Indian soldiers in Bengal was 1:2 whereas in Madras it was 1:3.

11. Q11.Which of the following places was NOT a center of the revolution of 1857?

    • A.Jaipur✓ Correct Answer
    • B.Ajmer
    • C.Neemuch
    • D.Auwa

    Explanation: Jaipur was not a centre of the revolution in 1857. Other places like Ajmer, Neemuch, and Auwa were related to the Revolt.

12. Q12.Who captured the Khusro Bagh in Allahabad during the revolt?

    • A.Maulvi Liyaqat Ali✓ Correct Answer
    • B.Nana Saheb
    • C.Azimullah
    • D.Tej Singh

    Explanation: Maulvi Liyaqat Ali captured Khusro Bagh and declared the Independence of India. It became the headquarters of the sepoys.

13. Q13.Which social reform act was passed by Lord Canning in 1856?

    • A.Widow Remarriage Act✓ Correct Answer
    • B.Sati Abolition Act
    • C.Child Marriage Restraint Act
    • D.Education Act

    Explanation: Under the social reforms, Lord Canning passed the Widow Remarriage Act, 1856.

14. Q14.Which infantry regiment refused to touch the new cartridges in Meerut?

    • A.3rd Native Infantry✓ Correct Answer
    • B.20th Native Infantry
    • C.19th Native Infantry
    • D.34th Native Infantry

    Explanation: Revolt of 1857 started on 10th May, 1857 from Meerut where the 3rd Native Infantry refused to touch the new cartridges.

15. Q15.Who was the Assamese nobleman hanged for conspiring against the British in 1857?

    • A.Diwan Maniram Dutt✓ Correct Answer
    • B.Piali Barua
    • C.Kandarpeshwar Singh
    • D.Gomdhar Konwar

    Explanation: Diwan Maniram Dutt in Assam was caught and hanged for the promotional activities of the revolt.

16. Q16.Who was the Mughal Emperor of India during the Revolt of 1857?

    • A.Bahadur Shah Zafar II✓ Correct Answer
    • B.Shah Alam II
    • C.Akbar II
    • D.Aurangzeb

    Explanation: Bahadur Shah Zafar II was the Mughal Emperor during the revolt. He was declared the leader of the uprising by the sepoys.

17. Q17.Where was Bahadur Shah Zafar deported to after the failure of the revolt?

    • A.Rangoon✓ Correct Answer
    • B.Andaman
    • C.Nepal
    • D.Kabul

    Explanation: Bahadur Shah Zafar was arrested and deported to Rangoon (Burma) where he died in 1862.

18. Q18.Who led the revolt in Mathura?

    • A.Devi Singh✓ Correct Answer
    • B.Kadam Singh
    • C.Raja Pratap Singh
    • D.Bakht Khan

    Explanation: In Mathura, the revolt was led by Devi Singh, who organized the peasants against the British.

19. Q19.Who was the British Commander-in-Chief in India when the Revolt of 1857 started?

    • A.General George Anson✓ Correct Answer
    • B.General Campbell
    • C.General Outram
    • D.General Havelock

    Explanation: General George Anson was the Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in India when the revolt broke out.

20. Q20.Which British Politician termed the Revolt of 1857 as 'A National Rising'?

    • A.Benjamin Disraeli✓ Correct Answer
    • B.Gladstone
    • C.Clement Attlee
    • D.Winston Churchill

    Explanation: Benjamin Disraeli, a prominent member of the British Parliament, described the revolt as 'A National Rising' rather than a mere sepoy mutiny.