SEBA Class IX Social Science [History] Chapter 1 MCQ Set 6

CHAPTER-1: ADVENT OF THE EUROPEANS INTO INDIA
Multiple-Choice Questions Set 6

1. Who was the first Indian to get a civil service post?  
A) Romesh Chunder Dutt  
B) Biharilal Gupta  
C) Satyendranath Tagore  
D) Surendranath Banerji  
Answer: C) Satyendranath Tagore

2. Which Act first allowed Indians to sit for the Civil Service Examination?  
A) Charter Act of 1793  
B) Charter Act of 1833  
C) Act of 1853  
D) Government of India Act, 1919  
Answer: C) Act of 1853

3. During whose Viceroyalty was the upper age limit for the Civil Service Examination reduced to 19 years?  
A) Lord Lytton  
B) Lord Canning  
C) Lord Ripon  
D) Lord Dufferin  
Answer: A) Lord Lytton

4. Which Commission recommended the split of the Civil Service Department into three divisions?  
A) Montague-Chelmsford Commission  
B) Aitchison Commission  
C) Islington Commission  
D) Lee Commission  
Answer: B) Aitchison Commission

5. What was the proposed percentage increase in the employment of native people as per the Montague-Chelmsford Report?  
A) 2%  
B) 1%  
C) 1.5%  
D) 0.5%  
Answer: C) 1.5%

6. Which Act declared the formation of a Federal State in India?  
A) Act of 1853  
B) Government of India Act, 1919  
C) Government of India Act, 1935  
D) Indian Councils Act, 1861  
Answer: C) Government of India Act, 1935

7. Which Governor General argued against employing Indians in the administration?  
A) Lord Cornwallis  
B) Sir Thomas Monroe  
C) Sir John Malcolm  
D) Lord Canning  
Answer: A) Lord Cornwallis

8. Who was the first Indian to succeed in the Civil Service Examination after Satyendranath Tagore?  
A) Romesh Chunder Dutt  
B) Biharilal Gupta  
C) Surendranath Banerji  
D) Sripad Babaji Thakur  
Answer: C) Surendranath Banerji

9. Which Viceroy formed the Public Service Commission to examine the Indian Civil Service issue?  
A) Lord Lytton  
B) Lord Ripon  
C) Lord Dufferin  
D) Lord Canning  
Answer: C) Lord Dufferin

10. Which Act gave the direction to hold competitive examinations for Civil Service?  
A) Charter Act of 1833  
B) Act of 1853  
C) Civil Service Act of 1862  
D) Government of India Act, 1935  
Answer: B) Act of 1853

11. The Charter Act of 1833 instructed to take measures for determining the eligibility of Indians for which posts?  
A) Deputy Magistrate  
B) Deputy Collector  
C) High posts in the administration  
D) All of the above  
Answer: D) All of the above

12. Which Indian leader organized mass awareness against reducing the upper age limit for the Civil Service Examination?  
A) Satyendranath Tagore  
B) Surendranath Banerji  
C) Romesh Chunder Dutt  
D) Lal Mohan Ghose  
Answer: B) Surendranath Banerji

13. Which Commission proposed the formation of a Civil Service Commission in India immediately?  
A) Aitchison Commission  
B) Montague-Chelmsford Commission  
C) Islington Commission  
D) Lee Commission  
Answer: D) Lee Commission

14. Who chaired the Royal Commission on Public Service formed in 1922?  
A) Lord Islington  
B) Sir Charles Aitchison  
C) Lord Dufferin  
D) Lord Ripon  
Answer: A) Lord Islington

15. Which Act first allowed Indians to be eligible for the posts of Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector?  
A) Charter Act of 1793  
B) Charter Act of 1833  
C) Act of 1853  
D) Government of India Act, 1935  
Answer: B) Charter Act of 1833

16. The Queen's Proclamation of 1858 gave assurance for the recruitment of which group in Civil Services?  
A) English citizens  
B) Native people  
C) Europeans  
D) None of the above  
Answer: B) Native people

17. What was the upper age limit for candidates in the Indian Civil Service Examination during Lord Lytton's Viceroyalty?  
A) 22 years  
B) 21 years  
C) 19 years  
D) 18 years  
Answer: C) 19 years

18. The Government of India Act, 1935, proposed the formation of which service commissions?  
A) Federal Civil Service Commission  
B) Provincial Civil Service Commission  
C) Both A and B  
D) None of the above  
Answer: C) Both A and B

19. The Montague-Chelmsford Report mentioned that how much of the total posts in India were to be filled up by native people?  
A) One-fourth  
B) One-third  
C) Half  
D) Two-thirds  
Answer: B) One-third

20. Which leader's arguments led the English Government to increase the upper age limit for Civil Service Examination?  
A) Lal Mohan Ghose  
B) Surendranath Banerji  
C) Romesh Chunder Dutt  
D) Satyendranath Tagore  
Answer: A) Lal Mohan Ghose

21. Which Act created the post of Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector in Indian Civil Services?  
A) Charter Act of 1833  
B) Charter Act of 1793  
C) Government of India Act, 1935  
D) None of the above  
Answer: A) Charter Act of 1833

22. Which Viceroy directed the selection of Indians of noble origin for civil service posts reserved for covenanted British persons?  
A) Lord Ripon  
B) Lord Lytton  
C) Lord Dufferin  
D) Lord Cornwallis  
Answer: B) Lord Lytton

23. The Aitchison Commission was created during the term of which Viceroy?  
A) Lord Ripon  
B) Lord Lytton  
C) Lord Dufferin  
D) Lord Canning  
Answer: C) Lord Dufferin

24. The Government of India Act, 1919, was directed to implement the schemes considered in which report?  
A) Montague-Chelmsford Report  
B) Aitchison Commission Report  
C) Islington Commission Report  
D) Lee Commission Report  
Answer: A) Montague-Chelmsford Report

25. Which Act allowed the formation of a competitive examination for Civil Services?  
A) Charter Act of 1833  
B) Government of India Act, 1919  
C) Act of 1853  
D) Government of India Act, 1935  
Answer: C) Act of 1853

26. Which law reserved the highest posts of Indian administration only to covenanted servicemen of the Company?  
A) Civil Service Act of 1862  
B) Charter Act of 1793  
C) Charter Act of 1833  
D) Act of 1853  
Answer: B) Charter Act of 1793

27. Which Indian Civil Service candidate succeeded in the examination in 1871?  
A) Romesh Chunder Dutt  
B) Satyendranath Tagore  
C) Anundoram Barooah  
D) Sripad Babaji Thakur  
Answer: A) Romesh Chunder Dutt

28. In what year did the British Government form the Lee Commission?  
A) 1923  
B) 1922  
C) 1886  
D) 1932

SEBA Class IX Social Science [History] Chapter 1 MCQ Set 5

CHAPTER-1: ADVENT OF THE EUROPEANS INTO INDIA
Multiple-Choice Questions Set 5

1. Who was the first Indian to secure a post in the Civil Service?
a) Surendranath Banerji
b) Romesh Chunder Dutt
c) Satyendranath Tagore
d) Anundoram Barooah
Answer: c) Satyendranath Tagore

2. The Charter Act of 1793 reserved the highest posts in Indian administration for whom?
a) Indians
b) Europeans residing in India
c) Covenanted servicemen of the Company
d) British Parliament members
Answer: c) Covenanted servicemen of the Company

3. Who opposed the employment of Indians in the administration, arguing they were not accustomed to modern administration?
a) Lord Cornwallis
b) Sir Thomas Monroe
c) Sir John Malcolm
d) Lord Canning
Answer: a) Lord Cornwallis

4. What significant change did the Act of 1853 bring to the Indian Civil Services?
a) Reservation of posts for Indians
b) Holding competitive examinations for recruitment
c) Excluding Indians from Civil Services
d) Establishing a Civil Service Commission in India
Answer: b) Holding competitive examinations for recruitment

5. In which year was Satyendranath Tagore successful in the Civil Service Examination?
a) 1864
b) 1871
c) 1872
d) 1886
Answer: a) 1864

6. What was the upper age limit for appearing in the Civil Service Examination before it was reduced by Lord Lytton?
a) 25 years
b) 22 years
c) 21 years
d) 19 years
Answer: b) 22 years

7. Which Viceroy reduced the upper age limit for the Civil Service Examination to 19 years?
a) Lord Ripon
b) Lord Lytton
c) Lord Dufferin
d) Lord Cornwallis
Answer: b) Lord Lytton

8. The Aitchison Commission recommended dividing the Civil Services into how many divisions?
a) Two
b) Three
c) Four
d) Five
Answer: b) Three

9. Who chaired the Public Service Commission formed by Viceroy Lord Dufferin?
a) Sir John Malcolm
b) Sir Charles Aitchison
c) Lord Lytton
d) Thomas Munro
Answer: b) Sir Charles Aitchison

10. Which Act directed that one-third of the total posts in India should be filled by natives?
a) Government of India Act, 1919
b) Indian Councils Act, 1861
c) Montague-Chelmsford Report
d) Charter Act of 1833
Answer: c) Montague-Chelmsford Report

11. Who among the following was not successful in the Civil Service Examination in 1871?
a) Surendranath Banerji
b) Romesh Chunder Dutt
c) Biharilal Gupta
d) Anundoram Barooah
Answer: d) Anundoram Barooah

12. Which Viceroy is associated with the formation of the Lee Commission?
a) Lord Lytton
b) Lord Ripon
c) Lord Dufferin
d) Lord Reading
Answer: d) Lord Reading

13. The Government of India Act, 1935, proposed the formation of which two commissions?
a) Federal Civil Service Commission and Provincial Civil Service Commission
b) Aitchison Commission and Montague-Chelmsford Commission
c) Lee Commission and Public Service Commission
d) Charter Act Commission and Civil Service Commission
Answer: a) Federal Civil Service Commission and Provincial Civil Service Commission

14. Who was sent to England by Surendranath Banerji to argue against reducing the upper age limit for Civil Service Examination?
a) Lal Mohan Ghose
b) Romesh Chunder Dutt
c) Satyendranath Tagore
d) Biharilal Gupta
Answer: a) Lal Mohan Ghose

15. Which Act allowed Indians to sit in the Civil Service Examination?
a) Charter Act of 1833
b) Government of India Act, 1858
c) Act of 1853
d) Civil Service Act of 1862
Answer: c) Act of 1853

16. In which year did the British Parliament pass a resolution to hold Civil Service Examination simultaneously in England and India?
a) 1893
b) 1922
c) 1935
d) 1886
Answer: a) 1893

17. Who was the first Indian to become successful in the Civil Service Examination?
a) Romesh Chunder Dutt
b) Biharilal Gupta
c) Satyendranath Tagore
d) Surendranath Banerji
Answer: c) Satyendranath Tagore

18. The Lee Commission was formed in which year?
a) 1919
b) 1923
c) 1935
d) 1947
Answer: b) 1923

19. Who recommended the creation of the Federal State in India?
a) Montague-Chelmsford Report
b) Aitchison Commission
c) Government of India Act, 1935
d) Charter Act of 1793
Answer: c) Government of India Act, 1935

20. What was the primary reason for the educated Indians' dissatisfaction with the Civil Service recruitment process in the 19th century?
a) The examination was held in England
b) The upper age limit was too high
c) Indians were given preference over Englishmen
d) The syllabus was too difficult
Answer: a) The examination was held in England

21. Who among the following was not a successful Indian Civil Service candidate in the 19th century?
a) Surendranath Banerji
b) Anundoram Barooah
c) Romesh Chunder Dutt
d) Lord Cornwallis
Answer: d) Lord Cornwallis

22. Which Viceroy formed the Public Service Commission to examine Civil Service recruitment issues?
a) Lord Ripon
b) Lord Dufferin
c) Lord Lytton
d) Lord Canning
Answer: b) Lord Dufferin

23. What was the main objective of the Montague-Chelmsford Report regarding Civil Services?
a) To exclude Indians from Civil Service posts
b) To hold Civil Service exams only in England
c) To increase the number of native people in Civil Service posts
d) To abolish Civil Services in India
Answer: c) To increase the number of native people in Civil Service posts

24. The Government of India Act, 1919, directed the implementation of which report’s recommendations regarding Civil Services?
a) Aitchison Commission
b) Lee Commission
c) Montague-Chelmsford Report
d) Charter Act of 1833
Answer: c) Montague-Chelmsford Report

25. Who was the Chairman of the Aitchison Commission?
a) Lord Lytton
b) Lord Ripon
c) Sir Charles Aitchison
d) Sir John Malcolm
Answer: c) Sir Charles Aitchison

26. The Indian National Congress demanded simultaneous Civil Service Examinations in England and India during whose Viceroyalty?
a) Lord Ripon
b) Lord Dufferin
c) Lord Lytton
d) Lord Cornwallis
Answer: b) Lord Dufferin

27. What year did Satyendranath Tagore become successful in the Civil Service Examination?
a) 1853
b) 1864
c) 1871
d) 1893
Answer: b) 1864

28. What was the main argument against employing Indians in Civil Services by Lord Cornwallis?
a) Indians were overqualified for the positions
b) Indians were not accustomed to modern administration
c) Indians were too young for the positions
d) Indians were too costly to employ
Answer: b) Indians were not accustomed to modern administration

SEBA Class IX Social Science [History] Chapter 1 MCQ Set 4

CHAPTER-1: ADVENT OF THE EUROPEANS INTO INDIA
Multiple-Choice Questions Set 4

1. Who was the last Governor General under the Company and the first Viceroy under the Crown?
a) Lord Dalhousie
b) Lord Canning
c) Lord Mayo
d) Lord Ripon  
Answer: b) Lord Canning

2. Which expert did Lord Canning invite to India for financial suggestions?
a) William Pitt
b) James Wilson
c) Charles Cornwallis
d) John Stuart Mill  
Answer: b) James Wilson

3. What tax did Lord Canning impose on people earning Rs. 500 or more per month?
a) Sales tax
b) Property tax
c) Income tax
d) Service tax  
Answer: c) Income tax

4. What percentage of import duties did Lord Canning impose on all imported commodities?
a) 5%
b) 10%
c) 15%
d) 20%  
Answer: b) 10%

5. Which Act was enacted by Lord Canning to protect indigo farmers?
a) Bengal Rent Act
b) Indigo Protection Act
c) Farmers' Relief Act
d) Agricultural Reforms Act  
Answer: a) Bengal Rent Act

6. What significant organizational change did Lord Canning introduce in the Indian army?
a) Formation of a separate cavalry unit
b) Division based on caste and religion
c) Formation of a composite Indian army
d) Increase in European soldiers  
Answer: c) Formation of a composite Indian army

7. Which Act directed the formation of Legislative Assemblies at the center and states?
a) Government of India Act, 1858
b) Indian Councils Act, 1861
c) Pitt’s India Act
d) Regulating Act of 1773  
Answer: b) Indian Councils Act, 1861

8. How many members could the Viceroy nominate to his Central Legislative Assembly?
a) 4 to 8
b) 5 to 10
c) 6 to 12
d) 8 to 15  
Answer: c) 6 to 12

9. Who were the non-official members in the Central Legislative Assembly?
a) Englishmen and native Indians
b) Only Englishmen
c) Only native Indians
d) Military officers  
Answer: a) Englishmen and native Indians

10. What title was given to the newly formed Executive Council member responsible for legal matters?
a) Legal Member
b) Justice Member
c) Advocate General
d) Law Secretary  
Answer: a) Legal Member

11. Which Act allowed the governors of Bombay and Madras to create Legislative Councils?
a) Indian Councils Act, 1861
b) Government of India Act, 1858
c) Charter Act of 1833
d) Pitt's India Act  
Answer: a) Indian Councils Act, 1861

12. In which year was the Legislative Council formed in Bengal under the directive of the Act of 1861?
a) 1862
b) 1865
c) 1870
d) 1885  
Answer: a) 1862

13. What was the primary limitation of the Provincial Legislative Councils under the Act of 1861?
a) They had unlimited powers
b) Their powers were limited
c) They could override the Viceroy
d) They were dissolved frequently  
Answer: b) Their powers were limited

14. What power did the Governor General of Bengal enjoy under the Act of 1861?
a) Right to consult the Council
b) Right to promulgate ordinances without consulting the Council
c) Right to override the British Parliament
d) Right to create new provinces  
Answer: b) Right to promulgate ordinances without consulting the Council

15. What system was introduced in Indian administration by Lord Canning?
a) Presidential system
b) Cabinet system
c) Federal system
d) Monarchy  
Answer: b) Cabinet system

16. Which Viceroy's tenure saw the adoption of the 'Resolution on Financial Decentralization'?
a) Lord Mayo
b) Lord Canning
c) Lord Ripon
d) Lord Dalhousie  
Answer: a) Lord Mayo

17. What did the 'Resolution on Financial Decentralization' allow provinces to manage?
a) Military departments
b) External affairs
c) Education, health, and police
d) Trade and commerce  
Answer: c) Education, health, and police

18. What was Lord Ripon's main objective in promoting local self-government?
a) To increase British control
b) To boost administrative efficiency and provide political education
c) To suppress Indian rebellions
d) To centralize administration  
Answer: b) To boost administrative efficiency and provide political education

19. In which year did Lord Ripon create Local Boards in subdivisions?
a) 1875
b) 1882
c) 1890
d) 1895  
Answer: b) 1882

20. What percentage of members in Town Committees and Municipal Boards were to be recruited through elections according to the 1882 resolution?
a) 50%
b) 60%
c) 75%
d) 100%  
Answer: c) 75%

21. Which British Act empowered only the District Commissioners to preside over Local Boards?
a) Government of India Act, 1858
b) Indian Councils Act, 1861
c) Local Self-Government Act, 1885
d) Bengal Rent Act  
Answer: c) Local Self-Government Act, 1885

22. What was the main reason the English Government resisted Lord Ripon's proposals?
a) To maintain colonial control
b) To encourage modernization
c) To reduce administrative costs
d) To promote democracy  
Answer: a) To maintain colonial control

23. Who rejected many of Lord Ripon's proposals on local self-government?
a) The Viceroy
b) The Governor General
c) The Secretary of State
d) The British Parliament  
Answer: c) The Secretary of State

24. In which Indian state were Local Boards formed at the subdivision level as per Lord Ripon's reforms?
a) Bengal
b) Assam
c) Punjab
d) Madras  
Answer: b) Assam

25. What change did Lord Ripon seek in the administrative units of local boards?
a) Centralization under British control
b) Freedom from central administration through elected members
c) Increase in European members
d) Merger with municipal authorities  
Answer: b) Freedom from central administration through elected members

26. Which Viceroy is credited with the first attempt to create a cabinet system in India?
a) Lord Dalhousie
b) Lord Mayo
c) Lord Canning
d) Lord Ripon  
Answer: c) Lord Canning

27. What was the primary objective of the Indian Councils Act of 1861?
a) To establish British dominance
b) To familiarize educated Indians with the new administrative structure
c) To suppress Indian nationalism
d) To introduce a federal system  
Answer: b) To familiarize educated Indians with the new administrative structure

28. What was Lord Canning's main objective in building a composite Indian army?
a) To segregate soldiers by caste
b) To unite people of different races and religions
c) To eliminate Indian soldiers
d) To increase British soldiers  
Answer: b) To unite people of different races and religions

29. What significant financial measure was introduced by Lord Canning for the first time?
a) Sales tax on all goods
b) Income tax on high earners
c) Export duties
d) Wealth tax  
Answer: b) Income tax on high earners

30. What was the lasting impact of Lord Ripon's local self-government reforms?
a) Complete independence for local regions
b) Introduction of democratic principles at the local level
c) Increased centralization of power
d) Strengthening of British control  
Answer: b) Introduction of democratic principles at the local level

SEBA Class IX Social Science [History] Chapter 1MCQ Set 3

 CHAPTER-1: ADVENT OF THE EUROPEANS INTO INDIA
Multiple-Choice Questions Set 3

1. Who was the Mughal Emperor who signed the Treaty of Allahabad with Robert Clive in 1765?
a) Aurangzeb
b) Shah Aalm
c) Akbar II
d) Bahadur Shah Zafar  
Answer: b) Shah Aalm

2. What did the Treaty of Allahabad grant the British East India Company?
a) Military power in India
b) Right to collect revenue (Diwani) in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa
c) Control over the entire Mughal Empire
d) Trade monopoly in India  
Answer: b) Right to collect revenue (Diwani) in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa

3. What system of governance was introduced in Bengal by Shah Aalm?
a) Centralized Government
b) Dual Government
c) Federal Government
d) Unitary Government  
Answer: b) Dual Government

4. Under the Dual Government system, who was responsible for civil, criminal, and police administration in Bengal?
a) British East India Company
b) Nawab of Bengal
c) Mughal Emperor
d) Local zamindars  
Answer: a) British East India Company

5. What was the status of the Nawab of Bengal under the Dual Government system?
a) Independent ruler
b) Titular military administrator (Nizamat)
c) Supreme ruler of Bengal
d) Governor appointed by the Mughal Emperor  
Answer: b) Titular military administrator (Nizamat)

6. During whose governorship did the British East India Company become the most powerful in India?
a) Robert Clive
b) Warren Hastings
c) Lord Dalhousie
d) Lord Cornwallis  
Answer: b) Warren Hastings

7. Who was the first British Governor-General of Bengal as per the Regulating Act of 1773?
a) Robert Clive
b) Warren Hastings
c) Lord Cornwallis
d) Lord Wellesley  
Answer: b) Warren Hastings

8. What was the significance of the Pitt's India Act of 1784?
a) It abolished the British East India Company
b) It introduced a two-tier administration in India
c) It declared India as a British colony
d) It provided independence to Indian states  
Answer: b) It introduced a two-tier administration in India

9. What was the role of the Board of Control under Pitt's India Act?
a) To manage trade in India
b) To control the Indian army
c) To oversee the Company's administration in India
d) To appoint the Viceroy of India  
Answer: c) To oversee the Company's administration in India

10. Which administrative unit was known as a 'Presidency' during the Company's rule?
a) A village
b) A district
c) A province
d) An administrative center under a President  
Answer: d) An administrative center under a President

11. Who was the Governor-General of India when the Sepoy Mutiny began?
a) Lord Dalhousie
b) Lord Canning
c) Lord Wellesley
d) Warren Hastings  
Answer: b) Lord Canning

12. Which event triggered the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857?
a) Introduction of new land taxes
b) Conviction of Ishwar Pandey and Mangal Pandey
c) Abolition of princely states
d) Introduction of English as the administrative language  
Answer: b) Conviction of Ishwar Pandey and Mangal Pandey

13. Which policy of Lord Dalhousie increased discontent among Indians before the Sepoy Mutiny?
a) Introduction of income tax
b) Annexation of princely states under the Doctrine of Lapse
c) Conversion of Indians to Christianity
d) Imposition of British law in Indian courts  
Answer: b) Annexation of princely states under the Doctrine of Lapse

14. What was removed from the coins of the Company in 1835, increasing dissatisfaction among Indians?
a) Mughal Emperor's name
b) British Crown's emblem
c) Persian inscriptions
d) The image of Lord Dalhousie  
Answer: a) Mughal Emperor's name

15. Which language replaced Persian in the administration, causing unrest among Indians?
a) Hindi
b) Sanskrit
c) Urdu
d) English  
Answer: d) English

16. Who was awarded capital punishment along with Mangal Pandey?
a) Rani Lakshmi Bai
b) Ishwar Pandey
c) Nana Sahib
d) Bahadur Shah II  
Answer: b) Ishwar Pandey

17. Which Governor-General's policies were most responsible for creating the atmosphere for the Sepoy Mutiny?
a) Lord Canning
b) Lord Dalhousie
c) Warren Hastings
d) Robert Clive  
Answer: b) Lord Dalhousie

18. What was one of the social causes of the Sepoy Mutiny?
a) Introduction of Western education
b) Abolition of the caste system
c) Disrespect for Indian customs and traditions by the British
d) Support for religious conversion by the British  
Answer: c) Disrespect for Indian customs and traditions by the British

19. Who took charge as Governor-General after Lord Dalhousie?
a) Lord Canning
b) Warren Hastings
c) Lord Cornwallis
d) Lord Wellesley  
Answer: a) Lord Canning

20. The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 is also known as:
a) The Indian Rebellion of 1857
b) The First War of Indian Independence
c) The Great Revolt
d) All of the above  
Answer: d) All of the above

21. What was the immediate effect of the Sepoy Mutiny on British rule in India?
a) Strengthening of British control
b) Transfer of power from the East India Company to the British Crown
c) End of British rule in India
d) Introduction of a democratic government in India  
Answer: b) Transfer of power from the East India Company to the British Crown

22. Who became the representative of Queen Victoria in India after the Sepoy Mutiny?
a) Governor-General
b) Prime Minister of Britain
c) Viceroy of India
d) Secretary of State for India  
Answer: c) Viceroy of India

23. Which act allowed the British Government to appoint the Viceroy of India?
a) The Charter Act of 1833
b) The Government of India Act, 1858
c) Pitt's India Act, 1784
d) The Regulating Act, 1773  
Answer: b) The Government of India Act, 1858

24. What did the first declaration of direct British rule in India promise?
a) Expansion of British Empire
b) Religious toleration and economic equality
c) Complete independence to Indian states
d) Continuation of the Doctrine of Lapse  
Answer: b) Religious toleration and economic equality

25. Where was the first Durbar held by Viceroy Lord Canning to declare direct British rule over India?
a) Delhi
b) Calcutta
c) Allahabad
d) Bombay  
Answer: c) Allahabad

26. Which policy did Lord Canning abandon in his proclamation after the Sepoy Mutiny?
a) Subsidiary Alliance
b) Doctrine of Lapse
c) Permanent Settlement
d) Divide and Rule  
Answer: b) Doctrine of Lapse

27. How were the officers and servants of the British Indian Government paid after the Act of 1858?
a) From British revenues
b) From Indian revenues
c) By the East India Company
d) By the Mughal Emperor  
Answer: b) From Indian revenues

28. Which council was formed to assist the Secretary of State for India?
a) Indian Council
b) Executive Council
c) Council of India
d) Advisory Council  
Answer: c) Council of India

29. What social change occurred in Indian society after the Sepoy Mutiny?
a) Complete rejection of British rule
b) A shift towards modern Western culture
c) Return to medieval traditions
d) Widespread support for the British  
Answer: b) A shift towards modern Western culture

30. Which British policy was adopted in response to the growing sense of unity among Indians after the Sepoy Mutiny?
a) Divide and Rule
b) Assimilation
c) Decentralization
d) Nationalization  
Answer: a) Divide and Rule

SEBA Class IX Social Science [History] Chapter 1MCQ Set 2

CHAPTER-1: ADVENT OF THE EUROPEANS INTO INDIA
Multiple-Choice Questions Set 2

1. Who signed the Treaty of Allahabad with Robert Clive?
A) Warren Hastings
B) Mughal Emperor Shah Alam
C) Nawab of Bengal
D) Lord Dalhousie  
Answer: B) Mughal Emperor Shah Alam

2. What was the Dual Government introduced in Bengal in 1765?
A) A system where the Nawab had full power
B) A system where the Company had revenue rights and the Nawab handled administration
C) A system of joint governance by the Company and the Mughal Emperor
D) A system where the Company controlled both revenue and administration  
Answer: B) A system where the Company had revenue rights and the Nawab handled administration

3. Who was the Governor General of India when the Regulating Act of 1773 was passed?
A) Robert Clive
B) Lord Dalhousie
C) Warren Hastings
D) Lord Canning  
Answer: C) Warren Hastings

4. Which Act introduced the two-tier administration in India?
A) Regulating Act of 1773
B) Pitt’s India Act of 1784
C) Charter Act of 1833
D) Government of India Act, 1858  
Answer: B) Pitt’s India Act of 1784

5. Who took over as Governor General after Lord Dalhousie?
A) Lord Canning
B) Warren Hastings
C) Robert Clive
D) Lord Ripon  
Answer: A) Lord Canning

6. What was the immediate cause of the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857?
A) Economic hardships
B) Political instability
C) The introduction of the new Enfield rifle
D) Religious oppression  
Answer: C) The introduction of the new Enfield rifle

7. In which year was English introduced in the administration replacing Persian?
A) 1757
B) 1765
C) 1835
D) 1857  
Answer: C) 1835

8. What was the role of Ishwar Pandey in the Sepoy Mutiny?
A) He was the Governor General of India
B) He was a soldier who was convicted and executed
C) He was a leader who signed the Treaty of Allahabad
D) He was a member of the British Parliament  
Answer: B) He was a soldier who was convicted and executed

9. What was the primary result of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857?
A) Complete independence of India
B) End of British rule in India
C) Direct rule by the British Crown
D) Establishment of Mughal rule  
Answer: C) Direct rule by the British Crown

10. Who was the first Viceroy of India after the Sepoy Mutiny?
A) Lord Dalhousie
B) Lord Canning
C) Lord Ripon
D) Lord Curzon  
Answer: B) Lord Canning

11. Which Act transferred the administration of India from the East India Company to the British Crown?
A) Regulating Act of 1773
B) Government of India Act, 1858
C) Pitt’s India Act, 1784
D) Charter Act of 1833  
Answer: B) Government of India Act, 1858

12. What was the Doctrine of Lapse?
A) A policy of the British Government to expand the empire
B) A policy of the East India Company to annex princely states
C) A financial reform by Warren Hastings
D) A law to provide pension to soldiers  
Answer: B) A policy of the East India Company to annex princely states

13. Where was the Durbar held in 1858 to declare the direct rule of the British Crown over India?
A) Calcutta
B) Delhi
C) Allahabad
D) Bombay  
Answer: C) Allahabad

14. Who was appointed as the first Secretary of State for India?
A) Robert Clive
B) Warren Hastings
C) Charles Wood
D) Lord Dalhousie  
Answer: C) Charles Wood

15. Which policy did the British adopt to maintain control over India after the Sepoy Mutiny?
A) Divide and Rule
B) Assimilation Policy
C) Policy of Protectionism
D) Economic Reforms  
Answer: A) Divide and Rule

16. What was the significance of the treaty of Allahabad?
A) It ended the Sepoy Mutiny
B) It established the British East India Company as a legal ruling power
C) It transferred power from the Mughal Emperor to the Marathas
D) It abolished the Dual Government in Bengal  
Answer: B) It established the British East India Company as a legal ruling power

17. Which British Act made the Governor of Bengal the Governor-General of India?
A) Regulating Act of 1773
B) Pitt’s India Act, 1784
C) Charter Act of 1833
D) Government of India Act, 1858  
Answer: A) Regulating Act of 1773

18. What was the primary focus of Lord Dalhousie’s administration?
A) Expansion of British territories through the Doctrine of Lapse
B) Social reforms and education
C) Improving trade relations with India
D) Strengthening the East India Company’s trade monopoly  
Answer: A) Expansion of British territories through the Doctrine of Lapse

19. Which year did the British Government take direct control of India?
A) 1765
B) 1835
C) 1857
D) 1858  
Answer: D) 1858

20. Who introduced the Dual Government system in Bengal?
A) Warren Hastings
B) Lord Dalhousie
C) Robert Clive
D) Lord Canning  
Answer: C) Robert Clive

21. Which Mughal Emperor’s name was removed from the coins by the East India Company in 1835?
A) Akbar
B) Shah Alam
C) Bahadur Shah Zafar
D) Jahangir  
Answer: C) Bahadur Shah Zafar

22. Who was the Governor-General during the Sepoy Mutiny?
A) Lord Canning
B) Lord Dalhousie
C) Robert Clive
D) Warren Hastings  
Answer: A) Lord Canning

23. What was the outcome of the Allahabad Durbar in 1858?
A) The declaration of British Crown rule over India
B) The end of the Sepoy Mutiny
C) The annexation of Punjab
D) The abolition of the East India Company  
Answer: A) The declaration of British Crown rule over India

24. Which Act introduced a centralized administration in India?
A) Regulating Act of 1773
B) Pitt’s India Act, 1784
C) Government of India Act, 1858
D) Charter Act of 1833  
Answer: A) Regulating Act of 1773

25. What was one of the major social impacts of the Sepoy Mutiny?
A) Complete eradication of British influence
B) Strengthening of conservative practices
C) Introduction of modern western culture
D) Decline of the Mughal Empire  
Answer: C) Introduction of modern western culture

26. What was the purpose of the Doctrine of Lapse?
A) To annex states with no male heir
B) To provide land to farmers
C) To establish trade routes
D) To enforce British education policies  
Answer: A) To annex states with no male heir

27. Who was the Mughal Emperor during the Sepoy Mutiny?
A) Akbar II
B) Bahadur Shah Zafar
C) Shah Alam II
D) Aurangzeb  
Answer: B) Bahadur Shah Zafar

28. Which Act provided the British Government the power to appoint the Viceroy of India?
A) Pitt’s India Act, 1784
B) Regulating Act of 1773
C) Government of India Act, 1858
D) Charter Act of 1833  
Answer: C) Government of India Act, 1858

SEBA Class IX Social Science [History] Chapter 1MCQ Set 1

 CHAPTER-1: ADVENT OF THE EUROPEANS INTO INDIA
Multiple-Choice Questions Set 1

1. Which event led to the closure of old trade routes between India and Europe?
a) The discovery of America
b) The capture of Constantinople by the Turks
c) The defeat of the Greeks by the Romans
d) The invention of the compass  
Answer: b) The capture of Constantinople by the Turks

2. Who was the first Portuguese sailor to reach the Cape of Good Hope?
a) Vasco da Gama
b) Christopher Columbus
c) Bartolomeu Diaz
d) Ferdinand Magellan  
Answer: c) Bartolomeu Diaz

3. In which year did Vasco da Gama arrive at Calicut?
a) 1487
b) 1498
c) 1500
d) 1526  
Answer: b) 1498

4. Which English sailor circumnavigated the globe in 1580?
a) Francis Drake
b) John Mildenhall
c) Ralph Fitch
d) Thomas Roe  
Answer: a) Francis Drake

5. Who was the first English sailor to reach India with a petition letter from Queen Elizabeth?
a) Ralph Fitch
b) John Mildenhall
c) Francis Drake
d) William Hawkins  
Answer: b) John Mildenhall

6. Which Mughal Emperor granted trade privileges to the English East India Company in 1608?
a) Akbar
b) Shah Jahan
c) Jahangir
d) Aurangzeb  
Answer: c) Jahangir

7. Who was the Englishman sent by King James I to establish trade with India in 1615?
a) John Surman
b) Sir Thomas Roe
c) Ralph Fitch
d) William Hawkins  
Answer: b) Sir Thomas Roe

8. Which city became the headquarters of the English East India Company in 1690?
a) Bombay
b) Calcutta
c) Madras
d) Surat  
Answer: b) Calcutta

9. Which English officer acquired zamindari rights over three villages in Bengal?
a) Robert Clive
b) Job Charnock
c) Sir Thomas Roe
d) William Hawkins  
Answer: b) Job Charnock

10. Who was the Mughal Emperor when John Surman led an English delegation to his court in 1715?
 a) Akbar
 b) Jahangir
 c) Aurangzeb
 d) Farukhsiyar  
 Answer: d) Farukhsiyar

11. Which English surgeon cured Emperor Farukhsiyar, leading to trade privileges for the East India Company?
 a) William Hawkins
 b) John Mildenhall
 c) William Hamilton
 d) Sir Thomas Roe  
 Answer: c) William Hamilton

12. What was the primary objective of the East India Company in India?
 a) Establishing political power
 b) Religious conversion
 c) Trade
 d) Exploration  
 Answer: c) Trade

13. Which fort did the English establish after shifting their trade center from Armagaon in 1639?
 a) Fort William
 b) Fort St. George
 c) Fort St. David
 d) Fort St. Angelo  
 Answer: b) Fort St. George

14. Who was the first Governor of the East India Company in India?
 a) Lord Ripon
 b) Lord Dalhousie
 c) Robert Clive
 d) Warren Hastings  
 Answer: c) Robert Clive

15. Which treaty allowed the English to establish a trade center at Masulipatam in 1611?
 a) Treaty of Surat
 b) Treaty of Madras
 c) Treaty with the Sultan of Golkunda
 d) Treaty of Bassein  
 Answer: c) Treaty with the Sultan of Golkunda

16. What led to the decline of Mughal power and the rise of British influence in India?
 a) The Sepoy Mutiny
 b) The discovery of a sea route to India
 c) The capture of Constantinople
 d) The growing enmity and weakness among Indian rulers  
 Answer: d) The growing enmity and weakness among Indian rulers

17. What was the primary outcome of the British rule from 1858 to 1947?
 a) Expansion of trade
 b) Establishment of central administration
 c) Transfer of power to Indians
 d) Division of India  
 Answer: c) Transfer of power to Indians

18. Which governor-general is associated with the Doctrine of Lapse?
 a) Lord Ripon
 b) Lord Dalhousie
 c) Lord Wellesley
 d) Warren Hastings  
 Answer: b) Lord Dalhousie

19. Which act transferred the powers of the East India Company to the British Crown?
 a) Government of India Act, 1858
 b) Indian Councils Act, 1861
 c) Regulating Act, 1773
 d) Charter Act, 1833  
 Answer: a) Government of India Act, 1858

20. Who is known as the father of local self-government in India?
 a) Lord Curzon
 b) Lord Dalhousie
 c) Lord Ripon
 d) Lord Wellesley  
 Answer: c) Lord Ripon

21. Which act introduced the principle of Indianization of civil services?
 a) Indian Councils Act, 1861
 b) Government of India Act, 1858
 c) Charter Act, 1813
 d) Montague-Chelmsford Reforms  
 Answer: a) Indian Councils Act, 1861

22. Which governor-general is associated with the policy of Subsidiary Alliance?
 a) Lord Dalhousie
 b) Lord Ripon
 c) Lord Wellesley
 d) Lord Curzon  
 Answer: c) Lord Wellesley

23. Who established the first English factory in India?
 a) John Mildenhall
 b) William Hawkins
 c) Ralph Fitch
 d) Thomas Roe  
 Answer: b) William Hawkins

24. What was the capital of British India before Delhi?
 a) Bombay
 b) Madras
 c) Calcutta
 d) Lucknow  
 Answer: c) Calcutta

25. Which battle marked the beginning of British political control in India?
 a) Battle of Buxar
 b) Battle of Plassey
 c) Battle of Panipat
 d) Battle of Wandiwash  
 Answer: b) Battle of Plassey

26. Who signed the Treaty of Allahabad in 1765?
 a) Robert Clive
 b) Warren Hastings
 c) Lord Wellesley
 d) Lord Cornwallis  
 Answer: a) Robert Clive

27. Which emperor's reign marked the highest influence of the East India Company in India?
 a) Aurangzeb
 b) Jahangir
 c) Shah Alam II
 d) Akbar  
 Answer: c) Shah Alam II

28. Which city was the first British trading post in India?
 a) Bombay
 b) Madras
 c) Surat
 d) Calcutta  
 Answer: c) Surat

29. Which event led to the establishment of the British Raj in India?
 a) The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857
 b) The Battle of Buxar
 c) The Regulating Act of 1773
 d) The Charter Act of 1833  
 Answer: a) The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857

30. Who was the last Mughal Emperor during the Sepoy Mutiny?
 a) Bahadur Shah II
 b) Akbar II
 c) Aurangzeb
 d) Shah Jahan II  
 Answer: a) Bahadur Shah II

SEBA Class IX English Reader Moments Chapter 1: The Lost Child Assamese Translation

 ১) হেৰাই যোৱা সন্তান

এটা শিশুৱে মাক-দেউতাকৰ লগত মেলালৈ যায়। তেওঁ সুখী আৰু উত্তেজিত আৰু তাত প্ৰদৰ্শিত মিঠাই আৰু খেলনা বিচাৰে। কিন্তু মাক-দেউতাকে তাৰ বাবে সেইবোৰ কিনি নিদিয়ে। তেন্তে তেওঁ কিয় নাকচ কৰে যেতিয়া আন কোনোবাই তেওঁক সেইবোৰ আগবঢ়ায়?

বসন্তৰ উৎসৱ আছিল। সৰু সৰু লেন আৰু আলিৰ শীতকালীন ছাঁৰ পৰা ওলাই আহিল এক উল্লাসিত পৰিধান কৰা মানৱতা। কোনোবাই খোজ কাঢ়িছিল, কোনোবাই ঘোঁৰাত উঠিছিল, কোনোবাই বহিছিল, বাঁহ আৰু ম’হৰ গাড়ীত কঢ়িয়াই লৈ ফুৰিছিল। জীৱন আৰু হাঁহিৰে ভৰি থকা এজন সৰু ল’ৰাই দেউতাকৰ ভৰিৰ মাজত দৌৰি গ’ল।

"আহা ল'ৰা, আহক" পিছ পৰি থকাৰ সময়তে মাক-দেউতাকে মাতিলে। বাটত শাৰী পাতি থকা দোকানবোৰৰ খেলনাবোৰত মুগ্ধ হৈ পৰিল।

সিহঁতৰ মাত মানি ভৰি দুখন মাক-দেউতাকৰ ফালে লৰালৰিকৈ গ’ল, চকু দুটা এতিয়াও পিছুৱাই যোৱা খেলনাবোৰত ৰৈ আছে। সিহঁতে তাৰ অপেক্ষাত ৰৈ থকা ঠাইলৈ অহাৰ লগে লগে সিহঁতৰ চকুত থকা অস্বীকাৰৰ পুৰণি ঠাণ্ডা চাৱনিটো ভালদৰে জানিও সি তাৰ হৃদয়ৰ বাসনাক দমন কৰিব নোৱাৰিলে।

"মোক সেই খেলনাটো লাগে" সি অনুৰোধ কৰিলে।

দেউতাকে ৰঙা চকুৰে তালৈ চালে, চিনাকি অত্যাচাৰীৰ ধৰণেৰে।

 
দিনটোৰ মুক্ত আত্মাই গলি যোৱা মাকে কোমল হৈ ধৰিবলৈ আঙুলিটো দি ক'লে, "চোৱা ল'ৰা, তোমাৰ আগত কি আছে!"

ফুলৰ সৰিয়হৰ পথাৰ, মাইলৰ পিছত মাইল সম ভূমিৰ ওপৰেৰে পাৰ হৈ যোৱাৰ লগে লগে গলি যোৱা সোণৰ দৰে শেঁতা।

ফুলৰ পৰা মিঠাতা বিচাৰি অকলশৰীয়া ক’লা মৌমাখি বা পখিলাৰ উৰণত বাধা দি ড্ৰেগন-ফ্লাইৰ এটা দলে নিজৰ গোলমাল বেঙুনীয়া ডেউকাত হুলস্থুল কৰি আছিল। শিশুটিয়ে নিজৰ দৃষ্টিৰে বতাহত সিহঁতৰ পিছে পিছে গৈ থাকিল, যেতিয়ালৈকে সিহঁতৰ এজনে ডেউকা দুখন স্থিৰ কৰি জিৰণি ল’ব নোৱাৰে আৰু সি ধৰিবলৈ চেষ্টা কৰিব। কিন্তু ই উৰি ফুৰিছিল, লৰচৰ কৰি, বতাহত ওপৰলৈ উঠিছিল, যেতিয়া সি ইয়াক হাতত প্ৰায় ধৰি লৈছিল। তেতিয়া মাকে সতৰ্কবাণী এটা মাতিলে: "আহা ল'ৰা, আহক, ফুটপাথলৈ আহক।"

সি উল্লাসিত হৈ মাক-দেউতাকৰ ফালে দৌৰি গ’ল আৰু অলপ সময় সিহঁতৰ কাষেৰে খোজ কাঢ়ি গ’ল, হৈ। কিন্তু অতি সোনকালেই পিছ পৰি ৰৈ গ’ল, ফুটপাথৰ কাষৰ সৰু সৰু পোক-পৰুৱা আৰু কৃমিবোৰে ৰ’দ উপভোগ কৰিবলৈ নিজৰ লুকাই থকা ঠাইৰ পৰা ওলাই আহিছিল।

"আহা ল'ৰা, আহক!" তাৰ মাক-দেউতাকে কুঁৱাৰ ধাৰৰ দাঁতিত বহি থকা বাগিচা এখনৰ ছাঁৰ পৰা মাতিলে। সি দৌৰি গ’ল সিহঁতৰ ফালে।
বাগিচাখনত সোমাই শিশুটিৰ ওপৰত ডেকা ফুলৰ বৰষুণ এটা পৰিল আৰু মাক-দেউতাকক পাহৰি সি বৰষুণৰ পাহিবোৰ হাতত গোটাই ল’বলৈ ধৰিলে। কিন্তু ল’! কপৌৰ হুমুনিয়াহ শুনি সি মাক-দেউতাকৰ ফালে দৌৰি গ'ল, চিঞৰি উঠিল, "কপৌ! কপৌ!" তাৰ পাহৰি যোৱা হাত দুখনৰ পৰা বৰষুণৰ পাহিবোৰ তললৈ নামি আহিল।

"আহা ল'ৰা, আহক!" তেওঁলোকে শিশুটিক মাতিলে, যি এতিয়া বনৰীয়া কেপাৰ পিন্ধি বেন গছজোপাৰ চাৰিওফালে দৌৰি গৈছিল আৰু তাক গোটাই লৈ তেওঁলোকে সৰিয়হৰ পথাৰবোৰৰ মাজেৰে মেলালৈ যোৱা সৰু, আঁকোৰগোজ খোজকাঢ়ি যোৱা পথটো লৈছিল।

গাঁৱৰ ওচৰ পাওঁতে শিশুটিয়ে ভিৰেৰে ভৰা আন বহুতো ফুটপাথ দেখা পালে, মেলাৰ ঘূৰ্ণীবতাহৰ লগত একত্ৰিত হৈ পৰিল আৰু তেওঁ প্ৰৱেশ কৰা জগতখনৰ বিভ্ৰান্তিৰ প্ৰতি লগে লগে বিকৃত আৰু মুগ্ধ হোৱা যেন অনুভৱ হ’ল।

এজন মিঠামাংস বিক্ৰেতাই প্ৰৱেশদ্বাৰৰ চুকত "গুলাব-জামান, ৰাছাগুল্লা, বুৰ্ফি, জালেবি" বুলি হক কৰিলে আৰু ৰূপ আৰু সোণৰ পাতেৰে সজাই থোৱা বহুতো ৰঙীন মিঠাইৰ স্থাপত্যৰ তলত তেওঁৰ কাউণ্টাৰৰ চাৰিওফালে ভিৰ হেঁচা মাৰি ধৰিলে। শিশুটিয়ে চকু মেলি চাই থাকিল আৰু তাৰ প্ৰিয় মিঠাইৰ বাবে মুখত পানী ওলাই আহিল। "মোক সেই বুৰ্ফিটো লাগে" সি লাহেকৈ গুণগুণাই উঠিল। কিন্তু ভিক্ষা কৰি থাকোঁতে তেওঁ আধা গম পাইছিল যে তেওঁৰ অনুৰোধৰ প্ৰতি কোনো গুৰুত্ব দিয়া নহ’ব কাৰণ তেওঁৰ মাক-দেউতাকে তেওঁক লোভী বুলি ক’ব। গতিকে উত্তৰৰ বাবে অপেক্ষা নকৰাকৈয়ে সি আগবাঢ়ি গ’ল।

এজন ফুল বিক্ৰেতাই হক কৰিলে, "গুলমোহৰৰ মালা, গুলমোহুৰৰ মালা!" শিশুটিক অপ্ৰতিৰোধ্যভাৱে টানি অনা যেন লাগিল। ফুলবোৰ থুপ খাই পৰি থকা টোপোলাটোৰ ফালে গৈ সি আধা গুণগুণাই ক'লে, "মোক সেই মালাখন লাগে।" কিন্তু তেওঁ ভালদৰেই জানিছিল যে মাক-দেউতাকে তেওঁক সেই ফুলবোৰ কিনিবলৈ অস্বীকাৰ কৰিব কাৰণ তেওঁলোকে সস্তীয়া বুলি ক’ব। গতিকে উত্তৰৰ বাবে অপেক্ষা নকৰাকৈয়ে তেওঁ আগবাঢ়ি গ’ল।

হালধীয়া, ৰঙা, সেউজীয়া আৰু বেঙুনীয়া ৰঙৰ বেলুন উৰি থকা খুঁটা এটা হাতত লৈ এজন মানুহ থিয় হৈ আছিল। শিশুটিক কেৱল সিহঁতৰ ৰেচম ৰঙৰ ৰামধেনুৰ গৌৰৱেই লৈ গ’ল আৰু সেইবোৰ সকলোকে দখল কৰাৰ এক আপ্লুত ইচ্ছাৰে ভৰি পৰিল। কিন্তু সি ভালদৰেই জানিছিল যে মাক-দেউতাকে বেলুনবোৰ কেতিয়াও কিনি নিদিয়ে কাৰণ সিহঁতে ক’ব যে সি এনেকুৱা খেলনা খেলিবলৈ বৰ বয়সীয়াল। গতিকে আৰু আগবাঢ়ি গ’ল।

সাপ-মন্ত্ৰী এজনে ঝুৰি এটাত নিজকে কুণ্ডলীবদ্ধ কৰি লোৱা সাপ এটাক বাঁহী বজাই থিয় হৈ আছিল, মূৰটো হাঁসৰ ডিঙিৰ দৰে ৰূপৱতী বেঁকাকৈ ওপৰলৈ তুলি লৈছিল, আনহাতে সংগীতে অদৃশ্য জলপ্ৰপাতৰ মৃদু ঢৌৰ দৰে তাৰ অদৃশ্য কাণত চুৰি হৈ গৈছিল। শিশুটি সাপ-মন্ত্ৰীজনৰ ফালে গ’ল। কিন্তু, সাপ-মন্ত্ৰীজনে বজোৱাৰ দৰে ইমান মোটা সংগীত শুনিবলৈ মাক-দেউতাকে নিষেধ কৰা বুলি জানি সি আৰু আগবাঢ়ি গ’ল।

পূৰ্ণ গতিত চলি আছিল এটা ঘূৰণীয়া পথ। ঘূৰ্ণীবতাহৰ গতিৰে লৈ যোৱা পুৰুষ, মহিলা আৰু শিশুৱে মূৰ ঘূৰোৱা হাঁহিত চিঞৰি উঠিল আৰু কান্দিলে। শিশুটিয়ে সিহঁতক মনোযোগেৰে চাই থাকিল আৰু তাৰ পিছত সি এটা সাহসী অনুৰোধ কৰিলে: "মই ঘূৰণীয়া পথত যাব বিচাৰো, প্লিজ দেউতা। মা।"

কোনো উত্তৰ পোৱা নাছিল। মাক-দেউতাকৰ ফালে চাবলৈ ঘূৰি চালে। তেওঁলোক নাছিল, তেওঁৰ আগত। সি ঘূৰি চাই চিথাৰ চাইডলৈ চালে। তেওঁলোক তাত নাছিল। পিছফালে চালে। তাৰ কোনো চিন-মোকাম নাছিল।

এটা ভৰপূৰ। তাৰ শুকান ডিঙিৰ ভিতৰত গভীৰ কান্দোন উঠিল আৰু হঠাতে শৰীৰৰ জোকাৰণি এটাৰে সি থিয় হৈ থকা ঠাইৰ পৰা দৌৰি গ'ল, প্ৰকৃত ভয়ত কান্দিলে, "মা, দেউতা।" চকুৰ পৰা চকুলো ওলাই আহিল, গৰম আৰু উগ্ৰ; তাৰ ৰঙা পৰা মুখখন ভয়ত জোকাৰি গৈছিল। আতংকিত হৈ সি প্ৰথমে এফালে দৌৰি গ’ল, তাৰ পিছত আনটো ফাললৈ, ইফালে সিফালে, ক’লৈ যাব লাগে নাজানি। "মা দেউতা" সি কান্দিলে। তাৰ হালধীয়া পাগুৰিটো খুলি আহিল আৰু কাপোৰবোৰ বোকা হৈ পৰিল।

কিছু সময় দৌৰাৰ খঙত ইফালে সিফালে দৌৰি আহি সি পৰাজিত হৈ থিয় হৈ থাকিল, তাৰ কান্দোনক হুমুনিয়াহত দমন কৰি ৰাখিলে। সেউজীয়া ঘাঁহনিখনৰ ওপৰত অলপ দূৰৈত তেওঁ দেখা পাইছিল, তেওঁৰ ফিল্মী চকুৰে, পুৰুষ-মহিলা কথা পতা। উজ্জ্বল হালধীয়া কাপোৰৰ টুকুৰাবোৰৰ মাজলৈ সি মনোযোগেৰে চাবলৈ চেষ্টা কৰিলে, কিন্তু কেৱল হাঁহি আৰু কথা কোৱাৰ স্বাৰ্থত যেন হাঁহি-ধেমালি কৰা এই মানুহবোৰৰ মাজত দেউতাক আৰু মাকৰ কোনো চিন-মোকাম নাছিল।

সি আকৌ খৰধৰকৈ দৌৰি গ’ল। এইবাৰ এনে এটা মন্দিৰলৈ য’ত মানুহে ভিৰ কৰা যেন লাগিছিল। ইয়াৰ প্ৰতিটো সৰু ইঞ্চি ঠাই পুৰুষেৰে ভৰি পৰিছিল যদিও তেওঁ মানুহৰ ভৰিৰ মাজেৰে দৌৰি গৈছিল। তাৰ সৰু হুমুনিয়াহটো ৰৈ গ'ল: "মা। দেউতা!" মন্দিৰৰ প্ৰৱেশদ্বাৰৰ ওচৰত অৱশ্যে ভিৰটো বৰ ডাঠ হৈ পৰিল: মানুহে ইজনে সিজনক ঠেলি দিলে। গধুৰ মানুহ, জিলিকি থকা, হত্যাকাৰী চকু আৰু গধুৰ কান্ধ। বেচেৰা শিশুটিয়ে সিহঁতৰ ভৰিৰ মাজত এটা বাট ঠেলি দিবলৈ যথেষ্ট কষ্ট কৰিলে যদিও সিহঁতৰ নিষ্ঠুৰ গতিবিধিৰ দ্বাৰা ইফালে সিফালে টোকৰ মাৰিলে হয়তো সি ভৰিৰ তলত ভৰিৰে গচকি গ'লহেঁতেন, যদিহে সি মাতৰ সৰ্বোচ্চ স্বৰত চিঞৰি নাথাকিলহেঁতেন, "দেউতা, মা!" ঢৌৱা ভিৰৰ মাজৰ এজন মানুহে তেওঁৰ কান্দোন শুনি অতি কষ্টেৰে কুঁজৰাই তেওঁক কোলাত তুলি ল’লে।

"কেনেকৈ আহিল ল'ৰা? কাৰ কেঁচুৱা?" মানুহজনে গণৰ পৰা আঁতৰি গৈ সুধিলে। শিশুটিয়ে এতিয়া আগৰ তুলনাত অধিক তিক্তভাৱে কান্দিলে আৰু মাথোঁ কান্দিলে, "মোৰ মাক লাগে। মোক মোৰ দেউতাক লাগে!"

মানুহজনে তেওঁক ঘূৰণীয়া পথলৈ লৈ গৈ তেওঁক শান্ত কৰিবলৈ চেষ্টা কৰিলে। "ঘোঁৰাত উঠিব নেকি?" ৰিঙৰ কাষ চাপি আহি সি লাহেকৈ সুধিলে। শিশুটিৰ ডিঙি ফাটি হাজাৰটা হুমুনিয়াহ কাঢ়িলে আৰু সি কেৱল চিঞৰিলে। "মাক লাগে, দেউতাক লাগে!"


মানুহজনে সেই ঠাইৰ ফালে আগবাঢ়ি গ’ল য’ত সাপ-মন্ত্ৰীজনে এতিয়াও দোল খাই থকা কব্ৰাটোক বাঁহীত বজাই আছিল। "সেই ধুনীয়া সংগীতটো শুনা ল'ৰা!" সি অনুৰোধ কৰিলে। কিন্তু শিশুটিয়ে আঙুলিৰে কাণ দুখন বন্ধ কৰি নিজৰ দুগুণ ষ্ট্ৰেইনটো চিঞৰিলে: "মোক মোৰ মা লাগে। মোক মোৰ দেউতাক লাগে!" মানুহজনে তাক বেলুনবোৰৰ ওচৰলৈ লৈ গ’ল। বেলুনবোৰৰ উজ্জ্বল ৰঙে শিশুটিৰ মনোযোগ বিচলিত কৰি নিস্তব্ধ কৰি তুলিব বুলি ভাবিছিল। "ৰামধেনু ৰঙৰ বেলুন এটা বিচাৰিবনে?" সি বুজাই-বঢ়াই সুধিলে। শিশুটিয়ে উৰি থকা বেলুনবোৰৰ পৰা চকু ঘূৰাই আনি মাথোঁ হুমুনিয়াহ কাঢ়িলে, "মোক মাক লাগে, দেউতাক লাগে!"

এতিয়াও শিশুটিক সুখী কৰিবলৈ চেষ্টা কৰি থকা মানুহজনে তাক ফুল বিক্ৰেতাজন বহি থকা গেটখনলৈ লৈ গ’ল। "চোৱা! সেই ধুনীয়া ফুলবোৰৰ গোন্ধ পাইছানে ল'ৰা! ডিঙিত মালা এটা লগাব বিচাৰিবানে?"

শিশুটিয়ে টোপোলাটোৰ পৰা নাক আঁতৰাই নিজৰ হুমুনিয়াহটো পুনৰ ক'লে, "মোক মাক লাগে, দেউতাক লাগে!"
মিঠাই উপহাৰ দি নিজৰ অশান্তিপূৰ্ণ চাৰ্জটো হাস্যৰস কৰিবলৈ ভাবি মানুহজনে তাক মিঠাইৰ দোকানৰ কাউণ্টাৰলৈ লৈ গ’ল। "কি মিঠাই ভাল পাব ল'ৰা?" সি সুধিলে। শিশুটিয়ে মিঠাইৰ দোকানখনৰ পৰা মুখখন ঘূৰাই মাথোঁ হুমুনিয়াহ কাঢ়িলে, "মোক মাক লাগে। মোক মোৰ দেউতাক লাগে!"

লিখক:মুল ৰাজ আনন্দ

চিন্তা কৰক

১/ শিশুৱে মেলালৈ যোৱাৰ পথত কি কি বস্তু দেখা পায়? কিয় পিছ পৰি আছে তেওঁ?

২/ মেলাত তেওঁ বহুত বস্তু বিচাৰে। সেইবোৰ কি? উত্তৰৰ বাবে অপেক্ষা নকৰাকৈ কিয় আগবাঢ়ি যায়?

৩/ তেওঁ কেতিয়া উপলব্ধি কৰে যে তেওঁ বাট হেৰুৱাইছে? তেওঁৰ উদ্বিগ্নতা আৰু নিৰাপত্তাহীনতাৰ বৰ্ণনা কেনেকৈ কৰা হৈছে?

৪/ হেৰুৱা শিশুৱে কাৰ্লিয়েৰ বিচৰা বস্তুবোৰৰ প্ৰতি আগ্ৰহ কিয় হেৰুৱাই পেলায়?

৫/ শেষত কি হয় বুলি আপুনি ভাবে? শিশুটিয়ে মাক-দেউতাকক বিচাৰি পায় নেকি?


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