UPSC Prelims 1995 · General Studies

Question 73: History and Culture

Hugly was used as a base for piracy in the Bay of Bengal by

athe Portuguese

bthe French

cthe Danish

dthe British

AnswerThe answer is (a).

Hugli, in Bengal, was a Portuguese settlement and trading post. From there, the Portuguese, together with Arakanese Magh pirates, raided the Bengal coast and the Bay of Bengal and carried off captives. Shah Jahan sent a force against them and took Hugli in 1632. Remember: Portuguese at Hugli, expelled by Shah Jahan in 1632.

Why each option is right or wrong

(a) Right: the Portuguese.
(b) The French came later and were not at Hugli in this role.
(c) The Danes had a settlement at Serampore and were not the pirates of Hugli.
(d) The British came to Hugli later, as traders, not as pirates.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1995, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.