UPSC Prelims 1999 · General Studies
Question 80: History and Culture
At a time when empires in Europe were crumbling before the might of Napoleon which one of the following Governors-General kept the British flag flying high in India?
AnswerThe answer is (c).
Lord Wellesley (Governor-General 1798-1805) expanded British power through the Subsidiary Alliance system and wars against Tipu Sultan (1799) and the Marathas, making the Company the paramount power in India just as Napoleon was reshaping Europe. Warren Hastings (1772-85) and Cornwallis (1786-93) came earlier, and Lord Hastings (1813-23) served mostly after Napoleon's fall in 1815. Remember: Wellesley means the Napoleonic era and the Subsidiary Alliance.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Wrong. Warren Hastings left India in 1785, well before Napoleon's rise.
- (b) Wrong. Cornwallis served in 1786-93, before Napoleon's wars.
- (c) Right. Wellesley ruled 1798-1805, in Napoleon's heyday.
- (d) Wrong. Lord Hastings (1813-23) served mostly after Napoleon's fall in 1815.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1999, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.