The British Annexation of Assam is a landmark chapter in the political history of Northeast India. After the Treaty of Yandaboo was signed in 1826 the British gained control over Assam from the Burmese. However the formal annexation of Assam did not happen overnight. It was a gradual process that unfolded over several years. The British initially experimented with installing native rulers in Upper Assam while directly administering Lower Assam. Eventually they decided to bring the entire region under their direct control. This process fundamentally altered the political and social landscape of Assam forever.
The British East India Company began its administrative expansion in Assam after removing Purandar Singha from the throne in 1838. Upper Assam was then placed under British administration and merged with Bengal Presidency. The introduction of revenue systems, tea plantations, and new land policies transformed the economy and society of the region. The British also brought in laborers from other parts of India to work in tea gardens. The annexation ended nearly 600 years of Ahom rule and started a new colonial era. This topic is regularly asked in APSC, UPSC, and other state-level competitive examinations related to Assam history.
30 MCQs on British Annexation of Assam – History of Assam
1. The British gained control over Assam after which treaty?
A) Treaty of Alinganar
B) Treaty of Yandaboo
C) Treaty of Rangpur
D) Treaty of Guwahati
2. The Treaty of Yandaboo was signed in which year?
A) 1824
B) 1825
C) 1826
D) 1828
3. After the Treaty of Yandaboo the British initially divided Assam into how many administrative zones?
A) Two zones – Upper Assam and Lower Assam
B) Three zones
C) Four zones
D) Five zones
4. Which part of Assam was directly administered by the British immediately after the Treaty of Yandaboo?
A) Upper Assam
B) Lower Assam
C) Central Assam
D) North Assam
5. Who was installed as the puppet ruler of Upper Assam by the British in 1833?
A) Chandrakanta Singha
B) Purandar Singha
C) Jogeswar Singha
D) Kamaleswar Singha
6. In which year was Purandar Singha removed from the throne of Upper Assam by the British?
A) 1835
B) 1836
C) 1838
D) 1840
7. After removing Purandar Singha the British annexed Upper Assam and placed it under which administrative unit?
A) Madras Presidency
B) Bombay Presidency
C) Bengal Presidency
D) Punjab Province
8. Who was the first British Commissioner of Assam after the full annexation?
A) David Scott
B) T.C. Robertson
C) Captain Jenkins
D) Captain Welsh
9. Captain Francis Jenkins served as the Commissioner of Assam for approximately how many years?
A) 10 years
B) 15 years
C) 20 years
D) 27 years
10. David Scott served in which capacity in the early British administration of Assam?
A) Governor-General
B) Agent to the Governor-General for the North-East Frontier
C) Chief Justice
D) Commander-in-Chief
11. The British introduced which revenue system in Assam after annexation?
A) Zamindari system
B) Ryotwari system
C) Mahalwari system
D) All of the above were experimented
12. Which major industry did the British establish in Assam after annexation?
A) Cotton industry
B) Jute industry
C) Tea industry
D) Steel industry
13. The first tea garden in Assam was established at which location?
A) Jorhat
B) Dibrugarh
C) Chabua near Dibrugarh
D) Guwahati
14. In which year was the Assam Tea Company established?
A) 1835
B) 1839
C) 1845
D) 1850
15. Who is credited with discovering tea plants in Upper Assam?
A) David Scott
B) Robert Bruce
C) Captain Welsh
D) Lord Amherst
16. Robert Bruce discovered tea plants in Assam with the help of which local chief?
A) Purandar Singha
B) Maniram Dewan
C) Bessa Gaon Burha (Maniram Dewan is also associated)
D) Badan Chandra Borphukan
17. Maniram Dewan initially served the British as a what?
A) Military officer
B) Tea planter and Dewan
C) Revenue collector only
D) Judge
18. The British brought laborers from which parts of India to work in Assam tea gardens?
A) Punjab and Rajasthan
B) Chotanagpur, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Central India
C) Kerala and Tamil Nadu
D) Gujarat and Maharashtra
19. Assam was separated from Bengal and made a separate province in which year?
A) 1870
B) 1874
C) 1905
D) 1912
20. Who was the first Chief Commissioner of Assam after it became a separate province?
A) David Scott
B) Colonel Keatinge
C) Richard Temple
D) Colonel Henry Hopkinson
21. The British introduced which new land revenue policy that replaced the Ahom paik system?
A) Free land distribution
B) Monetized revenue collection system
C) Barter system
D) Gold-based taxation
22. What was the main reason the British gave for removing Purandar Singha from the throne?
A) His alliance with Burma
B) His failure to pay the required tribute and administrative inefficiency
C) His rebellion against the British
D) His support for the Moamoria rebels
23. The British annexation of Cachar took place in which year?
A) 1826
B) 1830
C) 1832
D) 1835
24. The Jaintia Hills were annexed by the British in which year?
A) 1830
B) 1832
C) 1835
D) 1838
25. Which policy did the British adopt towards the hill tribes of Assam?
A) Complete integration
B) Inner Line Regulation and non-interference policy
C) Forced conversion
D) Military occupation of all hill areas
26. The Inner Line Regulation was introduced in which year?
A) 1870
B) 1873
C) 1875
D) 1880
27. The British annexed the kingdom of the Kacharis in which year?
A) 1826
B) 1830
C) 1832
D) 1854
28. The partition of Bengal in 1905 affected Assam in which way?
A) Assam was merged with Eastern Bengal to form a new province
B) Assam was given full independence
C) Assam was divided into two parts
D) Assam was merged with Bihar
29. Which Assamese leader opposed British policies and was hanged during the revolt of 1857?
A) Gopinath Bordoloi
B) Maniram Dewan
C) Tarun Ram Phukan
D) Ambikagiri Raychoudhury
30. Maniram Dewan was executed by the British in which year?
A) 1855
B) 1857
C) 1858
D) 1860
Correct Answers
- B) Treaty of Yandaboo
- C) 1826
- A) Two zones – Upper Assam and Lower Assam
- B) Lower Assam
- B) Purandar Singha
- C) 1838
- C) Bengal Presidency
- A) David Scott
- D) 27 years
- B) Agent to the Governor-General for the North-East Frontier
- D) All of the above were experimented
- C) Tea industry
- C) Chabua near Dibrugarh
- B) 1839
- B) Robert Bruce
- C) Bessa Gaon Burha (Maniram Dewan is also associated)
- B) Tea planter and Dewan
- B) Chotanagpur, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Central India
- B) 1874
- D) Colonel Henry Hopkinson
- B) Monetized revenue collection system
- B) His failure to pay the required tribute and administrative inefficiency
- C) 1832
- C) 1835
- B) Inner Line Regulation and non-interference policy
- B) 1873
- D) 1854
- A) Assam was merged with Eastern Bengal to form a new province
- B) Maniram Dewan
- C) 1858
Conclusion
The British Annexation of Assam was a gradual and calculated process that transformed the region from an independent kingdom into a colonial territory. The British dismantled the Ahom administrative system and replaced it with their own revenue and governance structures. The introduction of the tea industry changed the economic character of Assam. The social impact of colonial rule was felt across all sections of Assamese society. The annexation laid the foundation for both colonial exploitation and modern administrative structures in the region.
For students preparing for APSC, UPSC, and other competitive examinations related to Assam history this topic is a frequently tested area. The 30 MCQs provided above cover the timeline, administrative changes, economic policies, and political events of the annexation period. Practicing these questions regularly will help in building a strong grip on this subject. We recommend consulting standard Assam history textbooks for deeper study.