The Age of Industrialisation Class 10 MCQ helps students understand one of the most important chapters in History through objective questions. These questions are designed according to the latest CBSE syllabus and cover all key topics in a simple and exam-oriented way.
The Age of Industrialisation Class 10 MCQ
1. In E.T. Paull’s 1900 music book cover, the angel of progress symbolised:
a. Tradition and the past
b. Time and modernity
c. Religion and spirituality
d. Agriculture and farming
2. In the “Two Magicians” image (1901), Aladdin represented the East and the past, while the mechanic symbolised:
a. Agriculture
b. The West and modernity
c. Religion
d. Trade guilds
3. The work done by peasants for merchants before factres are called _.
a. Proto-industrialisation
b. Urbanisation
c. Mechanisation
d. Guild system
4. When the first factories in England started?
a. 1720s
b. 1730s
c. 1750s
d. 1780s
5. Who made the cotton mill?
a. James Watt
b. Richard Arkwright
c. Mathew Boulton
d. George Stephenson
6. Which industry led till 1840s?
a. Iron and steel
b. Cotton
c. Coal mining
d. Shipbuilding
7. Who improved the steam engine in 1781?
a. Richard Arkwright
b. James Watt
c. George Stephenson
d. Mathew Boulton
8. Why the british factory owners dont want too many machine?
a. Machines were cheap
b. Machines needed big money and less labour
c. Machines were fast
d. Machines were easy to use
9. In which industries was work seasonal?
a. Gas works and breweries
b. Cotton mills
c. Shipbuilding only
d. Railways
10. Why were workers afraid of new machines like the Spinning Jenny?
a. Machines were too heavy
b. Machines reduced their jobs
c. Machines were too costly
d. Machines were slow
11. Before the industrialization which of the following goods from india were famous worldwide?
a. Wool and jute
b. Silk and cotton
c. Tea and coffee
d. Rice and wheat
12. Which of the following port connected India to Gulf through red sea?
a. Bombay
b. Surat
c. Calcutta
d. Madras
13. Who was the gomastha?
a. A weaver
b. A Company servant to supervise weavers
c. A banker
d. A ship captain
14. Why did clashes happen between weavers and gomasthas?
a. Gomasthas were outsiders and acted harshly
b. Weavers wanted more machines
c. Weavers refused to weave
d. Gomasthas gave high prices
15. Why did Indian weavers suffer in the 19th century?
a. Export market collapsed
b. Cheap Manchester imports flooded India
c. Raw cotton became costly
d. All of the above
16. During the American Civil War, why did Indian weavers face problems?
a. Cotton exports from India increased, prices rose
b. Cotton exports stopped
c. Machines broke down
d. Weavers refused to work
17. The first cotton mill in Bombay started in:
a. 1854
b. 1862
c. 1874
d. 1912
18. The first jute mill in Bengal was set up in:
a. 1855
b. 1862
c. 1874
d. 1917
19. Who set up the first Indian jute mill in Calcutta in 1917?
a. Dinshaw Petit
b. Jamsetjee Tata
c. Seth Hukumchand
d. G.D. Birla
20. Which European agencies controlled many Indian industries before WWI?
a. Tata & Birla
b. Bird Heiglers, Andrew Yule, Jardine Skinner
c. Dwarkanath Tagore & Dinshaw Petit
d. Indian Chambers of Commerce
21. During the First World War, Indian factories grew because:
a. Manchester imports declined
b. Indian mills supplied war needs
c. New factories were set up
d. All of the above
22. Why were advertisements used in the industrial age?
a. To make products look desirable
b. To stop people from buying
c. To reduce prices
d. To close markets
23. What was written on Manchester cloth labels?
a. MADE IN INDIA
b. MADE IN MANCHESTER
c. MADE IN BOMBAY
d. MADE IN CALCUTTA
24. Why were images of gods and goddesses used on labels?
a. To show divine approval and make goods familiar
b. To decorate only
c. To show foreign culture
d. To reduce costs
25. What message did Indian manufacturers give in their ads?
a. Buy foreign goods
b. Buy Indian goods (Swadeshi)
c. Buy only cheap goods
d. Buy only handmade goods
Explanation: They promote swadeshi goods to encourage people to buy Indian products.
26. Who of the following set up the first Iron and Steel industry in India?
a. J.R.D. Tata
b. Purushotam Das
c. R.G. Saraiya
d. Thakur Das
Explanation: Purushotam Das set up the modern steel industry in India.
27. In which one of the following countries was ‘mass production’ an important feature in the 1920s?
a. United States of America
b. Poland
c. France
d. Japan
Explanation: The Mass production happened in USA, where factories produce goods using assembly lines for the mass production.
28. Which of the following term historians use to describe the phase of large-scale industrial production before factories were established?
a. Industrialisation
b. Proto-industrialisation
c. Mechanisation
d. Urbanisation
Explanation: Early phase of industrial production before the rise of factory is knonw as proto-industrialisation.
29. Assertion (A): Merchants moved to the countryside in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Reason (R): Urban guilds restricted competition and controlled production in towns.
Options:
a. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
b. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
c. A is true but R is false.
d. A is false but R is true.
Explanation: True, because guilds in towns controlled production, so merchants went to villages to avoid restrictions.
30. Match the following stages of cloth production with the workers involved:
| a. Wool stapler | 1. Spinning yarn |
| b. Spinners | 2. Selling cloth in international market |
| c. Weavers, fullers, dyers | 3. Processing wool into thread and cloth |
| d. Export merchant | 4. Supplying raw wool |
Options:
a. A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4
b. A-1, B-4, C-2, D-3
c. A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1
d. A-4, B-1, C-3, D-2
31. “Merchants from towns in Europe began moving to the countryside, supplying money to peasants and artisans, persuading them to produce for an international market.”
Why did peasants eagerly agree to work for merchants?
a. They wanted to migrate to towns.
b. Guilds forced them to produce for merchants.
c. Their income from cultivation was shrinking due to enclosure of commons.
d. They were given free land by rulers.
Explanation: Their firm income fell due to enclosure of common lands, so they welcomed extra work.
32. What was the significance of London in the proto-industrial system?
a. It was the centre of raw wool production.
b. It became a finishing centre before cloth was exported.
c. It was the main hub of peasant farming.
d. None of the above
Explanation: London became a finishing centre where cloth was prepared before export.
33. Who invented the cotton mill, which brought all production processes under one roof?
a. James Watt
b. John Kay
c. Richard Arkwright
d. Mathew Boulton
Explanation: The cotton mill was invented by Richard Arkwright and brought all the processes under one roof.
34. Assertion (A): Factories allowed better supervision of production and regulation of labour.
Reason (R): All processes were brought together under one roof, unlike countryside production.
Options:
a. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
b. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
c. A is true but R is false.
d. A is false but R is true.
Explanation: Yes, factories gathered all processes together, making it easier to control workers and production.
35. Match the following industries with their leading role in industrialisation:
| a. Cotton industry | 1. Leading sector till 1840s |
| b. Iron and steel industry | 2. Expansion with railways after 1840s |
| c. Steam engine | 3. Slow adoption despite high productivity |
Options:
a. A-3, B-2, C-1
b. A-2, B-1, C-3
c. A-1, B-2, C-3
d. A-1, B-3, C-2
Explanation: Cotton led till 1840; iron/steel expanded with railways; steam engines were productive but adopted slowly.
36. “By 1787 Britain was importing 22 million pounds of raw cotton, compared to 2.5 million pounds in 1760.”
What does this sharp increase in cotton imports indicate?
a. Rapid expansion of cotton production and demand
b. Shift from cotton to iron and steel industries
c. Failure of new inventions in textile production
d. Decline of cotton industry in Britain
Explanation: There was a huge demand of cotton in britain.
37. Why were industrialists cautious about adopting new technology like the steam engine?
a. Machines were cheap but ineffective.
b. Machines often broke down and repairs were costly.
c. Workers refused to operate machines.
d. Guilds banned the use of steam engines.
Explanation: If machines broke down then repairs were costly.
38. Why did industrialists in Victorian Britain prefer hand labour over machines?
a. Machines were banned by the government.
b. Machines were cheaper and more efficient.
c. Labour was abundant and wages were low.
d. Britain had a shortage of skilled workers.
Explanation: Labour was cheap and abundant, so handwork was more practical than machines.
39. Assertion (A): Handmade goods symbolised refinement and class in Victorian Britain.
Reason (R): The aristocrats and bourgeoisie preferred individually crafted items over machine-made goods.
Options:
a. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
b. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
c. A is true but R is false.
d. A is false but R is true.
Explanation: True, because rich people preferred refined, individually crafted items over machine-made ones.
40. Match the following industries with their seasonal demand for labour:
| a. Gas works | 1. Busy during cold months |
| b. Bookbinders and printers | 2. Extra demand before Christmas |
| c. Ship repair | 3. Busy during winter months |
Options:
a. A-2, B-1, C-3
b. A-1, B-2, C-3
c. A-3, B-2, C-1
d. A-1, B-3, C-2
Explanation: Gas works busy in cold months, book binders before christmas and ship repair in winter.
41. “In mid-nineteenth-century Britain, 500 varieties of hammers and 45 kinds of axes were produced. These required human skill, not mechanical technology.”
What does this example highlight?
a. Machines were more efficient than hand labour.
b. Machine-made goods were superior in quality.
c. Britain had no access to machines.
d. The demand for diverse, customised goods kept hand labour important.
Explanation: The people want different custom tools so the hand labour stayed important.
42. Why were workers hostile to the introduction of machines like the Spinning Jenny?
a. Machines increased wages.
b. Machines were too expensive for workers to buy.
c. Machines reduced demand for manual labour, threatening livelihoods.
d. Machines were imported from colonies.
Explanation: There was a fear that machine will take their jobs by reducing demand for manual work.
43. Which Indian ports were major centres of textile trade before colonial control?
a. Bombay and Calcutta
b. Surat, Masulipatam, Hoogly
c. Madras and Karachi
d. Goa and Pondicherry
Explanation: Surat, Masulipatam, and Hoogly were big centres of textile trade before colonial control.
44. Assertion (A): The decline of old ports like Surat and Hoogly was linked to the rise of colonial power.
Reason (R): European companies gained monopoly rights to trade and controlled shipping.
Options:
a. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
b. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
c. A is true but R is false.
d. A is false but R is true.
Explanation: True, because European companies controlled trade and shipping, which led to the fall of Surat and Hooghly.
45. Match the following roles in the textile trade:
| a. Supply merchants | 1. Supervised weavers and collected cloth for Company |
| b. Gomasthas | 2. Linked inland weaving villages to ports |
| c. Export merchants | 3. Negotiated prices at ports |
Options:
a. A-1, B-3, C-2
b. A-3, B-2, C-1
c. A-2, B-1, C-3
d. A-2, B-3, C-1
46. “The gomasthas were outsiders, marched into villages with sepoys and punished weavers for delays in supply.”
What was the main consequence of this system?
a. Weavers gained bargaining power.
b. Weavers were allowed to sell freely in markets.
c. Weavers faced low prices and harsh treatment.
d. Weavers prospered under Company advances.
Explanation: Weavers suffered for low prices and strict punishment, losing freedom in trade.
47. Why did many weavers desert villages or refuse Company loans by the early nineteenth century?
a. They wanted to migrate abroad.
b. They were forced to take up agricultural labour due to low prices and exploitation.
c. They were banned from weaving by the Company.
d. They were offered better wages in Europe.
Explanation: Due to low earning and exploitation, many left weaving and return to farm or wage labour.
48. By 1850–51, what percentage of India’s exports were piece-goods (cotton textiles)?
a. 33%
b. 25%
c. 3%
d. 50%
Explanation: Only 3% of exports were cotton textiles which shows sharp decline.
49. Assertion (A): Indian weavers faced decline in both export and local markets by the mid-19th century.
Reason (R): Manchester imports were cheap, machine-made, and flooded Indian markets.
Options:
a. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
b. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
c. A is true but R is false.
d. A is false but R is true.
Explanation: Import duties collapsed exports, the Civil War raised cotton prices, and Indian factories flooded markets with machine goods.
50. Match the following events with their impact on Indian weavers:
| a. Imposition of import duties in Britain | 1. Collapse of Indian textile exports |
| b. American Civil War | 2. Shortage and high prices of raw cotton in India |
| c. Rise of Indian factories | 3. Flooding of local markets with machine goods |
Options:
a. A-1, B-2, C-3
b. A-2, B-1, C-3
c. A-3, B-2, C-1
d. A-1, B-3, C-2
51. “The Koshtis, like the weavers of the finer kinds of cloth in other parts of India, have fallen upon evil times. They are unable to compete with the showy goods which Manchester sends in such profusion.”
What does this Census Report (1872) highlight?
a. Weavers prospered under colonial trade.
b. Manchester goods were inferior in quality.
c. Weavers migrated and took up agricultural or wage labour due to decline.
d. Indian textiles dominated exports throughout the 19th century.
Explanation: Weavers lost work and shifted to farming or wage labour due to Manchester goods.
52. Why did the establishment of factories in India by the late 19th century worsen the condition of handloom weavers?
a. Factories produced cheaper machine goods that outcompeted handlooms.
b. Factories banned handloom weaving.
c. Factories exported only raw cotton.
d. Factories provided free raw materials to weavers.
Explanation: The factory-made cloth was cheaper.
53. Why did early Indian cotton mills produce coarse yarn instead of fabric?
a. To compete directly with Manchester cloth
b. Because Indian weavers refused to use fabric
c. Because yarn was not a major British import into India
d. Mills lacked workers to produce fabric
54. Assertion (A): The Swadeshi movement encouraged Indian industrialists to shift from yarn to cloth production.
Reason (R): Nationalists mobilised people to boycott foreign cloth and demanded tariff protection.
Options:
a. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
b. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
c. A is true but R is false.
d. A is false but R is true.
Explanation: It is true because nationalists urged a boycott of foreign cloth, pushing mills to make Indian cloth.
55. Match the following regions with their industrial specialisation:
| a. Bengal | 1. Jute mills |
| b. Bombay | 2. Cotton mills |
| c. Kanpur | 3. Elgin Mill (textiles) |
Options:
a. A-2, B-1, C-3
b. A-3, B-2, C-1
c. A-1, B-3, C-2
d. A-1, B-2, C-3
56. “By 1941, over 35 per cent of handlooms in India were fitted with fly shuttles; in regions like Travancore, Madras, Mysore, Cochin, Bengal the proportion was 70 to 80 per cent.”
What does this example show?
a. Weavers refused to use new technology.
b. Mills completely displaced handloom weaving.
c. Fly shuttles were banned by colonial authorities.
d. Handloom weavers adopted technology to improve productivity.
Explanation: The rich people kept buying luxury textiles like Banarasi saris during the famines.
57. Why did finer varieties of cloth (like Banarasi saris) survive better than coarse cloth during famines?
a. Rich buyers continued purchasing luxury textiles even when the poor starved.
b. Mills produced only coarse cloth.
c. Finer cloth was cheaper than coarse cloth.
d. Coarse cloth was banned by the government.
58. Why did Manchester industrialists put labels on cloth bundles sold in India?
a. To display the price of the cloth
b. To advertise Indian weavers’ products
c. To make the place of manufacture and company name familiar to buyers
d. To promote swadeshi goods
59. Assertion (A): Images of gods and goddesses were used on Manchester cloth labels.
Reason (R): Manufacturers wanted to make foreign goods appear familiar and gain divine approval in the eyes of Indian buyers.
Options:
a. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
b. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
c. A is true but R is false.
d. A is false but R is true.
Explanation: True, because images of gods made foreign cloth look culturally familiar and divinely approved.
60. Match the advertising strategies with their purpose:
| a. Labels with “Made in Manchester” | 1. Mark of quality and trust |
| b. Images of gods and goddesses | 2. Divine approval and cultural familiarity |
| c. Calendars with advertisements | 3. Daily visibility even among illiterate people |
Options:
a. A-1, B-2, C-3
b. A-2, B-1, C-3
c. A-3, B-2, C-1
d. A-1, B-3, C-2
61. “By the late nineteenth century, manufacturers were printing calendars to popularise their products. Unlike newspapers and magazines, calendars were used even by people who could not read.”
What does this example highlight?
a. Advertisements targeted only the educated elite.
b. Advertisements were designed to reach all sections of society, including the illiterate.
c. Calendars were banned by colonial authorities.
d. Indian manufacturers refused to use advertisements.
62. How did Indian manufacturers use advertisements differently from Manchester industrialists?
a. They promoted foreign goods.
b. They advertised only in European newspapers.
c. They avoided using images of gods.
d. They used nationalist messages, urging people to buy swadeshi products.
Explanation: They used nationalist messages urging people to buy Swadeshi goods instead of foreign cloth.
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