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Assam Higher Secondary History study materials
Assam Higher Secondary History study resources

Assam Higher Secondary History practice questions

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Question 1History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Ahom kingdom was founded in 1228 CE in the Brahmaputra valley by which ruler, who entered Assam through the Patkai passes?

  1. Chilarai
  2. Naranarayan
  3. Sukaphaa Correct answer.
  4. Pratap Singha

Explanation

Sukaphaa, a Shan prince from Mong Mao, crossed the Patkai range and established Ahom rule in the eastern Brahmaputra valley around 1228 CE. His dynasty governed Assam for roughly six centuries until the Burmese incursions and the Treaty of Yandabo.

Question 2History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Battle of Saraighat in 1671 is remembered in Assamese history chiefly because it resulted in which outcome?

  1. The Mughals were defeated and could not annex Assam Correct answer.
  2. The Koch kingdom annexed the Ahom capital
  3. The Burmese captured the Ahom capital at Garhgaon
  4. The Ahoms accepted Mughal overlordship permanently

Explanation

Lachit Borphukan commanded the Ahom forces in a riverine battle on the Brahmaputra at Saraighat and repelled the Mughal army led by Ram Singh. The victory halted Mughal expansion into the Ahom kingdom and is celebrated as a landmark of Assamese resistance.

Question 3History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which Ahom ruler is credited with introducing the Paik system of labour organisation and the office of the Borphukan?

  1. Suhungmung Correct answer.
  2. Gadadhar Singha
  3. Pratap Singha
  4. Sukaphaa

Explanation

Suhungmung, also called Dihingia Raja, reigned in the early sixteenth century and is associated with major administrative reforms, including the Paik system of compulsory labour service and new territorial offices. These institutions shaped Ahom governance for generations.

Question 4History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Assamese chronicles known as Buranjis are best described as which kind of source?

  1. Land revenue registers kept by Mughal officials
  2. Court-maintained historical records written in the Ahom and Assamese tradition Correct answer.
  3. Sanskrit ritual manuals used by Brahmin priests
  4. Folk songs preserved only through oral performance

Explanation

Buranjis were historical chronicles maintained at the Ahom court and later in Assamese, recording dynastic events, wars and administration. They are a distinctive indigenous source for reconstructing the history of medieval Assam.

Question 5History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Treaty of Yandabo in 1826 had which consequence for Assam?

  1. It transferred Assam permanently to the Ahom kings
  2. It divided Assam between the Koch and Kachari kingdoms
  3. It ended Burmese control and opened the way for British annexation of Assam Correct answer.
  4. It granted Assam independence from all external powers

Explanation

The Treaty of Yandabo concluded the First Anglo-Burmese War and required Burma to give up its claims over Assam. British influence then expanded, culminating in the annexation of Assam into British India.

Question 6History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which event is associated with the beginning of the Assam Movement of 1979-1985?

  1. The partition of Bengal and the creation of Eastern Bengal
  2. The formation of the All India Muslim League in Dhaka
  3. The outbreak of the Second World War
  4. The Hahchara and Nellie incidents and the demand to detect and deport foreign nationals Correct answer.

Explanation

The Assam Movement arose from widespread concern about undocumented migration and culminated in the Assam Accord of 1985. The Nellie incident of 1983 and related unrest are part of this period's history.

Question 7History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Assam Accord of 1985 primarily addressed which issue?

  1. Introduction of English as the sole official language
  2. Detection and deportation of foreigners who entered Assam after a specified cut-off date Correct answer.
  3. Abolition of the zamindari system in Assam
  4. Creation of a separate hill state in the Barak valley

Explanation

The Assam Accord, signed in 1985, set a cut-off date for identifying foreign nationals and provided for their detection and deportation, along with commitments on economic development. It formally ended the Assam Movement.

Question 8History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which Koch ruler is credited with extending Koch power over much of the Brahmaputra valley in the sixteenth century, with his brother Chilarai as commander?

  1. Rudra Singha
  2. Lachit Borphukan
  3. Sukaphaa
  4. Naranarayan Correct answer.

Explanation

Naranarayan ruled the Koch kingdom in the sixteenth century, and his brother Chilarai led successful military campaigns that expanded Koch influence. Their reign marks a high point of Koch political power in the region.

Question 9History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Srimanta Sankardeva is chiefly associated with which religious and cultural movement in Assam?

  1. The revival of Buddhist monasticism
  2. The Vaishnava Bhakti movement and the Sattra monastic tradition Correct answer.
  3. The spread of Islam through Sufi orders
  4. The establishment of Christian missions

Explanation

Sankardeva, a fifteenth-sixteenth century saint, promoted Vaishnava devotion and founded the Sattra and Namghar institutions. His compositions and dramatic works shaped Assamese literature and culture.

Question 10History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which of the following best describes the Bodo language movement's central demand in the late twentieth century?

  1. Abolition of the Panchayat system
  2. Introduction of a common script for all Assamese languages
  3. Merger of Assam with Bengal
  4. Recognition of Bodo as an official language and greater autonomy for the Bodo areas Correct answer.

Explanation

The Bodo movement sought official language status and political autonomy, leading to the Bodo Accord and the creation of the Bodoland Territorial Council. Language recognition was a core cultural demand alongside autonomy.

Question 11History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Kachari kingdom, with its capital at Dimapur and later Maibong, was ruled by rulers of which ethnic group?

  1. The Mughals
  2. The Koch
  3. The Dimasa Kacharis Correct answer.
  4. The Ahoms

Explanation

The Kachari kingdom of the Brahmaputra valley was ruled by the Dimasa Kacharis, whose capitals included Dimapur and Maibong. Their history forms an important strand of pre-colonial Assam.

Question 12History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which of the following was a major administrative innovation of the Ahom kings in the field of land and labour?

  1. The Paik system of compulsory service in lieu of taxes Correct answer.
  2. The Permanent Settlement with zamindars
  3. The Mansabdari system of military ranks
  4. The Ryotwari settlement with individual cultivators

Explanation

Under the Paik system, adult male subjects owed labour service to the state and were organised into units called gots. This provided manpower for agriculture, war and public works in the Ahom kingdom.

Question 13History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which British official is associated with the introduction of the ryotwari and other revenue arrangements in Assam after annexation?

  1. David Scott Correct answer.
  2. Robert Clive
  3. Lord Cornwallis
  4. Warren Hastings

Explanation

David Scott, as the first Commissioner of Assam after annexation, helped shape early British administrative and revenue arrangements in the region. His measures laid the basis for later colonial administration in Assam.

Question 14History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Assam Railway and the growth of tea plantations in the nineteenth century contributed most directly to which change?

  1. Integration of Assam into colonial commercial networks and migration of labour Correct answer.
  2. Decline of the British presence in Assam
  3. Complete industrialisation of the Brahmaputra valley
  4. End of the Ahom monarchy

Explanation

Tea plantations and railway construction linked Assam to colonial markets and brought labourers from other regions, transforming its economy and demography. These developments deepened Assam's integration into British India.

Question 15History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which of the following is the correct chronological order of these events in Assam's history?

  1. Assam Accord, Treaty of Yandabo, Battle of Saraighat, Foundation of the Ahom kingdom
  2. Battle of Saraighat, Foundation of the Ahom kingdom, Assam Accord, Treaty of Yandabo
  3. Treaty of Yandabo, Foundation of the Ahom kingdom, Battle of Saraighat, Assam Accord
  4. Foundation of the Ahom kingdom, Battle of Saraighat, Treaty of Yandabo, Assam Accord Correct answer.

Explanation

The Ahom kingdom was founded in 1228 CE, the Battle of Saraighat was fought in 1671, the Treaty of Yandabo was signed in 1826, and the Assam Accord was concluded in 1985. This sequence reflects the long arc from medieval state formation to modern political settlement.

Question 16History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Mughal campaigns against Assam under Mir Jumla in the seventeenth century are significant because they

  1. established the Ahom capital at Rangpur
  2. ended the Koch kingdom
  3. briefly occupied Garhgaon but failed to establish lasting Mughal control Correct answer.
  4. permanently annexed Assam to the Mughal empire

Explanation

Mir Jumla's campaign reached Garhgaon, but logistical difficulties and Ahom resistance prevented durable Mughal rule. The episode illustrates the limits of Mughal expansion in the difficult terrain of Assam.

Question 17History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which statement best explains why the Ahom kingdom survived for nearly six hundred years?

  1. It combined military adaptation with a decentralised Paik-based administration suited to the valley Correct answer.
  2. It avoided all contact with neighbouring kingdoms
  3. It abolished all local offices and centralised power in one capital
  4. It relied exclusively on alliances with the Mughals

Explanation

The Ahoms adapted their military techniques, including riverine warfare, and used the Paik system to mobilise manpower efficiently. These institutions helped them withstand repeated external threats.

Question 18History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The term 'Sattra' in Assamese Vaishnavism refers to which institution?

  1. A monastic centre of religious learning and performance Correct answer.
  2. A military garrison of the Ahom state
  3. A land revenue unit under the Mughals
  4. A market town on the Brahmaputra

Explanation

Sattras were monastic institutions established in the Vaishnava tradition, functioning as centres of worship, education and cultural performance. They remain influential in Assamese religious life.

Question 19History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which of the following correctly pairs an Ahom ruler with a notable achievement?

  1. Lachit Borphukan with the founding of the Koch kingdom
  2. Sukaphaa with the Treaty of Yandabo
  3. Chilarai with the Paik system
  4. Rudra Singha with the construction of temples and promotion of Sanskrit learning Correct answer.

Explanation

Rudra Singha, who ruled around 1700, patronised temple construction and Sanskrit scholarship, reflecting the Ahoms' growing cultural integration with Brahmanical traditions. The other pairings mix figures from different contexts.

Question 20History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Assamese language movement of the twentieth century was primarily concerned with which issue?

  1. Adoption of Bengali as the sole official language
  2. Recognition and use of Assamese as an official language in Assam Correct answer.
  3. Replacement of Assamese with English in schools
  4. Introduction of Sanskrit as the court language

Explanation

The movement pressed for the official status and educational use of Assamese, especially in the Barak valley and hill districts. Language policy became a major political question in colonial and post-independence Assam.

Question 21History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which of the following was a consequence of the partition of Bengal in 1905 for Assam?

  1. Assam was transferred to Burma
  2. Assam became a princely state
  3. Assam was merged with Madras Presidency
  4. Assam was attached to the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam Correct answer.

Explanation

The 1905 partition created the province of Eastern Bengal and Assam, with its capital at Dacca. The arrangement was reversed in 1911, but it shaped later administrative and political developments in Assam.

Question 22History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which of the following best characterises the role of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee in the national movement?

  1. It confined itself to tea plantation management
  2. It organised local participation in movements such as Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience Correct answer.
  3. It functioned as a wing of the colonial administration
  4. It opposed all forms of anti-colonial agitation

Explanation

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee mobilised support for national campaigns including Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience. Assamese leaders linked regional grievances with the broader freedom struggle.

Question 23History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The 'Line System' introduced in colonial Assam was intended to

  1. demarcate the boundary between Assam and Burma
  2. divide tea gardens among European planters
  3. regulate the settlement of immigrant cultivators in specified areas Correct answer.
  4. fix the boundary between Bengal and Assam

Explanation

The Line System restricted where immigrant cultivators could settle, reflecting colonial concerns about land and demography. It later became a contentious issue in Assam's politics.

Question 24History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which of the following correctly identifies the significance of the Battle of Itakhuli in 1682?

  1. It ended Mughal occupation of Guwahati and restored Ahom control Correct answer.
  2. It established the Koch capital at Cooch Behar
  3. It marked the beginning of Mughal rule in Assam
  4. It led to the signing of the Treaty of Yandabo

Explanation

The Ahom victory at Itakhuli expelled Mughal forces from Guwahati and confirmed Ahom control over the lower Brahmaputra valley. It followed earlier conflicts such as Saraighat and consolidated Ahom power.

Question 25History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Ahom chronicles and Vaishnava biographies together are valuable to historians mainly because they

  1. provide complementary court and religious perspectives on medieval Assam Correct answer.
  2. record exclusively the history of British rule
  3. describe only the geography of the Barak valley
  4. contain only genealogies of the Mughal emperors

Explanation

Buranjis offer a court-centred narrative, while Vaishnava hagiographies illuminate religious and social life. Reading them together gives a fuller picture of medieval Assamese society.

Question 26History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Buranjis of the Ahom kingdom are best described as which kind of historical source?

  1. Land-revenue registers compiled by Mughal officials in Bengal
  2. Official dynastic chronicles maintained in Assamese and Tai languages Correct answer.
  3. Sanskrit ritual manuals used by Brahmin priests at royal sacrifices
  4. Travel accounts written by European merchants visiting Assam

Explanation

Buranjis were court-maintained chronicles recording royal genealogy, wars, treaties and administrative decisions, written in Assamese and sometimes Tai. They form the core written archive for reconstructing Ahom political history and are supplemented by Vaishnava hagiographies and Persian sources.

Question 27History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which Ahom capital was established by Sukapha when he founded the kingdom in the thirteenth century?

  1. Garhgaon
  2. Charaideo Correct answer.
  3. Jorhat
  4. Rangpur

Explanation

Sukapha, who entered the Brahmaputra valley in 1228, established his first capital at Charaideo, which remained the royal necropolis where Ahom kings were buried. Rangpur and Garhgaon were later capitals, and Jorhat was the last capital before British annexation.

Question 28History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which commodity dominated Assam's export economy under British colonial rule in the nineteenth century?

  1. Indigo
  2. Tea Correct answer.
  3. Cotton textiles
  4. Jute

Explanation

The discovery of indigenous tea plants and the establishment of the Assam Company in 1839 made tea the central plantation export of colonial Assam. Plantations drew large-scale migrant labour and shaped the province's transport and land policies.

Question 29History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Vaishnava monastic institution headed by a satradhikar, where celibate devotees lived and religious instruction was given, is known as a

  1. Buranji
  2. Sattra Correct answer.
  3. Namghar
  4. Khel

Explanation

A Sattra is the monastic centre of Assamese Vaishnavism, presided over by a satradhikar, which housed devotees and served as a school of religion, dance and music. The Namghar is the congregational prayer hall, which may stand within or apart from a Sattra.

Question 30History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which body was created by the Government of India Act 1935 to give Assam and other provinces a measure of elected self-government?

  1. The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee
  2. A nominated Advisory Council under the Governor
  3. The Assam Legislative Council of 1913
  4. Provincial Legislative Assembly with a ministry responsible to it Correct answer.

Explanation

The Government of India Act 1935 introduced provincial autonomy, replacing dyarchy with ministries responsible to elected provincial legislatures, and Assam received such an assembly. The Governor retained special powers, but elected ministers now ran transferred departments.

Question 31History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which tribal kingdom of the Barak valley and adjoining hills had its capital at Khaspur and was later absorbed into British India?

  1. Koch kingdom of Cooch Behar
  2. Jaintia kingdom
  3. Kachari kingdom of Cachar Correct answer.
  4. Chutia kingdom

Explanation

The Kachari rulers of Cachar shifted their capital to Khaspur in the eighteenth century, and the kingdom was annexed by the British in 1832 after a succession dispute. Cooch Behar, Jaintia and the Chutia kingdom were distinct polities in different regions.

Question 32History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which foreign invader's repeated invasions of Assam in the seventeenth century were finally repelled, securing Ahom control of the valley?

  1. Maratha forces from Nagpur
  2. Burmese forces from Ava
  3. Mughal armies from Bengal Correct answer.
  4. Nepalese Gurkha troops

Explanation

Mughal governors of Bengal launched several campaigns, the most famous under Mir Jumla in 1662-63, but the Ahoms recovered and won decisively at Itakhuli in 1682. That victory ended Mughal claims in Assam and fixed the Manas river as the western boundary.

Question 33History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Assamese literary figure Lakshminath Bezbaroa is chiefly remembered for which contribution?

  1. Compiling the first Assamese-to-English dictionary
  2. Translating the Mahabharata into Assamese under Ahom patronage
  3. Pioneering modern Assamese prose through essays, short stories and satire Correct answer.
  4. Introducing the printing press to Assam

Explanation

Bezbaroa, associated with the journal Jonaki, helped shape modern Assamese prose through satire, short stories and essays, and wrote the song later adopted as the state anthem. His work marks the transition from devotional to modern literary forms.

Question 34History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

A candidate notes that the Ahom state assigned families to units called khel and required service from them. This arrangement most closely resembles which system of organising labour?

  1. A corvee-based service system tied to land and caste-guild groups Correct answer.
  2. A market wage system in which labourers freely sold their work
  3. A feudal manorial system with serfs bound to private lords
  4. A modern system of salaried civil servants paid in cash

Explanation

The khel organisation under the Paik system obliged adult male subjects to render periodic personal service to the state, in war or public works, in return for land use. It was a compulsory service arrangement, not free wage labour or private manorial serfdom.

Question 35History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

A historian comparing the Ahom and Mughal states in the seventeenth century would find that both

  1. depended entirely on a single hereditary nobility with no bureaucracy
  2. governed without any form of land revenue assessment
  3. maintained written records and elaborate systems of ranked officials Correct answer.
  4. rejected all use of gunpowder weapons in warfare

Explanation

Both polities kept chronicles and administrative documents and organised officials in graded ranks, whether mansabdars or Ahom officers such as the Borphukan. This shared documentary and bureaucratic character is what makes comparison fruitful for historians.

Question 36History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Ahom officer known as the Borphukan was responsible for which sphere?

  1. Supervision of temple lands and Vaishnava monasteries
  2. Collection of customs duties at the eastern frontier
  3. Administration of the western territories and command of the army facing Mughal Bengal Correct answer.
  4. Management of the royal household and palace stores

Explanation

The Borphukan, seated at Guwahati, governed the western Ahom provinces and led the defence against Mughal pressure, most famously Lachit Borphukan at Saraighat in 1671. This made the office both a territorial governorship and a military command.

Question 37History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Battle of Saraighat in 1671 is remembered in Assamese history mainly because it

  1. began the Ahom conquest of the Bengal plains
  2. ended the Mughal attempt to conquer Assam by defeating a superior river-borne force Correct answer.
  3. marked the conversion of the Ahom kings to Islam
  4. established British trading rights at Guwahati

Explanation

At Saraighat on the Brahmaputra, Lachit Borphukan's fleet and land forces halted the Mughal army under Ram Singh, using terrain and river warfare to offset numerical weakness. The victory preserved Ahom independence for decades, though Mughal pressure resumed until 1682.

Question 38History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which factor best explains why the Ahom kingdom was able to absorb the Chutia and Kachari kingdoms of the valley?

  1. A treaty with the Delhi Sultanate dividing the valley
  2. The collapse of local agriculture before Ahom expansion
  3. Reliance on Portuguese mercenary armies stationed in Assam
  4. Superior riverine military logistics combined with incorporation of defeated elites into Ahom service Correct answer.

Explanation

Ahom success rested on control of the Brahmaputra for moving troops and supplies and on integrating defeated ruling families into the Ahom order rather than exterminating them. This combination of military logistics and political absorption consolidated the valley under one power.

Question 39History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Assamese novelist and scholar Hemchandra Barua is best known for which work?

  1. A chronicle of the Ahom kings written in Tai
  2. A collection of Vaishnava devotional songs
  3. The Assamese grammar and dictionary that standardised the modern written language Correct answer.
  4. A history of British revenue administration in Assam

Explanation

Hemchandra Barua produced a widely used Assamese grammar and dictionary, and his writings helped fix modern Assamese prose and orthography. His work supported the language's use in schools and administration.

Question 40History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Assamese poet and reformer Anandaram Dhekial Phukan is significant in nineteenth-century Assam for

  1. Founding the Ahom revivalist movement
  2. Leading an armed revolt against British rule in Assam
  3. Introducing tea cultivation to the Brahmaputra valley
  4. Advocating modern education and the use of Assamese in administration and schooling Correct answer.

Explanation

Anandaram Dhekial Phukan argued for modern schooling and for Assamese as the language of courts and schools, and wrote on the province's condition under British rule. He represents the early nineteenth-century Assamese intelligentsia's reform outlook.

Question 41History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

A researcher finds an Assamese Vaishnava biography that describes a sixteenth-century satradhikar meeting a king. How should the historian treat such a source?

  1. Reject it entirely because religious texts have no historical value
  2. Use it with care, cross-checking its claims against other records because it aims to glorify its subject Correct answer.
  3. Treat it as a Buranji and read it as an official state record
  4. Accept it as literally true because it is a contemporary document

Explanation

Hagiographies contain valuable information about institutions, patronage and social life, but their purpose is edification, so they may exaggerate miracles and royal favour. Historians therefore corroborate their factual claims with chronicles, inscriptions and administrative records.

Question 42History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Mising, Rabha and Tiwa communities of Assam are best described in the context of the state's social history as

  1. Distinct ethnic communities with their own languages, customs and traditional institutions Correct answer.
  2. Sub-castes within the Assamese Brahmin order
  3. Descendants of Mughal soldiers settled in Assam
  4. Migrant planter communities brought in during the nineteenth century

Explanation

These are distinct ethnic communities with their own languages, oral traditions and social institutions, and they form part of Assam's plural society. Recognising them as separate communities, rather than as subdivisions of a single caste order, is essential to understanding the state's social fabric.

Question 43History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Assam Legislative Council was first constituted in 1913 under which framework?

  1. The Regulating Act 1773
  2. The Government of India Act 1919, which introduced dyarchy
  3. The Indian Independence Act 1947
  4. The Indian Councils Act 1909, which expanded limited elective representation Correct answer.

Explanation

The Morley-Minto reforms of 1909 provided for expanded legislative councils, and Assam's council was constituted in 1913 on that basis. Dyarchy came later with the 1919 Act, which further enlarged provincial legislatures.

Question 44History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which development most directly linked the growth of Assamese nationalist sentiment in the early twentieth century to the national movement?

  1. Participation of Assamese delegates in the Indian National Congress sessions and the Swadeshi campaign Correct answer.
  2. Formation of a separate Assamese army under British command
  3. Establishment of a Portuguese trading factory at Guwahati
  4. Signing of a treaty with Burma for mutual defence

Explanation

Assamese political leaders attended Congress sessions and joined Swadeshi and later non-cooperation activities, tying local grievances about language, land and administration to the national struggle. This participation helped build a provincial Congress organisation.

Question 45History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Assam region was administratively attached to Bengal at various times in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. What was a major political consequence of this arrangement?

  1. Bengali replaced Assamese in all village schools by law
  2. Assamese leaders feared cultural and linguistic submersion and campaigned for a separate province Correct answer.
  3. Assam was denied representation in any legislature
  4. Assam permanently lost its own legal system and courts

Explanation

Attachment to Bengal raised anxieties that Assamese language and culture would be overshadowed by Bengali, feeding demands for separation. The province was reconstituted as a Chief Commissioner's province in 1874 and later as a Governor's province in 1921.

Question 46History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The peasant mobilisations of the 1930s and 1940s in Assam, often led by Congress and socialist workers, chiefly protested against

  1. The spread of English-medium education
  2. The construction of railways by the colonial state
  3. The ban on the tea trade with Tibet
  4. Oppressive revenue demands and the conditions imposed on tenant cultivators Correct answer.

Explanation

Agrarian unrest in Assam focused on land revenue, insecure tenancy and the burden imposed on ryots, with organisations demanding relief and security of tenure. These movements linked rural grievances to the broader anti-colonial struggle.

Question 47History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

A student argues that the Ahom policy of appointing both Assamese Hindu officials and Tai-Ahom nobles to high office strengthened the kingdom. Which evidence best supports this claim?

  1. The policy abolished all hereditary offices in favour of election
  2. It ended all conflict with the Mughals
  3. It removed the need for a standing army
  4. The state drew on diverse elites for revenue and military service, widening its support base Correct answer.

Explanation

By incorporating Brahmin and other local elites alongside Tai-Ahom nobles, the Ahom state broadened its legitimacy and administrative capacity. This integrative policy helps explain the dynasty's longevity despite repeated external threats.

Question 48History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

The Assamese language was replaced by Bengali as the medium of instruction and courts in Assam in 1836. What does this episode reveal about colonial cultural policy?

  1. Colonial officials consistently promoted indigenous languages in all provinces
  2. Bengali was the mother tongue of most people in the Brahmaputra valley
  3. Administrative convenience often overrode local linguistic realities, provoking lasting cultural resistance Correct answer.
  4. Assamese had no written literature before 1836

Explanation

The substitution reflected the East India Company's reliance on Bengali-speaking officials and its limited understanding of Assam's linguistic landscape. It provoked petitions and a long campaign that eventually restored Assamese in 1873, showing how language policy became a site of cultural politics.

Question 49History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Which of the following best assesses the significance of the Yandabo Treaty of 1826 for Assam?

  1. It ended the First Anglo-Burmese War and led to British control over Assam through the Treaty of Yandabo's terms Correct answer.
  2. It granted Assam complete independence from all outside powers
  3. It restored the Mughal governor to power in Guwahati
  4. It divided Assam permanently between Bengal and Burma

Explanation

The Treaty of Yandabo concluded the First Anglo-Burmese War, and the Burmese withdrawal opened the way for the East India Company to take control of Assam. British rule was then consolidated through annexations and administrative arrangements over the following decades.

Question 50History (Higher Secondary course content as prescribed by ASSEB Division-II)

Historians regard the Vaishnava movement of Srimanta Sankardeva as socially transformative in Assam mainly because it

  1. offered worship open to all, challenged ritual hierarchy and used the vernacular for devotion Correct answer.
  2. created a centralised military order that overthrew the Ahom kings
  3. abolished the Assamese language in favour of Sanskrit
  4. confined religious practice to Brahmin households

Explanation

Sankardeva's movement promoted devotion accessible across caste and gender lines, used Assamese in prayer and drama, and built the Sattra and Namghar network. Its vernacular and inclusive character reshaped Assamese religious and cultural life.